Sci-Fi News and Reviews

"Heroes: Origins"

NBC is planning an interesting experiment with "Heroes" next season. The network is responding to criticism of the long breaks during the season where no new episodes are shown. NBC chief Kevin Reilly said, "We've got something I call the 'bulk-up challenge' for next year, which is trying to stay more consistent in our scheduling for the audience."

To meet this challenge, in addition to the 24 new episodes of "Heroes" that the network has ordered, they have also ordered a quasi-spinoff called "Heroes: Origins", which brings the new content total up to an amazing 30 episodes!

"Heroes: Origins" will consist of six stand-alone episodes. Each one will focus on introducing a new character and detailing their unique back story. These stories will not be tied into the main story line for the season, but will be in the same universe, so we may get to see some of the series regulars meet up with these new characters.

The writers have also added a very cool element to these shows. After the "Heroes: Origins" mini-series airs, viewers will be able to vote on which character joins the main show the following season. Yup - it's a 'Choose Your Own Hero' adventure!

I think this is a great and original idea. Kudos to NBC for trying to avoid long breaks and more kudos for addressing the issue in such an innovative manner. We may have found our first intelligent network executive in Kevin Reilly!

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Posted by Fred on May 15, 2007 8:41 AM
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