How the mighty have fallen. NBC’s Heroes was one of the big hits of the 2006-07 season, seemingly ensuring a very long and successful run. But, the series seems to have lost its way and many viewers have complained about confusing or ridiculous storylines. Even worse, many others have just stopped watching altogether. With ratings at an all time low, does the series have a chance at returning for season four?
Heroes tells the story of a group of ordinary people who, after a solar eclipse, miraculously develop super powers. They soon learn that that their abilities can be both a blessing and a curse, and that there are many forces trying to either control or destroy them. The large ensemble cast includes Sendhil Ramamurthy, Jack Coleman, Masi Oka, Hayden Panettiere, James Kyson Lee, Milo Ventimiglia, Ali Larter, Adrian Pasdar, Greg Grunberg, Zachary Quinto, Cristine Rose, Ashley Crow, and Noah Gray-Cabey.
The sci-fi series debuted on September 25, 2006 to 14.3 million viewers and a 5.9/14 rating/share of 18-49 demographic. It was the highest-rated premiere for an NBC drama in five years. Though viewership fell to just 12.57 million in episode two, word of mouth started to kick in. On November 20th, episode nine reached just over 16 million viewers and a 6.9/16. Unfortunately, it went on hiatus a few weeks later. The numbers began to dwindle when it returned in early 2007 and, by May, Heroes hit a series low of 11.14 million and a 5.1/13.
Season two started off strong on September 24, 2007 with 14.1 million viewers and a 6.5/15. That didn’t last and viewership began to fall once again. The writers strike caused the season to be shortened so only 11 episodes were made, averaging just 13 million. The honeymoon was certainly beginning to end and the network scrapped its plans to create a spin-off series, Heroes: Origins.
 Loading ... |
Season three has been the show’s most troubled season yet. Heroes returned on September 22, 2008 to 10.09 viewers and the ratings have been falling ever since. The show has been getting hammered by the combination of CBS’ comedy block, ABC’s The Bachelor, and FOX’s 24. Monday’s installment was no exception. It landed in a distant fourth place and attracted 7.04 million and 3.2/7 in the demo.
Will the show return for season four? It seems fairly likely. The show is co-produced by Universal Media Studios, part of NBC’s parent company. At the end of season three, they’ll have 60 episodes of the show completed. Ideally, a series needs more than that to be attractive to affiliates in the syndication market, where a production company can make the most money from a show. NBC also has very few hit shows so they aren’t likely to throw Heroes away just yet, especially with its demo numbers. Rest assured though, if Heroes was airing on either CBS or ABC, it surely would have been cancelled awhile ago.
Going against Heroes’ future is the fact that times are tough and the show’s not cheap. Because Jay Leno will be filling the five hours of primetime each week, there will be far fewer slots available on the NBC schedule.
At this point, it looks like the peacock network will renew Heroes for a shortened season. If ratings keep falling though, they may decide to cut their losses. One way or the other though, it looks like the days of Heroes are certainly numbered.
Image courtesy NBC.
More about:
Heroes
Related Content
-
NBC Picks Up Three Shows; What About Heroes, Law & Order, and Trauma? Cancelled Soon?
Oct 26, 2009 -
Heroes: Bryan Fuller Quits NBC Series Again; A Nail in the Coffin?
Jun 23, 2009 -
Life: Damian Lewis Series Cancelled, No Season Three
May 4, 2009 -
Heroes: NBC Commits to Season Four, Sort Of
Mar 5, 2009 -
-
The Moment of Truth: FOX Losing Confidence in Lie Detector Show?
Aug 7, 2008
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
Heroes is dead. They lack decent writers which is what caused this mess. The writers have no talent so they took the easy way out and edited key aspects of the show to account for their weaknesses. Taking away Peter’s native power- Taking away Hiro’s power- Getting rid of Sylar/Zachary Quinto by combining him with a less paid actor….and finally…MY favorite…. Reviving Ali Larter AGAIN. The most hated character of the show whose soul purpose is eye candy. If she never spoke, was nude, and just banged Peter all the time it would be acceptable…but….
RIP HEROES….for your pride I hope your show ends where it is.
“I love watching heroes and i would seriously be sad if it were canceled. I really want to see what happens in the end. I suppose my only problem is that it
The quality of the writing of the show has definitely gotten worse and worse over time. That recent episode with Angela visiting the house where she lost her sister and her sister causing a hurricane was so ridiculous and it had nothing to do with the rest of the show. Desperate Housewives was always ridiculous, but they had a similar episode where a hurricane went through the town and sucked some people away (and made one of the characters blind!) and that’s when I stopped watching. I would have stopped watching Heroes after that episode if my boyfriend didn’t want to keep watching, although we actually lost track of the show anyways and still have yet to see the final two episodes.
My other problem with the show is that they need to show it every week. There have been way too many times when the show went on a break or one week they didn’t show it. I don’t know if Mondays are just a bad time to keep a show running without interruption, or what.
BRING BACK HEROES!
The problem with Heroes is that the storyline is starting to conflict with itself; The ability to time travel and rewrite history does that b/c there’s so much to consider – AKA the butterfly effect.
The show has great potential but I don’t think it should be aired indefinitely. I believe the best way is to follow the steps of great legends and step down while it’s in its prime. In other words, it should have an idea of how the story ends, thus, becoming akin to a mini series like jail break or sex in the city. That’s the best solution because you can develop spin-offs and a dedicated audience base to the imaginary world of Heroes, or even an occult following. Hell, I’d join the cult if the show kept it’s momentum like season 1 & 2… My powers would be mental manipulation like Matt, except I project faith and confidence in everything I say.
I think it could be salvaged. As for Ali coming back, that part is easy. She gives a hint in an interview. Her final character died by freezing herself but somehow she blinked meaning she was still alive. Well what happens when ice thaws? She had made the comment that her comeback involved lots of water.
My main problem with the show is when Nathan dies in the end. Why on earth wouldn’t they just put some of Claire’s blood in him and bring him back? They did it with HRG and he would’ve sustained brain damage and everything. I would give it another chance but I’m afraid they may have jumped the shark removing Pete’s and Hiro’s powers and killing Nathan.
Series 3 is totally RUBBiSH. The storyline is weak, the cheerleader is dull and the carnival is pointless. They need to improve and tighten the plots. Develop a structure that will bring back some form of continuity and hire some writers that know how to write. What started as an interesting and intiguing show, reminding me of comic books from the 60’s & 70’s has been turned into a series that lacks any suspense, interest and intrigue. They have made ALL the characters weak and insipid and dare I say it? Turned ‘Heroes’ into ROB LIFIELDS X-FORCE.
← Previous Comments