The television networks are announcing their fall schedules all this week. The first one out of the gate is fourth-place NBC, which announced a spin-off for their popular show Heroes:
To stretch the normal 22-episode season of “Heroes,” which faltered after its long hiatus this year, NBC will add “Heroes: Origins.” The spin-off will introduce a new character each week, and viewers will select which one stays for the following season. The two series will have 30 new episodes combined.
They will also add three “supernatural” shows to their line-up:
–Bionic Woman, a remake of the 1970s spin-off of the Six Million Dollar Man, with Michelle Ryan in the title role.
–Journeyman, which is about “a San Francisco newspaper reporter who travels through time to alter people’s lives.”
–Chuck. “a thriller about a computer geek who becomes a government agent after spy secrets are embedded in his brain.”
Crossing Jordan and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, not surprisingly, were both given the axe, while Friday Night Lights will move to Friday nights, so it can get the axe early next fall.
For more information, check out TV Squad’s coverage. ABC will unveil their schedule tomorrow, followed by CBS on Wednesday. Fox and The CW will announce their line-ups on Thursday.
May 14th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
“–Journeyman, which is about “a San Francisco newspaper reporter who travels through time to alter people’s lives.””
isn’t that just quantum leap?
May 14th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
I was surprised to hear that the series slid after the hiatus. I think Heroes has only gotten better with each episode.
I’m not sure what to think of the spin off though. It sort of sounds like a cheap way to keep the fans going. Will it star the normal cast or will this be something totally different??
May 14th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
Studio 60 is cancelled? Those stupid, @&%$# bastards!
Why do networks always screw over their best shows?
May 14th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
RE: Heroes: Origins
The article I read said that it would introduce new characters each week and viewers would get to vote on whether the characters make it to the main show in the next season. Kind of goofy. I hope it’s better than that. Doesn’t sound like they’ve ordered too many episodes, though, as the article I saw said that the two shows combined have an order for 30 episodes total (22-23 make up a full season).
May 14th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Bionic Woman sounds cool I’m on board that, as well as the other shows mentioned. Curious, what happened to the Six Billion Dollar man project? Would be cool to see that made as a film or TV series.
May 14th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Man, they really screwed the pooch with Heroes. That show was huge until that long break.
May 14th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
“which faltered after its long hiatus” Long Hiatus? How long was it away? a month, two? Are peoples attention span so low that they forget everything if its out of sight for a short while?
May 14th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Yes.
May 14th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
i’m sure shows with cliffhanger endings to each episode would suffer more from this kind of hiatus. I always assumed that’s why 24 stopped taking long breaks.
May 14th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Long Hiatus? How long was it away? a month, two? Are peoples attention span so low that they…
Hey! Let’s go ride our bikes!
May 14th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
Y’know, I’d watch Heroes every week…if it were on an hour earlier.
There’s no way I’m passing up the first hour of Monday Night Football for it and by the time football season’s over, I’ve missed half of Heroes for the season.
Too bad. Guess I’ll just watch it commercial-free on dvd.
May 14th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
It’s not surprising that interest fell off due to the hiatus. People found other things to do with their time, and when the show came back they either didn’t notice, didn’t care, or preferred what they had been doing in the interim.
Forgetting what the heck was going on makes a series a lot less interesting.
May 14th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Heroes is on practically every hour of the day on the Sci-Fi channel.
May 14th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
“Too bad. Guess I’ll just watch it commercial-free on dvd.”
Waiting for the trade/boxed set/Netflix is really the superior option in practically every situation.
May 14th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
A very big problem with networks today is their unwillingness to take a chance on anything anymore. Seinfeld would not survive today as well as countless other “good” shows. If they’re not getting numbers that American Idol or Surivor produces then the show is said to not have done well. Didn’t get a million viewers on the first week? Cancel the show. Keep in mind that television shows don’t really gain any kind of buzz until after the first couple of episodes. I caught LOST on the repeat the following Sunday it aired.
Now if I can figure all of this out? Why can’t the networks? I can’t understand it for the life of me. The answer always seems to be another “reality show” or a remake of something that was another show such as Quantum Leap.
May 14th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Doesn’t sound like they’ve ordered too many episodes, though, as the article I saw said that the two shows combined have an order for 30 episodes total (22-23 make up a full season).
From the quote:
To stretch the normal 22-episode season of “Heroes,” which faltered after its long hiatus
So it’s only intended to bridge the hiatus, so we don’t get a two month span of nothing again, to keep the ratings from dropping again.
May 14th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Because the networks actually have years of evidence that shows that programs which gain popularity via word-of-mouth more than a couple weeks in are extremely rare. If something is shedding audience weekly in its first few viewings, the odds are that it will continue to do so.
People talk about “Seinfeld” and the like, but they were rare cases back when there were at most four networks plus PBS (and not nearly as expensive as a present-day show). The television dial has gotten much more crowded since then, and the competition for about the same number of viewers as a result is much more cutthroat.
May 14th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
A fragmented audience split among an increasing number of choices… Many people preferring to wait for the episodes to come out on DVD… Doesn’t this sound just like the comic book marketplace?
Maybe the troubles comics are facing today are universal.
May 14th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
sci-fi is doing a Heroes marathon on Saturday, 21 episodes total. now you can get all caught up for those of you who haven’t been watching.
May 14th, 2007 at 10:10 pm
I’ve been Tivoing all the Heroes episodes and I’ve yet to see that last 6. I really have no interest. This show has quickly developed “Lost syndrome” — all questions, damn few answers. And while I may eventually see those episodes, including the last 2, I’m in not hurry to do so.
May 15th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
This show has quickly developed “Lost syndrome” — all questions, damn few answers.?? what show are you watching..
Man the long hiatus was alittle to long and un-needed but the show is good and if and when it gets canceled I bet the people who where bashing the show here will be pissed. The show rocks people what the hack do u guys want from a tv show anyways?? another gay ass reality show so come on people its a good show
May 16th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
all questions, no answers!? good grief, thats the one thing they DO give you. Answers and plot lines that go somewhere. Some episodes have so many answers it’s hard to keep them all in mind. Of course this last one, uh, maybe their ‘abilities’ will bring them back. Best thing going on TV now.
May 16th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
I was just wondering why Heroes was practically simulcast on the sci-fi channel and NBC. Then the haitus happened, what the frell. Is this one gonna end up just like Farscape? Where the ending was less than feasable much less watchable. That was a very sore disappointment when they did a wonkee job of tying up all the “loose ends”. Is this going to be the same for “Heroes”? Are they just going to higgldee piggledee tie up the loose ends just to shut up the fans? Or are they actually going to make this into something besides another “Farscape”?
Personally, I am thinking that because of the simulcast thing that there were probably some issues with who gets to show what to whom and what time. That’s what I am thinking that happened. Someone forgot to send the memo to one of these networks that they weren’t supposed to air this. Now the damage is done and it might just be the end of the show. Who knows.
May 17th, 2007 at 5:02 am
lol they give a TON of answers on Heroes, not sure where you got the idea they don’t answer any questions.
May 17th, 2007 at 9:25 am
I was also surprised to here that Heroes has faltered. I think it’s the best series to hit prime time since West Wing and I know many others who agree.
I will look forward to Origins
May 21st, 2007 at 1:14 pm
the problem with waiting for everything to come out on DVD is that by not watching it potentially you are dooming the show to cancellation. don’t get me wrong I’m big on buying the tv shows i love on DVD, but if there are no ratings then the show goes belly up pretty quickly.
May 22nd, 2007 at 7:08 am
I proclaim Heroes the show of the century
Hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo