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Holding out for a hero
By Clarke Reader
creader3@mscd.edu

Heroes Plot: A group of ordinary citizens are endowed with superhuman powers. Airs: 8 p.m. Mondays on NBC. Starring: Milo Ventimiglia, Greg Grunberg, Santiago Cabrera, Masi Oka, Tawny Cypress, Hayden Panettiere, Noah Gray-Cabey, Adrian Pasdar. Website: Missed an episode? You can catch up online at http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/

Winter break is over for students and for TV programming alike, and the networks’ heavy contenders are steadily emerging from their hibernation.

Shows on all networks are starting up with new episodes and fresh plots. Some, such as 24, are just beginning their new season, while others, such as Lost, are starting midseason.

One of the most hotly anticipated returning shows is Heroes, which resumed its run Jan. 22 on NBC.
The show has been described as a mix of X-Men and Lost, and the comparison is apt. Like Lost, Heroes thrives on cliffhanger endings, enough twists and turns to make one sick, and a dynamic ensemble cast.

Meanwhile, the basic premise of the show echoes X-Men. The plot is fairly simple: A select group has been born with differences in their genetic codes, giving them an array of “super” powers. The expansive list of abilities includes flight, time travel, regeneration and mind reading.

Not only do these individuals have to come to grips with their gifts – or curses, depending on the person – but outside forces know about them and are desperately trying to find them all with evil ends in mind.

The cast is a mixed bag of TV veterans such as Greg Grunberg from Alias, Milo Ventimiglia from Gilmore Girls and Jack Coleman from Dynasty, along with relative newcomers such as Masi Oka, Hayden Panettiere and Noah Gray-Cabey.

The show’s creator, Tim Kring, is no stranger to TV fame. His résumé includes the crime-drama Crossing Jordan and writing credits for shows including Providence and Knight Rider.

Heroes hasn’t yet finished its first season, but it has already been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Television Drama and won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama.

The real question is: Will Heroes be able to hold on to its momentum as the season unfolds and into next fall?

Many critics thought that Lost slackened with its second season, perhaps because the plot turned outlandish in an attempt to keep the audience guessing. This may be easier to maintain for Heroes, because the premise allows for all kinds of fantastic twists and developments.

The teaser for the first half of the season, referring to a list of the heroes who were found last December, was “Are you on the List?” Likewise, it remains to be seen whether Heroes will stay on the list of viewers’ favorite TV shows or if it will meet its kryptonite.