Holy crap. How things can change in six months. The top-rated NBC action series Heroes, which was an instant hit two years ago, has been canceled after a 25% drop in viewership with the third season’s premiere. With advertisers dropping off left and right, NBC will air the remaining seven episodes that have already been filmed and, presumably, wrap things up with a quick season finale – if fans are lucky.
No doubt, fans like me are going to protest this like crazy, as Heroes is one of the most refreshing shows on television. It was a risky venture by NBC – after all, even with superheroes being as popular as ever after successful franchises like X-Men and Spider-man, TV audiences can be finicky, and the thought of a television show about “realistic” superheroes was pushing the acceptability factor of people. Nonetheless, it launched with a slam dunk and just went from there, delivering some of the best television we’ve seen in years (OK, not nearly as good as Lost or Battlestar Galactica).
Unfortunately, the second season was a bit weak at times, and the last several episodes were hurried by the writer’s strike, cutting short major season arcs and conveniently wrapping them up in overly ambitious ways. Season Two saw a ridiculously small amount of episodes, and apparently that was more than enough to kill it for audiences. Still, a 25% decrease is pretty shocking, and NBC must have passed the break-even point as I’m sure Heroes is quite pricey (despite having rather crappy special effects by today’s standards).
Anyway, while Heroes did experience a 25% drop with its season premiere, NBC of course is not really canceling one of its most popular shows. Did you really believe that? Did you?
Tags: cancellation, heroes, nbc, television, tv
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Television/TV |
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September 24th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
your sense of humor with the presumably innocous lying is getting annoying… you should stick to what you do (review movies), and leave the 5 year-old practical jokes to the toddlers, otherwise you’ll probably see a 25% drop
September 25th, 2008 at 4:59 am
I don’t mind your sense of humor. It’s generally funny, but maybe to please everyone you would want to space out your jokes. The Godfather 4 is somewhat believable just because of the times we’re in right now, but Heroes being canceled isn’t at all.
September 29th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Thanks for the feedback, guys. I don’t think I’ll stop my blatant lying, but I’ll try to do it in a less predictable fashion perhaps. Or not. We shall see…
October 14th, 2008 at 11:35 am
I HOPE THIS IS A JOKE. IF HEROES IS CANCELED I WILL STOP WATCHING NBC ALL TOGETHER!!! I’M STILL UPSET THEY CANCELED JOURNEYMAN!!! ALL I HAVE LEFT IS MY NAME EARL AND HEROS.
October 28th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Okay… I get that you were lying and having a little bit of fun. Whatever, cool. However, I heard all of this information from a friend of mine who watches the show with me. He says that he read in an article that Heroes dropped by 5 million views, and that NBC may or may not cancel the show after Volume 3 concludes.
All of this is kinda strange, because Wikipedia has just updated their database on Heroes and has mentioned nothing about it. Anyone know anything else?
October 28th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Hi Shane,
Heroes, along with many other network shows, have seen tremendous drop-offs this season. Their season opener did receive a 25% drop from last season; the writer’s strike seems to have disenfranchised people (also, the second season wasn’t as good as the first). However, I have not heard anything that Heroes might be on the chopping block.
Erik
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:15 pm
i hope somehow nbc seess my response to this. I also read in the paper that it was being cancelled. If this is true nbc might as well close down corporation. Heroes is the best show thats ever been on television and people will protest guaranteed.
December 9th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Hopefully Direct tv picks it up like they picked up friday night lights
January 4th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Don’t get my hopes up like that. Heroes used to be an excellent show, but they’ve twisted it into a bumbling mess of nothingness and crap. DOWN WITH HEROES!
January 11th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
NBC is totally screwed up!!!!! WTF r they thinking?? Heroes, My own worst enemy, lipstick jungle?!?! Do they not know a good show when they got ‘em? They r completely ingnorant if thy drop any of these shows!!!!!!!!!!!
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:50 pm
I don’t really care that this was some form of joke; I was looking for information about a television show. You have only proven you may or may not know and offer a juvenile and unreliable reference.
With your credibility in shreds I still don’t know more than I did, is heroes getting canceled? You claim to know the answer but you are unable to provide adequate credibility.
So ya its funny for you and others I suppose.
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:23 pm
@AnotherJared – Heroes is not being canceled. However, if this next chapter (which starts tonight) does not work better than the last couple of seasons, I could see it being canceled by 2010.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:17 am
Heroes lost it. Completely. A long time ago.
NBC has cancelled far better series,such as Studio60…so why shouldnt they give Heroes the axe?
This is what they get for focusing only 0n 12-35ers, and advertising revenues…
And then they wonder….
February 11th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Hi Miguel, I’m starting to agree with you, at least partially. They canceled Studio60 because no one watched it; Heroes still has people watching it – so it’s still profitable.
I don’t know if the age demographic is the problem – I’m within that age demographic. The problem is that the writers didn’t think long term and botched much of a chance at developing their characters in a reasonable way.
February 19th, 2009 at 5:09 am
Hi Erik,
I like your sense of humour, some people have taken it to seriously and apparently you’ve lost all credibility!
Heroes is being slaughtered by it’s own writers, they had a great chance to develop the plots like you said, but just seem to think short-term. In fact I heard they sacked two of the writers, so hopefully season 4 will bring it back to the standard of season 1.
February 19th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Thanks for your support, TheBrit!
Heroes has all but lost me. The last couple episodes have been better, but I question whether it can completely regain its footing. It just doesn’t seem to have any solid, emotional story arc anymore.
March 17th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
well I on the other hand am not surprised. although it was very refreshing to see a live action superhero tv show, its writing was weak. half of the senarios seen are practically plagerized from existing super hero shows. if an entire 1/4 of your viewers have completely forgotten about your show or even care anymore, maybe it is time to call it quits, try something new. it’s never good to waist money on something that isn’t making money.
March 21st, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Did you actully name lost and Battlestar Galactica as better shows than heroes??? WHO THE FUCK GAVE YOU A PAGE!!
March 21st, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Are you actually saying that Lost and Battlestar Galactica are not better than Heroes? The one episode in Season One where Hiro goes into the future is one of the best episodes of any show that I’ve ever seen – but Lost and Battlestar Galactica run circles around Heroes, including Season One. Carnivale, The Wire, Sopranos, X-Files and Big Love do, too. Sorry to break it to you.
April 6th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
i only have two words for you… HEROES ROCKS!!!
April 7th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Heroes should be cancelled. I’m getting sick of it, as it has gone way downhill. This Denko character is the final straw in making the show crappy. Show started off good and now it is just plodding along with nothing interesting going on. So long Heoroes, you won’t be missed.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
I’ve actually like the last three episodes a bit more. They’re still not great, but getting back to better episodes. In fact, I just checked, and those three episodes mark the return of Bryan Fuller, per this announcement: http://blog.filmjabber.com/2008/12/14/nbcs-heroes-returning-to-better-simpler-times/
April 13th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Gosh and it just started getting interesting again. I hate to see it being cancelled. I really liked the last three or four episodes alot.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Dee, it’s not actually being canceled. And yes, the last four episodes have been substantially better. I really liked tonight’s episode and how they’re tying all the events that have occurred back to the original Company.
May 4th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Oh my God! I was completely convinced, i nearly started crying!!!!
May 4th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Sorry, I just like making people cry.
October 6th, 2009 at 7:42 am
What a steaming pile of BS heroes was (is) one of the best series ever, battlestar gallactica was and allways has been utter SHITE!!!!!!!!! the old and the new, they’re ruining my fun, i used to love stargate as well, then they brought out SGU (stargate universe), more SHITE to ruin my viewing, SGU is just BGS with an SG theme, why did they waste all that time and money?, tv has turned to Crap what are we paying our license fee for utter crap and endless re-runs of crap ive had a gutfull c’mon TV land pull yer GODDAMN FINGERS OUT!!!!! >(
October 6th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Hi Justin,
OK, fair enough if you like Heroes, but you have to be joking when you say Battlestar Galactica was shit. Wow.
October 8th, 2009 at 10:55 am
I hope it isn’t cancelled, I think the plot has gone a bit far fetched but if they drag it back to reality a little more, I’m sure the viewers will grow.
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:15 pm
What? Was this funny? Almost caused heart failure at my house. Hubby only watches 1 show each week on t.v. and this is it. Made it on the radio news in Omaha today.