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NBC Has Canceled Heroes!

September 24th, 2008

Ali Larter in HeroesHoly 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?

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Comments (30)

30 Responses to 'NBC Has Canceled Heroes!'
  1. Good at times... says:

    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

  2. Luke Baggins says:

    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.

  3. Erik Samdahl says:

    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…

  4. lewis dacosta says:

    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.

  5. Shane Nelms says:

    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?

  6. Erik Samdahl says:

    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

  7. Frank Giangrasso says:

    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.

  8. Ken Johnson says:

    Hopefully Direct tv picks it up like they picked up friday night lights

  9. Sharon says:

    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!

  10. Amber says:

    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!!!!!!!!!!!

  11. AnotherJared says:

    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.

  12. Erik Samdahl says:

    @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.

  13. Miguel says:

    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….

  14. Erik Samdahl says:

    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.

  15. TheBrit says:

    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.

  16. Erik Samdahl says:

    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.

  17. ieatblood says:

    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.

  18. toochie says:

    Did you actully name lost and Battlestar Galactica as better shows than heroes??? WHO THE FUCK GAVE YOU A PAGE!!

  19. Erik Samdahl says:

    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.

  20. jocapreto says:

    i only have two words for you… HEROES ROCKS!!!

  21. ionosphere says:

    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.

  22. Erik Samdahl says:

    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/

  23. dee says:

    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.

  24. Erik Samdahl says:

    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.

  25. Paul says:

    Oh my God! I was completely convinced, i nearly started crying!!!!

  26. Erik Samdahl says:

    Sorry, I just like making people cry.

  27. justin brain says:

    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!!!!! >(

  28. Erik Samdahl says:

    Hi Justin,

    OK, fair enough if you like Heroes, but you have to be joking when you say Battlestar Galactica was shit. Wow.

  29. Nat says:

    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.

  30. Marci says:

    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.

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