Heroes TV show

[1Cool]

Ok, I know this is not a comic issue but is anyone else excited about the Heroes show tonight. I have caught a couple previews and it looks like its direct from a couple comic books I am reading (Rising Star, X-Men). At least the reviewers pointed out that the X-Men have been telling this story for the last 20 years. No deep thoughts on the issue but I am going to watch this show and grade it as I see it.

[joe_collector]

I don't see this as X-Men at all, since it affects all ages and types of people, and does not take place in a school environment. It has just as much to do with Fantastic Four as X-Men.

 

But this show is definitely riffed from Rising Stars though.

[scottish]

I've already seen the first episode on Yahoo (yeah, work is slow).

 

I don't have a solid opinion one way or the other at the moment. It's certainly NOT bad, but it didn't make me go 'Oooooo' either so I'll continue to watch the next few episodes before giving marks.

[Sharkey]

There's a review in the Chicago Trib today:

 

TELEVISION

Only special power `Heroes' has is going from super to stupor

 

By Maureen Ryan

Tribune television critic

Published September 25, 2006

 

You could watch the first few episodes of "Heroes," or you could repeatedly hit yourself on the head with a brick. The effect is surprisingly similar.

 

"Heroes" is a drama about regular people who develop superpowers, and it appears to have been reverse-engineered: It gives the impression that the creators of the show said, "Hey, let's make a show that will appeal to comic-book geeks and `Lost' freaks!"

 

Not a bad idea, but the turgid, slow-motion execution on display in "Heroes" (8 p.m. Monday, WMAQ-Ch. 5) is an insult to America's nerd nation. We deserve better than this stinky mess.

 

"Heroes" is what you'd get if you crossed the "Spider-Man" flicks and "Lost" but took out the interesting characters, suspenseful plotting, compelling dialogue and imaginative storytelling. One wonders if the title of the show was a response to the mandate for one-word monikers this fall: A more appropriate name would be "Watching Paint Dry."

 

But if you must know, here's what it's about: A guy thinks he can fly, and spends a lot of time moodily standing about on rooftops. Another female character -- a cheerleader, of course -- has super-duper healing abilities. That sounds kind of cool to have, but she angrily stomps around as though somebody just stole her favorite hair gel.

 

Given that the show features a cheerleader, there must be a stripper, too, obviously. That plot involves something about the stripper's alter ego killing bad dudes, but after watching three episodes I still don't really know what her deal is and I frankly could not care less.

 

There's a Japanese guy who apparently has the power to teleport himself through space and time, and an artist who has visions of things yet to come, yada yada.

 

The basic elements of these stories are repeated ad nauseam, but astonishingly little new information was added to those outlines over three full episodes.

 

I often wished I could teleport myself away from this plodding nightmare, but I remained plunked on the couch, stunned into submission by the pretentious voice-overs that attempted to make this "humans are evolving to a higher plane" muddle appear profound.

 

There's also an Indian guy named Mohinder, the son of a famous genetic scientist, who talks endlessly about having to continue his late father's research. He gets multiple indications that very bad people killed his father and are after him, too, but what does he do? He takes up residence in Dad's New York City apartment and, of course, keeps the computer hard drive with all of his father's most precious research there.

 

So, to sum up, we're supposed to believe a man can fly but not to believe that anyone in this show would use regular, God-given brain cells to, you know, survive. Another of the many crimes of "Heroes": It drags in the lovable Greg Grunberg from "Alias." He's a cop in a story line involving a serial killer -- because, you know, there just aren't enough serial killers on TV already.

 

"Lost" has nothing to fear from this preposterous, brain-numbing show, but "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" certainly does. "Studio 60" follows "Heroes," but that's like having "The Flintstones" as a lead-in to "Deadwood."

 

----------

 

moryan@tribune.com

[Jayman]

Sounds more like a rip-off of Defiant's "The Good Guys"

[the-comic-trader]

I'll watch it tonight, then form an opinion.

[RDK]

Saw most of the extended pilot at SDCC a few months back. Interesting, but certainly not "great." Like Scottish above, it didn't make me sit up and go "wow." What I've reading about the show, though, sounds like you have to give it a few episodes to let it develop. Could prove interesting...

[Davenport]

The "Heroes" premier on NBC tonight seemed well written for tv show. The japanese character was fun, quoting Star Trek and X-Men comics. While the general overtone seems serious about the subject of emerging "super hero powers".

 

If the quality holds it might turn out to be something special.

 

Thoughts?

 

[Dad&Son-migration]

I agree.. I liked it a lot. How can a show go wrong with a Super Stripper and Super Cheerleader to boot!! Very well done. Next week's episode looks good too!!

[jonjesper]

Kitty Pryde reference was nice...even if it was the wrong issue

Glad I got some of the promo comics from SDCC!

[aaron568]

I liked it a lot cant wait for more.

[deathlok]

Sadly, the cost of each episode may kill the show if it doesn't get immediate ratings.

[The Paper Monster-migratio]

I dug it. Super hero origins are always the best part, aren't they? And this show seems positioned to show us quite a few of those. The writing is quite good, and the heroes seem far from typical. This show should be interesting.

 

Oh crud! I just realized something! I hope this isn't going to be opposite 24 when 24 returns.

[followtheleader]

I didn't find it very entertaining. The actors were pretty poor.

 

Wasn't Uncanny X-men 143? What issue?

 

Thought that was the best part.

 

Pat

[sckao]

 

In the Japanese Karaoke bar, the two guys in the basketball uniforms singing Backstreet Boys represent the Backdorm Boys from China (who became famous via youTube.)

[EvilAsh]

I enjoyed it, and so did the wife

[Anfield Fox]

I think i will download this

 

So first episode was on last night in the States? I need something to keep me going until Lost next week and 24 in January.

[Pirate]

i enjoyed it and took if for what it was worth.

[scottish]

Jury is still out. I'll need a few more episodes and some freakin' ACTION before I make a decision.

[Ringfinger]

My wife said no.

 

So, I watched Wife Swap.