Heroes - various rumours about cancellation

[lathany]

Note: No spoilers (although actors still in it get mentioned).

I don't know who else is still watching this (other than floralaetifica and me), but there's a new set of rumours about season five.

About a week ago, the speculation was that a 12/13 episode series would be commissioned. Now, however, the rumour is that it's cancelled. The original source, as far as I can tell, is here.

What's the history of this?

• Heroes has dropped in rating every season from an average of roughly 15 million for the first season to 5 million in season four.
• After season four, various people, including Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman) said that season four didn't wrap up the story properly and they expected a season five. (Ali Larter (Niki/Jessica) also said, towards the end of last month, she thought it would be renewed).
• The network (NBC) and the creator (Tim Kring) had reportedly discussed it more than once and various sites suggested that Kring was keen on a 12/13 episode season and that NBC were hinting this was OK with them (which surprised me as I thought 100 episodes was a magic number for syndication and Heroes doesn't hit that for another 22 episodes... but hey, I'm no expert on the USA TV industry).
• Then today this rumour has surfaced: that NBC are very happy with their new shows and would choose Chuck (which I've never seen) over Heroes for renewal (as both are "on the bubble", ie. NBC was unsure whether to renew or not).
• As part of this rumour, there is a suggestion that Heroes will be given a proper exit with some sort of two or four hour TV movie / mini-series. And, I guess, they might also consider the thirteen episodes at that point if one of their promising new shows doesn't deliver depending on when they make the arrangements for the finish (ie. the thirteen episode thing had already been suggested as being prepared to cover cancellation).
• One nice thing about today's news is that, apparently, NBC will confirm their schedule on Sunday (and it's published Monday). So I'll know for sure by Tuesday (UK time) at the latest.

I'm disappointed about this as I really hoped, particularly given all the earlier up-beat rumours, that it would be back. And, yes, it isn't as good as it used to be, but I still find it more watchable than pretty much anything else and I'm going to miss it. The one bright spot is the continuing rumours of some sort of resolution series/mini-series or movie. I don't want an end, but a prepared one beats the hell out of the too-many shows that didn't get one.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_kent/]

It's a sci-fi/action geeky comedy!

[lathany.livejournal.com]

Can you compare it to anything? I mean, Buffy comes vaguely under that label too - is it anything like that?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_kent/]

I suppose you could vaguely call it a spy/scifi equivalent of Buffy. If Chuck reminds me of any other character, I suppose it'd be Xander. Adam Baldwin's in it being awesome as usual, so there's your tie to the Whedonverse :)

Chuck's a dropout computer geek working as tech support in the fictional equivalent of PC world. He has a coterie of loser geek friends who work there too. He inadvertently gets a prototype government database of spy secrets downloaded into his head, which for one reason or another, is the only copy. Hence the CIA need to use him as a resource, which triggers Chuck's aspirations to be a spy. Which leads to an unusually large number of espionage missions involving his local area, into which his idiot mates frequently get inadvertently involved in.

[condign.livejournal.com]

I've seen Chuck, and I have to say, it leaves me utterly cold. The acting is silly, the premise ridiculous, and makes me think nothing more than, "Wow. Nice to know the same hackneyed plots on Alias aren't on the welfare line." (Then again, maybe it got better after the first three episodes.)

If Chuck edges out Heroes, I have a feeling you'll be disappointed.

[condign.livejournal.com]

(My main problem with Chuck: end of episode one, I was wondering why the competent and morally ambiguous bruiser didn't simply solve the problem by killing Chuck.)

[lathany.livejournal.com]

Chuck's renewal has been announced today, so if it is/was a straight fight between the two, Heroes lost.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_kent/]

I suppose whether or not Chuck will entertain you is based not so much on whether or not you agree with the statement "The acting is silly, the premise ridiculous" - that's a given. The question is whether or not you think it's a bad thing.