Watching Heroes

Will Pushing Daisies creator and former Heroes writer Bryan Fuller be coming back to Heroes?  It would seem it all hinges on the fate of his current project, Pushing Daisies.

"I am exclusive to Daisies through the delivery of the 13th episode of our 13-episode order, which will be mid-January," Fuller explained to EW. "If Daisies isn’t picked up by then, I will definitely be going back to play with my friends at Heroes."

The firing of Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander came as a shock to the cast as well as the fans. "I couldn’t believe it. They’re two top writers," Jimmy Jean-Louis told TVGuide.com. "I don’t know what reasons [the powers-that-be] have behind it, but hopefully they know exactly what they’re doing."  Jean-Louis also said that Fuller is a “great writer” and he would feel good about his return to the show.  "But I [would have] felt good, as well, if Jeph and Jesse stayed."

Jean-Louis also said that the show is making changes. "We are reshaping as we speak," he said, "so we can get the right storylines going, so the fans can come back to us. I have confidence that we’ll get them back to us, and even get more. It’s a great show.  We just have to sit down and think about what’s wrong," he added, "and try to change direction."

I’d love to see Fuller back at the writer’s table for Heroes, though I don’t want to wish a bad fate on Pushing Daisies.  It’s a great show with a great cast and so different from much of the dribble we see on TV these days. 

Variety reports that Tim Kring will be making big changes at Heroes.  He plans to simplify the storylines and go back to the show’s roots of good vs. evil.  He will also focus more on character development rather than on big plot twists.

Greg Grunberg and Brea Grant recently talked to Between Takes about working together.  Greg reveals that we will find out that Arthur is the one responsible for "everything" (which we have basically seen) and gives a few hints about the upcoming "Fugitives" volume. Brea says the end of the "Villains" volume will "shock people" and "Fugitives" will be "amazing."  To watch a video of the interview, head over to TV.com.

Brea Grant posted some new photos and video from the London MCM Expo on her blog.

TV By the Numbers says Heroes is safe from cancellation, based on their Renew/Cancel Index.  No matter what the ratings, Heroes is still NBC’s #1 scripted show, so I don’t think fans have too much to worry about as far as another season is concerned.

The ODI has a few photos of Hayden Panettiere on the set of Heroes.

Greg Grunberg talked with UGO.com about Parkman and Heroes.  He tells us that he is working with his old friend Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) again and that we will be seeing Molly (Adair Tishler) again at some point.

TV Guide wants your input on how to "fix" Heroes. They have a few pointers for the show but they’re interested in what the fans think.

io9.com looks at how the exit of Jeph Leob and Jesse Alexander will affect the show and analyzes whether or not it’s a move in the right direction.

And speaking of Jeph and Jesse, they are still out there having fun.  Yesterday, Jesse posted this photo of the guys hanging out with their rumored replacement, Bryan Fuller of Pushing Daisies:

And finally, Jack Coleman goes all HRG on the press in this YouTube video from the Hollywood Legacy Awards.

E! Online’s Kristin Dos Santos has posted more info about what went down to cause the dismissal of Heroes Co-executive Producers/Writers Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander.

An insider tells her that the firings came as a "big shock" and "surprise" to the cast and crew.  "Someone had to take the fall, " says her "reliable inside source" at Heroes. "NBC is not happy with the current status of the show, and there had to be a visual and tangible change in the course of action."

Heroes‘ ratings are down this season, and there has been a growing backlash from many fans and press.  Expenses are up as well, with each episode costing over $4 million to produce (Greg Grunberg said Saturday they were just shooting a "massive" scene in which Parkman was involved in a helicopter chase).

The final blow was apparently last week’s Entertainment Weekly cover.  Kristin reports that the story was done under the guise of a promotional story for the series and when it turned out to be a giant criticism of the show, the network executives were not at all happy. 

At Saturday night’s Hollywood Legacy Awards in Hollywood, Tim Kring said there are a couple more deaths planned before the end of the season.  "Someone you have come to know will not make it to the end of the season." (For speculation on who it might be, check out this unconfirmed story from The ODI)

Jeph and Jesse seem to be taking it all in stride though.  Jesse Alexander posted this photo via Flickr this morning, calling it "Breakfast of Champions!":

How I’ll miss Jesse’s spoilery Flickr photos! 

Edited to add Jesse’s latest Flickr photo - "Lunch of Champions!"

As I reported yesterday, Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander have parted company with Heroes. Variety first reported that the network had dismissed them, while several other media outlets have said the two executive producers left due to "creative differences."  But I think we all know what "creative differences" indicates.

Jesse made a statement yesterday on his blog and Jeph Loeb spoke exclusively with CBR News last night: “As of today, Jesse Alexander and I have left Heroes. I’m incredibly proud to have been a big part of the success a show with eight Emmy nods and a win this year for NBC.com. I will miss the superb cast and writing staff and wish everyone the best.”

Loeb has completed writing/producing duties for the fall finale of the “Villains” chapter titled “War.”

Kudos to both guys for their classy statements!

Variety reports that a big shakeup has taken place at Heroes.  Word came came down today that co-executive producers/writers Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb were let go from the show.

Both Loeb and Alexander have been with the show since the first season and have basically led the day-to-day production operation under the direction of creator/executive producer Tim Kring.  Apparently the network executives have been frustrated with the creative direction of the show and large budget overruns this season, and had to place blame somewhere…unfortunately that fell with Loeb and Alexander. 

Jesse Alexander wrote on his blog: "I write this with a heavy heart. As of today I am no longer a writer/producer on HEROES. I could not be prouder of all the work I did on the show and wish all my Heroic Scribbler pals the very best. I will certainly continue to blog at GLOBAL COUCH."

How do you feel about this development Heroes fans?

Last night, the cast of Heroes taped the Countdown to the Premiere special which will air in the hour preceding the 2 hour Season 3 premiere. The party was held at Edison lounge in L.A. We’ve got photos of the red carpet and a few from inside the party as well. It looks like everyone came out except for my BFF Greg Grunberg. (Grunny, where were you?)

Ali Larter

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The Heroes fansite The OWI has posted a new interview with co-executive producer and writer Jeph Loeb. Here’s an excerpt:

OWI: You have the writing credits for 3 episodes including ‘Unexpected’ in Volume 1 and ‘Powerless’ in Volume 2. To me those were some of the best episodes. After ‘Unexpected’ I wrote an Op-Ed titled "Holy $#%&!: Beeman and Loeb for Presidents!". What episodes are you currently writing and can I nominate you for president again?

JL: You absolutely can!  You left out ONE GIANT STEP, Episode 3 which I also did with Beeman!  I’ve known Greg for a looonnnng time (we were at SMALLVILLE together), so we have an awesome shorthand with each other.  Like most collaborations, it gets better each time you play.  So, here’s a little tidbit — we’ll be working together again on Episode 313 which is finale of the VILLAINS Volume 3.  Being able to wrap up this amazing, amazing storyline is big challenge, but we’re having a blast! 

To see what else Jeph had to say, check out the full interview at The OWI.

This is from YouTube user jwice. It includes about 5 minutes of the Q&A which followed the screening of the Heroes Season 3 premiere yesterday. Enjoy!



(Edit: To see all of our Comic-Con Posts, click here.)

The cast of Heroes will be making a special appearance at the Closing Day Event of the Jules Verne Festival in Los Angeles later this month. Nine cast members plus Heroes creator Tim Kring and writer/producer Jeph Loeb will appear on stage.

The big news, though, is that they will be screening the secret unseen episode which is the first chapter of the 3rd volume, “Villains.”

You can purchase and print your tickets online at the Jules Verne Festival website. Here are all the details:

HEROES THE EVENT
THE CLOSING EVENT DAY

Los Angeles Theatre on Broadway Saturday, Dec. 15 at 6 pm

CULT TV SHOW ’HEROES’ LIVE ON STAGE !

Appearing will be:

Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli)
Jack Coleman (HRG / Noah Bennet)
Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli)
Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh)
Dania Ramirez (Maya)
Cristine Rose (Angela Petrelli)
Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman)
Zachary Quinto (Sylar)
and Dana Davis (Monica Dawson)

Tickets are just $15 for general admission and $200 for VIP.

Source

The web is buzzing with Heroes interviews, news about Heroes: Origins and more!

*Pulp Secret has revealed more about the Heroes: Origins series. As we had heard before Eli Roth, Kevin Smith, Michael Dougherty, and John August will be writing, but he has also revealed that Jeph Loeb (who we already know from Heroes and Smallville) will also be contributing an episode. They also tell us that each episode will feature two stories, and will pay homage to Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone. The six episode series will run following the regular Heroes season.

*Cleveland.com’s The Plain Dealer talks about the Nerds who are taking over Monday nights and television in general. He mentions our favorite nerd, Hiro. It’s a great piece, especially for people like me who consider themselves a nerd.

*The Ventura County Star has a piece on Zachary Quinto on its website today. It mostly discusses his upcoming Star Trek role as Spock, but has a little Heroes talk in there as well. As a bonus, there is a small blurb about Jimmy Jean-Louis (The Haitian) at the end of the article.

*Ali Larter is featured in a piece on the Boston Globe’s site. In it, she discusses why she finally has women fans, where her character is headed and what we can look forward to with Niki/Jessica this season and how much she loves working on Heroes.

*The Boston Herald interviewed Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli) about growing up. Milo has bulked up, adding 20 lbs of muscle to his body (as we could all see in last week’s episode…rawr!). He said he’s tired of playing high school punks and is ready to be a man. Well, Milo, I think the plan is working.

*Broadcasting and Cable inquired why NBC and Heroes, famous for their prominent placement of Nissan’s, would plug the iPod after their much publicized dispute with Apple. NBC says it was pure coincidence and, unlike Claire’s Nissan Rogue, we won’t find out what happened to the shipment of iPods.

*And finally, I leave you with a clip, posted by NBC, from tonight’s episode where we finally see Niki and Micah…AND we get our first glimpse of Nichelle Nichols as Nana.

I told you earlier - the Heroes are everywhere. I have even more evidence to support my previous statement.

Masi Oka, everyone’s favorite Hiro, made an appearance on the Ellen show last Thursday. He talked about his Emmy date, Kristen Bell. Ellen asked if they were dating and if he had a crush on Kristen, but Masi wouldn’t dish. He said everyone has a crush on Kristen and they are great friends. He also talked about his 2000 Honda and why he’s still driving it and Ellen featured him in a “Men of Heroes” segment. Masi was charming and funny, as usual. Click to watch the video:

Ali Larter is featured in the October issue of Cosmopolitan. She looks fabulous on the cover. Inside the magazine, Ali talks about being a “Jersey Girl”, her boyfriend, Hayes MacArthur, her approach to diet and exercise and much more. Ali is also starring in the #1 movie in the country, Resident Evil: Extinction.

Prime Time Pulse chatted with 7 cast members and has posted the interviews in a “Heroes Week” series. They started last Tuesday with Nick D’Agosto who will play Claire’s love interest, West, this season. They also talked with David Anders (Takezo Kensei), James Kyson Lee (Ando), Dania Ramirez (Maya), Noah Gray-Cabey (Micah), and co-executive producer Jeph Loeb. The interview series wraps up tomorrow, and I believe they’ll be talking with Zachary Quinto (Sylar).

Finally, Hayden Panettiere will make an appearance on Live with Regis and Kelly on Monday. The show is syndicated, so check your local listings for time.

Watching Heroes, NBC Heroes, Masi Oka, Kristen Bell, Ellen, Ali Larter, Cosmopolitan, PrimeTime Pulse, Nick D’Agosto, David Anders, James Kyson Lee, Dania Ramirez, Noah Gray-Cabey, Jeph Loeb, Zachary Quinto, Hayden Panettiere, Interviews