Watching Heroes

Good news today as the Director’s Guid of America (DGA) reached an agreement with the AMPTP. Their agreement could act as foundation for the WGA to resume negotiations with AMPTP.

 According to a statement from the DGA, the new tentative agreement includes:

• Increases in wages and residual bases for each year of the contract
• DGA jurisdiction over programs produced for distribution on the Internet
• A new residuals formula for paid Internet downloads (electronic sell-through) that essentially doubles the rate currently paid by employers.
• Residual rates for ad-supported streaming and use of clips on the Internet

This is less than the writers have asked for, but more than they are getting now. Cross your fingers that they are willing to resume talks and get this thing settled sooner rather than later.

Should an agreement be reached in the next week or so, it is possible that some shows could resume production and bring 4 or 5 more new episodes to the season. Other, more production-intensive shows (like our beloved Heroes) still might not return until next season.

Let’s hope this is a step in the right direction for all concerned!

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Toyfare Magazine, Issue #127, which hits stores today, has the first look at the new Heroes action figures which are being produced by Mezco Toyz.  The magazine will also include an interview with Mezco about the line, which characters it will feature and what they will look like.

Mezco is slated to produce several different figures including 7″ articulated figures (which I believe we see below), 3 3/4″ Diorama scenes, and larger, more detailed “deluxe” figures. No release dates have been announced yet and most of the information being released is pretty vague.

The ToyFare cover gives us a preview of the Claire and Sylar figures and, according to the website, there are more photos inside the magazine. Check it out (click to enlarge): (more…)

Yet another honor (is it an honor?) has been bestowed upon our favorite show. That is the title of the most illegally downloaded show of 2007. I guess they should be flattered, right? Especially since they’ve been virtually ignored by the Golden Globes and SAG Awards so far this year. Torrent Freak compiled the list of the Top 10 Most Pirated shows of 2007 which puts Heroes right on top.

Since NBC.com makes the show available online, it seems strange to me that it would be in the top 10, but I guess people want to watch at their leisure and not be bothered with the online commercials.

The results were taken from the popular download site MiniNova. Here’s the complete list:

1. Heroes
2. Top Gear
3. Battlestar Galactica
4. Lost
5. Prison Break
6. Desperate Housewives
7. 24
8. Family Guy
9. Dexter
10. Scrubs

Monica won’t be able to watch Heroes on her video iPod

NBC Universal, which pulled its TV shows off of iTunes earlier this year after a well-publicized spat with Apple, has announced plans to offer shows via SanDisk’s new online video-download service. Under the agreement, NBCU shows could be downloaded onto SanDisk’s new PC-to-TV video player, TakeTV, which allows users download content from a USB port, and then playback the video on a television set.SanDisk has launched a download site called Fanfare, and NBCU plans to start offering content on the site in January. One drawback I see is that the shows will only play through the TakeTV system.

NBC shows that are expected to be available in January include The Office, Heroes, and 30 Rock. The new deal with SanDisk will allow NBCU the flexibility in pricing and packaging that Apple wouldn’t give them.

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I just ran across this while reading some news on Yahoo TV and thought I’d let you breathe a sigh of relief. It’s from Kristin at E! Online and we know she has the real scoop!

RUMOR OF THE WEEK

In addition to all the strike news flying around the Industry last night, there was also a Heroes rumor that spread through town like wildfire. It seems to have started with an ArtfulWriter.com commenter who posted:

“On another front, I have been advised by a source on Heroes that Tim Kring has quit the series. Apparently the network was making him remove storylines that could not be wrapped up in the existing episodes that are now being finished. This caused wholesale rewrites of three episodes over the past week and weekend.”

WHAT? That’s insane! It can’t be true…right?

Right. Just wanted to help squash this rumor before it gets any farther. According to an NBC spokesperson: “This is completely untrue.” So, there you have it folks: Don’t believe everything you read on the Internets.

I really hate to post unsubstantiated rumors, but a comment on a blog for television writers has indicated that Heroes creator, Tim Kring, has quit the show. Comment #68 on The Artful Writer blog reads:

On another front, I have been advised by a source on “Heroes” that Tim Kring has quit the series. Apparently the network was making him remove storylines that could not be wrapped up in the existing episodes that are now being finished. This caused wholesale rewrites of three episodes over the past week and weekend.

And on the lot where “Heroes” shoots, there was an incident at the picket line where a PA working on another show ran over the foot of one of the picketers.

I am searching now for a credible source to find out if this is true, but as of yet haven’t been able to prove anything one way or another. I will keep you posted as more information becomes available.

Please let it just be a rumor!

I bring you this news with a heavy heart. The Writer’s Guild of America went on strike at midnight last night after last minute negotiations broke down.

What’s all the hubub about? Very simply stated: the writers want a better deal. Sticking points include DVD profits; residuals from streaming of shows online, downloads and promotional use of shows and films. The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) doesn’t want to pay for the online-related issues. They say the market is too young to know if it will make any money from streaming and downloads. Both sides are sticking to their guns, hence the impasse that allowed the strike to go ahead.

Why should you care? Well, as a Heroes fan, you should care because this will very likely cut our season short. As it stands now, the 11th episode, which will air on December 3rd, will be the 2nd season finale. The producers have said they are retooling that episode to fit as a finale. It was already going to wrap up part of the story arcs, but now will apparently wrap up the entire season. If the strike lasts more than just a few weeks, there is no way the season would recover. They will have lost too much production time.

If you were around back in the late 80’s when the WGA went on strike, you might remember that that strike lasted 22 weeks. It completely ruined the 1988 TV season and the industry took ages to recover. Some say they never did recover completely.

I am devastated. How will a TV Junkie, like me, ever survive this strike? I guess it’s time to break out the DVDs or spend some time watching TV Land.

Tim Kring has said earlier this season that he planned to wrap up Volume 2 of Hereos before Christmas, but if the Writer’s Guild strike goes ahead, it might also end up being the Season 2 Finale.

TV Guide’s sources have confirmed that an alternate ending to the December 3 episode is being shot. If the Writer’s Guild doesn’t reach and agreement and does go on strike, that episode could function as a season finale with the re-shot ending. If a last minute agreement is reached, the alternate ending would most likely be scrapped.

Keep your fingers crossed that a deal can be struck. Seems it’s in the best interest of the studios to work it out. As a TV Junkie, I really can’t bear the thought of only half a season of my shows.

First we heard that Heroes: Origins was changing names, now TV Guide is reporting that NBC has pulled the plug on the spinoff!

The show, which would introduce new characters with abilities, was slated to run next April as a companion piece to the Heroes series. Sources are telling TV Guide that the possible strike by the Writers Guild of America may have been a factor. The guild’s contract expires at midnight Thursday.

“Looking at everything in context of the strike, we’re evaluating all of our production commitments,” said one insider. “Scripts haven’t been written yet.”

Several prominent directors including Kevin Smith (pictured here), Eli Roth, John August and Michael Doherty had been slated to do episodes.

Could the lower ratings and “sophomore slump” buzz be contributing to the network’s decision as well?

We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.

Ratings for Monday’s episode were just so-so. Heroes had about 10.7 million viewers for a 4.9/11 ratings share. Dancing with the Stars continues to dominate and I’m sure Marie Osmond’s fainting spell will have viewers glued to their sets next week to see if she keels over again.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out Greg Beeman’s blog, make sure you mosey over there and take a gander. He tells how Kristen Bell came to be on the show and explains how some special effects were created. He also has some fantastic candid photos of the cast posted.

Chapter 56 of the graphic novel is up. This one is called “Molly’s Dream” and features, of course, the three M’s - Molly, Matt and Mohinder. It’s takes a look at what’s going on in Molly’s mind while she is in the coma and let’s just say if you don’t like cockroaches you should stay away.

If you’re a fan of Legos, you must check out this guy. He won multiple awards for creating this awesome display of the final scene from Season 1 in Legos. He did an awesome job with the mini figures.

Remember those Zeroes parodies from last season? Turns out NBC had a hand in these and they have created some more. Check them out at MySpace TV.

I don’t want to post these theories here, but if you’re into spoilers, Use Your Ability has some major ones posted. I’ll tell you they are very detailed, but unverified, but it sounds like a viable theory. Read if you dare!

And as I always try to do, I bring you a sneak peek at the next episode, “The Line.”

Variety is reporting that G4 and their HD counterpart, Mojo, have acquired the same-week repurposing rights to Heroes and will begin rebroadcasting the shows later this month. Also, as part of the deal, they received off-net strip rights beginning in 2010. The off-net run includes exclusive cable rights to stream Heroes episodes on G4’s website. G4 will also gain free video-on-demand rights to Heroes starting in 2010.

G4 and Mojo are believed to have paid about $300,000 an episode. Strangely enough, NBC’s Sci-Fi Network (which repurposed season 1), passed on the show as did TNT, Spike and A&E.

Heroes will debut on G4 and Mojo the weekend of October 27-28, when they will air all-day marathons of the first season. G4 will also run the first six episodes of Season 2 on Saturday, November 3, from 5-11 p.m. This will be a great opportunity for new fans who need to catch up on last season.

After the marathon runs, G4 will air the repeat of the current week’s Heroes episode on Saturday nights at 10 p.m., followed by a half-hour live wrap-up, called “The Post Show,” at 11 p.m. ”The Post Show” will repeat Sundays at 6 p.m.

G4 may also create a “2.0″ version of Heroes, like they have with Star Trek and Cops. The 2.0 versions include DVD-style extras that run on-screen coupled with online features.

They have previously featured Heroes on Attack of the Show where Tim Kring has appeared several times.

This is a real coup for the young G4 and Mojo networks, which are owned by Comcast Networks. Comcast Networks also owns E! and Style. G4 currently reaches about 64.7 million homes while Mojo is in about 10 million.

Watching Heroes, NBC Heroes, G4, Mojo, Heroes Marathon

Yeah, I know, that title is waaaayyyy too goofy, but give me a break. It’s early! Anyway, here’s all that “news you can use.”

*TV Guide has an interview with Dania Ramirez up right now. Dania talks a little bit about Maya’s powers, the possibility of an on-screen romance, and battling Halle Berry in X-Men 3.

*GameLoft has released an official Heroes mobile phone game. The eleven level game allows you to play as Peter Petrelli, Hiro Nakamura, Niki/Jessica Sanders and Officer Matt Parkman. You can see screen shots and get more info HERE.

*George Takei (Kaito) has had an asteroid named after him. The asteroid, formerly knows as 1994 GT9, is situated between Mars and Jupiter. It has been renamed 7307 Takei by the International Astronomical Union’s Committee on Small Body Nomenclature.

*Ratings for Heroes second episode dropped off a little from last week’s premiere. ABC’s Dancing with the Stars won the 9 p.m. timeslot with a 13.8/20, CBS was second with Two and a Half Men, 8.4/12, and Rules of Engagement, 6.6/10. Heroes came in third (but was the night’s top show in the key 18-49 demographic). K-Ville brought a 3.7/5 over at FOX.

*The latest chapter of the Graphic Novel is up and it features The Haitian. We get to see what transpired between he and Mohinder and what happened between the time he left Mohinder and showed up with Bennet. The title is The Crossroads.

*Greg Beeman has a new blog up for episode 2. As usual, he has some awesome behind-the-scenes photos up as well.

*If you have missed either of this season’s episodes and need to catch up, full episodes are available online at NBC.com. You can also watch last season’s finale in case you missed it. Also, even if you’ve already seen the episodes, go back and watch with commentary.

*And finally, here is a 3 minute sneak peak of the upcoming 3rd episode, “Kindred.”

Watching Heroes, NBC Heroes, Dania Ramirez, Mobile Game, George Takei, Asteroid, Graphic Novel, The Crossroads, Full Episodes Online, Sneak Peek, Kindred

*Heroes season premiere earned a 6.5 rating /15 share in the 18-49 demographic, up 10 percent from last year’s premiere. Viewership dropped off dramatically for Journeyman (down to a 3.7), allowing ABC and Dancing with the Stars to win the night, though.

*In an interview with TVGuide.com, Cristine Rose, who plays Angela Petrelli, discussed being “marked for death,” Angela’s role in upcoming events, her relationship with Nathan and the older generation of Heroes. Check it out to get the scoop.

*Also at TVGuide.com, you can view exclusive photos from the TV Guide Magazine cover shoot featuring Kristen Bell, Hayden Panettiere and Ali Larter.

*Two new graphic novels are up at NBC.com. Chapter 51 gives us some insight into new characters Maya and Alejandro and Chapter 52 is about Claire’s new flying friend, West.

Watching Heroes, NBC Heroes, Ratings, TVGuide.com, Cristine Rose

BBC has snagged first refusal rights on future seasons of Heroes for an undisclosed price.   The broadcaster is currently airing season 1 of Heroes and has season 2 scheduled.  This means fans will most likely see Heroes on a free channel, rather than the show moving to a pay service such as Virgin or Sky One. BBC will now have the right to Heroes for as long as they want it, and hopefully that’ll be a really long time.

Watching Heroes, NBC Heroes, BBC Two

Due to the drop off of ratings following hiatus’ in the seasons last
year, the networks are changing strategy and going break free next
season according to MediaWeek.com:

Most of these scheduling moves are in response to a
challenging season, in which Heroes, Lost, and CBS’ Jericho returned
after midwinter breaks to lower ratings than they enjoyed last
fall.

This is awesome. No more gut wrenching waits in mid season.