Emma
11-13-2006, 05:49 PM
<img src="http://www.fanbolt.com/forums/images/avatars/heroes/21.jpg" width="85" height="85" vspace="5" hspace="5" align="right" border="0" alt="Heroes, NBC"> This is certainly the most adventuresome broadcast season in terms of new shows, with the networks taking chances as never before. It's the season of the serialized movie: The creators are attempting to write movies for television that can be spun out in segments as part of a season-long saga.
That's tough to do, akin to building a model ship in a bottle. The movie has to work, then the pieces have to be let out in just the right order. That gets even tougher when the storylines are complicated, like NBC's "Heroes."
"Heroes" was one of those shows, like "Friday Night Lights" and "The Nine," that got a fair amount of pre-season buzz. But like those others, its premiere episode was problematic as it unfolded.
The series focuses on everyday people who discover they have suddenly been bestowed with uncanny abilities. Slowly they learn that their collective fate is to save the world from an as-yet undetermined threat. The “Heroes” premiere had an ambitious storyline, effective, mostly understated acting and a lush, rich look.
But while some of the characters were fully drawn, full of anxiety and apprehension about their new lives, others were two-dimensional. In particular, Japanese office drone Hiro (Masi Oka), who can freeze time, and New York hospice nurse Peter (Milo Ventimiglia), who can absorb the abilities of others, seemed too unquestioningly enthusiastic about their gifts.
One had to wonder, as the initial Media Life review did, whether the whole thing would rise up and collapse under the weight of its ambition, devolving into a visually arresting comic book.
That has not happened. "Heroes" is maturing into a smart adult fantasy series.
From the first, the show's strength was its confidence in its mythology. The writers clearly knew where they wanted to take this epic story. They are doing that. Their self-confidence has enabled them to bounce among a dozen major characters without losing dramatic tension. "Heroes" unfolds smartly. The storyline is detailed but not so convoluted that missing one episode will prevent one from keeping up.
<a href="http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_8485.asp" target="_blank">Click here for more</a>
That's tough to do, akin to building a model ship in a bottle. The movie has to work, then the pieces have to be let out in just the right order. That gets even tougher when the storylines are complicated, like NBC's "Heroes."
"Heroes" was one of those shows, like "Friday Night Lights" and "The Nine," that got a fair amount of pre-season buzz. But like those others, its premiere episode was problematic as it unfolded.
The series focuses on everyday people who discover they have suddenly been bestowed with uncanny abilities. Slowly they learn that their collective fate is to save the world from an as-yet undetermined threat. The “Heroes” premiere had an ambitious storyline, effective, mostly understated acting and a lush, rich look.
But while some of the characters were fully drawn, full of anxiety and apprehension about their new lives, others were two-dimensional. In particular, Japanese office drone Hiro (Masi Oka), who can freeze time, and New York hospice nurse Peter (Milo Ventimiglia), who can absorb the abilities of others, seemed too unquestioningly enthusiastic about their gifts.
One had to wonder, as the initial Media Life review did, whether the whole thing would rise up and collapse under the weight of its ambition, devolving into a visually arresting comic book.
That has not happened. "Heroes" is maturing into a smart adult fantasy series.
From the first, the show's strength was its confidence in its mythology. The writers clearly knew where they wanted to take this epic story. They are doing that. Their self-confidence has enabled them to bounce among a dozen major characters without losing dramatic tension. "Heroes" unfolds smartly. The storyline is detailed but not so convoluted that missing one episode will prevent one from keeping up.
<a href="http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_8485.asp" target="_blank">Click here for more</a>