The status of Heroes has changed quite drastically for NBC in the past two years – Originally a very highly rated show with strong reviews, the show has seen a sharp decline in viewers, while also receiving a lot of criticism this past year, from critics and the audience alike. At the Television Critics Association press tour yesterday, I asked NBC's Angela Bromstad how secure the series is at this point, especially factoring in its presumably high cost.
"Heroes is very secure," Bromstad replied, adding, "We have a great relationship with [series creator] Tim Kring. I was at the studio when we developed that show. And I think that what's important is that we never lose sight of being responsible in production. And television is about the characters and the writing, and we want to make sure that that show is on track. But it's very secure."
This inspired some more Heroes questions from the audience, and Bromstad was asked if she agreed that this past year, Heroes was moving too quickly, with too many huge plot turns each episode - which many feel are not properly motivated. Said Bromstad, "Tim and I have talked about it. I think that what Tim is interested in doing is getting back to the core of the show and that it's these ordinary people with extraordinary powers and that they may have taken on too much in terms of characters and multiple storylines."
Despite Bromstad saying Heroes was secure, it was not among the early renewals NBC announced yesterday, which included 30 Rock, The Office and The Biggest Loser. Asked why this was, she answered, "You know what? We picked up Office and 30 Rock. There's no indication in that announcement that Heroes will not be picked up. Those are just the announcements that we made today."
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