Why 'Heroes' should set an end date

Ask fans what the biggest problem with NBC’s “Heroes” is, and their top answer is “the writing.” Viewers expect big-ticket dramas to be as well crafted and exciting as top boxoffice movies nowadays, if not better.

The storytelling on “Heroes” has improved recently, and fans hope the return of "Pushing Daisies" creator Bryan Fuller to the show's writing staff will help even more. But overall “Heroes” has fallen short of the standard set by genre competitors like “24” and its own first season. Beyond advice like “better writing” or more specific notes like “less complex,” there’s something else NBC could do to improve the show: set a series end date.

The network has contemplated this option. Here are six reasons why it should pull the trigger:

>> Scarcity increases demand. Viewers like knowing there’s a grand plan, that the main story’s twists and turns are leading someplace finite. Viewers weirdly think of TV as both an entertaining distraction and a burdenlike “investment” of their valuable time. They want to know, like a marriage-minded lover in a relationship, that “this is going somewhere.”

>> Creatively, it helped “Lost,” "Battlestar Galactica” and "The Shield.” Serialized action dramas’ ongoing story lines and life-and-death stakes make long, open-ended runs problematic. Threats to central characters don’t carry much weight. Satisfying answers to long-standing questions are scarce. The writers longer are no longer telling the story; they’re telling the story before the story, and it gets more obvious every year. Once the end was in sight for “Lost,” “Battlestar” and “Shield,” writers confidently drove the story and even reached a pivotal event earlier than fans expected — getting off the island, the fleet finding Earth, Vic Mackey losing his job — then surprised audiences by moving toward a different conclusion than what long had been expected.

>> It probably improves ratings. Heavily serialized dramas tend to peak early, then lose viewers each year. We can’t know for sure that setting an end date helps because nobody knows what “Lost” and the other shows would have rated had they not decided to plan a series finale in advance. But judging by fan reaction and critics’ reviews, parties generally seem more satisfied with the shows once there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

>> “Heroes” is doomed anyway. “The toughest thing in TV is getting fans back to a show they have decided to quit,” one network executive notes. That “Heroes” is still the highest-rated drama on NBC is amazing considering it has dropped about 30% this season. The show is too expensive to keep trending in its current ratings direction. And given how much shows tend to fall during a summer break, next season has a strong chance of being the show’s last no matter what the network does. So why not set the series finale for two years from now — May 2011? It would give the show a better chance of surviving next season.

>> You can always renege. Here’s the part that fans will hate, but, c’mon, if “Heroes’ set an end date and miraculously surged in the ratings, do you really think NBC would let it die on schedule? Even the patron saint of TV dramas, HBO’s “The Sopranos,” couldn’t resist agreeing to another eight “bonus” episodes. You can always use this lame-but-effective justification: “We discovered that we had more story to tell.”

>> Assisted suicide = death with dignity. Admittedly, an end date for “Heroes” might not creatively help the show as much as “Lost,” “BSG” and “Shield” because there’s no overriding central question consistently driving the NBC show that fans instantly will recognize as being resolved by a finale (which arguably is “Heroes’ ” biggest problem). In other words: What does ending “Heroes” mean? You can pick a dozen plot questions and character threads raised during the past few years. But at least having an end date would force writers to choose one, or even decide a whole new one, figure out what the show is about and give “Heroes” a shot to finish on a strong note.

Buy: "Heroes" - Season Three on Amazon

PREVIOUS: NBC: 'Heroes' will return next fall

Comments

[nyguy]

No No No No No. The show doesn't need an end date, you are jumping the gun. Why are you writing this now and not during the hiatus after you've looked at the entire season? The show is coming back next year so why write this when you don't have all the info? You seem to have it in for this show.

Heroes was dynamite this evening. Bryan Fuller has worked his magic yet again. Wait for the fan reaction to this episode and the one Fuller penned that airs in 2 weeks, it will be very positive.

You keep missing the fact that the show has the 3rd highest DVR numbers on TV and that the show is a hit in every major international market. Why do I know these things from reading them and you don't with all your contacts? Shoddy reporting, and premature at that.

[LMO]

I think he knows DVR numbers he reports them all the time!

I totally agree with this post. Having a end date clearly helps and HEROES could use the help.Like it says, NBC can always change their mind.

[jake]

NO, this is really not a great idea and I'm offended with the suggestion. The problem is not the end date, it's just that NBC stupidly did not program this after the superbowl and have made no changes or have tried this on another night and have just let it go on THE most competetive night on television.

I don't understand why people want to see shows end so quickly? Hit shows should last for a long time, now it's critics like you that want shows to end. This is a show that simply needs to be reintroduced, unfortunately, there is nothing on nbc that can give this show a boost that it needs -- the superbowl would have provided that and someone at NBC should be fired.

[Tom]

Horrible Idea -- from the words of Donald Trump, given that he is also on NBC -- you're fired -- or should be for making such a ridiculous statement.

Way to kick a show when it's down.

[Tara]

Should have ended this year...

[Heradite]

I agree. The writers need to be given a deadline to end the story so that we know it's going somewhere, or it doesn't get canceled and we never find out.

Plus, they could renew past the end date-it's not like they loose their powers or anything.

[Lethargic]

This column was a waste of time right after the first line.

Ask fans what the biggest problem with NBC’s “Heroes” is, and their top answer is “the writing.”

Ask FANS? It's not the fans who have been doing all this whining and complaining about Heroes. It's the people who hate the show and no matter WHAT the show does who complain about it and those people will continue to hate the show no matter what.

[Marcos]

I agree with an end date. Give the show some direction, and shows tend to lose steam around season 4 to begin with. I'd rather a show have a well thought out, graceful exit rather than it flounder for more years than it should.

[jp]

no, no, no heroes is having a great season and it should not be canceled, the guy who wrote this probably watches those crappy shows on HBO and showtime, who stinks by the way they are not worth the money.

[Heradite]

We're not saying it should be canceled jp-just that the plot ends SOMETIME. And having a great season? Granted the fourth volume is so far better than the third volume, but it has leagues to go before it's as good as the first volume. So it's having a DECENT season.

"Ask FANS? It's not the fans who have been doing all this whining and complaining about Heroes."

I have asked fans. A lot agree with the article. So do the 2+ million fans who used to watch this show but quit on it.

[Thomas]

Volume 4 is either worse than volume 3, if possible. It's gone from ridiculous action-packed episodes that make no sense, to plausible yet extremely dull and repeatetive and uninvolving episode. Give it an end date, for the love of God. The writers clearly do not know how to make one volume better than the last, since each one has significantly been worse.

[Thomas]

"Ask FANS? It's not the fans who have been doing all this whining and complaining about Heroes. It's the people who hate the show and no matter WHAT the show does who complain about it and those people will continue to hate the show no matter what."

Um that's ridiculous. It's the writing.

[Woody Wommack]

Why does it need an end date? There's nothing to resolve. I don't even know what's going on anymore. A bunch of the characters have vanished with no explanation, and this stupid Nathan storyline is going nowhere. If thy can monitor all these people with traffic cameras and stuff, how would them getting a new driver's license help? The show just sucks, but I'll keep watching it because, well, that's what I do.

[Whit]

I'm a big "Heroes" fan and I do think that it's lacking some of the suspense of previous seasons. As menacing as the rounding-up of people with abilities is it doesn't create the same level of anticipation as early Sylar or the unknown (Parkman's dad). That said, it's far from broken.

[Mikey M]

I loved the show the first season but ever since it has been really hard to watch. I am no writer but I don't get why it is so hard to write superheroes.
These characters and the plots are disastrous. I finally took it off my tivo two week ago.
How this got renewed I do not know.

[J Laws]

Yes, an end date. How about ASAP? I got into this show in the first season, and now I'm disappointed every time I watch, but I just can't quit.

[D]

The show should have ended after season 1. It made sense to the end there. Thats where I stopped and I'm happy. These past 3 are just dragging it out to far.

[juniorsdaddy]

What heroes needs is to use some of the time telling the story. You spend the first 15 rehashing other episodes, and what is with all of the commercials. I still love the show and dvr it every monday. It would be impossible to watch without dvr with all of those commercials.

[...]

If you want to set an end date make it more dramatic, Like the "end fo the world" i.e. 2012

[John Davis]

Wow, I didnt think anyone actually watched that show.

RT
www.privacy.at.tc

[acer]

My problem with Heroes is the lack of ideas that led directly to flat-out recycling. How many characters have "painted the future" now? At least four by my count, and I'm probably forgetting some. How many fliers? 3 off the top of my head. How many people now that can take or borrow the powers that others have? Too many.

It's getting better, but man...it was really bad earlier this year. They didn't seem to have a direction, and when things didn't line up, like they needed someone to paint the future, but then remembered they killed Isaac, they just invented a new dude who could do it, and teach others to do it. Whenever it's convenient for someone to fly, they figure out a way to make him fly. At least they gave the new guy a "new" ability, you know, the Aquaman dude.

Anyways, putting an end date would probably help this series along, hopefully make them come up with some original ideas and tell a decent story, and maybe they wouldn't re-use all their old stuff for fear of running out of stuff in a never-ending run of the show.

[Amanda]

NO WAY! Heroes is fantastic! I am on the edge of my seat every time I watch. The complicatedness is what attracts me. I will admit it has alot going on this season, but it is building a story. There are shows out there that have been running for 10 years or more. Why can't Heroes be one of them?

[hayro]

actually i like heroes the first season was spectacular. but then it has just started going downhill much to my dismay every season noah tells clare hes trying to protect her even though hes always on the wrong side peter keeps losing his powers sylar keeps coming back an end date would let the writers decide where they wanna go and head in that direction without fear of running out of matireal.

[albie]

just because fuller is coming back doesn't mean the show is going to be great. he wrote 2 episodes in the first season. only one of those was great(company man). i like fuller's work but his return does not say that heroes will be good from now on. if he was this gift from god writer than a better show like pushing daisies(which he created) would not have been canceled. its kinda funny that chuck has an audience but a show that's almost exactly like it(pushing daisies) was canceled...

[T.H.]

Heroes has been terrible since the first season. No character development, horrendous dialogue, unoriginal storylines, and the cinematography leaves much to be desired. This show doesn't deserve an end date.

[piratescandance]

24 is awful. Technology theft? Come on! Give me my soma and let me live in a world were cool things happen.

[JaySin420]

Dumb article, the shows been getting much better and Fuller's episodes are just starting to air. The end date thing works great for Lost and only Lost b/c that show had a ton of mysteries they were able to explore and mix with ending.

[lheiskell]

“The toughest thing in TV is getting fans back to a show they have decided to quit,” one network executive notes."

I quit two episodes into the winter season. Too many continuity reboots, lack of the return to season1 strong character archetypes and remaining comic book plot holes.

[Bob]

I finally gave up on the show about 6 episodes into season 3...after barely making it through season 2. Season 1 was clearly their best, although there were some clunkers in that season as well (especially an early episode that focused on Nikki/Jessica).

An end date would help, but they're already doing that with the "volumes". The problem is that they've run out of fresh ideas. No end date will solve that.

[Poppe]

I don't get this article. It states Bryan Fuller like he hasn't saved the show, when the episode he wrote hasn't even aired. Have you seen it or something? I just don't understand. The two writer/producers who were being blamed for its terrible season have finally left. Transition takes time. I doubt Fuller will save the show, but I have a feeling it will get a lot better; they have to shed all the story lines of volume 1 of season 3.

[reeves]

Okey. let's cite examples here.

Sylar found his dad after a long quest. Then, what happened? Sylar had to leave him alone. Same happened to moviegoers while watching it. Anti-climatic.

The Iraqi-like human bomb. Then what? Back to cage again.

Found out that Senator can fly. Senator no bodyguard? Chris Dodd, Reid and Pelosi will get scared. Common.

Two Japanese superheroes ... what the sub-plot again? It's boring already.

All superheroes are just like Americans, Never learned their lessons? Nathan locking up all people like him? Is he dumb or something? Too inconsistent from his original character.

and so on so forth.

[Richard Steven Hack]

Terminator could use an end date, but in reality they already have one - Judgment Day. And that date has been specified.

But at the rate the show is going, they could spend the next ten years and never get there - or not matter anyway since the characters have achieved NOTHING this season in terms of stopping Skynet from being created and thus stopping Judgment Day.

In fact, Judgment Day should be called that because the characters need to be judged on their competence in that quest - and season two has been DISMAL in that regard.

The Connors IGNORED the search for "The Turk" for the ENTIRE SEASON after making it their number one priority in season one. Inconsistency doesn't even begin to describe this fubar.

Reason? Josh Friedman wanted to wallow in "Crazy Sarah" stories.

And that's why the ratings tanked and the show will not be renewed.

[Monk]

Don't forget that Heroes is always a huge performer in the torrent arena. Check the Pirate Bay's top 100 (under "tv shows) about 60-90 minutes after an episode ends and check the numbers. As of this minute Monday's episode is number one with 13923 leechers and 29246 seeders. That's just the TOP thread for episode 19 of Heroes. Compare that to the #2 thread which is "24" S07E13 with 6261 leechers and 14451 seeders. Combine this with the DVR figures and international performance and you get an entirely different picture. I think the reality is that the Heroes audience is simply more diverse and more savvy.

[Monk]

The series will continue to progress as Claire is able to take on more serious romantic (or sexy) story lines. Flashback to Ali Larter in Season One, Episode One. That element has been missing with a few exceptions. Don't think the writers aren't aware that the audience would be ready to accept Claire in more of these story lines, probably as soon as next season. Also, Sylar gets better and more complex with every episode. The series should (arguably, already does) center on these two characters. I think the general direction of Volume 4 is fine as is. Let's see where that takes us and use it as a jumping off point for next season.

[Monk]

Oh, one more thing. A better lead in wouldn't hurt either. I'm not saying that "Chuck" is a bad show but I don't like it. I've heard that the post-apocalyptic "Day One" might be the new lead-in for Heroes and I'd be all for that. I might actually watch that show too.

[Monk]

"they needed someone to paint the future, but then remembered they killed Isaac, they just invented a new dude who could do it, and teach others to do it."

Actually, the African was in the pilot episode. They didn't go into his abilities at all but he was there.

I also think they've been subdued, relative to what is possible. Think, for example, of all the abilities that Sylar's acquired but never uses or it's so subtle you have to look for it. Remember the girl in the restaurant with Hiro who could learn anything almost instantly? Remember the lady that could tell the history of anything...where it's been, who's touched it, etc. that Mrs. Petrelli "fed" to Sylar before trying to make an Agent out of him? Remember the guy who could point his finger and shoot like a gun that Elle provoked Sylar into taking his abilities? We never see those and we also don't see Sylar just taking every ability he can because it's not in his character. He's got pretty much what he needs and he knows it. His journey is fascinating. As for others who can take powers the only one left is Peter and he can only have one power at a time. All this aside, as well as the points I made in the previous posts, maybe this show just isn't for some of you and that's OK. I think it's going to take some incredible twists and turns that the audience will love and I hope most of you come along for the ride.

[Dave]

This show took a huge turn downward after the first season. I managed to tolerate the second season but one episode into the third and I couldn't take anymore. The characters are becoming too powerful and the show is becoming so ridiculously unbelievable that it's not worth watching. It's like the writers just say "let's see what we can get people to believe". The complexity of the show is to the point of being comedic. It truly has become a joke. I guess it's holding on to the comic book tools (and don't even get me started on the international market) and I think an end date is probably the only thing that will inevitably save this show.

[Mark]

The great thing about heroes is it has the same cult following as shows such as Star Trek. Even if the show is killed off, the theme could be rebooted with a whole new cast of characters in completely different scenarios. You really could run with an entire franchise for many years and not just kill the whole thing off because of a bad story line.

[DJ]

I have watched every episode of this show and there are no problems with it. Writers like you are the problem, telling people that the show isn't good and getting other people to back up your decision.

ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS EVER!!!!

[Monk]

"The characters are becoming too powerful and the show is becoming so ridiculously unbelievable that it's not worth watching."

- Peter Petrelli lost all his powers and can now only have one at a time

- Hiro Nakamura lost his powers

- Arther Petrelli who had "taken" Peter's and Hiro's powers was killed off

- All the "Level 5" villans, except the puppet-master (who is lame) were killed off in volume 3

The only one that's getting more powerful, really, is Sylar and I like it that way.