“Heroes” burst onto the scene in 2006 with a fantastic first season. The show aired from 2006 to 2010 and we followed it closely through an episode blog and gave the show some love in our TV Power Rankings.
The central premise of “Heroes” revolves around the emergence of individuals from around the globe who develop superhuman abilities, ranging from time travel and telepathy to flight and regenerative healing. These individuals are initially unaware of each other, but as the series progresses, their paths begin to intertwine.
“Heroes” featured a large ensemble cast, including characters like Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia), a hospice nurse who can mimic others’ powers; Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere), a high school cheerleader with regenerative healing; Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka), a Japanese office worker who can manipulate time; and Sylar (Zachary Quinto), a complex antagonist who acquires others’ powers through lethal means. “Save the Cheerleader, Save the World” became a pop-culture catchphrase from the show and is central to the plot of the first season.
Cast Interviews
Greg Grunberg interview (April 13, 2009)
Will Harris talked to Grunberg in connection with the appearance of “Heroes” on our TV Power Rankings, and we asked him about the progression of the show during its two-volume third season, what we can expect from the season finale, and even dared to ask him what he’d say to someone who said, “The show sucks, it hasn’t been good since the first season.” How did he react? Check it out.
David Anders interview (September 25, 2009)
“Everybody says that the second season (of ‘Heroes’) is where it dipped, and that was where I came in! I don’t know, I think they just opened up a lot of wounds that weren’t ever going to heal, and they really alienated fans of the new characters. I’m not saying that my character was a bad choice, but there was just too much going on.”
Lisa Lackey Interview (July 14, 2009)
“Well, it was very strange, actually, how the whole thing happened, because I originally came onto the show, and I was going to do…I replaced the original wife that they had for Greg Grunberg, and I had a couple of shows to choose from at the time, and I chose “Heroes” because it sounded the most exciting. I was only meant to do three episodes, and then they sort of kept writing me in and writing me in, and it was so interesting and exciting for me that I was very happy to do that. And then I found out that I was pregnant…”
Jack Coleman Interview (February 26, 2007)
“Well, I don’t think anybody anticipated that it was going to be this, but, um, I think everybody had an idea that the show had real promise, so…the fact that it has stuck around and found an audience does not surprise me. The fact that it has become this kind of runaway train is, uh, yeah, quite surprising. Not because of the show…because the show is amazing and deserves it, in my opinion…but, you know, you never know. You never, never know. Look at all the shows that were so highly touted which are off the schedule now, and it’s just…it’s just such a crap shoot. You really don’t know what you’re gonna get.”
Blog
Heroes Blog
The show had a great first season, and then it hit the wall . . . hard! Follow along with our episode blog on Premium Hollywood.
Cast Profiles
Hayden Panettiere
This cute and sexy blonde stole the show in Season One with the whole cheerleader storyline. Hayden played the character Claire Bennet, who was one of the central figures in the series, known for her iconic ability to regenerate from any injury, essentially making her indestructible. Her character was integral to the plot throughout the show’s run and remains one of the most recognizable elements of the series.
You can see in the photo above why she was such a popular character as she sports her cheerleader outfit.