show name	Heroes
genre	Serial dramaScience fiction
creator	Tim Kring
starring	David AndersKristen BellSantiago CabreraJack ColemanTawny CypressDana DavisNoah Gray-CabeyGreg GrunbergRobert KnepperAli LarterJames Kyson LeeMasi OkaHayden PanettiereAdrian PasdarZachary QuintoSendhil RamamurthyDania RamirezLeonard RobertsCristine RoseMilo Ventimiglia
composer	Wendy MelvoinLisa Coleman
country	United States
language	English
num seasons	4
num episodes	78
list episodes	List of Heroes episodes
executive producer	Tim KringDennis HammerAllan ArkushGreg Beeman
editor	Lori MotyerMike KetelsenMichael S. MurphyDonn AronScott BoydKristopher Lease
location	Los Angeles
cinematography	Nate GoodmanCharlie LiebermanEdward J. Pei
camera	Panavision
runtime	42 minutes
channel	NBC
picture format	1080i 16:9 (HDTV)
audio format	Dolby Digital 5.1
first aired
last aired
status	Cancelled
website	http://www.nbc.com/Heroes
bgcolour	#e6e9ff }}

''Heroes'' is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the characters' lives. The series emulates the aesthetic style and storytelling of American comic books, using short, multi-episode story arcs that build upon a larger, more encompassing arc. The series was produced by Tailwind Productions in association with Universal Media Studios, and was filmed primarily in Los Angeles, California.

Four complete seasons aired, ending on February 8, 2010. The critically acclaimed first season had a run of 23 episodes and garnered an average of 14.3 million viewers in the United States, receiving the highest rating for an NBC drama premiere in five years. The second season of ''Heroes'' attracted an average of 13.1 million viewers in the U.S., and marked NBC's sole series among the top 20 ranked programs in total viewership for the 2007–2008 season. ''Heroes'' has garnered a number of awards and nominations, including Primetime Emmy Awards, Golden Globes, People's Choice Awards and British Academy Television Awards.

A digital-internet extension of the series, ''Heroes 360 Experience'', later rebranded as ''Heroes Evolutions'', was created to explore the ''Heroes'' universe and provides insight into the show's mythology. Other official ''Heroes'' media include magazines, action figures, tie-in and interactive websites, a mobile game, a novel, clothing and other merchandise. In the fall of 2008, NBC Digital Entertainment released a series of online content for the summer, including more original web content, wireless iTV interactivity, graphic novels available for mobile viewing and webisodes.

NBC announced ''Heroes''' cancellation on May 14, 2010. Afterward, the network considered making a television special event to conclude the series; however, on September 9, 2010, NBC announced the decision to stop any further development of the ''Heroes'' franchise. Tim Kring then suggested that the broad premise of ''Heroes'' storylines allowed for the franchise to return for fans, but he did not specify when or in what media format.

Cast

Originally, Kring designed the series to have an ever-shifting cast. However, his motivation changed when he realized how popular the original cast was with audiences; therefore, he brought back most of the first season cast for the second season, with a few additions who received star billing. In its first season, the show features an ensemble cast of twelve main characters making it the third largest cast in American primetime television behind ''Desperate Housewives'' and ''Lost''. Although NBC's first season cast page listed only ten characters, Leonard Roberts, who first appeared in the series' fifth episode as D. L. Hawkins, was an additional member of the original full-time cast. In episode eleven of the first season, Jack Coleman, who portrays Noah Bennet, was upgraded from a recurring role to become the twelfth full-time cast member.

The first season featured twelve series regulars. Hayden Panettiere portrays high school cheerleader Claire Bennet who can spontaneously regenerate. Jack Coleman plays her father Noah Bennet, an agent for The Company. Santiago Cabrera played the troubled addict Isaac Mendez who can paint the future. Tawny Cypress portrays Simone Deveaux, an art dealer and skeptic. Greg Grunberg plays LAPD police officer Matt Parkman, who can read people's minds. Ali Larter plays Niki Sanders, an internet stripper with a severe dissociative disorder and super strength. Leonard Roberts plays Niki's husband D. L. Hawkins, an ex-convict who can pass through solid matter. Noah Gray-Cabey plays Micah Sanders, Niki and D. L.'s young son who can communicate with and control digital technology. Masi Oka portrays space-time manipulator Hiro Nakamura. Adrian Pasdar plays Nathan Petrelli, a congressional candidate with the ability to fly. Sendhil Ramamurthy plays geneticist Mohinder Suresh. Milo Ventimiglia portrays hospice nurse Peter Petrelli, with the ability to mimic abilities of other posthumans.

During the first two seasons, some characters were written out to make room for new characters with new stories. Simone was the first major character to be written out, dying near the end of season one. DL became a guest star after the events of the first season's finale, making two appearances throughout season two. Isaac Mendez was also written out, dying at the hands of Sylar, which was shown during Hiro Nakamura's time travelling expedition to New York earlier in season one. New characters added during season two include: Maya Herrera, played by Dania Ramirez, a fugitive with the ability to emit a deadly virus; Adam Monroe, a 400-year-old Englishman and legendary warrior Takezo Kensei with the ability to regenerate, portrayed by David Anders; Monica Dawson, portrayed by Dana Davis, a restaurant worker with the ability to mimic physical movements she sees; Elle Bishop, a sadistic sociopath with the ability to generate electricity portrayed by Kristen Bell. Two recurring characters from season one, Sylar, portrayed by Zachary Quinto, and Ando Masahashi, portrayed by James Kyson Lee, were upgraded to main characters in season two.

Starting in season three, recurring character Angela Petrelli, portrayed by Cristine Rose, was promoted to a main character. Elle, Adam and Micah were removed from the main cast. Monica Dawson did not appear after scenes including her were cut. Niki was also written out but actress Ali Larter remained on the show portraying a new character Tracy Strauss, Niki's triplet sister with the power to freeze objects with a touch. For the fourth season, a new character Samuel, portrayed by Robert Knepper, was added. Originally cast as a recurring part, the part was changed to a starring role. Deanne Bray was also added as Emma Coolidge, the deaf woman who had enhanced synesthesia (seeing colors for music) including the ability to create a siren song.

Synopsis

The plot of ''Heroes'' is designed to be similar to the stories of comic books with small story arcs built into the series' larger story arc plot. Each season of ''Heroes'' is designed to involve ordinary people who discover extraordinary super powers, and how these abilities take effect in the character's daily lives.

The first season, known as "Genesis", begins as a seemingly ordinary group of people gradually becomes aware that they have special abilities. Events illustrate their reactions to these powers, and how the discovery affects their personal and professional lives. At the same time, several ordinary individuals are investigating the origins and extent of these abilities. Mohinder continues his late father's research into the biological source of the change, while Noah represents a secret organization known only as "The Company". While coping with these new abilities, each of the characters is drawn, willingly or unwillingly, into the Company's conspiracy to control superpowered people and into a race to stop an explosion from destroying New York City.

Season two, known as "Generations" begins four months after the events of Kirby Plaza. The main plot arc of ''Generations'' deals with the Company and its research on the Shanti virus. This research is explored through the Company's founders, whose identities are revealed, as well as through the effects of various strains of the virus. The heroes ultimately come together in an attempt to stop the release of a deadly strain of the virus and avert a global pandemic.

The first part of season three was known as "Villains". Volume three began with the assassination attempt on Nathan, and explores its consequences. In addition, several villains escape from the confines of Level 5, and the Company attempts to recapture them. Arthur Petrelli (Robert Forster) heals from systemic nerve damage and aims to create a formula to give ordinary people abilities. The second part of season three, titled "Fugitives", involves what happens after Nathan fails to produce the formula. After the destruction of Primatech and Pinehearst, the heroes attempt to lead normal lives until Nathan initiates his plan to round up all people with abilities. Sylar kills Nathan in an intense duel; however, Matt is instructed to alter Sylar's mind to believe that he is Nathan.

Season four comprised volume five, "Redemption" and takes place six weeks after the events of season three. The heroes try to return to their normal lives, Peter returns to his job as a paramedic, while Claire attends college. Sylar's acquired abilities begin to manifest as Nathan struggles to maintain his identity and Sylar's consciousness, trapped in Matt Parkman's mind, taunts him and seeks out his body. A carnival group is introduced, led by Samuel, who tries to recruit more people with abilities into his carnival family in hopes of creating a community for these people where they are welcome to be open with their abilities and respected by outsiders. The end of the Season 4 finale begins Volume Six, "Brave New World", in which Claire reveals the existence of people with special abilities to a group of reporters and photographers.

Production

Conception

''Heroes'' began development early in 2006, when Tim Kring, creator of NBC's ''Crossing Jordan'', came up with the show's concept. Kring wanted to create a "large ensemble saga" that would connect with the audience. He began thinking about how big, scary and complicated he felt the world is, and wanted to create a character-driven series about people who could do something about it. Kring felt that a cop or medical drama did not have characters that were big enough to save the world. He came up with the thought of superheroes; ordinary people who would discover extraordinary abilities, while still rooted in the real world and in reality. Casting directors Jason La Padura and Natalie Hart brought forth a cast of new faces such as Milo Ventimiglia who described the pilot as a "character drama about everyday people with a heightened reality." A heightened reality that was brought to light through the work of production designer Ruth Ammon. Kring wanted the series to have touchstones that involved the characters and the world they lived in.

Before he began putting his ideas together, he spoke with ''Lost'' executive producer Damon Lindelof, with whom he had worked for three years on ''Crossing Jordan''. Kring credits Lindelof for giving him ideas on how to pitch the series to the network and advice on the lessons he (Lindelof) learned about working on a serialized drama. The two still speak and support each other's projects. When Kring pitched the idea for ''Heroes'' to the NBC network, he described the network's reaction as "excited...very supportive." He comments that he has been partners with NBC for some time based on his six year run as showrunner for ''Crossing Jordan''. When he pitched the pilot, he described every detail, including the cliffhanger ending. When NBC executives asked him what was going to happen next, Kring responded, "Well, you'll just have to wait and find out." After the project was greenlit, a special 73-minute version of the pilot was first screened to a large audience at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con International. It was initially reported that this unaired pilot would not be released, however it was included on the first season DVD set.

Writing

When the writing team worked on an episode, each writer took a character and wrote the individual scenes surrounding them. These stories were then combined and given to the episode writer. This system allowed every writer to contribute to every episode, and enabled the writing team to finish scripts sooner, so the filming crew could shoot more scenes at a location. Tim Kring described the writing process as a collaborative one and stated that the collaboration process was important because production needed to shoot several scenes at a single location. To do this, several scripts had to be ready. Jesse Alexander, co-producer and writer, explained that this process was important in a serialized drama because one has to know where each character's development is heading.

The second season coincided with the WGA writers' strike, meaning only 11 out of the planned 24 episodes were produced. This forced the producers to redesign the season to encompass only the ''Generations'' volume out of the three planned. The planned third volume, ''Exodus'', which was originally designed to be a story arc reflecting the effects of the release of strain 138 of the Shanti virus, was canceled. The planned fourth volume, ''Villains'', was changed to the third volume and moved into season three. Scenes from the volume two finale "Powerless", were reshot to reflect the cancellation of the ''Exodus'' volume, and to tie up all the loose plot storylines of ''Generations''.

Following criticisms of the second and third volumes, Tim Molloy from TV Guide reported that ''Heroes'' would return to its roots with the fourth volume, ''Fugitives'', to attract new viewers and regain those who gave up on the show because of too many characters and plotlines. In November 2008, NBC fired Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb from the production staff of ''Heroes'' over creative differences and budget problems. As a result, Tim Kring would refocus the series on character development and simple storytelling. However, a high-ranking insider told ''TV Guide'' that rather than pressure from NBC or Universal Media responding to recent plummeting ratings, it was Kring himself who fired Alexander and Loeb because the duo refused to continue character-driven stories that made the first season popular from the start. In December 2008, Bryan Fuller signed a 2-year deal with Universal Media Studios after the cancellation of his ABC series ''Pushing Daisies''. He rejoined the writing staff of ''Heroes'' starting with the 20th episode of season three and had a "key role in the writing and direction" of the series. However, on June 22 it was revealed that Fuller left ''Heroes'' to work on other projects. On April 28, 2009, writer/director/producer Greg Beeman was fired by NBC.

Music

Music from the first season is composed by Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, with music engineer Michael Perfitt and vocals provided by Shankar. Each episode averages thirty to thirty-five minutes of music. Melvoin and Coleman became involved with ''Heroes'' from their previous work with executive producer Allan Arkush. Tim Kring gave general instructions to the pair, including the emotion and direction for each character. Kring wanted incredibly unusual music and gave Melvoin and Coleman a lot of freedom and permission to experiment. In the pilot episode, Kring suggested that a "dreamy" cue be used in the scene involving Claire Bennet running into a burning train. The "dreamy" cue has since become a signature piece of the show. Melvoin and Coleman developed musical cues for each character. Claude's theme involved wind and voices to create the feeling of a ghost-like presence. Sylar's involves marimbas and bassoons with staccato to re-create the sound of clocks ticking in reference to the character's power. Matt Parkman's theme involves voices being played backwards when he uses his power of telepathy. Peter Petrelli's theme involves marcato strings. Niki Sanders's theme was based on her character's alter-ego named Jessica and involved winds and Indian voices chanting in an underscore to give a feeling that she was possessed. Mohinder Suresh's theme is the piano composition that plays at the end of some episodes. In France, the theme music of ''Heroes'' is composed by Victoria Petrosillo. Her song, "Le Héros d'un autre", is used by television network TF1 to replace the show's original incidental music. The network created a new opening credit sequence so they could play Petrosillo's theme song. The official ''Heroes'' soundtrack was released on March 18, 2008 by The NBCUniversal Television, DVD, Music & Consumer Products Group. On February 29, 2008 the Group released five music videos created by Heroes producer/director Allan Arkush, each combining show footage with songs from the soundtrack. In September 2008, Melvoin and Coleman announced that they would be releasing an album consisting entirely of the score from ''Heroes'', entitled ''Heroes: Original Score''. It was released on April 14, 2009 by La-La Land Records.

Filming and visual effects

Eric Grenaudier and John Han of Stargate Digital are the visual effects supervisors and Mark Spatny is the visual effects producer for ''Heroes''. They work with visual effects animators Anthony Ocampo and Ryan Wieber, who are also from Stargate. The series visual effects consist of blue screens and 2D and 3D animation. The visual effects for the series are created after the scene is shot in post-production, unlike special effects, which are incorporated into the scenes during filming. Notable visual effects include radioactive Ted in "Company Man", Nathan flying from Mr. Bennet and The Haitian in "Hiros", and Hiro's time freezing encounter with the schoolgirl in the red bow in "One Giant Leap". The special effects are coordinated by Gary D'Amico. Stunts are coordinated by Ian Ouinn, who also uses blue screens to accomplish some of the stunts in the series, such as Nathan Petrelli flying away from Heidi during the car accident scene in "Six Months Ago". Principal filming for ''Heroes'' takes place in Los Angeles and Santa Clarita, California. The Stargate Digital team are also responsible for making Los Angeles look like international locations, such as India and Ukraine, using blue screens and set designs by Ruth Ammon, production designer for the series. The series is filmed using a single-camera setup.

In keeping with the comic book thematic elements used on ''Heroes'', professional comic book artists Tim Sale and Alex Maleev were brought in to provide the artwork used within the series under the direction of Ruth Ammon, including the artwork of Isaac Mendez, and Mendez metafictional comic book series, the ''9th Wonders!''. Additionally, the font used in captions and credits for the show is reminiscent of traditional hand-rendered comic book lettering. It was created by Sale and is based on his handwriting style. ''Heroes'' is designed by production designer Ruth Ammon. Ammon has been nominated for her work on ''Heroes'' twice by the Art Directors Guild and has also been nominated for two Emmy Awards for excellence in art direction.

''Heroes: Origins''

On May 14, 2007, NBC announced that it would air a six-episode ''Heroes'' spin-off called ''Heroes: Origins'' during the 2007–2008 season. The show was to introduce a new character each week, and viewers were to select which one would stay for the following season of the regular series. The show was supposed to air after the completion of the second season of ''Heroes'' in April 2008; however, on October 31, 2007, it was reported that ''Origins'' had been postponed because of the Writers Guild of America strike. Tim Kring stated in an interview that the first episode of ''Origins'' was to reveal the secrets and meanings behind the Helix symbol. However, because of the WGA Strike, Kring commented that the secret will have to be revealed down the line. Kring revealed that he was to write the first episode of ''Origins'', and that John August had been hired to write another episode. Director Kevin Smith, a fan of ''Heroes'', was set to write and direct an episode for the spin-off, as were Eli Roth and Michael Dougherty. On April 3, 2008, a day after NBC announced its 2008–2009 primetime schedule, Ben Silverman confirmed ''Origins''' cancellation.

Mythology

''Heroes'' includes some mysterious fictional recurring elements that have been ascribed to science fiction or supernatural phenomena. Tim Kring and the creators of the series refer to these fictional elements as part of the mythology of the series. Kring confirmed that although the show has a unique mythology, he does not want to sink too deeply into it. Rather, Kring has used volumes to wrap up ongoing plot lines instead of carrying storylines over long periods of time as in ''Lost''. Among the show's mythological elements are the Company, the legend of Takezo Kensei, paintings of the future, superpowers and their origins, the Shanti virus, ''9th Wonders!'' comic book, and numerous other elements and mythological themes.

Response

Critical reception

During the series' first season, the American Film Institute named ''Heroes'' one of the ten "best television programs of the year." Doug Elfman of the Chicago Sun-Times stated, "the show's super strengths are its well-developed filmmaking, smooth pacing and a perfect cast. It views like the first hour of a fun, thoughtful movie." Barry Garron at ''The Hollywood Reporter'' also stated, "''Heroes'' is one of TV's most imaginative creations and might, with luck, become this year's ''Lost''." Less favorable reviews included the ''Philadelphia Inquirer'', who commented that although the show had lots of "cool effects," it "lands, splat, in a pile of nonsense and dim dialogue." In response to the first pod of season one episodes, The ''Chicago Tribune'' went as far as saying, "you could watch the first few episodes of ''Heroes'', or you could repeatedly hit yourself on the head with a brick. The effect is surprisingly similar." At Metacritic, the ''Heroes'' pilot received a 67/100, with generally favorable reviews from critics.

The second season of ''Heroes'' was criticized by commentators and fans for a much slower pace, less engaging storyline and lack of focus compared to the first season. Milo Ventimiglia stated that "when there's a little bit of a delay, there's not that instant, rewarding scene or moment or episode... people get impatient, so it has been extremely important for them to strike a balance between giving and getting." In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', ''Heroes'' creator Tim Kring commented on criticisms of season two, and the series' 15% decline in ratings. Kring said that he felt he had made mistakes with the direction of season two. He had thought that the audience was looking for a "build-up of characters and the discovery of their powers", when viewers were instead looking for "adrenaline." Kring also outlined what he felt were problems with plot development, stating that the second season "took too long to get to the big-picture story", explaining that Peter's vision of the viral armageddon should have occurred in the first episode instead of the seventh. He feels that it would have been better to introduce new characters within the context of the main storyline, as with Elle, rather than in unattached arcs such as that of Maya and Alejandro. Kring also admitted that he should have resolved the "Hiro in Japan" storyline much more quickly, and that the romantic stories are not working well. With regard to Claire and West, and Hiro and Yaeko, he said, "I've seen more convincing romances on TV. In retrospect, I don't think romance is a natural fit for us."

Awards and nominations

By the time ''Heroes'' completed the first half of the first season, the show had already collected an assortment of honors and accolades. On December 13, 2006, the Writers Guild of America nominated the program for "best new series" of 2007. On December 14, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association nominated the program for a Golden Globe Award for "best television drama", and nominated Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura) for Best Supporting Actor on a TV Series. On January 9, 2007, ''Heroes'' won the award for Favorite New TV Drama at the 33rd People's Choice Awards. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People nominated ''Heroes'' on January 9, 2007 for an Image Award in the "Outstanding Drama Series" category. On February 21, 2007, it was announced that ''Heroes'' was nominated for five Saturn Awards. The nominations included "Best Network Television Series", "Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series" for both Greg Grunberg and Masi Oka, and "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series" for Hayden Panettiere and Ali Larter. On February 22, 2008, it was announced that ''Heroes'' was again nominated for five Saturn Awards. The nominations for 2008 include "Best Network Television Series," "Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series" for both Greg Grunberg and Masi Oka, "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series" for Hayden Panettiere, and "Best Television Series on DVD." The 2008 nominations are similar to the 2007 nominations, except Ali Larter was not nominated this year; instead the ''Heroes'' Season one DVD was nominated, in a different category.

On July 19, 2007, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced their nominations for the 2007 Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Heroes'' was nominated in eight categories, including Outstanding Drama Series. The first episode, "Genesis", earned six nominations: Outstanding Directing (David Semel), Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series, Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series, and Outstanding Stunt Coordination. The episode "Five Years Gone" also received a nomination for Outstanding Visual Effects for a Series. Masi Oka was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. On September 16, 2007, the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards were held and ''Heroes'' failed to win a single Emmy award despite the eight nominations. On July 21, 2007, the Television Critics Association awarded ''Heroes'' with the prestigious Outstanding Program of the Year title during their 23rd Annual TCA Awards ceremony. The cast of ''Heroes'' was named in the 2006 ''Time'' Magazine's Person of the Year issue under "People Who Mattered".

Ratings

The pilot episode generated 14.3 million viewers, with the season high topping out at 16.03 million viewers for episode 9. When the series returned from hiatus on January 22, 2007, the ratings averaged about the same as the pilot with 14.9 million viewers. When the show went on a second hiatus during the first season, from March 4, 2007 to April 23, 2007 (7 weeks), ratings hit a new low; the lowest being 11.14 million viewers during part one of the three part finale, "The Hard Part." In season two, the opener was consistent in the ratings, however, week-by-week, the ratings continued to dive, reaching another new low for the series on episode seven, "Out of Time", with only 9.87 million viewers. Although the ratings were lower than average, this episode was considered to be a turning point for the declining season, as a major plot twist was introduced and the volume's "big picture storyline" was presented. The season two/volume 2 finale generated 11.06 million viewers in the ratings, down more than 3 million viewers from the season opener and series pilot.

While the show premiered with high ratings, ratings slowly diminished throughout its run. The first episode of season 2 was the highest viewed, whereas each successive season had fewer viewers than the one preceding it.

Season three of ''Heroes'' started with strong ratings that dropped steadily throughout the season. The season's finale placed last in its timeslot.

The season four premiere of ''Heroes'' was the lowest rated episode of the series to that point, averaging 5.9 million viewers. Despite the season's low ratings, executive producer Tim Kring was "fully expecting" a fifth season. However, while creator Kring was hopeful over the show's future many media insiders were not so confident. There was growing speculation on some news sites that NBC would cancel the series at the conclusion of its fourth season or that it might renew the show for a fifth and final season by ordering either 6 or 13 episodes and possibly airing them as a backup or mid-season replacement. On May 14, 2010, NBC made it official that ''Heroes'' was indeed cancelled.

! Season	! Timeslot (EDT)	! Season premiere	! Season finale	! TV season	! U.S. viewersin millions	! U.S. live viewers + DVR	! UK viewership (BBC2)
style="text-align:center"	Monday 9:00 pm
style="text-align:center"	Monday 9:00 pm
style="text-align:center"	Monday 9:00 pm
style="text-align:center"	Monday 8:00 pm (2009) Monday 9:00 pm (2010)

Promotions and fandom

Following the debut of ''Heroes'' in 2006, the tagline ''Save the Cheerleader, Save the World'' was recognized within the television industry as an effective marketing device. In 2006, NBC also created a ''Heroes'' parody entitled ''Zeroes''. ''Zeroes'', which was released as a viral video on sites including YouTube, features parodies including four chapters and an open audition. Development and production of the project was kept secret from Tim Kring. NBC hosted panels at the 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 Comic-Cons in San Diego to promote the series. Major announcements have been made during the panel, along with sneak peeks of forthcoming seasons. In 2006, the ''Heroes'' panel presented the entire season one 72-minute pilot. In 2008 the first half of the season three premiere was shown. Comic-Con also allows the cast and crew to answer questions from the press and from fans. On July 21, 2007, Tim Kring announced that cast and crew members of ''Heroes'' would travel the world for the ''Heroes World Tour'' to promote the season one DVD release and the forthcoming season two. The tour took place in North America (New York and Toronto), Asia (Singapore, Tokyo, and Hong Kong) and Europe (Munich, Paris and London). The tour began on August 26, and ended on September 1, 2007. The post-hardcore bands Alesana and I See Stars have both respectively named songs after the show, "This is Usually the Part Where People Scream" and "Save the Cheerleader".

Distribution

Blu-ray and DVD releases

The first DVD release of ''Heroes'' was a sampler disc, containing only the first episode, and was released in the UK and the Republic of Ireland on September 3, 2007. UK Region 2 split ''Heroes'' into two halves on its initial release; part one being released on October 1, 2007 and part two on December 10, 2007. When the second part was released, a complete first season boxset was also released on the same day on both DVD and HD DVD formats The complete first season DVD includes nearly 3 hours of bonus features including: an extended 73-minute version of the pilot episode with audio commentary; 50 deleted and extended scenes; behind the scenes featurettes, including the making of Heroes, stunts, a profile of artist Tim Sale, and the score; and audio commentaries with cast, crew and show creator Tim Kring. On February 22, 2008, the ''Heroes'' Season One DVD was nominated for a 2008 Saturn Award, in the category of "Best Television Series on DVD." The complete first season was released in USA and Canada on August 28, 2007. It was released in Australia and New Zealand on September 17, 2007.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced that the first and second seasons would be released on Blu-ray on August 26, 2008, the same date as the DVD release of the second season. Specifications and bonus features include: Generations Alternate Ending; Inside the Alternate Ending: What if Peter didn't catch the virus?; untold stories that didn't make it on air; Season Three sneak peek; deleted scenes; a documentary on Takezo Kensei; behind the scenes featurettes; NBC.com featurettes; and audio commentaries with cast, crew and show creator Tim Kring. The complete second season was released on July 28, 2008 in the UK. Season 2 was released on the 1st of October 2008 in New Zealand and Australia.

The Season 3 DVD Box set was released in North America on September 1, 2009, and in Australia on September 2, 2009 with an alternative cover, and in the UK on October 12, 2009.

The Season 4 DVD Box set was released on August 3, 2010 in the US and on October 4, 2010 in the UK.

The Complete Series DVD Box set was released on November 16, 2010 in the US.

International

In Canada, ''Heroes'' episodes run concurrently with the NBC first-run on the Global Television Network, Mondays at 10 p.m. ET. A Canadian French-dubbed version of Season 1 also airs on TVA, Thursdays at 9:00 PM and two episodes of Season 2 on Mystère (addikTV) each Mondays at 8:00 PM.

The first season aired in Australia on the Seven Network Wednesday nights at 8:30 pm. The series debuted strongly, attracting more than 2 million viewers in five of the capital cities. To keep viewer numbers high the Seven Network began showing the second season on Thursday nights at 9:30pm across all areas, a week after the US screening. The third season began airing on October 9, 2008, and Volume 4 began airing on April 23, 2009. Because of low ratings, it was pushed back half-an-hour to 11:00pm after Scrubs and the season concluded July 9, 2009. The Sci-Fi (available through Foxtel, Optus TV and Austar) screened Season 2 re-runs in late 2009.From June 2010, Season 3 is screening on the Sci-Fi Channel in Australia. Season 4 aired, approximately one month behind the USA, on Seven's new digital channel 7Two, on November 4, 2009 at the new time of Wednesdays 8:30pm. It started with the double premiere and had double episode runs instead of one episode a week, until it caught up to the US, after that it began to air episodes once a week at 8:30pm. It currently airs on Thursday 9:30pm on 7Two.

In the United Kingdom, the series first aired on February 19, 2007 on digital channel Sci Fi UK. The series averaged 450,000 viewers, which is almost four times more viewers than those of other programs on Sci Fi UK. The series was then picked up by the BBC, which gave season one its terrestrial premiere from July 25 to December 5, 2007 on BBC Two. Season two of Heroes first aired from April 24 to July 3, 2008 on BBC Two, attracting around 3.7 million viewers. Season three began on October 1, 2008 and gained 3.81 million viewers. Season four began on January 9, 2010, but viewership as of February 8 had declined to just 0.74 million.

Merchandise

Ubisoft announced that they had licensed the rights to produce a ''Heroes'' video game; however, the company later chose to give the rights back to NBCUniversal. Gameloft released the first ''Heroes'' mobile game on October 5, 2007. It consists of 8 levels and playable characters include Hiro Nakamura, Niki Sanders and Peter Petrelli.

Each week, NBC releases a ''Heroes'' webcomic. The comics give additional character background and plot information not shown in the television episodes. The graphic novels continued on a weekly basis during the show's 2007 summer hiatus. Wildstorm, a subsidiary of DC Comics, released them in published form on November 7, 2007. The first collected volume included novels 1–34, and featured two different covers by Alex Ross and Jim Lee as well as an introduction by Masi Oka and artwork by Tim Sale. The second volume included 35–80. It has an advertisement for a third volume, that would at least have 81–103, and more, and it was scheduled for fall 2009. For unknown reasons, it has missed this deadline and has not yet been released.

On December 26, 2007, the first ''Heroes'' novel was published, entitled ''Saving Charlie''. Written by Aury Wallington, who wrote the book with the full cooperation of the ''Heroes'' writing staff, the novel revolves around the relationship of Hiro Nakamura and Charlie Andrews, when Hiro went back in time six months to attempt to save her.

Titan Magazines released the first issue of ''Heroes Magazine'' on November 20, 2007. It is the first of a series of six, slated to be released bi-monthly. The first issue is a 100 page premiere issue. Feature articles include a cast group interview, a secret origins featurette, and a season one episode guide. Greg Beeman, executive producer of ''Heroes'' has confirmed that this is an official ''Heroes'' release, with the full support and cooperation of Tim Kring and the rest of the ''Heroes'' production team. The magazine ceased publication with the twelfth issue.

Mezco announced at Toy Fair 2007 that they would be producing a line of action figures based on the television show ''Heroes''. The first series, ''Series I'', includes Peter Petrelli, Claire Bennet, Hiro Nakamura, Sylar and Mohinder Suresh. The second series, ''Series II'', includes Niki Sanders/Jessica Sanders, Noah Bennet, Daniel Linderman, Matt Parkman (with Molly Walker) and Claude.

Multimedia

Television and radio

''Heroes Unmasked'' is a series on BBC that goes behind-the-scenes of the production of ''Heroes''. Many details of ''Heroes'' are revealed. Among them are props, set design, blue and green screen animation, and special effects and costuming. The first two series of this show were narrated by Anthony Head, the third is voiced by Santiago Cabrera. U.S. network G4 began airing ''Heroes'' episodes on November 3, 2007, along with an American version of ''Heroes Unmasked'' entitled ''The Post Show''. The series, which will air following ''Heroes'', includes interviews, live viewer commentary, interactive polls, behind-the-scenes footage and other ''Heroes'' content. U.S. Network MOJO HD also aired ''Heroes'' episodes in High Definition. However, that network left the air at the start of December 2008, and on the day and date of MOJO's discontinuation G4 launched their HD simulcast feed, thus now carrying the show in both regular and high definition forms.

In November 2007, the BBC made four short '2 Dimensional' films where actors from the series look through a '2' shaped hole into a room that reflects the character they play in ''Heroes''. A new short was revealed just before Episode 1 of season 3 aired on BBC2, featuring Masi Oka staring into an anime-styled montage of Hiro.

BBC7 radio broadcast "Heroes—The Official Radio Show" with Jon Holmes, every Saturday at 7:30 on BBC7 DAB digital radio. The program is also available as a podcast.

Internet and digital extensions

The ''Heroes'' production team also has official series content on the internet. Writers Joe Pokaski and Aron Coleite hold a weekly "Question and Answer" column hosted by ''Comicbookresources.com'' entitled "Behind the Eclipse". Show producer and director Greg Beeman also posts weekly on his blog where he discusses how the episode is filmed and gives spoilers for the upcoming episode.

''Heroes Evolutions'', released on January 19, 2007, is a digital extension of the series that explores the ''Heroes'' universe and provides clues to the show's mythology. It was entitled ''Heroes 360 Experience'' throughout the first season and rebranded for the second season. ''Heroes Interactive'' is an interactive web page that began operation on January 29, 2007, during the airing of "The Fix". Hosted at NBC.com, it offers behind the scenes information, polls, trivia, and quizzes, as well as recent posts by Hana Gitelman. The features air once a week, and are designed to be viewed concurrently with that week's episode.

Complete episodes of ''Heroes'' are available online, to US residents only, along with downloads through the "NBC Direct" service. Episodes are also available on iTunes in 720p High Definition, although they were unavailable for a few months when NBC and Apple Inc. were unable to come to a renewal deal. Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4 are currently available for streaming via subscription on Netflix, and Hulu Plus.

NBC Universal announced on April 2, 2008, that NBC Digital Entertainment would release a series on online content for the summer and fall of 2008, including more original web content and webisodes. ''Heroes'' webisodes are expected to air through an extension of the ''Heroes Evolutions'' in July. Other media and digital extensions announced include an online manhunts for the villains, the addition of more micro sites that allow the users to uncover more of the ''Heroes'' universe, wireless iTV interactivity and the ability to view the graphic novel on mobile platforms.

''Create Your Hero'' is a fan-based, interactive promotion on NBC.com, which calls upon Heroes fans to vote on various personality and physical attributes for the creation of a new hero. The new hero "[comes] to life" in an original, live-action series run exclusively on NBC.com. The promotion is sponsored by Sprint. The first hero created by this process, Santiago, has the dual powers of enhanced probability and superhuman speed. He began appearing in the live-action web series, Heroes Destiny, on November 10, 2008 (sweeps week). On October 18, 2008, Heroes Wiki announced that it had officially partnered with NBC. NBC now directs those interested in a wiki on ''Heroes'' to Heroes Wiki, and directly funds the site in exchange for the site running advertisements for the network.

References

External links

''9th Wonders!'' – Semi-official site from ''Heroes'' creator Tim Kring

Investigating Heroes: Essays on Truth, Justice and Quality TV

* Category:Article Feedback Pilot Category:American science fiction television series Category:Dyslexia in fiction Category:English-language television series Category:Fantasy television series Category:NBC network shows Category:Post-apocalyptic television series Category:Serial drama television series Category:Superhero television programs Category:Television series by NBC Universal Television Category:2000s American television series Category:2006 American television series debuts Category:2010s American television series Category:2010 American television series endings

ar:هيروز bs:Heroes (serija) bg:Герои (сериал) ca:Herois cs:Hrdinové cy:Heroes (cyfres deledu) da:Heroes de:Heroes (Fernsehserie) dv:ހީރޯސް (ޓީވީ ސިލްސިލާ) et:Heroes el:Heroes es:Héroes (serie de televisión) eo:Heroes eu:Heroiak (telesaila) fa:قهرمان‌ها (مجموعه تلویزیونی) fr:Heroes gl:Heroes (serie de televisión estadounidense) ko:히어로즈 (드라마) hi:हीरोज़ (टी वी श्रृंखला) id:Heroes (serial TV) it:Heroes he:גיבורים (סדרת טלוויזיה) sw:Heroes lt:Herojai hu:Hősök mk:Херои (ТВ серија) ms:Heroes nl:Heroes (televisieserie) ja:HEROES (テレビドラマ) no:Heroes (TV-serie) nn:Heroes oc:Eròis (seria televisada) uz:Heroes pl:Herosi (serial telewizyjny) pt:Heroes ro:Heroes (film serial) ru:Герои (телесериал) sq:Heroes (serial) simple:Heroes (TV series) sk:Hrdinovia sl:Heroji (TV-serija) sr:Хероји (ТВ серија) fi:Heroes (televisiosarja) sv:Heroes (TV-serie) ta:ஹீரோஸ் (தொலைக்காட்சித் தொடர்) th:ฮีโร่ส์ (รายการโทรทัศน์) tr:Heroes (dizi) uk:Герої (телесеріал) vec:Heroes vi:Giải cứu thế giới yi:העראען (טעלעוויזיע סעריע) zh:英雄 (电视剧)

A television program (television programme in the United Kingdom, Ireland and many Commonwealth countries), also called television show (in the United States), is a segment of content, which is intended to be broadcast on television. It is the product of a television production—or the filmmaking process. It may be a one-time broadcast or part of a periodically recurring series.

A television series that is predetermined to be broadcast as a set number of programs is usually called a miniseries or serial (although the latter term also has other meanings). A short-run of a series lasting less than a year is known as a ''season''—though in the United Kingdom and (some of) the rest of the PAL countries, the term ''series'' is used. This season, or series, usually consists of 12 to 26 installments in the United States, but in the UK there is no defined length. The US-industry practice tends to favor longer seasons than those of some other countries.

A single program of a series is called an episode. A one-time broadcast may be called a "special", or particularly in the UK a "special episode". A television movie ("made-for-TV movie"), or in the UK a television film, is a film that is initially broadcast on television rather than released in cinemas or direct-to-video, although many successful TV movies are later released on DVD.

A program can be either recorded—as on video tape or other various electronic media forms—or considered live television.

Program content

The content of television programs may be factual—as in documentary, news, and reality television, or fictional—as in comedies and dramas. It may be topical—as in the case of a local newscast and some made-for-television movies, or historical—as in the case of many documentaries and fictional series. They could be primarily instructional or educational, or entertaining as is the case in situation comedy and game shows.

A drama program usually features a set of actors in a somewhat familiar setting. The program follows their lives and their adventures. With the exception of soap operas, many shows especially before the 1980s, remained static without story arcs, the main characters and the premise changed little. If some change happened to the characters lives during the episode, it was usually undone by the end. (Because of this, the episodes could be broadcast in any order.) Since the 1980s, there are many series that feature progressive change to the plot, the characters, or both.

Common television program periods include regular broadcasts (like news), series (usually seasonal and ongoing with a duration of only a few episodes to many seasons), or miniseries, which is an extended film, usually with a small predetermined number of episodes and a set plot and timeline. Miniseries usually range from about 3 to 10 hours in length. In the UK, the term "miniseries" is only usually used in reference to imported programmes, and such short-run series are usually called "serials".

Older American television shows began with a title sequence showing opening credits at the bottom lower third of the screen during the beginning, and included closing credits at the end of the show. However, beginning in the 1990s some shows began with a "cold open", followed by a title sequence and a commercial break. Many serial-type shows begin with a "Previously on..." (such as the series ''24'') introduction before the new episode. And, to save time, some shows omit the title sequence altogether, folding the names normally featured there into the opening credits. The title sequence has not been completely eliminated, however, as many major television series still use them.

While television series appearing on TV networks are usually commissioned by the networks themselves, their producers earn greater revenue when the program is sold into syndication. With the rise of the DVD home video format, box sets containing entire seasons or the complete run of a program have become a significant revenue source as well. Many of the prime-time comedy shows and Saturday morning cartoons were digitally remastered for United States television around mid-May 2008, as there will be more original and reissued DVD sets of television programs containing either entire seasons or complete series to come.

Television has changed throughout the years, from wholesome family sitcoms and dramas of years ago, to the reality shows of today. When watching television became popular in the mid-20th century, the whole family watched one set together. Also, many channels have deviated from their original programming focus throughout the years because of channel drift.

Most television networks throughout the world are 'commercial', dependent on selling advertising time or acquiring sponsors, broadcasting executives' main concern over their programming is on audience size or ''eyeballs''. Once the number of 'free to air' stations was restricted by the availability of channel frequencies, but cable TV (outside the USA, satellite television) technology has allowed an expansion in the number of channels available to viewers (sometimes at premium rates) in a much more competitive environment.

Genres

Scripted entertainment

Animated

Award shows (partially scripted)

Drama—which includes:

* Action-adventure or Thriller

* Comedy-drama

* Family drama

* Legal drama

* Medical drama

* Police procedural

* Political drama

* Science-fiction / Fantasy / Horror / Supernatural drama

* Serial drama

* Soap opera

* Teen drama

Miniseries and Television movies

Comedy

* Mockumentary

* Satire

* Situation comedy

* Sketch comedy

Unscripted entertainment

Game shows

Reality

Talk shows

Informational

Infomercials—paid advertising which are up to an hour long

News programs

documentaries

news magazine shows—dealing with current affairs

Development

United States

A person decides to create a new television ''series''. The show's creator develops the show's elements, consisting of the concept, the characters, the crew, and various actors (in some cases, "big-name" actors). They will then offer ("pitch") it to the various networks in an attempt to find one that is interested in the series and order a prototype first episode of the series, known as a ''pilot''.

To create the pilot, the structure and team of the whole series needs to be put together. If the network likes the pilot, they will "pick up" the show for their next ''season'' (UK: ''series''). Sometimes they will save it for "midseason" or request rewrites and further review (known in the industry as "Development hell"). And other times they will ''pass'' entirely, leaving the show's creator forced to "shop it around" to other networks. Many shows never make it past the pilot stage.

If the show is picked up, a "run" of episodes is ordered. Usually only 13 episodes are ordered at first, although a series will typically last for at least 22 episodes (the last nine episodes sometimes being known as the "back nine", borrowing the colloquial golf term).

The show hires a "stable" of writers, who usually work in parallel: the first writer works on the first episode, the second on the second episode, and so forth. When all of the writers have been used, the assignment of episodes continues starting with the first writer again. On other shows, however, the writers work as a team. Sometimes they will develop story ideas individually, and pitch them to the show's creator, who then folds them together into a script and rewrites them.

United Kingdom

In contrast to the US model illustrated above, the UK procedure is operated on a sometimes similar, but much smaller scale.

The method of "team writing" is employed on some longer dramatic series (usually running up to a maximum of around 13 episodes). The idea for such a programme may be generated "in-house" by one of the networks; it could originate from an independent production company; it will sometimes be a product of both. For example, the BBC's long-running soap opera ''EastEnders'' is wholly a BBC production, whereas its popular drama ''Life on Mars'' was developed by Kudos in association with the broadcaster.

However, there are still a significant number of programmes (usually sitcoms) that are built around just one or two writers and a small, close-knit production team. These are "pitched" in the traditional way, but since the creator(s) will handle all the writing requirements, there will be a run of six or seven episodes per series once approval has been given. Many of the most popular British comedies have been made this way, including ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (albeit with an exclusive team of six writer-performers), ''Fawlty Towers'', ''Blackadder'' and ''The Office''.

Production

The executive producer, often the show's creator, is in charge of running the show. They pick the crew and help cast the actors, approve and sometimes write series plots (some even write or direct major episodes). Various other producers help to ensure that the show runs smoothly.

As with filmmaking or other electronic media production, production of an individual episode can be divided into three parts. These are:

Pre-production

Pre-production begins when a script is approved. A director is chosen to plan the episode's final look.

Pre-production tasks include storyboarding, construction of sets, props, and costumes, casting guest stars, budgeting, acquiring resources like lighting, special effects, stunts, etc. Once the show is planned, it must then be scheduled; scenes are often filmed out of sequence, guest actors or even regulars may only be available at certain times. Sometimes the principal photography of different episodes must be done at the same time, complicating the schedule (a guest star might shoot scenes from two episodes on the same afternoon). Complex scenes are translated from storyboard to animatics to further clarify the action. Scripts are adjusted to meet altering requirements.

Some shows have a small stable of directors, but also usually rely on outside directors. Given the time constraints of broadcasting, a single show might have two or three episodes in pre-production, one or two episodes in principal photography, and a few more in various stages of post-production. The task of directing is complex enough that a single director can usually not work on more than one episode or show at a time, hence the need for multiple directors.

Principal photography

Principal photography is the actual filming of the episode. Director, actors and crew will gather at a television studio or on location for filming or videoing a scene. A scene is further divided into shots, which should be planned during pre-production. Depending on scheduling, a scene may be shot in non-sequential order of the story. Conversations may be filmed twice from different camera angles, often using stand-ins, so one actor might perform all their lines in one set of shots, and then the other side of the conversation will be filmed from the opposite perspective. To complete a production on time, a second unit may be filming a different scene on another set or location at the same time, using a different set of actors, an assistant director, and a second unit crew. A director of photography supervises the lighting of each shot to ensure consistency.

Post production

Once principal photography is complete, producers coordinate tasks to begin the video editing. Visual and digital video effects are added to the film; this is often outsourced to companies specializing in these areas. Often music is performed with the conductor using the film as a time reference (other musical elements may be previously recorded). An editor cuts the various pieces of film together, adds the musical score and effects, determines scene transitions, and assembles the completed show.

Distribution

After production, the show is turned over to the television network, which sends it out to its affiliate stations, which broadcast it in the specified broadcast programming time slot. If the Nielsen ratings are good, the show is kept alive as long as possible. If not, the show is usually canceled. The show's creators are then left to shop around remaining episodes, and the possibility of future episodes, to other networks. On especially successful series, the producers sometimes call a halt to a series on their own like ''Seinfeld'', ''The Cosby Show'', ''Corner Gas'', and ''M*A*S*H'' and end it with a concluding episode, which sometimes is a big series finale.

On rare occasions, a series that has not attracted particularly high ratings and has been canceled can be given a reprieve if DVD sales have been particularly strong. This has happened in the cases of ''Family Guy'' in the US and ''Peep Show'' in the UK.

If the show is popular or lucrative, and a number of episodes (usually 100 episodes or more) are made, it goes into broadcast syndication (in the USA) where broadcast to the program rights are then resold.

== == The terminology used to define a set of episodes produced by a television series varies from country to country.

North American usage

The term "series", in North American usage, refers to a connected set of television program episodes that run under the same title, possibly spanning many seasons. A new series is often ordered (funded) for just the first 10 to 13 episodes, to gauge the audience interest. If it is "picked up", the season is completed to the regular 20 to 26 episodes. The term "midseason replacement" usually refers to an inexpensive short-run (10–13 episode) show designed to take the place of an original series which failed to garner an audience and has not been picked up. The term "series finale" can lead to confusion outside of North America. A series finale means that the show will no longer be produced, and thus will be the final episode for that series (in the UK, it would mean the end of a season).

In North America the term "television season" is used inconsistently. A "full season" typically runs from September through May, with a hiatus between December and February. This broadcast programming schedule typically includes 20 to 26 episodes. A full season is sometimes split into two separate units (confusingly also termed seasons) with one before and one after the hiatus. These smaller "seasons" usually contain half the number of episodes (10–13).

More recently these shorter seasons have been referred to as ".5" or half seasons, where the run of shows between September and December is labeled "Season N", and the second run between February and May labeled "Season N.5". This is typically done to increase DVD sales of the show. The distributor will release the first half of the season in stores just before the second half first airs, in order to increase interest in the season's second half. Examples of this would be the science fiction remake ''Battlestar Galactica'', its prequel ''Caprica'', ABC's ''FlashForward'', and NBC's ''Heroes''.

UK and Australia usage

In the United Kingdom, on the ABC in Australia and in other countries, these sets of episodes are referred to as a series.

Australian television does not follow ''seasons'' in the way that US television does. So there is no "Fall Season" or "Fall schedule", for example. In Australia, a batch of episodes will still sometimes be called a "season" as per American terminology, although the UK term "series" is also used. For many years popular night time dramas in Australia would run much of the year, and would only go into recess over the summer period (December–February) where ratings are not taken. Therefore popular dramas would usually run February–November each year. This schedule was used in the 1970s for popular dramas including ''Number 96''. ''Neighbours'' and other dramas continue this routine as at 2010. Australian situation comedy series usually have seasons of about 13 episodes, and might premiere at any month between February and November.

British shows have tended toward shorter series in recent years. For example, the first series of long-running science fiction show ''Doctor Who'' in 1963 featured forty-two 25-minute episodes, which had been reduced gradually to fourteen 25-minute episodes in 1989. The revival of ''Doctor Who'' has comprised thirteen 45-minute installments. However, there are some series in the UK that have a larger number of episodes, for example ''Waterloo Road'' started with 8–12 episodes but from series three onward, it increased to 20 episodes, and season seven will contain 30 episodes. Recently, American non-cable networks have also begun to experiment with shorter seasons for some programs, particularly reality shows such as ''Survivor''. However, they often air two seasons per year, resulting in roughly the same number of episodes per year as a drama.

This is a reduction from the 1950s, in which many American shows (e.g., ''The Twilight Zone'') had between 29 and 39 episodes per season. Actual storytelling time within a commercial television hour has also gradually reduced over the years, from 50 minutes out of every 60 to the current 44 (and even less on some networks), beginning in the early 21st century.

Japanese usage

The Japanese have sometimes subdivided television series and dramas into , from the French term "cours" for "course", which is a three-month period usually of 13 episodes. Each ''kūru'' generally has its own opening and ending image sequence and song, recordings of which are often sold. The number of episodes permitted per season ranges from three to 65. (See also Japanese television programs.)

In the United States, in general, dramas usually last 44 minutes (an hour with advertisements), while sitcoms last 22 (30 with advertisements). However, with the rise of cable networks, especially pay ones, series and episode lengths have been changing, with 55–60 minutes per episode, and shorter seasons overall.

See also

:Category:Television schedules (by country and year)

List of animated television series

List of television programs by name in alphabetical order

Lists of television programs

Network programming (television)

Radio programming

Television advertisement

External links

FCC

Category:History of television

ar:برامج تلفزيون bs:Televizijske serije bg:Телевизионно предаване cs:Televizní program cy:Rhaglen deledu de:Rundfunkprogramm el:Τηλεοπτικό πρόγραμμα es:Programa de televisión eu:Telebista-saio fa:برنامه تلویزیونی fr:Émission de télévision ko:텔레비전 프로그램 id:Acara televisi is:Sjónvarpsþáttur it:Programmazione televisiva he:תוכנית טלוויזיה kk:Трансляция hu:Televíziós sorozat mk:Телевизиска програма ms:Rancangan televisyen nah:Īxiptlayōltzintli nl:Televisieprogramma ja:テレビ番組 no:Fjernsynsprogram pl:Program telewizyjny (audycja) pt:Programa de televisão ru:Телевизионная программа simple:Television programme fi:Televisio-ohjelma sv:TV-program th:รายการโทรทัศน์ uk:Програма (телерадіопрограма) yi:טעלעוויזיע פראגראם zh:电视节目

name	Neon Hitch
background	solo_singer
birth name	Neon Hitch
origin	London, England, United Kingdom
instrument	Vocals
genre	Pop, Dance-pop, Electropop
years active	2007-present
label	The Beats, Warner Bros.
website	http://www.neonhitch.net
notable instruments	}}

Neon Hitch is a British singer and songwriter. She was signed to Mike Skinner's label, The Beats, before it closed down. She was later discovered on MySpace by Benny Blanco who flew her to New York to work with him. Their work together earned her a music publishing deal with EMI and a record deal with Warner Bros. Records.

Life and career

Childhood and youth

Hitch was born in the south England countryside in London. For a time being, she was resentful towards her parents for giving her the birth name, Neon, wanting to change her name to a more conventional name, such as Melanie. Her father was a lighting technician. Her mother bought a caravan to live in when their house burned down. They then began street performing, making and selling jewelry and clothing around Europe. As a result, she never attended school as they did not stay in one location for prolonged periods of time. By age four, she was traveling and performing with the Archaos circus. She trained as a trapeze artist, fire swinger and stilt walker and had performed all over Europe by the time she was a teen. Her family was featured in a BBC documentary. At age ten, she began writing poetry which led to her writing lyrics. Her boyfriend noticed that she could sing and encouraged her to hone her singing. She left home at sixteen to live in India for a few years before settling in London for her music career.

Career beginnings: 2007-2010

Through Neneh Cherry's daughter, Hitch met Cherry and her husband, Cameron. He told her to cut a demo, after discussing Hitch's interest in pursuing a music career. Hitch then found a producer in ''Stage'' magazine to record a demo, with which Cameron got Hitch signed to 679 Recordings, the label that The Streets was on. After singing on several tracks for Greensleeves Records, Hitch was signed to Mike Skinner's label The Beats, later going on tour with him. She also toured with Professor Green and opened for 50 Cent at the Nottingham Arena before The Beats closed in 2007. Soon after, Hitch was flown stateside by James Johnson, owner of Pilot Creative Services Inc, who asked her to go to New York to meet with him and his client, songwriter Benny Blanco, on MySpace. She was homeless at the time, occasionally checking her MySpace account at friends' houses, and could not afford the plane ticket to meet him. A little over a year later, she signed James and Pilot as her management and quickly landed a publishing deal with EMI. Within the next year she co-wrote and sang background vocals for pop punk band Friday Night Boys' song "Stupid Love Letter", Kesha's "Blah Blah Blah" and 3OH!3's "Follow Me Down" from the ''Almost Alice'' soundtrack. She was also featured on Benny Blanco's remix of Miike Snow's song "Burial". Another feature song is 'What's Urban' with WanCee. In early 2010, she was signed to Warner Bros. Records by Kara Dioguardi after a writing session between the two. Hitch later performed at Lollapalooza in the summer. She also co-wrote "Traces" by Sky Ferreira.

''Beg, Borrow and Steal'': 2011

Hitch began recording her debut album, ''Beg, Borrow and Steal'' in March 2010 with Blanco. She released promo single, "Get Over U", co-written by Sia, for free in January 2011. She also released a series of covers and mash-up covers of songs by other artists. Her official first single, "Bad Dog" was released in July.

Artistry

Hitch lists The Beatles, Sia, Kate Bush, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Jay Thomas, Spice Girls, Daniel Johnston, Nelly Furtado, Miike Snow, Amadou & Mariam, Erykah Badu and The Police as influences.

Discography

Music videos

+List of music videos, showing year released and director	Title	Year	Director(s)	Artist
"Derek" (Streets Remix)	2007	Mike Skinner	Neon Hitch
"Get Over U"	2011	Jason Bergh	Neon Hitch

Other appearances

! Year	! Song	! Artist	! Album	! Credits	! Ref.
2009	"Stupid Love Letter"	Friday Night Boys		Co-write, background vocals
		Kesha featuring 3OH!3		Co-write, background vocals
"Follow Me Down"	3OH!3	''Almost Alice''	Co-write, vocals

References

http://pilot-creative.com/#/ARTISTS/NEON_HITCH

External links

Category:English female singers Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

name	Hayden Panettiere
birth name	Hayden Leslie Panettiere
birth date	August 21, 1989
birth place	Palisades, New York, United States
occupation	Actress, singer, model
years active	1994–present
partner	}}

Hayden Leslie Panettiere (; born August 21, 1989) is an American actress and singer. She came to professional prominence at the age of 10 with her portrayal of Sheryl Yoast in Disney's ''Remember the Titans'', although for five years before that, Panettiere had held roles in two soap operas. She portrayed Sarah Roberts on ''One Life to Live'' (1994–1997), and Lizzie Spaulding on ''Guiding Light'' (1996–2000). Panettiere reached a wider audience with her starring role as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series ''Heroes''. She also had a leading role as Kirby Reed in the horror film, ''Scream 4'', which was released in theaters on April 15, 2011.

Early life

Panettiere was born in and partly raised in Palisades, New York, the daughter of Lesley R. Vogel, a former soap opera actress, and Alan L. "Skip" Panettiere, a fire department lieutenant. Panettiere is of Italian descent, her surname meaning "baker" in Italian. She has one younger brother, fellow actor Jansen Panettiere.

Although Panettiere attended South Orangetown Middle School in New York, she was educated at home from the 9th grade through high. For now, Panettiere is postponing higher education in favor of an acting career.

Career

Acting

Television

Panettiere first appeared in commercials at 11 months, beginning with an advertisement for Playskool. She landed a role as Sarah Roberts on the ABC soap opera ''One Life to Live'' (1994–1997), and she followed that up by playing the part of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Spaulding on the CBS soap opera ''Guiding Light'' (1997–2000). While on ''Guiding Light,'' Panettiere's character Lizzie battled leukemia. For drawing the attention of daytime viewers to the disease, and for improving national awareness, the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Society gave her its Special Recognition Award.

For her performance in Lifetime Television's 1999 TV movie ''If You Believe'', she was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Young Actress Age Ten or Under in the category of Best Performance in a TV Movie or Pilot. Panettiere appeared on Fox's ''Ally McBeal'' as the title character's daughter, had a recurring guest role on ''Malcolm in the Middle'' and guest starred in ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''.

Panettiere became most prominent as Claire Bennet in the NBC series ''Heroes,'' which was created by Tim Kring, as a high school cheerleader with regenerative healing powers. Thanks to her role on ''Heroes,'' she became a regular on the science fiction convention circuit, invited to attend conventions around the world in 2007, including Gen Con, New York Comic-Con, and Fan Expo Canada. Panettiere has complained that her acting options are sometimes limited because "people look at [her] as either the 'popular cheerleader' type or just 'the blonde.'"

In early 2007, Panettiere appeared on the MTV show, ''Punk'd''. The appearance was engineered by her mother and involved a male "fan" discussing her work with her, instigating a jealous reaction from the man's spouse.

Films

She has appeared in over a dozen full-length feature films.

In 1998, she provided the voice for Dot in ''A Bug's Life.'' She played the role of Coach Yoast's daughter, Sheryl, in the 2000 Disney film ''Remember the Titans.'' She starred in a 2005 film, ''Racing Stripes'' where she plays a teenage girl with a pet Zebra named Stripes. She also starred in ''Bring It On: All or Nothing'' as a cheerleader and had a supporting role as Adelaide Bourbon in the recently released independent film ''Shanghai Kiss''. In 2004, she appeared in the Disney Channel film ''Tiger Cruise'', and in ''Raising Helen'' as Kate Hudson's adolescent niece. In 2005, she was the title character's rival in a skating contest in ''Ice Princess''.

In June 2007, she signed with the William Morris Agency, after previously being represented by United Talent Agency. Forbes estimated that she earned $2 million in 2007.

In 2008, Panettiere appeared in the drama ''Fireflies in the Garden'' as a younger version of Emily Watson's character, Jane Lawrence. In September 2008, she appeared in a satirical video, a mock-PSA (public service announcement) on funnyordie.com entitled "Hayden Panettiere PSA: Your Vote, Your Choice." Again, in October, Panettiere appeared in another satirical PSA video on funnyordie.com entitled "Vote for McCain: He's just like George Bush, except older and with a worse temper."

In July 2009, Panettiere starred in the teen comedy ''I Love You, Beth Cooper.'' In September 2010, Panettiere was signed to star as Amanda Knox in the controversial ''Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy''. Panettiere also provided the voice of Kate, along side Justin Long in 2010's ''Alpha and Omega''.

In 2011, she replaced Anne Hathaway as the voice of Red for the animated sequel ''Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil''. In April 2011, Panettiere appeared in the sequel of the ''Scream'' franchise, ''Scream 4''. She played Kirby Reed, alongside Emma Roberts and Rory Culkin.

Video games

Panettiere voices Kairi in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series of video games created by Square Enix. She also voiced as Xion in the secret ending of Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep replacing Alyson Stoner.

Singing

Panettiere was nominated for a Grammy in 1999 for ''A Bug's Life Read-Along'' (2000). In 2004, she recorded a song entitled "My Hero Is You" with a video for the Disney Channel film she starred in, ''Tiger Cruise.'' The next year she recorded a song entitled "I Fly" for the Disney film ''Ice Princess'' in which she also co-starred. She recorded a song for the Hollywood Records compilation ''Girl Next'' (2006) and another song entitled "Go to Girl" for ''Girl Next 2'' (2007). Also in 2007, She also recorded a cover for "Cruella De Vil" for ''DisneyMania 5'', "Try" for the ''Bridge to Terabithia'' soundtrack and a ballad called "I Still Believe" for ''Cinderella III: A Twist in Time''.

Panettiere's first single, "Wake Up Call", was digitally released on August 5, 2008. A clothing brand named Candie's announced that it was premiering an ad campaign for the single in late July. Similarly, Candie's would also provide additional promotion for the single with a television advertisement and a music video.

Commercial-product endorser

In late 2006, Neutrogena made Panettiere the cover girl for their new worldwide ad campaign; following in the footsteps of actresses Kristin Kreuk, Josie Bissett, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mandy Moore, Mischa Barton, Gabrielle Union and Jennifer Freeman.

In September 2007, Panettiere appeared in a ''Heroes''-themed Got Milk? ad for which the photographs were shot by Annie Leibovitz.

In February 2008, Kohl's announced that Panettiere would be their next Candie's spokesperson.

Personal life

In 2006, Panettiere began dating Stephen Colletti, the former ''Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County'' star. The couple broke up in September 2007. In December 2007, it was widely reported that she was dating her ''Heroes'' co-star Milo Ventimiglia, though Panettiere denied these reports in an interview with ''GQ''. These reports continued through the early part of 2008, and several sources had reported that she asked Ventimiglia to move in with her. In April 2008, during an interview on the BBC's ''The Chris Moyles Show'' to promote the second season of ''Heroes'', Ventimiglia confirmed that he was dating Panettiere. They ended their relationship in February 2009.

Panettiere has dated heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko. She was ringside for his knockout victory over Samuel Peter on September 11, 2010. The actress confirmed on May 12, 2011 that she and Klitschko have broken up amicably after two years together. Both cited the long-distance nature of their relationship as the reason, and said they would remain close friends.

Panettiere has a tattoo of the Italian words ''Vivere senza rimipianti'' [sic] running down her left side. The word ''rimpianti'' is misspelled in what otherwise would mean "To Live Without Regrets".

Activism

In 2007, Panettiere became an official supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, called the Friends of RMHC.

On October 31, 2007, Panettiere joined with The Whaleman Foundation to try to disrupt the annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Wakayama, Japan. She was involved in a confrontation between Japanese fishermen and five other surfers from Australia and the United States (including former ''Home and Away'' star Isabel Lucas) of the group. The confrontation lasted more than 10 minutes before the surfers were forced to return to the beach, after which they left the country. Parts of the confrontation can be seen on the award-winning Sundance Film Festival documentary film, ''The Cove''. The fishermen consider the condemnation as an attack on their culture.

Panettiere told E! News that an arrest warrant has been issued in Japan for her interference in the dolphin hunt, but her claim was later dismissed by the Japanese Fisheries Agency. In November 2007, she was awarded the "Compassion in Action Award" from the animal rights group PETA for her efforts to stop the dolphin hunt in Japan. She is also a vegetarian.

On January 28, 2008, Panettiere handed a letter of protest to the Norwegian ambassador in the United States arguing that Norway should stop its hunt for whales. She also delivered a letter to the Japanese ambassador calling for the end of Japan's hunting of whales. At a 2007 Greenpeace event in Anchorage, Alaska, Panettiere defended aboriginal whaling, saying that there is a difference between commercial whaling and the whaling practiced by aboriginal tribes in the United States.

In May 2008, Panettiere was involved in an eBay auction to benefit Save The Whales Again, a campaign of The Whaleman Foundation. The auction included tickets to a fundraising dinner hosted at the Hollywood restaurant Beso, owned by Eva Longoria, and a whale watching tour, with Panettiere, off the coast of Santa Barbara. The same month, during an interview with ''Teen Vogue'', Hayden explained how her fame gives her a platform for her activism: "The show [''Heroes''] put me in a place to speak for things that I'm passionate about."

In September 2008, Panettiere launched her own line of calfskin leather bags for the company Dooney & Bourke.

In October 2008, Panettiere delved into the presidential election, releasing a public service announcement through the website Funny or Die. In this video Panettiere mocked Republican candidate John McCain for his age and temper. She subsequently made clear her intention to vote for Barack Obama, and urged other young people to vote.

Panettiere also appeared in a public service announcement with DC Shadow Senator Paul Strauss endorsing voting rights for the District of Columbia.

Panettiere is a teen ambassador for the Candie's Foundation, whose mission is to fight teen pregnancy. On May 6, 2009, she participated in a town hall meeting in New York City alongside Bristol Palin and then-Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Matt Garza on the issue of teen pregnancy.

Filmography

! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
1994—1997	''One Life to Live''		Daytime TV series
	''Aliens in the Family''	Young Girl	1 episode: "Too Good to Be True" (1.05)
''How Do You Spell God?''		TV movie
1996—2000	''Guiding Light''		Nominated for YoungStar Award – Best Young Actress/Performance in a Daytime TV Series
1997	''Unhappily Ever After''	Little Girl	1 episode
	''A Bug's Life''	Dot (voice)	Animated filmNominated for Young Artist Awards – Best Performance in a Voice Over in a Feature or TV – Best Young Actress
''The Object of My Affection''	Mermaid
''A Will of Their Own''		TV mini-series
	''Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke''	Young Doris Duke	Miniseries
	Girl on Sinking Boat
''Touched by an Angel''	Diana	1 episode: "Godspeed" (5.26)
	Young Susan Stone/Alice Stone, Susan's niece	Nominated for Young Artist Award – Best Performance in a TV Movie or Pilot – Young Actress Age Ten or Under
		Suri (voice)	Animated filmNominated for Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards – Youth in FilmNominated for YoungStar Award – Best Young Voice Over Talent
''Remember the Titans''	Sheryl Yoast	Nominated for Phoenix Film Critics Society Award – Best Performance by a Youth in a Leading or Supporting RoleNominated for Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards – Youth in FilmFor award wins, see Awards section
2001—2002	''Ally McBeal''	Maddie Harrington	10 episodes
	''Joe Somebody''	Natalie Scheffer	Nominated – Young Artist Award – Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actress
	Ashley
''Chestnut Hill''	Molly Eastman	TV movie
''The Affair of the Necklace''	Young Jeanne St.Rémy de Valois
2002			Video game
2003		Patty Ann Applewood	TV film
2003—2005	''Malcolm in the Middle''	Jessica	4 episodes
	''Fillmore!''	Yumi	TV series (voice), 1 episode: "Code Name: Electric Haircut" (2.09)
''The Dust Factory''	Melanie Lewis
''Raising Helen''	Audrey Davis
''Tiger Cruise''	Maddie Dolan	Nominated – Young Artist Award – Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special – Leading Young Actress
	''Racing Stripes''	Channing Walsh
''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''	Angela Agnelli	1 episode: "Hooked"
''Lies My Mother Told Me''	Haylei Sims	TV film
''Ice Princess''	Gennifer "Gen" Harwood	Nominated – Teen Film/TV Series International Awards for Best Comedy Actress or Drama Support RoleFor award wins, see Awards section
	''Bring It On: All or Nothing''	Britney Allen
	Christina Waters
''Mr. Gibb''	Allyson 'Ally' Palmer	released on DVD as ''The Good Student''
	Stacy	1 episode: "Wind Beneath My Wing"
''Skater Boys''	Kassidy Parker No.2	1 episode: "Band of Gold"
''Kingdom Hearts II''		Video game
2006—2010		Claire Bennet
	''Shanghai Kiss''	Adelaide Bourbon
''Diary of a New Girl''	Hannah Rochelle	Voice
''Robot Chicken''	Guest	Voice
	''Fireflies in the Garden''	Young Jane Lawrence
''Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King''	Princess Fairy Willow	Voice
		Beth Cooper
	Herself	Documentary film
		Kate	voice
	Amber
''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep''		Video game
	''Scream 4''
''Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil''	Red Riding Hood	Voice
''Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy''	Amanda Knox	Lifetime TV film

Awards

Newport Beach Film Festival – Feature Film Award for Acting – ''Shanghai Kiss'' (2007)

Saturn Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Series – ''Heroes'' (2007)

* Teen Choice Award

2007: Choice TV Actress: Drama – ''Heroes''

2008: Choice TV Actress: Action Adventure – ''Heroes''

2009: Choice TV Actress: Action Adventure – ''Heroes''

* Teen Film/TV Series International Awards

Best Film Actress, Support Role – ''Ice Princess'' (2005)

Outstanding Casting for a Film (shared with cast) – ''Ice Princess''

Outstanding Casting for a Film Comedy or Drama (shared with cast) – ''Ice Princess''

Vail Film Festival Rising Star Award (2007)

* Young Artist Award

2001: Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress – ''Remember the Titans''

2006: Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Lead Actress – ''Heroes''

Discography

Singles

Year	Title	Chart position	Album
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Soundtracks and compilations

! Year	! Song	! Featured
2004	"Someone Like You" (Feat. Watt White)	''The Dust Factory''
	"My Hero Is You"	''Tiger Cruise''
"I Fly"
2006	"Your New Girlfriend"	''Girl Next Vol.1''
	"Home"	''Shanghai Kiss''
"I Still Believe"	''Cinderella III: A Twist in Time''
"Try"	''Music from and Inspired By Bridge to Terabithia''and ''Disney Girlz Rock, Vol. 2''
"Cruella de Vil"
"Go to Girl"	''Girl Next Vol.2''
	"I Can Do It Alone"	rowspan=2
"Inseparable"

References

External links

Category:1989 births Category:Actors from New York Category:American activists Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American environmentalists Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American soap opera actors Category:American television actors Category:American vegetarians Category:American voice actors Category:Animal rights advocates Category:Hollywood Records artists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from New York Category:People from Rockland County, New York

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bgcolour	yellow
name	Gardner McKay
birth name	George Cadogan Gardner McKay
birth date	June 10, 1932
birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
death date	November 21, 2001 (aged 69)
death place	Hawaii Kai, Hawaii, U.S.
height	6 ft 5 inch (1.96 m)
notable role	Adam Troy in ''Adventures in Paradise
spouse	Madeleine Madigan}}

George Cadogan Gardner McKay (June 10, 1932 – November 21, 2001) was an American actor, artist, and author.

Biography

Born in New York City, McKay graduated from Cornell University, where he majored in art. He became a Hollywood heart throb in the 1950s and 1960s. He landed the lead role in ''Adventures in Paradise'', based loosely on the writings of James Michener. His character, Adam Troy, was a Korean War veteran who purchased the twin-masted 82-foot (25 m) schooner ''Tiki'', and sailed the South Pacific.

McKay was under contract to MGM when he was spotted by Dominick Dunne, a television producer for Twentieth Century Fox who was searching for an actor to star in his planned ''Adventures in Paradise''. Dunne put his business card on the table and said, "If you're interested in discussing a television series, call me." McKay competed in screen tests with nine other candidates, and won it because of his good looks and ability to sail. An accomplished sailor, he had made eight Atlantic crossings by the age of seventeen. Although previously unknown to the public, McKay appeared on the July 6, 1959, cover of Life Magazine just two months before the series premiered.

In the 1957-1958 season, McKay played Lieutenant Dan Kelly in the 38-episode syndicated western series, ''Boots and Saddles'', with Jack Pickard and Patrick McVey.

After acting in more than 100 films for television, McKay left Hollywood to pursue his loves of photography, sculpture, and writing. He turned down the opportunity to star opposite Marilyn Monroe in ''Something's Got to Give'', a film which was never completed. He exhibited his sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, besides holding individual exhibitions. His lifeboat rescue photographs of the ''Andrea Doria'' were published internationally. McKay wrote many plays and novels, and was a literary critic for the ''Los Angeles Herald Examiner'' between 1977 and 1982. He taught writing classes at the University of California at Los Angeles, University of Southern California, University of Alaska, University of Hawaii.

McKay's awards included three National Endowment for the Arts fellowships for playwriting, the Drama Critics Circle Award Best Play, and Sidney Carrington Prize. He was a winner in Canadian Regional Drama Festival, and runner up in the Hemingway Short Story Contest.

Last years

McKay settled in Hawaii, where he died from prostate cancer in 2001, aged 69. He was survived by his wife Madeleine Madigan, a painter, and two children.

References

External links

Francois Liot's fan site

Honolulu Advertiser obituary

Category:2001 deaths Category:1932 births Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Cancer deaths in Hawaii Category:Deaths from prostate cancer Category:Cornell University alumni Category:University of California faculty

es:Gardner MacKay fr:Gardner McKay