Well, it’s official: the assumption was made back at the May upfronts when Heroes: Origins was announced is in fact true, and the six-episode anthology/fan call in show will be airing following an early Season Finale for the series, according to Ain’t it Cool News via a Heroes press conference Thursday morning.
What is surprising about this announcement is that the series will not be, in the process, trying to schedule its episodes in continuous blocks. Kring has apparently confirmed that there will be multiple hiatuses within the season, just none as long as the one this year. I think that while this might seem good on the surface, it means that people will still never know when Heroes is in reruns or not in reruns, and I think this creates a lot of confusion. It’s the same type of scheduling that brutalized Lost in its 2nd season, and I think that Heroes might well suffer the same fate as non-Comic Book fans start to bleed away from the series.
Regardless, the series will be concluding in April before Origins hits the airwaves. Kring also confirmed that 12+ episodes on the Heroes DVDs will have commentary tracks, which is good news for those fans not quite on the HD bandwagon. They also CONTINUED to parade out actors and make sure we know that this doesn’t mean they’re alive next season. We get it: you’re going to ignore all logical conventions of storytelling and just decide to let whoever you think is cool live. I’ve resolved myself to it, and am moving on.
Heroes hits DVD shelves in August, and the 2nd season will likely begin in September or October.
It looks like the trend of heroes finding love with other heroes will be continuing on NBC’s Heroes. Cultural Learnings reported on the casting call for various roles on the drama series some time ago, but now one of those roles has been cast: Nick D’Agosto, who will be seen in the Sundance hit Rocket Science, will play the role of Claire’s beau next season in a recurring role. This follows the casting of Dania Ramirez (The Sopranos) as a series regular, who was recently cast in the role of a sexy latina (Yes, that’s the casting description).
Now, the Hollywood Reporter promises that his superpower will be, and I quote, “a very cool superpower”. It also confirms that his character name with be West, which is kind of unfortunate.
For the record, I don’t really know what that means, but it really makes me wonder how they are going to structure the show’s second season considering that they’re casting a hero as Claire’s boyfriend. We have no idea what Claire will even be doing this season. Will she be on the run? Will she be off attending college? Or back in high school? Or will she be somewhere else doing something else?
These casting initiatives are interesting, but it only makes me more concerned about the direction the show is heading. They need to be very careful in organizing the show’s second season, and adding new superheroes needs to be done in a careful fashion to avoid upsetting the show’s balance. At the very least, this “Supercest” seems to be a general theme, so they’re not moving too far away…but I guess I can’t help but question where this series goes from here.
We’ll find out in September, or perhaps later depending on now NBC organizes the series, when Heroes’ 2nd season premieres.
If CBS gives the go-ahead, producers of two of the network’s highest rated programs might be switching writing staffs for a week. However, perhaps surprisingly, these two shows are Two and a Half Men and CSI:. One is a light-hearted innuendo-laden comedy. The other is a procedural drama that only occasionally wanders into the comedy realm. This is perhaps the greatest idea ever.
Now, I have no idea how it would work out for either show (Which excites me), but it does have me thinking: which other TV series should swap writing staffs for a week? And I came up with all sorts of options, but here are two to get us started.
‘The Office’ and ‘CSI: Miami’
This would address the question I’ve been dying to have answered: would CSI: Miami be more or less funny if the humour was intentional? Horatio Caine is basically the most ridiculous character on television, and through the joys of YouTube his unintentional humour has become a cult sensation. However, what would happen if the hilarious writers of The Office got to write lines actually meant to be funny, meant to elicit laughter. I’m imagining Horatio talking a lot like Dwight while investigating the recent marijuana incident…and it’s basically cracking me up right now. As for the other side of the coin, I think it would be interesting to see whether the CSI: Miami writers are actually capable of being funny…my bet is on no, but the other side would be totally worth it.
‘Heroes’ and ‘Battlestar Galactica’
Admittedly, this one is somewhat less about comedy. However, I think that this would be a very interesting experiment because I think that Heroes’ writing staff would learn a lot about character development and sustaining multiple storylines. While Battlestar has its slow episodes, its characters have been so well developed that they often don’t resonate. If Heroes writers could pick up on that, they might be able to survive an entire season at a stronger pace. Meanwhile, I would love to see what Ronald Moore and David Eick could do in the Heroes universe considering their success on the Sci-Fi series.
Okay, so that’s it from me on this subject (I have more, don’t get me wrong, but I figure I should give people a cchance). Are there any other shows that you think might be ready for a crossover opportunity? Is there another show you think might benefit from The Office’s hilarity or one that could be helped by Lost’s mythology? What writers do you think should spend time on Wysteria Lane with some desperate housewives? Are there any writers that you think might benefit from spending some time in Jericho? Feel free to comment below.
[In Week Two of Cultural Learnings’ 59th Annual Emmy Awards Nominations Preview, we’re looking at possible contenders for the Supporting Actress awards in both drama and comedy. Today, we present our seventh and last set of candidates. For last week’s Supporting Actor candidates, and all of the Supporting Actress candidates, Click Here]
Supporting Actress in a Drama
Hayden Panettiere (Claire)
Heroes
When I previewed Heroes’ pilot back in August, I had the following to say about Hayden Panettiere’s performance as Claire: “The texas cheerleader is perhaps the most grating of the characters, although there is still nothing inherently negative there.” I don’t really know what that even means to be honest with you, but I do know that my opinion of Claire turned around drastically as the series went along. Perhaps more than any other character, Claire allowed us a glimpse at someone coming to term with their powers in a real way, without the grand world-saving idylls of people like Peter or Nathan. While her story started as her against her father, it was clear as time moved forward that he was simply protecting her…and then it all made sense. As part of this ensemble cast, Hayden Panettiere got to be the only actress to understand her powers not through some sort of contrived plot device, but through natural progression and understanding as the season wore on. I might not have been squarely in her court in the beginning, but I am now willing to submit Hayden Panettiere for Emmy consideration.
There is something instantly appealing about Claire, even if I found her grating in the beginning. A young girl realizing she has powers, she is forced to face the perils of high school while also hiding her true self from all those around her. This period provided some good material for Hayden: her on the autopsy table was a moment to remember, and her friendship with Zack was certainly one of the show’s most convincing outside of Hiro and Ando. However, that period of Claire’s life was really just the life she knew; as she struggled to figure out her relationship with her parents, she became curious. As she became officially part of the Petrelli clan after meeting her fire-starting mother, suddenly she was faced with a different dilemma: now that she knew who her real family was, where did her true allegiance lie?
And that is where the character came to a real high point. Now an integral part of the series mythology not just due to the ‘Save the Cheerleader, Save the World’ talk, Claire was forced to choose a side between her new family (Led by her triumphant hero Peter) or to remain loyal to her father as she knew him, Noah Bennet. As Claire’s story came into full view, it was clear that Panettiere was up to the task. Claire’s discovery of her true past, and of her true future, were compelling almost entirely because Panettiere never allowed the role to completely overcome her. Whereas other actresses might have been unable to handle the transition gracefully, I came to believe Claire’s transformation from high school cheerleader to world-saving heroine because it never jumped to extremes or gave into its gimmick (I’m looking at you, Ali Larter). While Heroes’ cast is certainly diverse, none of the other supporting actresses can claim as solid a season as Hayden Panettiere, and it’s why she is most likely to gain Emmy attention.
Episode Selection:“Company Man” (Aired February 25th, 2007)
Remember last week where I discussed how this is the episode for which Jack Coleman (Mr. Bennet, Claire’s father) should be considered for an Emmy? Well, I have to say the same for Panettiere, who holds her own in this episode that gives her what I believe is her most genuine hero moment of the entire series. With her father in jeopardy, Claire shifts into full-on hero mode by going out of her way to help her father and save them all from a nuclear meltdown. By establishing her love for her adopted father, even in the wake of his betrayal of her, Claire was given just as much depth in this episode as her father. Panettiere waltzes through it all with a sense of childhood playfulness in the flashbacks and genuine heroism in the present, without playing things too harshly in the process. It is a strong performance, and one that is likely to garner her Emmy attention once her dramatic conclusion arrives at the end of the episode.
Oh Pam. In my first attempt to write this paragraph I really just wanted to talk about Pam as if she actually existed and I could in some way shape or form influence her. I think that is what has always been what makes Pam interesting: her ability to be so damn real you want to reach through your screen and strangle her for being such an idiot, especially this season. I think this says a lot about Jenna Fischer’s character, because she always made me care: not always in the best ways, mind you, but I always felt that Pam’s fate was important to me personally. And this season, I watched Pam spiral into a place that wasn’t happy, and saw as everyone around her basically treated her like she was just another character. If she had stayed in that rut all season, I don’t think I could have possibly considered her for an Emmy award…but then the end of the season happened. Those final two episodes were everything they needed to be for Pam: a chance to speak her mind, and a chance to return to her old self. And in the process, Jenna Fischer finished a character arc worthy of Emmy consideration.
Television Critics are, for the most part, much better informed on the actual quality of network and cable television as opposed to being completely ignorant to various entertaining programs. As a result, these are awards that actually give us an indicator of who gave the best performances, not just who submitted the best episode. And, let me tell you: the result is an intense race that creates categories impossible to decide upon.
Program of the Year
“American Idol” (Fox)
“Friday Night Lights” (NBC)
“Heroes” (NBC)
“Planet Earth” (Discovery)
“The Wire” (HBO)
“When the Levees Broke” (HBO)
This is such a bizarre category, because it’s really more defined as programming from I guess a…I don’t even know what it means. Either way, you’ve got reality television, family drama, Sci-Fi drama, Nature Documentary, gritty HBO drama, and a Katrina documentary. That’s a diverse mix of shows right there. Are they looking for something new, something powerful…I don’t even know.
Comedy Series
“30 Rock” (NBC”)
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central”)
“Entourage” (HBO”)
“The Office” (NBC”)
“Ugly Betty” (ABC”)
This category is just unfair, TCA. The Office against The Daily Show? Throw 30 Rock into the mix and you’ve got an impossible decision to make. I really have no idea how I’d decide on this one, and I for one support separate variety categories just to keep this conundrum from taking place.
Drama Series
“Friday Night Lights” (NBC”)
“Heroes” (NBC”)
“Lost” (ABC”)
“The Sopranos” (HBO”)
“The Wire” (HBO”)
We don’t know how much this will coincide with Emmy’s list, but I feel for certain that three of these shows will be named on July 19th. The Wire is one of those shows that has never garnered Emmy attention due to its lack of Network coverage, and without star power or pedigree it might have trouble breaking through at the Emmys. However, the amount of critical attention given to the series might make it something to catch up on this summer.
Umm, TCA? Are you following my viewing habits or something? I doubt they are, but these five shows are likely to make it onto my respective Drama/Comedy Emmy FYCs in July, and are probably my top 5 new shows of the season. I’m especially happy to see Dexter getting some love, it is most deserved.
[In Week One of Cultural Learnings’ 59th Annual Emmy Awards Nominations Preview, we’re looking at possible contenders for the Supporting Actor awards in both comedy and drama. Today, we present our fourth set of candidates. For all candidates, Click Here]
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Rainn Wilson (Dwight)
The Office
While sentimental types might support John Krasinki’s Jim, it is Rainn Wilson’s Dwight that remains, and will always remain, the show’s supporting comic center. Jim’s pranks may initiate the laughs, but it is always Dwight reaction that gives me the most enjoyment. The fact that Rainn Wilson wasn’t nominated last year despite the utterly fantastic work in “Dwight’s Speech” is outrageous, and therefore it is only fitting that he be given a shot at an Emmy this year.
Without Dwight, The Office would not function the way it currently does. Michael would be infinitely less funny if he didn’t have someone hanging off of his every word. Jim would be a juvenile prankster if Dwight’s reactions weren’t so funny that we forget about the idiocy of it all. And, in those moments where Dwight is asked to step up to the plate and be his own starring character, he knocks them out of the park. His relationship with Angela has always been played subtlely, and it is often one of the show’s best qualities.
Rainn Wilson always brings a quality to the character that makes him more likable than he really should be; while there is no question Dwight is a decent guy at his core, Wilson always ensures that we see that just enough to make it work. Whether he’s trying to capture a bat, trying to take over the Office, or actually succeeding in doing so, Dwight is always played with just the right amount of nerdiness, naivety, and gusto. A scene-stealer in every possible way, Rainn Wilson deserves credit for bringing Dwight to the screen each week with an Emmy Nomination.
Episode Selection: “The Job” (Airdate: May 17th, 2007)
Currently, Wilson’s episode entry is the early-season episode “The Coup,” nominated for a Writer’s Guild Award. While a decent episode, and featuring some solid Dwight comedy, it doesn’t work as well for me as the recent season finale as the highlight of Dwight’s absurdity and humanity. “The Job” features Dwight finally having his dream come true: Michael appoints him boss, and he gets to run The Office his own way. Even though I have some problems with the way the season finale played out, Dwight’s part in it was indicative of some of the character’s best qualities, and Rainn Wilson knocked it out of the park. While individual Dwight moments certainly resonate more than any single episode, this one certainly brought a lot to the table for the character comedically. The Coup certainly has more of a character arc, but the hour-long finale has more overall moments for voters to remember.
Although the academy will not be handing out awards based on an entire season’s work, the journey of Jack Coleman over the span of this past year has been one of the most intriguing in all of television. Introduced as a shadowy villain without a name, Noah Bennet quickly became a conflicted father, a reluctant conspirator and, eventually, a hero in his own right. When we finally learned his first name in the show’s season finale, one felt that a real arc had been created: this person who we barely knew but 22 episodes ago was now perhaps the character we knew the best. And it is Jack Coleman’s portrayal of this character that makes him deserving of Emmy Award recognition.
This past week, Heroes was announced to be coming to DVD later this year (August 28th, to be exact); it was one of the first series announcements, however, to also have word of its day and date HD-DVD release. That’s right: Heroes fans can enjoy their hit show in High-Definition when it releases in August. Over the next week, Disney will be announcing its own Hi-Def Announcements (On the Blu-Ray platform, likely), so shows like Lost or Grey’s Anatomy could also be getting this treatment. However, there’s a few things I think we need to consider.
TVShowsonDVD.com (An awesome site for news on TV shows making their way onto DVD) has written a story where they discuss this issue, and in it they’re talking about what effect this will have on the battle between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. This is all well and good, and I think it’s an important part of that puzzle…but what does it do for us as fans who might wish to buy season sets of our favourite shows? Will it fundamentally change the content on normal DVD releases?
This list is long. This list is extensive. And I really want to know what this list means. Nielsen (Via The Hollywood Reporter) has released their data for every single TV show that aired in America this past season. It tells us where our favourite shows ranked, where much maligned shows ranked, and how scripted drama did against reality programming.And, it raises a lot of questions about this data that I think Nielsen might not want to answer.
For instance, does this list include repeats in its viewers averages? Because that’s the only way CSI (#4) should be beating Grey’s Anatomy (#6) in total viewers by my calculations. If so, this gives a distinct advantage to shows without repeats (Reality Shows, Lost, Heroes, etc.) or those shows which repeat extremely well (House, CSIs, etc.)
The major thing to watch for in the list is the difference between 18-49 numbers and viewership rankings. It rises many shows into positions of being picked up, even with lacklustre performances in viewers. Some show, like 30 Rock, are in the doldrums in terms of total viewers but shoot up into the Top 75 with adults 18-49, which got it renewed for a second season.
After a few formatting errors, I’ve realized that getting it to highlight canceled shows would drive me crazy, so just refer to your memory. And, either way, some will seem a bit strange. However, remember that these are averages, and don’t reflect ratings dropoff in their later episodes.
This is the case for Jericho, which clearly performed better than many canceled shows. However, CBS did cancel the better rated Close to Home airing on Fridays, so it’s not as if Jericho was the only victim of CBS’ extremely highly place high bar. It might as well be a pole vault at this point.
With the 2006/2007 season over, the industry trades are going right for ratings as their barometer of success. Outside of this post, I’m unlikely to do so as I go into my own year in review season. For now, check out the ratings for all of the dirt, and stay tuned for less quantitative analysis at Cultural Learnings.
It will be some yet before I settle into extensive Emmy Awards coverage, considering that we are still over three months away from the show itself. However, the studios are not leaving it to chance, and the Emmy Awards season is officially beginning with a series of For Your Consideration [Wikipedia] ads popping up in Variety/The Hollywood Reporter…well, since I don’t quite have access to the papers themselves, more specifically on their websites.
In the case of some networks, they’ve actually gone so far as to create video databases hosted on the sites of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, although the latter has a large amount more coverage. I’m guessing that these databases will grow as time goes on.
Now, Hollywood Reporter has the really interesting shows, plus banner ads from ABC-Television for Lost and Scrubs. Now, the other shows (Most of which come from Sony Television and NBC Universal) all have multiple video clips from various episodes. For today, I’m going to analyze and run down three such shows (All of them NBC-owned Dramas): Heroes, Battlestar Galactica and Friday Night Lights. Will the clips do the shows justice?
Well, we know little about them, but The Hollywood Reporter is telling us that the series will be dealing with some new faces next year. We knew that there would be some shifts in casting with the show, in order to keep things fresh, but these are certainly a cryptic and scattered array of casting selections. Via casting calls, the following are confirmed:
– A Boyfriend for Claire (Sexy, it says)
– A 28-year old Black Mother
– A Surrogate for Niki’s Son
– An Irish Mobster (Black Donnellys cast, hello!)
– A Twentysomething Latina
I worry about this, only because none of these character sounds all that interesting outside of an Irish Mobster. I also worry about the show’s ability to balance these character arcs: Hana, the Wireless girl, came and went so fast (Before showing up in Five Years Gone) that she didn’t even matter in the end. Was that really worth the short time we spent on her? I think the show needs to stick with its own characters, at some point.
Either way, this list remains tentative, and we can only speculate for now how these people might come into play…and what powers they might have.
It looks like the trend of heroes finding love with other heroes will be continuing on NBC’s Heroes. Cultural Learnings reported on the casting call for various roles on the drama series some time ago, but now one of those roles has been cast: 
Supporting Actress in a Drama
Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
This past week, Heroes was 
It will be some yet before I settle into extensive Emmy Awards coverage, considering that we are still over three months away from the show itself. However, the studios are not leaving it to chance, and the Emmy Awards season is officially beginning with a series of 
Cultural Learnings 