Dan's Media Digest

HEROES

It’s summer hiatus in America TV land, but there are a number of interesting new shows that will be vying for attention when the new TV season begins in September. Amongst those making their debuts is Heroes, an epic superhero drama from NBC, that chronicles the lives of a group of people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities.

Heroes’ Pilot episode has an Indian professor discover that, during a total eclipse of the sun, people with super powers have begun to appear:

• A young dreamer tries to convince his politician brother (Adrian Pasdar) that he can fly.

• A high school cheerleader (Hayden Panettiere) learns that she is totally indestructible.

• A Las Vegas stripper (Ali Larter, Final Destination), struggling to make ends meet to support her young son, finds that her mirror image has a secret.

• A prison inmate (Leonard Roberts, Buffy The Vampire Slayer) mysteriously finds himself waking up outside of his cell.

• A gifted artist (Santiago Cabrera), whose drug addiction is destroying his life and the relationship with his girlfriend, discovers he can paint the future.

• A down-on-his-luck beat cop (Greg Grunberg, Alias) begins to hear people's thoughts, including the secrets of a captured terrorist.

• And, in Japan, a young man (Masi Oka, Scrubs) develops a way to stop time through sheer will power.

Their ultimate destiny is nothing less than saving the world...

Early word suggests that this TV variant of X-Men is one to watch, with its large multi-ethnic cast and supernatural elements drawing comparisons to Lost.

The Pilot also effectively sets in motion an epic multi-year plot and it’s refreshing that the superheroes don’t treat their powers as a curse, more their personal salvation. About time someone realized having super powers is actually damn cool, and don't whinge about it!

Of course, great TV shows are notoriously axed very early in their lives if the ratings aren't there, and NBC isn't a network particularly well-known for its sci-fi shows in the US. But, here's hoping this tantalizing premise is a success and comes to the UK quickly!