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Twitter'Heroes' season four may be shorter
Despite its ratings struggles this year, "Heroes" is a pretty safe bet to return to NBC next season. But it might not get as many episodes as it has in the past.
That's the word, anyway, from Advertising Age, which says the network is considering a run of "18 to 20 episodes" for 2009-10. The magazine also says NBC is looking at running the season in one long block, a la "24" on FOX or "Lost" on ABC.
Both ideas would bring fairly significant changes to the series. The first season of "Heroes" had 23 episodes, and this season, which concludes Monday (April 27), will have 25. The writers strike cut season two short at 11 episodes, but NBC had initially ordered 24.
Fans of the series have also had to endure some lengthy hiatus time. There was a seven-week break, for instance, between the two volumes of this season.
Could such a strategy help? At least in terms of ratings, it's possible. "Heroes" has been down all season, but its fall run still averaged close to 10 million viewers when DVR usage is counted. Since returning in February, though, it has suffered even more. Its same-day audience hovers around 7 million viewers a week, and even with the seven-day DVR bump, the show's season average has fallen to 9.25 million for the season.
Season one drew better than 14 million viewers, and the strike-shortened second season drew 13 million viewers a week.
The bigger question for "Heroes," though, is probably on the creative side. A shorter season could help focus the show's storytelling, and that would certainly help. A renewed emphasis on character-driven stories, which "Heroes" has fitfully shown in the second half of this season, would probably help even more.
(And on a network-scheduling level, having fewer "Heroes" episodes could potentially leave a little more room for other shows on NBC's Leno-fied schedule next season.)
If all that happens, will "Heroes" fans flock back? Not necessarily -- but avoiding further audience erosion and maybe rebuilding the show a little bit would definitely be good news for NBC.
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Zap2it Twitter Talk 
It makes more sense to do a winter premiere with no interruptions at this point. It hasn't hurt 24 or Lost, and the Brits have been running things like that forever. They have shows that take a couple of years off and come back just as popular as ever. I'd rather get a show I like in one continuous run and have it off the air for a few months than anticipate an episode every week, and having the story interrupted for several weeks. I think that drives more people away than the networks realize. Bring "Heroes" back mid-season and promote the hell out of it until then. Make it an event that won't be interrupted and people will watch!
If NBC cancels Heroes or My Name Is Earl, I'm pretty much done with that network.
I SAY DO A FALL PREMIERE
AND AVOID ALL THE OTHER WINTER SHOWS THAT COME OUT LIKE 24 AND IDOL AND. FIRST HALF OF THIS SEASON DID BETTER WHEN IT WASNT AGAINS 24.
As someone who has been pretty vocal about hatred for hiatuses, I welcome the news of heroes being shown in one block of episodes. Will it make me return to the show? Only if Bryan Fuller makes everything all right again!
I don't see how this will help or hurt. The problem with Heroes isn't the number of episodes or when they run. It's the writing and the characters. They absolutely need to reduce the number of characters, but I have no faith in them choosing the right ones. They have a history of keeping boring male characters, while killing/writing out too many females.
I don't need to be part of flocking back to this show. I've never left. Still, not having these hiatus's would be good. Telling the season's story in one, mostly uninterrupted stretch, helps a lot.
The reason for the shorter amount of episodes is due to the fact that NBC will be airing the Winter Olympics in early 2010. The show would have had to take a 2 month hiatus if it were to run from September to May. It's much more feasible to do a run in one block.
How about this - cancel "Heroes" because the show still sucks; it has hit a story telling sewer it will never get out of and keep "Chuck" on the air because the story telling is at a creative high point and give it the 9:00 spot on Mondays when the Leno era begins.
How can "Heroes" be more deserving of a spot next year than "Chuck"?
I couldn't agree more with bhm1304 comment...."How about this - cancel "Heroes" because the show still sucks; it has hit a story telling sewer it will never get out of and keep "Chuck" on the air because the story telling is at a creative high point and give it the 9:00 spot on Mondays when the Leno era begins.
How can "Heroes" be more deserving of a spot next year than "Chuck"?
I couldn't have said it better.
I have been a lover of Leno for years but I think his move to 10 p.m. is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard of.
Don't like Conan and I think he will NOT get the audience that Leno did, so all NBC is doing is giving Letterman move viewers, cause that's exactly where I will be going even with Letterman's lame routines, it's certainly better than watching Conan or Nightline. And once Letterman gets on my nerves....I can always put a half hour DVD show in to watch.
Both Chuck and Life deserve to come back - Heroes, I can take or leave it.
But - with NBC having 5 hours a week to not fill, this is their golden opportunity to bring back both Chuck and Life with NO repeats. Having their shows run without repeats should help the network.