Wow! Who knew TV could be so good? There seems to be an abundance of quality television doing the rounds these days (and clogging up the Bit Torrent networks something shocking!) In fact, there is such a vast array of damn good TV, that it’s getting a little hard to keep up with everything. Over the course of the past week, this is what has been chugging down the Bit Torrent & Usenet networks: ‘Spooks’, ‘Battlestar Galactica’, ‘Dexter’, ‘Jericho’, ‘South Park’, ‘Extras’, ‘The Wire’, ‘Lost’, ‘Gene Simmons Family Jewels’, ‘The Office’ - to name a few(!)
Whilst I haven’t had a chance to watch them all, two shows that I am thoroughly enjoying are ‘Dexter’ & ‘Heroes’. We’ve already covered ‘Dexter’ on this blog and three episodes in, it is proving to be an interesting (and sinister!) affair. Rather than being a ’serial killer of the week’ type of affair which I was fearful of initially, the story is moving along at a nice pace and is a welcome acting vehicle for main-man Michael C. Hall. Sympathy for the devil? Who woulda thunk it?
But the real gem in this slab of new TV shows is NBC’s ‘Heroes’. Granted the story could have been quite easily lifted from the pages of an X-Men comic book, nonetheless, this show has class written all over it! ‘Heroes’ is gonna be a huge hit for NBC. A group of ’seemingly’ ordinary people are discovering they are gifted with extraordinary powers: one throws himself off a 20 story building and survives, a Texas cheerleader has the ability to heal her broken bones and burnt flesh at will, a geeky Tokyo office worker can teleport himself through time and space, a junkie artist finds he can paint the future, a Las Vegas stripper has her own reflection as a type of overseer/guardian angel, a cop can hear the inner most thoughts of those around him… and on it goes as slowly (read: ‘Lost’ pace) the lives of our, ahem, ‘heroes’ are beginning to intertwine and inexplicably cross paths.
For a comic-book geek like me that has been raised on the mythos of the superhero - I’m totally loving this show! Do check it out!
Last nights episode was great! This show reminds me of M. Nights Unbreakable a bit. They’ve set this show up so it can go in so many directions. Lately it seems like Lost and Prison Break are being written as they go with no clear view of the future but Heroes has set itself up to be able to sustain good story lines for many seasons. The scene in the “frozen in time” subway was evidence to the future this show can have. Also, the way the show is shot with the lighting and mood is like nothing on TV. Jericho on the other hand seems very small in comparison and not as epic in scale.
Also, I can’t wait to see if each character has there own form of Kryptonite. The teleporting guy would seemingly be able to thwart any disaster just by constantly teleporting until he prevents it. Unless of course he dies trying. Will be cool to see what they come up with to put road blocks in front of the Heroes.
I’m hooked on this one too. What they’re doing with the cheerleader girl is really pushing some censor buttons over here but I think it’s wonderfully creative and it’s the kind of thing they only hinted at with Wolverine.
I am waiting for things to get pulled together though because right now, it feels like an oxymoron when some of the supposed heroes are drug addicts and murderers, but then I grew up preferring the wholesome silver age characters where good and bad were clearly distinguished. That’s often no longer the case.
Yeah the scene from episode 1 where the cheerleader chick (hey now!) sticks her hand in the operating garbage disposal will be edited out of future screenings.
re: Wolverine. Whilst they only hinted at his healing powers in the movies, it’s a lot more detailed and complex in the comic books.
I hear what you mean re: Silver Age heroes. I think things started to turn with the introduction of the Punisher back in the day by Marvel and of course, DC’s Dark Knight Returns which made Batman the anti-hero/vigilante.
But having said that, I’m loving this show!