FX and ABC Gear Up Competition for NBC's 'Heroes'

12:33 PM / Posted by Bradford Oman /

NBC's Heroes has had some struggle maintaining and attempting to recreate the great first season of television they provided us with. Unfortunately Heroes has fallen privy to cliches and plots take straight out of other comics and I have become increasingly less interested in a majority of the cast (only Sylar has kept my interest throughout the series entire run).

Luckily two other networks are throwing their hats into the ring with a couple different takes on the superhero genre.

First up MTV reports that FX is bringing established comic book series Powers to the small screen. The comic is "set in a world where superpowers are relatively common but not mundane. It follows the lives of two detectives, Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim, police officers in a homicide department devoted to cases that involve "powers" (people with superpowers). Walker himself used to be a costumed superhero named Diamond, but became a police officer after he lost his abilities. Though stripped of his powers, he still retains his contacts within the superhero community." I hope this turns out to be the show that Heroes desperately wants to be.

So it's basically Law & Order meets Heroes. Could you imagine District Attorney Jack McCoy with superpowers? His fists would undoubtedly be named Law and Order and his superpower would be Justice.

ABC's foray into the superhero world is a bit lighter, but also takes a cue from other TV shows as well. The Hollywood Reporter says the network is adapting the British television show No Heroics for American television. Series follows a group of superheroes and their lives outside of being heroes, smoking cigarettes, paying the Sidekick Tax (even if they don't have a sidekick), and hanging out at the local bar The Fortress (where everyone has to follow these rules: "No Masks, No Powers and No Heroics." Series' like The Tick (also based off comics) have tackled the superhero genre as comedy before, and the less than stellar film Mystery Men made some sort of effort. I think this is a show I can get behind, but I'm always leery at some American adaptations of British television (fortunately The Office found its footing after the first season). I'd love to check this series out before its adaptation hits America.

Are you guys looking forward to some fresh fuel for the superhero fire on television?

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2 comments:

Anonymous on February 11, 2009 at 12:53 PM

I'm definitely interested in seeing what these shows have to offer. Can't knock them, until I try them, I always say.

Anonymous on February 13, 2009 at 9:17 AM

you shut your dirty mouth, mystery men is a gem of american cinema!! A GEM!!!

kevin

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