HEROES-HYPE.COM

Buddy TV report on the fact that some of our ‘Heroes’ have pulled out of fan conventions and the potential alienation of the fans which have made the show a success.

As Heroes second season approaches, criticism has begun to bubble up from television critics that the focus on brand and sponsorship has been alienating to fans of the story. While Heroes established itself as a hit, the empire of secondary business almost entirely relies on continued success in its time slot when the series returns.

The natural comparison in brand growth is Lost. Lost had similar, albeit superior, first season success but took a much slower approach to brand expansion. Lost’s success, as a brand, however is bolstered by an ever present organic connection with its fan community.

Ditching the chance to mingle with fans on their own turf due to the rigors of a corporate sponsored red carpet tour may not be a helpful way for Heroes to maintain its fan friendly persona.

Some valid points there - ‘Lost’(for example) expanded it’s franchise much slower. Infact ‘Heroes’does seem to be forcing it somewhat. I think they’d be better of allowing the show to grow organically, though to their credit they do seem to interact with the fans on a regular basis. It’s just that it’s a fine line and they could do alot worse than follow Lost’s ‘organic’ lead.

In other news - the boss of the UK’s BBC2 speaks of his delight at ‘Heroes’ filling the void that shows such as ‘Quantum Leap’ and ‘X-Files’ have vacated.

“BBC Two bides its time with acquisitions,” Keating explained. “We never depend on them. But Heroes - that’s the one.

“I love it. It’s a very broad, smart, intelligent piece of American television you can build on. You can bring programmes around it. It brings a great dose of smart fiction into the schedule.”

When asked what specifically about the show is quintessentially BBC Two, Keating explained: “Heroes fills a missing part of Two’s brand. BBC Two used to have Quantum Leap, it used to have X Files. Heroes forms part of a well-balanced, smart schedule.”