NBC Cans ‘Heroes’ Spinoff Series

What’s going on over at NBC? First they get all spinoff crazy with plans to launch a new Office. Then they scale back, announcing that Heroes: Origins, the six-episode series long planned to fill Heroes’ spring hiatus, is shelved indefinitely. Variety’s sources insist that the change in plans has nothing to do with Heroes’ critical ratings slumps, and that instead it’s due to worries about a writers strike. But of course they’d say that. We think it’s more likely that NBC is finally hearing the widespread complaints about Heroes’ story lines getting spread too thin, and realized that maybe a miniseries introducing six new characters isn’t likely to help.

And we’re glad! Because the widespread complaints are right! So canceling Heroes: Origins — or at least tabling it until next season, as one suggestion has it — is a step in the right direction. Of course, this means that Kevin Smith and Eli Roth, who had signed on to write and/or direct episodes of the miniseries, can’t participate. And though we’re sad to lose the ugly, poorly shot action sequences and gigantic demon cocks (so NSFW) their participation would have ensured, that’s a price we’re willing to pay.

NBC holds ‘Heroes’ spinoff [Variety]

Earlier: Inside Ben Silverman’s Decision to Spin Off a New Series From ‘The Office’