NBC Admits ‘Heroes Reborn’ Maybe, Kinda, Definitely Wasn’t a Great Idea
We know what you’re thinking: There’s no way NBC actually followed through on its Heroes revival plans to bring us Heroes Reborn, right? Well, brace yourselves - they did, it already aired, and spoiler alert: it wasn’t great. NBC bosses are willing to concede as much, but that won’t stop them from plotting the next questionable TV revival!
The NBC executive session at the ongoing TCA press tour panel (via IGN) saw network head Bob Greenblatt and entertainment president Jennifer Salke on a wide array of shows, from The Celebrity Apprentice to its new Taken, but there was no escape from questions of its notable Heroes Reborn flop. In particular, Salke noted that Reborn struggled to balance excitement for the “rabid” existing fanbase with word-of-mouth for new viewers, admitting “I don’t think Heroes performed the way we hoped it would perform.”
That said, Salke noted that “I think you can stay tuned to us doing two or three big tries” in the area of reviving “big Universal franchise pieces,” without providing clues to their identity. As far as Heroes Reborn, Greenblatt noted that the lack of returning success prevented it from building the same anticipation as some of FOX’s revivals:
Said Greenblatt, “It’s a lot easier and you get a big head start when you bring the original cast back.” Bringing up some of the revivals FOX is doing, he added, “The X-Files and Prison Break are almost foolproof if you get the original stars,” and when that’s not the case, “It’s a lot more difficult.”
It seems reasonably safe to say that Heroes has been lain to rest (watch them give it another go in five years), but what might the next NBC revival be?