NBC's 'Heroes' Returns in 2015 as 'Heroes Reborn'

Remember when "Save the cheerleader, save the world" was the hottest catchphrase on TV? That was back when NBC's Heroes was one of the hottest shows, it was a superhero serial about ordinary people who learned they had extraordinary powers and were destined to save the world. As the world was saved and writers struggled to find reasons to keep the show going, the ratings collapsed and Heroes was cancelled. A rumor emerged last year show creator Tim Kring and NBC were looking for a way to bring the show back, and now it's happening in 2015 with Heroes Reborn.

Similar to Fox's 24: Live Another Day, Heroes Reborn is an event mini-series, only this one will be a 13-episode arc. Kring will be at the helm and the series will be preceded by a digital series introducing the characters and storylines, which are expected to be totally separate from the original. That could change if Kring is able to lure back any of the prior cast, although many of them have moved on to other programs on different networks. Surely they'd want to bring back Masi Oka as Hiro, the one character other than Hayden Panettiere's Chloe who seemed to have genuine fans. Zachary Quinto might be a little bit busy these days. I would personally be grateful to have Ali Larter back on weekly TV, so NBC please get on that.

Here's NBC's full press release, followed by a brief teaser.

NBC is bringing back its conquering “Heroes.”

 An iconic series that still commands a rabid fan base, “Heroes” will return to the network in 2015 as an event miniseries with original creator and executive producer Tim Kring at the helm, it was announced today by NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke.

NBC has ordered 13 episodes for a new stand-alone story arc entitled “Heroes Reborn,” with all details of storylines and characters being kept under wraps.

“The enormous impact ‘Heroes’ had on the television landscape when it first launched in 2006 was eye-opening,” said NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke. “Shows with that kind of resonance don’t come around often and we thought it was time for another installment. We’re thrilled that visionary creator Tim Kring was as excited about jumping back into this show as we were and we look forward to all the new textures and layers Tim plans to add to his original concept. Until we get closer to air in 2015, the show will be appropriately shrouded in secrecy, but we won’t rule out the possibility of some of the show’s original cast members popping back in.”

The original series chronicled the life-changing stories of a series of unrelated ordinary people who discovered they had superhuman abilities. As the saga unfolded, they learned they were part of a grand plan that brought them together to change the world. 

With the return of “Heroes Reborn,” NBC will launch a digital series prior to the 2015 premiere that will introduce the characters and new storylines. This leveraging of social media is a way for fans to re-engage with what was one for the true pioneers in multiplatform storytelling.