It’s beginning to look like the end is nigh for the NBC series Heroes … in an attempt to grab viewers, I am assuming, E! news is reporting that the producers of the series have decided to kill off a major MALE character … and you’ll never guess who it is!

Now, in order to keep the news as quiet as possible for those of you who wish to remain unspoiled, I’ll keep news of the reported death behind the cut. But I will say publicly that I was very surprised to learn that they are planning to axe one the main O.G.s from the first season. After the jump, find out who it is …

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Production is in full swing on the SoCal set of the new season of Heroes as starlet Hayden Panettiere was spotted on set rockin’ her classic cheerleader costume. Might Hayden’s character Claire’s return to the world of cheerleading be a ploy to woo viewers back to the show?

As you may recall, Heroes adeptly utilized the Save the Cheerleader, Save the World storyline to catapult the show’s ratings into the stratosphere, making it one of the most successful shows of the year. Since that time, ratings have waned and interest in the show has fallen off considerably. It makes total sense that the show would want to hearken back to a time when it was hugely successful in order to remind viewers to watch the show again. The fact that Hayden looks good in her cheerleading garb couldn’t hurt either. I guess we’ll see if the Heroes cheerleader can help save the show in the coming season.

[Photo credit: Splash News]

Last month we got our first look at the promo trailer for the upcoming 4th season of the NBC series Heroes, which has been titled Redemption, and today we get to check out a new promo poster just released for the show. Only 3 of our beloved heroes are represented in this new poster but considering the tone of the coming season, perhaps the inclusion of these particular characters will clue us in as to what’s in store in season 4:

I know we’ve been down on Heroes for a while but this promo poster for the upcoming new season, which opens with volume five, “Redepemtion,” has me as curious as a co-ed with a hot new roomate – I’m looking at you Claire Bennet! Heroes returns on September 21st with some interesting new cast members including stuntman/actor Ray Park, Prison Break’s Robert Knepper and recent addition Ghostbuster Ernie Hudson.

I really like the addition of these new actors to play new characters. While Heroes may have been in a bit of a slump last season, it did pick up in the end and could move into exciting new territory in season 4. After the jump, check out a preview video of hero Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) vs. a new superpowered character with a cool ability for knife play (portrayed by Ray Park) …

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Attendees of 2009 San Diego Comic-Con got their first look at the upcoming new season of Heroes and were among the first people to see new castmember Robert Knepper (who famously played the sinister Theodore T-Bag Bagwell on Prison Break) in action on the show. Now the rest of us get to see the preview trailer for Heroes Season 4, titled Redemption, for ourselves:

Oh yes, the gang’s all BACK for more superhero action. It’s great to see Milo Ventimiglia’s character, Peter Petrelli, back in action as a heroic EMT … and Sylar with a baby?! Say what??? After the jump, check out the preview trailer in full and all will be made more clear …

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Last January we learned some troublesome news about ABC’s TV series Ugly Betty that made it seem like the network has lost faith in the show and that it might headed for an early end. Today, to the relief of many fans, we learn that things are still going well for UB now that ABC has decided to renew the show for a 4th season next year:

This just in: ABC confirms that “Ugly Betty” will be back for another season. News comes from actor Michael Urie — the ever-fabulous Marc St. James — via his official Twitter on Thursday morning: “Ugly Betty gets official season 4 pick up!!! Whohoo!” This follows the most excellent news that Christopher Gorham will be reprising his role as Henry before the third season ends. Sorry Matt, we’re Team Henry all the way.

And Twitter strikes again … seriously, it seems as if all of the late-breaking information these days is coming straight from the horse’s mouth (which is one of the reasons why I love Twitter). Despite the worry caused by ABC’s actions earlier this year, I had a feeling that Ugly Betty would be back for at least one more season. I personally stopped watching the show before this current season got underway but I am glad to know that the show is coming back. I know many people who love the show and should be excited that the series will be back for more.

Additionally, TV Guide is reporting that Heroes will, too, return with another season next year … but unlike previous seasons, NBC is ordering fewer eps of the series:

Heroes’ life span will be a little shorter next season. NBC plans to cut the number of episodes of its superhero drama from 25 this season to 18 to 20 in its fourth season, Ad Age reports. The reasons for the cutback are legion: Though the show’s latest episodes have reinvigorated many fans, a series of complicated and wide-ranging storylines cost the show ratings in Season 2 and earlier this season. Also, NBC will have five fewer prime-time hours to fill in 2009-10 season, thanks to Jay Leno’s new hour-long program at 10 pm weeknights. And other networks are also experimenting with condensed seasons: ABC’s Lost has kept to 16 or 17 episodes in recent seasons, and CBS’s Harper’s Island has a 13-episode format that could be repeated (with a new setting and cast) if the murder mystery succeeds with viewers. Though Heroes debuted to strong ratings in 2006, since the 2007-08 writers strike its viewership has slipped to about 7.7 million viewers on average, four million fewer than it earned before the work stoppage, according to Nielsen.

Heroes is another show, unfortunately, that I have sorta given up on. I still DVR the show and have a box full of eps but I haven’t watched the show in months. There have been so many false starts and so many skewed storylines that I totally lost interest in all of the confusion. But, I am happy that the show will return next season. I deffo plan to watch the eps I have saved on my DVR. Hopefully there’ll be something there to re-inspire me to watch again. Do any of y’all still watch Ugly Betty and Heroes? Are you happy the shows are coming back?

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The NBC series Heroes is in desperate need of a savior these days. After becoming the break-out hit series when it premiered a couple of years ago, Heroes suffered a few set-backs due in large part to the dreaded Writer’s Strike that plagued Hollywood last TV season. Some shows fell apart and were canceled as a result and some, like Heroes, managed to rally and survive to see another season on the air. Unfortch for Heroes, tho, the series hasn’t managed to regain any of its glory (or it’s huge ratings) since the third season debuted this Fall and, as a result, someone had to pay. Much like it did for Lost back when that show started to suck, Entertainment Weekly published an article dissecting all the things wrong with Heroes that may be keeping viewers away (offering 5 Ways to Fix a Series in Crisis) … one week after that article was published, Variety reports that co-executive producers (and writers) Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb have been axed from the show:

Big shakeup on the staff of NBC’s “Heroes” came down on Sunday with the axing of co-exec producers Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb. Both scribe-producers had been with the show since its first season and were known to have led the day-to-day production operation under the direction of creator/exec producer Tim Kring. “Heroes,” produced by Universal Media Studios, has struggled in the ratings its third season. It’s understood that Alexander and Loeb were let go because of Peacock execs’ frustration with the creative direction of the show. The show is also said to have been grappling with hefty budget overruns this season, that are going well beyond its already sizable $4 million per-seg pricetag. Reps for NBC and UMS declined comment.

EW.com adds:

Their departure comes at a watershed moment for Heroes, which has taken a serious hit in the ratings amid complaints by critics and fans alike that the show has lost its zeitgeist-tapping appeal. The drama is averaging 9 million-plus viewers this season, down from last year’s 11.6 million average.

Yeah, when a TV series starts to sag in this manner, someone has to pay the price … it looks like the folks calling the shots on Heroes decided to start at the top. I have to admit, my interest level in the series has waned since the show struggled to survive the Writer’s Strike. The storylines have gotten far too complex and there are way too many Heroes running around doing whatever it is that they are doing for me to be able to focus on the larger storyline. All of our fave Heroes are so diluted in all the extraneous new characters that keep getting introduced and keep confusing the storyline that I’m not all that invested anymore in caring for any particular Heroes. I’m not sure if firing the show’s two top producers/writers is gonna save the show but it’s a bold move nonetheless. I’d be all for trimming away some of the newer Heroes and focusing more on the faves. We’ll have to see what effect this shake-up will have on the series in the long run. If they do it right, Heroes can rebound just like Lost did. And let this be a lesson to Hollywood … when Entertainment Weekly talks, y’all better listen.

So … are any of y’all still watching Heroes? Do y’all think that this shake-up will help the show?

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Here they come … our fave Heroes and villains … check out this new promo pic that has been released by NBC to promote the upcoming third season of Heroes:

Aww yeah … it looks like the gang’s all here … including some new faces (I think) and the absence of a couple of horrrrrible characters (so long Maya and Alejandro — go cry your black tears somewhere else). Season 3 is all about Villains and the possibilities are endless … I can’t wait, the new season premieres on NBC on September 22.

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