Heroes News Round-Up: Declining Ratings, Fugitives, Angels and Monsters

By Sam | October 8, 2008 (10:27 pm)

Depending on how close you keep track of Heroes beyond the hour or so you tune in each week to watch it, you may or may not know that the third season of Heroes is not exactly burning up the ratings charts. In fact, the numbers are pretty brutal, and let’s just say that the dark clouds may not part anytime soon. What does this mean for the show? I haven’t a clue, although I do believe that the show’s less-than-spectacular viewership can be traced back to the shortened Season 2, the result of the blasted writer’s strike (which is still the bane in everyone’s existence even after it’s long been settled), which, I believe, is one of the reasons why Season 2 felt so disjointed and, well, unfinished. That’s because it was unfinished. Of course, it didn’t help that it seemingly took forever for new Heroes to finally air again.

Media Life breaks down the raw numbers:

NBC finished third for the night, averaging a 2.8 adults 18-49 rating and 7 share, according to Nielsen overnights, more than a point behind nightly leader CBS. That comes on a night where the network once challenged for No. 1 during the first season of “Heroes.”

As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback. Seven-day DVR data won’t be available for several weeks.

It’s possible the network could see a solid bump then. “Heroes” is one of the most-DVRed shows on broadcast, and “Chuck” has a young-skewing audience. Twenty-eight percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

Still, the early numbers for NBC weren’t promising. “Chuck” slid to fourth place in its 8 p.m. timeslot, behind even Fox’s struggling “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” with a series-low 2.2 rating. That was off 15 percent from a 2.6 for its premiere last week.

“Heroes” also hit a series low, averaging a 3.9, down 11 percent from last week’s 4.4 and off 22 percent from a 5.0 the same night last year.

To sum it up: the ratings for Heroes Season 3 stinks, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be getting any better any time soon. But speaking of DVRs…

Michael Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly responds to a question about the declining ratings:

Question: What the hell is up with Heroes’ ratings?! Where’d all the viewers go! — Joel

Ausiello: NBC is praying hoping a few million of them turn up on Oct. 13 when the live-plus-three-day DVR data starts to trickle in.

There are two things to blame for the declining ratings: the looooooong hiatus between Season 2 and Season 3 cause by that damn writer’s strike, and the nearly universal pummeling the show’s second season took at the hands of critics and fans alike. It might take a while before the show brings back the viewers who tuned in during Season 1, but either left during Season 2, or decided not to come back after sitting through the disaster that was Season 2.

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Ausiello also mentions that a new character, a dangerous teen, is being cast for Season 3’s second half, “Fugitives”:

The show has a problem… The problem concerns a kid named David. He’s teenage angst incarnate and he’ll be featured in at least three episodes of the “Fugitives” arc. Casting is under way.

“Teenage angst incarnate”? Gah. I thought we had gotten rid of all the teenage angst when Claire stopped wearing the cheerleader outfit. Oh well.

Update: 10/24/08 We now know who will be playing David. From EW:

Dan Byrd, best known for his roles as sensitive, wholesome teens on Aliens in America and Clubhouse, is about to tap into his inner Henry Evans. Sources confirm to me exclusively that Byrd has been cast on Heroes in the recurring role of David, a dark and twisted kid who tells lies easily and has a cruel streak. Word is he’ll be a possible apprentice to Sylar (Zachary Quinto).

Byrd is committed to appearing in at least three episodes during Heroes’ forthcoming “Volume 4: Fugitives” arc.

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Meanwhile, Kristin over at E! Online has another “what to expect” list featuring next week’s episode, “Angels and Monster”. (See our preview of that episode here.)

* Next week is a huge episode for Nathan Petrelli. We’ll learn more about his ability, and he’ll be taking Tracy home to meet mom. (You can only imagine how well that goes…) He also sets off a mission that leads him to discover the shocking secret of another Hero.

* Claire learns what her father is capable of when it comes to serving the Company, and she ain’t the least bit happy about it. But on the flip side, during the same mission where Claire sees her father at his worst, Claire and her uncle Sylar bond. Crazy, I know, since Sylar was cutting off the top of Claire’s skull just a few weeks ago, but oddly, the two of them do find a little common ground next week, while fighting a guy I’ll call the Vortex Villain.

* As the previews promised, Arthur Petrelli finally appears next week, and he’s been conspiring with another Hero’s father…

Claire is still surprised by daddy’s ability to be evil? That’s surprising. But what’s more surprising? Claire and Sylar bond. Say WHAT???

Heroes Sylar