Adrian Pasdar, who plays Nathan Petrelli, the politician who can fly, on NBC’s breakout hit “Heroes,” knew they were on to something in July.
It was shortly before “Heroes” was going to be screened for the nerdy masses that flock to San Diego for the annual Comic-Con comic book convention.
The screening room was flooded with soon-to-be fans, and the fire marshal grew concerned.
Pasdar said Jeph Loeb, a writer on the show, told the marshal, “You go ahead and tell them that they can’t watch the show.”
“The fire marshal just crossed his arms and walked away,” Pasdar recalled during a conference call Tuesday. “I think we had a pretty good idea (then) that we had a good shot at an initial audience, and it was up to us to go ahead and deliver.”
Six weeks ago “Heroes” set out to save the world. It might very well save NBC.
Ratings for the show reached a season-high in last week’s Nielsen Media Research ratings, with nearly 15 million people tuning in, and “Heroes” is working its way into the zeitgeist in a way that’s reminiscent of ABC’s “Lost” two years ago.
The show is also giving NBC an unlikely hit after the network threw millions of dollars at Aaron Sorkin for “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” which is foundering, and made a big investment in the TV re-creation of “Friday Night Lights,” which has yet to pay dividends.
“Heroes” is also filling that elusive follow-up to “Lost,” the one that each network tried to capture last season with shows such as “Threshold,” “Surface” and “Invasion.” They all tried the science-fiction twist, but lacked the balance of solid characters, special effects and a sense of humor.
But unlike those other attempts, “Heroes” doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be anything else. In just six episodes, it has become something all its own. And Milo Ventimiglia, who plays Nathan’s brother, Peter Petrelli, also knew something was different early in the process.
“Just reading the pilot script, it was different from anything that I had read in a long time, or seen,” Ventimiglia said. “Then, seeing all the actors coming in, the writing staff coming in, being on the set as it was shot, I understood that it was very different from anything I had ever been a part of.”
The actors said they have the same thrill that viewers have when new episodes come out, they just have the advantage of knowing what’s going to happen before the rest of us do.
“When they’re writing it, when they’re putting it on the page, the way they describe it all on the page,” Ventimiglia said, “your eyes get wide and your mouth is open.”
Pasdar agreed, saying, “it’s fun in a complete childlike wonderment way. It’s really fun to be a part of something like this.”
Fans are having just as good a time watching as the show becomes the next television phenomenon, complete with an online comic book supplement on nbc.com and, undoubtedly, some dolls or trading cards on the way.
All this after six episodes.
Up, up and away, indeed.
Victor Balta’s column runs Mondays and Thursdays on the A&E page. Reach him at 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
For more TV and pop culture scoop, check out Victor’s blog at heraldnet.com/blogpopculture.
On TV
“Heroes,” 9 p.m. Mondays, KING, Channel 5
No Brad Watch
Last week’s episode of “Survivor” was a recap, so nothing changed with Brad and friends. Check out “Survivor: Cook Islands” at 8 tonight on KIRO, Channel 7.
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