When Entertainment Weekly’s Jeff Jensen recently proposed that HEROES “trim the fat by either killing some top-tier HEROES (hello, genuine life-and-death stakes!) or giving one or two a permanent happy ending.” this wasn’t exactly what we had in mind.
Over the weekend, HEROES executive producers Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb, two writers who have been with the show since day one, were fired over creative differences and budgetary concerns.
Reports Variety’s Cynthia Littleton, “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.”
And while this TV Addict applauds the proverbial powers that be at NBC for finally recognizing that there is a serious problem with their once highly touted series, one can’t help but wonder: What exactly is HEROES spending $4 million an episode on? Certainly not visual effects (See Nathan Petrelli flying) Are Alexander and
Loeb really the villains here?
Because if you ask me, Alexander and Loeb’s firing looks like the real-life equivalent of say, President Bush firing FEMA director Michael Brown over the Katrina debacle. That or, they’re simply the latest in a string of scapegoats now that showrunner/creator Tim Kring can no longer blame the Writer’s Strike on another lackluster start to the season (as he did with season two.)
Naturally begging the question, when is NBC going to hold Tim Kring accountable for the sorry state of this once proud series? After-all, he was only to happy to bask in the glory that was HEROES season one. Should Mr. Kring now not be expected to step up and acknowledge his role in the train-wreck that are seasons two and three? 