HEROES, POWERFUL NEW DRAMA FOR THE BBC
(July 2007)

Heroes, the top-rating new series for the 18 to 49 year old age group in America this season, is to be screened on BBC Two from July 2007. This epic drama, chronicling the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary powers, is the number one new show of the season and one of the highest-rated programmes on US network television, Heroes currently pulls in 14.3 million viewers, with a 6.2 rating/15 share among Adults 18-49. From the creator/writer Tim Kring, this 23 episode drama begins as a total eclipse casts its shadow across the globe.

It has also been a critical success, with The Los Angeles Times describing it as "a cleverly naturalistic approach to a superhero story" (17.09.06) and the Associated Press saying: "Something fresh and skillfully executed, Heroes is like nothing else on TV" (22.09.06).

Sue Deeks, BBC Television's Head of Series, Programme Acquisition, secured the free terrestrial television rights to Heroes in the UK for the BBC. She says: "Heroes is a fresh and imaginative take on the superhero theme and features amazing special effects – BBC Two is the perfect home for such an intriguing, intelligent and irresistible drama."

From the creator/writer Tim Kring (Crossing Jordan), this 23 episode drama begins as a total eclipse casts its shadow across the globe.

A genetics professor Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) travels to New York to find out the truth about his father's mysterious death but the trail leads him to an unexpected place. He learns that someone else is on the trail of the same research – someone who may kill to protect the secrets of the next step in human evolution.

A young dreamer Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) is a nurse who is experiencing extremely vivid dreams and believes that he has a supernatural connection to his brother, Nathan. He also has dreams involving both him and his brother about falling and flying. Peter believes that he has a special destiny and is meant to achieve something more, but he has yet to discover what it is.

Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar) is running for the US Congress and fears that his eccentric mother and younger brother will hurt his chances of winning the race. Nathan is an unwilling "hero" as he refuses to acknowledge his powers, despite fervent arguments from his brother, Peter, that supernatural abilities exist and that they are in position of them. However, can Nathan tap into his powers before it is too late?

A high school cheerleader, Claire Bennet (played by Hayden Panettiere) learns that she is totally indestructible. However, Claire just wants to forget her new abilities and live a normal life. Her body can regenerate instantaneously from practically any injury that she sustains: the only limit seems to be that obstructions must be removed. Claire tests her powers by falling long distances, walking through fire and putting her hand into the waste disposal. She also seems to feel very little pain.

A Las Vegas stripper Niki Sanders (Ali Larter) supports herself and her son by running an internet strip-tease business. She seems to have an alter ego with a very different personality, and possibly possesses super-human strength. This is apparent when she sees her reflection moving independently of her own actions.

A gifted artist Isaac Mendez (Santiago Cabrera) is a New York-based painter and comic book artist. He has a heroin addiction and, when high, he is able to create paintings that depict future violent and tragic events. He paints events weeks before they actually happen.

A down-on-his luck beat cop (Greg Grunberg, Alias) can hear people's thoughts including the secrets of a captured terrorist.

And in Japan, a young man Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka), an office worker from Japan, has always dreamed of living a life of purpose and, most of all, he has always wanted to be a hero. Hiro believes that he is able to "bend the space/time continuum" and is able to speed up or slow down his passage through time, which enables him to "teleport" by instantly moving to another point in space/time. He demonstrates by transporting himself from a busy train in Tokyo to the middle of Times Square.

As a solar eclipse affects the world on a global scale, this group of misfits are about to discover that their ultimate destiny is nothing less than saving the world...

Find more detailed information at www.bbc.co.uk/drama/heroes