7 TV Shows That Went From Must-See To Completely Forgettable

7. Heroes

The current state of television can be traced back to around 2004. Whilst HBO had already made great strides by this point, non-premium networks in America were still almost exclusively airing sitcoms and procedural police, legal and medical dramas that neatly resolved their stories in 30 or 60 minutes each week and carried forward little in the way of overall storyline development. There was the odd exception like the West Wing, but it was ABC’s Lost that changed the game, immersing audiences with its drawn-out arcs, character development and complex mythology.

Hot on Lost’s heels, Heroes was widely cited as the next big thing. Featuring an ensemble cast of ordinary individuals developing superpowers, its first season was a rollercoaster ride built around the mysterious ‘Company’ and the power absorbing character of Sylar, one of the best villains to appear in television in a long time.

In line with its comic book influences, Heroes was split into ‘volumes’ rather than seasons, with the first taking the title of ‘Genesis’. The second, ‘Fugitives’ debuted with great promise, but was prematurely ended by the 2007-08 writers strike, with plots quickly wrapped up or aborted. The show never recovered despite running for three more volumes, with stories going in circles and Sylar’s intrigue being eroded by the eventual decision to turn him good.

A miniseries revival crashed and burned in 2015, finally killing the series, which will always stand out as one that squandered its immense potential.