When Heroes writers/producers Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander were ousted from the show, it was clear that series creator Tim Kring was looking to change things up. I personally stopped watching Heroes because it became needlessly confusing and overstuffed—a far cry from what it was throughout most of its first season.

Now Kristin dos Santos is reporting that Kring may be aiming to repeat the golden days of that first season by bringing back Bryan Fuller, an acclaimed television writer who has made a habit of creating cult shows. Fuller created Dead Like Me (though he left due to disagreements with the show’s drection), Wonderfalls (unjustifiably cancelled by Fox), and most recently, the sweetly morbid Pushing Daisies. He was a producer throughout most of season one of Heroes, wrote two of the best episodes of the series (most notably, “Company Man”), and was also responsible for much of Claire’s plotline.

While still unconfirmed, Fuller’s return could be exactly what the show needs right now. It may be difficult to recall today, but season one of Heroes was a refreshingly tight narrative experience (until the finale at least). At the time Lost was muddled in its own convoluted plot machinations, and Heroes served as a sort of anti-Lost for genre television. It’s ironic that today the situation is almost exactly reversed now that Lost is back to kicking ass.

The only issue with Fuller’s return is that he’ll have to spend less time with his current baby, Pushing Daisies. He could balance his time between both shows—it’s certainly not unheard of—but his potential availability may also hint that Pushing Daisies may not return next season, which is something I’m not quite prepared to think about just yet.

Discuss: How do you feel about the state of Heroes? Do you think firing Loeb and Alexander was wise? Do you think Bryan Fuller could restore the show’s former greatness?

  • Rorschach
    Oh god yes. We need him back to save Heroes from getting worse than it already is.
  • Domino
    Its worth a shot, the show is so convoluted and confusing as it is. I don't remember half the stuff they show on the recap before an episode starts because there is too many people doing too many things
  • papagadush
    you critics jump to quickly on heroes. This show is still just as good, they have developed multiple bad ass characters and im interesting to see who will take down the now all mighty MR. PETRELLI. It does not get better than this.
  • Pill
    Heroes is awful.
  • Chuck Phoenix
    I think heroes needs a damn shocking change and that may be it, but Pushing Daisies is one of my new favorite shows and something as beautifully creative and funny does not deserve to take a hit because Heroes is going down the crapper.. We need more of the Pie Hole.. Though I would love to save that cheerleader...
  • Meli
    If I had to choose between Pushing Daisies and Heroes I choose Pushing Daisies. I want Heroes to be saved and succeed with good story lines again, but there has to be someone else besides Bryan Fuller that can save it! If he can balance both then awesome and it would be grand to once again look forward to Monday and Wednesday night television.
  • Yes, I believe he could as long he use the same formula in Season 1 and just adding a little new stuff in it without making it overstuff. Complex plot like heroes can be awful and dreadful in the wrong hand. maybe the new writer want to make a big changes or suprise as his trademark. but sometimes, strategies goes wrong and this will impact the emotional attachment of the viewer and the tv show.
    Good luck :)
  • joe
    Character development in Heroes became non-existent recently. Characters making series of poor decisions that are completely irrational. The Claire storyline in Season 1 was fantastic. I could see how Heroes need Bryan back.
  • Sporkette
    I agree about Heroes being so convoluted, though I keep watching in hopes it gets better. But I LOVE Pushing Daisies. I also heard rumors it's costing too much to produce and not bringing in the money. I hope it stays on the air. It's sweet with good quips, and the colors are amazingly vibrant. Hopefully they can hang in there.
  • Joe Newman
    as a comic book fan I could see how Heroes could be seen as "ridiculious" by avid television watchers. However I haven't notice any drop in quality of the show and I have always waited to watch the next episode. Heroes is one of the only television shows on air that I watch anymore. Personally I am tired of hearing people saying they don't like the "new" season, whichever season is newest that they are referring to, because I honestly don't care. Its a television show, an exteremly popular and super-hyped one at that, if you don't like then don't watch it. Either Way, Jeph Loeb is great and it would be awesome to have anyone of his experience write for the show again.
  • Mikey M
    I hear Heroes is close to being cancelled so as much as I would hate to see that happen, he has a home at Heroes. Come back and fix it Bryan.
    Who knew he was so cute by the way.
  • Mikey M
    I meant, Pushing Daisies is close to be cancelled so Fuller could easily go back to Heroes.
  • Rosario
    I really think the writers strike ruined heroes. Season 2 started off ok but they made a lot of mistakes. And they were forced to end it somewhere they didn't want to.

    If you guys watch the Season 2 commentary, where they have the deleted scenes of what future episodes were going to be and what they had planned, it would of made up for the first half of the season. I really think they could of turned the show around.

    I still love the show and if you guys remember back to season 1, and what would of happened in season 2, the first couple of episodes were a build up to the big thing. And I think that's what were seeing now. They still have like 18ish episodes left and they can do a lot within that time.

    Ok end rant :)
  • J
    Same Sporkette, I keep watching to see if it will get any better. I will give it a couple of more episodes but if it doesn't shape up then I am going to definitely abandon it. Also sadly I have never seen Pushing Daises but I plan on renting it some time soon. Also I think Heroes needs to kill of a few characters like Claire, Suresh, and Jessica, and they gotta keep a tone for Sylar because his attitude changes every week!
  • Ryan McCarthy
    Pushing Daisies is on TODAY.. WED
    Watch it!! Best New, Fresh show in years!!

    Heroes and NBC is not good to watch as of late...
    They messed up big firing Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander.

    Fuller and his style of filming is the best right now stick with it and watch.
    Thanks /film
  • Jamie
    Heroes will not be canceled folks. Jeff Zucker ain't got nothing else to put on.

    Pushing Daisies is a tough call. ABC might keep the show now just to keep NBC from getting Fuller. That would be the smart call. That's what I would do.
  • Heroes is awesome, it's like a comic book so yeah it can be silly at times but it still works, and the plot is nowhere near complex, it's very simple, i love it, and if they can improve it then go ahead and make it kick ass

    on a side note, pushing daisies is brilliant i love it and i don't want to see its quality drop.
  • theuglyspirit
    Fuller would definitely save Heroes, it's just to bad networks have a habit of canceling his original shows.
  • I want Heroes to get better, but at the same time, imo, PD isn't as great as S1. So, if one of their best people moves to Heroes I'd find it hard to believe the quality wouldn't go down even further.
  • Joe
    I'd think this was a good idea... if I hadn't jumped ship on Heroes over a year ago and haven't missed an episode of Daisies yet.

    Pulling Fuller off Daisies would probably hurt the show to the point of near-cancellation. That is not a good idea.
  • fanboy d
    heroes isn't complicated, it's just poor, derivative, unintelligent television. it would be unwatchable if it weren't for hiro
  • Lee
    shame Pushing Daisies is being canceled, but maybe he can save Heroes from sucking
  • LP
    I used to watch Pushing Daisies until I realized that it really annoys me. Heroes is too complex. They do need to stop making everything so epic, focus on a character story (or a couple of character) amidst a epic struggle. This is what season 1 of Heroes did and that's what they should have done.

    Also

    People keep ripping on season 2 as if it was shitty. The fact is that it was getting much better, more engrossing after the 5th episode (I think), and then they had to kill it due to the strike. It used a similar approach as the 1st season (albeit with a snail-like pace) with the focus on Hiro, and his nemesis Adam. We'll never know now. But I had so much hope.
  • Thetwiztidfreak
    IMO Heroes is as great as always never miss it. I never really cared for pushing dasies(watched a few eps in the first season) But dead like me is one of my all time favorite shows.
  • Greyson
    LOST > HEROES
  • Agony
    Pushing Daisies is a fantastic show, and a breash of fresh air among what else is on TV. I don't understand what's so expensive about it; none of the stars are big names (unlike when Studio 60 was on), and most of the effects look CGI (so unless they're actually building huge Tim Burton sets, I don't see how the claims that's it's too expensive are justified). And I NEVER see commercials for it. Never mind the fact that when the writer's strike happened, my local ABC decided to air the final episodes last season at midnight or 1am. Then they gave it no fanfair whatsoever when it returned this season. Is it any wonder many people aren't tuning in?

    And Heroes. Heroes burned me twice. The first season did good character development, but built up anticipation for an epic battle that never happened. Yes, a battle happened, but one apparently written by someone that had never read superhero comics. Then the second season; again with some promising ideas, but told in an awkward out-of-order storytelling device that made new characters annoying because you didn't know their backstory until the season was almost over. And the killer for me was the lame writing that made characters forget to use their powers and make the same kinds of decisions that terror-stricken girls make in horror movies. I'm not signing on to a superhero show where the heroes never use their powers and constantly get amnesia like some retarded soap opera. I want epic battles and evil characters. City blocks destroyed. A real sense that a character you might like could be in real jeopardy. I didn't let it burn me again, even though I was tempted when I heard about the escaped villains plotline. Jeph Loeb wrote The Long Halloween and Hush for Cthulhu's sake! What happened?

    I hope they at least let PD find some kind of conclusion if they cancel it. And whatever happens, I doubt I'll tune back in to Heroes.
  • Owen
    Is it now 'cool' to slate Heroes? Has it become to mass-market and not as 'cult' as it was in S1?
  • Mike
    This season of Heroes is by far the best one since the start!!

    And yes, Lost > Heroes.
  • mr
    noooooo, i really rather see pushing daisies continue as a great show than Heroes trying to save itself. I mean pushing daisies is a great show, so he better stay with it and fight for it to stay on air, instead of like tonight it being replaced with DANCING WITH THE STARS. So all you Heroes fans need to watch both to help out your favorite righters other project.
  • Paul Stewart
    I always wondered what the heck happened to Heroes. The first season was so effing good it hurt, and now this crap is barely watchable -- it feels like a soap opera. I couldn't wait for each episode of the 1st season, and now I barely get excited to watch it.
  • What'dya know? IGN TV just posted an article about who could fix Heroes editorial problems.

    Heroes: Six Writers Who Could Fix Things
    http://tv.ign.com/articles/927/927226p1.html
  • I just had a big "ohhhhhhh....that explains it" moment when I read that Jeph Loeb was fired.
  • Nightsky
    Nooooo! Pushing Daisies >> Heroes.
  • Justin
    No I totally disagree with all of this, i feel that heroes is totally kicking ass right now, and ive been a believer since the beginning, if they bring back an old righter who knows where the series will end up going, as of right now heroes has really kept me guessing from week to week, if you bring in someone from the shows past then who knows what kind of impact it will have. I just really enjoy how badass most of the characters have developed, but i do feel that getting rid of loeb was a stupid idea. Who knows, i just cant wait to see where the heroes is going to go within the next few weeks.
  • Mr. Comedian
    Ugh. Pushing Daisies is utter dreck. Please come back to Heroes... Seems like you were better suited to the material.
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