Heroes: Season 1

Isn't it ironic that in order to break new ground, this series—the surprise NBC hit of the 2006-07 season—harkened back to the past? Echoing the chapter serials that thrilled movie audiences in the 1920s and '30s (not to mention the pulpy comic books of the 1940s and '50s), the astonishingly addictive Heroes revolves around a sudden genetic transformation that imbues seemingly random humans with something close to cartoonish superpowers. Now, all of them seem to be connected to a series of horrifying events that might result in a mushroom cloud over New York, with disastrous consequences for the entire planet. Can they save the world? And how does one sweet Texas cheerleader figure into it? The mantra “Save the cheerleader, save the world” became both a catchphrase for fans of this thrilling show—Emmy nominated for Outstanding Drama Series—and a nagging, if delightful mystery: just what the hell is going on here? DVD extras include the unaired 73-minute pilot, audio commentaries, 50 deleted scenes, and five “making-of” featurettes. Highly recommended. (M. Johanson)