New Shows: Vanished & Heroes

I've now watched the first two episodes of Vanished. While it is no Alias replacement, it has definitely got me hooked. Each episode runs like a little movie. Unlike Lost, the show gives you tons of information during each episode (I'm already thinking of starting an excel sheet!) Exactly like Lost, I have no clue what's going on, and there are a ton of open mysteries. Doesn't look like a lot of character development, but definitely a fun mystery thriller. I would check it out before it gets too complicated to jump in. Mondays at 9 on Fox (to be replaced by 24 in January.)

I've also had the rare opportunity to watch the first hour of the Heroes pilot a few weeks ago. This show looks awesome. It's definitely has the X-Men vibe, but without the comic-bookiness. (But don't get me wrong, I also love the comic-bookiness of X-Men, this is just... different.) It definitely feels more *real*. And although "mainstream" tv watchers may disregard this as another genre/sci-fi type show, I beg to differ. This show is all about its characters. It is taking place in the world as we know it, except for the appearance of our Heroes' special abilities. Nobody is prancing around in a cape. And they are scared... afterall, if all of a sudden your mirror image was doing evil deeds, wouldn't you be totally freaked out?? After a little digging, I found a great fan site devoted to the show, with a spoiler section, producer/cast interviews and more: www.9thwonders.com. After purusing on that site for awhile, I found out that a lot of the producers of this show were involved with some of my favorite shows, including Alias, Lost, and Smallville. If you want an early glimpse of the part I of the Pilot, it will soon be available via iTunes, and then the actual network premiere will be on NBC, on Monday, September 25th.

Sadly for non-TiVo Owners, Vanished and Heroes run up against eachother at the same time slot (Mondays @ 9). If I had to choose one, I would choose Heroes without a second thought.