Monday Premieres: House and Heroes

Monday September 20th brings the return of two big network shows in House and Heroes. Both kick off their respective seasons with two hour events that begin at 8pm. This represents the sixth season of House and the fourth for Heroes.

House is one of the strongest shows for Fox and certainly remains entertaining every week. The finale of season five drew 12.7 million viewers. However some storyline decisions that were made last season baffled and upset fans. Being committed to a mental institution in the finale not so much as the controversial decision of how to handle Kutner’s (Kal Penn) departure from the show. It happened completely out of the blue and made absolutely no sense. It did little to advance the show as producers claimed it would, though maybe it could be considered a catalyst for House’s mental breakdown.

Meanwhile the ratings for Heroes have been in consistent decline. Despite the drop in the quality of the show I’ve continued to watch it because of the time commitment that has already been made and the hope it could turn around. I find myself frustrated with more than enjoying the show as characters change their motivations and make nonsensical decisions seemingly every week. NBC apparently realizes people have bailed and feel that way. Ads for the premiere use strategically chosen statements such as “going back to basics”. The show was fantastic in the first season as the characters discovered their abilities and dealt with what that meant to their lives and how they were drawn to using them for good. There is also the not so subtle music selection of Shinedown’s “Second Chance”. I have to say though I’m at least intrigued by the addition of T-Bag from Prison Break!