James R | On 03, Dec 2015

5* has bought the UK TV rights to Heroes Reborn.

The revival of NBC’s sci-fi drama for a limited series will once again follow the stories of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary powers.

The 13-episode show picks up a year after a terrorist attack in Odessa, Texas, left the city decimated. Blamed for the tragic event, those with extraordinary abilities are in hiding or on the run from those with nefarious motives.

Two such vigilantes include Luke (Zachary Levi, Chuck) and Joanne (Judi Shekoni, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2), who are seeking to avenge a tragic loss. Noah Bennet, a.k.a. H.R.G. (Jack Coleman from the original series), has gone off the grid, but conspiracy theorist Quentin Frady (Henry Zebrowski) finds him and opens his eyes to the truth behind the Odessa tragedy.

While in hiding, some are discovering their newfound skills. Awkward teen Tommy (Robbie Kay, Once Upon a Time) just wants to be normal and win the girl of his dreams, Emily (Gatlin Green, Criminal Minds), but normalcy is virtually impossible. Coming from a sheltered upbringing, Malina (Danika Yarosh, the U.S. remake of Shameless) has been told that she is destined for greatness. In Tokyo, Miko (Kiki Sukezane) is trying to find her missing father. Elsewhere, a different type of hero is emerging through former soldier Carlos (Ryan Guzman), while Erica Kravid (Rya Kihlstedt, Masters of Sex), the head a successful tech conglomerate, has an agenda of her own.

Some of these will cross paths with assorted Heroes of old, including Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka), Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg), Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy), the Haitian (Jimmy Jean-Louis) and others.

Channel 5’s deal may come as a surprise to some, but forms part of the broadcaster’s remit to deliver exclusive new content to its audience through 5*, which it is positioning as “the place for the hottest young drama around”. The deal was agreed by Channel 5’s Head of Acquisitions, Katie Keenan, and NBCUniversal International Distribution.

Keenan comments: “The channel will make a great home for the show as we introduce the world of the Heroes to a new audience as well as the many fans who enjoyed the original series.”

The show is exec produced by the original’s Tim Kring, alongside James Middleton (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) and Peter Elkoff (Sons of Anarchy).

Heroes Reborn has an unspecified UK air date of 2016. While the wait may be bad news for fans, the good news is that it will be available to watch online for free after broadcast on Channel 5’s VOD service, Demand 5.

Photo: NBCUniversal

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