24

vs.

Heroes



Two high caliber

television shows airing in the same time slot. Which one will be victorious?

<>

CSI and Grey’s Anatomy. Lost and Criminal Minds. What do these shows have in common? They have recently been in an all-out war for ratings on TV. Every now and then, two popular television shows will be aired on the same day, in the same time slot, and what results is a battle between the two to attract as many people as possible. On January 15th, the critically acclaimed, Emmy award winning series 24 aired their 6th season premiere. However, this was the same day that the freshman hit Heroes was returning from its month-long hiatus. When the two shows aired on the 15th, both attracted around the same number of viewers. Now, three weeks later, the shows are still struggling to keep their numbers up. The question is, which show will be victorious?

24, which began airing November 6th, 2001, revolves around federal agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), and his attempts to rid the United States of terrorism. The show’s popularity originally stemmed from its unique style, which was to have each season follow a 24 hour day in the life of Jack Bauer. Over the six years it has been on TV, it has been nominated for dozens of Emmys and Golden Globes, won Best Drama at the 2006 Emmys and has jump-started Kiefer Sutherland’s career.

Heroes, on the other hand, is a science fiction show that depicts the lives of a handful of men and women who suddenly begin to realize the powers that they possess. Throughout the episodes, the men and women must fight to discover what their purpose is in life, and how to use their powers. While the two shows have completely different themes, characters and plots, they have both gained an immense amount of popularity.

In my opinion, 24 is the superior show. Kiefer Sutherland leads the cast as CTU agent Jack Bauer, which was surprising to me at first, since Sutherland is notorious for being cast in villain roles. However, Sutherland molds Bauer into one of the most invigorating lead roles on television. The way he has difficulty placing his job as a government agent ahead of his role as a parent makes him a complex character, which viewers love to watch. And it’s not just Sutherland that makes the show. The writing is top notch, creating twists and turns every episode. The directors (Joel Surnow, Robert Cochran, and a slew of others) use a complex, yet unique style of filming: split screen. At times, up to five different events will be on the TV screen at the same time. This helps reinforce the idea of the show taking place in real time. Also, the show bases its storylines upon current events, which makes each and every scenario in it feel as if it could happen.

Heroes, for me, is difficult to stay interested in. The plot has potential, the acting is great (especially Masi Oka as the cleverly named Hiro Nakamura, who can bend the space-time continuum with his mind) and every episode leaves you hanging. However, there are some minor flaws throughout the episodes that prevent it from being a truly great show. At times, the plot will drag on with the same storyline for six or seven episodes. It’s a very slow moving show, which makes it difficult for you to devote your attention to it.

Perhaps it’s simply my experience with 24 that is making me so partial to it being victorious in this ratings battle. However, I’ve had the chance to watch both of the new seasons, and I believe that while Heroes and 24 both have an equal number of viewers tuning in, 24’s recent Emmy wins, along with its current events storyline, will help it pull ahead.

And regardless of which does better, both shows are great, and if you can find a way to watch both, I would recommend it.

My Ratings

• 24 – A

• Heroes – B