Fri, September 25, 2026 at 2:23 PM UTC
Twenty years ago, on Sept. 25, 2006, Heroespremiered on NBC with a story about ordinary people discovering extraordinary abilities. Twenty years later, it ranks eighth on Dexerto’s list of the 30 best superhero TV shows.
Creator Tim Kring gave the series the feel of a comic book without starting from an existing superhero franchise. Instead, its characters lived separate lives that gradually crossed as a larger danger emerged.
Why Heroes Made Everyday People Its Superheroes
Claire Bennet, played by Hayden Panettiere, could recover from almost any injury. Meanwhile, Masi Oka’s Hiro Nakamura discovered he could bend time and space.
Milo Ventimiglia played Peter Petrelli, a nurse searching for something bigger in his life. The cast also included Zachary Quinto as Sylar, a killer who hunted people with powers.
As the characters learned what they could do, they also faced a question: whom could they trust? Their separate stories moved toward a showdown over the world’s future.
How Heroes Became NBC’s Top New Drama
Viewers responded quickly. According to NBC, Heroes ranked as television’s No. 1 new drama during its first season.
The show also earned eight Emmy nominations in its first year, including one for Outstanding Drama Series. In 2007, it won the Television Critics Association’s Program of the Year award.
However, its early success did not mean every season received the same response. Dexerto notes that the series drew criticism for its later direction, even while ranking it among TV’s best superhero shows.
Why Heroes Still Appears on Superhero TV Lists
Heroesran for four seasons, ending in 2010. Then, NBC returned to its world in 2015 with the 13-episode miniseries Heroes Reborn.
Its place on Dexerto’s list reflects the appeal of its original idea. Instead of following established comic-book characters, Heroesasked what might happen if regular people suddenly gained powers.
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