The first recording today starts with the end of Take A Bow.
Sid shows off viewers’ pirate flags.
Then, another episode of Charlie and Lola – I Am Inventing a Usefullish Invention. Marv and Charlie have to invent and build a new invention for school tomorrow. I think this is an unreasonable thing to ask, but then, my views on school are a little radical. Anyway, they’re struggling.
Lola tries. “It’s a two-colour colouring-in crayon for when you want to draw using green or blue. See? You can use green AND blue.” “What if you want to use red?” “Er…”
They think of a machine to pick up apples that have fallen on the ground. But Mum won’t let them use the vacuum cleaner.
Lola has some problems with lots of sticky tape.
This gives her an idea for “A very cleverish and extremely usefullish messy dress tidy-upper.”
Media Centre Description: Children’s animation. Join Lola and Charlie, a brother and sister, as they deal with topics that affect their everyday lives. Charlie and Marv have to come up with an invention for a school project by tomorrow. Lola reckons that she’s an extremely good inventor too, and keeps interrupting their efforts with ideas of her own. The boys have got to invent something really fantastic and time is running out. Just as they are beginning to panic, Lola the Inventor stumbles on a brilliant idea!
Recorded from CBeebies on Wednesday 5th December 2007 16:14
BBC Genome: CBeebies Wednesday 5th December 2007 16:15
After this, Andy plays a game about the senses.
Then, the recording stops during Nina and the Neurons.
The next recording is the BBC2 showing of Heroes – Landslide. We saw the BBC Three premiere.
This recording is missing both the very start and the very end.
Media Centre Description:
Recorded from BBC TWO on Wednesday 5th December 2007 21:00
BBC Genome: BBC TWO Wednesday 5th December 2007 21:00
The next recording starts with the Heroes BBC 2 Claire ident.
Then, at last we reach the finale of Heroes – How to Stop an Exploding Man.
The introduction replays some of the previous episode, so we see DL get shot, and kill Linderman, but we then see He and Niki escape from Linderman’s office.
We replay Bennet killing Thompson, and his standoff with Mohinder in Molly’s room, but then we see Molly recognise Matt Parkman. “Officer Parkman?” “Molly?” Mohinder asks “You know this man?” “I told you he was coming. He promised to keep me safe.” Matt looks at Bennet. “That’s right. And nobody is gonna hurt you.”
Hiro is wondering where Ando has gone. His father says “You must remember your mission. The world is at stake.” Hiro says “I must go after him. I will not abandon my friend.” “Then you have already lost.” “Father, My whole life you have looked at me with disappointment. I do not wish to lose you now. But I cannot let me friend die. Not when I have the power to stop it.” His father steps forward. “Don’t forget your legacy… The wind at the back of history.” He gives him the sword.
The episode titles have always appeared superimposed on the scene rather than just flat, but this time it really looks like they made a physical title. I’d like to think they did. In this scene, Sylar is painting the future again, and he sees Peter as the other person with Ted Sprague’s nuclear powers.
Nathan hears the news about Linderman’s death. “This is a terrible tragedy, Nathan.” “Yes, it is.” “But it doesn’t change anything. The plan wasn’t just his. You know that, Congressman.” “Yeah. After the explosion, the city is gonna need me, Ma. America’s gonna need me. The world. This changes nothing.”
Claire phones her father. She’s still with Peter. They tell him about Sylar taking Ted’s power. He tells Peter “You may be the only one who can stop him.” “All we have to do is find him. Any idea where we start?” “There’s a tracking system here. We’re trying to fix it now. As soon as we do, we’ll find him.” “And if you don’t?” “You just stay close to Claire’s phone. OK? I’ll contact you the second we have a location. And whatever you do… you keep Claire safe. You understand?” But Peter drives into an underground car park, where Nathan is waiting. Claire feels betrayed.
Peter goes to talk to Nathan, telling him that Sylar has the nuclear power and he’s the only one who can stop it. But he hears Nathan’s thoughts. “There’s nothing you can do to stop it, Peter. They’re all gonna die.” Meanwhile, Claire gets out of the car and somehow ends up with Peter’s mother. I’m not sure of her motivation for leaving the car.
Peter, having seen that Nathan will do nothing, looks for Claire but can’t find her, and as he’s outside, his power starts overloading again, and he collapses.
Bennet, Matt and Mohinder talk to Molly about locating Sylar. Matt asks about her powers. She tells him she can find almost anyone. But there’s one person she can’t. “Who’s that? Is it someone bad, Molly, like the boogeyman?” “No. He’s a lot worse.” “And why don’t you want to find him?” “Cos when I think about him… he can see me.” I’ve no idea who she’s talking about, so I’m going to assume this is foreshadowing something for the next season.
They locate Sylar in Isaac’s loft, and Bennet phones Claire to tell Peter. But Peter’s mother answers. She says Claire will be safer with her. He talks to Claire. “She’s right. You shouldn’t be here. But as soon as you’re safe out of the city, you try and get away.”
Peter appears to wake up somewhere else – it’s Simone’s father’s apartment. And it’s in the past, as he sees his past self, who has just started working there. They don’t seem to be able to see him.
Charles Devaux is talking to Mrs Petrelli about Nathan. Devaux thinks Peter might be more important. “I look in Peter’s eyes, I see compassion, empathy. But most of all, I see hope. This world won’t be saved on strength. What it really needs is heart, and that’s Peter.” “Charles, don’t get me wrong. I love Peter. But that kid can barely get out of his own way. He’s ruled by insecurities. He’s weak. No, trust me. This bomb is going to go off. And Nathan is going to be the one the world turns to.” “I don’t believe this tragedy’s inevitable.” “Well, then… one of us is going to be right. And one of us won’t.”
She leaves, then Devaux says “I know you’re there, Peter.”
Ando finds Sylar in Isaac’s loft, but he’s helpless against his powers. Hiro teleports in. Sylar taunts him. “All you have to do is stop time before I cut off his head. Do you think you can do your little trick before I can do mine?” Hiro teleports to Ando, then teleports them both away.
Niki finds where Micah is being held, but Candice is there, and she’s looking like Jessica. Micah is lying prone on the floor.
Matt makes it to Isaac’s loft. No Sylar, but he does find the painting Sylar was doing at the start, which rather clearly pinpoints where the nuclear bomb-off is going to happen. This scene appears to be missing from the version of the episode that’s on ITVX. There’s also a short scene with Molly and Mohinder that’s also missing.
Claire argues with Nathan asking how he can do nothing while millions of people die, including his brother. Mrs Petrelli says “We’re offering you everything you’ve ever wanted, Claire. A place to belong. A family.” She says “I already have a family.” And she throws herself out of the window, then, after she hits the ground, gets up and runs off.
Niki is fighting with Candice as Jessica, who’s taunting her. But when she looks at the pieces of a shattered mirror, she sees the actual Jessica here who tells her “Niki that’s not me. Stop her. Find Micah.” Niki says she’s not strong enough, but then punches Candice right across the room. She reverts to her more familiar body, and the illusion of Micah on the floor vanishes. She finds Micah where he was being held. “Mum. Is it really you?” he asks. She looks at the mirror behind him, only sees her own reflection. “It’s me, baby. It’s just me.”
Hiro and Ando have transported back to their office in Japan. I’m guessing they didn’t have this set available, as all the medium shots look like they’re superimposed, like a bad Zoom background. Hiro tells Ando he should stay in Japan, obviously wanting to protect him from dying. He gives him Kensei’s sword. “So you know I’ll be back.” “Your sword?” asks Ando. Hiro quotes: “It is not the sword. It is the man. This man is ready.” I love Hiro.
Charles and Peter are talking. “Am I time travelling? Are you doing this?” “Doesn’t really matter what it is, does it? Only that you’re here now.” “I saw you speaking to my mother. You know about the bomb. You know about everything.” “You came here because you needed to. You needed to hear the truth before you could save the world.” “I save the world?” “You’ve had the power all along, Peter. You just needed to learn how to use it.” “Why me?” “Because there has to be one that’s good. There always has. And your heart has the ability to love unconditionally. Like I told you. In the end, all that really matters… is love.” Then Peter wakes up back in the present as Bennet finds him. Bennet tells him he’ll be there when he faces Sylar, and promises that if Peter goes out of control, he can stop him.
The big showdown doesn’t start well, with Bennet hurled into a pillar almost immediately.
Parkman arrives as Sylar is force-choking Peter and shots several bullets at him, but Sylar stops them and hurls them back at Matt.
Niki, DL, Mohinder, Micah and Molly come out of the building. Niki bashes Sylar with a parking meter.
Peter takes over and throws a few punches, but Sylar just laughs. Then Peter starts glowing. Sylar says “Turns out you’re the villain, Peter. I’m the hero.”
No, Hiro is the Hero. He teleports in, runs in and stabs Sylar with the sword. I would quibble that Sylar had more than enough time to use his telekinetic powers to bat him away, but I’m enjoying this too much.
Peter calls to Hiro. “Hiro!” “Peter Petrelli!” “You can stop this.” “How?” “I need you to kill me.” But Sylar is just alive enough to finally remember his power set, and he throws Hiro right across the square until he teleports just before hitting the building opposite. Sylar’s eye shows him remembering all the people he’d killed before glazing over.
Peter is still overloading. Claire rushes in, grabs her dad’s gun, but now it’s come to this, she can’t do it. “Tell me there’s another way, please.” “Shoot me. There is no other way” says Peter.
But then, from out of the sky, Nathan flies in. “Yes, there is, Claire. The future isn’t written in stone.”
“I took his power, Nathan. I can’t control it. I can’t do anything.” “I’m not leaving you, Peter. There’s another way to end this, and you know it.” “I can’t let you die.” “And I can’t let everyone else. You saved the cheerleader… so we could save the world.” “I love you, Nathan.” “I love you too.” Nathan hugs Peter and they fly off, far above the city, before he explodes. What have I been saying all along? It’s all about the hugs.
It’s not entirely a happy ending, as there’s a trail of blood from where Sylar was lying to a manhole that’s been opened.
But there’s also a tease for Volume Two as Hiro appears back in Japan, but in 1671, and it looks like the hero of his boyhood storybooks, Kensei, is there facing off against a number of samurai. And there’s an eclipse.
So that’s Season One of Heroes. Did they stick the landing? I really think they did. And the weirdest thing is that, I’m fairly sure I watched all of this series when it was on, but during this rewatch I had basically no recollection of how the story went. Which is weird, because I thought this ending was fantastic (of course I was a blubbering mess as soon as Nathan flew in) so I really don’t understand how I don’t remember. Perhaps it’s because I didn’t rewatch it. I remember watching some of season two and feeling a bit like it didn’t match up, but surely I would have watched all of this season? Maybe I’m just getting old. But I’m glad I enjoyed this so much.
Media Centre Description: Drama series in which people all over the world deal with their newly-discovered superpowers. With Isaac’s horrible predictions all unfolding before them, the Heroes face moments of pain and peril in Kirby Plaza with unflinching bravery.
Recorded from BBC TWO on Wednesday 5th December 2007 21:40
BBC Genome: BBC TWO Wednesday 5th December 2007 21:40
After this there’s a trail for The Tudors. Then the recording stops with the start of the next programme.
The next recording being Heroes Unmasked – Finale. Greg Beeman is on location for Sylar’s attack on the prison truck holding Ted Sprague from a couple of episodes ago.
Gary D’Amico: “Usually when we launch a van like this it’s because it’s in a military situation where you have a rocket hitting an army vehicle. But this has been telekinetically lifted so we had to use air. We didn’t want to use pyrotechnics because we didn’t want to see any flash or any smoke.”
Ian Quinn: “Now that we’ve flipped the van, now we’re into the sliding of it where we have it being pushed by a piece of heavy equipment with a limit line on it. So that it cannot go any further than what we want it to.”
Mark Kolpack explains how they used a blue screen on location so Zachary Quinto could be shot standing where the truck pulls to a halt, and they can combine the two shots.
Zachary Quinto: “In order to do that, they put a mark down where I would theoretically be standing. And the stunt was executed so well that the truck flipped and slid and stopped seven feet away from that mark. So it’s going to be perfect when they put the images together.”
Greg Grunberg’s band got to play at the star-studded wrap party.
His band has Hugh Laurie on keyboards. I wasn’t expecting that.
Tim Kring: “This has just been, you know, the thing beyond everybody’s wildest dreams.”
Media Centre Description: Behind the scenes at the drama series Heroes. During one of the final scenes, a night shoot on the streets of LA, the production team discuss the completed series. Even heroes need a break, and the cast and crew enjoy a well-earned after series party. They look forward to the possibilities of series two and speculate on what destiny has in store. Includes Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura), Zachary Quinto (Sylar), Jack Coleman (Mr Bennet) and Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli).
Recorded from BBC TWO on Wednesday 5th December 2007 22:25
BBC Genome: BBC TWO Wednesday 5th December 2007 22:25
After this, there’s the Mr Bennet BBC2 ident. There’s a Christmas trail.
Then the recording stops with the start of Newsnight.
Finally today, a recording that starts with Chris Moyles on a rollercoaster, and trails for The Mighty Boosh and Kizzy: Mum at 14.
Then, our final helping of Heroes today with Heroes Unmasked: The Story So Far. This is basically a lot of talking heads picking their best bits from the show. Let’s see who they’ve interviewed
Fearne Cotton.
Reggie Yates.
Jon Culshaw.
Angela Griffin.
Danny Wallace
Edith Bowman
Russel T Davies
Greg Grunberg
Andrew Collins.
Debbie Chazen
In a segment about fandom, Jonathan Wilkins
Milo Ventimiglia
Jack Coleman
Santiago Cabrera
Bryan Cooney
Sinead Moynihan
Ricky Gervais, who claims that they were after him to appear, but the schedules didn’t work.
Masi Oka. In the section about Hiro, almost all the celebs said Hiro was their favourite.
Marcus Brigstocke.
Jon Holmes
Hugh Dennis.
Steve Jones
Jeph Loeb.
Nora Zehetner
Zachary Quinto.
Sendhil Ramamurthy.
Media Centre Description: A look back at the first series of Heroes, with exclusive contributions from cast and celebrity fans including Fearne Cotton, Reggie Yates, Angela Griffin, Ricky Gervais and Jon Culshaw. Critics and writers Danny Wallace and Andrew Collins look at where Heroes now resides in the sci-fi landscape, and there are snippets from the Heroes world tour, footage from fan conventions and a sneak preview of the second series.
Recorded from BBC THREE on Thursday 6th December 2007 01:48
BBC Genome: BBC THREE Thursday 6th December 2007 01:50
After this there’s a trail for Liverpool Nativity.
A trail for House of Tiny Tearaways.
There’s Chris Moyles on a rollercoaster again, and the recording stops with the start of The Mighty Boosh.