The WGA strike has caused various shows to shut down, but this doesn’t mean that all have stopped working on developing their respective programs in other media. For one, NBC’s Heroes, a series that has successfully utilized other media to further its plotlines, has been continuously delivering itself to fans despite the strike, not only through the new graphic novels, but also through the supplementary site, “Heroes Evolutions.”
“Heroes Evolutions” is a digital extension of the hit show that further explores the Heroes universe and mythology. One of the people working hard to constantly develop the monumental project is NBC senior producer Joe Tolerico.
“We strive to make sure that there is something for all of the Heroes fans on a regular basis,” Tolerico said in an interview with Heroes Wiki, “and work closely with the show to make sure that online storylines cross paths with those on-air in unexpected ways. We also like to keep all the plates spinning on the different platforms as much as possible.”
Tolerico serves as the project manager of “Heroes Evolutions,” but notes that he works with a well-oiled team to keep the sites updated and running smoothly.
“It really ‘takes a village,’” he said. “There are many people who work on ‘Heroes Evolutions.’ For some it is suggestions of storylines, for others it is producing new and original video pieces and for still others it’s about negotiating deals with great comic book writers! All in all there are about 20 people who touch the product in one way or another.”
Originally, the online Heroes content was known as “Heroes 360,” but Tolerico said that they decided to change the name to make it more representative of their aim.
“360 is so 2006!… In all honesty the term was used to help us explain to executives how all encompassing we can be, and how we can tie into the show and online,” he explained. “So when we sat down this fall and started brainstorming ideas for Season 2, we all came up with a list of names and sent them up the ladder for review. “Evolutions” was agreed upon as the closest description of what we were aiming to accomplish: a gradual process in which something changes into a different, and usually more complex or better form.”
In looking forward, Tolerico is hoping there will be more “show integration” and crossovers.
“We’d like to have more characters from the show interfacing with fans,” he said.
-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Heroes Wiki
(Image Courtesy of NBC)
Staff Columnist, BuddyTV
