A 'Heroes' Miniseries?

It seems Heroes — the NBC series that fans loved before it unceremoniously crumbled thanks to poor writing, its kryptonite — has developed a new superpower: regeneration. Because on Saturday, NBC announced a Heroes miniseries will air in 2015. The miniseries, which will boast Heroes creator Tim Kring at the helm, will be called Heroes Reborn and will have 13 episodes before swiftly disappearing from the air again.

It's a surprising announcement for fans of the initial series — after its first season, Heroes quickly became a critical and commercial failure, becoming reviled by former devotees that went from loving the series to hoping it was canceled faster than a speeding bullet. But it seems Kring might have found a workaround: By introducing a new slew of heroes (no Mohinder? Oh thank god) with new storylines, Kring gets the chance to experience Season 1 glory all over again. (Seems he might have learned a lesson or two from Ryan Murphy, who found success in his standalone American Horror Story season formula after critics pinpointed his post-freshman season struggles.)

But what reason is the network giving for Heroes' revival? Said NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke in a statement:

The enormous impact Heroes had on the television landscape when it first launched in 2006 was eye-opening. Shows with that kind of resonance don’t come around often and we thought it was time for another installment.

Salke might claim that shows like Heroes don't come along often, but the other networks might beg to differ: After all, the TV market is already saturated with superhero-fronted series like ABC's The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The CW's Arrow, and Netflix's four upcoming series about Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Daredevil. But even though the miniseries seems like a chance for NBC to capitalize on pop culture's unyielding love of superheroes, there's little denying that the series, in its first season, was legitimately great. So perhaps this is less a ploy to cash in on a trend, and more an attempt to remind us that NBC brought us fantastic television in 2006?

And maybe the miniseries will be the right thing for NBC, and fantasy-hungry audiences. Heroes Reborn might not have a cast or a plot yet, but those watching the Olympics on Saturday got a very, very short glimpse into the series. Watch the TV spot below:

Image: NBC