Though I haven't gotten much enjoyment from the show this season, I'm still surprised by how many mea culpas "Heroes" showrunner Tim Kring offered in this interview with Entertainment Weekly. He falls on his 17th-century Japanese sword about the pace of the show, the way some new characters were introduced and choices of storyline, even suggesting that the show can't really do romance. I think this is what they call "a funk."

In one sense, I think Kring is over-apologizing. Not all the faults he mentions were such a big deal. In another, I think he's under-apologizing, because he doesn't mention what seems to be the longest-running problem with "Heroes": How bland the characters (and in turn the acting) can be.

Even when exciting things happen, they happen to unexciting people. Brows furrow, threats get spat out in "this time we really mean it" fashion. But there's very little emotional complexity and even less joy.

Saving the world has consumed the characters. On the surface, that makes sense — wouldn't you drop everything if life itself were in jeopardy? Yet with few exceptions, this has robotized the characters (Is there a line one would say that another wouldn't deliver the exact same way?) and leaves the show entirely dependent on the quality of the save-the-world stories, and as Kring admits, those have been hit-and-miss.

In contrast, even though "Lost" has its own set of major stakes, it has rarely failed to nurture the personal sides of its characters.  Even when it's life-or-death out there, life goes on.

Compounding the problem is that the primary "Heroes" characters who do get a semblance of a personal life, such as Hiro and Claire, haven't had very interesting ones. Even Peter and Caitlin have shown little connection in their budding romance outside of their shared life-or-death stakes. As for Noah, Matt, Nathan, Niki, Mohinder: Can't these kids have any fun at all?

In its efforts to ramp up the show's pace (putting the WGA strike aside for a moment), I would hate to see "Heroes" get even more intense. What's the point of saving the world if you can't smell its roses?

— Jon Weisman

The potential length of the WGA walkout has created an unwritten category for TiVo owners: strike rations.

Those are the shows that you programmed with a Season Pass during more optimistic times but stopped feeling compelled to make time for. Normally, they build up until — depending on the size of your DVR — there's a festering (5) or (10) next to the show's episode count, or TiVo deletes them to make room for new programming.

But the possible shortfall of first-rate, first-run TV during the WGA strike is compelling many of us to pay closer attention to hanging onto the would-be discards.  Just as an example, here some the strike rations I may be turning to for sustenance:

"Men in Trees": After watching every episode in its first season and feeling it slip as it progressed, I put off returning to "Trees" this year.  But they're there on the TiVo, waiting to fill a light drama hole.

"My Name Is Earl": An example of a comedy that rarely makes me laugh out loud but is mostly pleasant. I tend to watch these in bunches anyway.

"Reaper": One of my favorite 2007-08 pilots fell into "I'll watch it when I have time" status after about three or four episodes. I still like the characters and the energy, so I actually look forward to checking it out again.

The strike will also preserve some Season Passes for shows that I've been watching more out of compulsion than actual joy, such as "Heroes." But for those looking for a silver lining in the strike, revisiting past favorites could be the ticket.

— Jon Weisman

How lame has "Heroes" been this season? Let us count the ways...

1. The flashbacks to 1600s Japan. In theory, showing Hiro come face to face with his historic hero (Kensei) could've been cool. But then the producers decided to make Kensei a drunken English mercenary. Whaaa? Maybe it'll turn out that Hiro is actually the real Kensei...but so far, the attempts at comedy have been clumsy. The show's best character needs to get back to the future-- now.

2. What's with all the subtitles. On "Lost," the Korean subtitles have grown less frequent as characters learn English. On "Heroes," not only is the Japanese still comin', but now there are two characters who speak Spanish. Great, more subtitles! Maybe next the cheerleader could take French classes. Anyway, what was once kinda cool is now just annoying.

3. Enough with the really bad product placement. Four words: "Oh, Dad! The Rogue?!" Right-- because a new crossover from Nissan is what every teen girl wants these days. And while we're on the promo soapbox, how 'bout you cut back on the constant on-screen promos for "Heroes" comicbooks, websites, cookbooks, plush toys.... One promo tells viewers to "discover more while you watch" by going to NBC.com. I'm sorry, NBC, but this season is confusing enough without surfing over to "Heroes" websites while I try to figure out this show. (Of course, I'm composing this blog post while watching episode three, but still....)

4. How about some new villains to go with the 50 billion new heroes? There's no Syler, no Mama Petrelli. Gimme someone to boo and hiss, please!

5. Stop telling so many stories. You need a flowchart, an atlas and a dictionary to keep up with all the plotlines, locations and languages on the show this season. Instead of throwing out so many ideas, why not focus on one or two really good ones?

"Heroes" was very much a guilty pleasure for me last season. I tolerated the less-than-amazing writing and over-the-top acting because the storylines moved quickly, the concept was cool, and it was all mindless fun. Then came the confused mess of a season finale, in which producers failed to pay off any of the major storylines-- indicating that maybe they were making things up as they went along.

I hoped this season would get off to a rousing start, returning the show to its Saturday morning serial best. Instead, I'm more confused by the show than ever, and-- most worrisome of all-- just plain bored. That's one thing I've never been with "Lost." Even when it went off on a tangent, the show's characters remained compelling, and the writing among the best on TV.

Fair warning, "Heroes": You're getting dangerously close to being dropped from my Season Pass list.

— Josef Adalian

What'er the only two new shows to crack TiVo's top 50 Season Pass (no relation) rankings?

Surprise, surprise: "Private Practice" and "Bionic Woman." ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff "Practice" (pictured left) ranks No. 18 on TiVo's ranking of most its most popular Season Pass settings, in which the whiz-bang DVR grabs all original segs of a designated series."Bionic" (pictured below) ranks No. 43 on the list.

TiVo's Season Pass top 10, not surprisingly, closely corresponds to the Nielsen top 10: "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives," "House," "Lost," "CSI," "Heroes," "American Idol," "24," "The Office" and "CSI: Miami." Pretty sad to see only one comedy on the list; god bless "The Office."

A little surprising to see ABC's big buzz show "Pushing Daisies" not make the top 100, particularly after last night's solid preem. NBC's "Journeyman" ranks head-scratchingly high at No. 54, followed by ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money" (No. 55); Fox's "Back to You" (No. 65); CBS' "Cane" (No. 70); NBC's "Chuck" (No. 75); PBS' Ken Burns mini "The War" (No. 76); CBS' "Kid Nation" (No. 89); and ABC's "Big Shots" (No. 95).

Last fall the only newcomer to crack the top 50 was NBC's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," and we all know what happened there...

--Cynthia Littleton

The big winners of Monday: ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" and NBC's "Heroes."

NBC's "Chuck" and CBS' "Big Bang Theory" (pictured left) qualify for OK starts -- not terrific but not terrible.

On the not-so-hot side, NBC's "Journeyman," which didn't make much of its "Heroes" lead-in. And CBS' "CSI: Miami" was surprisingly sluggish in its premiere, though it did still win its 10 p.m. time slot by a comfortable margin.

The 8-9:30 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars" was the night's most-watched program with 21.2 million hoofers tuning in. "Dancing" was also second for the night in the adults 18-49 demo derby to NBC's "Heroes" ("Heroes" pulled 6.5 rating/15 share and 14.1 million viewers; "Dancing" scored 5.8/15 in the demo.)

"Chuck's" maiden voyage at 8 p.m. averaged 9.3 million viewers and 3.6/9 in 18-49. At 8:30 p.m. "Big Bang Theory" grew from its "How I Met Your Mother" lead-in to finish out with 9.6 million and 3.7/9, coming out of "Mother's" 8.3 million and 3.2/9.

"Journeyman" fell from its "Heroes" lead-in to 9.5 million viewers and 3.7/9. "CSI: Miami" was off its usual game in its sixth season opener with an average of 14.8 million viewers and 4.6/12.

Bragging rights for the night went to ABC in both key measures of viewers (15.4 million average for the night) and adults 18-49 (4.7/12, narrowly beating NBC's 4.6/11).

Click here for a complete rundown of Monday night ratings follies from Variety ratings guru and Season Pass contributor Rick Kissell.

--Cynthia Littleton

Jessica Collins: The name so nice, they cast it twice.

Last year, ABC chose Jessica Collins (left) to play one of the hostages in its ballyhooed drama, "The Nine." WIth all the positive press heaped upon that pilot by this time in 2006, Collins' name figured to grace the Alphabet network for years.

And in a way, that's still a possibility.

"The Nine" failed to last the 2006-07 TV season, but undaunted, ABC has again dipped into the Jessica Collins well -- and pulled out a different Jessica Collins.  This Collins (right), a former recurring guest on such shows as "American Dreams" and "Tru Calling," will appear on ABC's "Big Shots" as Marla, the mistress of Joshua Malina's character.

Normally, the Screen Actors Guild requires a performer with the same name as a predecessor in the union to alter their moniker in some fashion, either by adding an initial or with a wholesale change, but apparently it hasn't come to this yet for the Jessicas.

Don't fret about the fate of ABC's first Jessica, however. She'll appear on the season premiere of NBC's "Heroes" on Sept. 24 -- three days before "Big Shots" bows. Crossover episode, anyone?

— Jon Weisman

I’m a longtime fan of the following actors — Jimmy Smits, Julianna Margulies, Hugh Jackman, Kelsey Grammer, Michael Vartan, Anthony Anderson, Kate Walsh, Jean Smart and Julie White — all of whom have new shows this fall. And that’s why it’s so disappointing that I don’t like any of their new shows. I was determined to enjoy all of them, I promise.

At least Grammer’s sitcom “Back to You,” Anderson’s “K-Ville” and laffer “Samantha Who?” (on which Smart has a supporting role) showed enough promise to entice me to check out at least one more episode.

The big misfires were Smits’ “Cane,” Margulies’ “Canterbury’s Law,” Vartan’s “Big Shots,” Walsh’s “Grey’s Anatomy” spinoff “Private Practice,” “Cavemen” (White has a supporting role) and “Viva Laughlin,” on which Jackman serves as exec producer and guest star. (In fairness, the reshot pilot of “Private Practice” has been better receieved than the inane “backdoor” episode of “Grey’s” that aired in May.)

And while they might not have been my thing, all of the above-mentioned shows had at least one supporter among our Season Pass panel, save “Canterbury’s Law,” which has thumbs down across the board so far.

It’s easy to be flip when shows turn out to be clunkers, but it’s a reminder of just how serendipitous it is when all the elements come together on a pilot: development, casting, staffing, timeslot, marketing and the factor that cannot be controlled — audience support.

I wish the best for the actors involved and it’ll be interesting to see how their shows fare. And what do I know anyway? Last year I discounted “Heroes” and pegged “The Class” as a surefire winner.

— Kathy Lyford

Whatever the virtues of the new CW high school sudser "Gossip Girl" might be, there was one nagging question that persisted for me: Shouldn't Veronica Mars be out solving mysteries at her own school instead of talking oh-so-coyly about the follies of someone else's?

The dissonance arises from the use of Kristen Bell, mere months after the demise of her CW cult favorite "Veronica Mars," as the unseen narrator of "Gossip."  Bell also provided the ongoing voiceover for her own adventures on "Mars," and if the CW expects us to forget that voice so quickly, the network perhaps has underestimated its small but devoted audience.

It's just too soon - know what I mean? Veronica's body is not even cold yet.

Perhaps Bell has such diehard fans that they'll watch her -- or listen to her -- in anything, but it strikes me that by including Bell on "Gossip" and inviting the comparison, the CW and showrunner Josh Schwartz are in effect challenging their core viewers to find their new show to be better than "Mars." That's a gambit that might be futile. 

Of course, the whole reason "Mars" isn't around anymore is that it had such low ratings, so it's not as if there's loads of viewers at stake. Much of the reason for launching a new show like "Gossip" is to draw in new auds. Still, "Gossip" has to start somewhere when it comes to gaining ratings traction, and I can't help wondering if it has imprudently risked alienating potential fans by reminding them of their fair show now departed.

Moreover, "Gossip" has to face the prospect of Bell overload, now that she has been cast in a recurring role on NBC's "Heroes."

All in all, "Gossip" will live and die on its own merits, but I think it should have taken the opportunity to completely carve out its own space, rather than link so overtly to a show that many are bitter ended up in the TV graveyard.

— Jon Weisman

Welcome to Season Pass, Variety.com’s blog for dishing about fall’s new scripted TV shows.
We wanted to give readers a wide range of opinions on the fall fare so eight of us spent a good chunk of our summer watching all of it. We like to complain, but it was really kind of fun.

Each of us has rated all the shows using four categories:

Love it, setting a season pass now

Worth another try

OK, but not for me

Won't watch again

"Reaper" (below) was one show that took us all by surprise. I did not expect to like it and it ended up being one of my favorites

The shows that rated the highest (one or two thumbs up) among our group of TV junkies were: ABC’s “Pushing Daisies” (seven season passes), NBC’s “Chuck” (four season passes), the CW’s “Reaper” (six season passes), CBS’ “Big Bang Theory” (three season passes), the CW’s “Gossip Girl,” (one season pass), Fox’s “Back To You” (one season pass) and CBS’ midseason entry “Swingtown” (one season pass).

See the chart for more details.

Our opinions are meant as a guide only. We encourage you to give all the shows a try and see for yourself what shows speak to you.

We’ll be blogging after each episode to track the shows’ progress. And we’ll weigh in on topics related to the season.

Have fun and happy channel surfing!