New series give powers to the people

0 Comments | USA TODAY, August, 2007 | by Bill Keveney

The networks are looking for more heroes to come to their rescue.

Heroes gave viewers "ordinary people with extraordinary powers," and it gave NBC the most-watched new show and the only first-year drama nominated for an Emmy.

So this fall, viewers will see more regular folk sporting special powers, including a turbocharged bartender (NBC's Bionic Woman), a journalist who travels through time (NBC's Journeyman), a vampire private investigator (CBS' Moonlight) and two big-box store slackers who become unlikely agents of the government (NBC's Chuck) and the devil (CW's Reaper).

Heroes helped open the door to science fiction and fantasy themes once considered of niche interest, says Katherine Pope, president of Universal Media Studios, which produces...