TV clones take charm out of fantasy

0 Comments | USA TODAY, November, 2007 | by Gary Levin

Like clockwork, network hits breed imitators. Lost led to a wave of dark, serialized thrillers. Deal or No Deal sparked a fresh wave of game shows.

And just as regularly, the attack of the clones fails as viewers find that what made the forebears fresh -- an original or at least dormant concept -- gets tapped out.

This fall, it's a surplus of sometimes superheroic fantasy series inspired by NBC's Heroes, and many are drawing disappointing ratings.

A year ago, as networks began developing this fall's new series, Heroes was the hot topic in Hollywood. The drama about a group with unusual powers got off to a fast start, becoming the season's No. 1 new series, averaging 13.6 million viewers.

Networks -- led by NBC itself -- set out to spin...