Content Repetition

The debate between USA’s The 4400 and NBC’s Heroes is a perfect example of topics brought up in Richards Butch’s reading this week. His article discussed the how television content is affected by advertising pressure, production costs, and risk factors in producing shows. Many times when watching television we are bombarded by the same type of shows. Television networks constantly face the difficulty of veering away from the norm and producing something completely different. In Butsch’s article, he states that “to avoid risk, network executives have chosen programs that repeat the same images of class decade after decade” (2003), but how far does this repetition extend. In 2004, the USA network created a television show called The 4400. This show was a sci-fi show like no other. To understand what this show is about watch this video.



Some of you familiar with Heroes may have notice similarities between this show and Heroes. Two years after the premiere of The 4400, NBC released its own version called Heroes. While a fan of both shows myself, I can’t help but discredit Heroes because of its stolen ideas. The 4400 started with people having special abilities and were on a quest to find out where they came from and how they could use their gifts for the greater good. As the show when on, one character was able to manufacture promison, which was a shot used to give people abilities. Soon after this plot developed, characters in Heroes also discovered a way to give abilities to everyone. While having two good shows on air should be every fan’s wish, the problem that arose was the cancellation of The 4400. NBC’s wider audience and appeal made its show more successful, despite the fact that they borrowed ideas from the USA’s executives.

In my opinion, The 4400 involved more skilled actors, better story lines, more mystery, and much less confusing time travel. NBC piggy-backed on the success of The 4400 in order to attract its audience and eventually run The 4400 off the air. For further reading on this controversy over Heroes exploitation of The 4400 read this article: http://www.giftsandfreeadvice.com/free_advice/nbc-heroes-rips-off-the-4400-too-much/

Works cited:
Butsch, R. (2003). Ralph, Fred, Archie, and Homer: Why Television Keeps Re-creating the White Male Working-Class Buffoon. In Gail Dines & Jean M. Humez (Eds.), Gender, Race, and Class inMmedia (pp. 403-412). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

By Laura Vandenberg