Canceled: 'Heroes,' 'Law & Order,' 'FlashForward'

Some major axes were swung at the TV networks this week, particularly at NBC. That's no surprise; it's not only the worst-run and worst-performing major network, it also has the fewest high quality shows.

If you don't read TV By the Numbers, you should; it's the best resource around for behind-the-scenes TV news and ratings. That's where I first read that Heroes was given its walking papers. It's really a shame, because Heroes is just a massive amount of wasted potential. It could have been the next Lost, but after that first season, it took a massive hit to the ratings, from which it never recovered, and it gambled with storylines too early. Heroes joins the Law & Order series, which ran for 20 years. SVU is still on, and now we're getting Law & Order: LA, so suck it, CSI! Also gone from the Peacock are Trauma and Mercy, failing to recapture that E/R groove. Chuck, however, will live to fight another year. Or at least 13 episodes. Or at least they'll film 13 episodes. Or at least 13 have been ordered.

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NBC Wants Fewer Episodes of 'Heroes' Next Year

Ad Age reports that we'll likely see a truncated season of Heroes next year, a result of never fully regaining its rookie season buzz following the writer's strike of 2007-2008 and the growing prominence of condensed seasons of other multi-layered and exceptionally pricy operations like Lost and 24.

NBC will look to trim the number of episodes it orders from 25 this year to 18 or 20 next season, which will save the network money, both in production costs and external marketing. It also alleviates some of the pressure of being a high-priced show that hasn't been performing as well in the past two seasons, averaging fewer than eight million viewers per week this season.

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The Big Picture Interview with Ali Larter

After starting out with a whipped cream bikini in Varsity Blues, Ali Larter has appeared in the Final Destination and Resident Evil flicks, plus her starring role on Heroes. But she's always fought for good. The rules have changed for her new movie, Obsessed.

Larter plays a temp who falls for her boss (Idris Elba), only the feeling's not mutual. Having Beyoncé Knowles waiting at home might have something to do with that. The Big Picture talked to Larter about fighting with one of the world's most recognizable women and playing a certifiable lunatic. Big Picture: Cynically, you could say that characters like Lisa come along fairly often in movies and they all seem to hit similar notes. How did you go about creating something new here, especially since she does kind of have to hit those same notes to meet the audience's expectations? Ali Larter: I had a lot of discussions with the producers, figuring out why she does what she does, and making sure that this character was believable so you could understand her point of view. The movie on the whole to me is an imaginary office romance that has disastrous consequences. We tried to examine the different points of view of the people involved. We had to figure out what made her feel what she feels and we had to make Derek - Idris Elba's character - gives her enough reason to believe that he was in love with her. She kind of goes down this path of delusion and the audience might find it's irrational behavior, but to her it has to be completely rational.

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Watch 'Twilight' Clip from 'Heroes,' Meet Three Vampires in Scottsdale

Last night, as promised, a bit of footage from Twilight was shown during Heroes. Twilight is no doubt becoming one of the season's most talked about films, and although I haven't loved the stuff I've seen in some of the trailers and even in the footage that was part of the Scream Awards last month, I think this minute-long clip is about as good a sales job as you could hope for, particularly during a show like Heroes. In other Heroes news, the vampires are touring the country and they'll be hitting Phoenix (OK, Scottsdale) tomorrow. In San Francisco, the crowd got a bit rowdy, so I've been advised that preventative measures are being taken at Scottsdale Fashion Square for the Wednesday afternoon autograph signing and Q & A session with Taylor Lautner, Edi Gathegi, and Rachelle Lefevre. It will begin around 5pm, and The Big Picture will be there moderating the Q & A, so if you've got a question - someone apparently asked Robert Pattinson to bite her at one of these events - think of a good one and we'll see you tomorrow at 5pm at the Hot Topic in Scottsdale Fashion Square. Get there early to make sure you pick up a Twilight tour shirt before the event happens so you can guarantee your place in line. Oh yeah, and Twilight will be in theaters on November 21st.

Two 'Heroes' Producers Fired in Shake-Up

Struggling to find consistent ratings and leaving fans turned off by developments in the show's third season, Heroes has parted ways with co-executive producers Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb. Variety reports that the pair were axed because of NBC's "frustration with the creative direction of the show." Financial concerns might have also played a part in duo's firing; the word is episodes were costing over their $4 million budget.Loeb and Alexander had been writers and producers on Heroes since its first season, and had worked under the show's creator and fellow executive producer Tim Kring in the day-to-day operations of the show.Even though Heroes is still attracting 5 million viewers in the coveted 18-49 demographic every week, NBC and Universal Media Studios, have decided a change near the top was in order. One wonders how short the leash will be on the show moving forward.