Down the Tubes My Hero News Archive

DENNIS IS OUTNUMBERED!
24/8/07: Hugh Dennis (My Hero's Doctor Crispin), Claire Skinner and Samantha Bond star in BBC1's new comedy Outnumbered, a new comedy about the daily chaos of family life; about two parents and three young children, locked in an unequal contest. Outnumbered is written by the creators of the news satire show Drop The Dead Donkey, Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton.
Airing weekly from Tuesday 28 August at 10.35pm on BBC One across six half-hour episodes, viewers witness an honest portrayal of the well-meaning parental incompetence that happens in most homes, as a beleaguered mum and dad attempt to raise their kids with the minimum of emotional damage for all concerned.
The series – Jenkin and Hamilton's first collaboration in eight years – contains elements of improvisation. David Ryall (The League Of Gentlemen's Apocalypse) and Hattie Morahan (Sense And Sensibility) also star.
Outnumbered is written, directed and produced by Andy Hamilton (Trevor's World Of Sport, Bedtime) and Guy Jenkin (Crossing The Floor, Jeffrey Archer – The Truth).
Produced by Hat Trick, makers of Have I Got News for You, It was commissioned by Lucy Lumsden, BBC Controller Comedy Commissioning. The Executive Producer for the BBC is Jon Rolph.

BBC AMERICA REACHES 50 MILLION HOMES
3/10/06: Digital Spy reports that BBC America, which screens My Hero in the US is now available in more than 50 million households.
The channel recently bought a number of ITV shows including Stephen Gallagher's science thriller The Eleventh Hour starring Patrick Stewart -- sadly cancelled after just one series -- the spooky afterlife and and the comedy drama Northern Lights.
In addition to buying other shows such as Freemantle's Hardware and How Clean Is Your House, BBC America is also now co-producing several shows.
"I'm delighted that BBC America is delivering such a strong line up to more homes than ever before," said BBC America general manager Kathryn Mitchell. "Our ratings demonstrate that there’s a real hunger for the range and quality of our distinctive comedies and dramas."

'BELIEVE' MOVED TO SUNDAY SCREENING
2/9/06: British fans of My Hero will have to wait until Sunday 10 September to see the final episode of season six.
The BBC pulled the show from its schedule in its Friday line-up, replacing the comedy with an episode of Out Take TV on 8 September. Believe, the final episode of season six, will screen at 6.20 on BBC1 on Sunday 10 September.
The move is probably the result of either schedulers simply having one of their 'tinkers' with the channel's timetable, or in response to what they may see as a poor showing for My Hero in the Friday time slot.
Ratings for the series have been hit by a double whammy of strong audience performance by Channel 4's reality show Big Brother and adjustment to a new lead for the show, but despite dropping out of the Top 75 shows as Big Brother reached its climax, My Hero was back in the viewing charts on 25 August, as predicted by show producer John Stroud (see episode guide).
Written by Gary Lawson and John Phelps, Beleive finds George's body beginning to malfunction. Dropping villages, smashing through walls and involuntarily punching people are not part of Thermoman's job description, so Arnie is forced to carry out a full body MOT. The results? George's Confidometer is extremely low.
A crash course in self-help literature boosts George's confidence enormously, but he turns into the life counsellor from hell – and a big-headed Ultronian is no good to anyone...

MY HERO NO MORE
25/9/06: downthetubes is sorry to report that My Hero is no more.
"The BBC have said - very graciously I have say - no more My Heros thank you," says series creator Paul Mendelson says, in an email thanking dtb for its coverage of the show. "Thank you so much for your unwavering support over the years.
"I hope My Hero lives on (I think there's going to be DVD's) - and hopefully one day it will be re-formated somewhere.
It seems the double whammy of a new lead for the show - James Dreyfus - who, based on the ratings, did not appeal to the general public or the show's fan base, and the show's low ratings up against Channel 4's Big Brother were the reasons for the show's cancellation.
I'm sure every My Hero here will join me in thanking everyone involved in the show for bringing so much enjoyment down the years and we all look forward to seeing what Big Bear Films come up with next. This includes a new BBC2 comedy seriesin development called Mud, written by Ian Brown and James Hendrie (My Family, Home Again) and Me and Mr Bones, another new comndey by My Hero writer Katie Douglas, a prize-winning writer who has several original TV projects in development.
• DVDs of both series of Hairy Bikers were released by the BBC on 15 May 2006: Click here to buy them from Amazon.co.uk
• Buy The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook from amazon.co.uk

SUCCESS FOR LOSING IT
25/9/06: My Hero creator Paul Mendelson has told downthetubes he is delighted with both the ratings and acclaim for Losing It, the recently-transmitted ITV drama about a man facing life with testicular cancer starring Martin Clunes.
Clearly pleased the success may well mean further opportunities for writing more drama, Mendelson told dtb "the response was fantastic, the best reviews I've ever had. And to get over five million watching a play about testicular cancer is very heartening for me.
"ITV are - apparently - very pleased. (And I of course am hugely grateful to ITV)."

MY HERO NOT OVER
20/8/06, updated 21/8/06: My Hero producer says that the show's future remains undecided even though the BBC is trailing the final episode of the season as " final episode of the superhero comedy" in its advance publicity. "I think they mean final episode of the series," he told downthetubes.
Ratings for the show continue to yo yo: Sidekick did not figure in the Top 75 shows after airing last week (11 August). "We've been hit by the penultimate and (I expect) finale of Big Brother," John says. "It will be interesting to see what happens next week now it's over."

DREYFUS SCORES WITH MY HERO FANS
15/8/06: Fans of My Hero have taken James Dreyfus to heart according to series producers Big Bear. "James seems to be going down very well," the show's producer and director John Stroud told downthetubes. "Audiences seem to have no trouble accepting him as the new George.
Commenting on ratings for the new series, "What's hit us hard is of course Big Brother," says John, referring to the popular Channel Four entertainment show. "Our ratings have been well up one week and down the next.
"I think once BB ends this week we'll get a better idea of how the show's working."
John also revealed a snippet about recording My Kingdom for a Cat, which saw Thermoman turn (partly) into a cat and involved several scenes with live felines. We wondered just how many takes were required, knowing how difficult cats can be.
"Ah, the hidden mysteries of television," John laughs. "And superglue. (No, we didn't, honestly...)
"I can't remember the exact number," he admits, "but I do remember the cat causing fewer retakes than some of the actors!"

MY HERO BOUNCES BACK WITH THIRD EPISODE
8/8/06: Overnight ratings for the third episode of My Hero were reported as 3.9 million viewers and a 20% share, a welcome rise on episode two's final figures. It's true - cats do attaract viewers! The final figures will be published later this week.

RATINGS WOE FOR MY HERO?
5/8/06: Convincing fans of My Hero to accept James Dreyfus as the new Thermoman looks like it will be a hard slog, as ratings for the second episode fell to 3.2 million.
Here's One I Made Earlier dropped to an 18.48% audience share in all homes according to BARB figures, although it remains in the Top 75 shows and was Number 8 in the Top Ten Entertainment Shows for the week.
The BBC continues to promote the series, and the latest episode, My Kingdom for a Cat, was, story-wise, largely on a par with some of My Hero's best episodes of past seasons. It was written by Katie Douglas, a prize-winning writer who has several original TV projects in development according to her agent, including a new comedy show for My Hero producers Big Bear, entitled Me and Mr Bones.
• My Hero Season Six Episode Guide

MY HERO RATINGS DROP, BUT HOLD STEADY
29/7/06: Ratings for the first new episode of My Hero screened on BBC1 are down on last year - but on a par with reduced audiences for all British terrestrial TV as more homes move to digital television and competition for viewers grows ever fiercer.
Ratings for the first episode were 3.46 milion viewers, gaining a 20.43% audience share in all homes according to figures from BARB, on a par with Only Fools on Horses, the celebrity horse riding show screened in the same slot the previous week. The ratings are lower than the opening episode of season five, which recorded 5.66 million viewers.
Despite a much more difficult television environment (total multichannel viewing was 33.3% for the week compared with 29.6% last year, indicating how much TV audiences are beginning to fragment), the episode gained a 20.43% audience share (compared with and a 23.43% audience share last year) and was rated the third most popular entertainment show of the week, only behind the two National Lottery prize draw shows.
One worrying element in the ratings could be the significant drop in My Hero audiences in multichannel homes, down from 24.97% last year to 18.23%.
Reaction to James Dreyfus as the new Thermoman has been mixed, with some fans clearly missing Ardal O'Hanlon, while fans of Dreyfus from Gimme Gimme Gimme and Thin Blue Line have welcomed his arrival.
Some critics were also fierce in their condemnation of the show, but since many of them have never liked My Hero whoever plays him, there is little change there...
• My Hero Season Six Episode Guide

KELMAN ON LOCATION
29/7/06: Ultronian postman Pat Kelman recently performed in a short film, Help, for the South West Screen Digital Shorts Programme. It was filmed in Cornwall for director Danny Spring.
Kelman played the lead role of Oscar in what's described as a quirky, fun, romantic piece which premiered in Cornwall last month.
Pat has also been gaining much critical acclaim for Encounters: Speed Dating Can Hurt which he directed and has been shown at several film festivals.
• More details on Pat's official web site: www.patkelman.com

HIDDEN TERRORS FOR DREYFUS
24/7/06: James Dreyfus has spoken candidly about taking on the role of Thermoman, revealing a continued fear of the studio audience when it comes to doing any tv comedy work.
Speaking to The Manchester Evening News he revealedf that when first asked to do the show and take over from Ardal O'Hanlon, he hadn't seen any of it.
"I asked for some tapes, watched them and said, 'Well, if you make the character completely different to how it was - because I can't do what Ardal does - then I'll do it'."
His reasons for taking on the challenge were pragmatic, he told the paper. "Number one it's a job. Number two, it wasn't like the nasty camp character from Gimme, Gimme, Gimme - it's a mixture. It's still that high-octane comedy that I like, but it's also slapstick. I've never played a family man before and I enjoyed it.
"I got on incredibly well with Emily Joyce, who plays my wife," he revealed, "and I think we have a real chemistry."
The actor reveals he has a fear of studio audiences, however. "That never gets any easier."
"My biggest worry was that people weren't going to accept the change," he admits, "but they seemed to on the night. I've done so many of these audience shows and it's always the same. When you realise you have a good crowd in there, the panic goes and it turns into fun. But if it doesn't work out very well, it's the longest evening of your life."
• Read the whole interview on the Manchester Eevning News web site

MY HERO CREATOR PLUGS NEW SEASON
17/7/06: My Hero creator just sent us this amiable plug for the new season...

Batman returned. Superman is returning.

But only one superhero returns 51 times!

'How does My Hero keep getting recommissioned?' - The Daily Mail

'Pick of the Day' -- The Daily Telegraph, The Sun, The Daily Express, The Daily Star, TV Times, The People, News of The World etc, etc...

'Soft-centred sit-com. Amiable enough for whoever its devotees may be' -- The Sunday Times.

'A masterpiece' -- Mrs. Mendelson (82), Hatch End

James Dreyfus takes over the mantle of the best superhero in - the Borough of Ealing.

THERMOMAN RETURNS.

AGAIN

Series 6 starts Friday July 21st. BBC1. 8.30 pm.

You'll believe a pillock can fly!

MY HERO SEASON 6 DEBUTS
4/7/06: My Hero Season 6 will begin on BBC1 on Friday 21 July, starting at 8.30pm. This new season stars James Dreyfus (Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Hell's Kitchen) as George Sunday, aka suburban superhero Thermoman. Emily Joyce returns as long suffering wife Janet.
In Footloose, the first episode, when George pops back to Ultron for a game of poker he loses more than the shirt off his back – he loses his back as well as the rest of his body. James Dreyfus dons Thermoman's tights and is thrown into saving the world from more disasters.
He also has to deal with the domestic chaos that surrounds his wife, Janet, and their two super-intelligent children. As George tries to return to married life, Janet finds herself living with a man she's never even seen before.
The cast also features Hugh Dennis, Geraldine McNulty, Lill Roughley, Phil Whitchurch, Lou Hirsch and Tim Wylton.

DVD DELAYS
22/5/06: Several people have kindly written to advise the planned Season One release of My Hero on DVD has been cancelled -- both Region 1 and Region 2 releases.
downthetubes spoke to Big Bear Productions who make the show, and it appears there is some background issue they hope to get resolved, so the release can go ahead.
"There was the probability of a delay for technical/legal reasons (which are being sorted), but not as far as I know a cancellation," says My Hero producer John Stroud.
We'll keep fans posted via the web site and the Yahoo group on further developments.

THERMOMAN WEEK ON PAUL O'GRADY
15/5/06: -- or rather, Ardal O'Hanlon and James Dreyfus will be on the Paul O'Grady show on Channel Four at 5.00pm on Tuesday and Thursday respectively!

NEW SHOW FOR MENDELSON
24/4/06: My Hero creator Paul Mendelson tells downthetubes he's just finishing off production on a 90 minute movie for ITV called Losing It, starring Martin Clunes as an advertising executive, Phil MacNaughtan, and Holly Aird stars as his wife, Nancy.
"I'm doing it through the excellent Clerkenwell Films, who also make Afterlife, he reveals. "It stars Martin Clunes, Holly Aird (Waking The Dead) and James Lance (Teachers) and is based on my own experiences in the late 1980's as an advertising copywriter who contracts testicular cancer.
"I have no idea when it will be screened, but hopefully it will get publicity as I want it to save lives as well as further my career!
"It's a comedy drama about how life doesn't stop when a member of the family has a serious illness, either for him or the people around him, how one person's illness is the family's illness and it shows how we don't always behave the way we would wish to behave."Mendelson adds. "Work still has to be done, bosses placated, clients handled, bills paid and family cared for."
The drama is directed by Ben Bolt and produced by Murray Ferguson.
“It's a sensitively written, entertaining drama that has a difficult and often overlooked subject at its heart, Ferguson says. "It's brilliant that we have Martin Clunes playing Phil. His extraordinary ability to encompass comedy and deep-felt emotion in one performance is crucial for this role.”

HAIRY BIKERS!
24/4/06: Big Bear, who make My Hero, are also the production company behind the popular Hairy Bikers' Cookbook show. Two more episodes of the show have still to air, on (Wed 3rd & 10th May, 8pm BBC2). "Well worth a look!" advises producer John Stroud.
• DVDs of both series of Hairy Bikers will be released by the BBC on 15 May 2006: Click here to buy them from Amazon.co.uk
• Buy The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook from amazon.co.uk

MY HERO SEASON SIX - JULY LAUNCH?
23/4/06 (with thanks to Andy Cowell, Paul Mendelson and Paul Stroud, updated 24/4/06): The first showing of My Hero season six, starring James Dreyfus as ThermoMan, looks set to be screened in July, downthetubes has learnt.
The show will again air in the 8.30pm Friday slot on BBC1.
"We still don't have a precise date, but we're led to believe it'll be soon after the World Cup," My Hero producer John Stroud told downthetubes.
The run will follow the screening of a new family series, Home Again, which stars Peter Egan, Sioned Cusack and Samantha Janus, My Hero creator Paul Mendelson told downthetubes this weekend.
Home Again launches on 5 May, exploring what happens when you're too old to live at home but too poor not to.
In the opening episode, Accommodation, newlyweds Ingrid and Mark are struggling to get their feet on the first rung of the property ladder. Mark's vocation as a horror film effects specialist is rather a niche one and Ingrid's office job certainly does not pay well enough to support her and her new husband and make a downpayment on a new home.
BBC schedules are prone to change and not completely finalised 14 days before transmission, as part of a cross-channel agreement to prtevent major scheduling clashes -- but Paul's information tallies with that of actor Lou Hirsch, who recently told fans that although production is now complete on the show -- recording completed last December -- transmission of the new series might not take place until later in the summer.
More news as we get it!

DVD IN SEASON ORDER AT LAST FOR MY HERO?
26/1/06, last updated 24/4/2006: My Hero, Season One will be released on Region One DVD on 30 May. It's been a long time coming! As previously reported, My Hero Season 3 was released on two Region 2 DVDs (Europe, Middle East & Japan only) by Imc Vision Ltd in October 2002. DVD One covers episodes 1 - 5 and DVD Two 6 - 10. Since then, the rights to distribute My Hero on DVD reverted to the BBC.
There's no word, as yet, on whether the show will be released in the same format for Region 2 fans. BBC Worldwide currently have the rights to produce My Hero on DVD for this region, which includes the UK. (Thanks to Heather and Andrew for this update).
• Click here to pre-order the Region 1 My Hero Season One DVD set from Amazon.com

NO TX DATES FOR SEASON SIX JUST YET
5/1/06: We've checked on the published transmission dates posted by tv.com for My Hero season six with the producers of the show, and they tell downthetubes they have no confirmed dates yet -- so this info is wrong.
We'll keep you posted. From everything we've heard about the show's recordings, it looks like being an interesting season...

SPOILER ALERT! THE CHANGING OF THE HERO EXPLAINED...
1/11/05: Here's the full text of a leaflet being given out at recordings of season five of My Hero (see recording dates below) explaining how Thermoman is now a compleletly different person.
The leaflet was issued to explain the change of actor to the live audience. The season is being shot out of order and the "changeover" episode has yet to be recorded.
Special thanks to My Heroproducer John Stroud for supplying the text and Paul Woods for letting us know about it.

SEASON SIX TO SCREEN IN FEBRUARY?
27/10/05:The website tv.com is reporting that Season Six of My Hero will start airing on Saturday February 18, 2006. The BBC have made no official announcement about a start date for the next season.

MY HERO IN NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina ETV starts running Season Five next week. "Finally, some TV my wife and I can get enthusiastic about again," says fan David Windhorst.

SEASON SIX RECORDING DATES SET
13/9/05: ClappersTickets who organise free tickets for live TV recordings such as My Hero, are reporting the recording dates for Series Six as follows :-

Tuesday 18th October 2005
Wednesday 26th October 2005
Sunday 6th November 2005
Sunday 13th November 2005
Friday 2nd December 2005
Friday 9th December 2005
Friday 16th December 2005
Friday 23rd December 2005

The recordings (all at Teddington TV Studios) start at 19:30, ending at 22:00. Doors open at 19:00 and close at 19:15.
To book, send them an E-mail stating the following information:
• Your full name and address where they can send the tickets to
• Your day time and evening contact telephone numbers
• The name of the show you wish to see
• Show Date and Time
• Number of tickets required
PLEASE NOTE: Lou Hirsch tells me he believes that it's normally the policy of television studios not to allow children under the age of 16 in to watch an episode being recorded unless a prior arrangement has been made. "I believe that policy is in place for insurance purposes," says Lou. "I wouldn't want any of our young fans to turn up at the studio only to be turned away at the door because they're too young to be admitted". (Thanks to Paul Wood for this item)

HIRSCH COMMENTS ON SEASON SIX NEWS
28/8/05: Actor Lou Hirsch has told his fans he is delighted there will be a new season of My Hero.
"I have known for some time [about the new season]," he revealed on his official web site, www.louhirsch.com, "but needed to wait for our producer's go-ahead to let you know.
"We are now awaiting the new scripts, and will read through them on September 2."
"E ight new episodes... will be filled with many surprises," he reports.
"I am personally sad to not have Ardal with us anymore," he continues, "as I consider him a friend as well as a work colleague, but it was his decision, and I wish him nothing but good luck for the future. I'm also looking forward to working with James [Dreyfus], and to see the series go in a new direction. It's the kind of show that has the potential to go anywhere it wants to, and I'm excited by the prospect.
"The rest of the cast remains the same, and I can't wait to see them all again.
"This has not been a great year for me on a personal level," Lou adds, "and the start of a new series of the show can't be anything but positive for me."
Here at downthetubes.net we're looking forward to seeing what Arnie gets up to and we're delighted Lou will be back on the show.

JAMES DREYFUS IS MY HERO FOR SEASON SIX
25/8/05: Rumours earlier in the year that James Dreyfus would replace Ardal O'Hanlon as superhero Thermoman in the BBC1 series My Hero are now fact.
Broadcast reports that Dreyfus, star of BBC1's Gimme Gimme Gimme and who also starred in Thin Blue Line, will be stitched into the role at the start of the sixth season with a plotline that sees Thermoman gamble away his old body during a poker game.
Dreyfus signed up after O'Hanlon decided to move on to new projects after five seasons. Rumours about Dreyfus taking on the role surfaced some months ago, but Big Bear, co-producers of My Hero, asked downthetubes.net not to publish them at the time because contract negotiations were continuing.
"It's official," producer and director John Stroud told downthetubes.net of the casting this morning. "I'm sorry you guys have had to wait so long, but we were under strict embargoes until all the contractual details were tied up. We're delighted to be starting work on a new eight-part series of My Hero, starring James Dreyfus as Thermoman, along with all the rest of the regular cast. The show will be recorded at Teddington Studios as before, between October and Christmas. I'll confirm the exact dates to you soon."
The new season will air on the BBC in Spring 2006.
"We're really thrilled to get James Dreyfus to join us," John adds. "I was lucky enough to see him in the musical of The Producers last night, and he had me crying with laughter.
"Ardal's decision to hang up his cape after 43 episodes was one we understood, and although he'll be missed on a personal level, I think James's arrival will bring a new energy to the show -- I can't wait to get started!"
"There are a lot more stories that we want to tell with My Hero, we want to move it on and change gear," Big Bear Films executive producer Marcus Mortimer told Broadcast.
In addition to several TV comedy credits, Dreyfus has been appearing in the West End show The Producers and has appeared in feature films such as Notting Hill, Fat Slags and Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London. He also voices Willo the Wisp in the new version of the animated show (click here for the official web site, www.willothewisp.co.uk). He won a British Comedy Award as Top TV newcomer for his work on Thin Blue Line back in 1996. In 2001, he starred alongside Bette Middler in a pilot for a new US comedy but the project was cancelled.
Eight 30 minute episodes have been commissioned, with BBC TV's outgoing head of comedy Sophie Clarke-Jervoise remaining as executive producer alongside Mortimer.

Web Links
• Will O the Wisp Official web site: www.willothewisp.co.uk
•Read a Radio 1 interview with James, recorded in June 2004:
www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/jowhiley/interviews/james_dreyfus.shtml
• Buy Gimme Gimme Gimme from Amazon.co.uk: Click Here
• Buy The Thin Blue Line from Amazon.co.uk: Click Here

BBC COMEDY TO GET OWN DEPARTMENT
14/7/05: Trade paper Broadcast has reported BBC comedy is to get its own department, to give greater emphasis to comedy commissioning, The new department will have the same status as the BBC's entertainment and drama departments.
Comedy is currently housed under controller of entertainment commissioning Jane Lush, whose department focuses on major shows such as Strictly Come Dancing.
Broadcast says BBC executives think this status quo does not give comedy enough emphasis. "It's recognised that as comedy takes a greater importance in the BBC in-house productions, we need a commissioning structure similar to drama," said an insider.
The moves come as BBC governors this week criticised the lack of risky, innovative comedy on BBC1. In the annual report published on Tuesday (12 July), they found that BBC1 sitcoms were "too focused on middle class suburbia" and "compared poorly with sophisticated US imports".
A new comedy controller will report directly to director of television Jana Bennett, who is overseeing the rethink. The shake-up has been prompted by the recent failure to find a new head of comedy commissioning; the head of comedy job has been on ice since Mark Freeland left in April to join indie Hartswood.
• Read the full story (subscription required) on the Broadcast web site

MAY TO DECEMBER COMES TO DVD
7/7/05: My Hero creator Paul Mendelson has been in touch to say Acorn Media are issuing the first series of his romantic comedy May to December on DVD, owing to 'popular demand'. It's out on 12 September, so tell your friends!
For more on Paul's popular romantic comedy, which starred Anton Rodgers as lawyer Alec Callendar and Eve Matheson (and later, Lesley Dunlop) as Zoe Angell, visit this web site for an overview, episode guide and interview with Paul: www.mjnewton.demon.co.uk/tv/maymain.htm
Despite some health problems which he hopes he is now over, Paul told downthetubes he's been keeping busy lately. "I've been commissioned to write a pilot for a new sitcom, and my 90 minute play Losing It about an advertising man who gets testicular cancer is being made by ITV next March, starring Martin Clunes.
"I've a BBC comedy-drama in the works," he adds, "some movie projects, a pre-school animation series and I've been doing quite a bit of radio. The third series of my comedy-drama Snap starts at 11.30am on Wednesday 27 July on Radio 4."
• Click here to pre-order May to December on DVD

MY HERO SEASON SIX: NO DECISION YET
6/7/05: A decision on a new season of My Hero could be imminent. Series producer John Stroud could not confirm a green light for a sixth season when downthetubes contacted him this week, but he did say he hoped to have an announcement "very soon"... Fingers crossed!

STRANGE ACROSS THE CHANNEL
20/5/05: Big Bear Productions recently sold broadcasting rights for Strange, its short-lived supernatural drama starring Richard Coyle, Ian Richardson and Samantha Janus, to France 4. The French digital channel was launched in March. Other shows it has bought include Granada's comedy drama William and Mary; it's on the look out for programming that includes Concerts, plays, musicals, sporting events, independent cinema, European TV series, documentaries and anime. Would My Hero work in France, we wonder? After all, they love comic strip over there...

SEASON SIX DECISION SOON?
26/3/05, updated 20/5/05: My Hero producer John Stroud has told downthetubes negotiations are continuing with the BBC for a sixth season of the show, but things were looking "positive". Rumours are rife about a sixth season elsewhere on the Internet but that's all they are at present. More news as we get it -- hopefully in the next few weeks. My Hero's fifth season attracted a strong audience despite little off air publicity. None of the "early warning" PR from the BBC for upcoming shows issued via the press office contained any storylines for much of the show's BBC1 run, with PR efforts concentrated instead on other Friday night series such as The World According to Bex. Despite this, the series has avergaed ratings of just over 5 million per week.

MY HERO BACK DOWN UNDER
14/3/05: ABC Australia has started reshowing My Hero at 2.30pm on Fridays. "They seem to have started at the beginning only a few weeks ago (beginning of March) without telling anyone," says fan Peter Fallon, "So I missed the pilot episode again. Anyhow, fans should know that they seem to be re-running the lot." There's no word on whether ABC have purchased Season 5 yet.

AWARDS FOR FRAMSTORE
23/2/05: Framestore CFC, who create the video effects for My Hero have gained plenty of international nominations for numerous top awards for their feature film and other work. Two of the very biggest are, of course, the Oscars and the BAFTAs, and 2005 has seen the Framestore's VFX in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban nominated for both the Visual Effects Oscar and the Achievement in Special Visual Effects BAFTA.
Framestore CFC created Buckbeak the Hippogriff for the third Potter film, and the creature is widely regarded as one of the crowning glories of the film's digital visual effects.

GOOD START FOR MY HERO
18/1/05: The first two shows of the new My Hero season, which has just begun airing in the UK, both got a 27 per cent share of the potential audience, and were the highest rated Friday show on any channel apart from the soaps.
This is good news for the show if the ratings keep up and bodes well in any negotiations between Big Bear and the BBC for a sixth season.
In addition to the usual competition the show is up against a celebrity version of Big Brother on Channel Four, which continues to pull about 4 million viewers.
In comparison, the second part of the new comedy The World According to Bex from the creator of My Family starring Jessica Stevenson lost 700,000 viewers from its opening show the previous Friday to average just 4 million (17%) over 30-minutes. BBC2 actually achieved marginally better ratings for its new history programme, The Lost World of Mitchell and Kenyon, showing newly discovered film shot in the early 20th Century, which Broadcast magazine describes as "an instant hit for BBC2" on Friday (14 January) with a peak audience of 4.4 million (19%) at 9.25pm.
Little Britain ended its run with 5.2 million (21%) at 9.30pm.

EPISODE UPDATE
15/1/04: Episode synopsis and short review added for 'Illegal Alien' to my Season Five epsiode guide.

JOHN STROUD INTERVIEWED
12/1/05: Producer and director John Stroud has just been interviewed about his work for the BBC comedy series My Hero and his past work on shows such as Bugs and Rainbow. Read the interview here

MY HERO SEASON FIVE ON BBC1
7/1/05: Season five episode of My Hero is screening at 8.30pm on Fridays on BBC1. Click here for a season guide

MY HERO RETURNS TO BBC1 FOR FIFTH -- BUT NOT FINAL -- SEASON
4/1/05: The superhero comedy My Hero returns to BBC1 this week Contrary to an earlier version of this report, this will not be the final season. Actor Lou Hirsch, who plays Thermoman's cousin Arnie, the failed superhero Polarman, has posted a correction on his official web site www.louhirsch.com. saying he he "misconstrued" information received. "It appears as if I have made an enormous blunder," Lou reports. "Two days ago I posted on this site that there will be no more My Hero after the current series... This is not the case.
"I have received an email from our producer John Stroud," Lou continues, "which says 'Discussions are ongoing with the BBC about a sixth series, but no decision has been taken yet.' I apologize unreservedly for erroneously putting it on this page. "So for fans of the series, there could be good news yet."
• My Hero season five screens from Friday 7 January 2005 at 8.30pm.
• Click here for Season Five episode guide

MY HERO'S NEW BABY DAUGHTER CRASHES ONTO BBC ONE
3/12/04, BBC Press Release sent to me by actor Lou Hirsch (thanks Lou!): This January a brand new series of the hit comedy MY HERO comes to BBC One - and there's a new addition to the family. Baby Cassie arrives in the world brandishing Janet's (EMILY JOYCE) appendix. Unlike her brother Ollie, she can't fly but she can talk and she can see into the future. Unfortunately her predictions are sometimes a little off beam...

Superhero with a difference Thermoman, alias mild-mannered George Sunday (ARDAL O'HANLON), is still struggling to keep his alter-ego secret from the outside world. The Sunday marriage is looking rosy until the camera in George's eye is dislodged and Janet learns the horrifying news -- he has been filming family life for the past six months. 'The Sunday Reality Show' is breaking all records on Ultron, and Arnie (LOU HIRSCH) and Mrs Raven's (GERALDINE McNULTY) slightly cheaper and altogether more disgusting Red Hot Channel isn't doing badly either!..

Meanwhile, unaware that her grandchildren are super-intelligent, Janet's doting mother Ella (LILL ROUGHLEY) decides that George and Tyler's (PHILIP WHITCHURCH) idiotic behaviour is stunting Ollie and Cassie's development and she takes them home with her until George and Janet can prove they are good parents. They do this by attending classes hosted by the smarmy Dr Piers Crispin (HUGH DENNIS) who has set up a group for young single mothers in a predatory attempt to find himself a girlfriend...

Defrocked superhero Arnie is under investigation and he and George are soon threatened with deportation as illegal aliens. Luckily, George has flown too low over the North Pole and become magnetic -- dragging the immigration officer's car into the path of a plummeting meteorite...

George sets off on a crimebusting campaign to save the lawless Earth and rescues the stolen Mona Lisa. But when Stanley (TIM WYLTON) accidentally destroys it, they get Leonardo to paint a new original…and that's because Leonardo is from Ultron I mean who other than an Ultronian could have designed helicopters in the 15th Century?

George decides to filter the Internet for his children and reads the whole lot in an hour. Arnie then has to download George's clogged up brain in order to get rid of all the rubbish - mainly about Britney Spears. Reinvigorated, George offers to do the same for friends and family, but in haste he gets the brains mixed up and downloads them into the wrong bodies...

In a bid to further all things ecological, Thermoman is charged with saving human life with the help of a minky whale. But he also saves a deadly organism which threatens to wipe out the human race. The only cure is a prolonged period of freezing, so when Thermoman moves the Earth just a little bit further away from the sun, he triggers another ice age…

MY HERO is created by Paul Mendelson and written by Paul Mendelson, Paul Mayhew-Archer, James Cary, Daniel Peak, Pete Sinclair & Trevelyan Evans. The series is directed by John Stroud who also produces with Jamie Rix. The Executive Producers are Marcus Mortimer for Big Bear Films and Sophie Clarke-Jervoise for the BBC. Keeping it in the family, seven-year-old FINLAY STROUD supplies the voice and mouth for baby Ollie whilst eight-year-old MADELEINE MORTIMER is baby Cassie. NATASHA KAPLINSKY guest stars.

SEASON 5 TO SCREEN IN 2005
7/10/04: Following a repeat of Season Four on BBC1, the BBC has announced the fifth season of My Hero will screen sometime in 2005. The season will comprise 10 episodes, which were recorded between May and August 2004 at Teddington TV Studios. The fifth season will feature a second child, Cassie, in the Sunday family.
UK Gold continues to repeat My Hero on a regular basis. The show has now been sold to 20 countries around the world.

MY HERO WRITER AT FARINGDON FESTIVAL
During the first weekend of July 2004, more than 100 events from the brightest local and national talents in Music, Literature, Dance, Art and Drama were presented in Faringdon, Oxfordshire, staging the biggest arts programme the town has ever seen.
My Hero writer Paul Mayhew-Archer was among the guestswhich also include Rory Bremner, Inspector Morse creator Colin Dexter, new Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat, Rob Shearman, Nev Fountain and many, many more.
Web Link: www.faringdonartsfestival.org

SEASON 5 RECORDING DATES ANNOUNCED
2/4/04: Recording Dates for My Hero Season 5 have been set as follows:

Thursday 20th May
Friday 28th May
Saturday 5th June
Saturday 12th June
Sunday 20th June
Friday 9th July
Saturday 17th July
Saturday 24th July
Sunday 1st August
Sunday 8th August

Shows will be recorded at the Teddington TV Studios, Broom Road (off Ferry Road), Teddington, Middlesex.Doors open at 1900-1915 (queue from 1830). Shows commence at 1930 and finish at approx 2200.
Age of admittance is strictly 16 years and over (although younger persons are admitted, but Teddington Studios requires the parent/guardian to sign a waiver of some sort),
For tickets call 0208 532 2770/1 or email frances@clappers- tickets.co.uk

WANT TO BE IMMORTALISED IN SITCOM HISTORY?
29/3/04: BBC Comedy is teaming up with BBC Children In Need to offer a very special prize to one lucky winner. You'll get the chance to have your name featured in My Hero, starring Ardal O'Hanlon, and become a part of comedy television history!
You'll also be invited to the recording of the show, and receive a special copy of the episode featuring your name! And with each call to the competition you'll be donating to BBC Children In Need.
Five runners up will win More Great Comedy Moments on VHS or DVD, featuring classic clips of BBC Sitcoms including Only Fools and Horses, The Office and The League of Gentlemen.

To enter, simply answer the following question:

What is the name of the superhero in My Hero?

A) Superman
B) Thermoman
C) Spiderman

The UK number to call is:
0901 29 30 311

Calls cost £1, with 70p going to BBC Children In Need Lines close midnight 31st March.
The money raised by BBC Children in Need is distributed to areas all around the UK, so wherever you live you can be sure that it will be used to positively change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in your area.

Winners to be announced on 2 April 2004.

This competition was the focus of a news item with Hugh Dennis on BBC Breakfast this morning (29/3/04) which unfortunately was the only reason I knew about it! Hugh revealed he still enjoyed doing the show and that he will soon be on tour with former comedy partner Steve Punt -- to see if they are still funny (or ever were, Hugh told Natasha Kaplinsky).
Natasha Kaplinsky, a regular guest news reader on My Hero, asked Hugh to tell the show producersshe'd be happy to be involved in the next season -- but she hadn't been asked yet.
Web Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/cin.shtml

BE IN THE AUDIENCE!
4/12/03: ClappersTickets indicates recordings for the next season of My Hero wil be in June or July 2004 at Teddington Studios, London.
Clappers organises free tickets for live TV recordings such as Des and Mel as well as My Hero. To book, send them an E-mail stating the following information:
• Your full name and address where they can send the tickets to
• Your day time and evening contact telephone numbers
• The name of the show you wish to see
• Show Date and Time
• Number of tickets required.

MY HERO MARATHONS ON UK GOLD
2/12/03: British digital channel UK Gold is running every episode of the superhero comedy series My Hero from 5 January as well as the Christmas special (first screened in 2000) on Christmas Eve/Day.
TV Listings: www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/listings/displaysched.php and just type My Hero in the search engine. Listings only up until 31 January at present, but the best site available for future UK tv listings.

MY HERO HEADS FOR GERMANY
24/11/03: Trade Magazine Broadcast reports that My Hero is set to be made for viewers in Germany after the corporation's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, tied up a deal with RTL. RTL has commissioned a pilot of the team-written sitcom in association with BBC Worldwide and plans to produce eight episodes if the initial screening is a success. The format has been sold by indie Big Bear Films to Fremantle Media-owned UFA Fernsehproduktion. The deal follows the sale of BBC comedy My Family to Germany's RTL, which will also track the success of a pilot before deciding whether to commit to a further eight episodes.
Producers John Stroud and Jamie Rix will act as consultants on the German pilot, which is based around the original script co-written by Paul Mendelson and Paul Mayhew-Archer.
Broadc ast also reports that Turkish broadcasters have also expressed an interest in the series and Big Bear is still trying to gain interest for the series in the US. Apparently, My Hero has been sold to more than 20 territories around the world.

MY HERO BACK ON BBC AMERICA
14/11/03: The second season of My Hero starts screening on BBC America on 19 November. The show will air Wednesdays at 9.00 pm/et, 6 and 9 pm/pt.
One US fan tells us (14/11/03): "BBC America has been repeating Season One for what seems like forever!" So this is good news...

STORMING THE RATINGS
14/11/03: My hero closed its fourth season in the UK with a 30 per cent share of the viewing audience for its final episode. The production team told me they're delighted with the show's success and busy with preparations for season five, which begins shooting in May 2004.

DOWN THE TUBES MY HERO NEWSGROUP
13/10/03: I've set up a moderated My Hero Yahoo news group which will be used to post news and allows discussion about the show. Subscribe using the box at the bottom of this page. Jump to subscription box

FIFTH SEASON PLANNED
19/9/03: My Hero actor Lou (Arnie) Hirsch reports that there will be a fifth season of the show. The BBC has begun negotiations with producers, Big Bear Films, for 10 more episodes. Production will begin in 2004. Recording will begin in May.

IS IT A WINNER?
22/8/03: My Hero gained over one million viewers with the screening of its second fourth season episode in the UK, according to Broadcast. The show rated 5.9 million viewers (up a million on its opening week) and took 30.2 per cent of the viewing audience, beating a repeat of the crime drama, A Touch of Frost.
This bodes well for a renewal for the show for a fifth season if the ratings hold up, although it is still trailing behind the average six million plus achieved by My family in the same slot
• Fourth season episode guide

YOU SEXY THING
2/8/03: Emily Joyce has been shocked by the sexy fan mail she's received since starring in My Hero, according to a feature in What's on TV (2 - 8 August 2003 edition). The issue has a couple of pieces on the return of My Hero on Friday 8 August but the interview with Emily is the biggest.
"Considering the programme is aimed at a family audience, some of the mail has been rather explcit," calims a blushing Emily. " A lot of what I get is lovely -- but some of it is definitely weird. Men write in wanting to do certain things with Janet -- and I'm not talking about helping her out with the cleaning!"
Apparently the sugestive mail is a small price to pay for what has become Emily's most successful role as long suffering nurse Janet.
The article also reveals that while there will almost certainly be a fifth seasonof the show (there's no word for sure just yet), filming has had to be delayed because 33-year-old Emily is expecting a baby in November.

NEW RADIO SHOW FROM MY HERO CREATOR
21/7/03: My Hero creator Paul Mendelson has a new 4 x 30 minute radio series starting on Wednesday July 23rd at 11.30am on Radio 4. "It's a non-audience comedy called Snap," Paul told me, "starring Rebecca Lacey and Paul Venables (Hilary and Jamie from May to December) and the hugely talented Rebecca Front."

PBS STATIONS GET SEASON FOUR FIRST
22/7/03: Zane H. Healy drops us a line from Oregon to reveal at least one US PBS stations is already screening season four. "I was really surprised on the 12th of this month when Oregon Public Broadcasting started showing season four of My Hero. I'm even more surprised to learn that we're getting it prior to the UK.
" Janet has a new hairdo again, both my wife and I prefer it to her hairdo in season 3. Ollie has definitely grown. Everyone else seems to be about the same."

EPISODE GUIDE REVAMPED
22/7/03: Thanks to some monumental research and copious observations by My Hero fan Paul Wood, I've been able to substantially improve the episode guide to the series, and add loads of show trivia. Paul's diligent work includes wry observation, bloopers and more, and I'm grateful to him for sharing his research.

SEASON FOUR TX CONFIRMED
10/7/03: Actor Lou Hirsch has kindly dropped me a line to advise that Season Four of My Hero will begin on BBC1 on Friday, 8 August at 8.30 pm.
" I get a lot of hits on my site which come from the link you've provided," he adds, " so I've returned the favor and put a link to yours on my links page. Keep up the good work." You too, Lou -- and thanks!
Last October, series creator Paul Mendelson gave us a hint of what to expect from this new season: There aren't any special guests to my knowledge," he wrote. "we have such a big cast it is hard enough making sure they all get a decent share of the laughs! Baby will still be up to his old tricks - and plenty new ones besides. So no huge changes - because last year seemed to suggest we're on a pretty winning formula. (As well as being really popular with all ages, it is the second most watched BBC show with kids. Eastenders being the first!)
I can't really go into storylines, but let's just say that death, politics, executive stress and competitive sport make a showing - George discovers some new powers - and there might be a few more superheroes on the Northolt block."

ADDRESS CHANGE!
12/7/03: Eagle-eyed fan Paul Wood helped the creative team with an unintentional error during recording of the show's fourth season." I have recently a letter from [producer] John Stroud replying to and thanking me for a letter I wrote to him back in December," he writes, "when I went to a recording of one of the episodes of season four. (In fact, I was lucky enough to see all 10 episodes recorded).
"My letter to Mr Stroud was pointing out a factual error in one of the episodes when Janet's address is shown on TV by Piers - but they got the address wrong. Mr. Stroud informs me they've corrected the error and that I can now watch the episode 'without wincing'!"

FIFTH SERIES FOR MY HERO?
7/7/03: A fifth season of My Hero may be on the cards -- a decision has yet to be made, according to actor Lou Hirsch (Arnie) on his official web site. The entire fourth season is now 'in the can' and "looks great", says Lou. August still seems a possible start date for the show.

VOTE FOR MY HERO!
7/7/03: UK fans now have the chance to vote for the show in this year's National Television Awards, organised by ITV.
Out of all the TV you have watched in the last 12 months, just who are your favourite stars and your best-loved shows? Take part now in the TV poll by mobile phone vote and you could also win a pair of tickets to the Ceremony itself at London's Royal Albert Hall in October.
• To find out how to vote, click here for the National Television Awards web site.

MY HERO -- SEASON FOUR SCREENS IN AUGUST?
17/4/03: Actor Lou Hirsch (Arnie) has told his fans via his official site that he believes My Hero will begin screening in the UK in August. Recording completed in February. We'll keep you posted!
Hirsch has a small part in the upcoming Thunderbirds movie, directed by Jonathan Frakes.

TITLE SEQUENCE SECRETS REVEALED
18/2/03: Malcolm Dalton, who designed and directed the title and end credits sequences for My Hero, has shared some of the secrets of their production. The title sequence was created by TSI Design, a main provider of title and graphic sequences for the main stream broadcasters such as BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and LWT etc.
"We are just about to start work on the latest version for series four, airing later this year on BBC 1," writes Malcolm, who personally produced title and effects sequences for Doctor Who in the mid-1980s, and Tripods.
"Did you know that the person flying in the titles is not actually Ardal? Only the close up grin is the man himself!
"The rest is a stand-in called Eddie. At one point poor Eddie was suspended on fine tunsten wires, six feet above the floor of the studio. The sequence was shot using a "Chroma-key" effect to place Thermo Man onto the night sky. A computer controlled camera was used to move around him to create the sense of movement. Wind machines and wires create the feeling of speed causing the cape to flap creating the finished effect.
"The planet Ultron was actually a fibre glass globe open on one side with rotating lights to give the lava effect. "Stars, smoke and streaks were added electronically on a Digital Frame store called 'Fire'.
"The title lettering is a font called "Geometric" and a variation of this font was vacuum formed in silver plastic which was turned a gold colour electronically. The image of the Earth was a simple still picture taken from the public domain photographed by NASA."

• My Hero behind the scenes images: Go

• Find out more about Chroma-key:
www.seanet.com/Users/bradford/bluscrn.html

MY HERO FLIES TO NEW ZEALAND
As of 28/10/02: My Hero is screening on New Zealand's biggest channel, TV1, on Saturdays at 7.00pm. "That's a pretty prime time, although weekend viewing is obviously lower as people go out of a Saturday night," writes viewer John Davies.

EXCLUSIVE -- MY HERO CREATOR SPEAKS!
28/10/02: Here's the latest news from Northolt, superhero capital of the world. Last week I had a reply from series creator Paul Mendelson, kindly answering some questions about series four, which begins production in November.
We don't have information yet on when the show begins to start recording but it looks as though four of the ten planned episodes will be shot before Christmas, six after. Our spies are watching Teddington, where the show is recorded, like, well, spies...

DOWN THE TUBES: Paul, when does recording on My Hero season four start?

PAUL MENDELSON: We start production in November. I'm going to the readthrough of all the scripts this Sunday. (Ardal is in a play in Dublin [see below], hence the 'unsocial' hours). There will be ten episodes, as per last year, but I don't know an air date.

DTB: Can you hint at any storylines or major changes for this season?

PM: There aren't any special guests to my knowledge - we have such a big cast it is hard enough making sure they all get a decent share of the laughs! Baby will still be up to his old tricks - and plenty new ones besides. So no huge changes - because last year seemed to suggest we're on a pretty winning formula. (As well as being really popular with all ages, it is the second most watched BBC show with kids. Eastenders being the first!)
I can't really go into storylines, but let's just say that death, politics, executive stress and competitive sport make a showing - George discovers some new powers - and there might be a few more superheroes on the Northolt block.

Thanks Paul!

SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY
21/10/02: Ardal O'Hanlon is proving a powerful draw in the comedy See You Next Tuesday at the Gate in Dubiln. The play is an English language adaptation of Le Dîner de Cons which opened in Paris in 1993 that went on to enjoy phenomenal success. A later screen adaptation became one of the highest grossing films in France.
In the play, the urbane Pierre (Risteárd Cooper) has it all: money from his job as a successful publisher, a beautiful wife, an adoring mistress and numerous friends. He also has an unusual pastime… every Tuesday he and his friends dine with a different so-called "twat". It is this that brings Pierre into contact with the finest example of a twat he believes he has ever met: François (Ardal), an accountant for the Inland Revenue, whose only passion in life stems from matchstick models. When the paths of these two unlikely dinner companions cross, the result is unexpected and hilarious.

• See You Next Tuesday runs at The Gate until 9 November 2002, Box Office: 00 353 1 874 4045
• Read a review in The Guardian: Go (registration required)

SEASON 3 ON DVD! 21/10/02: My Hero Season 3 has just been released on two Region 2 DVDs (Europe, Middle East & Japan only) by Imc Vision Ltd. DVD One covers episodes 1 - 5 and DVD Two 6 - 10.

A MEETING IN SEVILLE
10/9/02: Paul Mendelson's radio drama A Meeting in Seville is being re-broadcast on Radio 4 this Thursday (12 September) between 2.15 and 3.00. The daily 45-minute afternoon play uses the dramatic form to delight, surprise and inform listeners.
The play asks the question, if we could meet ourselves when we were young, what would we tell ourselves? What could we learn? And would we even recognise each other? With David Rintoul, Vivien Heilbron, Abigail Docherty, Finlay McLean, James Mackenzie, and Joanne Bett. Director David Ian Neville.

SEASON FOUR RECORDING (10/9/02): begins in late November. This page on the BBC site offers details on how to apply for tickets for BBC shows: Go

ZNEET ZNADDER ZNEET! THE WAIT BEGINS (28/8/02): The third season of My Hero has completed its run on BBC1 with the last few episodes the best yet -- tight writing and the actors really in their stride. There's been much more from characters like Arnie and Mrs Raven this season and the development has paid off.

NEW ARTICLES (8/8/02): I've finally had opportunity to upload more interview with My Hero writer Paul Mendelson on him as a writer, the production process of the show, plus a report on the recording by fan Dawnie, of the third season episode A Little Learning (no spoilers!). These interviews are based on material gathered for an interview in Dreamwatch which has now sadly been canned due to page cuts on the magazine.

IT'S BACK (28/7/02): My Hero returns to BBC1 this Friday (2 August). Meanwhile, Andie Dunn reports that Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minnesota USA, has completed its run of the show. It ended with the announcement of Janet's pregnancy, and it doesn't appear further episodes will appear; they've announced a new show in its place.

SUPERHEROES IN SUBURBIA (22/7/02): Read an interview with My Hero creator Paul Mendelson. Thanks to Paul for his time doing this and making corrections to my weird spellingz. Ooops!

A NEW DIMENSION: (22/7/02): Ardal O'Hanlon has been singing the praises of the third season over at Chortle.co.uk. ""The introduction of the baby adds a whole new dimension to the series," Ardal explains. "Because not only do you have the tensions of keeping George's alter-ego secret, but you also have the additional issue of a baby -- and an out-of-control one at that."
"There are some great comedy moments which focus on the strain of keeping a secret and trying to behave normally in front of other people when, in reality, the situation is anything but."
Read the full interview here

RATINGS HIT (15/7/02): The BBC have taken My Hero off air on 19 and 26 July and are then bringing it back on 2 August for the following four weeks. This is - we think- so as not to compete with the finals of the reality TV show Big Brother.
The series is getting excellent ratings. Last week's Heat magazine, which bases its ratings chart on both the Friday and Sunday screenings, lists My Hero at Number Three, with nearly 9 million viewers (for w/c June 23rd) - which is HUGE for a sit-com these days.
The BBC are apparently really pleased with the show becauseit is winning the slot each week - i.e. getting a bigger share than ITV and C4. Which these days is what it is all about.
Ratings info from Broadcast magazine puts the show (consistently) very high in the entertainment top ten - either number 2 or 3, which is great. (And that's only on the Friday figures!)

7 July: Dreamwatch have said they will run my interview with My Hero creator in the issue on sale in the UK on 25 July.

8 June: The BBC web site previews season three here. There's also a press release on the new season here on the BBC site, and which I've included on my Episode Guide page.

8 June: Season 3 of My Hero began airing on 7 June on BBC1, repeated on Sundays. Anonymous spies sent us this short promo --

The show is currently being repeated on BBC1 and BBC Choice. Dreamwatch magazine should be running my interview with series creator Paul Mendelson to tie in with that, issue on sale 25 July.

15 May 2002: The World of Ardal O'Hanlon reports that a fourth season has been commisioned! Recording will begin in the Autumn.

13 March 2002: Paul Mendelson, creator of My Hero comedy for BBC1, has a new radio play "with a fantasy twist" on Radio 4 in April. A Metting in Seville will be broadcast in the afternoon play slot on 5 April at 2.15. The principal cast are David Rintoul (who was ITV's Dr.Finlay some years ago and is now with the RSC) and his real-life partner Vivien Heilbron. "I heard it yesterday - I think it works well," Mendelson told me. "Tell your friends!"
The daily 45-minute afternoon play uses the dramatic form to delight, surprise and inform listeners. Web Link: Go

March 2002: I've been commissioned to interview My Hero creeator Paul Mendelson for the SFTV magazine Dreamwatch. I'll report on that once the interview has been published.

6 February 2002: It's not official yet, but BBC sources tell me the third season of My Hero is provisionally scheduled to begin screening on BBC1 in May 2002 -- but it could be brought forward in the schedules.

5 December 2001: New episodes for a third season of My Hero were recorded through December 2001 and February 2002. Screening date to be announced. Note that the BBC have been rescheduling comedy lauinches however -- Dr. Terrible, which has screened on BBC2, was brought forward four months in the schedule according to my sources. We'll keep you posted.

4 December 2001: Susan writes from Savannah, Georgia USA say that My Hero was recently added to a line up of "Britcoms" the Georgia Public Television station plays on Saturday nights. "We also get Are you Being Served, As Time Goes By, and The Vicar of Dibley", says Susan. "These shows are the highlight of my week (as far as television goes :) My Hero is a great addition!" Thanks, Susan!

17 September 2001: Shirley A, Cowden over at the The World of Ardal O'Hanlon web site revealed that a third season of My Hero was in the works.

21 August 2001: The Radio Times (25 August) revealed My Hero had been voted Best Sitcom of 2000 to the present (I know - we're only in 2001!). So will there will be another series? Well, the ratings - roughly nine million per episode would suggest that it might happen. It was the top BBC entertainment programme for much of its season two run.
There are rumours that the show has been sold to the US. More when we get it.

24 May 2001: My Hero has returned and it's a faster-paced and even funnier than the first series. BBC1 screens the new series at 8.30pm on Mondays. Catch it!

17 April 2001: Rumours this series had been axed were ill-founded! The new series started screening on BBC1 on 14 May 2001.

Here's news on the series direct from the show's creator, Paul Mendelson, sent to me on 17 April 2001:

Dear Mr. Freeman,

A friend of mine directed me to your site, which I found very interesting. I am the creator of the BBC series My Hero and I would firstly like to thank you for your kind words about it. If I may correct a couple of factual points.

The series has definitely not been axed. It was very successful, attracting an average of nine million viewers over its two weekly showings (Friday evening/Sunday afternoon repeat) and was the first comedy series for years which people have watched as a family, a fact of which I am particularly proud. (I created and wrote May To December and So Haunt Me so I am a great believer in pre-watershed comedy). It has also been sold around the world.

The delay in the transmission of the second series has been purely one of scheduling. (We did in fact have our Christmas special on December 22nd). The new series is now due to begin in early May. Hopefully, if the audience is maintained, we'll be commissioned for a third.

My Hero has absolutely nothing to do with the Lee Hall project. I created the idea over six years ago and we were already well into the development of My Hero and had made a pilot, when Broadcast mentioned the Dawn French/Stephen Tompkinson venture. I don't know what has happened to it. I believe he was a stranded alien who landed up in an English hospital and got his knowledge of the world through television, but not a superhero in any sense of the word.

I would be very grateful if you could correct your site, as it never looks good for a writer to be perceived as having 'borrowed' a fellow writer's idea - especially one as gifted as Lee Hall.

Our apologies for posting erroneous information, now corrected, and many thanks to Mr. Mendelson for taking the time to pass on news on the show' second season.