NBC tries to extend “Heroes” through summer

11 May 2007 | Culture, Internet, Marketing, Media, TV & Movies | Comments

The website Comic Book Resources reported yesterday that NBC.com will launch “Inside Heroes” on May 21 to try to keep interest in the series alive during the long summer hiatus. That same day, character profiles will also launch on the site. AND, there’s an ongoing comic book extension of the story.

This looks good, and I’ll be curious to dive in when it launches.

My question, though, is does this truly amount to what Henry Jenkins calls “transmedia storytelling” ? I think the comic book does. But the online materials are terrific marketing but not true story extensions.  They look more like either sneak previews of extras from the eventual DVD set or handy reference materials for people who want to jump into the show but worry that it’s too late. These are both good things, but they are not taking full advantage of what the interactive media can bring to the table.
Earlier, I’ve written at some length about missed transmedia storytelling opportunities with other shows, just so it doesn’t look like I’m only picking on NBC.