Jeff Korbelik: 'Heroes' back on track

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"Heroes” started the season where it left off nine months ago with not enough Hiro and more of its convoluted, time-traveling storyline.

Ugh!

Fortunately, the evil Sylar is back and as powerful as ever, and now H.R.G. (The Man in Horned-Rimmed Glasses) has a gun and is ready to kick some butt.

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So there is hope.

No show suffered more last season than “Heroes,” the NBC drama that became a surprise hit in its first season thanks to great storytelling, engaging characters and fantastic marketing (“Save the Cheerleader, Save the World.”).

But “Heroes” lost its momentum last year, with its “Generations” storyline that introduced lame new characters and sent its core group of special humans in different (and often boring) directions. The teleporting Hiro (Masi Oka), for example, ended up in 17th-century Japan without his sidekick, Ando (James Kyson Lee). The duo working together is what makes them so appealing.  

Then came the writers’ strike, which ended the second season before “Heroes” had a chance to win back its shrinking audience.

I figured “Heroes” would rebound after its nine-month layoff, especially after all the press it received about show creator Tim Kring promising to get the drama back on track.

But the hill is steeper than I thought.  

According to preliminary Nielsen Media Research numbers, “Heroes” drew only 9.9 million viewers — about 1.7 million fewer than it averaged last year. The drama averaged 13.6 million in its first season.

So what does “Heroes” need to do to get back on track? Easy: More Sylar. More Hiro. And more battles between good and evil. It’s that simple.

It appears to be headed in the right direction, with the current installment, “Villains.” A dream by the mother of heroes Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) and Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar) hints at an epic showdown.

That’s the kind of thing that can build buzz and a fan base.

Across the remote

* Lindsay Lohan is finding comfort on the small screen. “Access Hollywood” reports the actress will appear as a guest judge on “Project Runway” when it returns next year on its new network, Lifetime.

Lohan, 22, appeared on the second season finale of ABC’s “Ugly Betty” and is expected to return for several more episodes this season.

* In other casting news, Kevin McKidd (“Rome,” “Journeyman”) has a recurring role on “Grey’s Anatomy” as a military doctor. TV critics have labeled him “McHunky” to go with Patrick Dempsey’s “McDreamy” and Eric Dane’s “McSteamy.”

* Look for Emmy-winning actress Tina Fey to pop up several more times on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” until the election.

Recently, she again appeared as vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, giving a boost to the show’s ratings.

* The CW didn’t waste any time in picking up “90210” for the rest of the season. The teen drama is the first new show to receive a full-season order from the network.

* Premieres this week include:

* The CW

“In Harm’s Way,” 5 tonight

“Valentine,” 7 tonight

“Easy Money,” 8 tonight

* CBS

“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” 8 p.m. Thursday

“Eleventh Hour,” 9 p.m. Thursday

* ABC

“America’s Funniest Home Videos,” 6 tonight

“Life on Mars,” 9 p.m. Thursday

* NBC

“Kath & Kim,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday

* Cable

“The Girls Next Door,” E!, 9 tonight

“Gavin & Stacey,” BBCA, 7:40 p.m. Tuesday

“Real Housewives of Atlanta,” Bravo, 8 p.m. Tuesday

“South Park,” Comedy Central, 9 p.m. Wednesday

“The Sarah Silverman Show,” Comedy Central, 9:30 p.m. Wednesday

“Testees,” FX, 9:30 p.m. Thursday

“The Starter Wife,” USA, 8 p.m. Friday

“The Graham Norton Show,” BBCA, 9 p.m. Saturday

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.