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| BBC2 controller Roly Keating has secured a deal with NBC Universal, the US producer of sci-fi hit Heroes, guaranteeing that the BBC has first option on series three and beyond. In a deal which effectively puts future series of the show beyond the reach of rivals such as Sky One, the BBC has the option of buying all content beyond series two at a pre-agreed price. The BBC has already secured series two series of Heroes, which is poised to begin broadcasting in America on NBC and has the option on all future series after that. BBC2 is currently showing the 23 episodes of the first series with the second series, which will be 24 episodes, to follow. Heroes opened with 4.3 million viewers on BBC2 in July and has settled down to attract average weekly audiences of around half that for the series, which some press reports have claimed has cost the BBC as much as £500,000 per episode. However, Mr Keating refused to disclose the sums paid to NBC Universal for the series or to comment on some of the more extreme estimates. A BBC spokeswoman insisted that the option deal "represents real value for money" in the long term because it means that the price will not be hiked beyond the corporation's means for future series. Speaking at a press event held in London late last week, Heroes actress Hayden Pannettiere, who plays cheerleader Claire in the show, confirmed that the current cast have been optioned for six series by NBC Universal. The first series of Heroes, which tells the story of ordinary people blessed with superhuman powers, premiered in the UK on the Sci-Fi Channel earlier this year, before the BBC picked up the terrestrial rights. However, from the second series of Heroes the BBC has exclusive UK TV rights covering terrestrial and multichannel. |