EVOLUTION OF AN IDEA

It’s long been said that there are no new ideas in Hollywood. But we have to admit that there have been some pretty good new incarnations of the old ones.

-- Patrick Day

“HEROES” - Premise

A group of strangers are thrown together when they discover they each possess mysterious superhuman abilities.

“THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO” - Premise

Two strangers are thrown together when one of them gains an alien suit that imbues him with mysterious superhuman abilities.

“BEWITCHED” - Premise

A couple is no stranger to mysterious superhuman abilities when the wife reveals she’s a witch and her family doesn’t approve of the marriage.

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“HEROES” - Powers on display

Super strength, time travel, teleportation, flying, invincibility, invisibility, mind reading, telekinesis, precognition, transformation

“THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO” -- Powers on display

Super strength, flying, invincibility, invisibility, telekinesis, precognition, super speed, X-ray vision

“BEWITCHED” -- Powers on display

Teleportation, flying, invisibility, telekinesis, transformation

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“HEROES” - Typical angst

“Sometimes I look in the mirror and I’m not sure it’s me looking back.”

“THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO” -- Typical angst

“I’m not quitting my job. How am I supposed to eat? Go down to the welfare office and stand in the superhero line?”

“BEWITCHED” -- Typical angst

“You know, this has been the strangest morning. First Darren starts asking ridiculous questions and then you pop in like Lady Macbeth doing the neglected mother bit.”

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“HEROES” - What’s at stake

The fate of the world.

“THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO” -- What’s at stake

The fate of the world.

“BEWITCHED” -- What’s at stake

The fate of Darren and Samantha’s marriage.

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“HEROES” - Eerie real-life parallel

The heroes catch a glimpse of a New York City after a nuclear blast that recalls many of the images seen on Sept. 11.

“THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO” - Eerie real-life parallel

The hero’s name, Ralph Hinkley, was briefly changed to Hanley or shortened to Mr. H after John Hinckley Jr.’s 1981 attempted assassination of President Reagan.

“BEWITCHED” - Eerie real-life parallel

Though the series was set in Westport, Conn., in 2005 TV Land chose to erect a statue commemorating Samantha and her supernatural powers in Salem, Mass., the same city where 20 men and women were put to death in the 17th century because of witchcraft fears.