Chuck Kim wrote the season one episode “.07%.”

Below, the Heroes scribe speaks up about the writers’ strike, the aforementioned episode and a number of other topics:

Q: So how’s the writer’s strike going?
It’s extremely boring. I mean, it’s really awful. This is the first show that I’ve ever worked on. One of the very cool things about it is that the crew is on set basically Monday through Friday, sometimes Saturday and Sunday, working on the show. They’re there on the set for twelve to fourteen hours a day, and they’re still just so enthusiastic about the show.

The camera people, the lighting people, the grips—everybody—they’re just so “into” the show. The fact that they can keep up that energy keeps us very excited too. We all feel really awful for those people, too, because not only are we not working, but they’re not working as well. Overall, it’s just a really depressing situation.

Q: It’s hard because I’m sure they all support the cause, yet it’s not their fight, though they have to suffer for it. It’s not anybody’s fault, it’s just a really unfortunate situation.
Indirectly, it’s their fight, too. While we’re fighting for residuals and whatnot, the crew members’ health coverage is basically paid for by the studio the same way our residuals are paid for by the studio. If we don’t get the same residuals from the internet and downloads, etc., then they wouldn’t get that percentage that they would normally earn from the internet for their health coverage either.

Q: It’s really affecting more than just the writers.
It is! We’re kind of the first group that is facing this. The actors are going to face this and the directors are going to face this. Basically, any other guild that has money tied into the studio that’s paid that way (whether it’s health coverage or anything like that), it will affect them as well.
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In case you haven’t heard, there are no new episodes of Heroes scheduled.

But even as the writers’ strike progresses, the official Heroes 360 website will be up and running for at least the next three months. Weekly graphic-novel chapters, posted on Tuesdays and will continue to tell stories of the various characters.

“January is a big month for us,” said Joe Tolerico, producer/project manager for Heroes 360. “A couple of heroes finally get together. And they’re making some plans to take down the Company.”

Moreover, a few offshoot sites - such as PrimatechPaper.com and YamagatoFellowship.org - will be updated throughout the winter.

“Our goal right now, in the situation we’re in, is to bridge the gap between Volume 2 and Volume 3,” Tolerico said. “We’re not working without a net. We are working with the show; it’s all show-approved.

As fans yearn to see their favorite Heroes back on TV, at least we can see them fighting for a worthy cause below.

Here are a few shots of cast members supporting their writers on the picket lines:

Consider these the opposite of Heroes spoilers.

While creator Tim Kring has outright apologized for a few mistakes the show made in season two, he’s also revealed at times the direction of certain characters/stories that never made it on screen.

Here are a few of the changes that were made to the Heroes’ chapter “Generations:”

- Kristen Bell was originally suppose to be in eight episodes… and then killed off. But fan support for the actress has made her into a long-term player on the show.

- Elle was setup as a Bob’s step daughter (and probably still is), but she was also planned to be the daughter of Meredith. This, of course, would have made her Claire’s sister.

- Stephen Tobolowsky (Bob) was meant to be far more sinister than they’ve made him. Looking back at his initial appearances on the show, you can tell his evil side has been toned down a bit. It appears as though Kring and company are now molding him more along the morally grey lines of HRG.

What do you think of these changes? Would you have preferred to have seen any remain as they were originally proposed?

Netflix has sealed a deal with NBC Universal to begin offering online episodes of Heroes. The episodes will appear on Netflix’s website the day after they air on NBC.

Under the agreement, Netflix subscribers will also be able to view past episodes of other NBC series, including 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights and The Office, via rented DVD or on Netflix’s website.

According to Netflix content acquisition VP Robert Kyncl, the deal is part of a larger effort to start offering more TV content on its website. Currently, about 20% of the company’s traditional DVD rental business consists of TV properties; Netflix is looking to assign the same percentage in the digital space.

“Netflix’s aggregate content on DVD right now is 90,000 individual titles,” Kyncl said. “My mandate is to continue increasing the availability of the same content in digital. We currently have 5,000 titles available. Our goal is to increase that in order to offer our subscribers multiple delivery options.”

For NBC, the Netflix deal is the third prong in its off-network Heroes strategy, which gives the online movie rental service the exclusive subscription video-on-demand rights to the show.

“This deal reflects the changing landscape of the entertainment marketplace and our objective of finding new buyers that complement our traditional customers,” said NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution exec VP-general sales manager Frances Manfredi.

Wanna get your hands on some serious Heroes merchandise?

Three original paintings featured the series that foretell various characters’ fates are part of an online auction of studio props to be launched Monday by NBC Universal.

The auction, will also feature collectibles from such shows as “The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Las Vegas” and “Friday Night Lights.”

The first batch, on the block through December 3, will include Michael Scott’s (Steve Carell) Timex watch and Hawaiian “Convention” shirt from “The Office”; a poker set used by the main cast of “30 Rock”; Tim Riggins’ (Taylor Kitsch) jersey, a signed football by three cast members and a megaphone signed by Minka Kelly from “Friday Night Lights”; and Danny’s (Josh Duhamel) signed Letterman jacket from “Las Vegas.”

Each auction will last two weeks, with a new group of items becoming available about every three weeks, said Kim Niemi, senior vp at NBC Universal Video, Music & Product Development.

“We worked with the shows to identify props and wardrobe items and pieces that the fans are really excited about,” Niemi said. “We have a great selection of dozens and dozens of items.”

It’s still performing approximately 30% worse than at this time last year, but Heroes showed an improvement in ratings this week.

The much-hyped episode that took us back four months ago received 11.1 million viewers, 1.3 million more the week earlier.

Like Peter rescuing Nathan, let’s hope this is just the beginning of a resurgence for the series.

Tim Kring is doing damage control. The Heroes creator recently spoke to TV Guide and actually acknowledged mistakes made in season two, while responding to questions from fans.

We’re impressed. Here’s the interview:

Will Mohinder ever have a power?
Not likely. “He’s Mr. Science and was conceived to be the one guy in this vortex who does not have special abilities,” Kring said. “We have no plans to change that.”

Which is fine with Sendhil Ramamurthy:

“I’d be sorely disappointed if I got a power at this point — it would just be weird. But I wouldn’t mind turning out to be the puppet master of this whole thing.”

Will Hana (Stana Katic) ever be seen again? What about Claude (Christopher Eccleston)?
Though Israeli freedom fighter Hana died in outer space in a Heroes graphic novel last spring, her consciousness survives. “We will see her again on the show at some point,” promised co-executive producer Jeph Loeb. But invisible man Claude? That’s trickier.

“We wanted Christopher back this season because he’s so integrated into the mythology of our show, not only because he was Peter’s mentor but also because of his connection to HRG,” said Kring. “But it probably won’t work because of his schedule — he’s too in demand.”

Why didn’t Isaac warn HRG about the painting that predicted his death?
“Isaac was in a drug-addled fugue state when he created his paintings,” Kring said. “There could also be a moral dilemma in telling someone they’re going to die. If you had the ability to know the circumstances of your death, would you want that information?”

Loeb tosses us another option: “If you go back and look at Isaac’s last day, there is an implication that he painted a lot more that day. This is a device we may return to. There may be even more Isaac paintings out there.”

What the hell is Niki’s power, anyway?
“We thought this was very clear on the air,” Loeb said. “Niki’s power is the same as her alternate personality Jessica’s: unbelievable strength. They’re the same person. Niki discovered her special ability through her split personality, but it was always her ability.”

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Wanna add to your collection of Heroes goodies?

TV Guide has come out with a set of four unique covers by four different artists. They’re pretty darn cool, each centered around a different story line on the show. Check them out now:

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While Monday’s episode of Heroes was easily the best of the season, the series hit a season-low this week, with just 9.68 million viewers.

This is sci-fi drama’s worst performance since it debuted in September 2006.

Do you think things will turn around with the new Adam Monroe and virus-centered story lines? Talk about it now in our Heroes forum.