Heroes is headed for a franchise restart. For real this time.

So promises show creator Tim Kring, who released the following statement yesterday:

"This volume starts us pretty much from scratch. There is almost nothing that the audience needs to know from the previous volume in order to follow the storyline."

Following headlines such as this, the show needs to improve in multiple ways in order to survive past season three. Let's hope it does!

As for whether or not the series will be renewed for a fourth season, Angela Bromstad, NBC's president of primetime entertainment, sounded confident. But she also acknowledged the show's slippage.

"They may have taken on too much in terms of characters and multiple storylines," Bromstad said.

Heroes returns on February 2, as the characters will try to lead normal lives... until Claire discovers a plot to hunt down and capture those with powers, orchestated by Nathan
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Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.