Nick Rogers: What happened to ‘Heroes'?

Despite a murder melodrama and some obvious tweaks for accessibility, "Friday Night Lights" still has a gritty realism and superlative acting that make it one of network TV's best shows. "Ugly Betty" still is bright, punchy and bursting with zippy jokes, even if a few plot wheels are spinning.

The sophomore slump hits most shows but rarely as hard as it has hit "Heroes." One of 2006's best shows has disappointingly, but perhaps not inexplicably, toppled from its great heights.