Netflix Revives 20-Year-Old Sci-Fi Cult Classic to Become Major Streaming Hit

One of the most iconic science fiction shows of the 2000s (that’s on par with Lost) is making a streaming comeback after being added to Netflix. The streaming giant might be best known for its in-house sci-fi shows, like Stranger Things, Three Body Problem, Altered Carbon, Dark, and Love, Death + Robots. But occasionally, the streamer licenses classic sci-fi shows, and they quickly surge in popularity once again. When Lost was added to Netflix in 2024, it rose in prominence once again, introducing a new generation to the acclaimed show. Netflix has done it again with one of the most iconic and divisive sci-fi shows of the 2000s.

Following a multi-year absence from streaming, NBC’s Heroes was re-added to Netflix on Jul. 1, 2026, and it has become a sci-fi giant once again. The series was streaming on Netflix between 2013 and 2016, before leaving the platform. Fans had to wait 10 years before Heroes returned to Netflix, and it’s safe to say they’re making the most of it. The Nielsen Company (via THR) recently published its weekly streaming viewership figures, and 20 years after it was first released, Heroes is still as iconic as ever. The series was viewed for a staggering 593 million minutes over the past seven days on Netflix. Those stats make it the eighth most popular acquired series (produced by a network TV station and later added to streaming) on streaming this week. The Big Bang Theory holds the top spot, with over one billion minutes viewed on HBO Max.

Created by Tim Kring and Joe Pokaski, Heroes dominated pop culture upon its release in 2006. Just two years after the release of Lost, Heroes gave sci-fi fans another mystery-filled thriller to lose themselves in; this time, involving superheroes and a cheerleader (the 00s were a weird decade). When ordinary people suddenly develop supernatural powers, they try to use them for good, preventing natural disasters and saving lives. But such power invites dangerous foes, namely a deadly serial killer named Sylar, who hunts them for their powers.

‘Heroes’ Fell Off, Hard

Season 1 of Heroes was nothing short of iconic. Its logline, “Save the Cheerleader, Save the World,” was everywhere. However, as if it were emulating its spiritual predecessor, Lost, the series took incredible levels of hype and threw it away with gradually worse seasons. Lost‘s ending is infamously divisive, but Heroes‘ ending is completely forgotten because most people didn’t even get to that point. Over its four seasons, Heroes got worse and worse, and many abandoned the series before the 78th and final episode in 2010. The show holds a 52% overall Rotten Tomatoes score. Season 1 debuted with an 82% RT score. By the time of Season 4, that dropped to just 29%.

‘Heroes’ Cast Was Surprisingly Strong

When you think back on Heroes, you probably remember the powers, the twisting plot, something to do with a cheerleader, and the moment you decided to give up on watching it. But in hindsight, the show’s cast was stacked. Hayden Panettiere, Milo Ventimiglia, Zachary Quinto, Masi Ika, Jack Coleman, Eric Roberts, George Takei, Richard Roundtree, Malcom McDowell, and more all graced the screen in NBC’s now cult-classic sci-fi thriller.

Release Date

2006 – 2010-00-00

Network

NBC

Directors

Allan Arkush, Jeannot Szwarc, Adam Kane, Greg Yaitanes, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Roxann Dawson, Paul A. Edwards, John Badham, Donna Deitch, Kevin Dowling, Seith Mann, Ron Underwood, Paul Shapiro, Lesli Linka Glatter, S.J. Clarkson, Daniel Attias, David Straiton, Kevin Bray, David Semel, Holly Dale, Ed Bianchi, Nathaniel Goodman, Christopher Misiano, Ernest R. Dickerson