Does Hereos (NBC TV) Have Social Value?

I've noticed that the Tim Kring/NBC TV show HEROES is very popular in only its second season. I admit that I am a huge fan of the show, myself.

I visit blogs, forums, chats and other website areas where Heroes fans meet to chat about Heroes, but one thing I see lacking very much is

Discussion about social value of television shows.

With all the bad media coverage about 'bad shows,' bad topics, kids watching too much television and the like, I am utterly surprised that one of the top 10 shows in America has so little 'social review' information on it.

Marketing, marketing, marketing and 'no-brain ga-ga' stuff is mostly all I see written about the show - and, of course, show summaries, theories and fan club jargon (obviously).

I have started discussions elsewhere to try and chat about the social value of this television show but my threads are pretty bare...for months.

Am I the only one (or just one of so few) that actually thinks about the IMPACT of the show a few hours after the episode broadcast is over?

Isn't it important for anyone to bring out the fact that the show has an uncanny way of making visible minorities, mental illness, teen problems, and many other things watchable for a mass audience - in a way that isn't offensive? No matter that the show is heartily fantastical - it shows minority races as extraordinary human beings and tromps right over the gender problems that often accompany 'superhero' shows. There are more female 'extraordinary people' on this show than I have ever seen in an entire series run before - and Heroes is only at the beginning of season two right now.

Is it not important for anyone to praise this production when it shows children overcompensating for dysfunctional parents? (Micah Sanders with his jailbird father and recovering alcoholic/dissociative identity disorder mother).

Kudos to Tim Kring for having the creativity to put all these social issues into an action packed, extraordinary show.

Now - if only people would start talking about some of the social issues present within the box every week, the internet 'threads' could come down off the 'gushing teenaged crush' box.

Now I'll leave you with one link - to my 'Discuss Heroes' club

http://www.squidoo.com/discussheroes/

"YATTA!"