Coming to a goggle box near you: A series based on — hold your breath — superheroes.

But before all you couch potatoes let out a collective groan, this new generation of superheroes looks set to kick the butts of classics like The Six Million Dollar Man, kiddy favourites such as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and even more contemporary hits like Smallville.

Viewers might wince at the all-too-predictable title Heroes, but the series, which debuts on Star World (StarHub Channel 18) on Wednesday, is unique in the pantheon of superhero-centric TV shows because it isn't based on an existing comic book.

Detractors deride Heroes as relying on a tried-and-tested, overdone formula: A group of ordinary folk discovering they have extraordinary powers.

As they struggle to get to grips with their new abilities, they also find they'll need to use them to save the world, in this case from nuclear disaster.

But this did not deter 14.3 million adults in North America tuning into the premiere, making Heroes the highest-rated drama premiere in five years.

And the accolades keep pouring in. Last month, the American Film Institute named the show "one of the best programmes of the year", setting up inevitable comparisons to the debut of Lost in 2004.

It's not a bird, it's not a plane

Rather than featuring caped crusaders able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, Heroes takes a neater approach: Human evolution has given some people superhero-like abilities. Eventually, these people will be called upon to save the world from an impending nuclear disaster.

Refreshingly, there are also no cliched calamity-of-the-week plots. What makes Heroes a hit is that the creators have opted to explore how these new-found abilities affect the lives of their often-unwilling recipients.

As Heroes producer and well-known comic book author Jeph Loeb told online magazine Superhero Hype: "Spider-Man was interesting because Peter Parker is interesting. Bruce Wayne's private life is what makes Batman interesting. Unless you work on the person underneath the powers, you don't have anything, and Tim (Kring, creator of Heroes) had it all, and that is really the most extraordinary thing about it."

Like Peter Parker, the characters of Heroes provide the show's emotional centre; Kring is well aware of the fact that the show succeeds simply because it focuses on the characters first.

"You've got a cheerleader, a policeman, a single mom trying to raise her son," he said in a recent interview.

"These characters and stories are so diverse; my hope is that everyone can find something that they like."

And there are many characters to root for: Witness how 17-year-old cheerleader Claire Bennett deals with the fact that she can run through blazing fire and come out unscathed, or how how Japanese salaryman Hiro Nakamura discovers he can bend space and time simply by squeezing his eyes shut.

Attaching the powers to otherwise everyday people is what gives Heroes its charm and what has helped the series garner a fanatical fan base.

As with Lost, Heroes fans are engaging in intense online discussion on the fate of their characters.

These days, Kring finds himself deluged with questions from fanatics, but he is keen to emphasise that despite its rabid fanbase, Heroes was written with a mainstream audience in mind, and was never meant to be a "cult" show — hence the impressive viewership numbers.

"I think if a person is watching it for just the 'cult' aspect, they will be disappointed. This is a much bigger idea than that."

The show will go on

As fan opinion continues to ride high for Kring, followers may be glad to know that the show won't die out once this season's world-threatening calamity is dealt with.

"There is no ending planned for the show. I didn't create a story with an intentional ending," he told Infuze magazine. "It's a saga, and each year, we'll come up with a brand new obstacle that they have to overcome."

Masi Oka, who plays Hiro Nakamura, thinks Heroes is ultimately a step above the confusion brought forth by series such as Lost or Prison Break.

"The writers are brilliant and they know what they're doing," he told gaming portal IGN. "The show asks a lot of questions, but you have to trust that they will answer them.

"Best of all, they will give answers if you pay attention."

So, to viewers who once were Lost: You may now have found your superhero saviours.

Heroes characters to watch for:

Hiro Nakamura

The adorable Masi Oka is perfectly cast as Hiro, a Japanese office worker who delights in his power to travel through time. He is also the first to be clued in on the mission to save the world.

Claire Bennett

Claire, played by Hayden Panettiere, is no helpless teenager: The 17-year-old has the strange ability to heal herself from all sorts of injuries.

Niki Sanders

Ali Larter turns in a credible performance as a single mom with superhuman strength and a possibly violent, murderous alternate personality.

Peter Petrelli

Peter – sometimes reluctant hero, always a hunk – eventually decides he wants to be the leader of the pack. Played by Gilmore Girls bad-boy Milo Ventimiglia. - TODAY/sh

WHAT: HEROES
WHEN: WEDNESDAY, 9PM
WHERE: STAR WORLD STARHUB CHANNEL 18