It’s not exactly a sneak preview of the second season of NBC’s hit “Heroes,” but fresh footage will be streaming online to prepare fans for new episodes starting Sept. 24.
“Sword Saint” is a five-part web series at the NBC-created web site YamagatoFellowship.org. Supposedly funded by George Takei’s corporate magnate Kaito Nakamura, father of Masi Oka’s Hiro character, the site salutes legendary heroes such as Takezo Kensei. That iconic samurai will be part of Hiro’s fall time-trip back to 17th century Japan.
A “video message” from the elder Nakamura is streaming now (in Japanese), with historical “Sword Saint” adventures yet to come. Narrated (in English) by John Rhys-Davies (“Sliders”), they represent stories told to Hiro as a child.
Other big “Heroes” news includes Tuesday’s release of the first-season DVD and the ongoing Heroes World Tour by the show’s cast and crew. Read more about those here. (The tour stops at Rockefeller Center Tuesday morning.)
Repeats continue on NBC Monday nights at 9. Oka and costar James Kyson Lee (Ando) host tonight’s “Six Months Ago” flashback.
[Above: NBC photo of Masi Oka in Sept. 24 season premiere.]