ON DVD > WATCHING AT HOME.

Byline: ROB LOWMAN

ENTERTAIMENT EDITOR

"Heroes">

Getting either creator Tim Kring or cast members Hayden Panettiere (the cheerleader Claire) or Masi Oka (the Japanese geek Hiro) to reveal anything about the upcoming season of "Heroes" would take superpowers.

But the trio happily talked about the DVD release of the NBC hit's first season (out Tuesday), which includes some 50 deleted scenes, commentary, some cool featurettes and the uncut version of the pilot.

Kring did admit that we'll see more of "Star Trek" veteran George Takei, who plays plays Hiro's father, but was tight-lipped about other upcoming guest stars (although it has since been announced that Kristin Bell of "Veronica Mars" would have an arc).

Here's a bit of what the trio had to say. Of course, they are thrilled with the show's many Emmy nominations; so we'll skip that part.

On real-life heroes.

Oka: Well, my real-life hero -- as sappy as it makes me sound -- is definitely my mother. Growing up, (I was) raised by a single mother who came from Japan to America to provide for our entire family and give me a better life in America. She gave up pretty much her entire life for me.

Kring: I have two small kids that I'm trying to involve in charitable works that our family's involved in. ... And I'm just sort of struck by how many people out there are heroes -- especially in a world today where celebrity is so ephemeral and temporal -- where people come and go very quickly in our consciousness. It's just really fascinating to see people that are dedicating their lives to helping others.

Do you feel pressure with last year's success as well as the spinoff series, "Heroes Origins"?

Kring: It's not pressure to top it, it's pressure to keep it going. So a show like this has -- or this particular show -- has become a show that has been defined by its ability to defy your expectations. And people want that experience of watching the show and not knowing where it's going to take them. And that's the difficult part -- constantly trying to stay one step ahead of everybody's expectations.

We hear your dad in the show is up to his old dirty tricks next season.

Panettiere: I'm not sure ... but, you know, as I said, everyone always has their dirty little secrets. But I'm excited to see what happens with everyone. I wish I could turn bad. I'd turn bad in a second. I'd be like, "Yeah." I'd be the villain.

Masi, do you feel like you're giving geeks out there some street cred?

Oka: Oh yeah, if I can represent the geeks, I'm very fortunate to be able to do that. For me, the notion of a geek has always been someone who's passionate about something -- whether it's computers, ant farms or musicals, or storytelling or paperweights -- whatever it is.

Things got gory for Claire in season one. How was it with all that makeup?

Panettiere: Um, it was sticky. Very sticky.

What kind of storytelling possibilities do you see in the DVD format?

Kring: We're getting pitched a few ideas that are starting to make us think about the storytelling in different ways. One of the examples is this idea of being able to follow story lines. ... There are technologies that now allow you to put a story together in the way that you want to watch it, which is a tremendously interactive way to watch a show.

Oka: I'm still waiting for "Heroes on Ice."

movies>

It's hard for me not to find Will Farrell funny, but "Blades of Glory" put that to the test. Ferrell and Jon Heder play rival -- and polar-opposite -- single men's skating champions. When they are banned for life from competing due to bad behavior, they pair up for pairs competition. OK, who's the girl? That's the kind of jokes the filmmakers must have thought were funny. "Blades" never rises above that, but Ferrell and Heder had me laughing at times. There are tons of extras on the DVD, and some of them have better laughs than parts of the movie.

Mike White's "Year of the Dog" is funny but with a touch of sadness. Molly Shannon plays Peggy, unmarried and over 40, who lives with her only companion, a beagle named Pencil, in a small house in Southern California. She works as an assistant in a bland office and has little social life. When Pencil dies, it leaves a hole in Peggy's life. The shock sends her out in the world to save other animals. Crazy, yes, but it also allows her to experience life and love, fleshing her out, so to speak. It's a lovely journey, and White sets the right tone.

television>

Robbie Coltrane stars in "Cracker: A New Terror," the final TV movie for the hard-drinking, edgy British psychologist-detective Dr. Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald. This one is a good one, with echoes of how the war in Iraq has affected the homefront. Fitz returns to Manchester after 10 years in Australia and is soon drawn into the investigation of a string of unrelated murders. The suspect is a British soldier who has been traumatized by his years in Northern Ireland. All the while, the debate on the Iraq war rages on the news and in the the bars.

"Friday Night Lights," based on the Peter Berg-directed feature about the rigors, tension and fanaticism of Texas high-school football, proved to be one of the better (and few surviving) dramas of last season. Though not up to the level of the film, the series is earnest and not overly soapy.

>out tuesday

TELEVISION

"Heroes -- Season One" ($59.98 and $99.98 for HD)

"Friday Night Lights -- The First Season" ($29.98)

"Cracker: A New Terror" ($24.99)

"A Dance to the Music of Time" ($59.99)

"The Odd Couple -- The Second Season" ($38.99)

"Gideon's Trumpet" ($19.99)

NEW FILMS

"Blades of Glory" ($29.99 and $39.99 for Blu-ray or HD)

"Year of the Dog" ($29.99)

"Offside" ($29.95)

"Kickin' It Old Skool" ($27.98)

"Air Guitar Nation" ($26.95)

"Antibodies -- Two-Disc Special Edition" ($24.99)

OLDER FILMS

"Teachers" ($14.98)

"3:10 to Yuma -- Special Edition" ($19.94)

"A Night at the Roxbury -- Special Collector's Edition" ($14.99)

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1) FARRELL

(2) OKA

(3) PANETTIERE

(4) KRING