From the very start of NBC's Heroes, the show has excelled in indulging the more geektastic casting decisions seen in mainstream television. We've seen fleeting appearances from Shaft, Uhura, and even Lana Lang from the short-lived 1980s Superboy TV show - and even seen genre regulars like Malcolm McDowell and Greg Grunberg get their time in the spotlight. But while the stunt-casting may seem to have peaked with William Katt, television's first Great(est American) Hero, we've come up with some must-see suggestions to keep more B-list SF veterans in work.
Dean Cain Life post-Lois and Clark hasn't been kind to television's former Superman - but his squarejawed good looks and limited acting ability make him ideally suited for the kind of cameo that would see him appear with some important piece of information that could change everything - only to get killed within the hour. Bonus points if he's part of a team that also includes Gerard Christopher, John Newton and a cameo from Tom Welling.
Marina Sirtis Now that Nathan has two people living in his head, he could probably use a good psychiatrist. Especially one that has empathic powers that help her understand what her clients are going through. Could the Heroes producers really resist the lure of bringing back the woman who taught an entire (next) generation the value of tight-fitting velour catsuits with plunging necklines in modern psychiatry? We hope not.
James Marsters If there's a better recent example of an actor taking up Malcolm McDowell's tendency to appear in almost anything without apparently paying attention to anything other than the paycheck - and without ever having actually attempt to play anything other than the same basic character - than Buffy/Angel/Smallville/Torchwood/Dragonball's Marsters, then we'd be happy to meet them. It's not that we can think of a particular role for Marsters to appear in, but it really just feels like a matter of time before he appears anyway.
Barbara Bain Who better to show up as another mysterious doctor from the past with a history in genetics than Space 1999's Dr. Helena Russell? Bain may have faded from the spotlight since her days as Martin Landau's main squeeze on Moonbase Alpha, but she's kept her hand in the acting world with roles in Millennium, CSI and Cartoon Network's Ben 10 over the years - We say bring her back, have her explain that she was on an ill-fated moon mission at the turn of the century and give us all the geekgasms we deserve.
Dirk Benedict We admit; it was either Dirk or David Hasselhoff for the last spot - which we see as a former Hero who worked for the greater good undercover, and is now bitter but still idealistic where it counts - because both shaped our - and, we'd guess, the Heroes writers' - childhoods in a big way. But while the Hoff has had somewhat of a career renaissance lately - well, if America's Got Talent could really be called a renaissance - Benedict has stayed firmly in the wilderness. It may be an entirely unspoken urge, but the world needs more Faceman, Heroes producers - and it's your duty to make that dream come true. Who have we missed? And what kind of role should they appear in? The comments are there for a reason, you know...