Save the cheerleader. Save the world.

That's the attention-grabbing catchphrase for "Heroes," NBC's new hit drama about a group of ordinary people who suddenly develop superpowers.

NBC executives, however, are probably chanting a slightly different mantra: Save "Heroes." Save the network.

It's easy to understand why.

Since its September debut, "Heroes" (9 tonight) has quickly become TV's coolest new show and is averaging an impressive 13 million viewers each week. While such insanely hyped NBC shows as "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and "30 Rock" have failed to smash any ratings records, "Heroes" continues to soar.

The series captures both the geeky comic book crowd as well as mainstream viewers who don't know the X-Men from the Village People -- a rare TV feat.

In a season overloaded with serialized dramas that are either too complex to follow or not interesting enough to care, "Heroes" has emerged as the one must-see serialized show TV watchers don't miss and can't wait to blog or buzz about on Internet chat boards.

Tim Kring, the show's creator and executive producer, isn't sure why "Heroes" is flying high.

"You never really know why things connect," he says. "It's some combination of zeitgeist, fairy dust and luck. But there's a kind of hopefulness to our show's message. A lot of the shows that didn't work, their subject matter was a bit dim or bleak. While we are in a world that's complicated and confusing, our show posits the idea that there are people coming along who can do something about it."

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