New characters on tap for "Heroes," "Prison Break"

Cast member Masi Oka poses at the wrap party for season one of his NBC television series 'Heroes' in Hollywood California, in this April 17, 2007 file photo. The 2006-07 season is barely over and the broadcast networks announced their fall schedules only a week ago, but buzz has started about new characters being added to returning hits next season and roles being recast on the newly picked-up rookie shows.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The 2006-07 season is barely over and the broadcast networks announced their fall schedules only a week ago, but buzz has started about new characters being added to returning hits next season and roles being recast on the newly picked-up rookie shows.

NBC's "Heroes," which wrapped its freshman season with an explosive finale Monday, is rumored to be introducing at least four new, mostly international, characters next season, among them a sexy boyfriend for everyone's favorite cheerleader, Claire (Hayden Panettiere).

Also potentially joining the cast of characters on "Heroes" next season are a 28-year-old black mother, a surrogate for Niki's (Ali Larter) son, an Irish mobster and a twentysomething Latina. It is believed that most of these characters will only do arcs on the show rather than become regulars.

New characters on Fox's "Prison Break" -- which will find Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) and the gang locked up in a Panama prison next season -- include a mysterious fisherman who apparently is wrongfully imprisoned there, a beautiful local woman who is the fisherman's girlfriend, a Panamanian drug kingpin and a female freelance operative with a government organization.

Among new series, Shannon Lucio is being replaced on CBS' drama "Moonlight," and Jessica St. Clair's character on NBC's comedy "The IT Crowd" is being recast.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter