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

By Nellie Andreeva

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