Sendhil Ramamurthy, from left, Ali Larter, Hayden Panettiere, Greg Grunberg, Masi Oka and Milo Ventimiglia star in "Heroes." The series returns from hiatus at 9 p.m. today on KVBC-TV, Channel 3.

It's no longer enough to "save the cheerleader, save the world." Members of the cast of "Heroes" -- which returns with its first new episode since Dec. 4 (9 p.m. today, KVBC-TV, Channel 3) -- came together last week to save a fairly mundane afternoon at NATPE.

The annual National Association of Television Program Executives convention at Mandalay Bay attracts buyers from stations around the U.S. and 72 other countries, many of whom are hungry for whatever programming they can get their hands on.

It's a place where posters of topless women promote "the most important erotic film library in the world" right next to an inspiring movie about Pope John Paul II. Just around the corner, Pauly Shore shills for his new sketch comedy show while, a couple of rows over, the world's most infamous houseguest draws a smattering of interest for his perfectly named series, "Oh No, It's Kato." And just when you think you've had your fill, Janice Dickinson, the self-proclaimed "world's first supermodel," wanders through looking skinny and confused. The overall effect is like one of Dante's more accommodating circles of hell, only with moderately better swag.

Amid sessions with such riveting names as "The New Matrix -- Increasing Content Value Across Multiple Platforms," "Heroes" stars Greg Grunberg, Masi Oka, Hayden Panettiere and Sendhil Ramamurthy took the stage Tuesday, along with series creator Tim Kring and co-executive producer Jeph Loeb, to talk about the show, which has become the season's biggest new hit and NBC's highest-rated scripted series.

Among the revelations from the mostly subdued panel, still recovering from a night of Golden Globes parties less than 24 hours before:

• Grunberg was cast as mind-reading cop Matt Parkman almost immediately after botching an audition for the empathetic Peter Petrelli.

• Ramamurthy was so good at his audition, Kring created the role of Mohinder for him. (Mohinder's father, Dr. Suresh, was supposed to be the show's scientific voice.)

• Peter also got a lot younger than he was intended to be -- because a wide-eyed middle-aged guy dreaming about superpowers was kind of pathetic -- and Milo Ventimiglia was the last of a long line of actors to audition for the role.

• Kring paid so little attention to superheroes, he wanted a character who could use magnetism to hurl large objects; when Loeb, an acclaimed writer of graphic novels, told him "that's Magneto," he asked whether that was a character or a power.

• Panettiere knew the show was a hit during her first harrowing paparazzi chase; Grunberg realized it when a runner in the New York marathon stopped a couple of blocks from the end to talk to him; and Ramamurthy became convinced when, during a visit to the Sistine Chapel, tourists were more interested in photographing him than Michelangelo's famed ceiling.

• and Oka is lobbying for a Hiro bobblehead. (Give the guy a break, he was up late.)

But as for what's going on now, when we last saw an episode, Henderson stripper Niki (Ali Larter) surrendered to police. Hiro learned he'd be facing a dinosaur. Cheerleader Claire (Panettiere) found out her father had sent his scary Haitian buddy to wipe out her memories after destroying those of her brother and best friend. The pixieish Eden (Nora Zehetner) killed herself so Sylar (Zachary Quinto) couldn't steal her power. And Peter was unconscious after seeing a vision of the future in which he was responsible for the blast that levels New York.

That's more plot than many shows burn through in a month. And that's a decision Kring says he made after hearing complaints about the slow pace of "Lost," for which Loeb used to write.

Today's episode picks up two weeks later, with Peter still unconscious and Niki in a Nevada prison -- one of three stories that cycle back to the state, including a dangerous, growing power in the desert and the Vegas mobster named Linderman, who, while still unseen, is becoming a bigger part of the series each week.

It also begins to shed some light on the tattoo/brand/birthmark many of the heroes seem to have, one of several mysteries the show is juggling. It's no "How does Kato Kaelin get a TV show more than a decade after the last person stopped caring," but it's still a pretty good head-scratcher.

May the best chef win: Las Vegans Marcel Vigneron and Elia Aboumrad will compete for $100,000 in the finals of "Top Chef" (10 p.m. Wednesday, Bravo).

Back for more: The Penn Jillette-hosted game show "Identity" will return to NBC in March.

Christopher Lawrence's Life on the Couch column appears on Mondays. E-mail him at clawrence@reviewjournal.com.