'Heroes' star defends fourth season

Hayden Panettiere has defended the fourth season of Heroes.

Some fans have been unimpressed with the show since its first season back in 2006, but Panettiere - Claire Bennet on the NBC drama - has claimed that the show is still fresh.

"It's been very new and different," she said. "On the show you never know what to expect, but this season has been this trip with new people. It's very much about people with abilities hiding and them coming out.

She added that the current season has seen her character head in a new direction which has not been seen before.

"Claire's been chasing this normal life, but maybe that's not what she wanted. She always find a reason to jump back into it - to save people and fix things."

Heroes concludes its fourth season tonight at 9pm on NBC in the US and continues Saturdays on BBC Two in the UK.