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Lost is an
American serial drama television series that follows the lives of a group of
plane crash survivors (and their pasts via flashbacks) on an extremely mysterious
tropical island, somewhere in the
South Pacific. The show was created by
Jeffrey Lieber,
J. J. Abrams and
Damon Lindelof (who has since become the show's head writer), and is filmed primarily on location in
Hawaii.
[http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/about.html ABC's 'Lost', about the show] The
pilot episode was first broadcast on
September 22,
2004.
[http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/episodes/2004-05/1.html Pilot: Part 1] Since then, two seasons have aired and a third began on
October 4,
2006.
[cite press release|url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=080406_06|title=Production begins in Hawaii on third season episodes of the award winning, action-packed mystery and adventure series, "Lost"|publisher=ABC|date=2006- The show is produced by Touchstone Television, Bad Robot Productions and Grass Skirt Productions and airs on the ABC Network in the U.S. Its incidental music is composed by Michael Giacchino. The current executive producers are J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse, Jack Bender, Jeff Pinkner and Bryan Burk.][cite news | url=http://starbulletin.com/2005/01/26/news/story2.html | title=High filming costs force ABC network executives to consider relocating |last=Ryan | first=Tim | date=26-1-2005 | publisher=Honolulu ]
A critical and popular success, Lost garnered an average of 15.5 million viewers per episode on ABC during its first year, and won numerous industry awards including the Emmy Award for outstanding drama series in 2005 and best American import at the British Television Awards also in 2005.[http://www.emmys.tv/downloads/images/2006emmys/05_06_facts_and_figs.php Emmys.tv]
Reflecting its devoted fan base, the show has become a staple of popular culture with references to the story and its elements appearing in other television shows,[cite news|title=Your Veronica Mars Questions Answered!|last=Thomas|first=Rob|url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/Insider/default.htm?rmDate=02012006 |publisher=TVGuide.com Insider|date=1 February, ] commercials, comic books,[Hughes, Adam (cover artist). http://www.dccomics.com/comics/?cm=4686 Catwoman, issue 51. 25 January, 2006][cite web|url=http://www.ffplaza.com/library/?issue=tg6v2|publisher=FFPlaza.com|title=Thing, vol 2 #6 ] humor magazines and song lyrics. The show's fictional universe has also been explored through tie-in novels, board and video games, and an alternate reality game, The Lost Experience.[cite news | last= | first= | title=Global interactive phenomenon, Lost Experience, to reveal meaning behind mysterious numbers on international Hit TV show LOST | date=July 25, 2006 | publisher=Disney-ABC Television Group | ]
Production
Conception
The series began development in January 2004, when Lloyd Braun, head of ABC at the time, ordered an initial script based on his concept of a cross between the movie Cast Away and the popular reality show Survivor. Unhappy with the result and a subsequent re-write, Braun contacted J.J. Abrams, creator of the TV series Alias, to write a new pilot script. Although initially hesitant, Abrams warmed to it, and eventually collaborated with Damon Lindelof to create the series' style and characters.
cite news| last=Craig| first=Olga| title=The man who discovered 'Lost' - and found himself out of a job| url=http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/08/14/wlost14.xml| publisher=The Daily Telegraph| date=14 August, [Abrams, J. J and Lloyd Braun, Lost Season 1 DVD (extras), Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 6 September, 2005.]
Losts two-part pilot episode was the most expensive in the network's history, reportedly costing between US$10 and US$14 million,[cite news|title=New series gives Hawaii 3 TV shows in production| last=Ryan|first=Tim|url=http://starbulletin.com/2004/05/17/news/story7.html|publisher=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|date=May 17, ] compared to the average cost of an hour-long pilot in 2005 of US$4 million.[cite press release]
|url=http://www.eidc.com/EIDC_Press_Release_050405.pdf#search=%22production%20cost%20of%20a%20television%20TV%20pilot%22
|publisher= Entertainment Industry Development Corporation
|title=EIDC Issues First Overview of Pilot Production Activity and Economic Impact
|date=2005-05-04
The show, which debuted on September 22, 2004, became one of the biggest critical and commercial successes of the 2004 television season. Along with fellow new series Desperate Housewives, Lost helped to reverse the flagging fortunes of ABC.[cite news|last=Bianco|first=Robert|title=A good season, with reason|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-04-26-tv-lookback_x.htm|publisher=USA Today|date=26 April, ] Yet, before it had even aired, Lloyd Braun was fired by executives at ABC's parent company, Disney, because he had greenlighted such an expensive and risky project.
Episode format
thumb|right|225px|Lost's title card
Episodes have a distinct structure: following a recap of events relevant to the upcoming narrative, each show begins with a cold open. At a dramatic juncture, the screen cuts to black and the title graphic, slightly out-of-focus, glides towards the viewer accompanied by an ominous, discordant sound. The opening credits generally appear over the scenes that immediately follow. While there is a progressive story arc, each episode relates events concurrently with pre-island flashbacks centered on a particular character. The majority of episodes end with a suspenseful twist or cliffhanger, revealed just seconds before a smash cut to black and the title graphic. Others, following a plot resolution, will finish with a reflective closing scene that precedes a simple fade out. Shortly afterwards, a preview of out-of-sequence clips from the next episode is shown.
Music
main|List of songs featured on
Lost features incidental music composed by Michael Giacchino, whose score is primarily orchestral and incorporates several recurring themes for events and characters. The score is performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra. In the official Lost Podcast, Michael Giacchino revealed that he achieved some of the sounds for the score using unusual instruments, such as striking suspended pieces of the plane's fuselage.[Official Lost Podcast http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/podcasts/101323.html "Official Lost Podcast" 9 January 2006.]
On March 21, 2006, the record label Varèse Sarabande released the original television soundtrack for Losts first season. The soundtrack included select full-length versions of the most popular themes of the season and the main title which was composed by series creator J.J. Abrams. Varèse Sarabande released a soundtrack featuring music from the second season of Lost on October 3, 2006.[http://www.varesesarabande.com/upcoming.asp]
Pop culture songs have been used sparingly in the series, given the mainly orchestral score. When such songs are featured, they usually originate from a diegetic source, meaning that they are usually generated by an action of one of the characters. Examples are the various songs played on Hurley's portable CD player throughout the first season or the use of the record player (which included Cass Elliot's "Make Your Own Kind of Music") in the second season premiere.
In some international broadcasts, alternate music is utilized. For instance, in the Japanese broadcast of Lost, Season 1's theme song is "Here I am" by Chemistry and Season 2's theme song is "losin'" by Yuna Ito.
Filming locations
Lost is filmed (35mm) almost entirely on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The original island scenes for the pilot were filmed at Mokulē'ia Beach, near the northwest tip of the island. Later beach scenes take place in secluded spots of the famous North Shore. Cave scenes in the first season were filmed on a sound stage built at a Xerox parts warehouse, which had been empty since an employee mass shooting took place there in 1999.[cite news|last=Veitch|first=Kristin|title=Lost Secrets Found!|url=http://www.eonline.com/Gossip/Kristin/Archive2004/041016.html|publisher=E! Online|date=Oct. 16, ] The soundstage and production offices have since moved to the Hawaii Film Office-operated Hawaii Film Studio,[cite news|last=Nichols|first=Katherine|title=‘Lost’ Home|publisher=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|url=http://starbulletin.com/2006/05/21/features/story01.html|date=May 21, ] at which the sets depicting Season 2's "Hatch" and Season 3's "Hydra station" interiors were built.[cite news|last=Ryan|first=Tim|title=Reel News|url=http://starbulletin.com/2005/08/24/features/ryan.html|publisher=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|date=August 24, ]
Various urban areas in and around Honolulu are used as stand-ins for locations around the world, including Los Angeles, New York, Iowa, South Korea, Iraq, Nigeria, England, and Australia. For example, scenes set in a Sydney airport were filmed at the Hawaii Convention Center, while a World War II-era bunker was used as an Iraqi Republican Guard installation.[cite news|last=Godvin|first=Tara|title=Oahu plays the world|publisher=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|url=http://starbulletin.com/2005/05/25/features/story4.html|date=May 25, ]
Numerous writers have taken to journeying to Hawaii to find the locations in which episodes are set. In March 2005, one Los Angeles Times columnist described how he sneaked onto the set during filming on one such trip,[cite news|last=Brownfield|first=Paul|url=http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-northshore27mar27,1,1978826.story?page=1&coll=la-headlines-lifestyle|title=How lost can you get?|publisher=LA Times|date=March 27, ] which has led to other travel writers following in his tracks. Extensive archives of filming locations are tracked at http://gohawaii.about.com/od/oahuactivities/ss/lost_locations.htm About.com as well as in a repository at http://www.lostvirtualtour.com/ Lostvirtualtour.com.
Online distribution
In addition to traditional terrestrial and satellite broadcasting, Lost has been at the forefront of new television distribution methods. It was one of the first series issued through Apple's iTunes Store service for playback on an iPod or within the iTunes software. Since October 2005, new episodes, without commercials, have been available for download the day after they air on ABC.
In April 2006, Disney announced that Lost would be available for free online in streaming format, with advertising, on ABC's website, as part of a two-month experiment of future distribution strategies. The trial, which ran from May to June 2006, caused a stir among network affiliates who were afraid of being cut out of advertising revenue. The streaming of Lost episodes direct from ABC's website was only available to viewers in the United States due to international licensing agreements.[cite news| first=Joshua| last=Chaffin| coauthor= Aline van Duyn|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/341d65ba-c894-11da-b642-0000779e2340,dwp_uuid=f5f96136-709f-11da-89d3-0000779e2340,print=yes.html| title=Disney’s ABC to offer TV shows free on web | publisher=Financial Times| ][cite press release|publisher=DisneyABC TV|date=2006-04-10|url=http://www.disneyabctv.com/datvg_press/dispDNR.html?id=041006_06|title=Disney-ABC Television Group takes ABC Primetime ]
The UK's Channel 4 has also allowed access to the series online.[Channel 4 Lost Episodes Online http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/L/lost/vod/index.html Channel 4] Both parts of "Pilot" were available to watch for free, and other episodes cost GB£0.99 each. Season two installments are made available two weeks after their Channel 4 debut, and the episodes expire after several months. Due to licensing agreements, the service is only accessible in the UK. Channel 4 have now teamed up with NTL & Telewest's On Demand function which allows the viewer to watch shows at any time. Select episodes from Season One and Season two are available to view for 24 hour rental for £0.99 although the list of episodes is not complete.
As of third quarter, 2006, France's TF1 has allowed online access to the French version of season two; episodes cost €1.99.[cite web|title=TF1 Lost Episodes Online ] Each episode is issued online just after being broadcast.
DVD releases
Main|Lost DVD
Lost: The Complete First Season was released as a widescreen seven-disc Region 1 DVD box set in the USA on September 6, 2005, two weeks before the premiere of the second season. It was distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
In addition to all the episodes that had aired, it included several DVD extras such as episode commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage and making-of features as well as deleted scenes, deleted flashback scenarios and a blooper reel.
The same set was released on November 30, 2005 in Region 4, and on January 16, 2006 in Region 2. The latter was titled Lost: The Complete First Series. As has become standard for Region 2, the series was first released split into two parts: the first twelve episodes of series 1 were available as a widescreen four-disc Region 2 DVD box set on October 31, 2005, while the remaining thirteen episodes of series 1 were released on January 16, 2006. The DVD features available on Region 1 release were likewise split over the two box sets.
The second season was released as a widescreen seven-disc Region 1 DVD box set in the USA on September 5, 2006 and on Region 2 DVD on October 2, 2006, retitled as Lost: The Complete Second Series. Each of these releases also contained DVD extras, including Behind the Scenes Footage, deleted scenes and a "Lost Connections" chart, which shows how all of the characters on the island are inter-connected with each other.[cite news|lastname=Castro|firstname=Adam-Troy|url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/screen/sfw13617.html|title= Lost Season 2 DVD|publisher=Sci Fi Weekly|date=September 13, ]
Again, the series was initially delivered in two sets for Region 2: the first twelve episodes were released as a widescreen four-disc DVD box set on July 17, 2006. The remaining episodes of series 2 were released as a four-disc DVD box set on October 2, 2006. The set was released in Region 4 on October 4, 2006.
Both Seasons 1 and 2 of Lost have sold successfully on DVD. The Season 1 boxset entered the DVD sales chart at number two in September 2005[http://www.tv.com/story/6306.html?q=], and the Season 2 boxset entered the DVD sales chart at the number one position in its first week of release in September 2006, believed to be the second TV-DVD ever to enter the chart at the top spot.[http://www.movieweb.com/tv/news/05/14605.php] First day DVD sales for Lost Season 2 are thought to have been as high as 500,000 copies sold.[http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/lost_season_2_dvd_tops_charts.aspx]
Cast and characters
main|Characters of
The opening season featured sixteen regular speaking roles, making it the second largest cast in American primetime television behind Desperate Housewives. While a large cast makes Lost more expensive to produce, the show's writers benefit from more flexibility in story decisions. According to series executive producer Bryan Burk, "You can have more interactions between characters and create more diverse characters, more back stories, more love triangles."[cite news|title=TV hits maximum occupancy|publisher=USA ]
The initial season had fourteen major roles getting star billing. Naveen Andrews portrayed former Iraqi Republican guard Sayid Jarrah. Emilie de Ravin played the pregnant Australian Claire Littleton. Matthew Fox acted as the troubled surgeon and reknowned "mother-lover" Jack Shephard. Jorge Garcia portrayed Hugo "Hurley" Reyes, an unlucky lotto winner. Maggie Grace played Shannon Rutherford, a former dance teacher. Josh Holloway acted as con man James "Sawyer" Ford. Yunjin Kim played Sun-Hwa Kwon, the daughter of a powerful Korean businessman, with Daniel Dae Kim as her husband Jin-Soo Kwon. Evangeline Lilly portrayed fugitive Kate Austen. Dominic Monaghan acted as an ex-rock star drug addict Charlie Pace. Terry O'Quinn played the mysterious John Locke. Harold Perrineau portrayed construction worker Michael Dawson, while child star Malcolm David Kelley acted as his young son, Walt Lloyd. Ian Somerhalder played Boone Carlyle, chief operating officer of his mother's wedding business and step brother of Shannon.
Most of the principal characters of the mid-third season of Lost; from left, Ben, Kate, Sawyer, Claire, Charlie, Jack, Sayid, Locke, Sun, Desmond, Hurley, Jin, Juliet (Nikki and Paulo not pictured).|thumb|300px]
During the first two seasons, some characters were written out to make room for new characters with new stories.[cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-09-13-lost_x.htm|publisher=USA Today|last= Keck|first=William |date=13-09-2005|title='Lost' in the face of ][cite web|url=http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci06prog_lost.shtml|publisher=Comic Con|title=Interview with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse|quote="Carton: There will always be new characters that will be joining the cast of Lost. We will try to give the audience a lot of stuff with your favorite characters and introducing new characters and evolving the story is just part of the DNA of the ] Boone Carlyle was the first major character to be written out in season one. Malcolm David Kelley became a guest star after the events of the first season's finale, making rare appearances throughout season two. Maggie Grace's departure six episodes into season two made way for newcomers Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Catholic priest and former Nigerian criminal Eko, Michelle Rodriguez as airport security guard and former police officer Ana Lucia Cortez, and Cynthia Watros portraying the purported clinical psychologist Libby. Ana Lucia and Libby were written out of the series toward the end of season two, as were Michael and Walt.
In season three, Henry Ian Cusick received star billing as former Scottish soldier Desmond David Hume, as did Michael Emerson in the role of Ben Linus (formerly known as Henry Gale), the leader of the "Others." In addition, three new actors joined the regular cast: Elizabeth Mitchell, as Juliet, Kiele Sanchez who plays Nikki, and Rodrigo Santoro, who plays Paulo. With these additions, however, Mr. Eko was written out early in the season.
Numerous supporting characters have been given expansive and recurring appearances in the progressive storyline. In the second season, Rose Henderson played by L. Scott Caldwell and tail section survivor Bernard Nadler played by Sam Anderson, were featured in a flashback episode after being reunited. Mira Furlan as Danielle Rousseau, the shipwrecked Frenchwoman appeared throughout seasons one and two. Some of the "Others," including M.C. Gainey as Tom, Michael Bowen as Danny Pickett, William Mapother as Ethan Rom and Tania Raymonde as Alex Rousseau have been shown in both flashbacks and the ongoing story. Similarly, Jack's father Christian Shephard, flight attendant Cindy Chandler and marshall Edward Mars portrayed by John Terry, Kimberley Joseph and Fredric Lane respectively, have appeared in multiple flashbacks, as well as on the island.
Casting
Many of the first season roles were a result of the executive producers' liking to various actors. The main character Jack was originally to die in the pilot, and was hoped to be played by Michael Keaton, however ABC executive were adamant that Jack lived. Before it was decided that Jack would live, the character of Rose was to emerge as the leader of the survivors, but with the name of Kate. Dominic Monaghan auditioned for the role of Sawyer, who at the time was supposed to be a suit-wearing city con man. The producers enjoyed Monaghan's performance and changed the character of Charlie to fit him. Jorge Garcia also auditioned for Sawyer, and the part of Hurley was written for him. Yunjin Kim auditioned for Kate but the producers wrote Sun and Jin for her and Daniel Dae Kim. Naveen Andrews, who plays Sayid was also not in the original script. Locke and Michael were written with their actors in mind. Emilie de Ravin who plays Claire was originally supposed to be a recurring role. In the second season, Michael Emerson was contracted to play Ben ("Henry Gale") for three episodes. His role was extended because of his acting skills to eight episodes, and eventually for the whole of season three.
Season synopses
Main|List of Lost
Season 1
main|Lost (season
Season 1 began airing in the United States on September 22, 2004 and featured 24 episodes[cite web | url = http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/episodes | title = ABC.com: Lost Episode Guide | accessdate = 2006-10-10 | last = | first = | date = | publisher = ] that aired Wednesdays at 8:00. A plane crash strands the surviving passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 on a seemingly deserted tropical island, forcing the group of strangers to work together to stay alive. However, their survival is threatened by mysterious entities including polar bears, an unseen creature that roams the jungle, and the island's malevolent inhabitants known as the "Others". They encounter a Frenchwoman who was shipwrecked on the island over sixteen years earlier and find a mysterious metal hatch buried in the ground. An attempt is made to leave the island on a raft.
Season 2
main|Lost (season
Season 2 began airing in the United States and Canada on September 21, 2005 and featured 23 episodes
Season 3
main|Lost (season
Season 3 will feature 22 episodes that began airing in the United States and Canada on October 4, 2006 and are scheduled to finish on May 23, 2007.[http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index] The episodes were broadcasted Wednesdays at 9:00. In the UK Sky's Sky One - rather than Channel 4 - is now showing Lost and made its season premier on November 19, 2006. In Ireland RTE began showing the first block on October 31 2006RTE . The story continues 67 days after the crash. New crash survivors and Others are introduced, as three of the crash survivors are held in captivity by them.
Mythology
main|Mythology of
In parallel to its character development, episodes of Lost include a number of mysterious elements which have been ascribed to science fiction or supernatural phenomena. The creators of the series refer to these as part of the mythology of the series, and they form the basis of rampant fan speculation.[Benson, Jim. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA601539.html?display=News The 'Lost' Generation: Networks Go Eerie, Broadcasting & Cable, May 16, 2005.]
Among the show's mythological elements is a "monster" which appears to roam the island; a mysterious group of inhabitants whom the survivors refer to as "The Others"; an organization called the "DHARMA Initiative" which has placed several research stations on the island; a sequence of numbers which have made frequent appearances in the lives of the characters, in both the past and present; and personal connections between the characters, of which they are often unaware.
Thematic motifs
main|Thematic motifs of
There are several recurring thematic motifs on Lost, which generally have no direct impact on the story itself, but expand the show's literary and philosophical subtext. These elements include frequent appearances of the colors black and white, which reflect the dualism within characters and situations; eyes, which often appear in close-up at the start of episodes; dysfunctional family situations, as portrayed in the lives of nearly all the main characters; references to numerous works of literature, including mentions and discussions of particular novels. There are also many allusions to philosophy, demonstrated most clearly in the distinct naming of certain characters after famous historical thinkers, such as John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and David Hume.[Franklin, Garth. "Paul Dini Gives 'Lost' Spoilers", http://www.darkhorizons.com/news04/041109d.php Dark Horizon Web site, 9 November 2005.]
Discredited theories
At the heart of the series is a complex and cryptic storyline which spawns numerous unresolved questions. [http://tv.ign.com/articles/745/745595p1.html IGN's Top 50 Lost Loose Ends] Encouraged by Lost's writers and stars, who often interact with fans online, viewers and TV critics alike have taken to rampant theorization in an attempt to unravel the mysteries. Theories mainly concern the nature of the island, the origins of the "monster" and the "Others", the meaning of the numbers, and the reasons for both the crash and the survival of some passengers.
Several of the more common fan theories have been discussed and rejected by the show's creators, the most common being that the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 are dead or in purgatory. This was specifically denied by J.J. Abrams and was also proven to be wrong by the second season's finale.[Fienberg, Daniel. "'Lost' Team Discusses Upcoming Death and Mysteries" http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271%7C94107%7C1%7C,00.html Zap2It.com 14 March 2005.] The makers of the show have also discredited the theory that the survivors will experience, or have experienced, time travel, which was dismissed by Damon Lindelof.["Lost Answers are Out There" http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/handheld/30246.html SciFiWire, 24 January 2005.] Likewise, speculation that spaceships or aliens influence the events on the island, or that everything seen is a fictional reality taking place in someone's mind, has also been rejected by Lindelof.["Damon Lindeloff E-Mail interview" http://losttv-forum.com/bonus/interview.htm LostTV-Forum.com, 21 August 2005.]
Carlton Cuse dismissed the theory that the island is a reality TV show and the castaways unwitting housemates[Idato, Michael. "Asking for trouble" http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/asking-for-trouble/2005/08/20/1124435180515.html Sydney Morning Herald 22 August 2005.] and Damon Lindelof discredited the theory that the "monster" is a nanobot cloud similar to the one featured in Michael Crichton's novel Prey.[Wharton, David Michael. Comicon 2005 news. http://www2.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Comics&action=page&obj_id=49194 Cinescape.com17 July 2005][Grillo-Marxuach, Javier. "Burning Questions", http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=14649&highlight=nanobot TheFuselage.com, 22 July 2005.]
Impact
Ratings
USA TV Ratings
The pilot episode garnered 18.6 million viewers, easily winning its 9/8central timeslot, and giving ABC its strongest ratings since 2000 when Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? initially aired — beaten only the following month by the premiere of Desperate Housewives. According to Variety, "ABC sure could use a breakout drama success, as it hasn't had a real hit since The Practice. Lost represents the network's best start for a drama with eighteen to forty-nine year olds since Once and Again in 1999, and in total viewers since Murder One in 1995."[cite news|first=Rick|last=Kissell|title=ABC, Eye have quite some night|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117910869?categoryid=14&cs=1|publisher=Variety|date=September 25, ]
Based on its strong opening, Reuters dubbed it a "hit drama" noting that "the show appeared to have benefited from an all-out marketing blitz that included radio spots, special screenings and ABC's first billboard advertising campaign in five years."[cite news|url=http://www.lost-media.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=10|title=ABC May Have Found a Hit in 'Lost'|date=10/1/2004|last=Gorman ] After four episodes aired, ABC announced Lost had been picked up for a full season order.[cite news|url=http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/Pf/0,1527,15183,00.html|title=ABC stays "Lost" and "Desperate"|first=Josh|last=Grossberg|date=Oct 20, 2004|publisher=E! ]
For its first season, Lost averaged 16 million viewers, ranking 14th in viewership among prime-time shows, and 15th among the eighteen to forty-nine year old demographic.[cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000937471|source=Hollywood Reporter|date=May 27, 2005|title=Final audience and ratings ] Its second season fared equally well: again, Lost ranked 14th in viewership, with an average of 15.5 million viewers. However, it improved its rating with eighteen to forty-nine year olds, ranking 8th.[cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002576393|source=Hollywood Reporter|date=May 26, 2006|title=2005-06 primetime ] The second season premiere was even stronger than the first, pulling in over 23 million viewers and setting a series record.[cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds24619.html|title=US Ratings: 'Lost' premiere draws 23 million|first=Neil |last=Wilkes|publisher=Digital Spy (UK)|date=September 23, ] However the third season premiere saw a drop in its ratings; averaging 18.8 million viewers.[http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=televisionNews&storyID=2006-10-06T024052Z_01_N05414450_RTRIDST_0_TELEVISION-RATINGS-DC.XML&WTmodLoc=EntNewsTV_C1_%5BFeed%5D-4]
World TV Ratings
A survey of twenty countries by Informa Telecoms and Media in 2006 concluded that Lost was the second most viewed TV show in the world, next to CSI: Miami.[cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5231334.stm|date=31 July 2006|title=CSI show 'most popular in ]
Awards
Capping its successful first season, Lost won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series and J. J. Abrams was awarded an Emmy in September 2005 for his work as the director of the pilot. In January 2006, it won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Drama. Lost won the 2005 Writers Guild of America award for outstanding achievement in writing for a dramatic television series, and the 2005 Screen Actors Guild Award for best ensemble cast.
Fandom and popular culture
seealso|List of references to Lost in popular
As with most cult television shows, Lost has generated a dedicated and thriving international fan community. Lost fans, sometimes dubbed Lostaways[cite news|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050207/news_lz1b7lost.html|title=Sites in the news, Lostaways|date=2005-02-07|publisher=The San Diego Union ] or Losties,[cite press release|url=http://abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=051205_03&from=mnsearch|title=ABC Television and Creation Entertainment bring the Official "LOST" Fan Club and Special Events to Cities Around the World|publisher=ABC|date=2005- have gathered at Comic-Con International and conventions organized by ABC,][cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,159667,00.html|title='Lost' Fans Hold Convention for Show|first=Don|last=Kaplan|date=2005-06-15|publisher=][cite news|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2006/01/10/Floridian/Web_ensnares__Lost__s.shtml|title=Web ensnares 'Lost' souls|first=Colette|last=Bancroft|date=2006-01-10|publisher=St. Petersburg ][cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/03/AR2005120300089.html|title='Lost' Fans Find A Niche on the Internet|first=Frank|last=Ahrens| date=2005-12-04|publisher=The Washington ][cite news|url=http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060111/ENT02/601110412/1034|title=Fans find 'Lost' world on Net|first=Colette|last=Bancroft|date=2006-01-11|publisher=St. Petersburg ][cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/2002730079_lostgame10.html|title=Fans play TV series "Lost" like an interactive video game|first=Jennifer|last=Buckendorff|date=2006-01-10|publisher=The Seattle ] Because of the show's elaborate mythology, its fansites have focused on speculation and theorizing about the island's mysteries, as well as on more typical fan activities such as producing fan fiction and videos, compiling episode transcripts, shipping characters, and collecting memorabilia.
Anticipating fan interest and trying to keep its audience engrossed, ABC embarked on various cross-media endeavors, often using new media. Fans of Lost have been able to explore ABC-produced tie-in websites, tie-in novels, an official forum sponsored by the creative team behind Lost ("The Fuselage"), "mobisodes", podcasts by the producers, an official magazine, and an alternate reality game (ARG) "The Lost Experience."[cite news|url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_30/b3994072.htm|title=Network Finds Marketing Paradise with Lost|first=Tom|last=Lowry|date=2006-07-24|publisher=BusinessWeek ] An official fanclub was launched in the summer of 2005 through Creation Entertainment.
Due to the show's popularity, references to the series and elements from its story have appeared in parody and popular culture usage. These include appearances on television, such as on the series Veronica Mars, Will & Grace, Bo Selecta, My Wife And Kids and The Office; as well as on the cartoons Family Guy, American Dad, South Park, and Venture Brothers; and even on a commercial for KFC Hawaii. Comic books, such as Catwoman and The Thing, daily strips Monty and Over the Hedge, web comics Piled Higher and Deeper and Penny Arcade, and humor magazine Mad have all incorporated Lost references. Similarly, rock bands Moneen, Senses Fail, and Gatsbys American Dream have published songs whose themes and titles were derived from the series.
Other media
The characters and setting of Lost have appeared in several official tie-ins outside of the television broadcast, including in print, on the Internet, and in short videos for mobile phones
As of March of 2006, three novelizations have been released by Hyperion Books, a publisher owned by ABC's parent company: Endangered Species (ISBN 0-7868-9090-8) by Cathy Hapka, released on November 1, 2005; Secret Identity (ISBN 0-7868-9091-6) by Cathy Hapka on January 1, 2006; and Signs of Life (ISBN 0-7868-9092-4) by Frank Thompson, on March 1, 2006. Additionally, Hyperion published a metafictional book titled Bad Twin (ISBN 1-4013-0276-9), written by Laurence Shames,[cite news |last = Zeitchik|first = Steven|url =http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117945504?categoryId=14&cs=1|title =Inside Move: It's a Shames|publisher =Daily Variety|date = 2006-06-18|accessdate = ] and credited to fictitious author "Gary Troup," who was claimed to be a passenger on Oceanic Flight 815 by ABC's marketing department. Finding Lost: The Unofficial Guide (ISBN 1-55022-743-2) by Nikki Stafford and published by ECW Press is a book detailing the show for fans and those new to the show.
The show's networks and producers have made extensive use of the Internet in expanding the background of the story. For example, during the first season, a fictional diary by an unseen survivor called "Janelle Granger" was presented on the ABC web site for the series. Likewise, a tie-in website about the fictional Oceanic Airlines appeared during the first season, which included several Easter eggs and clues about the show. Another tie-in website was launched after the airing of "Orientation" about the Hanso Foundation. In the UK, the interactive back-stories of several characters are included in "Lost Untold," a section of Channel 4's Lost website. Similarly, since November 2005, ABC has produced an official podcast, hosted by series writers and executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. The podcast typically features a discussion about the weekly episode, interviews with cast members and questions from viewers.[http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/podcasts/107675.html ABC Official Lost Podcast] Channel 4 also hosts a podcast presented by Iain Lee on their 4radio platform, which analyzes each episode after it airs in the UK.[http://www.channel4radio.com/store/view.php?Id=378 Channel 4 Official Lost Podcast]
The foray into the online realm culminated in "The Lost Experience" an Internet-based alternate reality game produced by Channel 4 and ABC, which began in early May 2006. The game presents a five-phase parallel storyline, primarily involving The Hanso Foundation.[cite news| url=http://www.disneyabctv.com/datvg_press/dispDNR.html?id=072506_12| title=Global interactive phenomenon, Lost Experience, to reveal meaning behind mysterious numbers on international hit TV show "Lost" | publisher=ABC Press Release| date=2006-07-25| ]
Short mini-episodes ("mobisodes") called the Lost Video Diaries were originally scheduled for viewing by Verizon Wireless subscribers via its V-Cast system, but were initially delayed by contract disputes.[cite news| first=Andrew and Jesse Hiestand| last=Wallenstein|url=http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyid=2006-04-25T110339Z_01_N24351020_RTRUKOC_0_US-UNIONS.xml| title=ABC, unions reach deal on cell phone TV shows| publisher=Reuters| date=2006-04-25| ][http://www.disneyabctv.com/datvg_press/dispDNR.html?id=042406_14 ABC Press Release] Each video diary will run several minutes and cover events not seen in the television episodes.[cite news| first=Gina| last=Serpe| url=http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,17795,00.html| title="Lost" Finds Its Calling| publisher=E! Online| date=2005-11-17| ] They are expected to be released in Winter of 2007.
Licensed merchandise
In addition to tie-in novels, several other types of products based on the series, such as toys and games, have been licensed for release. A Lost video game has been announced, to be developed by Ubisoft, for game consoles and home computers,["Ubisoft and Touchstone team up to create 'Lost' video game" http://www.ubisoftgroup.com/index.php?p=59&art_id=60&vars=c2VuZGVyPUFMTCZjb21faWQ9MzI0JmZpbHRlcl90eXBlPSZmaWx0ZXJfbW9udGg9JmZpbHRlcl95ZWFyPQ%3D%3D Ubisoft Press release] while Gameloft is developing a Lost game for mobile phones.[IGN - http://wireless.ign.com/articles/725/725598p1.html Gameloft's Lost Housewives] Cardinal Games released a Lost board game on August 7, 2006. [http://www.lostboardgame.com/ Lost board game] Inkworks has published two sets of Lost trading cards, and is slated to release the Lost: Revelations set.[Inkworks http://inkworks.com/products/lost/lost1preview/lost1set.html Lost trading cards homepage] Likewise, McFarlane Toys has announced a full line of character action figures.[cite news| first=William| last=Keck| url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-05-23-lost-toys_x.htm| title=These characters are toying with us| publisher=USA Today| date=2006-05-23| ]
References
External links
Spoken Wikipedia-2|2006-08-24|Lost (TV series) Part 1.ogg|Lost (TV series) Part
*http://lostwiki.abc.com ABC - Lost Official Wiki
*http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/podcasts/107675.html ABC - Lost Official Podcast
*http://www.oceanicflight815.com Official Lost Season 1 website
*http://video.movies.go.com/lost2/ Official Lost Season 2 DVD website
*http://dynamic.abc.go.com/streaming/landing Official ABC streaming video site - Lost Season 3 to-date Episodes available
;Network sites
*http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/1095870160985_5/ CTV - Lost (Canada)
*http://au.yahoo.com/lost Channel 7 - Lost (Australia)
*http://www.channel4.com/lost Channel 4 - Lost (UK Series 1 and 2)
*http://www.skyone.co.uk Sky One - Lost (UK Series 3 and 4)
;Sponsored forum
*http://www.thefuselage.com/ The Fuselage: forum sponsored by the show's creative team
;Official tie-in sites
seealso|Lost Experience#External
*http://www.thehansofoundation.org/ The Hanso Foundation: fictional foundation behind the DHARMA Initiative
* http://www.oceanic-air.com/ Oceanic Airlines: fictional airline whose crashed Flight 815 is the subject of the series
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