Lost Producers Lobby for Schedule Change

Mr E

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds31236.html

The producers of Lost are seeking a new scheduling model for the show in the US to curb the frequency of repeats.

Most US series, including Lost, typically air 22 new episodes each season over a period of 36 weeks, meaning that new episodes are often punctuated with repeats of old episodes.

US Lost fans have complained that having to wait many weeks for a new episode has ruined their enjoyment of the show.

24 has successfully avoided the problem by delaying its return from September to January each year before airing its full season without interruption.

Although Lost's broadcaster, ABC, is unwilling to adopt a similar strategy, show producers have come up with a compromise solution.

"We're lobbying ABC for when the show is on, it's on, and when it's off, it's off," exec producer Damon Lindelof told E! Online. "So, we want to air it in three acts next year. You know, blocks of seven, seven and eight. But in order to do that, we have to roll the show out in October instead of September, and hopefully that will work out."

Sounds like a good idea. 3 mini seasons of Lost, rather than 2 episodes this month, 1 next month, 3 the month after etc.

TmB

TmB wrote:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds31236.html


Sounds like a good idea. 3 mini seasons of Lost, rather than 2 episodes this month, 1 next month, 3 the month after etc.

That actually sounds like a really good idea! It's lost .. er .. Lost alot of fans having to wait weeks at a time.

madrab

Deleted User wrote:

That actually sounds like a really good idea! It's lost .. er .. Lost alot of fans having to wait weeks at a time.

get your coat!

Sherifu

24 managed to throw in 3 or 4 double episodes too this year.
This was on the back of complaints last year that it was moving too slow.
They really get through the episodes now, keeps things moving and my interest up.
It'd be great if Lost adopted the same approach.

tvnutz

It has worked very well for 24,and while having Lost in three acts as mentioned wouldn't be as good as no stoppages,its better than the system they have now.

Anima

Does that mean there would be periods of like 1-2 months between each act?

Mitch Connor

i would bet on it being a month anyway.... but i suppose the tradeoff with have a garuntee of back to back episodes for at least 7 weeks is worth it in the end.

lost_rocks

i think it would be a very good idea !

L31mr0d

yeah its like those queue countdowns they have in mcdonalds in the states. If you know that you are going to have to wait a month or so in 7 weeks, you'd be more accepting of it when it comes. I think that would sort out a lot of the problems with the show at the moment. I watched season 1 all the way through as i only got into it after it had aired, and season 2 has been a let down for me, not because its lost momentum (no pun intended) or that the story isn't as interesting as the first season. But the gaps just mess it all up, I mean to think i watched the first episode of this season in September is ridiculous???

Agamemnon

Let's hope the producers pull this off. This would be a better system than the current one and it would still have the advantage of a 4 month break between seasons, rather than a 6 month break if the whole season was shown uninterrupted.

Basq

Yep.. much prefer this alright to the current system.

Actually.. must go put up the discussion thread for tonight's episode.

popinfresh

Actually, how far behind will RTE be when the season finishes. NExt year I'm gonna watch on RTE2, hence no breaks. Then download the rest of the season when it finishes in the US. But I'm not sure if I'd be able to resist the temptation of seeing episodes as soon as they come out

failsafe

This system could also help the writers if they can plan for the gaps, i.e end a mini series on suspense/revelation, to ensure viewers return after the month and also start each mini-series with a longer "previously, on lost" recap

madrab

madrab wrote:

get your coat!

Yeah, it was worth a shot :P

NUTZZ

This is taken from an interview with ABC programming chief Steve McPherson:

"McPherson wants to maintain that audience loyalty next season. He's looking at running original episodes of Lost over consecutive weeks without repeats--an answer to constant fan gripes. "I like the idea of people knowing that Lost is on and is going to be on in originals for a long period, then have it take a break and put something else in there," he says. "Whether that's a January through May run or a big installment in the fall and another post-January, I'm not sure yet. But we're definitely considering it."

Haven't a Clue

Ah well. Doesn't matter to me. I don't get them with interuptions apart from when the oscars are on.