LOST: The Reckoning

You know, if they didn't air new eps so infrequently they wouldn't
have to air these lame "clip shows" all the time.

Then again, it's a great stalling tactic...

Tere...

Your premise is flawed. Lost aired or will air 24 hours of new program
in each of its two seasons. That includes the 2 hr series premiere and
a 2 hr finale for each of the two seasons. Most hour long show
broadcast 22 hours of new program per season. So Lost actually airs new
programs *more* frequently than most others, not less. NBC dose the
same thing with the Law & Order shows.

The clips show are in addition to the 24 hours of new program. If that
makes it possible for them to retain viewers who missed some episodes
and felt they were slipping behind, then the better for us. The more
viewers there are, the less likely it is to get canned. Lost (and 24)
are far more serial that any other show on TV. Missing an episode or
two can really throw you off the story.

I think the problem is the unpredictability of the schedule. Keep in
mind that this last break was only two episodes (last new show was
4/12), and one of those two weeks was the clip show. I think it get a
little old after running repeats for 6 consecutive weeks like they did
in the fall.

24 ran consecutive new episode the past two seasons, but they didn't
start until January. NYPD Blue did too their last few seasons, but they
started late and finished early. Plus the network like to spread new
episodes of hits like lost over Sweeps to help local affiliates boost
ratings. They also like to avoid broadcasting new episodes around
holidays.

The Lost team have said that their production schedule makes it
impossible to run a non-stop season. But next season they are going to
try to make the breaks more regular and predictable. It would be nice
it at the end of the last episode before a break, they's announce when
it will return: :"Comming in three weeks on an all new episode of
Lost..."

Hurricane Andrew...

Sad thing is ABC is doing this with ALL of their "hit" shows....Housewives,
Grey's Anatomy, now Lost.... They must be suffering from a severe lack of
creativity.

Mark F....

I agree. Tonight's episode was real lame. I heard that the writer is currently
working on the MI-III flick (which is also lame).

SoHillsGuy...

Currently? Good heavens, the movie comes out in a week or so, I think
it's probably done being written. ;)

Seriously, though, I don't think J.J. Abrams has done much writing at
all on "Lost" this year, so you can't blame him. Blame the infrequency
of new episodes on the same way TV has done it's scheduling for the
last 20 years.

Dano...

Does that mean we can't blame him for Alias either?