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{{short description|American television series (2004–2010)}}
{{Redirect|LOST||Lost}}
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{{Use American English|date=September 2019}}
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{{featured article}}
{{About||the 2021 South Korean drama series|Lost (South Korean TV series){{!}}''Lost'' (South Korean TV series)|the American reality series|Lost (2001 TV series){{!}}''Lost'' (2001 TV series)}}
{{Infobox television {{Infobox television
|show_name = Lost | image = Lost main title.svg
|image = ] | alt = The word ''Lost'' in white lettering on a black background.
|caption = Title screen | genre = {{Plainlist|
|genre = ], ], ], ] * ]
* ]<ref name="Hybrid">{{Cite web |last=VanDerWerff |first=Todd |title=The Lost Interviews |url=https://www.vox.com/a/lost-damon-lindelof-interviews |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=]}}</ref>
|creator = ]<br />]<br />]
* ]
|writer = Damon Lindelof<br />]<br/>]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br / >]<br />and others
* ]
|director = ]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />and others
* ]
|starring = ]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br/ >]<br />] <br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]
* ]
|composer = ]
* ]
|country = United States
* ]
|language = English
}}
|num_seasons = 6
|num_episodes = 121 | creator = {{Plainlist|
* ]
|list_episodes = List of Lost episodes
* ]
|executive_producer = J. J. Abrams<br />Damon Lindelof<br />]<br />]<br />Jack Bender<br />Carlton Cuse<br />Edward Kitsis<br />Adam Horowitz<br />Elizabeth Sarnoff
* ]
|location = ]
}}
|company = ]<br />]<br />]
|distributor = ] | showrunner = {{Plainlist|
* Damon Lindelof
|camera =
* ]
|runtime = 42 minutes
}}
|network = ]
| starring = {{Plainlist|
|picture_format = ] (]) <br /> ] (]) ABC HD <br /> ] (HDTV) Sky1 HD, Premiere HD, ]
* ]
|audio_format =
* ]
|first_run =
* ]
|first_aired = {{Start date|2004|9|22}}
* ]
|last_aired = {{End date|2010|5|23}}
* ]
|website =
* ]
|status = Ended
* ]
|production_website =
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}
| composer = ]
| country = United States
| location = ], ]
| language = English
| num_seasons = 6
| num_episodes = 121
| list_episodes = List of Lost episodes
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
* J. J. Abrams
* Damon Lindelof
* ]
* Carlton Cuse
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}
| company = {{Plainlist|
* Grass Skirt Productions
* ]
* ]{{efn|Credited as ] for seasons 1–3}}
}}
| camera = ]
| runtime = 38–53 minutes
| network = ]
| first_aired = {{Start date|2004|9|22}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2010|5|23}}
}} }}
'''''Lost''''' is<!-- Lost IS and will always be a television series, regardless if it is still airing or not. DO NOT change to WAS
--> an American television series created by ], ] and ], which originally aired on the ] from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010. The series follows the lives of various groups and people, most importantly the survivors of the crash of a commercial ] flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island somewhere in the ]. Episodes of the early seasons typically feature a primary storyline on the island, as well as a secondary storyline from another point in a character's life.


'''''Lost''''' is an American ] ] ] television series created by ], ], and ] that aired on ] from September 22, 2004, to May 23, 2010, with a total of ] over six seasons. It contains elements of ], and follows the survivors of a commercial ] flying between ] and ], after the plane crashes on a mysterious ] somewhere in the ]. Episodes typically feature a primary storyline set on the island, augmented by ] or ] sequences which provide additional insight into the involved characters.
''Lost'' was produced by ], ] and Grass Skirt Productions. Throughout its run, the executive producers of the series were Lindelof, Abrams, ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Due to its large ] and the cost of filming primarily on location in ],<ref name="ABC About ''Lost''"></ref> the series was one of the most expensive on television.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://starbulletin.com/2005/01/26/news/story2.html | title=High filming costs forced ABC network executives to consider relocating |last=Ryan | first=Tim |date=January 26, 2005 | work=]}}</ref> During its run, the series utilized the ]s, '']'' and '']'' on the Internet, and references to the series appear in print, film, other television programs as well as Web media.


Lindelof and ] served as ]s and are executive producers along with Abrams and ]. Inspired by the 2000 film '']'',<ref name="Cast Away" /> the show is told in a heavily serialized manner. Due to its large ] and the cost of filming primarily on location in ], Hawaii, the series was one of the most expensive on television, with the ] alone costing over $14 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2005/01/26/news/story2.html |title=High filming costs forced ABC network executives to consider relocating |last=Ryan |first=Tim |date=January 26, 2005 |work=] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106050917/http://archives.starbulletin.com/2005/01/26/news/story2.html |archive-date=November 6, 2012}}</ref> The ] and ] were expanded upon by a number of related media—most importantly a series of mini-episodes called ''];'' and a 12-minute ], "]".
A critically-acclaimed and popular success, ''Lost'' was consistently ranked by US critics on their lists of top fives series of the year.<ref name="weekpraise"/> The first season garnered an average of 15.69 million US viewers per episode on ABC.<ref name="American Broadcasting Company">{{cite web |url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=062105_06 |title= Season Program Rankings from 09/20/04 through 05/19/05 |publisher=] Medianet |date=June 21, 2005 |accessdate=February 3, 2009}}</ref> Although ratings lessened throughout its run, the series had stable ratings and the sixth season averaged over 11 million US viewers per episode. ''Lost'' was the recipient of hundreds of US ] throughout its run, and won numerous industry awards, including the ] for US primetime ] in 2005,<ref name=Emmys.tv></ref> Best American Import at the ] in 2005, the ] ] for ] in 2006 and a US ] Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series.


''Lost'' has regularly been ranked by critics as one of the greatest television series of all time.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515164119/http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-tv-shows-ever/|url=https://empireonline.com/movies/features/best-tv-shows-ever/|title=The 50 Best TV Shows Ever|website=]|date=June 15, 2016|archive-date=May 15, 2019|access-date=May 15, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515164726/http://www.ign.com/lists/top-100-tv-shows/100|url=https://ign.com/lists/top-100-tv-shows|title=Top 100 TV Shows of All Time|website=]|archive-date=May 15, 2019|access-date=May 15, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515164717/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-lists/100-greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time-105998/|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-lists/100-greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time-105998/|title=100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|magazine=]|date=September 21, 2016|archive-date=May 15, 2019|access-date=May 15, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The first season had an estimated average of 16 million viewers per episode on ABC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=062105_06 |title=Season Program Rankings from 09/20/04 through 05/19/05 |publisher=] Medianet |date=June 21, 2005 |access-date=February 3, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010224625/http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=062105_06 |archive-date=October 10, 2014}}</ref> During the ], the show averaged over 11 million U.S. viewers per episode. ''Lost'' was the recipient of ] throughout its run and won numerous of these awards, including the ] in 2005,<ref name="emmys">{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/shows/lost |title=Lost |publisher=Emmys.com |access-date=October 24, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928085415/http://www.emmys.com/shows/lost |archive-date=September 28, 2012}}</ref> Best American Import at the ] in 2005, the ] in 2006, and the ].
==Synopsis==
===Overview===
{{Main|List of Lost episodes}}
The ] begins with a plane crash which strands the surviving passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 on a seemingly ], forcing the group of strangers to work together to stay alive. 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 named ] who was shipwrecked on the island over 16 years earlier, and find a mysterious metal hatch buried in the ground. While one group tries to force their way into the hatch, another group attempts to leave the island on a raft. ]s centered around individual survivors detail their lives prior to the plane crash


{{TOC limit|3}}
The ] follows the growing conflict between the survivors and the Others, and continues the theme of the clash between faith and science, while resolving and posing new mysteries. New characters are introduced, including the tail-section survivors and other island inhabitants. The hatch is revealed to be a research station built by the ], a scientific organization that was conducting experiments on the island decades prior. As the truth about the mysterious Others begins to unfold, one of the crash survivors betrays the other castaways, and the cause of the plane crash is revealed.


== Episodes ==
In the ], the crash survivors learn about the Others and their long history on the mysterious island. One of the Others and a former inhabitant of the hatch join the survivors, while one of the survivors defects to the Others. A war between the Others and the survivors comes to a head, and the survivors make contact with a rescue team aboard the freighter ''Kahana''.
=== Overview ===
{{Main|List of Lost episodes|l1=List of ''Lost'' episodes}}
{{:List of Lost episodes}}


=== Season 1 ===
The ] focuses on the survivors dealing with the arrival of people from the freighter, who have come to the island with dangerous intentions. ]s reveal the future actions of the ], survivors who have escaped the island and resumed their normal lives.
{{Main|Lost season 1|l1=''Lost'' season 1}}
Season 1 begins with the aftermath of a plane crash, which leaves the surviving passengers of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 on what seems to be an uninhabited tropical island. Spinal surgeon ] becomes their leader. Their survival is threatened by a number of mysterious entities, including polar bears, an unseen creature that roams the jungle (the "]"), and the island's malevolent inhabitants, known as ]. They encounter a French woman named ], who was shipwrecked on the island 16 years before the crash and is desperate for news of her daughter, ]. They also find a mysterious metal hatch buried in the ground. While two survivors, ] and ], try to force open the hatch, four others; ], ], ], and ] attempt to leave on a raft that they have built. Meanwhile, ] center on details of the individual survivors' lives prior to the plane crash.


=== Season 2 ===
The ] follows two timelines. The first takes place on the island where the survivors who were left behind erratically jump forward and backward through time until they are finally stranded with the Dharma Initiative in 1974. The second continues the original timeline which takes place on the mainland after the Oceanic Six escape, and then follows their return to the island on Ajira Airways Flight 316 in 2007. After three years living with the Dharma Initiative, the survivors stuck in 1977 attempt to change past events in order to alter their futures.
{{Main|Lost season 2|l1=''Lost'' season 2}}
Season 2 follows the growing conflict between the survivors and the Others and continues the theme of the clash between faith and science. The four survivors in the raft are ambushed by the Others, and they take Walt, Michael's son. The survivors are forced to return to the island, where they find the tail-section survivors (the "Tailies"). A power struggle between Jack and ] over control of the guns and medicine located in the hatch develops and is resolved by Sawyer when he gains control of them. The hatch is revealed to be a research station built 30 years earlier by the ], a scientific research project that involved conducting experiments on the island. A man named ] had been living in the hatch for three years, activating a computer program every 108 minutes to prevent an unknown catastrophic event from occurring. To recover his son, Michael betrays the survivors, and Jack, Sawyer, and ] are captured. Michael is given a boat and leaves the island with his son, while Locke destroys the computer in the hatch, whereupon an electromagnetic event shakes the island. This causes the island to be detected by scientists working for ], and it is revealed that a similar event caused the breakup of the plane.


=== Season 3 ===
In the ], the main storyline follows the survivors, reunited in the present day. Following the demise of Jacob, the island's protector, the survivors are at the mercy of the evil ], known priorly as the ]. A "flash-sideways" narrative also follows the lives of the main characters in a setting where Flight 815 never crashed. In the final episodes, the survivors enter a confrontation with the Man in Black, with the world at stake. A small handful of survivors escape on the Ajira plane; several die, a few return home later, and others live happily on the island. The ] reveals that the flash-sideways timeline was actually a form of purgatory, where the survivors were reunited after they had all died.
{{Main|Lost season 3|l1=''Lost'' season 3}}
In season 3, the crash survivors learn more about the Others and their long history on the mysterious island, along with the fate of the Dharma Initiative. The leader of the Others, ], is introduced as well and defections from both sides pave the way for conflict between the two. ] elements also begin to appear in the series, as Desmond is forced to turn the fail-safe key in the hatch to stop the electromagnetic event, and this sends his mind eight years to the past. When he returns to the present, he is able to see the future. Kate and Sawyer escape the Others, while Jack stays after Ben promises that Jack will be able to leave the island in a submarine if he operates on Ben, who has cancer. Jack does, but the submarine is destroyed by Locke. Jack is left behind with ], an Other, who also seeks to leave the island, while Locke joins the Others. A helicopter carrying ] crashes near the island. Naomi says her freighter, ''Kahana'', is eighty miles offshore and was sent by Penny, Desmond's ex-girlfriend. Desmond has a vision in which ] will drown after shutting down a signal that prevents communication with the outside world. His vision comes true, but Charlie speaks with Penny, who says she does not know Naomi. Before drowning, Charlie writes "Not Penny's Boat" on his hand so that Desmond can warn the other survivors. Meanwhile, the survivors make contact with a rescue team aboard the freighter. In the ], apparent flashbacks show a depressed Jack going to an unknown person's funeral. In the final scene, these are revealed to be "flashforwards", and Kate and Jack are revealed to have escaped the island, but Jack believes they "have to go back".


===Mythology=== === Season 4 ===
{{Main|Mythology of Lost}} {{Main|Lost season 4|l1=''Lost'' season 4}}
Season 4 focuses on the survivors dealing with the arrival of people from the freighter, who have been sent to the island to reclaim it from Ben. "Flashforwards" continue, in which it is seen how six survivors, dubbed the "Oceanic Six", live their lives after escaping the island. The "Oceanic Six" are Jack, Kate, ], ], ], and Aaron. In the present, four members of the freighter arrive and team up with the survivors to escape the island, since the crew of the freighter have orders to kill everyone who stays. Meanwhile, Ben travels with Locke to see ], the island's leader. Locke enters his cabin but finds Jack's dead father, ], who says he can speak on Jacob's behalf, and orders Locke to "move" the island. Ben takes Locke to an underground station in which time travel was researched. Locke becomes the new leader of the Others, while Ben moves the island by turning a frozen wheel, after which he is transported to the ]. The six survivors escape in a helicopter as they watch the island disappear and are subsequently rescued by Penny. It is then that Desmond and Penny reunite. In the season's finale, it is revealed that the funeral Jack went to in the "flashforward" was that of Locke, who had been seeking out the Oceanic Six in his efforts to convince them to return to the island.
<!--This is a general summary only; the specific references should go to the main Mythology article.-->


=== Season 5 ===
Episodes of ''Lost'' included a number of mysterious elements that have been ascribed to science fiction or supernatural phenomena. The creators of the series refer to these elements as composing the ] of the series, and they form the basis of fan speculation.<ref>Benson, Jim. '']'', May 16, 2005.</ref> Among the show's mythological elements is a ] that roams the island; a mysterious group of inhabitants whom the survivors refer to as "The Others"; an organization called the ] that has placed several ] on the island; a ] that have made frequent appearances in the lives of the characters in the past, present and future; and personal connections or ] between the characters, of which they are often unaware.
{{Main|Lost season 5|l1=''Lost'' season 5}}
Season 5 follows two timelines. The first timeline takes place on the island where the survivors who were left behind erratically jump forward and backward through time. In one of these time periods, Locke speaks with ], one of the Others, who says that to save the island, he must bring everyone back. Locke goes to the same underground station Ben went to. After moving the island himself, Locke is transported to the Sahara in 2007, as the time shifts on the island stop and the survivors are stranded with the Dharma Initiative in 1974. In 2007, Locke contacts the Oceanic Six, but no one wants to return. The last one of the Oceanic Six he finds is a depressed Jack. Locke tells Jack his father is alive on the island. This seriously affects Jack, and he begins taking flights, hoping to crash on the island again. Ben finds Locke and kills him. After Locke's death, the Oceanic Six are told to board Ajira Airways Flight 316 to return to the island and in order to go back, they have to take Locke's body in the plane. They take the flight, but some land in 1977, where they meet with the other survivors who are now part of the Dharma Initiative, and others land in 2007. The survivors in 1977 are told by ] that if they detonate a nuclear bomb at the hatch's construction site, the electromagnetic energy below it will be negated; as a result, the hatch would never be built, and their future could be changed. In 2007, Locke apparently comes back to life. He instructs Richard to speak with a time-traveling Locke and tell him that he must bring everyone back to the island. After this, he goes to speak with Jacob. The season finale reveals that Locke is still dead and another entity has taken over his form to manipulate Ben into killing Jacob. In 1977, Juliet detonates the fission core taken from the hydrogen bomb.

=== Season 6 ===
{{Main|Lost season 6|l1=''Lost'' season 6}}
Season 6, the final season, follows two timelines. In the first timeline, the survivors are sent to the present day, as the death of Jacob allows his brother, the ], the human alter-ego of the Smoke Monster, to take over the island. Having assumed the form of Locke, the Smoke Monster seeks to escape the island and forces a final war between the forces of good and evil.

The second timeline, called the "flash-sideways" narrative, follows the lives of the main characters in a setting where Oceanic 815 never crashed. In the final episodes, a ] shows the origins of the island's power and of the conflict between Jacob and the Man in Black, who are revealed to be twin brothers, with Jacob desperate to keep his brother from leaving the island after he is ] by the power of the island and becomes the Smoke Monster.

Jacob's machinations are revealed: everyone was pushed by fate and his manipulation to be on the Oceanic flight as many of the members of the flight were deemed "candidates" by Jacob to be the new protector of the island after his death. The Man in Black's mission since the beginning: kill all of the candidates, thereby allowing him to leave the island once and for all. The ghost of Jacob appears to the last-of-the-surviving candidates, and Jack is appointed as the new protector. Jack catches up with The Man in Black, who says that he wants to go to the "heart of the island" to turn it off and, therefore, finally leave the island. They reach the place, but after doing this, The Man in Black becomes mortal. The Man in Black is killed by Kate, but Jack is seriously injured. Hurley becomes the new caretaker of the island. Several of the survivors die in the conflict or stay on the island, and the remaining escape in the Ajira Plane once and for all. Jack returns to the "heart of the island" and turns it on again, saving it. Hurley, as the new protector, asks Ben to help him in his new job, which he agrees to do. Having saved the island, Jack dies peacefully in the same place in which he woke up when he arrived on the island.

The ] reveals that the flash-sideways timeline is actually a form of ] in the afterlife, where some of the survivors and other characters from the island are reunited after death. In the last scene, the survivors are all reunited in a church where they "move on" together.

=== Mythology and interpretations ===
{{Main|Mythology of Lost|l1=Mythology of ''Lost''}}
<!--This is a general summary only; the specific references should go to the main Mythology article.-->
Episodes of ''Lost'' include a number of mysterious elements ascribed to science fiction or supernatural phenomena. The creators of the series refer to these elements as composing the ] of the series, and they formed the basis of fan speculation.<ref>{{cite web|last=Benson |first=Jim |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/157152-The_Lost_Generation_Networks_Go_Eerie.php |title=The ''Lost'' Generation: Networks Go Eerie |work=] |date=May 16, 2005 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004234743/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/157152-The_Lost_Generation_Networks_Go_Eerie.php |archive-date=October 4, 2012}}</ref> The show's mythological elements include a "]" that roams the island, a mysterious group of inhabitants whom the survivors called "]", a scientific organization called the ] that placed several research stations on the island, a ] that frequently appears in the lives of the characters in the past, present, and future, and personal connections (]) between the characters of which they are often unaware.


<!-- NOTE: <!-- NOTE:
The ONLY theories to be included in this section are those specifically REFUTED by the show's creators/writers. ALL unsourced theories will be removed, as Original Research. All that is needed is a brief statement of the theory and a link to the verifiable source, indicating who dismissed the theory. --> The ONLY theories to be included in this section are those specifically REFUTED by the show's creators/writers. ALL unsourced theories will be removed, as Original Research. All that is needed is a brief statement of the theory and a link to the verifiable source, indicating who dismissed the theory. -->
At the heart of the series is a complex and cryptic storyline, which spawned numerous questions and discussions among viewers.<ref name="ign loose ends">{{cite web|url=https://ign.com/articles/2006/11/13/igns-top-50-lost-loose-ends |title=IGN's Top 50 ''Lost'' Loose Ends |website=IGN |date=November 13, 2006 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025014326/http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/11/13/igns-top-50-lost-loose-ends |archive-date=October 25, 2012}}</ref> Encouraged by ''Lost''{{'}}s writers and stars, who often interacted with fans online, viewers and TV critics alike took to widespread theorizing in an attempt to unravel the mysteries. Theories mainly concerned 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.<ref name="ign loose ends" /> Several of the more common fan theories were discussed and rejected by the show's creators, the most common being that the survivors of Oceanic flight 815 are dead and in ]. Lindelof rejected speculation that ] or ] influenced the events on the island or that everything seen was a fictional reality taking place in someone's mind. Carlton Cuse dismissed the theory that the island was a reality TV show and the castaways unwitting housemates,<ref>{{cite news|last=Idato |first=Michael |title=Asking for trouble |url=https://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/asking-for-trouble/2005/08/20/1124435180515.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=August 22, 2005 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014213401/http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/asking-for-trouble/2005/08/20/1124435180515.html |archive-date=October 14, 2012}}</ref> and Lindelof many times denied the theory that the "Monster" was a ] cloud similar to the one featured in ]'s novel '']'' (which happened to share the protagonist's name, Jack).<ref>{{cite news|last=Wharton |first=David Michael |title=Coooooonnn!!!!!! Report: Friday and Saturday |url=http://www.mania.com/coooooonnn-report-friday-saturday_article_49194.html |publisher=Maina.com |date=July 17, 2005 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018120122/http://www.mania.com/coooooonnn-report-friday-saturday_article_49194.html |archive-date=October 18, 2012}}</ref>
At the heart of the series is a complex and cryptic storyline that spawns numerous unresolved questions.<ref>
{{cite web |url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/745/745595p1.html |title=IGN's Top 50 ''Lost'' Loose Ends: Page 1
|publisher=IGN.com|date=November 13, 2006}}</ref> Encouraged by ''Lost''{{'}}s writers and stars, who often interact with fans online, viewers and TV critics alike have taken to widespread theorizing 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.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}} 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 and in ]. This was specifically denied by J.J. Abrams.<ref>{{cite news|last=Fienberg |first=Daniel|title=''Lost'' Team Discusses Upcoming Death and Mysteries|url=http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271%7C94107%7C1%7C,00.html|publisher=Zap2It.com|date=March 14, 2005}}</ref> Furthermore, Lindelof has rejected speculation that ] or ] influence the events on the island, or that everything seen is a fictional reality taking place in someone's mind. Carlton Cuse dismissed the theory that the island is a ] show and the castaways unwitting housemates<ref>{{cite news|last=Idato |first=Michael |title=Asking for trouble|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/asking-for-trouble/2005/08/20/1124435180515.html|work=] |date=August 22, 2005}}</ref> and Lindelof, many times, has refuted the theory that the "monster" is a ] cloud similar to the one featured in ]'s novel '']''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wharton |first=David Michael |title=Comicon 2005 news|url=http://www2.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Comics&action=page&obj_id=49194|publisher=Cinescape.com|date=July 17, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Grillo-Marxuach |first=Javier |title=Burning Questions|url=http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=14649&highlight=nanobot|publisher=TheFuselage.com |date=July 22, 2005}}</ref>


===Recurring elements=== ==== Recurring elements ====
There are several recurring elements and ] on ''Lost'', which generally have no direct effect on the story itself but expand the show's literary and philosophical ]. These elements include frequent appearances of black and white, which reflect the dualism within characters and situations; as well as rebellion in almost all characters, especially Kate;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ign.com/articles/2006/11/13/igns-top-50-lost-loose-ends?page=4 |title=IGN's Top 50 ''Lost'' Loose Ends: Page 4 |website=IGN |date=November 13, 2006 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210080632/http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/11/13/igns-top-50-lost-loose-ends?page=4 |archive-date=December 10, 2013}}</ref> ] situations (especially ones that revolve around the fathers of many characters), as portrayed in the lives of nearly all the main characters;<ref>{{cite news |last=Lachonis |first=Jon |date=March 18, 2007 |publisher=BuddyTV |url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/daddy-dearest-are-father-issue-5103.aspx |title=Daddy Dearest – Are Father Issues at the Core of LOST? |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113225246/http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/daddy-dearest-are-father-issue-5103.aspx |archive-date=November 13, 2013 }}</ref> apocalyptic references, including Desmond's pushing the button to forestall the end of the world; coincidence versus fate, revealed most apparently through the juxtaposition of the characters Locke and Mr. Eko; conflict between science and faith, embodied by the leadership tug-of-war between Jack and Locke and their stark disagreements on subjects such as the hatch, the button, and leaving the island;<ref>{{cite video |people=Lindelof, Damon, Carlton Cuse (writers); Bender, Jack (director); Burk, Bryan (executive producer) |title=Lost: The Complete Second Season, "Man of Science, Man of Faith" audio commentary |publisher=Buena Vista Home Entertainment |date=September 5, 2006}}.</ref> the struggle between good and evil, shown by the relationship between Jacob and the Man in Black, several times by Locke using symbols such as his ] set, also the white and black rocks that the ] referred to as an "inside joke"; and references to numerous works of literature, including mentions and discussions of particular novels.<ref name="USAToday10042005">{{cite news|last=Oldenburg |first=Ann |title=Is ''Lost'' a literal enigma? |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-10-04-lost-literature_x.htm |work=USA Today |date=October 4, 2005 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015095647/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-10-04-lost-literature_x.htm |archive-date=October 15, 2012}}</ref> One notable reference to a novel is ]'s '']'', usually when Sawyer is seen reading it or referencing it. There are also many allusions in characters' names to famous historical thinkers and writers, such as ] (after chemist ]), John Locke (after the ]) and his alias ] (after the ]), ] (after philosopher ]), ] (after philosopher ]), Juliet's ex-husband (after philosopher ]), ] (after the ]), Daniel Faraday (after physicist ]), ] (after physicist ]), George Minkowski (after mathematician ]), ] (the birth name of spiritual teacher ]), Boone Carlyle (after pioneer ] and philosopher ]), and ] (after author ]).<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2008/02/22/lost-s4-mind-blowing-scoop/ |title='Lost' (S4): Mind-blowing scoop|magazine=Entertainment Weekly |author=Jensen, "Doc" Jeff |date=February 22, 2008 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819085254/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20179125_5%2C00.html |archive-date=August 19, 2012}}</ref>


== Cast and characters ==
There are several recurring elements and ] on ''Lost'', which generally have no direct effect on the story itself, but expand the show's literary and philosophical ]. These elements include frequent appearances of black and white, which reflect the ] within characters and situations; as well as rebellion in almost all characters, especially Kate;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/745/745595p4.html |title=IGN's Top 50 ''Lost'' Loose Ends: Page 4|publisher=IGN.com|date=November 13, 2006}}</ref> ] situations (especially ones which revolve around the fathers of many characters), as portrayed in the lives of nearly all the main characters;<ref>{{cite news | last = Warner | first = Tyrone | date = May 1, 2007 | publisher = CTV.ca | url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20070430/lost_fathers_070430/20070501/ | title = Father issues on ''Lost'' about to pay off}}</ref> apocalyptic references, including Desmond's pushing the button to forestall the end of the world; coincidence versus fate, revealed most apparently through the juxtaposition of the characters Locke and Mr. Eko; conflict between science and faith, embodied by the leadership tug-of-war between Jack and Locke;<ref>Lindelof, Damon, Carlton Cuse, ] and Bryan Burk. "]." '']'', Buena Vista Home Entertainment. September 5, 2006. ], disc 1.</ref> and references to numerous works of ], including mentions and discussions of particular novels.<ref name=USAToday10042005>{{cite news|last=Oldenburg|first=Ann|title=Is ''Lost'' a literal enigma?|
{{Main|List of Lost characters|l1=List of ''Lost'' characters}}
url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-10-04-lost-literature_x.htm| work=] |date=October 4, 2005}}</ref> There are also many allusions in characters' names to famous historical thinkers and writers, such as John Locke (after the ]) and his alias ] (after the ]), ] (after philosopher ]), Desmond David Hume (after philosopher ]), Juliet Burke (after philosopher ]), ] (after the ]), Daniel Faraday (after physicist ]), ] (after physicist ]), George Minkowski (after mathematician ]), ] (the birth name of spiritual teacher ]) , ] (after author ]) .<ref name=DH110905>{{cite news|last=Franklin|first=Garth|title=Paul Dini Gives ''Lost'' Spoilers|publisher=DarkHorizons.com|url=http://www.darkhorizons.com/news04/041109d.php|date=November 9, 2005}}</ref>


], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]]]
==Cast and characters==
{{Main|Characters of Lost}}


Of the 324 people on board ],<ref>{{cite episode |credits=] and ] (writers); ] (director) |title=] |series=Lost |network=] |season=4 |number=2 |date=February 7, 2008}}</ref> there are 70 initial survivors (as well as one dog) spread across the three sections of the plane crash.<ref name="Pilot: Part 2">{{cite episode | title = Pilot: Part 2 | episode-link = Pilot (Lost) | series = Lost | credits = ] (teleplay/story/director), ] (teleplay/story), ] (story) | network = ABC | airdate = September 29, 2004 | season = 1 | number = 2}}</ref><ref name="White Rabbit">{{cite episode |title = ] | series = Lost | credits = ] (writer), ] (director) | network = ABC | airdate = November 20, 2004 | season = 1 | number = 5}}</ref><ref name="The Other 48 Days">{{cite episode | title = ] | series = Lost | credits = ] and ] (writers); ] (director) | network = ABC | airdate = November 16, 2005 | season = 2 | number = 7}}</ref> Although a large cast made ''Lost'' more expensive to produce, the writers benefited from added flexibility in story decisions.<ref name="large cast" /> According to series executive producer Bryan Burk, "You can have more interactions between characters and create more diverse characters, more back stories, more ]s."<ref name="large cast">{{cite news|title=TV hits maximum occupancy |work=USA Today |last=Keveney |first=Bill |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-11-08-ensemble-casts_x.htm |date=August 11, 2005 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016185941/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-11-08-ensemble-casts_x.htm |archive-date=October 16, 2012}}</ref>
], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]]]


''Lost'' was planned as a multicultural show with an international cast. The initial season had 14 regular speaking roles that received star ]; though most of these actors remained on the show for the duration of its run (including flashbacks and alternate timelines), no single actor appeared in all 121 episodes. ] played the protagonist, a troubled surgeon named ]. ] portrayed fugitive ]. ] played ], an unlucky lottery winner. ] played a con man, ]. ] played ], chief operating officer of his mother's wedding business, and ] played his stepsister ], a former dance teacher. ] portrayed construction worker and aspiring artist ], while ] played his young son, ]. ] played the mysterious ]. ] portrayed former ] ]. ] played a young Australian mother-to-be, ]. ] played ], the daughter of a powerful and incredibly wealthy Korean businessman and mobster, with ] as her husband and father's enforcer ]. ] played English ex-rock star and drug addict ].
Out of the 324 people on board ],<ref>] (writer) & ] (writer) & ] (director), "]". ''Lost'', ]. ], ]. Aired on February 7, 2008.</ref> there are 71 initial survivors (as well as one dog) spread across the three sections of the plane crash. The opening season featured 14 regular speaking roles, making it the second largest cast in a currently airing American prime time television show behind '']''. While a large cast makes ''Lost'' more expensive to produce, the 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 ]s."<ref>{{cite news|title=TV hits maximum occupancy|work=] |last=Keveney|first=Bill|url =http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-11-08-ensemble-casts_x.htm| date=August 11, 2005 }}</ref>


===Seasons 1 and 2===
The initial season had 14 major roles getting star ]. ] portrayed former ] ]. ] played the pregnant Australian ]. ] acted as the troubled surgeon and protagonist ]. ] portrayed ], an unlucky lottery winner. ] played ], a former dance teacher. ] acted as con man ]. ] played ], the daughter of a powerful Korean businessman and mobster, with ] as her husband ]. ] portrayed fugitive ]. ] acted as ex-rock star drug addict ]. ] played the mysterious ]. ] portrayed construction worker ], while child actor ] acted as his young son, ]. ] played ], chief operating officer of his mother's wedding business and step brother of Shannon.
During the first two seasons, some characters were written out, while new characters with new stories were added.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-09-13-lost_x.htm |work=USA Today |last=Keck |first=William |date=September 13, 2005 |title=''Lost'' in the face of death |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102182149/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-09-13-lost_x.htm |archive-date=November 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comic-con.org/common/cci06prog_lost.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427024136/http://www.comic-con.org/common/cci06prog_lost.php|archive-date=April 27, 2011|publisher=Comic-Con International|title=Popular TV Show Returns for Its Third Year at Comic-Con|access-date=October 23, 2012|quote=Carlton: 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 show.}}</ref> Boone Carlyle was written out near the end of season one,<ref name="boonedeathdev">{{cite magazine|author=Jensen, "Doc" Jeff |date=April 6, 2005 |url=https://ew.com/article/2005/04/07/ian-somerhalder-last-nights-lost-shocker/ |title=Ian Somerhalder on last night's ''Lost'' shocker |magazine=] |access-date=October 17, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816055447/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C1045702%2C00.html |archive-date=August 16, 2007}}</ref> and Walt became an intermittent character, making occasional appearances throughout season two after he is captured by The Others in the season one finale. Shannon's departure eight episodes into season two made way for newcomers ], a former Nigerian militia leader and fake Catholic priest played by ]; ], an airport ] guard and former ] police officer played by ]; and ], a purported clinical psychologist and formerly mentally ill woman portrayed by ]. Ana Lucia and Libby were written out of the series toward the end of season two after being shot by Michael, who then left the island along with his son.<ref>{{cite web|author=Keck, William |date=May 24, 2006 |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-05-23-lost_x.htm |title=A Father and Child Reunion? |work=] |access-date=October 19, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102213943/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-05-23-lost_x.htm |archive-date=November 2, 2012}}</ref>


===Seasons 3 and 4===
During the first two seasons, some characters were written out to make room for new characters with new stories.<ref>{{cite news|url =http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-09-13-lost_x.htm| work=] |last= Keck|first=William |date=September 13, 2005|title=''Lost'' in the face of death}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci06prog_lost.shtml|publisher=Comic Con|title=Interview with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse|quote="Carlton: 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 show."}}</ref> Boone Carlyle was the first major character to be written out, dying near the end of season one. Walt became a guest star after the events of the first season's finale, making rare appearances throughout season two. Shannon's departure eight episodes into season two made way for newcomers ], a Nigerian Catholic priest and former criminal played by ]; ], an airport security guard and former police officer played by ]; and ], a purported clinical psychologist portrayed by ]. Ana Lucia and Libby were written out of the series toward the end of season two.
In season three, two actors were promoted from recurring to starring roles: ] as former Scottish soldier ]; and ] as the manipulative leader of the Others, ]. In addition, three new actors joined the regular cast: ], as fertility doctor and Other ]; and ] and ] as background survivor couple ] and ]. Several characters died in the season: Eko was killed off when Akinnuoye-Agbaje did not wish to continue on the show,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/tv/article/On-TV-Um-Lost-we-can-t-go-on-like-this-1219158.php |title=On TV: Um, 'Lost,' we can't go on like this |author=McFarland, Melanie |date=November 8, 2006 |work=] |access-date=March 22, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927181820/http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/tv/article/On-TV-Um-Lost-we-can-t-go-on-like-this-1219158.php |archive-date=September 27, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/2008-07-25-516501817_x.htm |title=Just 34 hours left for TV's "Lost" |work=USA Today |date=July 25, 2008 |author=Cohen, Sandy |access-date=March 22, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024100941/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/2008-07-25-516501817_x.htm |archive-date=October 24, 2012}}</ref> Nikki and Paulo were buried alive mid-season after poor fan response,<ref>{{cite web|author=Mitovich, Matt |title=Lost Boss Explains Last Night's Double Demise |url=https://tvguide.com/news/lost-boss-explains-13850.aspx |work=TV Guide |date=March 29, 2007 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729213152/http://www.tvguide.com/news/lost-boss-explains-13850.aspx |archive-date=July 29, 2013}}</ref> and in the third-season finale, Charlie dies a hero.


In season four, Harold Perrineau rejoined the main cast to reprise the role of Michael, now ] and on a desperate redemptive journey to atone for his previous crimes.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2007/08/08/lost-harold-perrineau-coming-back |title=''Lost'': Harold Perrineau on coming back|magazine=Entertainment Weekly |first=Mike |last=Bruno |date=August 8, 2007 |access-date=September 15, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926105703/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20313460_20050265%2C00.html |archive-date=September 26, 2012}}</ref> Along with Perrineau, additional new actors—] as ], a nervous physicist who takes a scientific interest in the island; ] as ], a sarcastic supposed ghost whisperer; and ] as ], a hard-headed and determined anthropologist and successful academic—joined the cast.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2007/09/03/lost-producers-their-five-new-actors/ |title=''Lost'' producers on their five new actors|last=Jensen |first=Jeff |access-date=August 30, 2007 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070902045818/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20053863%2C00.html |archive-date=September 2, 2007}}</ref> Michael was written out in the fourth-season finale.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://tvguide.com/news/lost-harold-perrineau-36053.aspx |title=Harold Perrineau Dishes on his Lost Exit (Again) |access-date=May 30, 2008 |author=Malcom, Shawna |date=May 30, 2008 |work=] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122081721/http://www.tvguide.com/news/lost-harold-perrineau-36053.aspx |archive-date=January 22, 2009}}</ref> Claire, who mysteriously disappears with her dead father near the end of the season, did not return as a series regular for the fifth season but returned for the sixth and final season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/4378/lost-redux-promises-to-keep-and-miles-to-go-before-we-sleep |title=Lost Redux: Promises to Keep, and Miles to Go Before We Sleep |access-date=June 5, 2008 |author=Godwin, Jennifer |date=May 30, 2008 |publisher=] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114040643/http://www.eonline.com/news/4378/lost-redux-promises-to-keep-and-miles-to-go-before-we-sleep |archive-date=November 14, 2013}}</ref>
In season three, ] received star billing as former Scottish soldier ], as did ] in the role of ] (formerly known as Henry Gale), a high ranking member of the "]". In addition, three new actors joined the regular cast: ], as fertility doctor and "Other" ], and ] and ] as background survivor couple ] and ]. Eko was written out early in the season, and Nikki and Paulo were written out mid-season in their first flashback episode. Charlie was written out in the third season finale.


===Seasons 5 and 6===
In season four, Harold Perrineau rejoined the main cast to reprise the role of ], now suicidal and on a desperate redemptive journey to atone for his previous crimes.<ref>, ABC7Chicago.com, July 25, 2007.</ref> Along with Perrineau, additional new actors&nbsp;— ] as Daniel Faraday, a nervous physicist who takes a scientific interest in the island; ] as ], a sarcastic supposed ghost whisperer, and ] as ], a hard-headed and determined anthropologist and successful academic&nbsp;— joined the cast.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20053863,00.html | title = ''Lost'': Five Fresh Faces | last = Jensen | first = Jeff | accessdate= August 30, 2007 | work=] }}</ref> Claire, who mysteriously disappears with her dead biological father near the end of the season, did not return as a series regular for the fifth season, but returned for the sixth and final season.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/detail.jsp?contentId=4378 |title = Lost Redux: Promises to Keep, and Miles to Go Before We Sleep |accessdate = June 5, 2008 |author = Godwin, Jennifer |date = May 30, 2008 |publisher = ]}}</ref> Michael was written out in the fourth season finale.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tvguide/365208_tvgif30.html |title = Harold Perrineau Dishes on his Lost Exit (Again) |accessdate = May 30, 2008 |author = Malcom, Shawna |date = May 30, 2008 |work=] }}</ref>
In season five, no new characters joined the main cast; however, several characters exited the show: Charlotte was written out early in the season in episode five, with Daniel being written out later in the ] episode. Season six saw several cast changes: Juliet was written out in the season premiere while three previous recurring characters were upgraded to starring status.<ref name="Nov19PR">{{cite web|url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=111909_04 |title=ABC Announces the Premiere of the Sixth and Final Season of ''Lost'', with a Special All-Night Event on Tuesday, February 2 |author=Fordis, Jeff |publisher=] Medianet |date=November 19, 2009 |access-date=November 19, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100429050016/http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=111909_04 |archive-date=April 29, 2010}}</ref> These included ] as mysterious, age-less Other ]; ] as pilot ];<ref name="lostqausatoday">{{cite news|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/popcandy/post/2009/10/a-lost-qa-damon-lindelof-tackles-your-questions/1 |title=A 'Lost' Q&A: Damon Lindelof answers (most of) your questions! |author=Matheson, Whitney |work=USA Today |date=October 27, 2009 |access-date=October 27, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027164500/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/popcandy/post/2009/10/a-lost-qa-damon-lindelof-tackles-your-questions/1 |archive-date=October 27, 2009}}</ref> and ] as Ajira Airways Flight 316 survivor ]. Additionally, former cast members Ian Somerhalder, Dominic Monaghan, Rebecca Mader, Jeremy Davies, Elizabeth Mitchell, Maggie Grace,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2010/02/17/lost-exclusive-maggie-grace-shannon/|title=''Lost'' Exclusive: Maggie Grace, a.k.a. Shannon, returns this season |author1=Jensen, Jeff |author2=Snierson, Dan |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=February 17, 2010 |access-date=February 17, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220061701/http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/02/17/lost-exclusive-maggie-grace-shannon/ |archive-date=February 20, 2010}}</ref> Michelle Rodriguez,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2010/03/04/lost-michelle-rodriguez-returns/ |title=''Lost'' Exclusive: Michelle Rodriguez Returns! |author=Ausiello, Michael |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=March 4, 2010 |access-date=March 4, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110625005426/http://insidetv.ew.com/2010/03/04/lost-michelle-rodriguez-returns/ |archive-date=June 25, 2011}}</ref> Harold Perrineau, and Cynthia Watros<ref>{{cite news|url=https://tvguide.com/News/Lost-Harold-Perrineau-1013608.aspx |title=''Lost'': Harold Perrineau, Cynthia Watros to Return for Final Season |author=O'Connor, Mickey |work=] |date=January 12, 2010 |access-date=January 12, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115060610/http://www.tvguide.com/News/Lost-Harold-Perrineau-1013608.aspx |archive-date=January 15, 2010}}</ref> made return appearances.


===Supporting characters===
In season five, no new characters joined the main cast, however several characters exited the show: Charlotte was written out early in the season in episode five, with Daniel and Juliet being written out later in the antepenultimate and ultimate episodes respectively.
Numerous supporting characters have been given expansive and recurring appearances in the progressive storyline. ] (])—a French member of an earlier scientific expedition to the island, first encountered as a voice recording in the pilot episode—appears throughout the series. She is searching for her daughter, who later turns up in the form of ] (]). Alex has been kidnapped by Ben Linus and brought to the Others where she was raised. ] (]), an Oceanic flight attendant who first appeared in the pilot, survived the crash and, subsequently, became one of the Others.


In the second season, married couple ] (]) and ] (]), separated on opposite sides of the island (she with the main characters, he with the tail section survivors), were featured in a flashback episode after being reunited. The second season also introduces Dr. Pierre Chang (]), a member of the mysterious ] who appears in the orientation films for its numerous stations located throughout the island. Corporate magnate ] (]) has connections to both Ben and Desmond. Desmond is in love with Widmore's daughter ] (]).
Season six saw several cast changes; three previous recurring characters were upgraded to starring status.<ref name=Nov19PR>{{cite web |url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=111909_04 |title=ABC Announces the Premiere of the Sixth and Final Season of ''Lost'', with a Special All-Night Event on Tuesday, February 2 |author=Fordis, Jeff |publisher=] Medianet |date= November 19, 2009 |accessdate=November 19, 2009}}</ref> These included ] as mysterious, age-less Other ], ] as pilot ]<ref name=lostqausatoday>{{cite web |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/popcandy/post/2009/10/a-lost-qa-damon-lindelof-tackles-your-questions/1 |title=A 'Lost' Q&A: Damon Lindelof answers (most of) your questions! |author=Matheson, Whitney |work=] |date=October 27, 2009 |accessdate=October 27, 2009}}</ref> and ] as enigmatic Ajira Airways Flight 316 survivor ]. Additionally, several former cast members, including Ian Somerhalder, Dominic Monaghan, Rebecca Mader, Jeremy Davies, Elizabeth Mitchell, Maggie Grace,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/02/17/lost-exclusive-maggie-grace-shannon |title=''Lost'' Exclusive: Maggie Grace, a.k.a. Shannon, returns this season |author=Jensen, Jeff and Snierson, Dan |work=] |date=February 17, 2010 |accessdate=February 17, 2010}}</ref> Michelle Rodriguez,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/03/04/lost-michelle-rodriguez-returns/?ew_packageID=20313460 |title=''Lost'' Exclusive: Michelle Rodriguez Returns! |author=Ausiello, Michael |work=] |date=March 4, 2010 |accessdate=March 4, 2010}}</ref> Harold Perrineau and Cynthia Watros<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/tvguide/414130_tvgif12.html |title=''Lost'': Harold Perrineau, Cynthia Watros to Return for Final Season |author=O'Connor, Mickey |work=] |date=January 12, 2010 |accessdate=January 12, 2010}}</ref> made return appearances. In the finale episode "]", former cast members ], ], ], ], ], ], and ], as well as recurring guest stars ], ], ], ], ], and ] were credited under the "starring" rubric alongside the principal cast.


Numerous supporting characters have been given expansive and recurring appearances in the progressive storyline. ] (]), a French member of an earlier scientific expedition to the island first encountered as a voice recording in the pilot episode, appears throughout the series; she is searching for her daughter, who later turns up in the form of ] (]). ] (]), an Oceanic flight attendant who first appeared in the pilot, survived the crash and subsequently became one of the Others. In the second season, married couple ] (]) and ] (]), separated on opposite sides of the island (she with the main characters, he with the tail section survivors) were featured in a flashback episode after being reunited. Corporate magnate ] (]) has connections to both Ben and Desmond. Desmond is in love with his daughter ] (]). The introduction of the "]", inhabitants of the island, has featured such characters as ] aka Mr. Friendly (]) and ] (]) all of whom have been shown in both flashbacks and the ongoing story. Jack's father ] (]) has appeared in multiple flashbacks of various characters. In the fourth season, ] (]), parachutes onto the island, the team leader of a group hired by Widmore to find Benjamin Linus. One member of her team includes the ruthless mercenary ] (]). Eloise Hawking (]), introduced in the third season, is Daniel Faraday's mother and also has connections with Desmond. The introduction of the Others featured ] (]), and ] (]), all of whom have been shown in both flashbacks and the ongoing story. Jack's father ] (]) has appeared in multiple flashbacks of various characters. In the third season, ] (]), the team leader of a group hired by Widmore to find Ben Linus, parachutes onto the island. One member of her team includes the ruthless mercenary ] (]).


The '']'' antagonist throughout the series is a mysterious, black, smoke cloud-like entity known as "]". It wasn't until the ] when it appeared in human form as a middle-aged man dressed in black robes known as "The Man In Black". In season six, it appears in the form of John Locke (and therefore Terry O'Quinn in a ]). In the finale episode "]", recurring guest stars ]; ]; ]; ]; ]; and ] were credited under the "starring" rubric alongside the principal cast. The mysterious black smoke cloud-like entity, known as "]", appeared in human form during season five and six as a middle-aged man dressed in black robes, who was played by ], and in season six, it appears in the form of John Locke played by O'Quinn in a ]. His rival, ], was played by ].


==Production== == Production ==
]
===Conception===
]
The series began ] in January 2004, when ], head of ABC at the time, ordered an initial script from ] based on his concept of a cross between the novel '']'', the movie '']'', the television series '']'', and the popular reality show '']''. ABC had also premiered a short lived series about plane crash survivors in 1969 called '']'' with the opening episode by ]. Gadi Pollack notes that some of "the influences of ''Lost'' came from...the game '']''."<ref>"''Lost'': Getting Your Fix," ''Game Informer'' 177 (January 2008): 79.</ref> Jeffrey Lieber was hired and wrote ''Nowhere'', based on his pitch to write the ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Cast Away| last=Bernstein|first=David|url=http://chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2007/Cast-Away/index.php?cp=2&si=1#artanc| publisher=]|date=August 2007}}</ref> Unhappy with the result and a subsequent rewrite, Braun contacted J. J. Abrams, who had a deal with Touchstone Television (now ABC Studios), and was also the creator of the TV series '']'', to write a new pilot script. Although initially hesitant, Abrams warmed up to the idea on the condition that the series would have a ] angle to it, and collaborated with Damon Lindelof to create the series' style and characters.<ref name="DT081405">{{cite news| last=Craig| first=Olga| title=The man who discovered ''Lost''&nbsp;— and found himself out of a job| url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1496199/The-man-who-discovered-Lost---and-found-himself-out-of-a-job.html| work=]|date=August 14, 2005}}</ref> Together, Abrams and Lindelof also created a series "]", and conceived and detailed the major ] ideas and plot points for an ideal four to five season run for the show.<ref>{{cite web| last=Jensen| first=Jeff| title=When Stephen King met the ''Lost'' boys...| url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1562722,00.html| work=]|accessdate=November 24, 2007}}</ref><ref>Burk, Bryan, ''Lost Season 1 DVD'' (extras), ], September 6, 2005.</ref> The development of the show was constrained by tight deadlines, as it had been commissioned late in the 2004 season's development cycle. Despite the short schedule, the creative team remained flexible enough to modify or create characters to fit actors they wished to cast.<ref name=season1dvd>Abrams, J. J and Lloyd Braun, ''Lost Season 1 DVD'' (extras), Buena Vista Home Entertainment, September 6, 2005.</ref>
''Lost'' was produced by ], ], and Grass Skirt Productions. Throughout its run, the executive producers of the series were ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ], with Lindelof and Cuse serving as ]s.<ref name="Nov19PR" />


=== Conception ===
''Lost''{{'}}s two-part pilot episode was the most expensive in the network's history, reportedly costing between US$10 and $14&nbsp;million,<ref>{{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| work=]|date=May 17, 2004}}</ref> compared to the average cost of an hour-long pilot in 2005 of $4&nbsp;million.<ref name="EIDC050405">{{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=May 4, 2005|accessdate=September 18, 2006}}</ref> The series debuted on September 22, 2004, becoming one of the biggest critical and commercial successes of the ]. Along with fellow new series '']'' and '']'', ''Lost'' helped to reverse the flagging fortunes of ABC.<ref>{{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| work=]|date=April 26, 2005}}</ref> Yet, before it had even been aired, ] was fired by executives at ABC's parent company, ], partly because of low ratings at the network and also because he had ]ed such an expensive and risky project.<ref name="DT081405" /> The world premiere of the pilot episode was on July 24, 2004 at ] in San Diego.<ref></ref>
The series was conceived by ], head of ABC at the time, while he was on vacation in Hawaii during 2003 as a television adaptation of the 2000 ] film ''Cast Away'', crossed with elements of the popular reality show '']''.<ref name="EW">{{Cite magazine|date=May 14, 2010 |title=Lost: How It Began |magazine=] |issue=1102 |editor1-first=Jess |editor1-last=Cagle |issn=1049-0434 |oclc=137343926 |access-date=December 12, 2011 |url=https://ew.com/article/2010/05/07/lost-how-it-began/|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603155702/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20367067%2C00.html |archive-date=June 3, 2013}}</ref> Braun later pitched his ideas for ''Cast Away – The Series'' at the network's gathering of executives at the ] in ], describing the concept as "parts ''Cast Away'', ''Survivor'', and '']'', with a '']'' element."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/04/08/56472.htm |title='Lost' Royalties Demand Had Smoke but no Fire |publisher=Courthouse News Service |date=April 8, 2013 |access-date=February 27, 2014 |author=Dotinga, William |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227180638/http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/04/08/56472.htm |archive-date=February 27, 2014}}</ref> Many found the idea laughable, but senior vice president Thom Sherman saw potential and decided to order an initial script from ]. Spelling producer Ted Gold turned to writer ], who presented a pitch to ABC in September 2003 titled ''Nowhere'', which Sherman approved. Unhappy with the eventual script by Lieber and a subsequent rewrite, in January 2004, Braun contacted J. J. Abrams, who had developed the TV series '']'' for ABC, to write a new pilot script. Lieber would later receive a story credit for the ''Lost'' pilot and, subsequently, shared the "created by" credit with Abrams and Lindelof, after a request for ] at the ].<ref name="Cast Away">{{cite magazine|title=Cast Away |last=Bernstein |first=David |url=http://chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2007/Cast-Away/index.php?cp=2&si=1#artanc |magazine=] |date=August 2007 |access-date=October 25, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029091018/http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2007/Cast-Away/index.php?cp=2&si=1 |archive-date=October 29, 2012}}</ref> The one inviolable edict Braun made to Abrams was that the show's title must be ''Lost'', having conceived of the title and being angry at its change to ''Nowhere'' by Lieber.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/news/picking-tv-titles-friends-lost-examples-297288 |title=From 'Lost' to 'Friends,' The Strange Art of Picking a TV Title |work=] |author1=Rose, Lacey |author2=Guthrie, Marisa |date=March 6, 2012 |access-date=December 13, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107145352/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/picking-tv-titles-friends-lost-examples-297288 |archive-date=November 7, 2013}}</ref>
<br clear="left">


Although initially hesitant, Abrams warmed to the idea on the condition that the series would have a ] angle to it and if he had a writing partner.<ref name="EW" /><ref name="DT081405">{{cite news|last=Craig |first=Olga |title=The man who discovered ''Lost''&nbsp;— and found himself out of a job |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1496199/The-man-who-discovered-Lost---and-found-himself-out-of-a-job.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=August 14, 2005 |location=London |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217020230/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1496199/The-man-who-discovered-Lost---and-found-himself-out-of-a-job.html |archive-date=December 17, 2009}}</ref> ABC executive Heather Kadin sent him ], who had long intended to meet Abrams as he wished to write for ''Alias''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thewrap.com/tv/article/damon-lindelofs-history-lost-show-he-longed-quit-31281 |title=Damon Lindelof's History of 'Lost' (A Show He Longed to Quit) |website=] |first=Tim |last=Molloy |date=September 23, 2011 |access-date=March 4, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305072543/http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/damon-lindelofs-history-lost-show-he-longed-quit-31281 |archive-date=March 5, 2014}}</ref> Together, Abrams and Lindelof created the series' style and characters and also wrote a ] that conceived and detailed the major ] ideas and plot points for an ideal four-to-five-season run for the show.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Jensen |first=Jeff |title=Stephen King meets the creators of ''Lost'' |url=https://ew.com/article/2006/11/24/stephen-king-meets-creators-lost/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=November 24, 2007 |date=November 24, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013071630/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C1562722%2C00.html |archive-date=October 13, 2007}}</ref><ref>Burk, Bryan, ''Lost Season 1 DVD'' (extras), ], September 6, 2005.</ref> The novel idea of a story arc spanning several years was inspired by ''].''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2014/01/babylon-5-turns-20-creator-j-michael-straczynski-reflects-on-the-shows-legacy.html |title='Babylon 5' turns 20: Creator J. Michael Straczynski reflects on the show's legacy |publisher=Zap2it |first=Andrea |last=Reiher |date=January 31, 2014 |access-date=February 1, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203004106/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2014/01/babylon-5-turns-20-creator-j-michael-straczynski-reflects-on-the-shows-legacy.html |archive-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref> Because ABC felt that ''Alias'' was too ], Lindelof and Abrams assured the network in the bible that the show would be self-contained: "We promise ... that requires NO knowledge of the episode(s) that preceded it ... there is no 'Ultimate Mystery' which requires solving." While such statements contradicted their true plans, the ruse succeeded in persuading ABC to purchase the show.<ref name="lussier20130920">{{cite web|url=https://slashfilm.com/leaked-lost-document-outlines-a-different-vision-of-the-show-for-a-devious-purpose/ |title=Exclusive: Damon Lindelof Explains the Truth Behind Leaked Early 'Lost' Document |work=/Film |date=September 20, 2013 |access-date=September 21, 2013 |author=Lussier, Germain |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130923101915/http://www.slashfilm.com/leaked-lost-document-outlines-a-different-vision-of-the-show-for-a-devious-purpose/ |archive-date=September 23, 2013}}</ref> The game '']'', also set in a tropical island, was noted as an influence by Lindelof, as in its narrative, "No one told you what the rules were. You just had to walk around and explore these environments and gradually a story was told."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://entertainment.time.com/2007/03/19/lyst_cuse_and_lindelof_on_lost_1/ |title=Lyst: Cuse and Lindelof on Lost and Videogames |magazine=Time |first=James |last=Poniewozik |date=March 19, 2007 |access-date=March 4, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710084712/http://entertainment.time.com/2007/03/19/lyst_cuse_and_lindelof_on_lost_1/ |archive-date=July 10, 2014}}</ref>
===Casting===
Many of the first season roles were a result of the executive producers' liking of various actors. The main character Jack was originally going to die in the pilot, and was hoped to be played by ]; however, ABC executives were adamant that Jack live.<ref name="DVD">{{cite video | title = Before They Were Lost | medium = Documentary | location = '']'' | publisher = ]}}</ref> Before it was decided that Jack would live, Kate was to emerge as the leader of the survivors; she was originally conceived to be more like the character of Rose. 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, originally a middle-aged former rock star, to fit him. Jorge Garcia also auditioned for Sawyer, and the part of Hurley was written for him. When Josh Holloway auditioned for Sawyer, the producers liked the edge he brought to the character (he reportedly kicked a chair when he forgot his lines and got angry in the audition) and his ], so they changed Sawyer to fit Holloway's acting. Yunjin Kim auditioned for Kate, but the producers wrote the character of Sun for her and the character of Jin, portrayed by Daniel Dae Kim, to be her husband. Sayid, played by Naveen Andrews, 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 cast in what was supposed to be a recurring role.<ref name="DVD" /> In the second season, Michael Emerson was contracted to play Ben ("Henry Gale") for three episodes. His role was extended to eight episodes because of his acting skills, and eventually for the whole of season three and later seasons.<ref>{{cite web|url =http://www.ugo.com/ugo/html/article/?id=16663|author=Braun, Kyle|title=Michael Emerson, ''Lost'' Interview|publisher=]|accessdate=March 21, 2008}}</ref>


Abrams created the sound opening of the show and its title card being inspired by '']''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Keveney |first=Bill |title=The many aliases of J.J. Abrams |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-01-04-abrams_x.htm |work=USA Today |access-date=December 27, 2012 |date=January 4, 2005 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104153526/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-01-04-abrams_x.htm |archive-date=November 4, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Malcom |first=Shawna |title=Lost Boss Tackles Star Trek Enterprise |url=https://tvguide.com/news/Lost-Boss-Tackles-37613.aspx |work=] |access-date=December 27, 2012 |date=August 11, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013211155/http://www.tvguide.com/news/Lost-Boss-Tackles-37613.aspx |archive-date=October 13, 2012}}</ref> He withdrew from production of ''Lost'' partway through the first season to direct '']'',<ref>{{Cite news|title=Abrams makes 'M:I III' possible |first=Scott |last=Bowles |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2006-05-04-mi3-abrams_x.htm |newspaper=] |publisher=] |location=McLean, Virginia |issn=0734-7456 |oclc=608153056 |date=May 5, 2006 |access-date=December 12, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925134318/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2006-05-04-mi3-abrams_x.htm |archive-date=September 25, 2013}}</ref> leaving Lindelof and new executive producer Carlton Cuse to develop much of the overall ] themselves.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Pearlstein |first=Joanna |date=April 19, 2010 |title=As Lost Ends, Creators Explain How They Did It, What's Going On |magazine=] |volume=18 |issue=5 |publisher=] |editor1-first=Chris |editor1-last=Anderson |editor1-link=Chris Anderson (writer) |issn=1059-1028 |oclc=231770855 |access-date=December 13, 2011 |url=https://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/04/ff_lost/8/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225002144/http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/04/ff_lost/8/ |archive-date=December 25, 2011}}</ref> However, Abrams briefly returned to help co-write the third-season premiere along with Lindelof. The development of the show was constrained by tight deadlines, as it had been commissioned late in the 2004 season's development cycle. Despite the short schedule, the creative team remained flexible enough to modify or create characters to fit actors they wished to cast.<ref name="season1dvd">Abrams, J. J and Lloyd Braun, ''Lost Season 1 DVD'' (extras), Buena Vista Home Entertainment, September 6, 2005.</ref>
===Filming===
''Lost'' was filmed on ] ] cameras almost entirely on the Hawaiian island of ]. The original island scenes for the pilot were filmed at ] Beach, near the northwest tip of the island. Later beach scenes take place in secluded spots of the famous ]. Cave scenes in the first season were filmed on a ] built at a ] parts warehouse, which had been empty since an ] took place there in 1999.<ref>{{cite news| last=Veitch| first=Kristin| title=''Lost'' Secrets Found! |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20041208152612/http://www.eonline.com/Gossip/Kristin/Archive2004/041016.html| publisher=]|date=October 16, 2004}} Retrieved from ] on December 8, 2004.</ref> The sound-stage and ] offices have since moved to the Hawaii Film Office-operated Hawaii Film Studio,<ref>{{cite news|last=Nichols|first=Katherine| title=''Lost'' Home|work=]|url =http://starbulletin.com/2006/05/21/features/story01.html| date=May 21, 2006}}</ref> where the sets depicting Season 2's "Swan Station" and Season 3's "Hydra Station" interiors were built.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ryan|first=Tim|title=Reel News|url =http://starbulletin.com/2005/08/24/features/ryan.html| work=]|date=August 24, 2005}}</ref>


''Lost''{{'}}s two-part pilot episode was the most expensive in the network's history, reportedly costing between US$10 and $14&nbsp;million,<ref>{{cite news|title=New series gives Hawaii 3 TV shows in production |last=Ryan |first=Tim |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2004/05/17/news/story7.html |work=] |date=May 17, 2004 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106050950/http://archives.starbulletin.com/2004/05/17/news/story7.html |archive-date=November 6, 2012}}</ref> compared to the average cost of an hour-long pilot in 2005 of $4&nbsp;million.<ref name="EIDC050405">{{cite press release|url=http://www.eidc.com/EIDC_Press_Release_050405.pdf#search=%22production%20cost%20of%20a%20television%20TV%20pilot%22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624213238/http://www.eidc.com/EIDC_Press_Release_050405.pdf |archive-date=June 24, 2008 |publisher=Entertainment Industry Development Corporation |title=EIDC Issues First Overview of Pilot Production Activity and Economic Impact |date=May 4, 2005 |access-date=September 18, 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The world premiere of the pilot episode was on July 24, 2004, at ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Comic-Con 2004: Saturday's Programming |url=http://www.comic-con.org/cci2004/CCI04-ProgSat.shtml |publisher=Comic-Con |access-date=January 25, 2012 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209201928/http://www.comic-con.org/cci2004/CCI04-ProgSat.shtml |archive-date=February 9, 2007 }}</ref> ABC's parent company ] fired Braun before ''Lost''{{'}}s broadcast debut, partly because of low ratings at the network and also because he had ]ed such an expensive and risky project.<ref name="DT081405" /> The series debuted on September 22, 2004, becoming one of the biggest critical and commercial successes of the ]. Along with fellow new series '']'' and '']'', ''Lost'' helped to reverse the flagging fortunes of ABC,<ref>{{cite news|last=Bianco |first=Robert |title=A good season, with reason |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-04-26-tv-lookback_x.htm |work=USA Today |date=April 26, 2005 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921062113/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-04-26-tv-lookback_x.htm |archive-date=September 21, 2013}}</ref> and its great success likely caused the network to ignore that the show almost immediately broke Lindelof and Abrams' promises to it regarding ''Lost''{{'}}s plots.{{r|lussier20130920}}
Various urban areas in and around ] are used as stand-ins for locations around the world, including California, New York, ], Miami, South Korea, ], ], United Kingdom, Paris, ], Berlin, Maldives and Australia. For example, scenes set in a ] were filmed at the ], while a World War II-era bunker was used as an ] installation. Scenes set in Moscow during the winter were filmed at the ], with crushed ice scattered everywhere to create snow and Russian storeshop and automobile signs on the street. Several scenes in the Season 3 finale, "Through the Looking Glass", were shot in Los Angeles, including a hospital set borrowed from ''Grey's Anatomy''. Two scenes during season four were filmed in London because ] who portrays Widmore was at the time performing in the musical ] and was unable to travel to Hawaii.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a128956/alan-dale-talks-lost-greys.html|title=Alan Dale talks ''Lost'', ''Grey{{'}}s''|author=Wilkes, Neil|date=September 4, 2008|work=]|accessdate=May 4, 2009}}</ref> Extensive archives of filming locations are tracked at a repository at the .


=== Casting ===
The aircraft used as the fictitious Flight 815, although described as a ], is actually a ], formerly flown by ] as N783DL. The plane was bought by ABC/Touchstone, was broken apart, and all pieces except the tail were shipped to Hawaii. Producers feared that viewers might recognize the real identity of the aircraft, since the L-1011 was a ]; however, with the plane broken up, it was effectively obscured to be seen as a ].
Many of the first season roles were a result of the executive producers' liking of various actors. The main character Jack was going to die in the pilot, and the role was planned for ]. However, ABC executives were adamant that Jack live.<ref name="DVD">{{cite video | title = Before They Were Lost | medium = Documentary | location = ''Lost: The Complete First Season'' | publisher = ]}}</ref> Before it was decided that Jack would live, Kate was to emerge as the leader of the survivors; she was conceived as a middle-aged businesswoman whose husband had apparently died in the crash, a role later fulfilled by the recurring character Rose. Dominic Monaghan auditioned for the role of Sawyer, who at the time was supposed to be a slick suit-wearing city con man. The producers enjoyed Monaghan's performance and changed the character of Charlie, a washed-up former rock star, to fit him. Jorge Garcia also auditioned for Sawyer, and the part of Hurley was written for him. When Josh Holloway auditioned for Sawyer, the producers liked the edge he brought to the character (he reportedly kicked a chair when he forgot his lines and got angry in the audition) and his ], so they changed Sawyer to fit Holloway's acting. Yunjin Kim auditioned for Kate, but the producers wrote the character of Sun for her and the character of Jin, portrayed by Daniel Dae Kim, to be her husband. Sayid, played by Naveen Andrews, was also not in the original script. Locke and Michael were written with their actors in mind. Emilie de Ravin, who played Claire, was cast in what was supposed to be a recurring role.<ref name="DVD" /> In the second season, Michael Emerson was contracted to play Ben ("Henry Gale") for three episodes. His role was extended to eight episodes because of his acting skills and eventually, for the whole of season three and later seasons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/tv/michael-emerson-takes-charge-of-others-in-3rd-season-of-lost-453117/ |author=Song, Jaymes |title=Michael Emerson takes charge of Others in 3rd season of 'Lost' |publisher=The Associated Press |date=October 3, 2006 |access-date=March 21, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729215525/http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/tv/michael-emerson-takes-charge-of-others-in-3rd-season-of-lost-453117/ |archive-date=July 29, 2013}}</ref>


===Music=== === Filming ===
]
{{Main|Lost Original Television Soundtracks}}
''Lost'' was filmed on ] ] cameras almost entirely on the Hawaiian island of ] given the easily accessible, wide diversity of filming locations. The original island scenes for the pilot were filmed at ] Beach, near the northwest tip of the island. Later beach scenes take place in secluded spots of the famous ]. Cave scenes in the first season were filmed on a ] built at a ] parts warehouse, which had been empty since an ] took place there in 1999.<ref>{{cite news| last=Veitch| first=Kristin| title=''Lost'' Secrets Found! |url=http://www.eonline.com/Gossip/Kristin/Archive2004/041016.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041208152612/http://www.eonline.com/Gossip/Kristin/Archive2004/041016.html|archive-date=December 8, 2004| publisher=]|date=October 16, 2004}} Retrieved from ] on December 8, 2004.</ref> In 2006, the sound-stage and production offices moved to the Hawaii Film Office-operated ],<ref>{{cite news|last=Nichols |first=Katherine |title=''Lost'' Home |work=] |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2006/05/21/features/story01.html |date=May 21, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022021800/http://archives.starbulletin.com/2006/05/21/features/story01.html |archive-date=October 22, 2012}}</ref> where the sets depicting Season 2's "Swan Station" and Season 3's "Hydra Station" interiors were built.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ryan |first=Tim |title=Reel News |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2005/08/24/features/ryan.html |work=] |date=August 24, 2005 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106050624/http://archives.starbulletin.com/2005/08/24/features/ryan.html |archive-date=November 6, 2012}}</ref>
''Lost'' features an ] performed by the ] and composed by ], incorporating many recurring themes for subjects such as events, locations and characters. Giacchino achieved some of the sounds for the score using unusual instruments, such as striking suspended pieces of the plane's ].<ref> January 9, 2006.</ref> On March 21, 2006, the record label ] released the original television for ''Lost''{{'}}s first season.<ref name="Soundtrack 1"></ref> 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.<ref name="Soundtrack 1"/> Varèse Sarabande released a soundtrack featuring music from the second season of ''Lost'' on October 3, 2006.<ref name="Soundtrack 2"></ref> A soundtrack for the third season was released on May 6, 2008, with the fourth season soundtrack released on May 11, 2009.


Various urban areas in and around ] are used as stand-ins for locations around the world, including California, New York, ], Miami, South Korea, ], Nigeria, United Kingdom, Paris, ], Berlin, Maldives, and Australia. For example, scenes set in a ] were filmed at the ], while a World War II-era bunker was used as both an ] installation and a ] research station. Scenes set in Germany during the winter were filmed on Merchant St., with crushed ice scattered everywhere to create snow and Russian store and automobile signs on the street. Several scenes in the Season 3 finale, "]", were shot in Los Angeles, including a hospital set borrowed from ''Grey's Anatomy''. Two scenes during season four were filmed in London because ], who portrays Widmore, was at the time performing in the musical '']'' and was unable to travel to Hawaii.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/tubetalk/a128956/alan-dale-talks-lost-greys.html |title=Alan Dale talks ''Lost'', ''Grey{{'}}s'' |author=Wilkes, Neil |date=September 4, 2008 |work=] |access-date=May 4, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213105014/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/tubetalk/a128956/alan-dale-talks-lost-greys.html |archive-date=February 13, 2010}}</ref> Extensive archives of filming locations are tracked at a repository at the ''Lost'' Virtual Tour.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lost Virtual Tour |url=http://www.lostvirtualtour.com/ |publisher=lostvirtualtour.com |access-date=October 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014084939/http://www.lostvirtualtour.com/ |archive-date=October 14, 2012}}</ref>
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 ] source. Examples are the various songs played on Hurley's portable CD player throughout the first season (until its batteries died in the episode "]"), which featured Damien Rice's "Delicate", or the use of the record player in the second season, which included ]'s "]" and ]'s "]" in the second and third season premieres respectively. In two episodes, Charlie is shown on a street corner playing guitar and singing the ] song "]". In the third season's finale, Jack is driving down the street listening to ]'s "Scentless Apprentice", right before he arrives to the Hoffs/Drawlar Funeral Parlor, and in the parallel scene in the fourth season's finale he arrives listening to "]" by ]. The third season also used ]'s ] on two occasions in the van. The only two pop songs that have ever been used without a source (i.e. non-]) are ]'s "Slowly", in the episode "]" and "I Shall Not Walk Alone", written by ], and covered by ] in the episode "]". Alternate music is used in several international broadcasts. For instance, in the Japanese broadcast of ''Lost'', the ] used varies by season; season one uses "Here I Am" by ], season two uses "]" by ], and season three uses "Lonely Girl" by ].


=== Promotion ===
==Impact and reception==
During its six years of broadcasting, ''Lost'' developed an extensive collection of promotional tools ranging from the traditional promotions of the TV show made by the channel, to the creation of ], such as the '']''.<ref name="promotion">{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/story.html?id=63f38d78-25c7-4504-9cc9-ada1a3217116 |title='Lost' the game |publisher=] |date=May 2, 2006 |access-date=October 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306190436/http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/story.html?id=63f38d78-25c7-4504-9cc9-ada1a3217116 |archive-date=March 6, 2014}}</ref> ''Lost'' showed innovation in the use of new advertising strategies in the sector and the transformation of the conventional devices used previously.
===Ratings===
Seasonal US rankings (based on a weighted average total viewers per episode including ]s) of ''Lost'' on ABC.


=== Music ===
{| style="text-align:center;" class="wikitable" style="background: #FFFFFF;"
{{Main|Lost Original Television Soundtracks|l1=''Lost Original Television Soundtracks''}}
''Lost'' features an ] performed by the ] and composed by ], incorporating many recurring themes for subjects, such as events, locations, and characters. Giacchino achieved some of the sounds for the score using unusual instruments, such as striking suspended pieces of the plane's ].<ref>Giacchino, Michael, "Soundtrack of Survival: Composing for Character, Conflict & the Crash", ''Lost Season 4 DVD'' (extras), ], December 9, 2008.</ref> On March 21, 2006, the record label ] released the original television soundtrack for ''Lost''{{'}}s first season.<ref name="Soundtrack 1">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EHSVDM |title=''Lost'': Season 1 Original Soundtrack |website=Amazon |access-date=July 24, 2010}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Soundtrack 1" /> Varèse Sarabande released a soundtrack featuring music from season 2 of ''Lost'' on October 3, 2006.<ref name="Soundtrack 2">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I2IQ9M |title=''Lost'': Season 2 Original Soundtrack |website=Amazon |access-date=July 24, 2010}}</ref> The soundtrack for season 3 was released on May 6, 2008; the soundtrack for season 4 was released on May 11, 2009; the soundtrack for season 5 was released on May 11, 2010; and the soundtrack for the final season was released on September 14, 2010. A final soundtrack, featuring music from series finale, was released on October 11, 2010.

The series uses pop culture songs sparingly, and has a mainly orchestral score (consisting usually of divided strings, percussion, harp, and three trombones). When it features pop songs, they often originate from a ] source. Examples include the various songs played on Hurley's portable CD player throughout the first season (until its batteries died in the episode "]", which featured Damien Rice's "Delicate") or the use of the record player in the second season, which included ]'s "]" and ]'s "]" in the second and third-season premieres respectively. Two episodes show Charlie on a street corner playing guitar and singing the ] song "]". In the third season's finale, Jack drives down the street listening to ]'s "Scentless Apprentice", right before he arrives to the Hoffs/Drawlar Funeral Parlor, and in the parallel scene in the fourth season's finale, he arrives listening to "Gouge Away" by ]. The third season also used ]'s "]" on two occasions in the van. The only two pop songs that have ever been used without an on-screen source (i.e., non-]) are ]'s "Slowly", in the episode "]" and "I Shall Not Walk Alone", written by ] and covered by ] in the episode "]." Alternate music is used in several international broadcasts. For example, in the Japanese broadcast of ''Lost'', the ] used varies by season: season one uses "Here I Am" by ], season two uses "]" by ], and season three uses "Lonely Girl" by ].

===Allegations of toxic work environment===
In May 2023, ]'s book ''Burn It Down: Power, Complicity and a Call For Change in Hollywood'' cited claims made by cast member ] and writers ] and ] of an alleged toxic and racist environment fostered by Lindelof and Cuse. Perrineau said he was fired by Lindelof after he asked about his character's death. In response to the allegations, Lindelof stated "my level of fundamental inexperience as a manager and a boss, my role as someone who was supposed to model a climate of creative danger and risk-taking but provide safety and comfort inside of the creative process—I failed in that endeavor".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ryan |first=Maureen |date=May 30, 2023 |title='Lost' Illusions: The Untold Story of the Hit Show's Poisonous Culture |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/05/lost-tv-show-culture |access-date=May 31, 2023 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=May 30, 2023 |title=Damon Lindelof 'Shocked and Appalled' Over 'Lost' Racism and Toxic Workplace Allegations: 'I Failed' to Provide Safety and Comfort |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/lost-showrunners-racism-toxic-writers-room-damon-lindelof-1235628095/ |access-date=May 31, 2023 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> Recurring cast member ] also recalled an abusive on-set experience in her memoir. She regarded the entire cast as complicit, with the exception of one main actress.<ref name=memoir>{{cite book |last=Furlan|first=Mira|author-link=Mira Furlan|date=July 29, 2023|title=Love Me More Than Anything In The World: Stories About Belonging|url=https://www.amazon.com/Love-more-than-anything-world-ebook/dp/B0CD63G17N|location=Kindle|publisher=Gajic & Furlan Enterprises, Inc. Kindle Edition|pages=679–680|isbn=}}</ref>

== Reception and impact ==
=== Critical reception ===
{{Television critical response
| rotten_tomatoes1 = 96% (46 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/lost/s01 |title=Lost: Season 1 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref>
| metacritic1 = 86 (27 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/lost/season-1/ |title=Lost: Season 1 |website=Metacritic |access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref>

| rotten_tomatoes2 = 100% (17 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/lost/s02 |title=Lost: Season 2 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref>
| metacritic2 = {{N/A}}

| rotten_tomatoes3 = 75% (20 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/lost/s03 |title=Lost: Season 3 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref>
| metacritic3 = {{N/A}}

| rotten_tomatoes4 = 89% (27 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/lost/s04 |title=Lost: Season 4 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref>
| metacritic4 = 87 (12 reviews)<ref name="MetacriticS4">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/lost/season-4/ |title=Lost: Season 4 |website=Metacritic |access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref>

| rotten_tomatoes5 = 92% (24 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/lost/s05 |title=Lost: Season 5 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref>
| metacritic5 = 78 (17 reviews)<ref name="MetacriticS5">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/lost/season-5/ |title=Lost: Season 5 |website=Metacritic |access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref>

| rotten_tomatoes6 = 69% (35 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/lost/s06 |title=Lost: Season 6 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref>
| metacritic6 = {{N/A}}
}}

''Lost'' has been described by numerous critics as being among the greatest television series of all time.<ref name="Time 100">{{cite news|url=http://entertainment.time.com/2007/09/06/the-100-best-tv-shows-of-all-time/slide/lost-2/ |title=The 100 Best TV Shows of All-''TIME'' |first=James |last=Poniewozik |author-link=James Poniewozik |magazine=] |date=September 6, 2007 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022172014/http://entertainment.time.com/2007/09/06/the-100-best-tv-shows-of-all-time/slide/lost-2/ |archive-date=October 22, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://empireonline.com/50greatesttv/default.asp?tv=5 |title=Empire: Features |work=Empire |date=December 5, 2006 |access-date=July 24, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106185602/http://www.empireonline.com/50greatesttv/default.asp?tv=5 |archive-date=January 6, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=The New Classics: TV |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2007/06/18/new-classics-tv |access-date=October 24, 2012 |magazine=] |date=June 18, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020093840/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20207339%2C00.html |archive-date=October 20, 2012}}</ref> Bill Carter, television reporter of '']'', defined ''Lost'' as "the show with perhaps the most compelling continuing story line in television history."<ref>{{cite news|last=Carter |first=Bill |title=Tropical Teaser: 'Lost' Clues Decoded |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/arts/television/30lost.html |access-date=October 24, 2012 |newspaper=] |date=January 30, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209072605/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/arts/television/30lost.html |archive-date=December 9, 2013}}</ref> '']'' put the show on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Name another network drama that can so wondrously turn a ? into a !"<ref>Geier, Thom; Jensen, Jeff; Jordan, Tina; Lyons, Margaret; Markovitz, Adam; Nashawaty, Chris; Pastorek, Whitney; Rice, Lynette; Rottenberg, Josh; Schwartz, Missy; Slezak, Michael; Snierson, Dan; Stack, Tim; Stroup, Kate; Tucker, Ken; Vary, Adam B.; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Ward, Kate (December 11, 2009), "THE 100 Greatest MOVIES, TV SHOWS, ALBUMS, BOOKS, CHARACTERS, SCENES, EPISODES, SONGS, DRESSES, MUSIC VIDEOS, AND TRENDS THAT ENTERTAINED US OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS." Entertainment Weekly. (1079/1080):74-84</ref> In 2012, ''Entertainment Weekly'' also listed the show at #10 in the "25 Best Cult TV Shows from the Past 25 Years", with a hot-and-cold description: "''Lost'' was initially celebrated as a moving character-driven drama with a broad humanistic worldview that also presented itself as dramatic cryptography that demanded to be solved. The appeal narrowed as seasons progressed and the mythology became more complex, culminating in a still-debated finale that was deeply meaningful to some and dissatisfying poppycock to others."<ref>"25 Best Cult TV Shows from the Past 25 Years." '']''. August 3, 2012, p. 39.</ref> In 2007, ] ranked ''Lost'' as the #5 cult show.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/top-cult-shows-40239/|title=TV Guide Names the Top Cult Shows Ever – Today's News: Our Take|publisher=TVGuide.com|date=June 29, 2007}}</ref> In 2013, TV Guide ranked it as the #5 sci-fi show<ref>{{cite journal|journal=TV Guide Magazine|title=Best Sci-Fi Shows|date=September 16–22, 2013}}</ref> and the #36 best series of all time.<ref>{{cite web|title=TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time |url=https://tvguide.com/news/tv-guide-magazine-60-best-series-1074962/ |work=] |first1=Bruce |last1=Fretts |first2=Matt |last2=Roush |access-date=October 19, 2015 |date=December 23, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003105507/http://www.tvguide.com/news/tv-guide-magazine-60-best-series-1074962/ |archive-date=October 3, 2016}}</ref> In September 2019, '']'' ranked the show 71st on its list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 100 best TV shows of the 21st century |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/sep/16/100-best-tv-shows-of-the-21st-century |work=The Guardian |date=September 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101054025/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/sep/16/100-best-tv-shows-of-the-21st-century |access-date=November 3, 2019 |archive-date=November 1, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Season 1 ====
The first season received critical acclaim. '']'' said a "totally original, fabulously enjoyable lost-at-sea series", ''Lost'' had taken "an outlandish Saturday-serial setup and imbued it with real characters and honest emotions, without sacrificing any of the old-fashioned fun."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2004-09-21-lost-review_x.htm |title='Lost' finds fresh adventure in familiar story |work=USA Today |date=September 21, 2004 |access-date=February 5, 2012 |first1=Robert |last1=Bianco |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016221159/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2004-09-21-lost-review_x.htm |archive-date=October 16, 2012}}</ref> The '']'' praised the production values and said "it knows the buttons it wants to push (fear of flying, fear of abandonment, fear of the unknown) and pushes them, repeatedly, like a kid playing a video game."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-sep-22-et-brown22-story.html |title=Surviving The Fear Factor |date=September 22, 2004 |access-date=February 5, 2012 |author=Brownfield, Paul |work=Los Angeles Times |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110914125201/http://articles.latimes.com/2004/sep/22/entertainment/et-brown22 |archive-date=September 14, 2011}}</ref> IGN noted that the first season "succeeded first and foremost in character development."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ign.com/articles/2008/11/26/lost-flashback-season-1-review |title=Lost Flashback: Season One |website=IGN |date=November 26, 2008 |access-date=February 5, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502005401/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/11/26/lost-flashback-season-1-review |archive-date=May 2, 2013}}</ref> ''Lost'' season one was ranked number one in the "Best of 2005 TV Coverage: Critic Top Ten Lists" by Matthew Gilbert of '']'', Tom Gliatto of '']'', Charlie McCollum of the '']'', and Robert Bianco of ''USA Today''.<ref name="M1">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/tv/lost/season-5/critic-reviews |title=Lost: Season 5 Critic Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=October 24, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224235631/http://www.metacritic.com/tv/lost/season-5/critic-reviews |archive-date=December 24, 2012}}</ref>

==== Season 2 ====
The second season received favorable reviews, but it was noted that the season "stumbled with some storylines going nowhere and some characters underutilized." ] also noted the addition of ] as a standout new character.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ign.com/articles/2009/11/11/lost-flashback-season-2-review |title=Lost Flashback: Season Two |website=IGN |date=November 9, 2008 |access-date=February 5, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006203027/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/11/11/lost-flashback-season-2-review |archive-date=October 6, 2013}}</ref> The '']'' called Season 2 an "extended, mostly unsatisfying foray into deeper mythology with very little payoff."<ref name="Goodman, Tim">{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/tv/article/WANT-TO-GET-LOST-THERE-S-STILL-TIME-AS-SEASON-3230470.php |title=Want to get Lost? There's Still Time As New Season Starts |date=January 30, 2008 |access-date=February 5, 2012 |last=Goodman |first=Tim |work=The San Francisco Chronicle |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023144525/http://www.sfgate.com/tv/article/WANT-TO-GET-LOST-THERE-S-STILL-TIME-AS-SEASON-3230470.php |archive-date=October 23, 2012}}</ref> After winning "Best Drama Series" for season one, ''Lost'' was snubbed by the Emmy Awards in Season 2. Nearing the end of the second season, ''USA Today'' listed the most popular fan theories during Season 2—the island as a psychological experiment, that the hatch had electromagnetic properties, ] of time, and that everyone on the island had developed a "collective consciousness" that allowed them to appear in each other's past. One fan interview by ''USA Today'' said that "Real suspense comes from answers, not questions. Suspense comes not from wondering what's going on but from wondering what happens next. If you withhold answers, it becomes impossible to satisfy."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-05-09-lost_x.htm |title=Lost in 'Lost' |work=USA Today |access-date=February 5, 2012 |date=May 10, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002114940/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-05-09-lost_x.htm |archive-date=October 2, 2012}}</ref>

==== Season 3 ====
The first block of episodes of the third season was criticized for raising too many mysteries<ref>{{cite news|last=Simunic |first=Steven |title=Why ABC's 'Lost' Is Losing It |url=http://archive.dailycal.org/article/23854/why_abc_s_lost_is_losing_it |access-date=October 24, 2012 |newspaper=] |date=March 15, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130223074144/http://archive.dailycal.org/article/23854/why_abc_s_lost_is_losing_it |archive-date=February 23, 2013}}</ref> and not providing enough answers.<ref>{{cite news|title='Lost': Yep, that's a cliffhanger |url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2006/11/lost-yep-thats-a-cliffhanger.html |access-date=October 24, 2012 |publisher=] |date=November 8, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928060458/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2006/11/lost-yep-thats-a-cliffhanger.html |archive-date=September 28, 2013}}</ref> Complaints were also made about the limited screen time for many of the main characters in the first block.<ref>{{cite news|last=Martin |first=Ed |title=Exclusive Interview! Lost Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse |url=http://www.mediavillage.com/jmentr/2007/01/31/jmer-lost-01-31-07 |access-date=October 24, 2012 |publisher=Jack Meyers Media Village |date=January 31, 2007 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930185508/http://www.mediavillage.com/jmentr/2007/01/31/jmer-lost-01-31-07 |archive-date=September 30, 2007 }}</ref> Locke, played by Terry O'Quinn, who had tied for the highest second-season episode count, appeared in only 13 of 23 episodes in the third season—only two more than guest star M.C. Gainey, who played Tom. Reaction to two new characters, Nikki and Paulo, was generally negative, and Lindelof even acknowledged that the couple was "universally despised" by fans.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=''Lost'' roars back! See where season 3 goes from here |url=http://ew.com/article/2007/02/11/lost-roars-back-see-where-season-3-goes-here/ |access-date=October 24, 2012 |magazine=] |date=February 11, 2007 |author=Jeff Jensen |author2=Dan Snierson |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426221058/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20011203_3,00.html |archive-date=April 26, 2012}}</ref> The decision to split the season and the American time-slot switch after the hiatus were also criticized.<ref>{{cite web|last=Goldman |first=Eric |title=Writers Strike: Should Lost Air This Season? |url=https://ign.com/articles/2007/11/07/writers-strike-should-lost-air-this-season |access-date=October 24, 2012 |website=] |date=November 7, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222061501/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/11/07/writers-strike-should-lost-air-this-season |archive-date=February 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Brownfield|first=Robin|title=Naveen Andrews: 'Lost' Should Start Earlier|url=http://syfyportal.com/news423466.html|access-date=October 24, 2012|publisher=SciFiWire|date=March 28, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105085054/http://syfyportal.com/news423466.html|archive-date=November 5, 2007}}</ref> Cuse acknowledged that, "No one was happy with the six-episode run."<ref>{{cite web |author=Ausiello, Michael |date=November 7, 2007 |url=https://tvguide.com/Ask-Ausiello/071107 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726152235/http://www.tvguide.com/Ask-Ausiello/071107 |archive-date=July 26, 2008 |title=Ausiello on ''Lost'', ''Buffy'', ''Heroes'', ''ER'' and More! |work=TV Guide |access-date=November 10, 2007}}</ref> The second block of episodes was critically acclaimed, however,<ref>{{cite news |last=Lachonis |first=Jon |title='Lost' – When is an Emmy Snub not a Snub? |url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/lost-when-is-an-emmy-snub-not-8505.aspx |access-date=October 24, 2012 |publisher=BuddyTV |date=July 20, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022024807/http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/lost-when-is-an-emmy-snub-not-8505.aspx |archive-date=October 22, 2012 }}</ref> with the crew dealing with problems from the first block.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Jensen |first=Jeff |title=Flash-Forward Thinking |url=http://ew.com/article/2007/05/31/lost-s3-lingering-questions-finale/|access-date=October 24, 2012 |magazine=] |date=May 31, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018202146/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20040589%2C00.html |archive-date=October 18, 2012}}</ref> More answers were written into the show,<ref>{{cite news|last=Pierce |first=Scott D. |title=Is 'Lost' found? |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/660222952/Is-Lost-found.html |access-date=October 24, 2012 |newspaper=Deseret News |date=May 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927214229/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/660222952/Is-Lost-found.html |archive-date=September 27, 2013}}</ref> and Nikki and Paulo were ].<ref>{{cite news|last=Mitovich |first=Matt |title=Lost Boss Explains Last Night's Double Demise |url=https://tvguide.com/news/lost-boss-explains-13850.aspx |access-date=October 24, 2012 |newspaper=] |date=March 29, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729213152/http://www.tvguide.com/news/lost-boss-explains-13850.aspx |archive-date=July 29, 2013}}</ref> It was also announced that the series would end three seasons after the third season,<ref name="enddate">{{cite news|last=Adalian |first=Josef |title='Lost' set for three more years |url=https://variety.com/2007/scene/markets-festivals/lost-set-for-three-more-years-1117964371/ |access-date=October 24, 2012 |work=] |date=May 26, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805081957/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117964371 |archive-date=August 5, 2011}}</ref> which Cuse hoped would tell the audience that the writers knew where the story was going.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ryan |first=Maureen |title='Lost' producers talk about setting an end date and much more |url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/01/lost_producers_.html |access-date=October 24, 2012 |newspaper=] |date=January 14, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023023731/http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/01/lost_producers_.html |archive-date=October 23, 2012}}</ref>

==== Season 4 ====
] gave season four a weighted average of 87 based on 12 critical reviews,<ref name="MetacriticS4"/> For the first time since season one, ''Lost'' received an Emmy nomination for 'Outstanding Drama Series'. Tim Goodman of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' said that the Season 4 episodes were "roller coasters of fast action and revelation" and that series was "back on track."<ref name="Goodman, Tim" /> In a survey conducted by ''TVWeek'' of professional critics, ''Lost'' was voted the best show on television in the first half of 2008 "by a wide margin", apparently "crack the top five on nearly every critic's submission" and receiving "nothing but praise."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Krukowski|first=Andrew|title=Favorites Hold Fast|url=http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/07/favorites_hold_fast.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329094536/http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/07/favorites_hold_fast.php|archive-date=March 29, 2013|access-date=October 24, 2012|magazine=TV Week|date=July 2008}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' said the show reveled in critiques of capitalism, using the fictional Mittelos Bioscience and the "malevolent British industrialist" character of Charles Widmore as examples. The critic also said that the show was "in the dark business of exploring just how futile the modern search for peace, knowledge, recovery or profit really is." The critic did go on to say that the series was not as "philosophically refined" as '']'' or ''The Wire'' but that it "has maximized the potential of narrative uncertainty and made it a beguiling constant."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/arts/television/29lost.html |title=Philosophy, Mystery, Anarchy – On Tv, All is 'Lost' |work=] |date=May 29, 2008 |access-date=February 5, 2012 |author=Bellafante, Ginia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111229005043/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/arts/television/29lost.html |archive-date=December 29, 2011}}</ref>

]

==== Season 5 ====
The fifth season once again received mostly positive critical reception. Season 5 was given a weighted average of 78 out of 100 by Metacritic.<ref name="MetacriticS5"/> '']'' said that "The ABC series remains one of primetime's most uncompromising efforts, and this year's latest wrinkle on flashbacks, flash-forwards and island-disappearing flashes of light does nothing to alter that perception."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/review/VE1117939349?refCatId=32 |title=Lost Season 5 review |magazine=Variety |date=January 15, 2009 |access-date=February 5, 2012 |author=Lowry, Bryan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516202034/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117939349?refCatId=32 |archive-date=May 16, 2012}}</ref> ] of '']'' said that season 5 may finally be "a day of reckoning between those viewers who embrace the show's science-fiction trappings, and those who prefer not to think about them." Sepinwall also related that "I loved every minute. But I'm also a geek who read ] and ] growing up."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/01/sepinwall_on_tv_lost_goes_time.html |title='Lost' goes time traveling for Season 5 |publisher=Newark Star Ledger |access-date=February 5, 2012 |author=Sepinwall, Alan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106130617/http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/01/sepinwall_on_tv_lost_goes_time.html |archive-date=January 6, 2012|date=January 20, 2009 }}</ref>

Heather Havrilesky of ] criticized the use of time travel, saying that "when a narrator brings magic or time travel or an act of God into the picture, then uses it without restraint, the story loses its anchor to real life." The critic also asked "Why does it matter what Locke and Richard Alpert and Daniel Faraday or anyone else does, when they all seem as clueless and unfettered from reality as we are as viewers? How can these characters have any concrete agenda or strategic approach or philosophical perspective on anything when the rug is pulled out from under them by another Act of God every few seconds?"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.salon.com/2009/02/01/lost_4/ |title=I Like To Watch |work=Salon.com |date=February 1, 2009 |access-date=February 5, 2012 |author=Havrilesky, Heather |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121226082547/http://www.salon.com/2009/02/01/lost_4/ |archive-date=December 26, 2012}}</ref>

'']'' also commented that "what has been most dispiriting about the current season is the show's willingness to abandon many of the larger and more compelling themes that grounded the elaborate plot: the struggles between faith and reason; the indictments of extreme capitalism, the futility of recovery. All that remains is the reductively limned battle between fate and free will largely playing out, now, in Jack Shephard's belief that returning to the island is his Destiny."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/arts/television/13lost.html |title=Lost: Where It's 1977 and 2007 at the Same Time |work=] |date=May 12, 2009 |access-date=February 5, 2012 |author=Bellafante, Ginia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209052724/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/arts/television/13lost.html |archive-date=December 9, 2013}}</ref> '']'' said of the fifth-season finale, "Me? I found the ending frustrating, but in a good way. This finale was entertaining as all get-out to me, and despite the occasional groaner moment, I think this may be Lost's most purposeful, surprising finale."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/lost-the-incident-1798206490 |title=Lost – "The Incident" |newspaper=The A.V. Club |date=May 13, 2009 |access-date=February 5, 2012 |author=Murray, Noel |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201071000/http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-incident%2C27986/ |archive-date=February 1, 2012}}</ref>

==== Season 6 ====
Season six opened to much hype and curiosity. ''The A.V. Club'' asked, "I'm guessing that one of the biggest fears of Lost fans as we ride out this sixth and final season—bumps and all—is that we're going to come to the end and find a big nothing in return for all we've invested in these characters. We don't just need answers, we need justifications. Why has whatever happened, happened? Who has called this particular meeting to order, and does it really matter who showed up?"<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/lost-la-x-1798164306 |title=Lost – "LA X" |newspaper=The A.V. Club |date=February 2, 2010 |access-date=February 5, 2012 |author=Murray, Noel |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201070834/http://www.avclub.com/articles/la-x%2C37819/ |archive-date=February 1, 2012}}</ref> The episodes "]", "]", "]", and "]" opened to highly positive critical reception while the third-to-last episode "]" was the episode with the most negative reception.<ref name="Metacritic">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/feature/lost-finale-review-season-6-episode-17-18 |title=Episode Review: Lost "The End" |website=Metacritic |access-date=February 5, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111210110829/http://www.metacritic.com/feature/lost-finale-review-season-6-episode-17-18 |archive-date=December 10, 2011}}</ref> The time spent at the Others' temple was criticized.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://entertainment.time.com/2010/05/23/lostwatch-all-of-this-matters/ |title=Review of Lost Series Finale |magazine=Time |date=May 23, 2010 |access-date=February 5, 2012 |author=Poniewozik, James |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203203512/http://entertainment.time.com/2010/05/23/lostwatch-all-of-this-matters/ |archive-date=February 3, 2012}}</ref> ] Online described the show as "lightning in a bottle" and picked it as "Top TV Drama of 2010."<ref>{{cite news|title=Top 10 TV Dramas of 2010 |url=http://www.eonline.com/photos/2693/top-10-tv-dramas-of-2010/103552 |access-date=October 24, 2012 |publisher=] Online |year=2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114040647/http://www.eonline.com/photos/2693/top-10-tv-dramas-of-2010/103552 |archive-date=November 14, 2013}}</ref>

==== Series finale ====
The series finale opened to highly polarized critical and fan reception. According to Metacritic, "The End" received "generally favorable reviews" with a Metascore—a weighted average based on the impressions of 31 critical reviews—of 74 out of 100.<ref name="Metacritic" /> '']'' reviewer Chris Carbot gave the finale a 10/10, tying it with the initial review of "]", "]", "]", and "]" as the best-reviewed episode of ''Lost''. He described it as "one of the most enthralling, entertaining and satisfying conclusions I could have hoped for." Carbot also noted that the discussions about the episode may never end, saying "''Lost'' may be gone, but it will hardly be forgotten."<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|last=Carabott |first=Chris |url=https://ign.com/articles/2010/05/24/lost-the-end-review?page=3 |title=Lost: "The End" Review |website=IGN |date=March 29, 2010 |access-date=May 25, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104212654/http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/05/24/lost-the-end-review?page=3 |archive-date=November 4, 2012}}</ref> Eric Deggans of the '']'' also gave the finale a perfect score, stating "Sunday's show was an emotional, funny, expertly measured reminder of what Lost has really centered on since its first moments on the prime time TV landscape: faith, hope, romance and the power of redemption through belief in the best of what moves mankind."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tampabay.com/features/media/lost-finale-long-satisfying-trip-is-done/1097172 |title='Lost' finale: Long, satisfying trip is done |newspaper=St. Petersburg Times |author=Deggans, Eric |access-date=May 24, 2010 |date=May 25, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526042331/http://www.tampabay.com/features/media/lost-finale-long-satisfying-trip-is-done/1097172 |archive-date=May 26, 2010}}</ref> Robert Bianco of '']'' rated the episode perfect as well, deeming the finale "can stand with the best any series has produced."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2010-05-24-lostreview24_ST_N.htm |title='Lost' finale: Redemption as 'The End' justifies the journey |newspaper=USA Today |author=Bianco, Robert |access-date=May 24, 2010 |date=May 25, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102105309/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2010-05-24-lostreview24_ST_N.htm |archive-date=November 2, 2012}}</ref> Hal Boedeker of '']'' cited the finale being "a stunner."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2010/05/lost-so-ends-our-fantastic-journey-does-it-have-a-place-in-your-heart.html |title='Lost': So ends our fantastic journey – does it have a place in your heart? |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel |author=Boedeker, Hal |access-date=May 23, 2010 |date=March 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524225903/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2010/05/lost-so-ends-our-fantastic-journey-does-it-have-a-place-in-your-heart.html |archive-date=May 24, 2010}}</ref>

'']'' and '']'' both reported that "The End" had received negative reviews and disappointed its viewers. Alan Sepinwall of '']'' was less enthusiastic of the finale, stating "I'm still wrestling with my feelings about 'The End'... I thought most of it worked like gangbusters. ... But as someone who did spend at least part of the last six years dwelling on the questions that were unanswered—be they little things like the outrigger shootout or why The Others left Dharma in charge of the Swan station after the purge, or bigger ones like Walt—I can't say I found 'The End' wholly satisfying, either as closure for this season or the series. ... There are narrative dead ends in every season of 'Lost,' but it felt like season six had more than usual."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/lost-the-end-see-you-in-the-other-life-brother |title='Lost' – 'The End': See you in the other life, brother |work=HitFix |author=Sepinwall, Alan |access-date=November 16, 2010 |date=May 25, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114181430/http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/lost-the-end-see-you-in-the-other-life-brother |archive-date=November 14, 2010}}</ref> Mike Hale of '']'' gave "The End" a mixed review, as the episode showed that the series was "shaky on the big picture—on organizing the welter of mythic-religious-philosophical material it insisted on incorporating into its plot—but highly skilled at the small one, the moment to moment business of telling an exciting story. Rendered insignificant ... were the particulars of what they had done on the island."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/arts/television/25lost.html |work=] |author=Mike Hale |title=No Longer 'Lost', but Fans are Still Searching |date=May 24, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107235827/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/arts/television/25lost.html |archive-date=November 7, 2016}}</ref> ] of the '']'' gave the episode a highly negative review, writing "If this is supposed to be such a smart and wise show, unlike anything else on network TV (blah, blah, blah), why such a wimpy, phony, quasi-religious, white-light, huggy-bear ending. ... Once Jack stepped into the church it looked like he was walking into a Hollywood wrap party without food or music—just a bunch of actors grinning idiotically for 10 minutes and hugging one another."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/zontv/2010/05/lost_finale_john_locke_terry_o.html |title='Lost' finale: Wondering where the wisdom was |newspaper=Baltimore Sun |author=Zurawik, David |access-date=May 24, 2010 |date=October 24, 2012 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901070718/http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/zontv/2010/05/lost_finale_john_locke_terry_o.html |archive-date=September 1, 2010 }}</ref>

=== Ratings ===
''Lost'' aired on the ] (ABC) from September 22, 2004, to May 23, 2010. The pilot episode had 18.6&nbsp;million viewers, easily winning its 9:00 pm timeslot, and giving ABC its strongest ] since 2000 when '']'' was initially aired—beaten only the following month by the premiere of '']''. According to '']'', "ABC sure could use a breakout drama success, as it hasn't had a real hit since '']''. ''Lost'' represents the network's best start for a drama with 18- to 49-year-olds since '']'' in 1999, and in total viewers since '']'' in 1995."<ref>{{cite news|first=Rick |last=Kissell |title=ABC, Eye have quite some night |url=https://variety.com/2004/tv/news/abc-eye-have-quite-some-night-1117910869/ |work=Variety |date=September 25, 2004 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210034958/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117910869 |archive-date=February 10, 2012}}</ref>

For its first season, ''Lost'' averaged 16&nbsp;million viewers, ranking 14th in viewership among prime-time shows and 15th among the eighteen to forty-nine-year-old ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000937471|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060306113629/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000937471|archive-date=March 6, 2006|work=]|date=May 27, 2005|title=Final audience and ratings figures|access-date=October 23, 2012}}</ref> Its second season fared equally well: again, ''Lost'' ranked 14th in viewership, with an average of 15.5&nbsp;million viewers. However, it improved its rating with 18- to 49-year-olds, ranking eighth.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002576393 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060529003429/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002576393 |archive-date=May 29, 2006 |work=] |date=May 26, 2006|title=2005–06 primetime wrap}}</ref> The second-season premiere was even more viewed than the first, pulling in over 23&nbsp;million viewers and setting a series record.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a24619/us-ratings-lost-premiere-draws-23-million.html |title=US Ratings: ''Lost'' premiere draws 23&nbsp;million |first=Neil |last=Wilkes |publisher=Digital Spy (UK) |date=September 23, 2005 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929221653/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a24619/us-ratings-lost-premiere-draws-23-million.html |archive-date=September 29, 2012}}</ref> The third-season premiere brought in 18.8&nbsp;million viewers. The seventh episode of the season, back from a three-month hiatus, saw a drop to 14.5&nbsp;million. Over the course of the spring season, ratings would plunge to as low as 11&nbsp;million viewers before recovering to near 14&nbsp;million for the season finale. The ratings drop was partially explained when ] released ] ratings, showing ''Lost'' as the most recorded series on television. However, despite overall ratings losses, ''Lost'' still won its hour in the crucial 18–49 demographic and put out the highest 18–49 numbers in the 10:00&nbsp;p.m. time slot ahead of any show on any network that season. The fourth-season premiere saw an increase from the previous episode to 16.1&nbsp;million viewers,<ref name="season 4 ratings" /> though by the eighth episode, viewers had decreased to a series low of 11.461&nbsp;million.<ref name="season 4 ratings">{{cite web|url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/lost-season-4-suffers-ratings-17888.aspx |title='Lost' Season 4 Suffers Ratings Decline |publisher=BuddyTV |date=March 24, 2008 |access-date=July 24, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524154926/http://www.buddytv.com/articles/lost/lost-season-4-suffers-ratings-17888.aspx |archive-date=May 24, 2010}}</ref> A survey of 20 countries by ''Informa Telecoms and Media'' in 2006 concluded that ''Lost'' was the second most popular TV show in those countries, after '']''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5231334.stm |date=July 31, 2006 |title=''CSI'' show 'most popular in world' |work=BBC News |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070902205017/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5231334.stm |archive-date=September 2, 2007}}</ref> The sixth-season premiere was the first to climb in the ratings year-over-year since the second season, drawing 12.1&nbsp;million viewers.<ref name="The Live Feed">{{cite web|url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/live-feed/fans-rediscover-lost-premiere-ratings-53056 |title=Fans rediscover 'Lost' as premiere ratings climb |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=February 3, 2010 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227080111/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/live-feed/fans-rediscover-lost-premiere-ratings-53056 |archive-date=February 27, 2014}}</ref>
<section begin=ratings />{{Television ratings graph
| title = Lost
| country = US
| color1 = #C5C9D4
| color2 = #D38233
| color3 = #0C5829
| color4 = #00549A
| color5 = #69D0E3
| color6 = #000000
| average = y
| bar_width = 5
| x_intervals = 5
| y_intervals = 2
| refs =
|- |-
<!-- S01E01 -->| 18.65
! Season
<!-- S01E02 -->| 17.00
! Timeslot (EDT)
<!-- S01E03 -->| 16.54
! Season premiere
<!-- S01E04 -->| 18.16
! Season finale
<!-- S01E05 -->| 16.82
! TV season
<!-- S01E06 -->| 16.83
! Rank
<!-- S01E07 -->| 18.73
! Viewers<br />(in millions)
<!-- S01E08 -->| 18.44
<!-- S01E09 -->| 17.64
<!-- S01E10 -->| 17.15
<!-- S01E11 -->| 18.88
<!-- S01E12 -->| 21.59
<!-- S01E13 -->| 20.81
<!-- S01E14 -->| 19.69
<!-- S01E15 -->| 19.48
<!-- S01E16 -->| 17.87
<!-- S01E17 -->| 19.49
<!-- S01E18 -->| 18.85
<!-- S01E19 -->| 17.75
<!-- S01E20 -->| 17.12
<!-- S01E21 -->| 17.20
<!-- S01E22 -->| 17.10
<!-- S01E23 -->| 18.62
<!-- S01E24 -->| 20.71
<!-- S01E25 -->| 20.71
<!-- S01_AV -->| 18.39
|- |-
<!-- S02E01 -->| 23.47
! ]
<!-- S02E02 -->| 23.17
|style="text-align:left"| <small>Wednesday 8:00 P.M.(September 22, 2004 – May 25, 2005)</small>
<!-- S02E03 -->| 22.38
| September 22, 2004
<!-- S02E04 -->| 21.66
| May 25, 2005
<!-- S02E05 -->| 21.38
| 2004–2005
<!-- S02E06 -->| 20.01
| #15
<!-- S02E07 -->| 21.87
| 15.69<ref name="American Broadcasting Company"/>
<!-- S02E08 -->| 19.29
<!-- S02E09 -->| 21.54
<!-- S02E10 -->| 20.56
<!-- S02E11 -->| 19.13
<!-- S02E12 -->| 19.05
<!-- S02E13 -->| 18.74
<!-- S02E14 -->| 18.20
<!-- S02E15 -->| 16.43
<!-- S02E16 -->| 15.30
<!-- S02E17 -->| 16.21
<!-- S02E18 -->| 16.38
<!-- S02E19 -->| 15.68
<!-- S02E20 -->| 15.56
<!-- S02E21 -->| 16.35
<!-- S02E22 -->| 14.67
<!-- S02E23 -->| 17.84
<!-- S02E24 -->| 17.84
<!-- S02_AV -->| 18.91
|- |-
<!-- S03E01 -->| 18.82
! ]
<!-- S03E02 -->| 16.89
|style="text-align:left"| <small>Wednesday 9:00 P.M.(September 21, 2005 – May 24, 2006)</small>
<!-- S03E03 -->| 16.31
| September 21, 2005
<!-- S03E04 -->| 17.09
| May 24, 2006
<!-- S03E05 -->| 16.07
| 2005–2006
<!-- S03E06 -->| 17.15
| #15
<!-- S03E07 -->| 14.49
| 15.50<ref>{{cite web |url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=053106_05 |title= Season Program Rankings from 09/15/05 through 05/31/06 |publisher=] Medianet |date=May 31, 2006 |accessdate=February 3, 2009}}</ref>
<!-- S03E08 -->| 12.84
<!-- S03E09 -->| 12.95
<!-- S03E10 -->| 12.78
<!-- S03E11 -->| 12.45
<!-- S03E12 -->| 12.48
<!-- S03E13 -->| 12.22
<!-- S03E14 -->| 11.52
<!-- S03E15 -->| 11.66
<!-- S03E16 -->| 12.09
<!-- S03E17 -->| 12.08
<!-- S03E18 -->| 11.86
<!-- S03E19 -->| 12.33
<!-- S03E20 -->| 12.11
<!-- S03E21 -->| 12.32
<!-- S03E22 -->| 13.86
<!-- S03E23 -->| 13.86
<!-- S03_AV -->| 13.75
|- |-
<!-- S04E01 -->| 16.07
! ]
<!-- S04E02 -->| 15.06
|style="text-align:left"| <small>Wednesday 9:00 P.M. (October 4, 2006 – November 8, 2006)<br />Wednesday 10:00 P.M. (February 7, 2007 – May 23, 2007)</small>
<!-- S04E03 -->| 13.62
| October 4, 2006
<!-- S04E04 -->| 13.53
| May 23, 2007
<!-- S04E05 -->| 12.85
| 2006–2007
<!-- S04E06 -->| 12.90
| #14
<!-- S04E07 -->| 11.87
| 15.05<ref>{{cite web |url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=061207_04 |title= Season Program Rankings from 09/18/06 through 06/10/07 |publisher=] Medianet |date=June 12, 2007 |accessdate=February 3, 2009}}</ref>
<!-- S04E08 -->| 11.28
<!-- S04E09 -->| 12.33
<!-- S04E10 -->| 11.14
<!-- S04E11 -->| 11.28
<!-- S04E12 -->| 11.40
<!-- S04E13 -->| 12.20
<!-- S04E14 -->| 12.20
<!-- S04_AV -->| 12.73
|- |-
<!-- S05E01 -->| 11.66
! ]
<!-- S05E02 -->| 11.08
|style="text-align:left"| <small>Thursday 9:00 P.M. (January 31, 2008 – March 20, 2008)<br />Thursday 10:00 P.M. (April 24, 2008 – May 29, 2008)
<!-- S05E03 -->| 11.07
| January 31, 2008
<!-- S05E04 -->| 10.98
| May 29, 2008
<!-- S05E05 -->| 9.77
| 2008
<!-- S05E06 -->| 11.27
| #17
<!-- S05E07 -->| 9.82
| 13.40<ref>{{cite web|publisher=] Medianet|date=June 17, 2008|url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=061708_07|title= Season Program Rankings from 09/24/07 through 06/15/08|accessdate=February 3, 2009}}</ref>
<!-- S05E08 -->| 10.61
<!-- S05E09 -->| 9.08
<!-- S05E10 -->| 8.82
<!-- S05E11 -->| 9.35
<!-- S05E12 -->| 8.29
<!-- S05E13 -->| 9.23
<!-- S05E14 -->| 9.04
<!-- S05E15 -->| 8.70
<!-- S05E16 -->| 9.43
<!-- S05E17 -->| 9.43
<!-- S05_AV -->| 9.97
|- |-
<!-- S06E01 -->| 12.09
! ]
<!-- S06E02 -->| 12.09
|style="text-align:left"| <small>Wednesday 9:00 P.M. (January 21, 2009 – May 13, 2009)
<!-- S06E03 -->| 11.05
| January 21, 2009
<!-- S06E04 -->| 9.82
| May 13, 2009
<!-- S06E05 -->| 9.95
| 2009
<!-- S06E06 -->| 9.29
| #28
<!-- S06E07 -->| 9.49
| 11.05<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=052709_07 |title= Season Program Rankings from 09/22/08 through 05/27/09 |publisher=] Medianet |date=May 27, 2009 |accessdate=September 14, 2009}}</ref>
<!-- S06E08 -->| 8.87
|-
<!-- S06E09 -->| 9.31
! ]
<!-- S06E10 -->| 10.13
|style="text-align:left"| <small>Tuesday 9:00 P.M. (February 2, 2010 – May 23, 2010)
<!-- S06E11 -->| 9.55
| February 2, 2010
<!-- S06E12 -->| 9.48
| May 23, 2010
<!-- S06E13 -->| 9.53
| 2010
<!-- S06E14 -->| 9.59
| #25
<!-- S06E15 -->| 10.32
| 12.26<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/06/greys-anatomy-is-the-seasons-dvr-champ.html |accessdate=June 1, 2010}}</ref>
<!-- S06E16 -->| 10.47
|}
<!-- S06E17 -->| 13.57
<!-- S06E18 -->| 13.57
<!-- S06_AV -->| 10.85
}}<section end=ratings />''Lost'' gained renewed popularity after becoming available on streaming platforms like ] and ]. ], which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, estimated that the series was watched for 678 million minutes from July 29 to August 4, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hailu |first=Selome |date=August 29, 2024 |title=Nielsen Streaming Top 10: 'Prison Break' Makes No. 5 After Netflix Debut, 'House of the Dragon' Leads the Chart |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/nielsen-top-10-ratings-streaming-1235693657/ |access-date=September 8, 2024 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Rick |date=August 29, 2024 |title=Streaming Ratings: No Originals Make Overall Top 10 for First Time Ever |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/streaming-ratings-july-29-aug-4-2024-1235987097/ |access-date=September 8, 2024 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref> It later accumulated 1.03 billion minutes of watch time from October 21–27, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Rick |date=2024-11-21 |title=Streaming Ratings: ‘Lost’ Hits No. 1 Among Library Series |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/streaming-ratings-oct-21-27-2024-1236069120/ |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref>


=== Awards and nominations ===
The pilot episode garnered 18.6&nbsp;million viewers, easily winning its 9/8 central timeslot, and giving ABC its strongest ] since 2000 when '']'' was initially aired—beaten only the following month by the premiere of '']''. According to ''Variety'', "ABC sure could use a breakout drama success, as it hasn't had a real hit since '']''. ''Lost'' represents the network's best start for a drama with 18- to 49-year-olds since '']'' in 1999, and in total viewers since '']'' in 1995."<ref>{{cite news|first=Rick|last=Kissell|title=ABC, Eye have quite some night|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117910869?categoryid=14&cs=1|work=] |date= September 25, 2004}}</ref>
{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by Lost|l1=List of awards and nominations received by ''Lost''}}
Capping its successful first season, ''Lost'' won the ]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/abc-television-network-scores-six-emmy-wins-sunday-night-more-than-any-other-broadcast-network-bringing-abcs-emmy-total-to-a-broadcast-network-topping-16/ |title=ABC Television Network Scores Six Emmy Wins Sunday Night, More Than Any Other Broadcast Network, Bringing ABC'S Emmy Total to a Broadcast Betwork—Topping 16 |publisher=] |date=September 19, 2005 |access-date=March 6, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417215256/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0%2C%2C20045108_20045120_20047384%2C00.html |archive-date=April 17, 2008}}</ref> and J. J. Abrams was awarded an Emmy in September 2005 for his work as the director of "Pilot." Terry O'Quinn and Naveen Andrews were nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category.<ref name="emmys" /> ''Lost'' swept the guild awards in 2005, winning the ] for Outstanding Achievement in Writing for a Dramatic Television Series,<ref name="WGA">{{cite news|url=http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1517|title=Awards Winners|access-date=October 17, 2007|publisher=]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060412082516/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1517|archive-date=April 12, 2006}}</ref> the 2005 Producers Guild Award for Best Production,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.producersguild.org/pg/awards_a/awards2006.asp |title=Producers Guild Awards 2006|access-date=March 6, 2008|publisher=] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080217023518/http://www.producersguild.org/pg/awards_a/awards2006.asp |archive-date = February 17, 2008}}</ref> the 2005 Director's Guild Award for Best Direction of a Dramatic Television Program,<ref name="dgaawards05">{{cite web |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2005/01/11/nominees-for-outstanding-directorial-achievement-in-television-categories-of-dramatic-series-night-comedy-series-musical-variety-daytime-serials-and-childrens-programs-for-2004-17536/20050111dga01/ |title=Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television categories of Dramatic Series Night, Comedy Series, Musical Variety, Daytime Serials and Children's Programs for 2004 |access-date=March 8, 2008 |date=January 11, 2005 |publisher=Directors Guild of America}}</ref> and the ] for Best Ensemble Cast.


], Michael Emerson received many awards and nominations, including winning a ] in 2009.]]
]


It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Drama Series three times (2005–2007), and it won the award in 2006.<ref name="Globes">{{cite web|url=http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/film/26051 |title=Lost |access-date=October 25, 2012 |publisher=] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014064202/http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/film/26051 |archive-date=October 14, 2012}}</ref> In 2006, Matthew Fox and Naveen Andrews received Golden Globe nominations for ]<ref name="Globes" /> and ]<ref name="Globes" /> respectively, and in 2007, Evangeline Lilly received a nomination for ].<ref name="Globes" /> ''Lost'' was nominated for the 2005 ] for Best International.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bafta.org/television?year=2006 |title=Television nominations 2006 |access-date=March 2, 2008 |publisher=] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120923113532/http://www.bafta.org/television?year=2006 |archive-date=September 23, 2012}}</ref> In 2006, Jorge Garcia and Michelle Rodriguez took home ] for Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively, in a Television Series.<ref name="ALMA06">{{cite news|url=http://www.almaawards.com/2006-winners.html|title=2006 Award Winners |access-date=March 4, 2008|publisher=] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080229045708/http://www.almaawards.com/2006-winners.html |archive-date = February 29, 2008}}</ref> It won the ] for Best Television Series in both 2005 and 2006.<ref name="Saturn">{{cite news|url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#television |title=Saturn Awards – Past Winners |access-date=March 2, 2008 |publisher=The Saturn Awards |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050210040426/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |archive-date=February 10, 2005}}</ref> In 2005, Terry O'Quinn won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor in a television series, and in 2006,<ref name="Saturn" /> Matthew Fox won for Best Lead Actor.<ref name="Saturn" /> ''Lost'' won consecutive Television Critics Association Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Drama, for both its first and second seasons.<ref name="TCA Win">{{cite news|url=http://www.tvcritics.org/tca/node/154|title=Past winners of the TCA Awards|access-date=March 6, 2008|publisher=] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080220094717/http://tvcritics.org/tca/node/154 |archive-date = February 20, 2008}}</ref> Consecutively as well, it won in 2005 and 2006 the ] for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program.<ref>{{cite web|title=3rd Annual VES Awards |url=http://www.visualeffectssociety.com/ves-awards/previous/3rd-annual |publisher=Visual Effects Society |year=2005 |access-date=October 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208104029/http://www.visualeffectssociety.com/ves-awards/previous/3rd-annual |archive-date=February 8, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=4th Annual VES Awards |url=http://www.visualeffectssociety.com/ves-awards/previous/4th-annual |publisher=Visual Effects Society |year=2006 |access-date=October 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410055109/http://www.visualeffectssociety.com/ves-awards/previous/4th-annual |archive-date=April 10, 2012}}</ref> Malcolm David Kelley won a ] for his performance as Walt in 2006.<ref name="YAA">{{cite news|url=http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms26.htm |title=26th Annual Winners and Nominees |access-date=March 6, 2008 |publisher=Young Artist Awards |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304222052/http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms26.htm |archive-date=March 4, 2008}}</ref>
For its first season, ''Lost'' averaged 16&nbsp;million viewers, ranking 14th in viewership among prime-time shows, and 15th among the eighteen to forty-nine year old ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000937471|work=]|date=May 27, 2005|title=Final audience and ratings figures}}</ref> Its second season fared equally well: again, ''Lost'' ranked 14th in viewership, with an average of 15.5&nbsp;million viewers. However, it improved its rating with 18- to 49-year-olds, ranking eighth.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002576393|work=] |date=May 26, 2006|title=2005–06 primetime wrap}}</ref> The second season premiere was even more viewed than the first, pulling in over 23&nbsp;million viewers and setting a series record.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds24619.html|title=US Ratings: ''Lost'' premiere draws 23&nbsp;million|first=Neil|last=Wilkes|publisher=Digital Spy (UK)|date=September 23, 2005}}</ref> The third season premiere brought in 18.8&nbsp;million viewers. The seventh episode of the season, back from a three-month hiatus, saw a drop to 14.5&nbsp;million. Over the course of the spring season, ratings would plunge to as low as 11&nbsp;million viewers before recovering to near 14&nbsp;million for the season finale. The ratings drop was partially explained when ] released ] ratings, showing ''Lost'' as the most recorded series on television. However, despite overall ratings losses, ''Lost'' still won its hour in the crucial 18–49 demographic and put out the highest 18–49 numbers in the 10:00 p.m. time slot ahead of any show on any network that season. The fourth season premiere saw an increase from the previous episode to 16.1&nbsp;million viewers,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/ratings/e3ia68feb4e2d5900e47c15c857a8015761|source=''The Hollywood Reporter''|date=February 2, 2008|title=''Lost'' roars back with Thurs. win}}</ref> though by the eighth episode, viewers had decreased to a series low of 11.461&nbsp;million.<ref></ref> A survey of 20 countries by ''Informa Telecoms and Media'' in 2006 concluded that ''Lost'' was the second most popular TV show in those countries, after '']''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5231334.stm|date=July 31, 2006|title=''CSI'' show 'most popular in world'|work=]}}</ref> The sixth-season premiere was the first to climb in the ratings year-over-year since the second season, drawing 12.1&nbsp;million viewers.<ref name="The Live Feed">{{cite web |url=http://www.thrfeed.com/2010/02/lost-final-season-premiere-online.html|title=Fans rediscover 'Lost' as premiere ratings climb|publisher = The Live Feed|date=February 3, 2010}}</ref>


In 2005, ''Lost'' was voted '']''{{'}}s Entertainer of the Year. The show won a 2005 Prism Award for Charlie's drug storyline in the episodes "Pilot", "House of the Rising Sun", and "The Moth."<ref name="Prism">{{cite news|url=http://prismawards.com/winners/|title=Prism Awards Winners|access-date=April 12, 2008|publisher=Entertainment Industries Council|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430101138/http://www.prismawards.com/winners/|archive-date=April 30, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2007, ''Lost'' was listed as one of '']'' magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-''TIME''."<ref name="Time 100" /> The series was nominated for but did not win a Writers Guild Award and Producers Guild Award again in 2007.<ref name="WGA07">{{cite news|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2006/12/13/2007-writers-guild-awards-television-and-radio-nominees-announced-23095/20061213wga01/|title=2007 Writers Guild Awards Television & Radio Nominees Announced |access-date=December 13, 2012|publisher=Writers Guild of America}}</ref> In June 2007, ''Lost'' beat out over 20 nominated television shows from countries all over the globe to win the Best Drama award at the ]. In September 2007, both Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn were nominated for an ], the award going to O'Quinn.<ref>{{cite news|title='Lost' star Terry O'Quinn wins best supporting drama actor Emmy |url=http://www.realitytvworld.com/index/articles/story.php?s=1012950 |access-date=October 24, 2012 |newspaper=] |date=September 16, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114014011/http://www.realitytvworld.com/index/articles/story.php?s=1012950 |archive-date=November 14, 2013}}</ref> ''Lost'' was again nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the ] in 2008. The show also garnered seven other Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Michael Emerson.<ref name="emmys" /> It won a ] in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/lost |title=Lost |publisher=The Peabody Awards |date=May 2009 |access-date=September 22, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924042235/http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/lost |archive-date=September 24, 2014}}</ref> In 2009, ''Lost'' was again nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, as well Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Michael Emerson at the ], of which the latter won.<ref name="emmys" />
===Awards===
{{Main|List of awards and nominations for Lost}}
Capping its successful first season, ''Lost'' won the ] and J. J. Abrams was awarded an Emmy in September 2005 for his work as the director of ''Pilot''. Terry O'Quinn and Naveen Andrews were nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category. ''Lost'' swept the guild awards in 2005, winning the ] for outstanding achievement in writing for a dramatic television series, the 2005 Producers Guild Award for best production, the 2005 Director's Guild Award for best direction of a dramatic television program, and the ] for best ensemble cast. It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best television drama series three times (2005–2007), and it won the award in 2006. In 2005, Matthew Fox and Naveen Andrews received Golden Globe nominations for ] and ] respectively, and in 2007, Evangeline Lilly received a nomination for ]. ''Lost'' did win the 2005 ] for Best American Import. In 2006, Jorge Garcia and Michelle Rodriguez took home ] for best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively, in a television series. It won the ] for Best Television Series in both 2005 and 2006. In, 2005 Terry O'Quinn won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor in a television series, and in 2006, Matthew Fox won for Best Lead Actor. ''Lost'' won consecutive Television Critics Association Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Drama, for both its first and second seasons. Consecutively as well, it won in 2005 and 2006 the ] for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program. Malcolm David Kelley won a ] for his performance as Walt in 2006. In 2005, ''Lost'' was voted '']''{{'}}s Entertainer of the Year. The show won a 2005 Prism Award for Charlie's drug storyline in the episodes "Pilot", "House of the Rising Sun", and "The Moth". In 2007 ''Lost'' was listed as one of '']'' magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-''TIME''".<ref name="Time 100">{{cite web |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1651341_1659192_1652529,00.html |title=The 100 Best TV Shows of All-''TIME'' |first=James |last=Poniewozik |authorlink=James Poniewozik |work=] |year=2007 |accessdate=March 4, 2010}}</ref> The series was nominated for but did not win a Writer's Guild Award and Producer's Guild Award again in 2007. In June 2007, ''Lost'' beat out over 20 nominated television shows from countries all over the globe to win the Best Drama award at the ]. In September 2007 both Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn were nominated for an ], the award going to O'Quinn.<ref>], (September 16, 2007). RealityTVWorld.com. Retrieved February 19, 2008.</ref> ''Lost'' was again nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the ] in 2008. The show also garnered seven other Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Michael Emerson.<ref>], (July&nbsp;17, 2008) "". Retrieved July&nbsp;17, 2008.</ref> In 2009, ''Lost'' was again nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, as well Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Michael Emerson at the ], of which the latter was won.<ref name="09emmynoms">{{cite web |url=http://cdn.emmys.tv/awards/2009ptemmys/61stemmys_noms.php |title=The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards and 2009 Creative Arts Emmy Awards Nominees are... |accessdate=July 16, 2009|date=July 16, 2009 |publisher=]}}</ref>


In 2010, the sixth and final season was nominated for twelve Emmy Awards at the ], including Outstanding Drama Series; Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, for Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof for the show's series finale, "The End"; Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, for Matthew Fox; Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, for Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn; and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, for Elizabeth Mitchell. It won only one Emmy (Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing) out of its twelve nominations for a series total of 11 wins and 55 nominations in its six-year run.<ref name="EMMY2010">{{cite news|title=Who scored the most Emmy Award nominations |date=August 26, 2010 |url=http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2010/07/who-scored-the-most-emmy-award-nominations.html |publisher=The Envelope Forum, ] |access-date=July 8, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711135555/http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2010/07/who-scored-the-most-emmy-award-nominations.html |archive-date=July 11, 2010}}</ref>
===Critical reception===
{{Expand|section|date=May 2010}}
''Lost'' was ranked number one in the "Best of 2005 TV Coverage: Critic Top Ten Lists" by Matthew Gilbert of '']'', Tom Gliatto of '']'', Charlie McCollum of the '']'' and Robert Bianco of ''USA Today''.<ref name="M1">{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/tv/bests/2005/ |title=Best of 2005 |publisher=Metacritic.com |accessdate=July 12, 2005}}</ref> '']'' magazine's James Poniewozik named it one of the Top 10 Returning Series of 2007, ranking it at number two.<ref>Poniewozik, James. '']''. Retrieved March 21, 2008.</ref> Also that year, ''Lost'' made ''Time''{{'}}s list of the 100 Greatest Shows of All Time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1651341_1659192_1652600,00.html|title=The 100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME|author=James Poniewozik|work=] |date=2007-10|accessdate=May 3, 2007}}</ref> ''Lost'' also came fifth on '']''{{'}}s list of the Top 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.<ref></ref> Bill Carter, television reporter of '']'', defined ''Lost'' as "the show with perhaps the most compelling continuing story line in television history".<ref>Carter, Bill. '']'' Retrieved May 21, 2008.</ref> Based on its strong opening, ] 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."<ref>{{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=October 1, 2004|last=Gorman |first=Steve|agency=Reuters}}</ref>


In 2010, ] of ] ranked ''Lost'' the best TV series of the past 20 years.<ref>{{cite web|title=And the Best TV Series of the Past 20 Years Is.... |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/183402/and-the-best-tv-series-of-the-past-20-years-is |publisher=E! Online |first=Kristin |last=dos Santos |date=May 28, 2010 |access-date=June 15, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409043935/http://www.eonline.com/news/183402/and-the-best-tv-series-of-the-past-20-years-is |archive-date=April 9, 2016}}</ref> In 2013, the ] ranked ''Lost'' No. 27 in its list of the 101 Best Written TV Series of All Time.<ref>{{cite web|title='101 Best Written TV Series Of All Time' From WGA/TV Guide: Complete List |url=https://deadline.com/2013/06/wgas-101-best-written-tv-series-of-all-time-complete-list-512061/ |website=] |publisher=] |access-date=June 4, 2013 |date=June 2, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607063617/http://www.deadline.com/2013/06/wgas-101-best-written-tv-series-of-all-time-complete-list/ |archive-date=June 7, 2013}}</ref> In 2014, the series was nominated for the ].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2014/05/27/tca-nominations-true-detective-starts-awards-season-fight/ |title=TCA nominations: 'True Detective' starts awards season fight |first=James |last=Hibberd |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=May 27, 2014 |access-date=May 27, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151106162952/http://www.ew.com/article/2014/05/27/tca-nominations-true-detective-starts-awards-season-fight |archive-date=November 6, 2015}}</ref> In 2016, '']'' ranked it the fourteenth best science fiction television show ever.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Adams |first1=Sam |last2=Collins |first2=Sean T. |last3=Fear |first3=David |last4=Murray |first4=Noel |last5=Scherer |first5=Jenna |last6=Tobias |first6=Scott |title=40 Best Science Fiction TV Shows of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/lists/40-best-science-fiction-tv-shows-20160526 |access-date=May 26, 2016 |magazine=] |date=May 26, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527141422/http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/lists/40-best-science-fiction-tv-shows-20160526 |archive-date=May 27, 2016}}</ref>
The first block of episodes of the third season was criticized for raising too many mysteries,<ref>Simunic, Steven, (March 15, 2007) "," '']''. Retrieved September 8, 2007.</ref> and not providing enough answers.<ref>Porter, Rick, (November 8, 2006) "," ''Zap2It''. Retrieved September 7, 2007.</ref> Complaints were also made about the limited screen-time for many of the main characters in the first block.<ref>Martin, Ed, (January 31, 2007) "," ''MediaVillage''. Retrieved September 6, 2007.</ref> Locke, played by Terry O'Quinn, who had tied for the highest second season episode count, appeared in only 13 of 22 episodes in the third season—only two more than guest star M.C. Gainey, who played Tom. Reaction to two new characters, Nikki and Paulo, was generally negative, with Lindelof even acknowledging that the couple was "universally despised" by fans.<ref>Jensen, Jeff & Snierson, Dan, (February 8, 2007) "," '']''. Retrieved April 3, 2007.</ref> The decision to split the season,<ref>Goldman, Eric, (November 7, 2007) "," '']''. Retrieved November 8, 2007.</ref> and the American timeslot switch after the hiatus were also criticized.<ref>Brownfield, Robin, (March 28, 2007) "," '']''. Retrieved September 8, 2007.</ref> Cuse acknowledged that "no one was happy with the six-episode run".<ref>], (November 7, 2007) "," ''TV Guide''. Retrieved November 10, 2007.</ref> The second block of episodes was critically acclaimed however,<ref>Lachonis, Jon, (July 20, 2007) "," ''BuddyTV''. Retrieved September 9, 2007.</ref> with the crew dealing with problems from the first block.<ref>Jensen, Jeff, (May 29, 2007) "," '']''. Retrieved September 7, 2007.</ref> More answers were written into the show,<ref>Pierce, Scott D., (May 23, 2007) "," '']''. Retrieved September 8, 2007.</ref> and Nikki and Paulo were ].<ref>Malcolm, Shawna, (March 29, 2007) "," ''TV Guide''. Retrieved April 2, 2007.</ref> It was also announced that the series would end three seasons after the third season,<ref name=May2010>Adalian, Josef, (May 6, 2007) , '']''. Retrieved April 12, 2009.</ref> which Cuse hoped would tell the audience that the writers knew where the story was going.<ref>Ryan, Maureen, (January 14, 2007) "," '']''. Retrieved September 6, 2007.</ref>


=== Fandom and popular culture ===
Don Williams of BuddyTV dubbed "The Beginning of the End", the first episode of the fourth season, as "the most anticipated season premiere of the year".<ref>Williams, Don, (January 31, 2008) "", BuddyTV. Retrieved January 31, 2008.</ref> Michael Ausiello of ''TV Guide'' later called the final hour of ''Lost''{{'}}s fourth season "the most anticipated 60 minutes of television all year."<ref>Ausiello, Michael, (April 11, 2008) "", ''TV Guide''. Retrieved July 8, 2008.</ref> American critics were sent screener DVDs of "The Beginning of the End" and "Confirmed Dead" on January 28, 2008.<ref>Goodman, Tim, (January 30, 2008) "", '']''. Retrieved February 2, 2008.</ref> ''Metacritic'' gave the season a Metascore—a weighted average based on the impressions of a select twelve critical reviews—of 87,<ref>], (January 31, 2008) "". Retrieved February 16, 2008.</ref> earning the second highest Metascore in the ] after the ] of ]'s '']''.<ref>Metacritic, (January 6, 2008) "". Retrieved July 8, 2008.</ref> In a survey conducted by ''TVWeek'' of professional critics, ''Lost'' was voted the best show on television in the first half of 2008 "by a wide margin", apparently "crack the top five on nearly every critic's submission" and receiving "nothing but praise".<ref name="weekpraise">Krukowski, Andrew, (July 6, 2008) "", '']''. Retrieved July 7, 2008.</ref> The May 7, 2007 announcement of a 2010 series end date and the introduction of flashforwards were received favorably by critics,<ref>] Medianet, (May 7, 2007) "". Retrieved July 31, 2007.</ref> as were the season's new characters.<ref>Lachonis, Jon "DocArzt", (February 13, 2008) "", UGO Networks. Retrieved March 16, 2008.</ref> '']'' put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Plane crash. Smoke monster. Polar bear. Crazy French lady. The Others. The hatch. The Dharma Initiative Time-travel flashes. Name another network drama that can so wondrously turn a ? into a !"<ref>Geier, Thom; Jensen, Jeff; Jordan, Tina; Lyons, Margaret; Markovitz, Adam; Nashawaty, Chris; Pastorek, Whitney; Rice, Lynette; Rottenberg, Josh; Schwartz, Missy; Slezak, Michael; Snierson, Dan; Stack, Tim; Stroup, Kate; Tucker, Ken; Vary, Adam B.; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Ward, Kate (December 11, 2009), "THE 100 Greatest MOVIES, TV SHOWS, ALBUMS, BOOKS, CHARACTERS, SCENES, EPISODES, SONGS, DRESSES, MUSIC VIDEOS, AND TRENDS THAT ENTERTAINED US OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS". Entertainment Weekly. (1079/1080):74-84</ref>
As a mainstream ] show, ''Lost'' has generated a dedicated and thriving international ] community. ''Lost'' fans, sometimes dubbed ''Lostaways''<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050207/news_lz1b7lost.html |title=Sites in the news: Lostaways |date=February 7, 2005 |work=] |access-date=October 24, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016120555/http://www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050207/news_lz1b7lost.html |archive-date=October 16, 2012}}</ref> or ''Losties'',<ref name="ABCpress20050512">{{cite press release|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2005/05/12/abc-television-and-creation-entertainment-bring-the-official-lost-fan-club-and-special-events-to-cities-around-the-world-18356/20050512abc01/|title=ABC Television and Creation Entertainment bring the Official ''Lost'' Fan Club and Special Events to Cities Around the World|publisher=]| date=May 12, 2005| access-date=August 29, 2006}}</ref> have gathered at ] and conventions organized by ABC<ref name="ABCpress20050512" /><ref>{{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=June 15, 2005 |publisher=Fox News Channel |access-date=August 29, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925022111/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C159667%2C00.html |archive-date=September 25, 2006 }}</ref> but have also been active in developing many fan websites, including ] and forums dedicated to the program and its related incarnations. 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 ] and videos, compiling episode transcripts, ] characters, and collecting memorabilia.<ref>{{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=January 10, 2006 |work=] |access-date=August 29, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060618061752/http://www.sptimes.com/2006/01/10/Floridian/Web_ensnares__Lost__s.shtml |archive-date=June 18, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://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=December 4, 2005 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=August 29, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103003239/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/03/AR2005120300089.html |archive-date=November 3, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.com/html/entertainment/2002730079_lostgame10.html |title=Fans play TV series ''Lost'' like an interactive video game |first=Jennifer |last=Buckendorff |date=January 10, 2006 |work=] |access-date=August 29, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019112300/http://seattletimes.com/html/entertainment/2002730079_lostgame10.html |archive-date=October 19, 2012}}</ref>


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"), "]s", podcasts by the producers, an official magazine, and an ] (ARG) "]."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2006-07-23/online-extra-network-finds-marketing-paradise-with-lost |title=Network Finds Marketing Paradise with ''Lost'' |first=Tom |last=Lowry |date=July 24, 2006 |work=BusinessWeek |access-date=August 29, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140128004105/http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2006-07-23/online-extra-network-finds-marketing-paradise-with-lost |archive-date=January 28, 2014}}</ref> An official fanclub was launched in the summer of 2005 through Creation Entertainment.<ref name="ABCpress20050512" />
===Fandom and popular culture===
As a ] show, ''Lost'' has generated a dedicated and thriving international ] community. ''Lost'' fans, sometimes dubbed ''Lostaways''<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050207/news_lz1b7lost.html| title=Sites in the news: Lostaways|date=February 7, 2005|work=] |accessdate=August 29, 2006}}</ref> or ''Losties'',<ref name="ABCpress20050512">{{cite press release|url=http://abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=051205_03|title=ABC Television and Creation Entertainment bring the Official ''Lost'' Fan Club and Special Events to Cities Around the World|publisher=]| date=May 12, 2005| accessdate=August 29, 2006}}</ref> have gathered at Comic-Con International and conventions organized by ABC,<ref name="ABCpress20050512"/><ref>{{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=June 15, 2005| publisher=]| accessdate=August 29, 2006}}</ref> but have also been active in developing a large number of fan websites, including ], and forums dedicated to the program and its related incarnations.<ref>{{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=January 10, 2006|work=] |accessdate=August 29, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{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=December 4, 2005|work=] |accessdate=August 29, 2006}}</ref><ref name="StPetersburg20060111">{{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=January 11, 2006|work=] |accessdate=August 29, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{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 =January 10, 2006| work=]|accessdate=August 29, 2006}}</ref> 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 ] and videos, compiling episode transcripts, ] characters, and collecting memorabilia.


Due to the show's popularity, references to it and elements from its story have appeared in ] and popular culture usage. These include appearances on television, such as on the series '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'',<ref>{{Cite news|last=Itzkoff |first=Dave |title=Was That a 'Lost' Reference on '30 Rock'? |work=]: Arts Beat |date=November 5, 2010 |url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/was-that-a-lost-reference-on-30-rock/ |access-date=May 8, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709185828/http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/was-that-a-lost-reference-on-30-rock/ |archive-date=July 9, 2011}}</ref> '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'' (under the sketch parody title "Late"), and '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liquidgeneration.com/TV-Shows-that-Mention-Lost |title=TV Shows that Mention Lost |publisher=Liquid Generation |date=March 3, 2011 |access-date=September 19, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610181930/http://www.liquidgeneration.com/TV-Shows-that-Mention-Lost |archive-date=June 10, 2012}}</ref> ''Lost'' is also featured as an ] in several video games, including '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', ], and '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ugo.com/games/lost-references-in-video-games |title=LOST References In Video Games |publisher=UGO.com |author=Basile, Sal |date=November 3, 2011 |access-date=September 15, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106210128/http://www.ugo.com/games/lost-references-in-video-games |archive-date=January 6, 2012}}</ref> Similarly, several songs have been published whose themes and titles were derived from the series, such as ] ("Don't Ever Tell Locke What He Can't Do"), ] ("Namaste"), ] ("Lost"), ] ("Lost and Found" and "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues"), ] ("You All Everybody" and "Station 5: The Pearl"), and ] ("Roller Coaster Smoke"). ] named their eighth studio album ] after the character, with a photo of actor ] on the cover.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spinner.ca/2010/08/09/weezer-hurley-album-cover/ |title=Weezer Reveal 'Hurley' Album Cover – Exclusive |author=Reilly, Dan |publisher=Spinner |date=August 9, 2010 |access-date=September 15, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016155417/http://www.spinner.ca/2010/08/09/weezer-hurley-album-cover/ |archive-date=October 16, 2012}}</ref>
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"), "]s", podcasts by the producers, an official magazine, and an ] (ARG) "]".<ref name="StPetersburg20060111" /><ref>{{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=July 24, 2006| work=] |accessdate=August 29, 2006}}</ref> An official fanclub was launched in the summer of 2005 through Creation Entertainment.<ref name="ABCpress20050512"/>


After the episode "]" aired on March 2, 2005, numerous people used the eponymous figures (]) as lottery entries. According to the '']'', within three days, the numbers were tried over 500 times by local players.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/columnists/whispers/s_345213.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051226232804/http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/columnists/whispers/s_345213.html|archive-date=December 26, 2005|title=No winning ticket found with ''Lost'' numbers|work=]|date=June 19, 2005|access-date=October 23, 2012}}</ref> By October 2005, thousands had tried them for the multi-state ] lottery.<ref>{{cite news|last=Serpe |first=Gina |url=http://eonline.com/news/50930/lost-numbers-lose-millions |title=''Lost'' Numbers Lose Millions. |publisher=E! Online |date=October 20, 2005 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114000021/http://www.eonline.com/news/50930/lost-numbers-lose-millions |archive-date=November 14, 2013}}</ref> A study of the ] showed that the sequence was the third most popular choice of numbers for lottery players, behind only the ]s 1–2–3–4–5–6 and 7–14–21–28–35–42.<ref>{{cite web|author=Kim, Susanna |date=March 29, 2012 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Business/mega-millions-strategies-chance-leading-jackpot/story?id=16020106&page=2 |title=Mega Millions Winning Strategies Not In Your Favor, Say Mathematicians |publisher=ABC News |access-date=March 29, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330021952/https://abcnews.go.com/Business/mega-millions-strategies-chance-leading-jackpot/story?id=16020106&page=2 |archive-date=March 30, 2012}}</ref> The issue came to attention after a Mega Millions drawing for a near-record US$380,000,000 jackpot on January 4, 2011, drew a series of numbers in which the three lowest numbers (4–8–15) and the mega ball (42) matched four of the six numbers. The No. 42 is also the "Mega Number" in Hurley's "Mega Lotto" ticket. The players who played Hurley's exact combination won $150 each (or $118 in California).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/9436739 |title=2 winners for $380M lottery sold in Wash., Idaho |work=The Guardian |author=Bonner, L. Jessie |date=January 5, 2011 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114002300/http://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/9436739 |archive-date=November 14, 2013}}</ref>
Due to the show's popularity, references to the series and elements from its story have appeared in ] and popular culture usage. These include appearances on television, such as on the series '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']''; as well as on the cartoons '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''; and even on a commercial for ] Hawaii. Also, '']'', a '']'' '']'' seemed to have poked fun at it in (one of) the ending(s) to the series, episode 100. The makers of Red vs. Blue also poked fun at the Lost intro in an episode of ]. Lost is also featured as an ] in several video games, including ], ], ], ] and ]. ]s such as '']'' and '']''; daily strips '']'' and '']''; web comics '']''<ref> September 27, 2006.</ref> and '']''<ref> November 1, 2006.</ref> and humor magazine '']'' have all incorporated ''Lost'' references. Similarly, several rock bands have published songs whose themes and titles were derived from the series, such as ] ("Don't Ever Tell Locke What He Can't Do"), ] ("Lost And Found" and "All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues"), ] ("You All Everybody" and "Station 5: The Pearl"), and ] ("Roller Coaster Smoke").


=== Influence ===
After the episode "]" aired on March 2, 2005, numerous people used the eponymous figures (]) as lottery entries. According to the '']'', within three days, the numbers were tried over 500 times by local players.<ref>{{cite news
''Lost'' has been cited as a key influence on several of its contemporaries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/best-influential-tv-shows-series/ |title=The 10 Most Influential TV Series of All-Time |website=Screen Rant |first=Andy |last=Crump |date=May 11, 2015 |access-date=June 22, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701045429/http://screenrant.com/best-influential-tv-shows-series/ |archive-date=July 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/11624531/How-Lost-created-a-new-kind-of-television.html |title=How Lost created a new kind of television |work=The Telegraph |first=Chris |last=Taylor |date=May 23, 2015 |access-date=June 22, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917102029/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/11624531/How-Lost-created-a-new-kind-of-television.html |archive-date=September 17, 2016}}</ref> The ] series '']'' was heavily compared to ''Lost'', because of its similar use of ] and mysteries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/tv--radio/influence-of-lost/2009/09/30/1253989943992.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 |title=Influence of Lost on drama's new wave |work=The Age |first=Michael |last=Idato |date=October 1, 2009 |access-date=June 22, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2009/sep/29/flashforward |title=FlashForward – TV Review |work=The Guardian |first=Sam |last=Wollaston |date=September 29, 2009 |access-date=June 22, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819153648/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2009/sep/29/flashforward |archive-date=August 19, 2016}}</ref> The ] series '']'' drew comparisons to ''Lost'' during its run, because of some similarities such as its ]. ] was involved in the early stages of the creative process of ''Heroes'', as he was friends with ''Heroes'' creator ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2007/03/04/its_all_connected/?page=2 |title=''Heroes'' conspiracy theory isn't ''Lost'' on series' fans |work=The Boston Globe |first=Joanna |last=Weiss |date=March 4, 2007 |access-date=May 27, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731235650/http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2007/03/04/its_all_connected/?page=2 |archive-date=July 31, 2009}}</ref> Ever since its premiere, '']'' has been compared to ''Lost'' because of its similar setting and the importance of survival in its story.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Adams |first=Sam |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/lists/40-best-science-fiction-tv-shows-20160526 |title=40 Best Science Fiction TV Shows of All Time |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=May 26, 2016 |access-date=June 2, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602030204/http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/lists/40-best-science-fiction-tv-shows-20160526 |archive-date=June 2, 2016}}</ref> The ] comedy '']'' has been defined as a ] of ''Lost'', because of its very similar premise and multiple references to the drama.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/wrecked/s01/ |title=Wrecked: Season 1 |website=] |access-date=June 20, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160614161346/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/wrecked/s01/ |archive-date=June 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvguide.com/news/tbs-funny-wrecked-is-lost-with-laughs/ |title=TBS' Wrecked Is Lost With Laughs |work=TV Guide |first=Tim |last=Surette |date=June 12, 2016 |access-date=June 22, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616061938/http://www.tvguide.com/news/tbs-funny-wrecked-is-lost-with-laughs/ |archive-date=June 16, 2016}}</ref>
|url=http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/columnists/whispers/s_345213.html
|title=No winning ticket found with ''Lost'' numbers.
|work=]
|date=June 19, 2005}}</ref> Likewise, in the same period, over 200 people in ] alone used the sequence for the ] lottery<ref>{{cite news
|last=Rook
|first=Christine
|url=http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050305/NEWS01/503050331/1001/news
|title=''Lost'' numbers come up losers.
|work=]
|date=March 5, 2005}}</ref> and by October, thousands had tried them for the multi-state ] lottery.<ref>{{cite news
|last=Serpe
|first=Gina
|url=http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,17621,00.html
|title=''Lost'' Numbers Lose Millions.
|publisher=Eonline.com
|date=October 20, 2005
|quote=Eva Robelia, spokeswoman for the ], says more than 840 people across five states played the TV-inspired numbers, including 266 hopeful Hurleys in ]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|title=In record Powerball, some to bank on bad luck
|last=Weaver
|first=Teresa
|url=http://columbiamissourian.com/news/story.php?ID=16605
|work=]
|quote=For the Powerball drawing on Oct. 12, 461 people selected the six numbers within Missouri, said Susan Goedde of the ]. If you add those to the 204 tickets in ], 117 in Louisiana, 134 in ] and the rest of the 25 states included in the Powerball take, you end up with a lot of people sharing the winnings.
|date=October 19, 2005}}</ref>


] and ], former writers of ''Lost'', created the fantasy series '']'', which has also been compared to ''Lost''. Even though their series started after ''Lost'' ended, they conceived it in 2004.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2010/10/exclusive-lost-exec-producers-horowitz-kitsis-sell-pilot-to-abc.html |title=EXCLUSIVE: 'Lost' exec producers Horowitz, Kitsis sell pilot to ABC |date=October 28, 2010 |last=Levine |first=Stuart |work=] |access-date=August 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624022220/http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2010/10/exclusive-lost-exec-producers-horowitz-kitsis-sell-pilot-to-abc.html |archive-date=June 24, 2011}}</ref> Damon Lindelof was involved in the development of their series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/02/01/lost-writers-once-upon-a-time-among-abc-pilot-orders|title=Lost Writers' Once Upon a Time Among ABC Pilot Orders |first=Eric |last=Goldman |website=IGN |date=February 1, 2011 |access-date=January 3, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111115211349/http://tv.ign.com/articles/114/1147128p1.html |archive-date=November 15, 2011}}</ref> Despite the comparisons and similarities to ''Lost'', the writers intended the shows to be very different from each other. To them, ''Lost'' concerned itself with redemption, while ''Once Upon a Time'' is about hope.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://io9.com/5850277/in-once-upon-a-time-all-of-your-favorite-fairy-tale-characters-are-trapped-in-maine |title=On the TV show Once Upon a Time, all of your favorite fairy tale characters are trapped in Maine |first=Kaila |last=Hale-Stern |publisher=] |date=October 16, 2011 |access-date=January 4, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219015200/http://io9.com/5850277/in-once-upon-a-time-all-of-your-favorite-fairy-tale-characters-are-trapped-in-maine |archive-date=December 19, 2011}}</ref> As a nod to the ties between the production teams of ''Once Upon a Time'' and ''Lost'', the former show contains ]. For example, many items found in the ''Lost'' universe, such as ], ], ], the TV series ''Exposé'' and MacCutcheon Whisky can be seen in ''Once Upon a Time''.<ref name="Paleyfest2012">{{cite interview |subject=]; ]; ]; ]; ]; ]; ]; Pearlman, Steve; ] |interviewer=Matt Mitovich |title=Paleyfest 2012: A Conversation with the Cast and Creators of ''Once Upon a Time'' |type=Panel |url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/338438/once-upon-a-time-a-conversation-with-the-stars-and-creators-of-once-upon-a-time |location=Beverly Hills |date=March 4, 2012 |access-date=March 5, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313053033/http://www.hulu.com/watch/338438/once-upon-a-time-a-conversation-with-the-stars-and-creators-of-once-upon-a-time |archive-date=March 13, 2012}}</ref>
On May 23, 2010, '']'', which aired its 21st season ], had ] write a Lost Finale spoiler on the blackboard, teasing the ending of Lost so people would watch ''The Simpsons'' instead.<ref>.</ref>


Both during and after ''Lost''{{'}}s run on ABC, its success led to dozens of new shows attempting to enter the same "mystery-driven sci-fi" genre as networks sought to cater to viewers' evolved affinity and demonstrated loyalty to this specific subset of drama.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharp |first=Nathan |date=January 4, 2021 |title=10 Shows Heavily Inspired By Lost (That Were Actually Pretty Good) |url=https://screenrant.com/best-shows-inspired-by-lost/ |access-date=November 20, 2022 |website=Screen Rant |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2018, NBC introduced '']'', a show about the mysterious disappearance of a commercial passenger jet. While the show's preview and pilot alone sparked media coverage highlighting the show's central mystery to be seemingly the same as that of ''Lost'', subsequent seasons have furthered controversy around the extent of key similarities. Noted parallels include the passengers' collective experience of ], the acquisition of ] and ] post-disappearance, the use of ] sequences to expose dark secrets harbored by passengers, the revelation of unusually high levels of ] between the lives of passengers, the polarized beliefs held by passengers regarding ] as a means to explain their shared experience in different ways.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Farley |first=Rebecca |title=Why "Manifest" Might Be The Next "Lost" |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/09/210874/manifest-nbc-show-like-lost |date=September 25, 2018 |access-date=November 20, 2022 |website=Refinery29 |language=en}}</ref> Season 4 of ''Manifest'' reveals a plot twist suggesting the passengers were in some way chosen, prompting critics to point out this same key plot twist introducing ] was featured in ''Lost''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raymond |first=Charles Nicholas |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Manifest Season 4 Is Copying A LOST Twist |url=https://screenrant.com/manifest-season-4-plane-disappearance-lost-show-copy/ |access-date=November 20, 2022 |website=Screen Rant |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Distribution==
===Online===
In addition to traditional terrestrial and ], ''Lost'' has been at the forefront of new television distribution methods. It was one of the first series issued through ] ] service for playback on an ] or within the ] software. Since October 2005, new episodes, without commercials, have been available for download the day after they air on ABC, for American audiences. On August 29, 2007 Lost became one of the first TV programs available for download in the UK store. Since the airing of Season 4 in the UK, episodes of Lost are available the Monday after the Sunday they air on Sky One.<ref>{{cite press release|publisher=Apple|date=August 29, 2007|url =http://www.apple.com/uk/pr/2007/08/290808_itunes_tvshows.html|title=Apple Announces Hit Television Programming Now Available on the iTunes Store in the UK}}</ref> ''Lost'' was also among the first TV shows on the German ] store.<ref>{{cite article|publisher=heise online|date=April 2, 2008|url =http://www.heise.de/newsticker/suche/ergebnis?rm=result;words=Apple%20TV%20Serien;q=apple%20tv-serien;url=/newsticker/meldung/105856/|title=iTunes Deutschland verkauft TV-Serien}}</ref>


=== ''Getting Lost'' ===
In April 2006, ] 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.<ref>{{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 | work=]| date=April 10, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|publisher=DisneyABC TV|date=April 10, 2006|url =http://www.disneyabctv.com/datvg_press/dispDNR.html?id=041006_06|title=Disney-ABC Television Group takes ABC Primetime Online}}</ref> As of May 2010, full episodes from Seasons 1–6 are available as ] streaming video on the ABC website, but only to users in the US who use Microsoft or Apple operating systems. New episodes are available the day after original primetime airing. Viewers are required to view five or six 30 or 75-second advertising spots, equally dispersed throughout the episode. These spots appear as an overlay graphic ad with smaller video ad and usually feature high-profile advertisers. In 2009, ''Lost'' was named the most watched show on the Internet based on viewers of episodes on ABC's website. The ] reported that 1.425&nbsp;million unique viewers have watched at least one episode on ABC's website.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/02/lost_snl_greys_tops_in_online.php |title=''Lost'', ''SNL'', ''Grey's'' Tops in Online Viewing, Nielsen Says |author=Whitney, Daisy |work=] |date=February 12, 2009 |accessdate=February 12, 2009}}</ref>
An ] ] about the development and cultural impact of ''Lost'' titled '']'' premiered on September 22, 2024, which marked the 20th anniversary of the original series' ]. The film is directed by Taylor Morden, and features interviews with the cast and crew of the show, along with members of the fan community. It also addresses the allegations of a toxic work environment that were revealed during the film’s production in 2023.<ref name="CB">{{Cite web |last=Burlingame |first=Russ |url=https://comicbook.com/movies/news/getting-lost-documentary-about-hit-tv-show-announces-cast/ |title=Getting Lost: Documentary About Hit TV Show Announces Cast |date=July 16, 2024 |website=] |access-date=August 23, 2024 }}</ref>


Canadian movie theater chain ] will release ''Getting Lost'' in theaters on November 3 and 6, 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cineplex.com/movie/getting-lost |title=Getting Lost |website=Cineplex |access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref>
Episodes from both ] and ] were available on the UK's ]'s website, but have since expired.<ref></ref> Both parts of "Pilot" were available to watch for free, and other episodes cost ]0.99 each. Due to licensing agreements, the service was only accessible in the UK. ] has made the first three seasons of ''Lost'' available on demand via their TV Choice On Demand function, allowing viewers to watch the first three seasons at any time in high-definition or ]. Currently, only Season Two and Three are available. All episodes available on the service are free to Virgin Media subscribers. As of November 25, 2006, Lost episodes were available on Sky's VOD service, ]. Users with the correct Sky Subscription can download recent Lost episodes for free, however, much like Channel 4's 4OD application, they expire. Users without a relevant Sky subscription for Lost can exchange prepaid credit for rental of an episode. Other online distribution sites include: USA Netflix
<ref>{{cite web|title=ABC Series On Netlix|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10301737-1.html}}</ref>
France's ] website,<ref>{{cite web|title=TF1 ''Lost'' Episodes Online (French)|url =http://www.tf1vision.com/liste.php?rub=CAT8&fltCode=182&p=53/?trk=1&e=7}}</ref> ] Video,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.dailytech.com/ABC+to+Offer+Free+Shows+Online+Via+AOL/article9002c.htm| title = ABC to Offer Free Shows Online Via AOL| author = Mick, Jason| date = September 21, 2007| publisher = ''DailyTech''}}</ref> ]'s ] service,<ref>''Microsoft'', "."</ref>, ] V.O.D. service in Israel and on ] for Irish viewers.


== Distribution ==
===DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases===
=== Online ===
The first season of ''Lost'' was released under the title '']'' as a ] seven-disc ] DVD ] in the US 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 been aired, it included several DVD extras such as episode commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage and making-of features as well as ], deleted flashback scenarios and a ] reel. The same set was released on November 30, 2005 in ],{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} and on January 16, 2006 in ].{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} 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 wide screen 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.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} The DVD features available on the Region 1 release were likewise split over the two box sets. The first two seasons will be released separately on ] on June 16, 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Lost-Seasons-1-and-2-on-Blu/11440 |title=Lost DVD news: Seasons 1 and 2 Announced for Blu-ray Disc |author=Lambert, David |publisher=TV Shows on DVD |date=March 6, 2009 |accessdate=March 6, 2009}}</ref>
In addition to traditional terrestrial and ], ''Lost'' is available from various online subscription services, including ],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003U53I3I/ |title= Lost Season 1, Ep. 1 "Pilot Part 1" |website= Amazon |access-date=September 15, 2012}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/hulu-lost-exclusive-streaming-rights-netflix-1202653091/ |title=Hulu Nabs 'Lost' Exclusive Subscription Streaming Rights From Netflix |work=Variety |first=Todd |last=Spangler |date=January 4, 2018 |access-date=January 4, 2018}}</ref> on ] outside of the US via ] and on ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a35288566/watch-lost-on-disney-plus/ |title=Lost is coming to Disney+ – here's how to watch |work=Digital Spy |first=Joe |last=Draper |date=February 8, 2021 |access-date=November 13, 2021}}</ref> It was one of the first series issued through ]'s ] beginning in October 2005.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2005/10/12/disney-abc-and-apple-announce-deal-to-sell-tv-shows-online-hits-to-include-desperate-housewives-lost-and-thats-so-raven-19488/20051012abc03/ |title=Disney, ABC & Apple Announce Deal to Sell TV Shows Online; Hits to Include "Desperate Housewives", "Lost" and "That's So Raven" |publisher=ABC |date=October 12, 2005 |access-date=September 15, 2012}}</ref> On August 29, 2007, ''Lost'' became one of the first TV programs available for download in the UK iTunes Store.<ref>{{cite press release|publisher=Apple |date=August 29, 2007 |url=https://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/08/29Apple-Announces-Hit-Television-Programming-Now-Available-on-the-iTunes-Store-in-the-UK.html |title=Apple Announces Hit Television Programming Now Available on the iTunes Store in the UK |access-date=September 15, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025052404/http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/08/29Apple-Announces-Hit-Television-Programming-Now-Available-on-the-iTunes-Store-in-the-UK.html |archive-date=October 25, 2012}}</ref>


In April 2006, ] 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.<ref>{{cite news|first=Joshua |last=Chaffin |author2=Aline van Duyn |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/341d65ba-c894-11da-b642-0000779e2340.html#axzz26ZswlycN |title=Disney's ABC to offer TV shows free on web |work=Financial Times |date=April 10, 2006 |access-date=September 15, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022152847/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/341d65ba-c894-11da-b642-0000779e2340.html |archive-date=October 22, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|publisher=ABC|date=April 10, 2006|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2006/04/10/disney-abc-television-group-takes-abc-primetime-online-offering-hit-shows-on-abccom-during-may-and-june-21039/20060410abc01/|title=Disney-ABC Television Group Takes ABC Primetime Online, Offering Hit Shows on ABC.com During May and June|access-date=September 15, 2012}}</ref> In 2009, ''Lost'' was named the most-watched show on the Internet based on viewers of episodes on ABC's website. The ] reported that 1.425&nbsp;million unique viewers have watched at least one episode on ABC's website.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/02/lost_snl_greys_tops_in_online.php |title=''Lost'', ''SNL'', ''Grey's'' Tops in Online Viewing, Nielsen Says |author=Whitney, Daisy |work=TVWeek |date=February 12, 2009 |access-date=February 12, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214000450/http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/02/lost_snl_greys_tops_in_online.php |archive-date=February 14, 2009 }}</ref>
The second season was released under the title '']'' as a wide screen seven-disc Region 1 DVD box set in the US on September 5, 2006 and on Region 2 DVD on October 2, 2006.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} 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.<ref>{{cite news| name=]|url =http://www.scifi.com/sfw/screen/sfw13617.html|title= ''Lost'' Season 2 DVD|publisher=''Sci Fi Weekly''| date=September 13, 2006}}</ref> 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, while 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.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}


=== Home media ===
The third season was released under the title '']'' on DVD and Blu-ray in Region 1 on December 11, 2007.<ref name="3DVDBluRay">
The first season of ''Lost'' was released under the title '']'' as a ] seven-disc ] DVD ] 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 been aired, it included several DVD extras, such as episode commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage and making-of features as well as ], deleted flashback scenarios, and a ] reel. The same set was released on November 30, 2005, in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/drama-romance/lost-season-1/246654 |title=Lost – Season 1 |publisher=JB HI FI |access-date=August 18, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120711052115/http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/drama-romance/lost-season-1/246654 |archive-date=July 11, 2012}}</ref> The season was first released split into two parts: the first twelve episodes of season 1 were available as a widescreen four-disc Region 2 DVD box set on October 31, 2005, while the remaining thirteen episodes of season 1 were released on January 16, 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000DN5W9I/ |title=LOST – The Complete First Season |date=January 16, 2006 |publisher=Amazon.co.uk |access-date=August 18, 2012}}</ref> The DVD features available on the Region 1 release were likewise split over the two box sets. The first two seasons were released separately on ] on June 16, 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Lost-Seasons-1-and-2-on-Blu/11440 |title=Lost DVD news: Seasons 1 and 2 Announced for Blu-ray Disc |author=Lambert, David |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD |date=March 6, 2009 |access-date=March 6, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309235536/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Lost-Seasons-1-and-2-on-Blu/11440 |archive-date=March 9, 2009}}</ref>
{{cite news| last=| first=| title=''Lost'': Disney Lowers List Price of ''Lost'' Season 3 on Hi-Definition Blu-Ray Discs| url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Lost-Season-3-Bluray-Price-Change/8109| publisher=TV Shows on DVD.com|date=September 19, 2007}}</ref> As with Seasons 1 and 2, the third season release includes audio commentaries with the cast and crew, bonus featurettes, deleted scenes, and bloopers. The third season was released in Region 2 solely on DVD on October 22, 2007, though this time only as a complete set, unlike previous seasons.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}


The fourth season was released as '']'' in Region 1 on December 9, 2008 on both DVD and Blu-ray Disc.<ref>TV Shows on DVD, (April 22, 2008) "." Retrieved June 8, 2008.</ref> It was released on DVD in Region 2 on October 20, 2008.<ref></ref> The set includes audio commentaries, deleted scenes, bloopers and bonus featurettes.<ref>." Retrieved July 2, 2008</ref> The second season was released under the title '']'' as a widescreen seven-disc Region 1 DVD box set on September 5, 2006. The sets include several 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.<ref>{{cite news |author=Lacey, Gord |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Lost/5583 |title=Lost More info on Season 2 |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD |date=May 2, 2006 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914050547/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Lost/5583 |archive-date=September 14, 2012}}</ref> Again, the season 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, while the remaining episodes of season 2 were released as a four-disc DVD box set on October 2, 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000FVQN5U/ |title=Lost Season 2 |date=October 2, 2006 |publisher=Amazon.co.uk |access-date=August 18, 2012}}</ref> The set was released in Region 4 on October 4, 2006.


The third season was released under the title '']'' on DVD and Blu-ray in Region 1 on December 11, 2007.<ref name="3DVDBluRay">{{cite news |title=''Lost'': Disney Lowers List Price of ''Lost'' Season 3 on Hi-Definition Blu-Ray Discs |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Lost-Season-3-Bluray-Price-Change/8109 |publisher=TVShowsonDVD |date=September 19, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071206052911/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Lost-Season-3-Bluray-Price-Change/8109 |archive-date=December 6, 2007}}</ref> As with seasons 1 and 2, the third season release includes audio commentaries with the cast and crew, bonus featurettes, deleted scenes, and bloopers. The third season was released in Region 2 solely on DVD on October 22, 2007, though this time, only as a complete set, unlike previous seasons.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000RHKG6E/ |title=Lost – Season 3 |date=October 22, 2007 |publisher=Amazon.co.uk |access-date=August 18, 2012}}</ref>
The first three seasons of ''Lost'' have sold successfully on DVD. The Season 1 boxset entered the DVD sales chart at number two in September 2005,<ref> September 13, 2006.</ref> 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.<ref> September 14, 2006.</ref> First day DVD sales for ''Lost'' Season 2 are thought to have been as high as 500,000 copies sold.<ref> September 14, 2006.</ref> The Season 3 boxset sold over 1,000,000 copies in three weeks.<ref></ref>


The fourth season was released as '']'' in Region 1 on December 9, 2008, on both DVD and Blu-ray Disc.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD |date=April 25, 2008 |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Lost-Season-4/9460 |title=Lost DVD news: Announcement for Lost – The Complete Fourth Season: The Expanded Experience |access-date=June 8, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611072224/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/lost-season-4/9460 |archive-date=June 11, 2008}}</ref> It was released on DVD in Region 2 on October 20, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001BJARYI |title=Lost – Season 4 |date=October 20, 2008 |publisher=Amazon.co.uk |access-date=July 24, 2010}}</ref> The set includes audio commentaries, deleted scenes, bloopers, and bonus featurettes.
Both the Season 6 boxset and the complete series collection will contain a 12-15 minute epilogue-like bonus feature that will show what happened to Hurley and Ben.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/Lost-Hurley-Ben-1019000.aspx |title=Lost DVD Will Feature Bonus Hurley-Ben Scene|publisher=TVGuide.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Lost-Season-6-and-The-Complete-Collection/13833 |title=Lost - Press Release Brings Final Contents, Packaging for Season 6 and Complete Collection on DVD, Blu|publisher=tvshowsondvd.com}}</ref>


The first three seasons of ''Lost'' have sold successfully on DVD. The season 1 box set entered the DVD sales chart at number two in September 2005,<ref>{{cite news|last=Mahan |first=Colin |title=Lost reigns supreme on DVD |url=http://www.tv.com/news/lost-reigns-supreme-on-dvd-6306/ |access-date=October 24, 2012 |publisher=] |date=September 13, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107141832/http://www.tv.com/news/lost-reigns-supreme-on-dvd-6306/ |archive-date=November 7, 2012}}</ref> and the season 2 box set 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lost: Season 2 Tops this Week's DVD Sales Chart |url=http://www.movieweb.com/news/lost-season-2-tops-this-weeks-dvd-sales-chart |access-date=October 24, 2012 |work=MovieWeb |date=September 14, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115144435/http://www.movieweb.com/news/lost-season-2-tops-this-weeks-dvd-sales-chart |archive-date=November 15, 2013}}</ref> The season 3 box set sold over 1,000,000 copies in three weeks.<ref>{{cite news|title=North American Domestic DVD Sales Chart for Week Ending Dec 23, 2007 |url=https://the-numbers.com/dvd/charts/weekly/2007/20071223.php |access-date=October 24, 2012 |publisher=The-Numbers.com |date=December 24, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728135201/http://www.the-numbers.com/dvd/charts/weekly/2007/20071223.php |archive-date=July 28, 2012}}</ref>
==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. Three ]s have been released by ], a publisher owned by ], ABC's parent company. They are ''Endangered Species'' (ISBN 0-7868-9090-8) and ''Secret Identity'' (ISBN 0-7868-9091-6) both by Cathy Hapka and ''Signs of Life'' (ISBN 0-7868-9092-4) by Frank Thompson. Additionally, Hyperion published a ] book titled ''Bad Twin'' (ISBN 1-4013-0276-9), written by Laurence Shames,<ref>{{cite news | last=Zeitchik | first=Steven | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117945504?categoryId=14&cs=1 | title=Inside Move: It's a Shames | work=] | date=June 18, 2006 | accessdate=June 19, 2006}}</ref> and credited to fictitious author "]", who was claimed to be a passenger on Oceanic Flight 815 by ABC's marketing department.


Both the season 6 box set and the complete series collection contained a 12-minute epilogue-like bonus feature called "]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvguide.com/News/Lost-Hurley-Ben-1019000.aspx |title=Lost DVD Will Feature Bonus Hurley-Ben Scene |work=TV Guide |first=Kate |last=Stanhope |date=May 26, 2010 |access-date=October 25, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017231426/http://www.tvguide.com/News/Lost-Hurley-Ben-1019000.aspx |archive-date=October 17, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Lost-Season-6-and-The-Complete-Collection/13833 |title=Lost – Press Release Brings Final Contents, Packaging for Season 6 and Complete Collection on DVD, Blu |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD |first=David |last=Lambert |date=May 28, 2010 |access-date=October 25, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015115455/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Lost-Season-6-and-The-Complete-Collection/13833 |archive-date=October 15, 2012}}</ref> The season 6 DVD set entered the DVD sales chart at the number one position in its first week of release in September 2010 boasting strong sales in the DVD and Blu-ray format for the regular season set as well as for the series box set.<ref>{{cite news|title=Final "Lost" season turns up at No. 1 on DVD chart |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/industry-us-dvd-idUSTRE6810J320100902 |work=Reuters |access-date=September 25, 2010 |date=September 2, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224184449/https://www.reuters.com/article/2010/09/02/industry-us-dvd-idUSTRE6810J320100902 |archive-date=December 24, 2012}}</ref>
Several unofficial books relating to the show have also been published. ''Finding Lost: The Unofficial Guide'' (ISBN 1-55022-743-2) by Nikki Stafford and published by ] is a book detailing the show for fans and those new to the show. ''What Can Be Found in LOST?'' (ISBN 0-7369-2121-4) by John Ankerberg and Dillon Burrough, published by Harvest House is the first book dedicated to an investigation of the spiritual themes of the series from a Christian perspective. ''Living Lost: Why We're All Stuck on the Island'' (ISBN 1891053027) by J. Wood,<ref></ref> published by the Garett County Press, is the first work of cultural criticism based on the series. The book explores the show's strange engagement with the contemporary experiences of war, (mis)information, and terrorism, and argues that the audience functions as a character in the narrative. The author also writes a blog column<ref></ref> during the second part of the third season for ]. Each post discusses the previous episode's literary, historical, philosophical and narrative connections.


== Other media ==
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 ] appeared during the first season, which included several ] and clues about the show. Another tie-in website was launched after the airing of "]" about the Hanso Foundation. In the UK, the interactive back-stories of several characters were included in "Lost Untold", a section of ]'s ''Lost'' website. Similarly, since November 2005, ABC has produced an official ], 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.<ref></ref> ] also hosts a podcast presented by ] on their website, which analyzes each episode after it airs in the United Kingdom.<ref></ref>
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. Three ]s have been released by ], a publisher owned by ], ABC's parent company. They are ''Endangered Species'' ({{ISBN|0-7868-9090-8}}) and ''Secret Identity'' ({{ISBN|0-7868-9091-6}}) both by Cathy Hapka and ''Signs of Life'' ({{ISBN|0-7868-9092-4}}) by Frank Thompson. Additionally, Hyperion published a ] book titled ''Bad Twin'' ({{ISBN|1-4013-0276-9}}), written by Laurence Shames,<ref>{{cite news|last=Zeitchik |first=Steven |url=https://variety.com/2006/scene/markets-festivals/inside-move-it-s-a-shames-1200337522/ |title=Inside Move: It's a Shames |work=Variety |date=June 18, 2006 |access-date=June 19, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011102556/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117945504?categoryId=14&cs=1 |archive-date=October 11, 2011}}</ref> and credited to fictitious author "]", who ABC's marketing department claimed was a passenger on Oceanic Flight 815.


Several unofficial books relating to the show have also been published. ''Finding Lost: The Unofficial Guide'' ({{ISBN|1-55022-743-2}}) by Nikki Stafford and published by ] is a book detailing the show for fans and those new to the show. ''What Can Be Found in Lost?'' ({{ISBN|0-7369-2121-4}}) by John Ankerberg and Dillon Burrough, published by Harvest House is the first book dedicated to an investigation of the spiritual themes of the series from a Christian perspective. ''Living Lost: Why We're All Stuck on the Island'' ({{ISBN|1-891053-02-7}}) by J. Wood,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gcpress.com/lost/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804000429/http://www.gcpress.com/lost/|archive-date=August 4, 2008 |title=Living Lost: Why We're All Stuck on the Island |publisher=Garrett County Press |access-date=July 24, 2010}}</ref> published by the Garett County Press, is the first work of cultural criticism based on the series. The book explores the show's strange engagement with the contemporary experiences of war, (mis)information, and terrorism and argues that the audience functions as a character in the narrative. The author also writes a blog column<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.powells.com/blog/author/joley-wood/ |title=''Lost'' blog by J. Wood |publisher=Powells.com |access-date=July 24, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903093341/http://www.powells.com/blog/author/joley-wood/ |archive-date=September 3, 2011}}</ref> during the second part of the third season for ]. Each post discusses the previous episode's literary, historical, philosophical, and narrative connections.
]


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 ] appeared during the first season, which included several ] and clues about the show. Another tie-in website was launched after the airing of "]" about the Hanso Foundation. In the UK, the interactive back-stories of several characters were included in "Lost Untold", a section of ]'s ''Lost'' website. Similarly, beginning in November 2005, ABC produced an official ], 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=podcast |title=Lost: Podcasts |publisher=ABC |access-date=July 24, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090811055443/http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=podcast |archive-date=August 11, 2009}}</ref> ] also hosted a podcast presented by ] on their website, which analyzed each episode after it aired in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sky1.sky.com/the-lost-initiative |title=The Lost Initiative from Sky1 HD |publisher=Sky1 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813213502/http://sky1.sky.com/the-lost-initiative |archive-date=August 13, 2012}}</ref>
The foray into the online realm culminated in the '']'', an Internet-based alternate reality game produced by Channel 7 (Australia), ABC (America) and Channel Four (UK), which began in early May 2006. The game presents a five-phase parallel storyline, primarily involving the Hanso Foundation.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://web.archive.org/web/20070220211850/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 (Internet Archive) | date=July 25, 2006 | accessdate=February 20, 2007}}</ref>


The foray into the online realm culminated in the '']'', an Internet-based alternate reality game produced by Channel 7 (Australia), ABC (America), and Channel Four (UK), which began in early May 2006. The game presents a five-phase parallel storyline, primarily involving the Hanso Foundation.<ref>{{Cite press release |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2006/04/25/abc-television-network-united-kingdoms-channel-4-and-australias-seven-network-to-launch-global-interactive-lost-experience--21154/20060425abc01/ |title=ABC Television Network, United Kingdom's Channel 4 and Australia's Seven Network to Launch Global Interactive "Lost Experience" |publisher=ABC |date=April 25, 2006 |access-date=October 25, 2012}}</ref>
Short mini-episodes ("]s") called the ''Lost Video Diaries'' were originally scheduled for viewing by ] subscribers via its V-Cast system, but were delayed by contract disputes.<ref>{{cite news | first=Andrew and Jesse Hiestand | last=Wallenstein | title=ABC, unions reach deal on cell phone TV shows | publisher=] | date=April 25, 2006 | accessdate=April 25, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://web.archive.org/web/20061030135819/http://www.disneyabctv.com/datvg_press/dispDNR.html?id=042406_14 | title=Disney-ABC Television Group's Touchstone Television Finalizes Agreements to Partner with Guilds on "''Lost'' Video Diaries," Original Mini-Episodes Inspired by the Emmy Award-Winning Series for Mobile Distribution | publisher=ABC Press Release (Internet Archive) |date=April 24, 2006 | accessdate=October 30, 2006}}</ref> The mobisodes were renamed '']'' and aired from November 7, 2007 to January 28, 2008.


Short mini-episodes ("]s") called the ''Lost Video Diaries'' were scheduled for viewing by ] subscribers via its V-Cast system but were delayed by contract disputes.<ref>{{cite news | first=Andrew and Jesse Hiestand | last=Wallenstein | title=ABC, unions reach deal on cell phone TV shows | agency=Reuters | date=April 25, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release| url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20060424abc03 | title=Disney-ABC Television Group's Touchstone Television Finalizes Agreements to Partner with Guilds on "''Lost'' Video Diaries", Original Mini-Episodes Inspired by the Emmy Award-Winning Series for Mobile Distribution | publisher=ABC |date=April 24, 2006 | access-date=October 30, 2006}}</ref> The mobisodes were renamed '']'' and aired from November 7, 2007, to January 28, 2008.
===Licensed merchandise===

=== Licensed merchandise ===
<!-- ] redirects here --> <!-- ] redirects here -->
In addition to tie-in novels, several other products based on the series, such as toys and games, have been licensed for release. A video game, '']'', has been released to average reviews, developed by ], for ] and home computers,<ref> Ubisoftgroup.com, May 22, 2006. Retrieved March 21, 2008.</ref> while ] developed a ''Lost'' game for mobile phones and ]s.<ref> Wireless. IGN.com, August 14, 2006. Retrieved March 21, 2008.</ref> ] released a ''Lost'' board game on August 7, 2006.<ref></ref> TDC Games created a series of four 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles ("The Hatch", "The Numbers", "The Others" and "Before the Crash") which, when put together, reveal embedded clues to the overall mythology of ''Lost''. Inkworks has published two sets of ''Lost'' ]s, and is slated to release the ''Lost: Revelations'' set.<ref></ref> In May 2006, ] announced recurring lines of character ]<ref>{{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 | work=] | date=May 23, 2006 | accessdate=June 20, 2006}}</ref> and released the first series in November 2006, with the second series being released July 2007. Furthermore, ABC sells a myriad of ''Lost'' merchandise in their online store, including clothing, jewelry and other collectibles.<ref></ref> ] also publish ''Lost: The Official Magazine''.<ref> at Titan Magazines</ref> In addition to tie-in novels, several other products based on the series, such as toys and games, have been licensed for release. A video game, '']'', was released to average reviews, developed by ], for ] and home computers,<ref>{{cite web|title=Ubisoft and Touchstone Team Up to Create "Lost" Video Game |url=http://www.ubi.com/us/news/info.aspx?nid=3957 |publisher=] |access-date=October 24, 2012 |date=May 23, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516161328/http://www.ubi.com/US/News/Info.aspx?nId=3957 |archive-date=May 16, 2013}}</ref> while ] released Lost: The Mobile Game for mobile phones and ]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gameloft's Lost Housewives |url=https://ign.com/articles/2006/08/15/gamelofts-lost-housewives |access-date=October 24, 2012 |website=] |date=August 14, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222061457/http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/08/15/gamelofts-lost-housewives |archive-date=February 22, 2014}}</ref> Cardinal Games released a ''Lost'' board game on August 7, 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boardgames.about.com/od/lostboardgame/a/description.htm |title=LostThe Board Game |publisher=About.com |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118161157/http://boardgames.about.com/od/lostboardgame/a/description.htm |archive-date=November 18, 2012}}</ref> TDC Games created a series of four 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles ("The Hatch", "The Numbers", "The Others", and "Before the Crash"), which, when put together, reveal embedded clues to the overall mythology of ''Lost''. Inkworks has published three sets of ''Lost'' ]s, ''Season One'', ''Season Two'', and ''Revelations''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://inkworks.com/products/lost/lost1preview/lost1set.html |title=Lost: Season One Preview Set |publisher=Inkworks |access-date=July 24, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100610075749/http://inkworks.com/products/lost/lost1preview/lost1set.html |archive-date=June 10, 2010}}</ref> In May 2006, ] announced recurring lines of character ]<ref>{{cite news|first=William |last=Keck |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-05-23-lost-toys_x.htm |title=These characters are toying with us |work=USA Today |date=May 23, 2006 |access-date=June 20, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023175432/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-05-23-lost-toys_x.htm |archive-date=October 23, 2012}}</ref> and released the first series in November 2006, with the second series being released July 2007. Furthermore, ABC sold a myriad of ''Lost'' merchandise in their online store, including clothing, jewelry, and other collectibles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abctvstore.seenon.com/index.php?v=lost|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913055717/http://abctvstore.seenon.com/index.php?v=lost|archive-date=September 13, 2008 |title=LOST: Apparel, Collectibles, Jewelry, Games & More |publisher=ABC |access-date=July 24, 2010}}</ref> In October 2010, ] released a 400-page reference titled ''The Lost Encyclopedia'', written by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry. The book compiled information from the TV show producers "writers bible", listing nearly every character, chronological event, location, and plot detail of the series, filling in the gaps for die-hard fans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dk.com/us/9780756665944-lost-encyclopedia/ |title=Lost Encyclopedia |publisher=DK Publishing |access-date=January 4, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114120241/http://www.dk.com/us/9780756665944-lost-encyclopedia/ |archive-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref>


==References== == References ==
{{Clear}} {{Clear}}
{{notelist}}
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}


==External links== == External links ==
{{sister project links|d=Q23567|n=no|b=no|c=Category:Lost (television programme)|wikt=no|v=no|voy=no|s=no|m=no|mw=no|species=no|display=''Lost''}}
{{Wikiquote|Lost}}
* {{IMDb title|0411008|Lost}}
{{Commons|:Category:Lost (television programme)|Lost}}
{{Spoken Misplaced Pages-2|August 24, 2006|Lost (TV series) Part 1.ogg|Lost (TV series) Part 2.ogg}}
{{Portal|Lost}}
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NOTE: This section is for official sites dealing with the show in general. Please do not add fan sites, fan message boards, or sites containing clues for The Lost Experience and Find 815 ARGs. -->
* {{imdb title|0411008|Lost}}
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===Official tie-in websites===
{{Lost episodes}}
{{See also|Lost Experience#External links|Find 815#External links}}
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Latest revision as of 16:24, 23 December 2024

American television series (2004–2010)

For the 2021 South Korean drama series, see Lost (South Korean TV series). For the American reality series, see Lost (2001 TV series).
Lost
The word Lost in white lettering on a black background.
Genre
Created by
Showrunners
Starring
ComposerMichael Giacchino
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes121 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Production locationsOahu, Hawaii
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time38–53 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 22, 2004 (2004-09-22) –
May 23, 2010 (2010-05-23)

Lost is an American science fiction adventure drama television series created by Jeffrey Lieber, J. J. Abrams, and Damon Lindelof that aired on ABC from September 22, 2004, to May 23, 2010, with a total of 121 episodes over six seasons. It contains elements of supernatural fiction, and follows the survivors of a commercial jet airliner flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, after the plane crashes on a mysterious island somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean. Episodes typically feature a primary storyline set on the island, augmented by flashback or flashforward sequences which provide additional insight into the involved characters.

Lindelof and Carlton Cuse served as showrunners and are executive producers along with Abrams and Bryan Burk. Inspired by the 2000 film Cast Away, the show is told in a heavily serialized manner. Due to its large ensemble cast and the cost of filming primarily on location in Oahu, Hawaii, the series was one of the most expensive on television, with the pilot alone costing over $14 million. The fictional universe and mythology of Lost were expanded upon by a number of related media—most importantly a series of mini-episodes called Missing Pieces; and a 12-minute epilogue, "The New Man in Charge".

Lost has regularly been ranked by critics as one of the greatest television series of all time. The first season had an estimated average of 16 million viewers per episode on ABC. During the sixth and final season, the show averaged over 11 million U.S. viewers per episode. Lost was the recipient of hundreds of industry award nominations throughout its run and won numerous of these awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2005, Best American Import at the British Academy Television Awards in 2005, the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama in 2006, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

Episodes

Overview

Main article: List of Lost episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedAvg. viewers
(millions)
Rank
First airedLast aired
125September 22, 2004 (2004-09-22)May 25, 2005 (2005-05-25)15.6915
224September 21, 2005 (2005-09-21)May 24, 2006 (2006-05-24)15.5015
323October 4, 2006 (2006-10-04)May 23, 2007 (2007-05-23)17.8410
414January 31, 2008 (2008-01-31)May 29, 2008 (2008-05-29)13.4017
517January 21, 2009 (2009-01-21)May 13, 2009 (2009-05-13)10.9428
618February 2, 2010 (2010-02-02)May 23, 2010 (2010-05-23)10.0831

Season 1

Main article: Lost season 1

Season 1 begins with the aftermath of a plane crash, which leaves the surviving passengers of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 on what seems to be an uninhabited tropical island. Spinal surgeon Jack Shephard becomes their leader. Their survival is threatened by a number of mysterious entities, including polar bears, an unseen creature that roams the jungle (the "Smoke Monster"), and the island's malevolent inhabitants, known as "The Others". They encounter a French woman named Danielle Rousseau, who was shipwrecked on the island 16 years before the crash and is desperate for news of her daughter, Alex. They also find a mysterious metal hatch buried in the ground. While two survivors, Locke and Boone, try to force open the hatch, four others; Michael, Jin, Walt, and Sawyer attempt to leave on a raft that they have built. Meanwhile, flashbacks center on details of the individual survivors' lives prior to the plane crash.

Season 2

Main article: Lost season 2

Season 2 follows the growing conflict between the survivors and the Others and continues the theme of the clash between faith and science. The four survivors in the raft are ambushed by the Others, and they take Walt, Michael's son. The survivors are forced to return to the island, where they find the tail-section survivors (the "Tailies"). A power struggle between Jack and Locke over control of the guns and medicine located in the hatch develops and is resolved by Sawyer when he gains control of them. The hatch is revealed to be a research station built 30 years earlier by the Dharma Initiative, a scientific research project that involved conducting experiments on the island. A man named Desmond Hume had been living in the hatch for three years, activating a computer program every 108 minutes to prevent an unknown catastrophic event from occurring. To recover his son, Michael betrays the survivors, and Jack, Sawyer, and Kate are captured. Michael is given a boat and leaves the island with his son, while Locke destroys the computer in the hatch, whereupon an electromagnetic event shakes the island. This causes the island to be detected by scientists working for Penny Widmore, and it is revealed that a similar event caused the breakup of the plane.

Season 3

Main article: Lost season 3

In season 3, the crash survivors learn more about the Others and their long history on the mysterious island, along with the fate of the Dharma Initiative. The leader of the Others, Ben Linus, is introduced as well and defections from both sides pave the way for conflict between the two. Time travel elements also begin to appear in the series, as Desmond is forced to turn the fail-safe key in the hatch to stop the electromagnetic event, and this sends his mind eight years to the past. When he returns to the present, he is able to see the future. Kate and Sawyer escape the Others, while Jack stays after Ben promises that Jack will be able to leave the island in a submarine if he operates on Ben, who has cancer. Jack does, but the submarine is destroyed by Locke. Jack is left behind with Juliet, an Other, who also seeks to leave the island, while Locke joins the Others. A helicopter carrying Naomi crashes near the island. Naomi says her freighter, Kahana, is eighty miles offshore and was sent by Penny, Desmond's ex-girlfriend. Desmond has a vision in which Charlie will drown after shutting down a signal that prevents communication with the outside world. His vision comes true, but Charlie speaks with Penny, who says she does not know Naomi. Before drowning, Charlie writes "Not Penny's Boat" on his hand so that Desmond can warn the other survivors. Meanwhile, the survivors make contact with a rescue team aboard the freighter. In the season's finale, apparent flashbacks show a depressed Jack going to an unknown person's funeral. In the final scene, these are revealed to be "flashforwards", and Kate and Jack are revealed to have escaped the island, but Jack believes they "have to go back".

Season 4

Main article: Lost season 4

Season 4 focuses on the survivors dealing with the arrival of people from the freighter, who have been sent to the island to reclaim it from Ben. "Flashforwards" continue, in which it is seen how six survivors, dubbed the "Oceanic Six", live their lives after escaping the island. The "Oceanic Six" are Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, Sun, and Aaron. In the present, four members of the freighter arrive and team up with the survivors to escape the island, since the crew of the freighter have orders to kill everyone who stays. Meanwhile, Ben travels with Locke to see Jacob, the island's leader. Locke enters his cabin but finds Jack's dead father, Christian, who says he can speak on Jacob's behalf, and orders Locke to "move" the island. Ben takes Locke to an underground station in which time travel was researched. Locke becomes the new leader of the Others, while Ben moves the island by turning a frozen wheel, after which he is transported to the Sahara. The six survivors escape in a helicopter as they watch the island disappear and are subsequently rescued by Penny. It is then that Desmond and Penny reunite. In the season's finale, it is revealed that the funeral Jack went to in the "flashforward" was that of Locke, who had been seeking out the Oceanic Six in his efforts to convince them to return to the island.

Season 5

Main article: Lost season 5

Season 5 follows two timelines. The first timeline takes place on the island where the survivors who were left behind erratically jump forward and backward through time. In one of these time periods, Locke speaks with Richard Alpert, one of the Others, who says that to save the island, he must bring everyone back. Locke goes to the same underground station Ben went to. After moving the island himself, Locke is transported to the Sahara in 2007, as the time shifts on the island stop and the survivors are stranded with the Dharma Initiative in 1974. In 2007, Locke contacts the Oceanic Six, but no one wants to return. The last one of the Oceanic Six he finds is a depressed Jack. Locke tells Jack his father is alive on the island. This seriously affects Jack, and he begins taking flights, hoping to crash on the island again. Ben finds Locke and kills him. After Locke's death, the Oceanic Six are told to board Ajira Airways Flight 316 to return to the island and in order to go back, they have to take Locke's body in the plane. They take the flight, but some land in 1977, where they meet with the other survivors who are now part of the Dharma Initiative, and others land in 2007. The survivors in 1977 are told by Daniel Faraday that if they detonate a nuclear bomb at the hatch's construction site, the electromagnetic energy below it will be negated; as a result, the hatch would never be built, and their future could be changed. In 2007, Locke apparently comes back to life. He instructs Richard to speak with a time-traveling Locke and tell him that he must bring everyone back to the island. After this, he goes to speak with Jacob. The season finale reveals that Locke is still dead and another entity has taken over his form to manipulate Ben into killing Jacob. In 1977, Juliet detonates the fission core taken from the hydrogen bomb.

Season 6

Main article: Lost season 6

Season 6, the final season, follows two timelines. In the first timeline, the survivors are sent to the present day, as the death of Jacob allows his brother, the Man in Black, the human alter-ego of the Smoke Monster, to take over the island. Having assumed the form of Locke, the Smoke Monster seeks to escape the island and forces a final war between the forces of good and evil.

The second timeline, called the "flash-sideways" narrative, follows the lives of the main characters in a setting where Oceanic 815 never crashed. In the final episodes, a flashback to the distant past shows the origins of the island's power and of the conflict between Jacob and the Man in Black, who are revealed to be twin brothers, with Jacob desperate to keep his brother from leaving the island after he is transmogrified by the power of the island and becomes the Smoke Monster.

Jacob's machinations are revealed: everyone was pushed by fate and his manipulation to be on the Oceanic flight as many of the members of the flight were deemed "candidates" by Jacob to be the new protector of the island after his death. The Man in Black's mission since the beginning: kill all of the candidates, thereby allowing him to leave the island once and for all. The ghost of Jacob appears to the last-of-the-surviving candidates, and Jack is appointed as the new protector. Jack catches up with The Man in Black, who says that he wants to go to the "heart of the island" to turn it off and, therefore, finally leave the island. They reach the place, but after doing this, The Man in Black becomes mortal. The Man in Black is killed by Kate, but Jack is seriously injured. Hurley becomes the new caretaker of the island. Several of the survivors die in the conflict or stay on the island, and the remaining escape in the Ajira Plane once and for all. Jack returns to the "heart of the island" and turns it on again, saving it. Hurley, as the new protector, asks Ben to help him in his new job, which he agrees to do. Having saved the island, Jack dies peacefully in the same place in which he woke up when he arrived on the island.

The series finale reveals that the flash-sideways timeline is actually a form of limbo in the afterlife, where some of the survivors and other characters from the island are reunited after death. In the last scene, the survivors are all reunited in a church where they "move on" together.

Mythology and interpretations

Main article: Mythology of Lost

Episodes of Lost include a number of mysterious elements ascribed to science fiction or supernatural phenomena. The creators of the series refer to these elements as composing the mythology of the series, and they formed the basis of fan speculation. The show's mythological elements include a "Smoke Monster" that roams the island, a mysterious group of inhabitants whom the survivors called "The Others", a scientific organization called the Dharma Initiative that placed several research stations on the island, a sequence of numbers that frequently appears in the lives of the characters in the past, present, and future, and personal connections (synchronicity) between the characters of which they are often unaware.

At the heart of the series is a complex and cryptic storyline, which spawned numerous questions and discussions among viewers. Encouraged by Lost's writers and stars, who often interacted with fans online, viewers and TV critics alike took to widespread theorizing in an attempt to unravel the mysteries. Theories mainly concerned 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 were discussed and rejected by the show's creators, the most common being that the survivors of Oceanic flight 815 are dead and in purgatory. Lindelof rejected speculation that spaceships or aliens influenced the events on the island or that everything seen was a fictional reality taking place in someone's mind. Carlton Cuse dismissed the theory that the island was a reality TV show and the castaways unwitting housemates, and Lindelof many times denied the theory that the "Monster" was a nanobot cloud similar to the one featured in Michael Crichton's novel Prey (which happened to share the protagonist's name, Jack).

Recurring elements

There are several recurring elements and motifs on Lost, which generally have no direct effect on the story itself but expand the show's literary and philosophical subtext. These elements include frequent appearances of black and white, which reflect the dualism within characters and situations; as well as rebellion in almost all characters, especially Kate; dysfunctional family situations (especially ones that revolve around the fathers of many characters), as portrayed in the lives of nearly all the main characters; apocalyptic references, including Desmond's pushing the button to forestall the end of the world; coincidence versus fate, revealed most apparently through the juxtaposition of the characters Locke and Mr. Eko; conflict between science and faith, embodied by the leadership tug-of-war between Jack and Locke and their stark disagreements on subjects such as the hatch, the button, and leaving the island; the struggle between good and evil, shown by the relationship between Jacob and the Man in Black, several times by Locke using symbols such as his backgammon set, also the white and black rocks that the Man in Black referred to as an "inside joke"; and references to numerous works of literature, including mentions and discussions of particular novels. One notable reference to a novel is John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, usually when Sawyer is seen reading it or referencing it. There are also many allusions in characters' names to famous historical thinkers and writers, such as Ben Linus (after chemist Linus Pauling), John Locke (after the philosopher) and his alias Jeremy Bentham (after the philosopher), Danielle Rousseau (after philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau), Desmond David Hume (after philosopher David Hume), Juliet's ex-husband (after philosopher Edmund Burke), Mikhail Bakunin (after the anarchist philosopher), Daniel Faraday (after physicist Michael Faraday), Eloise Hawking (after physicist Stephen Hawking), George Minkowski (after mathematician Hermann Minkowski), Richard Alpert (the birth name of spiritual teacher Ram Dass), Boone Carlyle (after pioneer Daniel Boone and philosopher Thomas Carlyle), and Charlotte Staples Lewis (after author Clive Staples (C.S.) Lewis).

Cast and characters

Main article: List of Lost characters
The main actors from Lost, standing side by side.
From left to right: Faraday, Boone, Miles, Michael, Ana Lucia, Charlotte, Frank, Shannon, Desmond, Eko, Kate, Jack, Sawyer, Locke, Ben, Sayid, Libby, Sun, Jin, Claire, Hurley, Juliet, Charlie, Richard, Bernard, Rose, and Vincent

Of the 324 people on board Oceanic Flight 815, there are 70 initial survivors (as well as one dog) spread across the three sections of the plane crash. Although a large cast made Lost more expensive to produce, the writers benefited from added 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."

Lost was planned as a multicultural show with an international cast. The initial season had 14 regular speaking roles that received star billing; though most of these actors remained on the show for the duration of its run (including flashbacks and alternate timelines), no single actor appeared in all 121 episodes. Matthew Fox played the protagonist, a troubled surgeon named Jack Shephard. Evangeline Lilly portrayed fugitive Kate Austen. Jorge Garcia played Hugo "Hurley" Reyes, an unlucky lottery winner. Josh Holloway played a con man, James "Sawyer" Ford. Ian Somerhalder played Boone Carlyle, chief operating officer of his mother's wedding business, and Maggie Grace played his stepsister Shannon Rutherford, a former dance teacher. Harold Perrineau portrayed construction worker and aspiring artist Michael Dawson, while Malcolm David Kelley played his young son, Walt Lloyd. Terry O'Quinn played the mysterious John Locke. Naveen Andrews portrayed former Iraqi Republican Guard Sayid Jarrah. Emilie de Ravin played a young Australian mother-to-be, Claire Littleton. Yunjin Kim played Sun-Hwa Kwon, the daughter of a powerful and incredibly wealthy Korean businessman and mobster, with Daniel Dae Kim as her husband and father's enforcer Jin-Soo Kwon. Dominic Monaghan played English ex-rock star and drug addict Charlie Pace.

Seasons 1 and 2

During the first two seasons, some characters were written out, while new characters with new stories were added. Boone Carlyle was written out near the end of season one, and Walt became an intermittent character, making occasional appearances throughout season two after he is captured by The Others in the season one finale. Shannon's departure eight episodes into season two made way for newcomers Mr. Eko, a former Nigerian militia leader and fake Catholic priest played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje; Ana Lucia Cortez, an airport TSA guard and former LAPD police officer played by Michelle Rodriguez; and Libby Smith, a purported clinical psychologist and formerly mentally ill woman portrayed by Cynthia Watros. Ana Lucia and Libby were written out of the series toward the end of season two after being shot by Michael, who then left the island along with his son.

Seasons 3 and 4

In season three, two actors were promoted from recurring to starring roles: Henry Ian Cusick as former Scottish soldier Desmond Hume; and Michael Emerson as the manipulative leader of the Others, Ben Linus. In addition, three new actors joined the regular cast: Elizabeth Mitchell, as fertility doctor and Other Juliet Burke; and Kiele Sanchez and Rodrigo Santoro as background survivor couple Nikki Fernandez and Paulo. Several characters died in the season: Eko was killed off when Akinnuoye-Agbaje did not wish to continue on the show, Nikki and Paulo were buried alive mid-season after poor fan response, and in the third-season finale, Charlie dies a hero.

In season four, Harold Perrineau rejoined the main cast to reprise the role of Michael, now suicidal and on a desperate redemptive journey to atone for his previous crimes. Along with Perrineau, additional new actors—Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday, a nervous physicist who takes a scientific interest in the island; Ken Leung as Miles Straume, a sarcastic supposed ghost whisperer; and Rebecca Mader as Charlotte Staples Lewis, a hard-headed and determined anthropologist and successful academic—joined the cast. Michael was written out in the fourth-season finale. Claire, who mysteriously disappears with her dead father near the end of the season, did not return as a series regular for the fifth season but returned for the sixth and final season.

Seasons 5 and 6

In season five, no new characters joined the main cast; however, several characters exited the show: Charlotte was written out early in the season in episode five, with Daniel being written out later in the antepenultimate episode. Season six saw several cast changes: Juliet was written out in the season premiere while three previous recurring characters were upgraded to starring status. These included Néstor Carbonell as mysterious, age-less Other Richard Alpert; Jeff Fahey as pilot Frank Lapidus; and Zuleikha Robinson as Ajira Airways Flight 316 survivor Ilana Verdansky. Additionally, former cast members Ian Somerhalder, Dominic Monaghan, Rebecca Mader, Jeremy Davies, Elizabeth Mitchell, Maggie Grace, Michelle Rodriguez, Harold Perrineau, and Cynthia Watros made return appearances.

Supporting characters

Numerous supporting characters have been given expansive and recurring appearances in the progressive storyline. Danielle Rousseau (Mira Furlan)—a French member of an earlier scientific expedition to the island, first encountered as a voice recording in the pilot episode—appears throughout the series. She is searching for her daughter, who later turns up in the form of Alex Rousseau (Tania Raymonde). Alex has been kidnapped by Ben Linus and brought to the Others where she was raised. Cindy (Kimberley Joseph), an Oceanic flight attendant who first appeared in the pilot, survived the crash and, subsequently, became one of the Others.

In the second season, married couple Rose Nadler (L. Scott Caldwell) and Bernard Nadler (Sam Anderson), separated on opposite sides of the island (she with the main characters, he with the tail section survivors), were featured in a flashback episode after being reunited. The second season also introduces Dr. Pierre Chang (Francois Chau), a member of the mysterious Dharma Initiative who appears in the orientation films for its numerous stations located throughout the island. Corporate magnate Charles Widmore (Alan Dale) has connections to both Ben and Desmond. Desmond is in love with Widmore's daughter Penelope "Penny" Widmore (Sonya Walger).

Eloise Hawking (Fionnula Flanagan), introduced in the third season, is Daniel Faraday's mother and also has connections with Desmond. The introduction of the Others featured Tom Friendly (M. C. Gainey), and Ethan Rom (William Mapother), all of whom have been shown in both flashbacks and the ongoing story. Jack's father Christian Shephard (John Terry) has appeared in multiple flashbacks of various characters. In the third season, Naomi Dorrit (Marsha Thomason), the team leader of a group hired by Widmore to find Ben Linus, parachutes onto the island. One member of her team includes the ruthless mercenary Martin Keamy (Kevin Durand).

In the finale episode "The End", recurring guest stars Sam Anderson; L. Scott Caldwell; Francois Chau; Fionnula Flanagan; Sonya Walger; and John Terry were credited under the "starring" rubric alongside the principal cast. The mysterious black smoke cloud-like entity, known as "the Monster", appeared in human form during season five and six as a middle-aged man dressed in black robes, who was played by Titus Welliver, and in season six, it appears in the form of John Locke played by O'Quinn in a dual role. His rival, Jacob, was played by Mark Pellegrino.

Production

Official production logo, initially used before the airing of the series.
Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse sitting, speaking into microphones.
Damon Lindelof (left) co-created the series and served as an executive producer and showrunner alongside Carlton Cuse (right).

Lost was produced by ABC Studios, Bad Robot, and Grass Skirt Productions. Throughout its run, the executive producers of the series were Damon Lindelof, J. J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Carlton Cuse, Jack Bender, Jeff Pinkner, Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Jean Higgins, and Elizabeth Sarnoff, with Lindelof and Cuse serving as showrunners.

Conception

The series was conceived by Lloyd Braun, head of ABC at the time, while he was on vacation in Hawaii during 2003 as a television adaptation of the 2000 Tom Hanks film Cast Away, crossed with elements of the popular reality show Survivor. Braun later pitched his ideas for Cast Away – The Series at the network's gathering of executives at the Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa in Anaheim, California, describing the concept as "parts Cast Away, Survivor, and Gilligan's Island, with a Lord of the Flies element." Many found the idea laughable, but senior vice president Thom Sherman saw potential and decided to order an initial script from Spelling Television. Spelling producer Ted Gold turned to writer Jeffrey Lieber, who presented a pitch to ABC in September 2003 titled Nowhere, which Sherman approved. Unhappy with the eventual script by Lieber and a subsequent rewrite, in January 2004, Braun contacted J. J. Abrams, who had developed the TV series Alias for ABC, to write a new pilot script. Lieber would later receive a story credit for the Lost pilot and, subsequently, shared the "created by" credit with Abrams and Lindelof, after a request for arbitration at the Writers Guild of America. The one inviolable edict Braun made to Abrams was that the show's title must be Lost, having conceived of the title and being angry at its change to Nowhere by Lieber.

Although initially hesitant, Abrams warmed to the idea on the condition that the series would have a supernatural angle to it and if he had a writing partner. ABC executive Heather Kadin sent him Damon Lindelof, who had long intended to meet Abrams as he wished to write for Alias. Together, Abrams and Lindelof created the series' style and characters and also wrote a series bible that conceived and detailed the major mythological ideas and plot points for an ideal four-to-five-season run for the show. The novel idea of a story arc spanning several years was inspired by Babylon 5. Because ABC felt that Alias was too serialized, Lindelof and Abrams assured the network in the bible that the show would be self-contained: "We promise ... that requires NO knowledge of the episode(s) that preceded it ... there is no 'Ultimate Mystery' which requires solving." While such statements contradicted their true plans, the ruse succeeded in persuading ABC to purchase the show. The game Myst, also set in a tropical island, was noted as an influence by Lindelof, as in its narrative, "No one told you what the rules were. You just had to walk around and explore these environments and gradually a story was told."

Abrams created the sound opening of the show and its title card being inspired by The Twilight Zone. He withdrew from production of Lost partway through the first season to direct Mission: Impossible III, leaving Lindelof and new executive producer Carlton Cuse to develop much of the overall mythology of the series themselves. However, Abrams briefly returned to help co-write the third-season premiere along with Lindelof. The development of the show was constrained by tight deadlines, as it had been commissioned late in the 2004 season's development cycle. Despite the short schedule, the creative team remained flexible enough to modify or create characters to fit actors they wished to cast.

Lost's two-part pilot episode was the most expensive in the network's history, reportedly costing between US$10 and $14 million, compared to the average cost of an hour-long pilot in 2005 of $4 million. The world premiere of the pilot episode was on July 24, 2004, at San Diego Comic-Con. ABC's parent company Disney fired Braun before Lost's broadcast debut, partly because of low ratings at the network and also because he had greenlighted such an expensive and risky project. The series debuted on September 22, 2004, becoming one of the biggest critical and commercial successes of the 2004 television season. Along with fellow new series Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy, Lost helped to reverse the flagging fortunes of ABC, and its great success likely caused the network to ignore that the show almost immediately broke Lindelof and Abrams' promises to it regarding Lost's plots.

Casting

Many of the first season roles were a result of the executive producers' liking of various actors. The main character Jack was going to die in the pilot, and the role was planned for Michael Keaton. However, ABC executives were adamant that Jack live. Before it was decided that Jack would live, Kate was to emerge as the leader of the survivors; she was conceived as a middle-aged businesswoman whose husband had apparently died in the crash, a role later fulfilled by the recurring character Rose. Dominic Monaghan auditioned for the role of Sawyer, who at the time was supposed to be a slick suit-wearing city con man. The producers enjoyed Monaghan's performance and changed the character of Charlie, a washed-up former rock star, to fit him. Jorge Garcia also auditioned for Sawyer, and the part of Hurley was written for him. When Josh Holloway auditioned for Sawyer, the producers liked the edge he brought to the character (he reportedly kicked a chair when he forgot his lines and got angry in the audition) and his southern accent, so they changed Sawyer to fit Holloway's acting. Yunjin Kim auditioned for Kate, but the producers wrote the character of Sun for her and the character of Jin, portrayed by Daniel Dae Kim, to be her husband. Sayid, played by Naveen Andrews, was also not in the original script. Locke and Michael were written with their actors in mind. Emilie de Ravin, who played Claire, was cast in what was 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 to eight episodes because of his acting skills and eventually, for the whole of season three and later seasons.

Filming

Jack Bender sitting at a microphone.
Jack Bender directed the most episodes of the series and also served as an executive producer.

Lost was filmed on Panavision 35 mm cameras almost entirely on the Hawaiian island of Oahu given the easily accessible, wide diversity of filming locations. 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. In 2006, the sound-stage and production offices moved to the Hawaii Film Office-operated Hawaii Film Studio, where the sets depicting Season 2's "Swan Station" and Season 3's "Hydra Station" interiors were built.

Various urban areas in and around Honolulu are used as stand-ins for locations around the world, including California, New York, Iowa, Miami, South Korea, Iraq, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Paris, Thailand, Berlin, Maldives, 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 both an Iraqi Republican Guard installation and a Dharma Initiative research station. Scenes set in Germany during the winter were filmed on Merchant St., with crushed ice scattered everywhere to create snow and Russian store and automobile signs on the street. Several scenes in the Season 3 finale, "Through the Looking Glass", were shot in Los Angeles, including a hospital set borrowed from Grey's Anatomy. Two scenes during season four were filmed in London because Alan Dale, who portrays Widmore, was at the time performing in the musical Spamalot and was unable to travel to Hawaii. Extensive archives of filming locations are tracked at a repository at the Lost Virtual Tour.

Promotion

During its six years of broadcasting, Lost developed an extensive collection of promotional tools ranging from the traditional promotions of the TV show made by the channel, to the creation of alternate reality games, such as the Lost Experience. Lost showed innovation in the use of new advertising strategies in the sector and the transformation of the conventional devices used previously.

Music

Main article: Lost Original Television Soundtracks

Lost features an orchestral score performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra and composed by Michael Giacchino, incorporating many recurring themes for subjects, such as events, locations, and characters. Giacchino achieved some of the sounds for the score using unusual instruments, such as striking suspended pieces of the plane's fuselage. On March 21, 2006, the record label Varèse Sarabande released the original television soundtrack for Lost's 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 season 2 of Lost on October 3, 2006. The soundtrack for season 3 was released on May 6, 2008; the soundtrack for season 4 was released on May 11, 2009; the soundtrack for season 5 was released on May 11, 2010; and the soundtrack for the final season was released on September 14, 2010. A final soundtrack, featuring music from series finale, was released on October 11, 2010.

The series uses pop culture songs sparingly, and has a mainly orchestral score (consisting usually of divided strings, percussion, harp, and three trombones). When it features pop songs, they often originate from a diegetic source. Examples include the various songs played on Hurley's portable CD player throughout the first season (until its batteries died in the episode "...In Translation", which featured Damien Rice's "Delicate") or the use of the record player in the second season, which included Cass Elliot's "Make Your Own Kind of Music" and Petula Clark's "Downtown" in the second and third-season premieres respectively. Two episodes show Charlie on a street corner playing guitar and singing the Oasis song "Wonderwall". In the third season's finale, Jack drives down the street listening to Nirvana's "Scentless Apprentice", right before he arrives to the Hoffs/Drawlar Funeral Parlor, and in the parallel scene in the fourth season's finale, he arrives listening to "Gouge Away" by Pixies. The third season also used Three Dog Night's "Shambala" on two occasions in the van. The only two pop songs that have ever been used without an on-screen source (i.e., non-diegetic) are Ann-Margret's "Slowly", in the episode "I Do" and "I Shall Not Walk Alone", written by Ben Harper and covered by The Blind Boys of Alabama in the episode "Confidence Man." Alternate music is used in several international broadcasts. For example, in the Japanese broadcast of Lost, the theme song used varies by season: season one uses "Here I Am" by Chemistry, season two uses "Losin'" by Yuna Ito, and season three uses "Lonely Girl" by Crystal Kay.

Allegations of toxic work environment

In May 2023, Maureen Ryan's book Burn It Down: Power, Complicity and a Call For Change in Hollywood cited claims made by cast member Harold Perrineau and writers Monica Owusu-Breen and Melinda Hsu Taylor of an alleged toxic and racist environment fostered by Lindelof and Cuse. Perrineau said he was fired by Lindelof after he asked about his character's death. In response to the allegations, Lindelof stated "my level of fundamental inexperience as a manager and a boss, my role as someone who was supposed to model a climate of creative danger and risk-taking but provide safety and comfort inside of the creative process—I failed in that endeavor". Recurring cast member Mira Furlan also recalled an abusive on-set experience in her memoir. She regarded the entire cast as complicit, with the exception of one main actress.

Reception and impact

Critical reception

Critical response of Lost
SeasonRotten TomatoesMetacritic
196% (46 reviews)86 (27 reviews)
2100% (17 reviews)
375% (20 reviews)
489% (27 reviews)87 (12 reviews)
592% (24 reviews)78 (17 reviews)
669% (35 reviews)

Lost has been described by numerous critics as being among the greatest television series of all time. Bill Carter, television reporter of The New York Times, defined Lost as "the show with perhaps the most compelling continuing story line in television history." Entertainment Weekly put the show on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Name another network drama that can so wondrously turn a ? into a !" In 2012, Entertainment Weekly also listed the show at #10 in the "25 Best Cult TV Shows from the Past 25 Years", with a hot-and-cold description: "Lost was initially celebrated as a moving character-driven drama with a broad humanistic worldview that also presented itself as dramatic cryptography that demanded to be solved. The appeal narrowed as seasons progressed and the mythology became more complex, culminating in a still-debated finale that was deeply meaningful to some and dissatisfying poppycock to others." In 2007, TV Guide ranked Lost as the #5 cult show. In 2013, TV Guide ranked it as the #5 sci-fi show and the #36 best series of all time. In September 2019, The Guardian ranked the show 71st on its list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century.

Season 1

The first season received critical acclaim. USA Today said a "totally original, fabulously enjoyable lost-at-sea series", Lost had taken "an outlandish Saturday-serial setup and imbued it with real characters and honest emotions, without sacrificing any of the old-fashioned fun." The Los Angeles Times praised the production values and said "it knows the buttons it wants to push (fear of flying, fear of abandonment, fear of the unknown) and pushes them, repeatedly, like a kid playing a video game." IGN noted that the first season "succeeded first and foremost in character development." Lost season one was ranked number one in the "Best of 2005 TV Coverage: Critic Top Ten Lists" by Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe, Tom Gliatto of People Weekly, Charlie McCollum of the San Jose Mercury News, and Robert Bianco of USA Today.

Season 2

The second season received favorable reviews, but it was noted that the season "stumbled with some storylines going nowhere and some characters underutilized." IGN also noted the addition of Desmond Hume as a standout new character. The San Francisco Chronicle called Season 2 an "extended, mostly unsatisfying foray into deeper mythology with very little payoff." After winning "Best Drama Series" for season one, Lost was snubbed by the Emmy Awards in Season 2. Nearing the end of the second season, USA Today listed the most popular fan theories during Season 2—the island as a psychological experiment, that the hatch had electromagnetic properties, string theory of time, and that everyone on the island had developed a "collective consciousness" that allowed them to appear in each other's past. One fan interview by USA Today said that "Real suspense comes from answers, not questions. Suspense comes not from wondering what's going on but from wondering what happens next. If you withhold answers, it becomes impossible to satisfy."

Season 3

The first block of episodes of the third season was criticized for raising too many mysteries and not providing enough answers. Complaints were also made about the limited screen time for many of the main characters in the first block. Locke, played by Terry O'Quinn, who had tied for the highest second-season episode count, appeared in only 13 of 23 episodes in the third season—only two more than guest star M.C. Gainey, who played Tom. Reaction to two new characters, Nikki and Paulo, was generally negative, and Lindelof even acknowledged that the couple was "universally despised" by fans. The decision to split the season and the American time-slot switch after the hiatus were also criticized. Cuse acknowledged that, "No one was happy with the six-episode run." The second block of episodes was critically acclaimed, however, with the crew dealing with problems from the first block. More answers were written into the show, and Nikki and Paulo were killed off. It was also announced that the series would end three seasons after the third season, which Cuse hoped would tell the audience that the writers knew where the story was going.

Season 4

Metacritic gave season four a weighted average of 87 based on 12 critical reviews, For the first time since season one, Lost received an Emmy nomination for 'Outstanding Drama Series'. Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle said that the Season 4 episodes were "roller coasters of fast action and revelation" and that series was "back on track." In a survey conducted by TVWeek of professional critics, Lost was voted the best show on television in the first half of 2008 "by a wide margin", apparently "crack the top five on nearly every critic's submission" and receiving "nothing but praise." The New York Times said the show reveled in critiques of capitalism, using the fictional Mittelos Bioscience and the "malevolent British industrialist" character of Charles Widmore as examples. The critic also said that the show was "in the dark business of exploring just how futile the modern search for peace, knowledge, recovery or profit really is." The critic did go on to say that the series was not as "philosophically refined" as The Sopranos or The Wire but that it "has maximized the potential of narrative uncertainty and made it a beguiling constant."

Michael Emerson and Damon Lindelof at the 68th Annual Peabody Awards for Lost

Season 5

The fifth season once again received mostly positive critical reception. Season 5 was given a weighted average of 78 out of 100 by Metacritic. Variety said that "The ABC series remains one of primetime's most uncompromising efforts, and this year's latest wrinkle on flashbacks, flash-forwards and island-disappearing flashes of light does nothing to alter that perception." Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger said that season 5 may finally be "a day of reckoning between those viewers who embrace the show's science-fiction trappings, and those who prefer not to think about them." Sepinwall also related that "I loved every minute. But I'm also a geek who read Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov growing up."

Heather Havrilesky of Salon.com criticized the use of time travel, saying that "when a narrator brings magic or time travel or an act of God into the picture, then uses it without restraint, the story loses its anchor to real life." The critic also asked "Why does it matter what Locke and Richard Alpert and Daniel Faraday or anyone else does, when they all seem as clueless and unfettered from reality as we are as viewers? How can these characters have any concrete agenda or strategic approach or philosophical perspective on anything when the rug is pulled out from under them by another Act of God every few seconds?"

The New York Times also commented that "what has been most dispiriting about the current season is the show's willingness to abandon many of the larger and more compelling themes that grounded the elaborate plot: the struggles between faith and reason; the indictments of extreme capitalism, the futility of recovery. All that remains is the reductively limned battle between fate and free will largely playing out, now, in Jack Shephard's belief that returning to the island is his Destiny." The A.V. Club said of the fifth-season finale, "Me? I found the ending frustrating, but in a good way. This finale was entertaining as all get-out to me, and despite the occasional groaner moment, I think this may be Lost's most purposeful, surprising finale."

Season 6

Season six opened to much hype and curiosity. The A.V. Club asked, "I'm guessing that one of the biggest fears of Lost fans as we ride out this sixth and final season—bumps and all—is that we're going to come to the end and find a big nothing in return for all we've invested in these characters. We don't just need answers, we need justifications. Why has whatever happened, happened? Who has called this particular meeting to order, and does it really matter who showed up?" The episodes "Dr. Linus", "Ab Aeterno", "Happily Ever After", and "The Candidate" opened to highly positive critical reception while the third-to-last episode "Across the Sea" was the episode with the most negative reception. The time spent at the Others' temple was criticized. E! Online described the show as "lightning in a bottle" and picked it as "Top TV Drama of 2010."

Series finale

The series finale opened to highly polarized critical and fan reception. According to Metacritic, "The End" received "generally favorable reviews" with a Metascore—a weighted average based on the impressions of 31 critical reviews—of 74 out of 100. IGN reviewer Chris Carbot gave the finale a 10/10, tying it with the initial review of "Pilot, Part 1", "Through the Looking Glass", "The Constant", and "There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3" as the best-reviewed episode of Lost. He described it as "one of the most enthralling, entertaining and satisfying conclusions I could have hoped for." Carbot also noted that the discussions about the episode may never end, saying "Lost may be gone, but it will hardly be forgotten." Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times also gave the finale a perfect score, stating "Sunday's show was an emotional, funny, expertly measured reminder of what Lost has really centered on since its first moments on the prime time TV landscape: faith, hope, romance and the power of redemption through belief in the best of what moves mankind." Robert Bianco of USA Today rated the episode perfect as well, deeming the finale "can stand with the best any series has produced." Hal Boedeker of Orlando Sentinel cited the finale being "a stunner."

The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph both reported that "The End" had received negative reviews and disappointed its viewers. Alan Sepinwall of Star-Ledger was less enthusiastic of the finale, stating "I'm still wrestling with my feelings about 'The End'... I thought most of it worked like gangbusters. ... But as someone who did spend at least part of the last six years dwelling on the questions that were unanswered—be they little things like the outrigger shootout or why The Others left Dharma in charge of the Swan station after the purge, or bigger ones like Walt—I can't say I found 'The End' wholly satisfying, either as closure for this season or the series. ... There are narrative dead ends in every season of 'Lost,' but it felt like season six had more than usual." Mike Hale of The New York Times gave "The End" a mixed review, as the episode showed that the series was "shaky on the big picture—on organizing the welter of mythic-religious-philosophical material it insisted on incorporating into its plot—but highly skilled at the small one, the moment to moment business of telling an exciting story. Rendered insignificant ... were the particulars of what they had done on the island." David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun gave the episode a highly negative review, writing "If this is supposed to be such a smart and wise show, unlike anything else on network TV (blah, blah, blah), why such a wimpy, phony, quasi-religious, white-light, huggy-bear ending. ... Once Jack stepped into the church it looked like he was walking into a Hollywood wrap party without food or music—just a bunch of actors grinning idiotically for 10 minutes and hugging one another."

Ratings

Lost aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) from September 22, 2004, to May 23, 2010. The pilot episode had 18.6 million viewers, easily winning its 9:00 pm timeslot, and giving ABC its strongest ratings since 2000 when Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was 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 18- to 49-year-olds since Once and Again in 1999, and in total viewers since Murder One in 1995."

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. 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 18- to 49-year-olds, ranking eighth. The second-season premiere was even more viewed than the first, pulling in over 23 million viewers and setting a series record. The third-season premiere brought in 18.8 million viewers. The seventh episode of the season, back from a three-month hiatus, saw a drop to 14.5 million. Over the course of the spring season, ratings would plunge to as low as 11 million viewers before recovering to near 14 million for the season finale. The ratings drop was partially explained when Nielsen released DVR ratings, showing Lost as the most recorded series on television. However, despite overall ratings losses, Lost still won its hour in the crucial 18–49 demographic and put out the highest 18–49 numbers in the 10:00 p.m. time slot ahead of any show on any network that season. The fourth-season premiere saw an increase from the previous episode to 16.1 million viewers, though by the eighth episode, viewers had decreased to a series low of 11.461 million. A survey of 20 countries by Informa Telecoms and Media in 2006 concluded that Lost was the second most popular TV show in those countries, after CSI: Miami. The sixth-season premiere was the first to climb in the ratings year-over-year since the second season, drawing 12.1 million viewers.

Lost : U.S. viewers per episode (millions)
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
SeasonEpisode numberAverage
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
118.6517.0016.5418.1616.8216.8318.7318.4417.6417.1518.8821.5920.8119.6919.4817.8719.4918.8517.7517.1217.2017.1018.6220.7120.7118.39
223.4723.1722.3821.6621.3820.0121.8719.2921.5420.5619.1319.0518.7418.2016.4315.3016.2116.3815.6815.5616.3514.6717.8417.8418.91
318.8216.8916.3117.0916.0717.1514.4912.8412.9512.7812.4512.4812.2211.5211.6612.0912.0811.8612.3312.1112.3213.8613.8613.75
416.0715.0613.6213.5312.8512.9011.8711.2812.3311.1411.2811.4012.2012.2012.73
511.6611.0811.0710.989.7711.279.8210.619.088.829.358.299.239.048.709.439.439.97
612.0912.0911.059.829.959.299.498.879.3110.139.559.489.539.5910.3210.4713.5713.5710.85
Audience measurement performed by Nielsen Media Research

Lost gained renewed popularity after becoming available on streaming platforms like Hulu and Netflix. Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, estimated that the series was watched for 678 million minutes from July 29 to August 4, 2024. It later accumulated 1.03 billion minutes of watch time from October 21–27, 2024.

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Lost

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 "Pilot." Terry O'Quinn and Naveen Andrews were nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category. Lost swept the guild awards in 2005, winning the Writers Guild of America Awards 2005 for Outstanding Achievement in Writing for a Dramatic Television Series, the 2005 Producers Guild Award for Best Production, the 2005 Director's Guild Award for Best Direction of a Dramatic Television Program, and the 2005 Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Ensemble Cast.

For his portrayal of Ben Linus, Michael Emerson received many awards and nominations, including winning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2009.

It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Drama Series three times (2005–2007), and it won the award in 2006. In 2006, Matthew Fox and Naveen Andrews received Golden Globe nominations for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Best Supporting Actor respectively, and in 2007, Evangeline Lilly received a nomination for Best Actress in a Television Drama Series. Lost was nominated for the 2005 British Academy of Film and Television Award for Best International. In 2006, Jorge Garcia and Michelle Rodriguez took home ALMA Awards for Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively, in a Television Series. It won the Saturn Award for Best Television Series in both 2005 and 2006. In 2005, Terry O'Quinn won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor in a television series, and in 2006, Matthew Fox won for Best Lead Actor. Lost won consecutive Television Critics Association Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Drama, for both its first and second seasons. Consecutively as well, it won in 2005 and 2006 the Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program. Malcolm David Kelley won a Young Artist Award for his performance as Walt in 2006.

In 2005, Lost was voted Entertainment Weekly's Entertainer of the Year. The show won a 2005 Prism Award for Charlie's drug storyline in the episodes "Pilot", "House of the Rising Sun", and "The Moth." In 2007, Lost was listed as one of Time magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME." The series was nominated for but did not win a Writers Guild Award and Producers Guild Award again in 2007. In June 2007, Lost beat out over 20 nominated television shows from countries all over the globe to win the Best Drama award at the Monte Carlo Television Festival. In September 2007, both Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn were nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, the award going to O'Quinn. Lost was again nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2008. The show also garnered seven other Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Michael Emerson. It won a Peabody Award in 2008. In 2009, Lost was again nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, as well Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Michael Emerson at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards, of which the latter won.

In 2010, the sixth and final season was nominated for twelve Emmy Awards at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series; Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, for Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof for the show's series finale, "The End"; Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, for Matthew Fox; Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, for Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn; and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, for Elizabeth Mitchell. It won only one Emmy (Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing) out of its twelve nominations for a series total of 11 wins and 55 nominations in its six-year run.

In 2010, Kristin dos Santos of E! Online ranked Lost the best TV series of the past 20 years. In 2013, the Writers Guild of America ranked Lost No. 27 in its list of the 101 Best Written TV Series of All Time. In 2014, the series was nominated for the TCA Heritage Award. In 2016, Rolling Stone ranked it the fourteenth best science fiction television show ever.

Fandom and popular culture

As a mainstream cult television show, Lost has generated a dedicated and thriving international fan community. Lost fans, sometimes dubbed Lostaways or Losties, have gathered at San Diego Comic-Con and conventions organized by ABC but have also been active in developing many fan websites, including Lostpedia and forums dedicated to the program and its related incarnations. 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." An official fanclub was launched in the summer of 2005 through Creation Entertainment.

Due to the show's popularity, references to it and elements from its story have appeared in parody and popular culture usage. These include appearances on television, such as on the series Fringe, Will & Grace, Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock, Scrubs, Modern Family, Orange Is the New Black, Community, The Office, Family Guy, American Dad!, The Simpsons, Futurama, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (under the sketch parody title "Late"), and The Venture Bros.. Lost is also featured as an Easter egg in several video games, including Dead Island, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Fallout 3, World of Warcraft, Just Cause 2, Batman: Arkham City, Grand Theft Auto V, and Singularity. Similarly, several songs have been published whose themes and titles were derived from the series, such as Moneen ("Don't Ever Tell Locke What He Can't Do"), Veil of Maya ("Namaste"), Cosmo Jarvis ("Lost"), Senses Fail ("Lost and Found" and "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues"), Gatsbys American Dream ("You All Everybody" and "Station 5: The Pearl"), and Punchline ("Roller Coaster Smoke"). Weezer named their eighth studio album Hurley after the character, with a photo of actor Jorge Garcia on the cover.

After the episode "Numbers" aired on March 2, 2005, numerous people used the eponymous figures (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42) as lottery entries. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, within three days, the numbers were tried over 500 times by local players. By October 2005, thousands had tried them for the multi-state Powerball lottery. A study of the Quebec Lottery showed that the sequence was the third most popular choice of numbers for lottery players, behind only the arithmetic sequences 1–2–3–4–5–6 and 7–14–21–28–35–42. The issue came to attention after a Mega Millions drawing for a near-record US$380,000,000 jackpot on January 4, 2011, drew a series of numbers in which the three lowest numbers (4–8–15) and the mega ball (42) matched four of the six numbers. The No. 42 is also the "Mega Number" in Hurley's "Mega Lotto" ticket. The players who played Hurley's exact combination won $150 each (or $118 in California).

Influence

Lost has been cited as a key influence on several of its contemporaries. The ABC series FlashForward was heavily compared to Lost, because of its similar use of nonlinear narrative and mysteries. The NBC series Heroes drew comparisons to Lost during its run, because of some similarities such as its ensemble cast. Damon Lindelof was involved in the early stages of the creative process of Heroes, as he was friends with Heroes creator Tim Kring. Ever since its premiere, The 100 has been compared to Lost because of its similar setting and the importance of survival in its story. The TBS comedy Wrecked has been defined as a parody of Lost, because of its very similar premise and multiple references to the drama.

Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, former writers of Lost, created the fantasy series Once Upon a Time, which has also been compared to Lost. Even though their series started after Lost ended, they conceived it in 2004. Damon Lindelof was involved in the development of their series. Despite the comparisons and similarities to Lost, the writers intended the shows to be very different from each other. To them, Lost concerned itself with redemption, while Once Upon a Time is about hope. As a nod to the ties between the production teams of Once Upon a Time and Lost, the former show contains allusions to Lost. For example, many items found in the Lost universe, such as Apollo candy bars, Oceanic Airlines, Ajira Airways, the TV series Exposé and MacCutcheon Whisky can be seen in Once Upon a Time.

Both during and after Lost's run on ABC, its success led to dozens of new shows attempting to enter the same "mystery-driven sci-fi" genre as networks sought to cater to viewers' evolved affinity and demonstrated loyalty to this specific subset of drama. In 2018, NBC introduced Manifest, a show about the mysterious disappearance of a commercial passenger jet. While the show's preview and pilot alone sparked media coverage highlighting the show's central mystery to be seemingly the same as that of Lost, subsequent seasons have furthered controversy around the extent of key similarities. Noted parallels include the passengers' collective experience of displacement in spacetime, the acquisition of supernatural abilities and medical phenomenons post-disappearance, the use of flashback/flashforward sequences to expose dark secrets harbored by passengers, the revelation of unusually high levels of interconnectedness between the lives of passengers, the polarized beliefs held by passengers regarding science versus faith as a means to explain their shared experience in different ways. Season 4 of Manifest reveals a plot twist suggesting the passengers were in some way chosen, prompting critics to point out this same key plot twist introducing predestination was featured in Lost.

Getting Lost

An independent documentary film about the development and cultural impact of Lost titled Getting Lost premiered on September 22, 2024, which marked the 20th anniversary of the original series' premiere. The film is directed by Taylor Morden, and features interviews with the cast and crew of the show, along with members of the fan community. It also addresses the allegations of a toxic work environment that were revealed during the film’s production in 2023.

Canadian movie theater chain Cineplex will release Getting Lost in theaters on November 3 and 6, 2024.

Distribution

Online

In addition to traditional terrestrial and satellite television, Lost is available from various online subscription services, including Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, on Disney+ outside of the US via Star and on Netflix. It was one of the first series issued through Apple's iTunes Store beginning in October 2005. On August 29, 2007, Lost became one of the first TV programs available for download in the UK iTunes Store.

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. In 2009, Lost was named the most-watched show on the Internet based on viewers of episodes on ABC's website. The Nielsen Company reported that 1.425 million unique viewers have watched at least one episode on ABC's website.

Home media

The first season of Lost was released under the title Lost: The Complete First Season as a widescreen seven-disc Region 1 DVD box set 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 been 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. The season was first released split into two parts: the first twelve episodes of season 1 were available as a widescreen four-disc Region 2 DVD box set on October 31, 2005, while the remaining thirteen episodes of season 1 were released on January 16, 2006. The DVD features available on the Region 1 release were likewise split over the two box sets. The first two seasons were released separately on Blu-ray Disc on June 16, 2009.

The second season was released under the title Lost: The Complete Second Season – The Extended Experience as a widescreen seven-disc Region 1 DVD box set on September 5, 2006. The sets include several 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. Again, the season 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, while the remaining episodes of season 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.

The third season was released under the title Lost: The Complete Third Season – The Unexplored Experience on DVD and Blu-ray in Region 1 on December 11, 2007. As with seasons 1 and 2, the third season release includes audio commentaries with the cast and crew, bonus featurettes, deleted scenes, and bloopers. The third season was released in Region 2 solely on DVD on October 22, 2007, though this time, only as a complete set, unlike previous seasons.

The fourth season was released as Lost: The Complete Fourth Season – The Expanded Experience in Region 1 on December 9, 2008, on both DVD and Blu-ray Disc. It was released on DVD in Region 2 on October 20, 2008. The set includes audio commentaries, deleted scenes, bloopers, and bonus featurettes.

The first three seasons of Lost have sold successfully on DVD. The season 1 box set entered the DVD sales chart at number two in September 2005, and the season 2 box set 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. The season 3 box set sold over 1,000,000 copies in three weeks.

Both the season 6 box set and the complete series collection contained a 12-minute epilogue-like bonus feature called "The New Man in Charge". The season 6 DVD set entered the DVD sales chart at the number one position in its first week of release in September 2010 boasting strong sales in the DVD and Blu-ray format for the regular season set as well as for the series box set.

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. Three novelizations have been released by Hyperion Books, a publisher owned by Disney, ABC's parent company. They are Endangered Species (ISBN 0-7868-9090-8) and Secret Identity (ISBN 0-7868-9091-6) both by Cathy Hapka and Signs of Life (ISBN 0-7868-9092-4) by Frank Thompson. Additionally, Hyperion published a metafictional book titled Bad Twin (ISBN 1-4013-0276-9), written by Laurence Shames, and credited to fictitious author "Gary Troup", who ABC's marketing department claimed was a passenger on Oceanic Flight 815.

Several unofficial books relating to the show have also been published. 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. What Can Be Found in Lost? (ISBN 0-7369-2121-4) by John Ankerberg and Dillon Burrough, published by Harvest House is the first book dedicated to an investigation of the spiritual themes of the series from a Christian perspective. Living Lost: Why We're All Stuck on the Island (ISBN 1-891053-02-7) by J. Wood, published by the Garett County Press, is the first work of cultural criticism based on the series. The book explores the show's strange engagement with the contemporary experiences of war, (mis)information, and terrorism and argues that the audience functions as a character in the narrative. The author also writes a blog column during the second part of the third season for Powell's Books. Each post discusses the previous episode's literary, historical, philosophical, and narrative connections.

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 were included in "Lost Untold", a section of Channel 4's Lost website. Similarly, beginning in November 2005, ABC 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. Sky1 also hosted a podcast presented by Iain Lee on their website, which analyzed each episode after it aired in the United Kingdom.

The foray into the online realm culminated in the Lost Experience, an Internet-based alternate reality game produced by Channel 7 (Australia), ABC (America), and Channel Four (UK), which began in early May 2006. The game presents a five-phase parallel storyline, primarily involving the Hanso Foundation.

Short mini-episodes ("mobisodes") called the Lost Video Diaries were scheduled for viewing by Verizon Wireless subscribers via its V-Cast system but were delayed by contract disputes. The mobisodes were renamed Lost: Missing Pieces and aired from November 7, 2007, to January 28, 2008.

Licensed merchandise

In addition to tie-in novels, several other products based on the series, such as toys and games, have been licensed for release. A video game, Lost: Via Domus, was released to average reviews, developed by Ubisoft, for game consoles and home computers, while Gameloft released Lost: The Mobile Game for mobile phones and iPods. Cardinal Games released a Lost board game on August 7, 2006. TDC Games created a series of four 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles ("The Hatch", "The Numbers", "The Others", and "Before the Crash"), which, when put together, reveal embedded clues to the overall mythology of Lost. Inkworks has published three sets of Lost trading cards, Season One, Season Two, and Revelations. In May 2006, McFarlane Toys announced recurring lines of character action figures and released the first series in November 2006, with the second series being released July 2007. Furthermore, ABC sold a myriad of Lost merchandise in their online store, including clothing, jewelry, and other collectibles. In October 2010, DK Publishing released a 400-page reference titled The Lost Encyclopedia, written by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry. The book compiled information from the TV show producers "writers bible", listing nearly every character, chronological event, location, and plot detail of the series, filling in the gaps for die-hard fans.

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  1. Credited as Touchstone Television for seasons 1–3
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