Watching Lost

Something I read over at Variety and I’m sharing it to the fans here.

Over the past three years, the castaways on “Lost” have managed to survive killer polar bears, competition from “American Idol” and some of the most complicated storylines in network TV history. But this year, they’re facing what may be their toughest enemy yet: the writers strike.

The WGA walkout has put a major monkey wrench in what had been a carefully crafted master plan for “Lost,” designed to take the series through a pre-announced 2010 conclusion. But the strike has forced the net to change all that, while also resulting in a risky timeslot shift and a downsized PR campaign.

As ominous as this sounds, all is not lost for “Lost.”

The skein has proven to be a remarkably resilient weapon for ABC, an enduring hit that’s managed to thrive in the era of digital video recorders. It’s become a poster child for the power of new media to expand a brand beyond the TV screen, dominating the iTunes sales charts and spinning off all manner of Internet and mobile phone extensions.

And “Lost” has also helped redefine sci-fi for primetime, moving the genre beyond the geek core that carried “Star Trek” and “The X-Files” for so many years.

“It’s sort of stealth sci-fi,” says Sci Fi general manager Dave Howe, whose cabler begins airing “Lost” repeats this fall. “It’s never marketed as a sci-fi show, and a lot of people wouldn’t even describe it as one. It hits the sweet spot of what I call the new sci-fi.”

Bottom line: While launching “Lost” this season could be tough, viewers aren’t about to abandon this island any time soon.

“If there is any show where people watch the show and not the time period, it’s ‘Lost,’” says ABC exec VP Jeff Bader.

While he acknowledges moving the show to Thursday is a bit of a challenge, the strike has actually made things easier on that front.

“It’ll have a huge advantage because it’ll be the only original scripted show in the time period,” he says.

ABC also faces another formidable challenge in pleasing the show’s rabid fans, who aren’t shy in sharing their concerns over the show.

Follow the story here.

Don’t forget, Lost premieres this coming Thursday. If you’re curious, you can watch tons of preview via E! or hold off for a couple more days. It’s almost here!

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