Lost is Hurting Itself Badly with these Constant Breaks in Episodes

[Erised]

These breaks are definately very annoying. I'm getting confused myself. And I watch two other shows on WB. They do these stupid breaks for no reason as well. And, well, I stopped watching everything but Stargate on TV because I never know if we will be getting new episodes or repeats.

SciFi channel had one big break and now we're all happy and SO not confused. Why can't WB do the same eh?

[Oblivion147]

It seems this issue is bothering a lot of people (even the producers of the show), I found this article on lost-media.com:

Rerun Purgatory

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for a new episode of Lost... Oh, wait. No it's not. Not tonight, at least. Tonight is... another repeat! Apparently, for many Lost fans, waiting really is the hardest part. Writes Mark Morrison: ''Do you think that the producers of the show are concerned with the fact that they have WAY too many reruns? I have spoken with many Lost fans who say they are getting more and more aggravated by this all the time.''

Well, I suppose I can offer my two cents... but let's ask the producers themselves.

''We wish we could run the show in one continuous block,'' says exec producer Carlton Cuse. ''Unfortunately, we can't physically produce more than the 24 hours of the show we produce each season. Those 24 episodes have to spead across the entire 35-week TV season. The network needs originals at key times, like premiere week and during the three sweeps periods. The show is too valuable to the overall ratings picture of the network to run it out in one block. Therefore, massive repeats. We are victims of the way the TV season lays out. We feel our viewers' pain because we experience it ourselves.''

Adds Lost executive producer Damon Lindelof: ''The rerun issue is as frustrating for us as it is for the fans. The reason a show like 24 can run straight through is that it begins in January. ABC ultimately makes the call as to how Lost is aired and they have chosen to make sure we run original eps through every sweeps period (November, February, May) in addition to launching our season in September so the fans don't have to wait an extra four months for new episodes. We can only make so many eps a season, so the basic math works out in favor of TOO MANY RERUNS! It ain't great, but it is what it is.''

[V-MAN]

Stupid breaks like this are what kills TV shows............

Anyone remember this happening to Space Above and Beyond?

[LoneStar1836]

I have no flippin idea when new episodes air and when they don’t. I know I’ve missed about five episodes if I’m lucky. It may be more. I’ve just given up on trying to remember that it comes on Wednesday night. I’m too tired from work anyway to be bothered to stay up to see if it’s a new one.

I’m just going to wait until the season is released on DVD to catch up on Season 2....

[keshou]

I have no flippin idea when new episodes air and when they don’t. I know I’ve missed about five episodes if I’m lucky. It may be more. I’ve just given up on trying to remember that it comes on Wednesday night. I’m too tired from work anyway to be bothered to stay up to see if it’s a new one.

I’m just going to wait until the season is released on DVD to catch up on Season 2....

That's kind of where I am. I've caught a few new episodes in S2 but between working late and just flat not knowing if a new episode is on, I feel really out of the loop on the storyline this season.

I really think they'd be better off showing "Lost" all in a block like "24". Hold the series until January and then air all 24 episodes if that's what it takes. It's really a show that depends on viewers being caught up on the storyline. If they forget to watch - because they never know when new episodes are on - I would think the ratings will suffer.

[Morbo]

I have no flippin idea when new episodes air and when they don’t. I know I’ve missed about five episodes if I’m lucky. It may be more. I’ve just given up on trying to remember that it comes on Wednesday night. I’m too tired from work anyway to be bothered to stay up to see if it’s a new one.

I’m just going to wait until the season is released on DVD to catch up on Season 2....

you have 1400 posts on a message forum. I have to believe you're better at the internet than you lead on.
Anything and everything is available out here.

But I did it for you.

Bookmark it: http://www.tv.com/lost/show/24313/ep....html&season=2

You'll never miss another episode again.

[LoneStar1836]

you have 1400 posts on a message forum. I have to believe you're better at the internet than you lead on.
Anything and everything is available out here.

Oh I know how to look up on the internet to see when episodes are new and when they are not. I even subscribe to TV Guide (course that’s about to run out and I won’t renew), but because a new episode of LOST is not on every week, I just plain forget the show even exists. So I don’t even think to look to see if this week’s is new or not because it doesn’t even cross my mind to see if it is.

But like I said, it’s mainly because I’m so tired from work, I’m usually home by 3:30 and by 6 pm or maybe earlier, I’ve already gone to sleep and usually don’t wake up until 10pm (because I have to then do more work in preparation for the next day....) when everything on tv is over. So these days I generally don’t watch much TV anyway unless I know it’s something I want to see like 24 on Mondays or BSG on Fridays and Survivor on Thursdays if I’m awake.....

I’m just not too worried about watching much tv these days.....If I see it, I see, if I don’t, oh well....

I’m still going to wait till the S2 DVDs come out to catch up.....though I’ll make it a point to try to catch the last episode of this season whenever that may be.....

Thanks anyway though. So a new episode this week....I might be able catch that one. The lovely little kiddies are doing high stakes testing all this week so i'll have less of a workload.....

Yeah, Kes, that's the reason I've managed to remember that 24 is on Mondays and have managed to see almost all of them so far....well except for the opening 2 hrs and the first hour of that 2 hr ep about two weeks ago. LOST ought to do something like that as well. I think I actually prefer that format. Maybe that's why BSG starting its new season until October isn't quite so bad. It's still going to be hell having to wait the extra 3 months, but if that means cutting out the long mid season hiatus, then I'm in favor...

[Morbo]

I'm the same way.
I don't watch much TV religiously either - mostly because there is jack to watch.

but I know I have 24 mondays, lost wednesdays, stargate/bsg fridays, and grey's anatomy sundays.

[MarshAngel]

Here's yet another excerpt from an article that supports the argument for the show being hurt by the breaks: http://entertainment.myway.com/celeb...0_2006_12.html

.... "Lost" meanwhile, was drawing a phenomenal 18 million viewers per show last year - its debut season.

But has since dropped to about 12 million this year - and repeats are drawing only about 10 million.

Both show are serials, meaning one show picks up where the last left off.

But watercooler chatter that seems so important to TV shows these days has all but died for "Lost."

[NowIWillDestroyAbydos]

I feel your pain guys, we have the same problems for Family Guy

Sundays ep (Mar 19) was a repeat (PTV was the ep name)
The March 12 ep was a new one
and the last new ep before that one was on January 29.


It's getting really annoying for both our shows.

[Oblivion147]

This is obviously quite a big issue, the producers have taken time out in the latest Podcast to address the point, check it out.

http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/podcasts/104992.html

My vote is to follow the 24 route and start Lost in January, even if ABC is 'that' bothered about these sweeps (this word is still new to me) periods they should take notice that 24's ratings are improving whereas Lost's are dropping. Of course 24's ratings could be increasing due to Season 5 being possibly the best series yet!

[The Signal]

Well it looks like things are on the way up, from what I can tell there are at least three eps in a row now, but a drop to 18 million inst exactly the worst thing in the world, after 18 million is still a helluva lot of viewings (right?)

[The Signal]

Just as a little not, the final episode will air on May 24th, leaving very few weeks spare between now and then with episodes 17 - 22 left to air, so it certainly looks good.

[Morbo]

the season finale will be 2 hours as well. abc announced it.

[Captain Reynolds]

Well actually this is the reason that I stopped watchin lost around season 1. The fact that the story pacing I found to be horrendously annoying at times which I could live with but combined with the ****ing breaks, I just gave up. I don't think lost is a bad show or anything but its probably something i won't get into until the show is off the air and on DVD because its damn annoying.