Changes

In the first three seasons, each episode typically centered around one character, with events on the island mixed with flashbacks to important parts of that person's life before the crash. Later in the series, however, this formula was altered several times, in ways that were appropriate to the radically-changing nature of the plot.

In the first three seasons, each episode typically centered around one character, with events on the island mixed with flashbacks to important parts of that person's life before the crash. Later in the series, however, this formula was altered several times, in ways that were appropriate to the radically-changing nature of the plot.

''Lost'''s pilot was aired on September 22, 2004, and the finale of its sixth season, and thus of the entire series, was broadcast on May 23rd, 2010. The announcement for the show's end date, including the number of remaining episodes and their distribution among the remaining seasons, was made in May 2007, close to the end of the show's third season. The show's creators had been urging the network to agree to this relatively rare arrangement for some time, and explaining this move, executive producer Damon Lindelof remarked that "We always envisioned 'Lost' as a show with a beginning, middle and end. By officially announcing exactly when that ending will be, the audience will now have the security of knowing that the story will play out as we've intended."<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20070510030616/http://www.abcmedianet.com/assets/pr%5chtml/050707_01.html</ref>

''Lost'''s pilot was aired on September 22, 2004, and the finale of its sixth season, and thus of the entire series, was broadcast on May 23rd, 2010. The announcement for the show's end date, including the number of remaining episodes and their distribution among the remaining seasons, was made in May 2007, close to the end of the show's third season. The show's creators had been urging the network to agree to this relatively rare arrangement for some time, and explaining this move, executive producer Damon Lindelof remarked that "We always envisioned 'Lost' as a show with a beginning, middle and end. By officially announcing exactly when that ending will be, the audience will now have the security of knowing that the story willGOD IS ATHEIST AND SOCIALIST! FCCK CONSERVAPEDIA! GOD IS ATHEIST AND SOCIALIST! FCCK CONSERVAPEDIA! GOD IS ATHEIST AND SOCIALIST! FCCK CONSERVAPEDIA! GOD IS ATHEIST AND SOCIALIST! FCCK CONSERVAPEDIA!Oconflicts.<ref>http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/01/fans-rejoice-lost-defeated-the-state-of-the-union-today.html</ref>  

 

The show's popularity was such that the sixth season premiere, which aired February 2, 2010, forced the [[Obama]] administration to move up the annual [[State of the Union]] address to avoid scheduling conflicts.<ref>http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/01/fans-rejoice-lost-defeated-the-state-of-the-union-today.html</ref>  

''Lost'' made unusual demands on its audience's ability to keep track of a long-term, detailed plot, and perhaps as a result of this gradually lost viewership, from 15.5 million in the first season to an average of 11 million in its fifth season.<ref>

''Lost'' made unusual demands on its audience's ability to keep track of a long-term, detailed plot, and perhaps as a result of this gradually lost viewership, from 15.5 million in the first season to an average of 11 million in its fifth season.<ref>