The List: #3 LOST

#3
Number of Seasons (To Date): 4
Years Active: 2004 - Present
Network: ABC

There are two seasons left for this highly ambitious series. LOST is a show that could not go on for many seasons; at some point, there would have to be some sort of ending, since there is only so much the survivors could do on an island without the situation becoming dull. The pacing in Seasons 2 and 3 suffered a little, but ABC decided to give the writers a set end date to allow them to tell the complete story in a timely manner. And while the events that transpire in the final two seasons may move this show up or down on this list, LOST currently holds this prestigious position at #3.

To this day, it surprises me how successful this show has been. Remember when I was talking about the runaway success of Heroes? That is nothing compared to that of LOST; here is a genre show (that effectively hid many of its genre elements for most of the first season) that has great production values, incredible writing and impeccable acting. The plot twists take us by surprise, and we are endeared to the phenomenal, but very flawed characters.

After a trans-Pacific flight crashed onto an uncharted tropical island, the survivors attempt to make their lives on the island as comfortable as possible while they await rescue. But this is no ordinary island, and this fact frightens many of the survivors. There is some sort of "monster" that haunts the jungle, various other crashed vessels, some of which deposited survivors who still roam the island, mysterious antiquated scientific outposts and a creepy group of "natives". Then again, there are a few survivors who embrace their situation, believing that the island is where the are destined to be.

LOST mixes excellent character drama with mind-bending mystery. Viewers tune in every week both to see what happens to their favorite characters as well as to get answers to the bizarre goings-on that occur on the show (though, for the first few seasons, these answers were few and far between). This is certainly one of the most intriguing shows in production; close, attentive viewing is rewarded due to the extremely deep mythology of the series. Hopefully, in two years, we'll have a good sense of closure.

Up next: #2...