Popular ‘Lost’ is a cultural phenomenon

[Sydney]

The message boards were abuzz the morning after Sawyer and Charlie stole the guns. For those who watch the popular ABC serial drama "Lost"solely for entertainment purposes, the Feb. 8 episode — "The Long Con" — featured more of island bad boy Sawyer's backstory.

But for those who are swept up in the mystery, intrigue and coincidences, the show had more. Much more.

For example, how many viewers noticed:


* the woman waiting on Sawyer and his partner in the diner was Kate's mother?

* the significance of the song Hurley and Sayid tuned in with their refurbished radio? (It was "Moonlight Serenade" by Glenn Miller, whose plane disappeared on a flight over the English Channel in 1944.)

* that one of the books Locke was searching through was "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce, who went missing after hooking up with Pancho Villa's army in 1913? (Villa, whose name, like Saywer’s, was an alias, once raided a U.S. Calvary hold and made off with the weapons.)

Coincidences?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

That's the thing about "Lost," a TV show that has become much more than a top-rated drama about 40-some people stranded on a remote and presumably deserted island after their flight from Sydney, Australia, to Los Angeles goes down in the Pacific.

No detail big or small can be overlooked. And the more you try to wrap your mind around those details, the more complex the drama seems to become.

Does Charlie’s reference to a Kinks song mean anything?

Why aren't there any combs or hairbrushes on the island?

How did a polar bear end up in the tropics?

Who are "The Others," and why are they so intent on taking the children, specifically the "gifted" Walt?

Where did the French woman Rousseau and former hatch dweller Desmond go?

Is the black fog some sort of monster, a person's conscience or both?

Why are those darn numbers so important?

And, finally, is it all a dream? Or are the survivors in some kind of limbo or part of some weird sociological experiment?

Sigh.

"It's so dense," said Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University. "There are so many mysteries going on. It's the perfect show for internet speculating."

Is it ever.

With multiple internet fan sites, continuous message board chatter and now iPod video downloads, it's safe to say "Lost" has become a cultural phenomenon of sorts — more than just an hour-long TV show on Wednesday nights.

And, for some, it’s become an addiction.

"My mom was in town recently and I couldn't watch 'Lost,' and I felt … a little lost," admitted Lauren Schafenberg who with her husband, Levi, hosts weekly "Lost" viewing parties at their Lincoln home.

Created by J.J. Abrams ("Alias"), Jeffrey Lieber and Damon Lindelof, "Lost" is in the middle of its second season.

The drama’s first 24 episodes chronicled the survivors' initial weeks on the island and introduced a core of principal characters through a series of flashbacks.

The flashbacks have continued into this season with a new group of survivors, those sitting in the plane's tail section — or "tailees" as they are called on the message boards.

To say “Lost” is a hit may be an understatement. The drama has won over critics and fans alike, winning Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for best drama and keeping millions glued to their televisions on Wednesday nights.

Last year, the show averaged 15.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. It joined other first-year hits “Desperate Housewives” and “Grey’s Anatomy” in turning ABC into a major player again.

“Lost’s” viewership has increased this season. The drama is averaging 16.5 million viewers (through Feb. 5) to rank it No. 11 in Nielsen’s ratings. It's also done well with ages 18 to 49 — the demographic advertisers like to target — with 8.9 million weekly viewers.

The success has been a pleasant surprise for “Lost’s” creators and executive producers.

"It's essentially a cult show in its design and its genre, but what makes it accessible to a wider audience is that there is a character on the show who is like you, even if that character is Jin (a Korean who doesn't speak English)," Lindelof recently told online entertainment magazine Zap2it.com.

Lincoln fan Steve McMasters appreciates the character development and says "Lost" is more original than anything else on television now.

"They've developed (the characters) in such a way that you have an interest in them," he said. "You get a sense of who these characters are more so than any other TV show."

Executive producer Carlton Cuse told Zap2it.com that was the plan all along.

"That's why we found a mass audience because if it was just a genre show, if there wasn't the genius of Damon and J.J.'s flashback invention, it would be a much more limited audience show," he told the magazine. "That is the secret of 'Lost.'"

Of course, a mysterious island helps, too. Its many secrets essentially drive the internet sites, including www.oceanicair.com, the site developed by the show's creative team.

Sure, other TV shows have Web sites.Viewers can go online and discuss the latest ousted "Survivor" or how the current crop of "American Idol" contestants compare to Kelly Clarkson.

"'Friends' was once the highest-rated show, but what did you get on the internet to talk about?" TV expert Thompson asked. "Will Ross and Rachel get back together? After that, what do you say?"

That’s not the case with “Lost.” Chatter begins immediately after an episode ends and continues throughout the week.

The show’s fan sites and message boards, for example, went nuts after Mr. Eko, one of the survivors from the plane's tail section, encountered the mysterious black fog. Within the cloud were images of people from Mr. Eko's past.

Casual viewers may not have noticed the images, but hardcore fans who replayed it with their VCRs or digital video recorders did. Some of them posted the eerie scene on various sites.

"(The writers) are making a show that makes people think — to make them want to research and talk about things and not just stupid things," said Jeremy Domby of Florida, who runs www.4815162342.com, one of the show's many fan sites.

"(People) are really analyzing things, coming up with theories," he added. "That really was lacking in TV and entertainment today."

Web developers Domby and Bryan Jones of Texas, who runs "The Black Rock" fan site (www.bcjones2.lunarpages.net/lost/), know first hand of the show's appeal.

Domby registered his domain name immediately after seeing the numbers episode last year. He said he woke up the next day to find a thousand people already had visited it. He said his site now averages 80,000 to 90,000 page views per day.

Domby's site focuses on the numbers and theories, but also features a general forum where fans can gather and chat about recent episodes.

There you can find "The Ultimate Theory" fostered by Domby's friend from England. (Yes, "Lost's" popularity has expanded beyond the U.S.) Domby’s friend believes the survivors have been brought to the island for a reason and has pieced together an elaborate tale which explains everything — from the significance of the numbers to why Walt is so special.

"I have to say his theory has had the most backing," Domby said. "You read it and think, 'Wow this could really be it.' It's very fascinating."

Jones launched his site — named for the ship the survivors found in the middle of the jungle — a week before season two kicked off in September. He said his site, which also has a forum, is getting about 60,000 hits a day.

"When I started watching it, it purely was for entertainment because I didn't know if I would like it," Jones said. "Now, I watch it once for entertainment and immediately watch it again and take notes with my laptop."

With "Lost" still hot, the big questions are: How long can the drama go before fans clamor for some resolution? And if some of the mysteries are solved, will viewers to stick with it?

There is reason for the concern. Viewership for “The X-Files,” for instance, tailed off toward the end of its 10-year run (1993-2002) on Fox. And David Lynch’s cult hit “Twin Peaks” (1990-91) died a quick death once Laura Palmer’s killer was revealed.

"Can you picture (‘Lost’) in season three or four?" Thompson asked. "At some point you want closure."

Lincoln fan Jessica Lauby, 25, is one of those searching for closure. She said the second season has moved too slowly and she is frustrated by scenes being repeated.

"They'll probably stretch it out for a long time," she said.

Lindelof told Zap2it.com it's up to the network, not the writers. There's been more than one instance of a show continuing without key behind-the-scenes people. "The West Wing," for example, is in its third season without creator and executive producer Aaron Sorkin.

" … We could all band together and say, 'We're ending the show after three seasons because that's the arc. They get off the island, and we reveal all the things we want to reveal,'" Lindelof told the magazine. "And the network would say, 'No, you won't.' They will hire somebody and do 'Lost,' with or without you."

The trick for the writers will be to keep viewers interested until the end comes, if it ever does.

"I'm willing to stick with it until we find out," McMasters said. "Part of the reason I like it is I enjoy watching the characters. Because of that, it doesn't have to end anytime soon for me."

Thanks to Journalstar.com