'Lost' fans jump ship to less problematic 'Heroes'
Nadum Fernand
Issue date: 3/2/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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While concern over ABC's Lost has grown louder, NBC's new hit Heroes has become an instant critical darling and fan favorite. In the face of increased criticism, fans have begun to jump ship, with Lost hemorrhaging viewers at a rapid pace. The biggest question facing Lost is whether or not the writers have any idea how the story is going to end. And with each episode that provides more questions than answers, the issue becomes as much a mystery as the show itself.
Truth be told, it is very unlikely that the writers have any idea of how or when they'll end the show. Unlike subscriber-based channels like HBO or Showtime, network television lives in a perpetual state of uncertainty. Nielsen ratings decide their fate, and studios don't hesitate to axe a show if it doesn't perform. As a result, writers of any serialized drama are at the mercy of the bosses. When Lost began, no one had an inkling of how popular it would become. The pilot was written with no idea it would last beyond one or two seasons. But it caught on like wildfire, becoming a pop culture sensation, teaming with Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy to take ABC to the top.
But Lost's popularity would also become its curse. As quickly as a poorly performing show will be cancelled, networks would sooner die than let a financially viable series go. Given the contractual terms of a television series, a show can go on as long a network wants. And so the writers of Lost are forced into an impossible situation. How exactly do you extend a mystery past its natural conclusion? The answer is what has become the fundamental flaw in the show. As plot points and story arcs thin out, the writers must come up with new questions and new characters, and expand their story. Given the epic scope of Lost, that expansion has proved to be fatal.
This lesson was not lost (no pun intended) on NBC with its own supernatural thriller, Heroes.
"When the show was just a diagram on paper, I drew strings between the various characters, a plan for how they would ultimately become connected," Heroes creator Tim Kring said. "Though some things have since changed, I've stuck to major parts of that blueprint."
Truth be told, it is very unlikely that the writers have any idea of how or when they'll end the show. Unlike subscriber-based channels like HBO or Showtime, network television lives in a perpetual state of uncertainty. Nielsen ratings decide their fate, and studios don't hesitate to axe a show if it doesn't perform. As a result, writers of any serialized drama are at the mercy of the bosses. When Lost began, no one had an inkling of how popular it would become. The pilot was written with no idea it would last beyond one or two seasons. But it caught on like wildfire, becoming a pop culture sensation, teaming with Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy to take ABC to the top.
But Lost's popularity would also become its curse. As quickly as a poorly performing show will be cancelled, networks would sooner die than let a financially viable series go. Given the contractual terms of a television series, a show can go on as long a network wants. And so the writers of Lost are forced into an impossible situation. How exactly do you extend a mystery past its natural conclusion? The answer is what has become the fundamental flaw in the show. As plot points and story arcs thin out, the writers must come up with new questions and new characters, and expand their story. Given the epic scope of Lost, that expansion has proved to be fatal.
This lesson was not lost (no pun intended) on NBC with its own supernatural thriller, Heroes.
"When the show was just a diagram on paper, I drew strings between the various characters, a plan for how they would ultimately become connected," Heroes creator Tim Kring said. "Though some things have since changed, I've stuck to major parts of that blueprint."
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 19
joey
posted 3/02/07 @ 12:46 PM EST
heroes is only in its first season, they will run out of ideas soon enough and you will be tired of it by the time it has been on as long as Lost. The problem with you people is you have no patience. (Continued…)
Dan
posted 3/02/07 @ 4:21 PM EST
I agree that Heroes is better formatted than Lost.
Lost has really lost it this year. Nothing holds together.
Dee
posted 3/02/07 @ 6:24 PM EST
It's all about the pacing and speed of the story line. Heroes moves quickly. Lost is slow as molasses!
Maurice
posted 3/02/07 @ 10:12 PM EST
According to some articles, Kring has already planned up to Seasaon 5. After that, there could be issues. But, only if he doesn't contine to plan ahead. (Continued…)
Jesus
posted 3/02/07 @ 10:35 PM EST
I watch both shows and love both of them. However, I love Lost more. I love the characters more than anything, and unlike what other websites are reporting, the last episode was awesome. (Continued…)
A
posted 3/03/07 @ 1:08 PM EST
Your article assumes that the writer's of Heroes are moving on a whim here listening to every word the ratings say.
Okay, NBC listens to ratings but NBC, as whole, has marketing genius and knows exactly what to do to keep you coming back for me. (Continued…)
mike
posted 3/04/07 @ 10:19 PM EST
i used to love lost... i still do, but my love for it has unfortunately diminished. i would often explain to people that each season of lost starts on a high, dwindles around mid-season, but builds to a grand climas. (Continued…)
Jon
posted 3/06/07 @ 5:21 PM EST
The point is Lost is doomed beyond three or four seasons - heck, even two, because there's the central question of getting off the island. Lost does not answer questions or mysteries, or resolve things. (Continued…)
Jetgrind
posted 3/06/07 @ 7:18 PM EST
Granted all of the flashbacks worked for a time being in order to give you more insight into the characters we have grown to love on lost. There comes a point tho where its just too much and the more flash backs an episode has the less the story pushes forward. (Continued…)
Dusty
posted 3/06/07 @ 10:29 PM EST
Heroes is boring and unoriginal. It's just like every other comic book story out there. How people find out they have powers and then how they interact. (Continued…)
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