‘Lost’ Finds a New Time Slot
The Lost news is coming fast and furious now that the writers’ strike has wrapped up. The latest word from TV Guide’s Michael Ausiello is that Lost will be changing time slots to launch its final batch of season 4 episodes in late April. Instead of Thursdays at 9pm, the show will air Thursdays at 10pm after new episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. This gives the show the kind of lead in it could use to really break out in the ratings. If the new time slot works out well, ABC may keep Lost there permanently.
The other big news is that Lost’s final arc may consist of six episodes instead of five. ABC is considering holding episode eight until late April, using it to kick off the end of the season. Apparently episode seven makes for a better break than episode eight would, though it also means we’ll get less Lost in this first arc.
What do you think of Lost airing Thursdays at 10pm? I’ve never been a huge fan of the show airing that late in the evening, but that’s because I’m more of a morning person and hate staying up until 11. The Grey’s lead in, while completely incompatible, could certainly help with the ratings. Not that Lost really needs higher ratings, but I guess it never hurts.
Lost could air at 2 in the morning and hard core fans would still watch it.
Comment by Thom — February 13, 2008 @ 11:21 am
I say that Lost already got the timeslot and Lost is what people care about, not Grey’s Anatomy. I’m not happy with the move.
Comment by sk8rpro — February 13, 2008 @ 11:24 am
I am obsessed with lost just as much as anyone else but clearly the ratings show that there are fewer people caring about lost and more about grey’s actually…but whatever, I don’t care about the move really. Lost is lost.
Comment by lbanks69 — February 13, 2008 @ 11:37 am
The only reason I don’t like a later time-slot is because that means the later it airs, the later I’m kept awake by all the theories and clues and questions each episode delivers. I need at least 2 hours after the show before I can calm myself enough to be able to sleep…seriously. But I guess thats why the world has sleeping pills.
Comment by SteveD — February 13, 2008 @ 11:58 am
Smokey is more real than the medicine on Greys Anatomy. I agree with Thom, I’d watch lost in anytime slot
Comment by birish6979 — February 13, 2008 @ 12:00 pm
I am also more of a morning person and hate staying up that late. I will probably do what I did last year - stay up late for really exciting episodes, and watch the rest first thing in the morning from ABC.com. Then I watch them again off the DVR at home.
Comment by Eric — February 13, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
i feel sorry for you guys, im from scotland and im that used to have to watch lost late because channel 4 had their episodes of lost at 10pm but now that sky one has bought the rights to lost sky one play lost at 9pm but still makes no difference to me im just happy that its back on tv and theres no more writers strike
Comment by craig — February 13, 2008 @ 2:23 pm
Overall the move doesn’t matter too much to me, I’m up till late in the night anyway. If anything I think the 10pm slot works better for the show because they can fit more of the “mature” content into it. We saw at the end of S. 3 when they were on at 10 the episodes included more violence and intensity. While I’m not a violence hound, it does make scenes more intense thus making the show better. O-well, as previously stated, I’ll watch Lost at 2am if thats when it’s on.
Comment by Dr. Nope — February 13, 2008 @ 2:58 pm
Is an hour going to make or break anyone? Let’s rejoyce that the story is going to be told like our gods intended w/ only a slight switch up.
I feel more confident than ever that we’re in good hands.
Comment by Brav — February 13, 2008 @ 3:53 pm
This change will allow me to watch the show more frequently, as I will be able to get out of work before an episode begins. And what the bloody hell is a Grey’s Anatomy? Haha
Comment by nick — February 13, 2008 @ 5:38 pm
Staying up until 11 p.m. is a bit much for me. I can manage 10 p.m. but I’ll barely be able to comprehend what’s happening on the t.v. Looks like I’m back to taping it and watching it at 5 a.m. instead.
And that’s not a typo. During Season 3 I went to bed at 8:30 and woke up at 5:00 in the morning to watch Lost before work. I’m 31 years old going on 81.
Comment by jake — February 13, 2008 @ 6:06 pm
Grey’s Anatomy totally jumped the shark in their finale last year and is a stupid show. LOST kept ABC going while the strike was on, and Grey’s should be put after LOST until it proves that it is more popular than LOST, which I doubt because it SUCKS. Stupid GREY’S. Give me Jack in scrubs anyday. LOST is the best show ever, I can’t understand why they keep getting the push-back.
Comment by auje — February 14, 2008 @ 4:38 am
Sorry but 10 pm is beyond my reach so I’ll put it on the DVR and hope no stupid DJ spoils it the next morning. That happened so much last year I gave up and stopped watching.
What’s with the networks anyway — why should it make any difference to keep the show going until the 16 ep’s are shown? Do the exec’s really think that cutting it short will make them more money?
I am quickly losing interest because I know it will all be on DVD sooner or later and probably with more content thus providing a better story.
Comment by Douglas Wietzke — February 14, 2008 @ 4:47 am
Grey’s What??????
Comment by Daz — February 14, 2008 @ 5:35 am
This is awful. Grey’s Anatomy sucks, but its lowest-rated episodes still pull in about 17 million viewers, which is already a million more than LOST’s premiere. No doubt they’re going to put Grey’s back where it needs to be. But seriously, 10 p.m.? What are they thinking?
Last season, the move from 9 to 10 p.m. dropped the show’s viewership by a mile, from 16 million to 11. It was almost sickening to see LOST get beat by CSI: Miami and the like over and over again. And I know all you guys are die-hard and would watch this show wherever it goes, but a lot of people won’t. And the simple fact of the matter is that while we care about storytelling, the networks care about ratings, and they’re not going to keep a show around if it’s extremely expensive to produce and gets killed by competition in the timeslot.
Is there some way we can get ABC to change their minds? They’re making a huge mistake.
Comment by Justin — February 14, 2008 @ 6:06 am
So does this mean that the episodes 9 and up are already filmed but they just were not going to be aired until the strike was over? I’m confused.
Comment by Jared — February 14, 2008 @ 7:41 am
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well I don’t like because some of us have to work at 5 in the morning. Staying up till 11pm isn’t really good for me. Yay for DVR…
A side note: The biggest problem I see with this is the children that watch the show. Most parents won’t let their children stay up that late. Didn’t ABC learn last time…
Comment by Tiffany — February 14, 2008 @ 9:47 am
Jared, episodes 9 and up are not yet filmed or written. That’ll be happening now that the writers’ strike has ended.
Comment by Don — February 14, 2008 @ 9:52 am
That was the biggest complaint that I had, and also heard from other viewers, regarding last season. Those of us that have to get up early for work the next day do not like having to wait untill 10 pm to watch the show.
Comment by Steve Foley — February 14, 2008 @ 11:02 am
No more rushing to get the kids fed, in bed and asleep by 9pm — the new time slot is the best fit for this household.
Comment by locke_look_alike — February 15, 2008 @ 12:31 am
Don’t want the time to change. It is hard enough for people that have to get up at 4:00Am to stay up till 9pm. Now they want to change it to 10pm. I guess I will be recording it.
Comment by heartjak — February 18, 2008 @ 4:24 am