re: #292 Yashmak

I always suspected the writers only expected the show to last a season or two, had no plans for plotline after that, and just sort of cobbled things together after that.

You both would suspect wrong.

It is a know fact, both in the general public and the industry, that this was the FIRST episodic evening network TV show that was given the sort of contract that had.

WIRED magazine just had an 8 page article on the show and pointed this out… “LOST taught the audience how to watch a big, serialized, sprawling epic; but ore important, it taught the networks that this model was viable.”

The producers had the major story arcs already worked out, From A to Z, before they even went into production. They asked ABC for a 6 year contract, they went into the first season and a half still in negotiations. Midway during the second season, ABC had worked out all the “kinks” in this new sort of proposal, and signed the contract.

Of course, like any long run production of this nature, the producers/writers had wiggle room to get from A to Z, but the basic plot arcs, the major story line, was already on paper from square one.

And if you watch the show regularly, you would be able to see how all the many little details and puzzles and points all dovetail together as the show is wrapping up the story. A fan of all six years can easily see that many aspects of this show ONLY work because they knew where they were going from the beginning.

If you are going to make statements like above, at least know something about the production history of the media you are talking about.