The Best Show on TV
So at work my boss and I did our top 10 shows of 2005 - obviously LOST was on it. When ranking them, I was very set saying that Lost should be #1. She disagreed, even though she had never watched it. I gave her the DVD, she said it was good, but not brilliant. I told her to give me another show that was better, she didn't. So finally she said, "Ok, what you wrote wasn't persuasive enough, you have one more shot. Convince me it's the best show on TV." So I wrote the following:
What’s in the hatch? This past summer, that was the question on everyone’s lips as the Season 1 finale of “Lost” ended with a cliffhanger mystery on par with “Who Shot J.R.?” And in classic “Lost” fashion, when we finally found out the answer, a whole new series of questions arose that no one knew existed. It’s this complexity, along with a stellar cast, production values, and a rabid online presence that make “Lost” one of the best show on television.
Lost isn’t only the best show on TV because it takes a simple premise and lets it explode with possibility. It’s the blueprint for a cross media experience unique to the 21st century.
A plane crashes on an island and there are survivors. So what? Unlike any show on TV, Lost’s mystery is a mystery unto itself. We’re almost forced to tune in because we have no idea what is happening on this island except there are “Others,” random animals, a killer black smoke, a hatch with a button that must be pressed every 108 minutes and oh yeah, a whole other group of survivors on the other side of the island that gives the mystery a whole other angle. What began as “where are we” has quickly evolved into “why are we here?” and will probably change again.
Before the show began, none of the actors were big stars, now they are all recognizable. The directing is done with a feature film quality to an extent that co-creator and pilot director J.J. Abrams is doing “Mission Impossible III and “Requiem for a Dream” director Darren Aronosky has signed to do some episodes. Each episode is character-centric, simultaneously giving a history of a castaway and forwarding/enriching the present time on the island. And finally, the show is an OCD patient’s nightmare with twists that come back and forth and have forced legion of fans to freeze frame entire episodes looking for clues. And find them. And it’s not afraid to kill off a main character here and there either.
With various plot-thickening official web sites online, books and webisodes on the way, Lost’s TV presence is only the beginning of its possibilities. It’s unique from every other show on television.
Looks like I won. And this will probably be our #1 of the year.
What’s in the hatch? This past summer, that was the question on everyone’s lips as the Season 1 finale of “Lost” ended with a cliffhanger mystery on par with “Who Shot J.R.?” And in classic “Lost” fashion, when we finally found out the answer, a whole new series of questions arose that no one knew existed. It’s this complexity, along with a stellar cast, production values, and a rabid online presence that make “Lost” one of the best show on television.
Lost isn’t only the best show on TV because it takes a simple premise and lets it explode with possibility. It’s the blueprint for a cross media experience unique to the 21st century.
A plane crashes on an island and there are survivors. So what? Unlike any show on TV, Lost’s mystery is a mystery unto itself. We’re almost forced to tune in because we have no idea what is happening on this island except there are “Others,” random animals, a killer black smoke, a hatch with a button that must be pressed every 108 minutes and oh yeah, a whole other group of survivors on the other side of the island that gives the mystery a whole other angle. What began as “where are we” has quickly evolved into “why are we here?” and will probably change again.
Before the show began, none of the actors were big stars, now they are all recognizable. The directing is done with a feature film quality to an extent that co-creator and pilot director J.J. Abrams is doing “Mission Impossible III and “Requiem for a Dream” director Darren Aronosky has signed to do some episodes. Each episode is character-centric, simultaneously giving a history of a castaway and forwarding/enriching the present time on the island. And finally, the show is an OCD patient’s nightmare with twists that come back and forth and have forced legion of fans to freeze frame entire episodes looking for clues. And find them. And it’s not afraid to kill off a main character here and there either.
With various plot-thickening official web sites online, books and webisodes on the way, Lost’s TV presence is only the beginning of its possibilities. It’s unique from every other show on television.
Looks like I won. And this will probably be our #1 of the year.
posted by Germain at 2:25 PM
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