THE BRIGHT SIDE

Monty Python used farce to enlighten the human experience. One of their iconic song lyrics said "Look on the Bright Side of Life."

Indeed.

Let us look at the bright side(s) of the LOST series.

First, it was a major return of the serialized American television drama. Most television shows are self contained episodes. But LOST was built upon the weaving of episode upon episode to create a vast and complex story line, which was unique but also a throw-back to 1970s miniseries. Networks viewed these long, drawn out story arcs to be risky and unable to hold an audience from season to season.

Second, it was pushing the edge of an ensemble cast. Most television dramas focus in on a hand full of major characters and one-off episode guest stars. But LOST flooded the pilot episodes with more than a dozen "main" characters - - - which showed the chaos, complexity and mystery of so many different back stories. The idea of having such a large cast helps create more conflicts between the characters. Like sporting matches, the group subdivides into competitive teams - - - leaders and followers (which was a rampant theme in the series).

Third, LOST tapped into the general concepts familiar with most avid readers of American literature. The classic shipwreck story of survival on a tropical jungle is a prototypical story engine that most people could relate to; many people were hooked into the concept because they had thought about what they would do in a similar situation. The idea of the miracle of surviving a plane crash being muted quickly by the terror of a mysterious smoke monster captured another classic American television concept: science fiction. So the series quickly found two base audiences: action-adventure drama and science fiction.

Fourth, LOST began its first episodes showcasing "likable" characters. The survivors seemed like nice people put into a horrible situation. Every viewer could readily identify with one or more of the main characters: Jack, the healer; Kate, the runaway; Hurley, the loner; Locke, the faux outdoorsman; Rose, the spiritualist; Sawyer, the troublemaker; Charlie, the strung out musician; and Claire, the pregnant and scared young woman. As the series progressed, many viewers attitudes towards these characters changed as their actions or back stories unfolded which is probably the only true element of TPTB's mantra that the show was all about "character development."

Fifth, the biggest contribution of LOST to this television era was its cross-over into the social media world. LOST fan sites immediately sprung up on the internet. Fan reviews of each episode included detailed comments from other fans. Entire fan communities grew up around a single television series. Whether by accident or design, the way the series was constructed in convoluted flash backs, unanswered questions, clues or alleged Easter eggs, kept fan interest and debate lively between episodes  - - - and even after the show went on seasonal hiatus. New internet friendships were created by the common interest of sharing ideas about the show. In this respect, LOST was an accidental pioneer of real time social commentary on television shows.

Sixth, as a result of these new fan communities, viewers began to reach out beyond the confines of merely watching and digesting their program, to research and writing elaborate and complex theories about the program. I learned more about ancient Egyptian culture, rituals and religion than in any school course because of LOST. The "expansion" of personal knowledge of researching bits and clues  shown in the series and then sharing one's findings in the community was a unique aspect of the LOST experience. Sadly, no other show since has galvanized its fan base like LOST.

Seventh, as a bold and risky script concept, LOST's initial success allowed networks (and cable channels) the basis for green-lightning more "unconventional" shows. Networks like Showtime and HBO suddenly began taking risks with high-concept shows. Other networks allowed niche shows to soldier on if its fan base was vocal enough to keep it on the air.

Eighth, there was a backlash against future LOST-type shows. The pendulum swung back toward single camera situational comedies, but with "elevated" writing (such as the scientific facts spoken in every episode of The Big Bang Theory.)  Networks were willing to give writers and show runners more rope to play with, but once things got "too complex" to follow, then those dramas were hanged out to dry.

Network executives knew that die-hard LOST viewers, after spending so much time and energy on their show for 6 long seasons that presented hundreds of questions with vague to misleading answers, were exhausted by the end.  A disappointing end to the series is a bitter folly for some. Some critics believe that after LOST, American viewers lost it’s patience for a long, serial suspense dramas that raised more questions than answers from season to season. Once a show becomes too complex, or when the series starts "to get that Lost feeling,"  many viewers will jump ship.

It does push network executives and production firms to avoid their new shows to have roller coaster type scripts and story lines that end  "with the lack of viewer pay off.” In some respects, new drama  shows are catering concepts that are less complex, and each episode having a distinct and clear guaranteed pay off in the framework of a cohesive story. This is the good fall out from the LOST experience.

However, some networks have gone completely in the opposite direction to push cheaper, easily produced with no plot or story line fodder such as reality programs. Those programs do not challenge viewer's minds. They are mostly idle time killers. This is the bad fall out from LOST.

Ninth, a lingering aspect of the LOST experience may be nostalgia. It may be part of the show itself, or it may be part of the community feeling some viewers experienced on-line. It could be the wispy sigh of "what could have been" which is the normal regret of passing youth. LOST is one of those series that one can sit back and ponder. Since the series conclusion was so open-ended and ripe for personal interpretation and re-interpretation, it may linger on like the fog hiding the footprints in a Scottish moor.