EXPECTATIONS

Expectations are a difficult thing to manage for a series showrunner. Fans may get ahead of the writer's curve. It also depends on the "set-up" of the series itself - - - the massive build up of story line, cliffhangers and hints at massive plot twists.

We were aware that there were great expectations for LOST's final season. There was even more expectations for the finale, which the producers wrangled more air time to finish their story. The finale pretty much split the fan base.

Last weekend, the television expectation game went into a global frenzy with the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special. For any television series to last six seasons is unique, but to last 50 years (with some interrupted periods) is improbable. The British series has survived the decades since the first airing by a clever concept of replacing the main character with new actors (an alien regeneration).

Science fiction has always been a niche market. But its fan base tends to be more loyal and rabid. The Doctor Who premise is actually quite simple. It is the story of a Time Lord, a man who can manipulate both time and space, to travel the universe to fight foes and observe historical events. The premise of this series was clear. It stated its story rules early on in the series. Fans accepted the notion that a blue box was bigger on the inside; that alien technology was more advanced than Earth's; and that one man with almost infinite knowledge can stop global invasions or disasters. Fans are not caught up in the how or why the Doctor can manipulate time, space, elements, or physical objects such as locks with a sonic screwdriver. Just as with Star Trek, the in-story concepts such as warp drive are taken as the explanation for impossible physics of the series, so the story can move forward with the characters not being bogged down with explaining the world around them.

The foundational elements of a science fiction show are critical to its viability and credibility. The canon on how the show's universe works is as important as the characters interacting inside that universe.

Which gets us back to two points on LOST.

First, as the series unfolded, it is hard to imagine that it could have kept going for decades with new incarnations as Star Trek or Doctor Who. We don't know what the LOST universe is; or what or where the island is located (Charlie's first insightful question from the pilot episode).

Second, the series could not be rebooted without answering all the unanswered and conflicting questions from the original series. This is something the creators have adamantly decided not to do.

Reviews of the Doctor Who special have been quite positive, as it seemed to pack various elements of fan service into existing story line canon. A few fans still question what the special's reveals means to the future of the show, but their expectations were met by the episode.