PITCHED TODAY

Ever wonder if LOST was pitched to a network today, whether it would be green lit as a series?

"The premise is that a commercial airliner crashes on a mysterious uncharted tropical island. The survivors must learn to live together when there is no rescue. The story is part Swiss Family Robinson meets Survivor meets Doctor Moreau."

I don't know if there is enough meat on that bone to allow a network to commit to 26 episodic series. It is cheaper and just as time filling to film ditzy housewives or stressed out rehab carpenters in reality shows. You need something unique to spice up the pitch.

"And there will be polar bears and a monster on the island."

Well, yes those are different and unexpected elements to a drama series set on an island. So, what do those elements represent in the overall story line?

"We can't tell you that."

End of meeting.

And that is the cliff face. If you cannot explain the fantastic elements of your story from the very beginning, you don't have a coherent story at the end.

If the pitch continued with a frame of reference that the island inhabitant was a crazy, ruthless mad scientist doing immoral experiments on animals  - - - and now has a new inventory of human beings thought to have perished in a plane crash - - - then you have a real story engine of the plane passengers having a real struggle of survival.  You would have clearly defined villains and "good" people the audience could root for.

LOST's Jacob-MIB dynamic was late to the party and it did not have the punch of a mad scientist terrorizing a band of weary humans. In fact, the broad brush streak by the show runners that the series ended on a "spiritual" plane did not help explain anything.

One would have to stress the danger and action elements to a show like LOST today as the entertainment competition is greater - - - HD graphic video games give kids a box office thrill ride on their television sets. Any pitch today for an action-adventure-drama series would have to express many of those same traits in order to capture an audience.

Depending on how the show was presented, it would probably be less than a 50% chance that LOST would be picked up as a series today.