Sit down, because it’s once again time for me to remind you how ‘Lost’ changed television.

by Therese Odell, posted in Uncategorized

Who else is ready for Spooky Season?

Here’s A BUNCH OF TV News

So, Euphoria star Angus Cloud made some snotty comment to a Variety rereporter that Euphoria‘s showrunner Sam Levinson isn’t “going to drag it on like ‘Lost.’”

And here’s the thing: people who make comments like this attacking Lost have no fucking idea what they are talking about and do not know their television history. SO, HAVE A SEAT, ANGUS, I’M ABOUT TO LEARN YOU.

American network television has always been based on a model where you renew a show until the audiences stop tuning in. And to some degree, it still is that way: just look at Grey’s Anatomy, the Law & Orders, and all of the CSIs, and NCISes running around out there in double-digit seasons. In network TV, you don’t kill the golden goose, you just wait for it to die of inattention.

This brings us to the early 2000s: Lost was one of the biggest hits on television at the time, but Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, they knew they had to have an endpoint for the series, they couldn’t just keep this weird, genre show going indefinitely. And so, despite Lost being the watercooler show of its day, they went to ABC and asked to end it ideally after four seasons. ABC wanted ten seasons. The compromise was six shorter seasons. Nothing like this, as far as I know, had ever happened in network television before, and it changed how showrunners and networks looked at projects, viewing them as a contained story with a beginning, middle and end, instead of something that you just milk to death.

AND SO, when little shits like this kid who is on a cable series (which in and of itself allows it so much more creative license than anything on network TV) deigns to look down his nose at Lost and accuse it of running too long, it makes my blood boil. You can complain about how Lost ended, but you don’t get to complain about how long it took for Lost to end.

 

Somewhat surreptitiously, Vulture just ran this terrific interview with Lindelof, in which he discussed his conversations with ABC about ending the series:

At the time that Lost started, the primary critique of the pilot was “How are you going to keep this up?” There’s this big cinematic plane crash, and then you start introducing 14 major speaking-part characters, all of whom we’re going to be tracking. And in addition to that, the island that they’re on they’re not going to be leaving at any time soon. The show’s called Lost, so they kind of have to stay that way. Are you going to run into the Gilligan’s Island problem where the audience starts to get frustrated?

And my response to that always was like, “You are right. So let’s design a finite beginning, middle, and end.” ABC just didn’t want to engage in that conversation. At the time that they picked up the show, they said, “Make 13 of these, and let’s see how it goes.” It was such a ratings hit that it became clear to me instantly that all conversations about ending the show would be over. I said, “Hey, guys, we can’t keep this up forever,” and that’s when ABC said, “Oh, we were thinking more like ten seasons.” The compromise ended up being six, but I personally wish that we could have done it in four.

DO YOU HEAR THAT, ANGUS?

Lindelof also had some great thoughts about the inherent tension and contradiction of fan expectations: in which invested fans both want to know that the creators have a plan, while also wanting them to be listening to the fans:

One of the things that I was fascinated by, as it related to Lost, was that one of the two questions that we got asked most often was “Are you making it up as you go along?” And the fans wanted the answer to that question to be “Absolutely not. We have a plan. We are executing that plan and understanding that not everything is going to work, but we’re sticking to the plan.” The second question that they asked most often was “What input do we have as fans? Are you listening to” —

But do you feel like you should have to listen to them at all?
Here’s the thing: They want the answer to be “We listen to everything that you say, and it affects the outcome of what we write.” But then that would suggest that we don’t have a plan and everything that we’re doing is like the band that finishes a song and asks, “What do you want us to play next?” But we have a set list, so you can’t win.

Yeah, you can’t have it both ways.

But this leads me to this terrific Atlantic piece about theorizing fans, and how they’ve become part of the writer’s room to some degree. It’s a blessing and a curse for the creators involved. And yes, Lindelof is named-checked. As someone who knows a thing or two about overzealous theorizing, I feel this.

Ben Stiller used his kids (who are 20 and 17) as his focus group on the first season of Severance, but they are trying to avoid spoilers now that they are working on season two. I also feel this.

The Succession cast has become Real Housewives, apparently:

He really did have it coming.

Steve Martin is threatening that he might retire after Only Murders in the Building.

Vince Gilligan is being vague about his next, non-Breaking Bad project, and people are already so excited.

This is fascinating: the “sleeping sickness” that is portrayed in The Sandman really was an ailment that afflicted over one million people in the 1920s, and to this day, no one knows what caused it. People who survived the affliction would later in life develop a strange form of paralysis, and were the subjects of the Oliver Sacks book, Awakenings, and the Robin Williams movies based on it. Anyway, the point is, The Sandman‘s explanation for the illness is as good as any.

Kate McKinnon spoke some more about leaving SNL, noting that the schedule is “grueling.” No doubt.

Lisa Kudrow is probably not bringing The Comeback back, but she should, dammit. That is a gem of a show.

The Terminal List isn’t “woke.” OK, noted. Thanks.

Game shows are headed to the Prime Time Emmys next year.

The studios don’t want to have to think about those pesky abortion issues, ladies, please stop bothering them to come up with a plan for their employees’ safety.

Disney+ has more subscribers than Netflix now. And it’s about to become a lot more expensive.

You’re going to have to wait longer to get Warner Bros. movies on HBO Max. Warner Bros. Discovery has thrown out that 45-day theater window, and plan to milk them for as much PVOD money they can.

So You Think You Can Dance named a winner last night, if you are interested. (Although, I suspect if you’re interested, you would have watched.)

God bless Jordan Klepper. I don’t know how he does it.

This is now a Tyra Banks is a Supervillain blog:

Renewals

Cancellations

In Development

Casting News

Mark Your Calendars

  • Catherine, Called Birdy will debut on Prime Video on October 7.
  • Wedding Season debuts on Disney+ on September 8.
  • Selling The OC premieres on Netflix on August 24.
  • Fakes premieres on Netflix on September 2.
  • Bachelor in Paradise returns on ABC on September 27, saints preserve me.

  • Rick and Morty returns on Adult Swim on September 4.
  • Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler will return on HBO Max in October.
  • Raven’s Hollow will premiere on Shudder on September 22.
  • Drag Race Philippines will premiere on WOW on August 17.
  • Narco-Saints will debut on Netflix on September 9.

R.I.P.

Uma Pemmaraju, Original Fox News anchor

Gene LeBell, Stuntman and martial artist in more than 250 movies, and hero for this anecdote alone:

Chase Mishkin, Broadway producer

WATCH THIS

A League of Their Own: This reinterpretation of the classic Penny Marshall film stars Abbi Jacobson and Nick Offerman. Series premiere. Prime Video

Five Days at Memorial: This series starring Vera Farmiga chronicles the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when one New Orleans hospital had to make impossible choices. Series premiere. Apple TV+

Bump: A straight-A student suddenly and to the shock of everyone goes into labor at school, changing her life forever in this new Australian comedy series. Premiere. 7 p.m., The CW

Great Chocolate Showdown: Third season premiere. 8 p.m., The CW

Cosmic Love: In this spectacularly dumb reality dating show concept, people try to find their romantic connection using astrology. OK. Series premiere. Prime Video

Late Night:

  • Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Megan Thee Stallion; Natalia Dyer
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Karine Jean-Pierre, Tatiana Maslany, Joe Walsh
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live: Ashton Kutcher; Amandla Stenberg; Jessie Reyez
  • The Daily Show: Abbi Jacobson
  • Watch What Happens Live: Naomie Olindo, Taylor Ann Green
THUR 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30
ABC Press Your Luck
(new)		 Generation Gap
(new)		 The Con
(new)
CBS Young Sheldon
(repeat)		 Ghosts
(repeat)		 Big Brother
(new)		 CSI: Vegas
(repeat)
CW Bump
(new)		 Bump
(new)		 Great Chocolate Showdown
(new)		 News/Local
FOX MLB Baseball
(live)		 News/Local
NBC Law & Order
(repeat)		 Law & Order: SVU
(repeat)		 Law & Order: Organized Crime
(repeat)

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