Ten percent of the UK population (15% of the TV audience) reportedly tuned into the ($10m) double-pilot of Lost on Channel 4 last night to see Jack and his fellow passengers working out where they were (it turns out they are "lost") after crash-landing on a desert island. UK reviews were mixed, with the Daily Mail taking quite a bit of flak from readers' responses to their own TV critic.
For the ninty percent who missed the show last night, Lost is ABC's attempt at a big-budget fictional version of (US) Survivor where the unsuspecting 'participants' are thrown together in the middle of knowhere to fend for themselves. This seemingly includes dealing with mysterious forces, wild animals, each other and oneself, leading to predictable conflicts between many characters (US Soldier vs. former Iraqi National Guard for example) and flashbacks of individual's past wrongdoings.
The double-pilot was predictably vague, but a lot more information about the series, and what is to be expected in 25 (!) weeks time can be found at the usual sources (1; 2; 3; 4). Without reading these spoilers/speculations, here is what I think is going on:
- The plane crashing on the island was not a natural event - somehow they were drawn to the island, possibly by its (currently undetailed) other occupants
- The island itself is some kind of military research unit from which it is impossible to escape
- The survivors of the crash were chosen to take part in the experiment. The others (un)fortunate enough to be elsewhere on the plane were not interesting (nor good looking) enough to be part of the research.
- The wild animals found on the island are results of military experiments. The missing dog will survive the whole series unharmed.
- Part of the research is to see how (wo)man can deal with the pressures of the island's conditions as well as each other
- Inhabitants are under Truman Show-style surveillance, probably by a research facility also placed somewhere on the island (maybe inside a James Bond style 'concealed volcano', as was suggested at work today)
These are obviously guesses and after only two hours of the show so far, are completely unfounded! But the fact that so many people are talking about Lost will mean that this will be a sure-fire hit for Channel 4, and another successful export for ABC.
