While ABC's "Lost" has still managed to remain in the top 15 shows on television, there has been an increasing rumbling from fans and critics concerning the seemingly aimless direction and just producing shows to end up putting on DVDs, which have been selling strongly.
In response to those concerns executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof publicly pushed for the network to set an end date for the series.
ABC complied by announcing the series will finish after a run of 48 more episodes. It will be spread over three 16-episode seasons, and will finish up at the end of the 2009-10 season.
"In considering the powerful storytelling of Lost, we felt that this was the only way to give it a proper creative conclusion," ABC's Steve McPherson said. "And, due to the unique nature of the series, we knew it would require an end date to keep the integrity and strength of the show consistent throughout, and to give the audience the payoff they deserve."
Damon Lindelof removed any thought that the series would end in a way that ambiguous on whether it would go on through other shows saying: "There will be no extensions of enhancements. That number [48] is absolute...once you begin to see where we're going, I think the idea of sequels and spinoffs will completely go away."
The numbers are down for the show but it still manages to attract 15.1 million viewers on average. It's also the most recorded show on television and is one of the top sellers on iTunes, and as I said, a good DVD seller as well.
Making this decision will probably help to keep fans engaged knowing that there will be an end game in mind. I like that they're thinking of fans in committing to the 48 episodes while bringing all the pieces together.
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