Why LOST soared and Heroes sucked - a thesis

About as much as an hour of mine, I'd imagine . Still, I like it. A slow start, to be sure, but season one started off slowly as well too.

It doesn't return until Feb. 2008.

It's only a matter of time. They've pushed the 4th season debut until 2008.

By then, I imagine most people won't give a fuck anymore.

Lost did the same thing. I'm sensing some parallels here, especially with the influx of new cast members, and a group of "others" that can pretty much explain what's going on to the main characters, but choose not to.

Err, the producers have come to an agreement with ABC to end the show at the end of season six. ABC wanted three more seasons of 22 episodes each, but the producers haggled them down to 3 more seasons of 16 episodes each. That's part of the reason they waited until the beginning of '08 to air the next season (not enough episodes to spread out between September and May).

You really think the network will keep the show running if the ratings go down the toilet?

Not gonna happen buddy. It beat Heroes in the ratings game last year, you know. And it got number one in its timeslot, even when going through that ratings slump in the middle. Unless they do something really stupid (like they did with that several month hiatus last season) and their ratings slip to less than 5 million viewers, ABC isn't gonna risk breaking their contract, especially with the show that practically saved their network.

So basically they're going to stretch two seasons over three years?

Yup.
Sux.

Hopefully, things will pick up on LOST and we won't get so much filler shit.

Heroes is great, but is off to a slow start.

Well, I took the summer to work my way through Heroes S1 and have been watching S2. Aside from the Wonder Twins, which, quite frankly, I don't care a jot about, the rest of it could be very interesting. Sylar, per usual, steals the show.

I've absolutely no desire to even try Lost. I've sat through a few episodes here and there, and it's just...boring.

Which episodes?

I honestly have no idea. Sorry .

It was basically stuff I've caught here and there while at home - my folks like it. So yeah, I know I'm missing a bunch of backstory and current story threads and the like, but nothing I watched made me want to...know more, y'know?

Didn't you start a thread about its pilot years ago?

With a finite number of episodes left (48), that will help the writers to focus the story and cut out the filler. 16 episodes per season means they don't have to find ways to drag out the story to justify 22-23 episodes.

Ratings are only part of the equation. There are also DVD sales, and merchandising. They kept Alias around long past the point where it jumped the shark with the whole Rambaldi mess, they'll see LOST through to the end even if the ratings slip.

I think the biggest threat to the show is the stars wanting to leave to pursue other projects (like Michael, who after finding out the grass isn't greener on the other side, is coming back).

I hate to say it but the writing for Heroes this season has come off like bad fanfic. Peter is running around Ireland with amnesia, Matt and Mohinder are playing My Two Dads to Molly, and Sylar is the new Murdoc.