'We're Not 'Lost,'' Say Other Genre Show Producers

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[Kosh GTO]

Until recently, everyone wanted to get "Lost." At least, that's how it used to be, according to zap2it.com.

Now, those in charge of other serialized genre shows are carefully pointing out that they aren't like the ABC series, which is currently drawing its lowest ratings ever, especially when it comes to providing viewers with answers.

For example, here's what Stephen Chbosky, the executive producer of the CBS series "Jericho," said at the recent WonderCon.

"One thing we knew from the beginning is we didn't want to frustrate the audience by not paying off mysteries, by not answering questions, because we know,"  he said.

It was apparently pretty clear to everyone there just what program he was referring to.

In fact, fellow executive producer Carol Barbee listed specific episodes when fans would learn important facts about who did what to whom, such as the missiles that the town's residents saw hurtling into the sky a while back.

"You find out certain things in 18. You also hear a little something in 15, which is the one after this. We haven't forgotten them," she said. "They're out there."

Barbee also promised that the origins of the nuclear conflict that started at the beginning of the show also aren't far away.

"I think you'll be surprised by who did it," she said. We didn't want to do the same-old, same-old. It's a many-faceted group that is involved. "

One of the people behind "Heroes" specifically distanced that show from his former place of employment.

Jeph Loeb, who previously served as a supervising producer on "Lost," said that "Heroes" was built specifically to provide incentives to reach conclusions every so often.

"It was very important to us, unlike a lot of serialized shows -- and I think some of that has to do with the people who came on the show from places like 'Lost' and 'Alias' -- that we want our audience to know that when Tim Kring started out by staying this was chapter one or volume one, that is exactly what it is," Loeb said.

"When we get to the end of the season, almost all the questions that were asked at the beginning of the season will be answered, so that when you start back next season, some of the cast may have changed, certain problems that were encountered in the first season will have been resolved and there'll be new sets of problems and a new plot and a new driving element that's gonna take you into this new set of stories so you don't feel like you're constantly trying to catch up with the show."

For example, the current main storyline came to a conclusion of sorts on Monday, March 5.

"You'll get a resolution. You'll find out things that are gonna happen. Any question that you might ask that came out of the first three or four episodes in terms of every single one of those characters, we're doing our best to answer every single one of those by the time you get to the end of the season," he said. "And yet, of course we're going to leave you some cliffhangers so you do come back to us next year."

"Heroes" airs on NBC Mondays at 9 p.m., new epsiodes of "Jericho" appear on CBS each Wednesday at 8, and "Lost" can be seen each Wednesday night at 10 on ABC.

[Valkyrie]

I think it's important to resolve some story points, but if they resolve too many of them, people may not feel invested or interested enough to come back later.  It will be interesting to see if Heroes ends up with a 3rd season slump like Lost has.

[compman777]

but lost is explaining a lot of there questions in this season and as time goes on it might be more interesting to more fans.

[vashti]

yeah i have to say there has been some damn fine eps of lost of late, esp the latest featuring hurley, wont go in to details.

jericho has had its seriously frustrating moments too. the characters never do what i want them to do. but you need to answer questions while creating new ones, otherwise we would get bored.

@ val, i know heaps of people who have turned off heroes very quickly

[Valkyrie]

Really?  Hmmm, and the network is treating it like it's the Second Coming.

[vashti]

thats what people said online about snakes on a plant, when i actually went to a dvd store to hire some vids, i saw the cover, i had no idea it was actually about snakes on a plane, i mean seriously, they are sooo hard up for storylines these days. i couldnt stop laughing when i saw what it was really about. i still laugh now!

im not impressed by heroes, watched a few eps and said no thanks. i am in the process of gathering a bunch of 60's and 70's world war 2 flicks. thats some good s**t.

[compman777]

Really?  Hmmm, and the network is treating it like it's the Second Coming.

well they have to sell that show because it is a big money maker for the network so it would be stupid of them not to.

[vashti]

good luck to em. i have found as i have gotten older i am constantly on the search for things that i used to watch rather than new tv and movies. i think most tv and movie making has gone to the dogs.

[Valkyrie]

I think it was always there tbh.  It's just that with only a limited number of channels, people were less inclined to just sit & surf the tv for hours.  Now they can do it on the net too.  Lots of ways to use up time non-productively.

[vashti]

most of my fave movies are easily pre 2000, same with tv.

[Valkyrie]

One of my favourite movies is Lord of the Rings.  Another is Pirates of the Caribbean.  Fav shows are Prison Break & Lost.  So for me it's more recent.  :)