"Lost" is Fab, But Will It Last?

Will "Lost" survive or go up in flames?

ABC's "Lost" made 2 (that I know of) round-up lists today: The cast nabbed Entertainment Weekly's "Entertainer of the Year" honor and the show is the first on Honolulu Star-Bulletin's list of "10 Who Made a Difference" here in Hawaii. The show has not only achieved cult status internationally, picking up awards along the way, but it purportedly employs 140 locals and pumps $20-30 million into our local economy.

But will the honeymoon last? Let's compare "Lost" to other shows like it, shall we?

TV Shows Shot in Hawaii
(non-reality shows that actually saw airtime)
* Hawaiian Eye - CBS Detective Drama - 4 years
* Hawaii Five-O - CBS Cop Drama - 12 years
* Magnum P.I. - CBS Detective Dramedy - 8 years
* Hawaiian Heat - ABC Cop Drama - 3 months
* Jake & the Fatman - CBS Legal/Cop Drama - 5 years (2 in Hawaii)
* Raven - CBS Detective/Action Drama - 1 year
* Byrds of Paradise - ABC Family Drama - 3 months
* One West Waikiki - CBS Forensics Dramedy - 2 years
* Wind on Water - NBC Family Drama - 2 episodes
* Marker - UPN Detective Drama - 13 episodes (Thanks Joji. How could I forget this Richard Grieco starrer?)
* Fantasy Island (revisited) - ABC Mystery Drama - 4 months
* Baywatch Hawaii - Syndicated Lifeguard Drama - 2 years
* Hawaii - NBC Cop Drama - 7 episodes
* North Shore - Fox Hotel Soap Opera - 7 months

Sci-Fi/Mystery TV Shows
* Twilight Zone - CBS Mystery Drama - 5 years
* Star Trek (the original) - NBC Sci-Fi Space Drama - 3 years
* X-Files - Fox Sci-Fi Detective Drama - 9 years

TV Shows About Islands
* Gilligan's Island - CBS Deserted Island Sitcom - 3 years (pilot filmed in Hawaii)
* Fantasy Island (the classic) - ABC Mystery Drama - 6 years

TV Shows Starring Matthew Fox
* Freshman Dorm - CBS College Drama - 5 episodes
* Party of Five - Fox Family Drama - 6 years
* Haunted - UPN Sci-Fi Detective Drama - 7 episodes

TV Shows Created by J.J. Abrams
* Felicity - WB College Drama - 4 years
* Alias - ABC Spy Drama - 4 years

So...according to my highly accurate statistical calculations, "Lost" should have a total lifespan of 3.3 years. It's already been going for about 1.3, which means we have 2 years left to enjoy the tortured-soul squinty eyes and grumpy-sexy pouty lips of those poor, pretty stranded people.

Or maybe we won't have even that long. There are naysayers on Jump The Shark that believe "Lost" has already jumped. Here are the top 5 Jump the Shark moments:
1. Ana Lucia
2. Day One
3. The Others on a motorboat
4. Charlie doesn't die after hanging
5. They enter the hatch

Well, most people believe "Lost" has never jumped, and will be around for a long time. Let's hope that's true--especially for the show's 140 local employees, local vendors, and legions of fans. (Not to mention the magazines, TV shows, Web sites, merchandisers, and blogs--present company excluded, of course--that pimp "Lost" out for eyeballs and cash).

>> 'Lost' cast named entertainer of the year [Reuters, 12/22/05]
>> 'Lost' Love [Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 12/22/05]

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