TVSquad

I'm not crazy about the new time slot. For one, I'm not a fan of American Idol. So instead of watching Lost, I'm usually catching Criminal Minds, which I only discovered after Lost was off the schedule for so long -or- I'm not watching TV at all. I have to believe the Lost viewer is perhaps not the same demographic at the American Idol viewer.

ABC can only blame themselves.

The new time slot is a problem
Being off the air for so long was a problem. Commander and Chief suffered the same issue (do they not learn from the past?)

And the producers/writers can blame themselves for a season start that was nothing like the last two years, instead concentrating on the others and just a few cast members, that was dragging on and going nowhere.

So I'm not surprised rating are down. If the show improves, ratings should go up, but I don't think they'll hit the same numbers the did previously until they move back to 9pm. It's too bad Hereos wasn't on ABC, because a Heros/Lost block would be pretty cool.

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I think it's unfair and too soon to start reporting the downhill ratings based on one night for several reasons.

1. For one, give it a break! It's the first time Lost has aired on Valentine's Day. That's a time to show true love and devotion. It's a time to grab some champagne even late at night.
2. People might still be getting used to the new time slot. Despite the much advertised new time, people might still not know the new time.
3. They re-aired "Not in Portland" at 9PM, which may have confused viewers that the new one would air during 10 PM.
4. There are legal alternatives to watch Lost anytime you want (iTunes, free streaming on ABC.com), and it would still support the Lost cast. Those ratings go unreported for the TV listings, which is unfair to in reporting how Lost is supported.

There's my two cents.

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While it may be that Lost downloads aren't included in ratings figures, it really doesn't matter -- ABC is not likely to keep sinking millions per episode for a show that doesn't get viewers to tune into... ABC.

I think it's fairly clear now that the two-part season strategy is a big loser. I wrote about it here (http://www.genecowan.com/blog/index.php/weblog/permalink/in_defense_of_the_rerun/) but here's the gist: by not showing reruns and splitting the season with a relatively long hiatus -- then changing the time slot when it DID come back -- ABC lost viewers who made Lost a habit. Although ratings for repeats were not stellar, they did serve as a very important placeholder for the show, keeping it cemented in viewer's minds and establishing a Wednesday At Nine habit. Without repeats, it almost seems like the show was cancelled.
By the time it came back, viewers had moved on to other things. Maybe they'll tune in again within a few weeks... maybe they won't.

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I have to agree that the ridiculously long break was a major factor, at least for me. LOST is one of my favorite shows, I'm not even bothered by the lack of answers to all the mysteries. In fact, I kind of like all the unanswered questions, but being off the air for so long was, as Gene Cowan pointed out, a bit like it was cancelled. Out of sight, out of mind.

I was less than enthused by the focus on just Kate, Jack, Sawyer and the others as nick pointed out. Out of the 3 characters, I really only find Sawyer interesting any more and the others have lost much of their initial mystery now that we've gotten to know them a bit more.

All that being said, I also concur with Nate's point that it will just take some time to find its legs again. Once we get back to seeing a better mix of our favorite characters and viewers get used to the new time slot I'm sure the ratings will begin to rise.

I'm feeling unusually diplomatic at the moment. I think I need to lie down...

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I'm not sure the long break is the issue. Maybe for the casual viewer, but for the fan, I would imagine a huge night after a long hiatus.

I also don't buy the Valentines day reason. All the competing shows would have had the same handicap, only Lost was the one suffering.

It's a crappy timeslot. I, myself, timeshift any show I like that airs after 10pm when I have to get up early for work.

They need to switch it back to 9pm and then throw the viewers a bone every now and then by having a decent reveal to the overall plot. Right now, Heroes is doing this brilliantly. I like the flashbacks, but include plot revelations with them, don't alternate them so much.

If they keep doing that, their viewers will increase.

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I hate the new timeslot. I'm not one to stay up if I don't have something to keep me busy, and even watching Jericho and Bones on DVR still puts me at least 20 minutes with no TV, and I tend to turn it off and watch Lost another day. I'm guessing that's not what they had in mind.

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Lost has lost me. Leave me hanging all summer, then give me just a few episodes before leaving me hanging for three months... and hanging on plot developments that, frankly, turned me off to the show. I liked it better when the island was the antagonist, not... whiny people. If I want to deal with whiny people, I'll go to work.

My Tivo's still recording it, but... (yawn). Maybe I'll come back when Heroes is in repeats.

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The time slot at 10p will make ABC more money than most people would think.

First because it will not get the pre Idol number while Idol is on. So putting it back at 9p is not a choice.

Second, the increased lead into late news on the ABC O&O's will increase the late news ratings and the rates they can charge for a :30.

Lastly it will drive people to Itunes purchases and online viewing from ABC.com

So not so bad, really.

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I see this more as the creator dragging the storyline along more than the time.

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Here's an idea - start selling it at 8:00 PM on iTunes. People who want to watch it right away can do so, but pay a small premium. I'd likely do this occasionally. 10:00 PM is too late.

I wish Sci-Fi would do this with BSG, which for me is firmly ensconced in my head as Friday at 10:00 PM. I'd pay $3.99 to watch it at that time slot, without commercials.

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i was unaware it had moved to 10..saw an episode listed in tv quide at 9 and taped it, not realizing it was the one i'd taped last week, and i doubt i was the only one confused by this. although i was a huge fan during the previous seasons, the hiatus definitely contributed to my interest waning.

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Tuned in last week to see what the fuss was about Lost. Can't believe I never got into it. But I saw the clip show and then watched 'Not in Portland' and was hooked.

Now I just got done watching all of season 1 and all of season 2 and then the other episodes of season 3.

It doesn't matter when the show is aired, I will watch it. It is one of the best shows on broadcast TV. However, I do hope that season 4 is its last as the producers are saying. To go much longer would be an injustice to its quality.

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It's a great show. ABC has messed too much with it. They know they made a mistake by taking it off for 3 months in the middle of the year. Also they repeat it the next week so if you miss the show you can catch it the next week. Do they count those ratings?
ABC should have kept Lost at 9PM and never cancelled Invasion which had a hard core following. I'm too tired to mention all the mistakes ABC makes. But Lost is a good show. Very inventive. Good acting. It's not a procedural crime show of which we have waaaay too may on TV right now. I'm going to keep on watching? And do they count all the people who record the show on a DVR or Tivo?

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"brutally long hiatus,"

Hang on - In the UK Doctor Who (& other dramas, like Life on Mars) has 12 episodes per series & is on once a year & people still tune in in their millions.

I think people take serialised drama far too much for granted. It would make more sense for the producers to make the series slightly shorter & the story a lot more gripping.

Lost's main problem is that for this series hardly any Lost Universe time has passed & not very much has been resolved in real world time so it's getting frustrating to have to watch it.

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Most Lost viewers I know don't watch American Idol. We just talk about it. So what's the competition? They should have left it where it was for the sake of continuity, which we could use more of after a bizarre airing pattern.

On the other hand, who cares when it's airing on TV when you can WATCH IT ONLINE FOR FREE @ ABC's LOST WEBSITE (and with fewer minute-ads than before the hiatus--truly great, almost like a DVD)? Many people may be opting for that (although it sounds from some of these comments that many don't know about it!). In fact, it's commonly heard that there are a ton of Lost fans who aren't TV watchers at all--I know I wasn't. It's the first show I've gotten into since...uh...

But all the reasons stated, as a cocktail, make sense as to why ratings have dropped. Which isn't bad. It'll keep the creators on their toes...no more obnoxious soap opera episodes!

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I don't think it's fair to only blame the new time slot on any declining viewer numbers for Lost. I think that people are getting frustrated with the constant trickle of new characters and the fact that the core characters they love aren't getting enough screen time, furthermore for all of the episodes that have occurred this season there are just more unanswered questions and fewer sub plot lines being resolved. People wanna see the bigger story moving forward and to some people it doesn't seem as though it is.

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Let's face it, Lost just isn't as good this season. Having only 5 or 6 episodes and then going on an extended break? Pathetic. And then come back but in a 10pm slot? For me, I've stopped watching, and clearly I'm not the only one.

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Lost is lost. So far this year it may as well be an independent episode of the Twilight Zone. I am almost out..we'll see.....

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Excuses are like a55holes blah blah blah. Lost lost hordes of fans because of the hubris of the producers and writers.

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I can't believe that anyone wold stop watching lost because of a different time slot. get real.

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