So, I'm making another semi-come back to the form. Been away because of the usual uni, life etc. But in that time, I re-watched the first season of Lost, something I had viewed originally way back in year 9 (9th grade for all the yanks lol) and it got me thinking, Lost is as good and breath taking today as it was some 10 years ago. It really is a show that changed the way we viewed television, especially someone of my generation who probably hadn't been exposed to shows like The Sopranos or The Wire. This was certainly mine and my friends first exposure to American TV beyond Disney and Power Rangers.
So this first post in this new thread is all about Lost, I want to hear why you liked it and if you didn't, why not? How did it affect your view of TV, how did it compare to other shows at the time, was it the event TV that people make it out to be? Has it stood the test of time?
For me, Lost marked a very particular point in time. I was 13/14, heading into the middle year or secondary (high) school life. I was no longer the kid who would watch Power Rangers or Recess etc etc, it seemed I was outgrowing TV. Yeah movies shown on a Saturday night was still cool and no matter how many times I watched T2: Judgement Day, I never got bored but TV in general was no longer "cool". Well British TV anyway.
I had heard people mention The Sopranos and it's comparisons to The Godfather, which I still hadn't seen although all my friends said they had. I knew The Godfather was cool so I thought The Sopranos was supposed to be cool to but it wasn't ever on my house and I had no idea what channel even showed it. I had to make do with soaps, re-runs of Only Fools and Horses and maybe the odd episode of The Office UK. British TV, looking back through the lens of time, was stagnant and had been for many years, which is why viewing Lost for the first time was such a revelation.
It aired first during the summer of 2005 and it took me and ally my friends by storm. It was big, it was loud, there was action, drama, hot Kate and everything in between. It was also smart and for the growing psyche of an adolescent, it was the perfect introduction to the greater philosophies of life, death, destiny, war, peace, love...I know it sounds pretentious now but back then it all made so much sense. There was nothing like it on British TV and honestly, I'm not sure if there ever will be.
Lost did however, leave behind a dark legacy, a legacy of American imports which further stunted the already dwarfed growth of home grown British TV. There was Heroes, Prison break and many others, each claiming to be the next Lost, each promising blockbuster ratings for TV networks. Yet Lost out fought and out sold and out did all the pretenders, even the uneven finale couldn't spoil the success of 6 terrific seasons. But with all shows, they have to be able to stand the test of time.
Having re-watched the first season, it seems to have withstood a decade of clones and Game of Thrones. There are too few shows on TV right now, American, British or otherwise, which bridge the gap between childish and adult, Lost did that. It was a show you could gather the family to watch. You just can't do that with 'Thrones or Boardwalk Empire. Lost is still as great today as it was back in the hey day of my teenage years, although certain aspects of the story are better appreciated now than it could ever have been by my more naive mind in 2005. I've grown up and so has Lost.
So this first post in this new thread is all about Lost, I want to hear why you liked it and if you didn't, why not? How did it affect your view of TV, how did it compare to other shows at the time, was it the event TV that people make it out to be? Has it stood the test of time?
For me, Lost marked a very particular point in time. I was 13/14, heading into the middle year or secondary (high) school life. I was no longer the kid who would watch Power Rangers or Recess etc etc, it seemed I was outgrowing TV. Yeah movies shown on a Saturday night was still cool and no matter how many times I watched T2: Judgement Day, I never got bored but TV in general was no longer "cool". Well British TV anyway.
I had heard people mention The Sopranos and it's comparisons to The Godfather, which I still hadn't seen although all my friends said they had. I knew The Godfather was cool so I thought The Sopranos was supposed to be cool to but it wasn't ever on my house and I had no idea what channel even showed it. I had to make do with soaps, re-runs of Only Fools and Horses and maybe the odd episode of The Office UK. British TV, looking back through the lens of time, was stagnant and had been for many years, which is why viewing Lost for the first time was such a revelation.
It aired first during the summer of 2005 and it took me and ally my friends by storm. It was big, it was loud, there was action, drama, hot Kate and everything in between. It was also smart and for the growing psyche of an adolescent, it was the perfect introduction to the greater philosophies of life, death, destiny, war, peace, love...I know it sounds pretentious now but back then it all made so much sense. There was nothing like it on British TV and honestly, I'm not sure if there ever will be.
Lost did however, leave behind a dark legacy, a legacy of American imports which further stunted the already dwarfed growth of home grown British TV. There was Heroes, Prison break and many others, each claiming to be the next Lost, each promising blockbuster ratings for TV networks. Yet Lost out fought and out sold and out did all the pretenders, even the uneven finale couldn't spoil the success of 6 terrific seasons. But with all shows, they have to be able to stand the test of time.
Having re-watched the first season, it seems to have withstood a decade of clones and Game of Thrones. There are too few shows on TV right now, American, British or otherwise, which bridge the gap between childish and adult, Lost did that. It was a show you could gather the family to watch. You just can't do that with 'Thrones or Boardwalk Empire. Lost is still as great today as it was back in the hey day of my teenage years, although certain aspects of the story are better appreciated now than it could ever have been by my more naive mind in 2005. I've grown up and so has Lost.
__________________
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"
"I need your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle"
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"
"I need your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle"