Finally… we have a date.  February 2nd will be the premiere of LOST's final season.  Assuming there are no weeks off, and LOST's two hour finale is counted as two of the eighteen hours we will get, the series finale would air May 18th, 2010.

Sweeps season is April 29th to May 26.  I would assume this means the rumored two-week hiatus will not happen since I'm sure ABC is expecting tons of stray LOST fans to tune in for the final reveals – but we'll have to wait on that to be sure.

Here is the official word from ABC:

ABC announces the premiere of the sixth and final season of “Lost,” with a special all-night event on Tuesday, February 2. A recap special will kick off the night from 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET, followed by the much anticipated two-hour premiere from 9:00-11:00 p.m.

The series will then air in its regular time period – Tuesday nights from 9:00-10:00 p.m., ET – beginning the following week, on February 9.

“Lost” stars Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert, Emilie de Ravin as Claire, Michael Emerson as Ben, Jeff Fahey as Frank Lapidus, Matthew Fox as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Daniel Dae Kim as Jin, Yunjin Kim as Sun, Ken Leung as Miles, Evangeline Lilly as Kate, Terry O’Quinn as Locke and Zuleikha Robinson as Ilana.

“Lost” was created by Jeffrey Lieber and J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof. Abrams, Lindelof, Bryan Burk, Jack Bender, Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Jean Higgins and Carlton Cuse serve as executive producers. “Lost,” which is filmed entirely on location in Hawaii and premiered on September 22, 2004, is from ABC Studios.

Click For Ridiculously Large Version

Anyone who followed the news coming out of this year's Comic Con shouldn't be surprised by this poster, but it's nice to finally have the official version that can be zoomed in on and disected to within and inch of one's life.

ABC has released the first official LOST final season poster (coming on the heels of the first official LOST season 6 promo).  Everyone's there.  All of the present and former main cast members are all lined up awaiting their fate. 

In order, those listed are: Faraday, Boone, Miles, Michael, Ana Lucia, Charlotte, Lapidus, Shannon, Desmond, Mr. Eko, Kate, Jack, Sawyer, Locke (or Locke's back, to be more precise), Ben, Sayid, Libby, Sun, Jin, Claire, Hurley, Juliet, Charlie, Richard, Bernard, Rose and Vincent (the dog).

A few questions:

(1) The LOST team always has a purpose.  ALWAYS.  So do you think that the placement of some of the characters is important.  Yes, it could have been done solely to save space, but I'm curious as to why some people are in the background and others are featured more prominently in the foreground.  For example, we hear that Libby won't be returning in season 6, so it makes sense that she shows up as smaller in the background.  But Claire will (and is rumored to be appearing in every episode), yet she's also in the background, while people like Michael (who hasn't been confirmed as returning) is in the foreground.  Perhaps I am putting way too much thought into this.

On a side note, I think we're all pretty clear as to why Locke is the only character facing away from the front (ie. he's not Locke anymore, but the Man in Black). 

(2) Where is Walt?  WAAAAALT?!!?!  Where are you?!  Walt is the only major cast member from any season who isn't showing up in this poster (aside from some Others – like Tom).  This is curious.  Maybe the kid is growing up too fast, but surely they could have slapped an old promo photo of him on there.  Michael's on where.  So where the heck is Walt?

Click on the poster to see a larger version.  Lap it up.  Even if it's not much, ABC knows we're going to devour all of the little morsels they give us until the premiere in 2010.

Email me at clarissa @ tvovermind.com

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Before you even attempt to read this, know that it is a spoiler article!

More filming reports are coming out of the LOST set in Hawaii.  Despite the fact that a start date hasn't yet been set for the season 6 premiere, fans can't get enough spoilers for the final season of LOST.  ABC is delighting in teasing us with season 6 promos (but with no new footage, because like they to torture us).

The most recent news coming from the Hawaii Blog is a filming report taking place in a restaurant featuring two characters.  Except one of them is dead.  With the "reset" that is supposed to take place in season 6, it's not surprising that dead characters would return (see: Charlie and Boone), but now we have word that recently-deceased Charlotte (Rebecca Mader) will be returning to the show.  And it looks like her character will be having a date with none other than the show's resident dashing con man: Sawyer.

The focus of activity was “The Lotus” (formerly the “W”), a luxury, 50-room boutique hotel, and specifically the Diamond Head Grill, a decidedly stylish and upscale lounge and restaurant. Fashionably dressed extras came and went from the set all morning. And while all the action was taking place behind closed doors, two castmembers were immediately familiar when they emerged shortly before noon.

Josh Holloway (Sawyer) was spotted, looking quite handsome, wearing black pants and a purple shirt. But his companion was an even more striking sight, in a colorful evening dress: Rebecca Mader (Charlotte).

It would be fantastic to see what a safely-landed Sawyer gets into, especially after his misadventures in Australia. But to think that he comes across feisty, red-headed, globetrotting cultural anthropologist Charlotte? Tantalizing.

Last night we mentioned that ABC was going to pass up on ordering the back-nine episodes of Eastwick, effectively ending its run when the already-filmed episodes have aired. 

The question remains: what happens to Eastwick's 10:00 p.m. spot on Wednesday nights slot?  That's prime TV real estate.  For a number of years LOST has aired on Wednesday nights, at both 9:00 and 10:00.  The season 6 return date is still undecided, but with Eastwick's demise, is a 10:00 spot on Wednesday night guaranteed for LOST's final season?

Not so fast, according to E!Online's Kristen:

According to sources, ABC higher-ups are considering moving Ugly Betty to Wednesdays at 10 in January as part of a flashy relaunch of the show in an effort to save it. The thinking is that Betty would complement new hits Modern Family and Cougar Town nicely, and make ABC a solid destination for comedy on Wednesday night.

Nothing has been decided, but I'm told this is one option on the table.

"Honest to God, they haven't given us a date yet," Lost boss Damon Lindelof recently told USA Today. "I don't even know what night it's going to be on. We've been on Wednesday at 9 for awhile, but now ABC's comedies are actually working. And I actually like Modern Family and Cougar Town, so I'm not sure that they'll move them."

No word yet on where Lost will go if Betty gets Eastwick's Wednesday slot.

Friday nights aren't what they used to be when the TGIF line-up was airing and kids were glued to their television sets (myself included).  Moving Ugly Betty to Friday nights this year must have had an impact on the ratings. 

Putting it at 10:00 on Wednesday nights would certainly be different from its previous spot earlier in the evening on Thursdays, but it would still be infinitely better than Friday nights.

Kristen continues to give some spoilers for what's in store for an upcoming Ugly Betty episodes (so avert your eyes if you don't want to be spoiled):

According to insiders, Betty also has a creative resurgence in the works, including an episode in the spirit of Run Lola Run in which Betty must race across town to deliver a diamond-encrusted bra which sounds pretty exciting. ABC execs asked producers to move the episode up to an earlier date because they liked it so much, according to my mole.

And yet I'm also told that Betty's writers have accepted the possibility that this year's season finale could possibly be a series finale if the ratings don't improve. "The big question is: Who will Betty end up with in the end? Gio? Henry? Daniel?" one mole tells me. "The writers' room is divided."

Email me at clarissa @ tvovermind.com

Follow me at twitter.com/clarissa373

Lost's Ajira Airways Flight 316 yielded some strange but important passengers. While Caesar, the de facto leader, turned out to just be a man out of his league (he was killed by Ben shortly after the plane crash), it was the mysterious Ilana that seemed to really be in control. Along with Bram, played by Brad William Henke, Ilana led a group of survivors who seemed to be working for Jacob, and had been working for Jacob for quite some time.

Ilana was last seen dumping the real Locke's body out of a crate and onto the beach, revealing the prescence of Jacob's nemesis to Richard Alpert and the rest of the others.

We'll be seeing plenty more of Ilana next year — DarkUFO has recently confirmed that actress Zuleikha Robinson, who portrays Ilana, has been promoted to a series regular for the sixth and final season on the series. This is great news, mostly because we'll get to find out why Ilana was so bandaged up during that visit with Jacob, how she knew Jacob before, and how she came to work for him.

I'm very excited by this new development. Robinson is the third new confirmed regular for the sixth season; Nestor Carbonell (Other Richard Alpert) was the first, and Jeff Fahey, who plays  pilot Frank Lapidus, was the second.

Is LOST planning an homage to John Hughes?  The ever vigilant Ryan from TheTransmission passed on some details regarding a day of shooting that, among other things, suggested: Mario Van Pebbles onset as a guest director or producer; fan favorites Locke and Ben possibly taking on the role of substitute teachers; second stringers Alex Rousseau and Leslie Arzt; and, Ryan has exclusively revealed to us the identity of a certain William Atherton's character.  Anyway you slice the scoops, one thing is clear:  this episode of LOST is high-school centric.

Atherton's appearance on LOST was first revealed through some teasing tweets from LOST executive producer Carlton Cuse, and we now know he will be playing the part of Principal Reynolds.   Tell me this guy wasn't born to play a bad ass principal.  Arzt, as you will recall, was a junior high science teacher so it appears we will see him back in his role, and I guess Alex will be … a student?  Wild stretch, I know.  The big question is, though, why is LOST apparently having a teenage moment?

Could it be Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have thrown together an homage to Hughes's legendary fables of teen angst?  Ben taking a nod as Ben Stein's iconic 'economics teacher' from Ferris Bueller's day off.  "Rousseau? Rousseau? Rousseau?"  Atherton delivering a demonic take on 'Dick' Vernon from The Breakfast club, maybe?   Arzt doing his typical 'Weird Science.'

As far as the Van Peebles news, that's not nearly as left field as the recent suggestion that 24 maestro Jon Cassar will be directing an episode.

Oh, ABC, you taunt me with the idea of a LOST season 6 promo only to dash my hopes and dreams when I realize that it contains no new footage.

E!Online's Kristen recently annouced that ABC was commited to not showing any new footage from season 6 in its promos:

I’m hearing from Lost sources that every single shot of the first few episodes are so revealing that the producers have convinced ABC to NOT SHOW A SINGLE FRAME before the new season airs.

No promo scenes, no photos, no nada! So you will be completely in the dark, but it is for good reason: The twists they’re planning are so good, you will WANT to be surprised. Trust me. Your mind gonna go kaplewey.

If I recall correctly, the first promo for season 5 last year contained no new footage from season 5 and it still got me hooked.  You know the one I'm talking about….the one that showed the Oceanic 6 getting rescued and the rest of them left behind.  I was psyched.  So now ABC has a little teaser for us.  There's no new footage, but damn if it doesn't get me psyched for the final season of LOST.

Email me at clarissa @ tvovermind.com

Follow me at twitter.com/clarissa373

If all of this talk about LOST going dark during the Olympics has you freaking out – relax. I have it on good authority that there is no plan to pull LOST off the air through the entire month of February, unfortunately I do not have any better news to share as far as specific scheduling goes. Here is what I do know from my sources close to the show:

• The Premiere Date for LOST is still not solid. (Various folks say January 27th, but that is NOT official and is not verified by any of my sources.)
• Logically, If LOST is preempted by the Olympics, it would not be for the entire month of February as the events run from the 12th (a Friday) to the 28th (A Sunday). Worst case scenario: No LOST for two weeks.

Our first clue that this thing is not true should have been the removal of the blog post at the "Arts at Harvard" blog that reported the information. Essentially, the post claimed that LOST producers Carlton Cuse gave the following information during passing conversation at the Harvard offices:

Mr. Cuse graciously explained that the show would begin again in January then stop for the Olympics and then start back again in February.

While no-one is saying specifically that this is an untrue account on the behalf of the blogger, they are saying it is completely inaccurate. So to summarize one more time: There is no premiere date set in stone – yet, and there is no plan to pull LOST for the entire month of February as some have reported.

On a personal note, I'd say that I would not be all that upset if I had to take a LOST-break for a couple of weeks in February. ABC has to do business, and by the time that delay takes place we'll have not only been through the worst part, the grueling hiatus between seasons, but we'll also be dealing with the reality that the end of LOST is coming faster than we'd hoped. A little bit of anticipation to savor our first bite of LOST's last supper might do us some good.

None of this is to say a break is out of the question, however there is no precedent for it.  The last time the Winter Olympics were held, in 2006, LOST was not only not preempted, it actually won it's time slot against the games, which posted their lowest ratings ever. In fact, of the shows that stood up against the Olympics most were ABC including Grey's Anatomy, Dancing with the Stars, Desperate Housewives, Lost. CBS did well with Survivor, oh and a CSI repeat. Yes, I said repeat.

By now you probably know that season 6 of LOST may potentially bring back many, if not all, of the original cast members.  We don't know how, we don't know why, and we don't know for how long, and we don't want to know until they lay it on us, but the LOST producers have dropped heavy hints we will be seeing some old favorites once again.  Meanwhile, though, two erstwhile LOST cast-members will be reuniting off the island, in the big screen sequel to 30 Days of Nights.

Bloody Disgusting is reporting that Harold Perrineau (Who last battled zombies in 28 weeks later) and former LOST co-star Kiele Sanchez (of Paolo and Nikki fame) are amongst those already cast for 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, which creates a new thread in Steve Niles original graphic novel skein.  The plot concerns Stella, played in 30 Days of Night by Melissa George who has NOT yet committed to the sequel, bent on getting revenge on the vampire behind the attacks that left her husband along with most of the other residents of an isolated Alaskan town dead.

A possibly related angle is that E!Online's 'Watch With Kristin' is reporting that a particular LOST actor declined the opportunity to return in season 6.  Could it be that they had 'bigger and better' things on their plate?

Another of LOST's iconic tertiary characters will be showing up in the sixth and final season. If his appearance doesn't necessarily excite you on its own, what it has to say about an old favorite character just may. Click on for all of the spoilery details.

I have it on good authority that Billy Ray Gallion A.K.A Randy (Locke's boss, Hurley's Boss and Future employee) filmed a scene with our beloved John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) yesterday.  Yes, it was our Locke -wheelchair and all – not that poseur dude in black that was driving around an imitation model last season.

The scene takes place after Oceanic 815 lands safely in Los Angeles and details the taunting that ensues when Locke returns to his box company collections supervisor job to face off with his sneering boss, Randy. Needless to say, things don't go very well… you can take that however you like.

For those that are wondering, the various 'insider' reports so far seem to indicate that the 815′rs are dealing with non-supernatural dramas in the Oceanic 815 landed time-line.  Some filming on the island seems to indicate that the other possible outcome - what if the Jughead plan failed – is also being explored.  So are we watching two versions of our beloved losties, or does this indicate… gulp… flash-betweens?  Only a little better than three months to go people.

I cannot believe what a waste my life was just a few short years ago. Then, on September 22, 2004, my life became complete when ABC premiered LOST on this date.

Over the years we've met an incredibly complex group of characters who've faced everything from the mundane aspects of life on an (supposedly) uninhabitated island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to the far more complicated aspects of surviving on such an island.

We've met Jack, the pragmatic and scientific physician whose lack of faith forced him to be an unwilling de facto leader of the survivors.

We've met Juliet, the  compassionate and caring physician whose faith was tested time and again by the island forcing her to rethink her purpose.

We've met John, the dreamer whose faith would ultimately make him the leader of the island.

We've met Kate and Sawyer, two troubled souls on a mission towards redemption for their past sins.

We've met Charlie and Claire, two more troubled souls whose mission towards redemption, once completed, went down a tragic path.

We've met Jin and Sun, for whom the island provided a new start and renewed love.

We've met Sayid, perhaps the only survivor of the plane crash who's path towards redemption has taken a terribly wrong turn.

We've met Michael, driven to insanity by the demands of fatherhood and the island. 

We've met Bernard and Rose, whose love for each other surpasses and negates their physical reality.

And we've met Hurley. Besieged by what he thinks is a string of bad luck provided by those infamous six numbers, 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42, Hurley consistently became the voice of reason, humor and honesty among the survivors.

We've met The Others, led by Ben Linus, perhaps the most convoluted and troubled character in television history. A man who began to believe his own lies in order to serve the island. All the while realizing and mourning his own mortality.

We've met The Dharma Initiative, a utopian society of scientists on a mission we've yet to fully understand.

Above all, we've met The Island. By far the most important character in LOST. Through the various guises of The Island we've seen the growth of faith, the promise of eternal life, the accountability for one's actions, and above all, the realization that all is not what we see.

Happy Birthday, LOST!

With LOST production in full swing fans are once again being treated to a cascade of spoilers.  Today comes details of an iconic scene that never took place, but should have – and would you believe it involves, in a way, True Blood? Read on LOST fans, your spoilers await.

First, let's allow our good friends at HawaiiWeblog set the scene for us.  (Click here for their full report.)

A yellow taxi cab pulls up in front of the house, and two women emerge. It’s a “very pregnant” Claire (Emilie De Ravin) accompanied by, inexplicably, Kate (Evangeline Lilly).  They walk up and Claire knocks on the door, and an unfamiliar woman (the crew called her by the name Jenny) answers.  Claire introduces herself… and the woman immediately breaks down, crying.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she says. “I really wanted this. But my husband… I just can’t have the baby right now.”

There’s anguish. And awkwardness. They’re not invited inside. But after a few more words are exchanged, it’s Claire’s turn to cry out. She cringes, and bends over, apparently and suddenly going into labor.

“Call a doctor!” Kate urges.

Aaron's Would-Be Mom

We checked with our sources and found out that Jenny isn't the name of the character, but the name of the actress playing her.  Turns out Aaron's would-be adopted mother is being played by Actress Jenny Blong.  If you are going nuts trying to figure out where you may have seen her, she had a brief role as Sookie and Jason's mother Michelle Stackhouse in season one of True Blood!

Now as for why escaped fugitive Kate is tagging along to help Claire deliver up their beloved baby boy Aaron to his would-be adoptive mom, we have no clue.  Why would either of them give up the boy they both came to love as mothers. (Man, LOST is complicated.) Could it be that the JugHead solution erased their memories and they just happen to be together by chance?  Or maybe Aaron is in some kind of danger and his two moms are anxious to tuck him away for his own safety.  For that we'll have to wait until next year when LOST returns.

On a related note, we have confirmation that Elizabeth Mitchell is on Hawaii.  Hey, Juliet is a doctor – right? Doesn't her specialty have something to do with babies, in one universe at least…

Look out.  IGN Published a few up-close shots of the LOST season 6 poster, and set off an explosion of apophenia in the famished fandom.  LOST fans have turned their finely tuned theorizing skills to the poster looking for clues to the sixth seasons meaning, and we have a few insider tid-bits to add to the discussion.  Ready?  Lets go.

First, here is our analysis: the people who put together the parade of favored losties have some decent photoshop skills, because every last image comes either from a screen cap or a promo pic from previous seasons. We have not been able to find a single image of a character on the poster that was shot for the poster specifically, even the image of Locke with his back turned.  So folks looking for hand signals or other hidden messages in the poster may be disappointed as it looks like a collection of cut and pasted promo pics.

As far as what we have heard from people in the know, we have two things to pass on that may be helpful to LOST fans looking for meaning. The first bit goes back a ways, to just after ComicCon.  We tapped the wire to our super secret sources within the hallowed halls of ABC  in an attempt to get a copy of the graphic.  The response?  We were told that the image was not official season 6 art and had been created only for Comic Con. The folks we spoke to at that time pointed out they were surprised it had caused as big a stir as it had.

Next, a person close to the current LOST viral marketing told us that the hieroglyphics inside the typeset on the poster definitely contain a message.  What is the message?  Is it a note to the fans? A revealing bit of info regarding the nature of season 6?  The recipe for fish biscuits?  We don't know, as we do not read Egyptian, but certainly one of your super smart guys out there have a friend who swallowed the Rosetta stone so the answer can't be far down the road.

A new casting call has been thrown out for Lost, aimed for the fourth episode of the sixth season, and possibly beyond, DarkUFO reports. Here's the call.

[TEENAGE BOY] CAUCASIAN, 12-14. Dirty blond hair. Wise beyond his years. He's got intense, searching eyes. He's dealt with a horrible family accident. Even at a young age, he has been put in charge of something very important, and it weighs heavily on his shoulders. RECURRING GUEST STAR.

Source: DarkUFO

Pretty weird, huh? I've got two guesses as to who it is. The first is the obvious answer of Sawyer, who we've seen as a child twice before, and who went through a traumatic family accident well before he entered his teenage years. Is this who the casting call is referring to? Probably.

But what if it's not? What if it's referring to someone else who has dirty blonde hair and is wise beyond his years. I'm sort of hoping that the casting call is referring to a young Jacob, who we have yet to have seen in childhood. We actually don't know if he ever was a child.

What do you think? Sawyer? Jacob? Someone else? Let us know your thoughts below.

Despite the fact that we won't be getting a glimpse of the final season of Lost on the small screen until late January (or even early February) filming has started on the premiere episode in Hawaii.  Our good friend Ryan at HawaiiBlog.com has some excellent scoop for us based on filming that just started this morning.  Spoilerphobes, be warned!!  The rest of this article contains moderate to heavy spoilage. In reality though, we still don't know the complete context to which these scenes will be played out in the premiere episode.

The Lost crew set up camp this morning at the Honolulu International Airport which, according to a sign, as well as past filming reports, will serve as LAX airport in the premiere episode.  Hopefully most of you will remember that the title for the premiere episode of season 6 will be "LA X."  There has been some discussion around whether or not this means that Jack's little plan worked, and the title and filming location certainly seems to point to some sort of re-boot or history changing going on.

As can be seen by the photo to the right, Naveen Andrews, Josh Holloway, and Evangeline Lilly were all set to appear at the airport set, but Ryan actually saw a cast member there, and one you definitely wouldn't expect to see if history hasn't been changed.  Daniel Roebuck, who played Dr. Leslie Arzt until he exploded at The Black Rock, was on hand in the airport for the scene.  So I ask this, based on these new filming details, along with cast members such as Dominic Monaghan returning next season, do we still even have to wonder whether they changed enough stuff to allow Flight 815 to land safely at LAX?  I say no, case closed.  Like it or not, that plane is landing safely at LAX.

This isn't to say that we don't have enough questions to be asking ourselves, and each other.  For instance, are any of the Losties going to remember what they did?  Will the changes negatively affect them now, such as the Comic Con video where we saw that Kate is now wanted for killing an innocent man?  And what does this mean for Locke and Richard and gang on the island last season? Does there story just not matter anymore?

These are all fantastic questions, of course, but there is more filming news that further complicates all of this.  You see, as much as a nice clean reboot might seem inevitable, you should know better than that by now on Lost.  Reports from this weekend had several witnesses to a scene that featured Jack, Kate, and Sawyer in a scene at the Swan Station, and appeared to be picking up right where the events from the season finale dropped off.  Also, just a few weeks ago Locke, Richard Alpert, and the rest of the beach gang from last season, were seen filming what appeared to be the scene that followed Ben killing Jacob in the remnants of the statue.  In that scene Not-Locke actually gets in a fist fight with Richard! So what are we expected to believe now?  How can the events from last season continue like this, while at the same time the Losties land safely at LAX on Oceanic 815?  Do we now have to endure Flash-Sideways!?

Unfortunately we can't even come close to answering all of those questions for you.  But feel free to discuss them amongst yourselves in the comments section below.  And how exciting is it to see filming footage flowing in!!

Source: Hawaii Blog

Rewind your brain-tape. It’s LOST season 3, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof have stuck their lead characters in cages for the first six episodes. Whether intentional or not, the duo – affectionately known as ‘Darlton’ by their fans – will go on to talk about how the caging was symbolic of LOST’s story being held captive by ABC’s refusal to let them plan an end date. Conventional wisdom amongst network executives would be to do such planning when the ratings were in the tank, far less than ideal timing, but Carlton and Damon had a more powerful voice to contend with – the voice of angry fans who felt the show was moving too slowly. So they got their end date, and the rest is history. Are fans necessarily happy with that, though?

Actually, a lot of LOST fans would have sided with the network executives on this one. Some of LOST’s viewers were pretty typical TV watchers that weren’t all that wound up in the mythology of the island. LOST could go on forever as far as they were concerned. As LOST’s narrative accelerated away from semi-episodic to out and out serial, some fans couldn’t keep up. It’s pretty standard to find back-sliding LOST fans who now only watch when the DVD sets are released. A few extreme LOST fans have given up on chaptered viewing altogether, choosing to wait for the story to end before they ‘catch up.’ LOST’s transition from series to mega-serial has affected the viewing habits of its fans like no other show in history.

For those who were not happy with the end date set by ABC, a little bit of hope came via Executive Producer Carlton Cuse. Cuse, along with Lindelof and Writers Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, appeared at Bumbershoot, a Music and Arts festival in Seattle. The writer’s confirmed that they would not be involved with LOST once their story was finished, but Cuse went on to bring the voice of reason: LOST is a powerful franchise, and Disney would be crazy not to continue it in some way.

What way would work though? If Cuse and Lindelof leave the island standing in the conclusion of their Magnum Opus, could the island become host to a future adventure? Could certain characters go on to have spin-offs? In calculating the possibilities, it is hard to come up with a return-vehicle for the LOST franchise that doesn’t seem contrived, or down-right stupid. None-the-less, in a world brimming with brilliant writers there can be no doubt that somewhere the formula exists to repopulate the world of LOST with exciting characters and deep new mysteries, the question is would fans watch?

So let’s throw the question out to you. Would you accept a new LOST?

Source: Podstillery

This coming week Disney will be opening the doors to the D23 expo, a huge convention dubbed the 'Ultimate Disney Fan Experience.'  It's sort of a smaller, more focused Comic Con, without comics.  Actually, now that Disney owns Marvel, maybe some comics too.  The exciting part for TV fans, and LOST fans in particular, will be ABC's presentation of some of their upcoming genre programming. Amongst the displays will be the LOST props that will be going up for auction next year.  Disney has also just announced that cast members from LOST will be appearing at the convention as well, however they have NOT stated who.

Here are the details from Disney:

This Saturday, September 12, in Anaheim, CA, LOST cast members are going to be making a public appearance at Disney's D23 Convention; additionally some really fantastic pieces of LOST history are going to be on display- including Kate’s toy plane, Hurley’s winning lottery ticket, Locke’s hunting knife, Sawyer’s letter and many other surprises! These items will be on view Thursday September 10 through Sunday, September 13, the entire weekend of D23, and will be up for auction after the series finale in May of 2010.

2009 If you are a fan of all things LOST, then Disney’s D23, taking place September 10-13, 2009 at the Anaheim Convention Center, is definitely the place to be. Profiles in History, the world’s largest Hollywood memorabilia auctioneer, will offer fans of the hit ABC television series, LOST a special preview of their Summer, 2010 auction, with a display of authentic props, costumes and set pieces including Kate’s toy plane, Hurley’s winning lottery ticket, Locke’s hunting knife, Sawyer’s letter and many other surprises! This four-day sneak preview runs from 9:00am-5:00pm each day.

ABC is pleased to announce the "LOST" Auction will take place after the series finale in May 2010. “In celebration of our fans around the world, Profiles in History has been selected to auction a selection of original props, set pieces, costumes and collectors’ artifacts from the entire series in order to give our fans a chance to own a piece of one of the greatest, most iconic shows in history.

Profiles in History President, Joseph Maddalena: “Profiles in History is thrilled to be holding the LOST Auction. LOST is one of the most iconic TV shows ever created, and we are working in conjunction with ABC to offer fans from around the world an opportunity to own a memento of this amazing show. This is a once in a lifetime auction event that will celebrate one of the most beloved shows in television history.”

The best part of Heroes is going to Lost. David H. Lawrence XVII, most recently famous for the recurring role of puppetmaster Eric Doyle in season three of Heroes confirmed only moments ago that he will be appearing in the final season of Lost. "I'm gonna be on #LOST, muthafucka," Lawrence happily tweeted, before quickly sending fellow Lost/Heroes alumnus Greg Grunberg a similar message.

"One episode to start, maybe more. Headed to Hawaii Monday, on hold for three weeks," Lawrence clarified. At this point, nothing is known about Lawrence's Lost role, other than the fact that it is played by a truly fantastic and diverse actor. It's likely that Lawrence will be appearing in episode 6.03 as either Melky or Russell.

In my personal opinion, this is absolutely wonderful news. Lawrence's Doyle was hands-down the best part of Heroes' third season, and left me wanting more of the character. Does this recent bit of casting news mean that we'll see less of Doyle on Heroes? Hopefully not, but if it does, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

Congratulate Lawrence on his newly landed role by following him on Twitter (@dhlawrencexvii). As more news breaks, we'll let you know.

Reports are coming out that production of ABC's new and highly anticipated series "V" has been shut down for two weeks.

The Wrap reports:

Warner Bros. TV has decided to temporarily shut down production on the alien invasion series, with filming scheduled to halt next Wednesday, a studio rep confirmed exclusively to TheWrap. Because "V" doesn't premiere until Nov. 3, the move won't impact scheduling of the series or ABC's ability to air the six episodes it's planning for the fourth quarter.

The studio wouldn't discuss the specific reasons behind the move, saying only that the shutdown was designed to boost "V" in the long-term.

WBTV wants to "take advantage of our November premiere to maximize creative opportunities and deliver the audience the best show possible," a Warners spokesperson said.

People familiar with the decision indicated the hiatus was put in place so that writers would have time to beef up future scripts and bring them in line with the quality of the pilot, which has been getting good buzz from bloggers and critics since a successful screening at Comic-Con last month.

While it's apparent the producers are all about a quality television show and writers doing quality work, could there be more to this story than we're being told? If there are, in fact, script and/or quality problems with "V", why are we just now hearing about it?

Here's an idea. The Spectulation Theorist within me suspects that perhaps…maybe…this production shut down may have less to do with a percieved quality of "V" and more to do with allowing a little time for Elizabeth Mitchell to make a quick trip to Hawaii for a little LOST filming?

I guess we'll find out soon, won't we?

LOST is cranking up for its sixth season in a major way. Already the casting 0f John Hawkes as a character known as "Lennon" has been revealed, but even more news is coming our way! LOST has already cast a second new character for the sixth season.

Entertainment Weekly broke later this week that LOST has cast Japanese actor Hiroyuki Shimosawa for an as-of-yet unknown role. Shimosawa is best known in America for his roles in The Last Samurai and Rush Hour 3, though his name isn't exactly household.

Not much is known about the character — he's a "significant recurring," was all that EW could share, though EW's Doc Jensen had a theory to share.

“My prediction,” he speculated, “is that he will play a mystical mystery man who serves as John Locke’s Obi-Wan-meets-Mr. Miyagi in the post-Jughead rebooted Lost timeline. Attuned to The Island’s magic — perhaps an embodiment of The Island itself — Hiroyuki’s character will help the amnesiac Locke rediscover his destiny to become The Island knight/protector and guide him back, even as dark forces conspire to stop Locke and the rest of the castaways from going back.”

Hm…sounds a little cliche to me, in all honesty. The foreign character of guidance has been really overused on television, and seems particularly dull, especially after Heroes' use of the character Usutu last year. I hope for our sake that Doc Jensen is wrong, or that the LOST writers are talented enough to make that work. Wait, why am I even worrying? I know they are.

Another tidbit of casting news came from the casting call going out for a new character, this one named Jeff (at least temporarily). The character seems to be closely related to the character of Lennon, especially when placing the two casting calls next to each other.

[JEFF] Male, late 20s to 50s, any ethnicity. A polished, sympathetic, and very efficient public relations rep for high-profile company. Has to deliver a piece of bad news to a corporate executive and hides his nervousness behind a professional, reassuring smile…CO-STAR

[LENNON] Male, mid 30s to late 50s, could be any ethnicity. Scruffy, edgy and charismatic, yet can be deferential when needed; may have gone a little stir-crazy. Spokesperson and translator for the president of a foreign corporation. He facilitates the weight and power of his boss’s commands. He is a wily negotiator who is far more powerful than it seems from his position…RECURRING GUEST STAR… LOOKING FOR SOMEONE VERY INTERESTING

Source: DarkUFO

Though the character's calls are slightly different, it seems possible that the person Jeff is nervous about delivering bad news to is Lennon. But what news is this? Jacob's death? The Jughead incident?

Whatever the case may be (and I'm sure you've all got some great theories to post in the comments section), I'm already getting excited for the final season of the show.

We still don't know who, or what, 'Lennon' is – outside of the casting notice uncovered by Ausiello yesterday – but we know who will be playing him.  John Hawkes, perhaps best known for his role on Deadwood, will be joining the LOST cast as Lennon.  We still don't know how many episodes Hawkes will appear in.

Here is the original LOST casting notice which Ausiello released yesterday:

Lennon: Scruffy, edgy, charismatic, and slightly stir-crazy, Lennon can be deferential when it’s called for. He’s the spokesperson/translator for the president of a foreign corporation. He’s a wily negotiator, and far more powerful than his lowly position would seem to indicate. Recurring.

"Recurring" would suggest we'll be seeing a lot of Lennon. Not will that be in the future, the past, or the sideways of LOST?  That we'll have to wait and find out when the series returns in early 2010.  Lennon is the third Deadwood alum that we know of to be approached for a role on LOST. Titus Welliver appeared last season as "Man Number 2," and Kristin Bell was approached for the part of Charlotte, but turned the role down.

source: THR

LOST Season Six is entering production and the first bit of spoilage has leaked onto the web. Maybe. Actually, it could be said that the LOST gang is the best player in the game when it comes to saturating their casting calls with artful misdirection.  When LOST is looking for a ruthless Widmore operative, for instance, they call for a "corporate recruiter."  Keeping that in mind, the details of this casting call – unearthed by EW's spoilermaestro Michael Ausiello – may speak loudly considering what we know about the players in LOST's game.  First, the casting call.

Lennon: Scruffy, edgy, charismatic, and slightly stir-crazy, Lennon can be deferential when it’s called for. He’s the spokesperson/translator for the president of a foreign corporation. He’s a wily negotiator, and far more powerful than his lowly position would seem to indicate. Recurring.

Taking this at face value, one might think Lennon works for Widmore, Paik, or even the Hanso Foundation.  Using our imaginations a little bit, Lennon could even be connected to the seemingly godlike beings that inhabit LOST's magical island.  Jacob, as it were, was scruffy, edgy, and charismatic – and 'slightly-stir-crazy' maybe LOST casting shorthand for something slightly superhuman – someone or something possessing a slightly exaggerated point of view. Considering that idea puts "far more powerful than his lowly position would seem to indicate" in an entirely new context.

My prediction: Lennon is the representative of whatever force Jacob answers to, that is none too happy about the Jughead incident.  Perhaps the gateway to the over-arcing mythology of LOST season 6.  Or perhaps, he's just what we think he is.  After-all, some of these casting notices turn out to be personae non gratae.  Since season 6 is still so far away, why don't we have a little fun and speculate.

For More LOST News Don't Forget to Subscribe to our Feed, Follow me on Twitter, and Friend Me on Facebook.

The LOST guys are at it once again, tormenting their loyal fans with a clue filled online event that just stepped through the fourth-wall and straight into the really-real world. This time around it looks like LOST's efforts are all about the fan, namely giving the fans the chance to follow clues to the opportunity to purchase limited edition posters created by some of the hottest pop-culture artists on the market.

The most recent round brought LOST actor Sterling Beaumon, who played the part of Young Ben Linus on the show, to a night club where DJ Am was performing.  The dance party was setup with a definite LOST theme featuring a mockup of the hatch, and a very familiar piece of art from the show, the Black Rock painting.  Beaumon grabbed the mic briefly to give fans the next clue.

LOST fans don't have to actually leave the internet to stay on top of what is going on. The game-masters have set up a 'hub' page that will keep fans informed of each event and what is revealed.  The disclaimer for the game actually seems to go out of its way to stress that LOST fans do not need to physically participate in the game, suggesting that there will be more live events and reveals in the near future.

Following the exclusive and insightful podcast interview Doc Arzt (You can listen HERE)  had with Paul Scheer, the Picasso of Black Velvet, I was able to "sit down" with Paul and field a few important questions of my own.

Here's 20 Questions for Paul Scheer:

H: What other television show you've seen, other than one you've been involved in, has elicited such a fervor as LOST?

P: The Suite Life with Zach and Cody.

H: If you were a number…4, 8, 15, 16, 23, or 42…which would you be and why?

P: 42 cause I like my numbers like my beer. Actually I like my numbers 2 digits higher than I like my beer. I guess what I'm really saying is that I'm an alcoholic.

H: If today's the 16th in Hawaii, what day is it in California?

P: Trick question. There is no such place as Hawaii.

H: Your medium is black velvet. How would you depict the smoke monster?

P: With pieces of the actual smoke monster of course but everytime I get it into my house, it always tries to drag me back to its hole.

H: Who would convey better on black velvet, Kate or Juliet?

P: Juliet because I haven't figured out how to do freckles yet.

H: Who's the biggest nerd, Damon or Carlton?

P: Darlton when combined their power is greater like Voltron.

H: What LOST characters are you considering for your future paintings?

P: Rose and Bernard and a Polar Bear.

H: Have you thought of using flourescent paint on black velvet?

P: You've read my mind. Aaaah please stop doing that. (H: oops!)

H: Who's your hero?

P: Arsenio Hall

H: If Damon and Carlton offered you a role on LOST five years ago, who would you have wanted to be?

P: The guy who gets sucked into the engine.

H: If Damon and Carlton offered you a role on it's final season, who would you want to be?

P: Aaron.

H: If you painted Elvis in Hawaii on black velvet, would Ronie Midfew accuse you of violating "intellectual property"?

P: No because America owns Elvis.

H: Why does Damon always wear white and Carlton always wear black?

P: Because they are trying to get people to nickname them oreo.

H: If you were a survivor of a plane crash on an island, which LOST character would you want to be with?

P: Shannon because we could use her inhalers to catch a quick buzz.

H: If you were a survivor of a plane crash on an island, which LOST character would you not want to be with?

P: Boone because he seems like he smells like axe body spray.

H: What's your favorite item on the Mr. Cluck's menu?

P: I don't eat at Mr. Cluck after I saw SuperCluck Me.

H: If Mr. Eko was a frontman for a rap group, which would it be?

P: Positive K.

H: Would you advise Rose and Bernard to leave the island?

P: No because I owe them money.

H: Is Ben good or bad?

P: Ben is neither. He's like the island's Simon Cowell. He just says what you need to hear.

H: Where the eff's my painting?

P: Ronie Midfew must have intercepted the Fedex delivery to your house. (H: Damn, foiled again!)

Be sure to keep up with Paul's blog at Damon, Carlton and a Polar Bear for more about his battle with Ronie Midfew Arts, and stay tuned for an important unveiling on his site this Saturday, August 15th, at Midnight PST!

There's a supernatural deity on the mysterious Island of LOST, and it's not Richard Alpert (as far as we know, that is). I'm talking about Taweret, the ancient Egyptian goddess of fertility who is depicted by a giant statue on the Island's coast.

We first saw this statue in the season two finale, "Live Together, Die Alone," though only the left foot of the statue remained, and even it had only four toes. Though the statue gained considerable buzz among the fans, we didn't see more of the statue until almost four years later, when we saw it from behind in the episode "LaFleur," and we finally saw a closer view from behind in the season five finale, "The Incident, Parts 1 & 2," when we discovered that the base of the statue was occupied by the ageless entity known as Jacob. However, despite this, we've never actually seen what the statue looks like from the front. We've seen from odd angles from the back, but we don't even know what the statue's face looks like.

That is, until now. The Lostpedia Blog (well, me writing for the Lostpedia blog) reports that the latest issue of Lost: The Official Magazine has a better picture of the statue's original model,  as sculpted by Jim Van Houten. The model was used as a reference when creating the CGI version of the statue as shown in "The Incident, Parts 1 & 2." The image shown is a scan, and of poor quality, but a much higher quality version can be found on page 25 of the 100-page yearbook released this week by Lost: The Official Magazine.

What do you think about this recently revealed image? Is it all you hoped it would be? Is it an accurate depiction of Taweret? You decide, and comment in the comments section below. We look forward to hearing your feedback.

I must say that Elizabeth Mitchell seems a bit peeved to be discussing LOST with that big old 'V' logo behind her, but probably not half as peeved as her V co-star. I'm sure he understands though.

Source: E!Online

Here's an excerpt from an interview from Ian Somerholder at iesb.net regarding his character on the upcoming Vampire Diaries in which he spills some great LOST scoop.

Spoilers after the break…

Q: Are you going to be returning to Lost?
Ian: That's the idea.

Q: Are you going to go back to the plane, before it crashed?
Ian: I don't know any of that stuff, but that's the idea. We're working it out and making it happen.

Q: Do you have any idea what the storyline would be?
Ian: I have no clue. And, I probably won't know until the day I get there. That is the one thing that I am really curious about. Over the years, those guys have gotten so smart to not tell actors anything because we talk to you guys.

Q: Were you surprised when you got the call about returning to the show?
Ian: We had spoken about it for awhile, and then I hung out with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse at Comic-Con and we came to the conclusion that this will happen. So, we're just working out the details. The problem is just the dates. Honolulu is really far from Atlanta, and I'm on the schedule every day with The Vampire Diaries. Usually, when I would go back to do an episode of Lost, it was a seven-day vacation with a great hotel suite on the beach, lots of per diem, a convertible to drive around in and massages. This is going to be a red eye from Atlanta to Hawaii, getting off the plane, shooting, crashing and then going back.

Q: Are you excited to revisit Boone?
Ian: One last time, yeah. It will be fun. I just can't wait.

Q: Is it nice to know that you'll be able to play a part in closing out this show that you helped get started?

Ian: Yeah. Hopefully, it will be different and Boone can get his power back. There was always some element of solidarity in him. It was just never able to be played out. But, I could be completely wrong. He could just be the same push-over he was.

Q: Have you kept up with the show at all, as the seasons have progressed?
Ian: I haven't been able to, as much as I'd like to. But, I'm going to do some major catching up, before I go down there.

From iesb.net

The beginning of LOST's sixth and final season is just months away, and one mystery has already been solved:  the title of the premiere.  Historically, LOST season premiere titles do have significance when it comes to the tone of the season, so the title of the LOST season 6 premiere should be no different.  The way it was revealed should also be of interest to LOST fans looking to pass the time between now and Januaryish.

The title is LA X, and it is a two part premiere.  Obviously it is mutation of LAX, the airport that was to be the destination of Oceanic 815, but with a very conspicuous space between LA and X.  Could X be like x-factor, variation X, or the infamous symbol for unknown quantity that terrifies algebra noobs?  Or could this be the roman numeral X.  As in 2010, the now of the LOST premiere.

It all started with a black velvet painting. Comedian Paul Sheer crashed the LOST season 6 panel at Comic Con to deliver to the show runners his masterpiece "Damon, Carlton, and a Polar Bear."  Obviously this was a bit of live theater, and most fans dismissed it as a joke at the expense of LOST's more obsessed fans, but it turns out that the incident was the first act in what will be LOST's third adventure into the world of online alternate reality games – or ARGs. In case you have no idea what an ARG is, an ARG provides a highly active grape-vine for viral marketing by allowing fans to participate in a fictional world related to the subject – in this case LOST – and usually involves difficult puzzles and clues that require a community effort to solve.  Last season's ARG, Dharma Wants You, was aborted reportedly due to a lack of funds.

The actual substance of this years ARG has not been fully revealed, but it seems to be setup with these elements: Paul Sheer represents a sort of gateway character for the online community.  He's engaged in creating a series of fan-art paintings on black velvet.  Hero.  Check.  A bunch of signed and numbered prints of Paul's initial painting, Damon Carlton and a Polar Bear, was sent to fans and fan site webmasters along with a hand written note from Paul. Shortly following that, each of those recipients received a cease and desist-ish letter from the mysterious Ronie Midfew Arts claiming to own the rights to LOST, at least in terms of artistic representation.  Villain.  Check. (Incidentally, I'm one of those webmasters contacted and have been dutifully playing along.  Check out the print and the letters here.)

The reveal of the LOST season 6 premiere title came in a bit of video where the hero Paul ventured to the Disney lot in an attempt to find out the fate of his painting, and wound up doing what every obsessed fan does when they visit a studio – a little dumpster diving.  Here's the video.

Yesterday at the ABC TCAV roundtable discussion, Elizabeth Mitchell confirmed that she'll be appearing on LOST in the upcoming season, most likely for more than one  episode.  During the discussion, she stated:

“It did seem that I kaboomed myself with a boom…I don’t think it’s going to be that way. I am going to be travelling to Hawaii more than once, because my [V] producers said it’s okay.”

It's good to know she'll be along for more of the ride on the island (or off?) next season. Whether she went "boom" or not, the character of Juliet grew even more during the Dharma days, and her chemistry with Josh Holloway (Sawyer) was impeccable, with her acting performance gaining the accolades of LOST fans everywhere.

What we don't know is if the two will be reunited, or even if they're in the same temporal or physical location.

In other TCA news, it was announced that the premiere of V will be moved up to Tuesday, November 3rd at 8pm. Whether this correlates with or frees up Mitchell for additional episodes of LOST is unknown as shooting for the inaugural season of V is expected to begin in two weeks and wrap up in early January.

I would suspect we'll see Juliet on LOST more during the waning episodes of the series, perhaps culminating in the reunion we all hope for?

Only time will tell.

Now that Comic-Con 2009 is over, I wanted to share a few details about the panels I attended and show you some of the fun items I picked up along the way. So here is my very first video recap for TVOvermind!

It's about time, I say!

William Keck of TV Guide confirmed yesterday that Nestor Carbonell, who we all know as playing the enigmatic Richard Alpert, will be joining the main cast of the Island mystery drama for its sixth and final season.

"I'm moving my whole family to Hawaii next week," Nestor tells me. "This whole time I've been flying back and forth, but now I'll be living on the island with the others. They tell me I'll be in 16 of the 18 episodes."
It's wonderful news, and it's the realization of many hopes that fans have had since season three, when Richard made his first appearance on the show, and was later revealed to be ageless in "The Man Behind the Curtain." Richard has since appeared frequently on the show, acting as a guiding light for Locke as he assumed his role as an Other, and then leading Jacob's nemesis (posing as Locke) to the four-toed statue. We last saw Richard looking down at the real Locke's body in shock along with Sun, Ilana, Bram, and the rest of the Others. Their reaction is, to me, almost as good of a cliffhanger as Juliet detonating Jughead.

So now that Richard and Claire have been confirmed as main characters, it's time to explore who else deserves that honor. Because Brad William Henke is one of my favorite actors, I would of course love for Bram to be a main character on the show, along with his partner Ilana (played by Zuleikha Robinson), both of whom I feel have a lot of story left to tell. I'd also love to see Jeff Fahey (Frank Lapidus) added to the main cast as well, but I can't say I'm seeing that as likely right now.

But I'm just excited to be seeing more of Richard next year. "Obviously Richard doesn't age, so I'm most curious to know how old he is and if he's in fact pulling the strings," Carbonell told TV Guide. We're with you there, Nestor. We're with you there.

Today's Comic Con Lost panel was as fun and exciting as ever, and once again used to tease us fans to the brink of insanity.  For over a month now rumors have been swirling about whether or not Dominic Monaghan was returning to Lost for its sixth season.  Yesterday, those rumors seemed to be false, as Dom showed up at the FlashForward panel and we learned that he would be joining the cast of that show as a series regular.  But then, today, he appeared at the very end of the Lost Comic Con panel during a tribute to dead characters, and appeared to have the words "Am I dead?" written on his hands.  Once again we were left to speculate and wonder if that meant he was returning to the show or not.

Well, you can rest assured, now, that he is in fact returning to the show.  Take a look at the video below, and at the 2:50 mark specifically Jorge Garcia confirms that he'd only just found out this morning that Dom would be returning for the final season.  What's even better is the look on both Michael Emerson and Nestor Carbonell's faces.  They seem a little surprised by the question and Jorge's answer, though maybe I'm just reading too much into it.  Regardless, it appears that we will be seeing quite a bit more of Dominic Monaghan next year than we'd thought possible.

The LOST gang knows how to operate in San Diego.  Some might even say that the many LOST panels that have graced the Comic Con convention strip have set the bar for 'Event' level attractions of the commercial kind.  Let's face it, as compatible as it may be LOST is not a comic, yet it continues to be one of the convention's largest attractions – generating mammoth audiences, and days and days of conversation.  This year was no different.

The big question on everyone's mind after LOST season five ended in that forbidding dissolve to white is "Where in time will they be now?"  If Jack's plan, which he co-opted from Daniel Faraday, is successful the crash of Oceanic 815 will have never happened.  Forget the ramifications from a post 815 point of view – they would never have met, the dead would still be alive, etc., etc. – what many theorists have driven themselves mad over is the endless permutations that could result.  The changes start not moments before 815 enters the airspace of the island, they begin in 1977.  Suddenly it is not only the crash we are changing.

As with previous conventions, the LOST bigwigs Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse again let their video do the talking when it came to the shape of season 6 – and the videos said a lot.  And yes, we have those videos.  Let's talk about them for a second.

The most telling was a faux American's Most Wanted segment on Kate.  Kate is still a fugitive, but in this alternate reality she did not kill her stepfather, but another man.  What's that?  In the two clips below, pay close attention.  The clues are obvious.  Hurley says he went to Australia, and came back with an idea for a new chicken combo.  Oceanic Airlines is celebrating an accident free history.  Could these clips be telling us that Season 6 is about an alternate universe where our heroes lives have been changed, although not necessarily for the better?  If this is true, do the characters remember their adventures on the island?

A lot of LOST fans are concerned about this.  After all, that would mean the last five seasons were wasted time – right?  Wrong, says Damon and Carlton.  When asked about that very point, the duo stated confidently "Trust us." And after five seasons of blowing our minds in ways that none of us could have possibly expected, that trust has certainly been earned.

I would like to lie in the shadow of the statue right now. I joined the Lost panel line at Comic-Con 2009 in San Diego at midnight, and am operating on zero sleep. However, I am so excited to share these videos with fellow Lost fans, as I had the opportunity to listen in as Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway and Nestor Carbonell answered press questions after the panel. While I did not have the chance to ask any questions of my own, I was thrilled to be able to meet Jorge on his way out. Amazingly sweet and surprisingly shy! It was a blur and a joy to be behind the scenes.

Josh Holloway discussed the possibility of Juliet's return, Jorge Garcia enthusiastically described what he loves about playing Hurley and Nestor Carbonell weighed in on whether Richard Alpert is good or evil….

The following video has appeared on the front page of ABC's LOST website in the Free Episodes page.

Underneath the video is the enscription:

The Dharma Initiative
A project discussed for years in and around conspiracy circles. Once thought to be lost, this explosive documentary series has never been seen before…until now.

Check back for additional installments over the coming weeks.

Looking to be a clip from a program that originated in the 1960's, titled Mysteries of the Universe, the clip begins sounding like the typical documentary-style expose of the era, with the deep-voiced narrator (think Outer Limits), keeping the listener on the edge of his/her seat waiting for the next reveleation.

At about halfway into the video, the narrator describes a secret organization comparable to the Freemasons or Skull and Bones, one which is a "peaceful organization but wary to show itself to the public". Stating the group is assumed to be "purely humanitarian", the organization is finally revealed to be The Dharma Initiative, giving hints as to where they came from, what their purpose is, and why they exist with a promise of further investigation as the series continues.

In an obvious nod to the final season of LOST (and the collective frustrations felt by all fans of LOST over the past five years in dealing with mystery after mystery), the narrator continues, stating "by piecing these miniscule pieces together, one by one, we begin to solve the puzzle" of the secret organization.

How, or if, this will tie into the LOST University website released in conjunction with Comic-Con this week remains to be seen. Both seem to be addressing our questions regarding the mysteries of our own LOST universe in separate explorations that show promise. Whether our questions will ever be answered to our high expectations and demands isn't apparent, but I'm confident all fans of LOST will be tuning in as new episodes of Mysteries of the Universe continues.

What is apparent is that this, the latest – yet hopefully not last – foray into appeasing fans of one of arguably one of the most fan-oriented and spectulated upon television shows in history, will be highly anticipated over the coming weeks and months as we wait impatiently for the new season in January.

Sometimes, Michael Ausellio of E gives out the best information when he doesn't really give any out at all!

In this week's column (bi-weekly, I guess), he's posted this question:

Following a quick visit to the LOST University site, and before actually checking out all the links, one image at the bottom of the page got me thinking…

Who's Who?

Are there some new old faces in this picture?

Let us know in the Comments Section or in the Forum!

Kudos to The ODI and Erin at Dark UFO for finding the following item nestled among the goodies at the Comic Con LOST Auction (the second picture is written on the back of each card):

The backside of the card enlarged:

It's pretty obvious this is the beginning of a new ARG. The link provided on the front of the card, www.lostuniversity.org, takes us to the ABC website for Lost University with what appears to be lots of interactive fun.

I'm thrilled! This looks a lot more fun than last year's ARG and we are overdue for something to keep us occupied until January.

Enjoy!

Sphere: Related Content

]]> http://www.tvovermind.com/lost/is-this-the-new-lost-arg/6870/feed 3 http://www.tvovermind.com/lost/abc-to-auction-lost-props/6786 http://www.tvovermind.com/lost/abc-to-auction-lost-props/6786#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:20:53 +0000 Jon Lachonis http://www.tvovermind.com/?p=6786

ABC and Profiles in History will be getting together to auction off numerous props from LOST, and better yet we'll be bringing you the low down on some of the iconic props that will be making into the auction.  This week at the San Diego Comic Con LOST will be presenting some of the items that will be sold to the highest bidder.

Presently, the Profiles in History LOST site only offers a sign up for future notification.  Early…

When the 2009 Emmy nominations were announced a few days ago, only one omission truly irritated me. The nomination list is never perfect, and there are often multitudes of oversights to be called into question, but I never really get too upset. This one blunder was an exception. Michael Giacchino – the supremely talented composer for ABC’s LOST – was nowhere to be found in the “Music Composition for a Series” category. Not only should he be nominated every year, not only should he win this category every year, but the award should be named after him. I’d call it the “Michael Giacchino Award for Unprecedented Excellence in Television Music Composition.” He is in a class all by himself, and that’s not up for debate.

To paraphrase LOST co-creator and showrunner Damon Lindelof’s statement on the Season 4 DVD, “Bad composers will tell you what to feel with their music. Good composers will take what you should already be feeling and personify that feeling through the sounds you hear.” Michael Giacchino would certainly be a “good composer” in that description. He doesn’t force you to feel something. He knows what you’re feeling, and his music makes you experience that emotion tenfold. My favorite example of this phenomenon is the track “Parting Words” from the Season 1 LOST soundtrack, which plays during the launching of the raft. The viewer is already feeling nervous for the endeavor that lies ahead. Sad for the family and friends that the adventurers are leaving behind. Hopeful at the prospect of rescue. Giacchino swirls all these sentiments into a sweeping composition that really has no business being on the small screen. But Giacchino doesn’t care. He is composing magic.

His brilliance does not end there, however. Beyond the incredible emotions his music highlights, Giacchino is perhaps the most innovative composer in television history. LOST fans will point out that he actually uses spare parts of the fuselage set as percussion. He has employed harps, guitars, xylophones, and other such instruments that are rarely heard on television. His trademarks – the forceful trombone and the versatile strings, the latter of which can exemplify both your feelings of terror and of tremendous pleasure.

The music Giacchino scores for LOST evokes the work of another trailblazing composer, Howard Shore. Giacchino’s majestic compositions are essentially TV’s version of the music in The Lord of the Rings. Shore created pieces that placed you in Middle-earth with the heroes, experiencing the events just as they did. Giacchino does the same for LOST. And for television, well, that’s just remarkable.

Part of me likes to think the Emmy committee left Giacchino off their list because grouping him with these other composers is an insult to him. Of course, that part of me is wrong, but one can dream. Michael Giacchino is one of the great pioneers of modern composition. Do not allow an award show to make you believe otherwise.

(You can also hear Giacchino’s work in FOX’s Fringe, as well as on the big screen in Star Trek, Ratatouille, Up, and many others. Below are just a few examples of his work on LOST.)