All Time Greatest Television Series: #1 Lost

For me Lost was the best thought, most intelligent show on television. It was also network television’s last hurrah. All of the really good shows these days are now on basic or premium cable. When I first heard of the concept for Lost, I thought it sounded cool, but at the same time I didn’t understand how they were going to sustain a series. I figured these people would be trying to get off the island, and eventually it would turn into a more serious version of Gilligan’s Island. I couldn’t possibly be more wrong. The mythology and deep level of backstory associated with the island was absolutely compelling. There were rivalries both among the Losties and then with other factions, such as the Others. Also, what was amazing was how the show completely changed from season to season. It went from the familiar flashback episodes to the flash forward episodes to the sideways episodes, to the future in the afterlife stories. Despite the backlash about the ending, I thought it was great. The characters were amazingly compelling. I thought Sawyer, Sayid, Desmond, and Hurley were all amazing characters. I don’t think there will ever be a show that captivates me as much as Lost.