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May 24, 2010
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Since it premiered, many, many shows have tried to be the next LOST, embracing everything from weird coincidences to massive, sprawling casts – yet none have captured the original magic. With LOST – we’re not going to cry – finally off the air, a few shows are trying to fill the void and may be more successful without their inspiration to compete with. So let’s rank the candidates:
Who’s Involved? Nick Waters (The 4400, Eureka) and Steve Stark (Medium) created it; Jason Ritter (Parenthood) and Blair Underwood (In Treatment) star.
What’s It About? A regular guy discovers a massive conspiracy to assassinate the President! Of the United States. Of America! I know, big twist.
LOST Bait: The tagline is, “A suspense-filled journey where the answers only lead to bigger questions.” Sound like anything to you?
Odds of Being The Next LOST: Eh, not good. This sounds more like Prison Break to us than LOST – it’s a one-season concept that will get stretched on way to long. Plus, there’s nothing that makes us comfortable about a show where a black President is going to get assassinated.
Who’s Involved? Gail Berman (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and Lloyd Braun (Mercy) produce; David Lyons (ER) and Summer Glau (Dollhouse, Firefly, Terminator, Your Dreams) star.
What’s It About? A good cop and father has his life turned upside down when the evil chess killer frames him for his crimes. Unable to return to his family, the cop takes the identity of his son’s favorite superhero – The Cape.
LOST Bait: The main character, played by David Lyons, is named Vince Faraday, just like Daniel Faraday on LOST! And Summer Glau’s character is named Dharmainitiative O’Smokemonster. She’s Irish.
Odds of Being The Next LOST: If anything, it’s the next Heroes. Or Manimal. It’ll draw the geeks in with superpowers and Glau, but it has to have some damn impressive storytelling to overcome the cheesy CGI cape.
Who’s Involved? Henry Bromell (Homicide, Brotherhood) is showrunning; James Bridge Dale (The Pacific) and Miranda Richardson (Sleepy Hollow) star.
What’s It About? A think tank analyst stumbles on an Illuminati type scheme to rule the world.
LOST Bait: Secrets! Revelations! Murky bids for power! It’s got Ben vs. Widmore written all over it.
Odds of Being The Next LOST: Even. AMC knows how to make a good looking, well produced show, but their last foray into conspiracy – The Prisoner remake – was a well shot misfire. Luckily, they’re only aiming for 13 episodes, which should concentrate the mysteries a bit.
Who’s Involved? Frank Darabont (The Mist, The Shawshank Redemption) writes and directs; Andrew Lincoln (Love, Actually) stars.
What’s It About? You know what happens in the movies when a zombie apocalypse hits? This is what happens in the months and years after that, as police officer Rick Grimes leads a band of survivors just trying to stay alive.
LOST Bait: Not a whole lot, though it is based on a comic book, and that’s pretty geeky.
Odds of Being The Next LOST: Pretty good, actually. Though The Walking Dead doesn’t have the mystery elements (unless something has changed, the comic really isn’t about what caused the outbreak), it is about a group of interconnected people just trying to survive. And Darabont knows how to write the crap out of that sort of thing, as anyone who saw The Mist can attest. This is one to watch for.
Who’s Involved? Greg Berlanti (Green Lantern, Eli Stone) and Jon Feldman (Tru Calling, Roswell) write; Michael Chiklis (The Shield) and Julie Benz (Angel, Dexter) star.
What’s It About? After a plane crash in a strange glowing tropical river, a regular family gets superpowers.
LOST Bait: Did “plane crash” and “strange glowing tropical river” that grants amazing powers not tip you off?
Odds of Being The Next LOST: Well, it certainly looks one billion times better than The Cape, I’ll give it that. And they can return to the glowing river mystery now and again. Plus, Chiklis and Benz are a geek dream couple. It may not be the next LOST, but it certainly hopes to be the live action version of The Incredibles no one asked for.
