By Stone Martindale May 7, 2007, 16:08 GMT
TV's serial thriller "Lost" will end in May 23, 2010, ABC announced Monday. The announcement was the first time a major network has trumpeted the end of a top-rated series this far in advance.
Evangeline Lilly - Los Angeles, CA © Scott Alan / Photorazzi
Three shortened, 16-episode seasons will air beginning next February. Each season's episodes will air over consecutive weeks, with no reruns.
More than 18 million U.S. viewers watched "Lost" when it aired last fall. That number dropped to 12 million when it finally returned in February after a 12-week break.
Despite the drop, "Lost" is still one of the most-watched dramas on TV.
"Lost," winner of 2005 Emmy Awards for drama series and best director, is presently ranked No. 18 in the weekly Nielsen ratings, according to Cynopsis.
ABC's decision to delay "Lost's" return until February of next year means fans will have to wait eighlong months before learning more about the downing of Flight 815, the Dharma Initiative, the Hanso Foundation and that lottery-winning sequence of numbers — 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42 — that seems to bring only bad luck.
The fan base that waits for the long in hiiatus series The Sopranos and 24 were cited as examples that a long break not causing a detrimental effect to the series.
In a prepared statement, "Lost" co-producer Carlton Cuse equated ABC's decision with J.K. Rowling's announcement that there would be seven Harry Potter books.
"It gave readers a clear sense of exactly what their investment would be," Cuse wrote. "We want our audience to do the same.”
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