Although I thought that the final season of Lost was a huge disappointment and that they jumped the shark earlier in the series, I still consider Lost to be one of the definitive examples of quality television. Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse ran a very tight show, despite not being able to end it well (which isn't a surprise because there are almost no shows that end on a high note). So, I shouldn't be surprised by the amount of television shows that have what I have coined as 'Lost Envy.' I define 'Lost Envy' as any show that tries to create a sci-fi mystery with two or more components of Lost. I think the first show that blatantly exhibited this was Flash Forward. They had a huge mystery that was gradually being uncovered and also alternated between two different time periods. It died a horrible death and now lies at the bottom of the heap of shows that died of Lost Envy. The next entry was probably The Event, but I'm not sure.
The current season of Lost Envious shows that have cropped up include Last Resort and in particular Revolution. Last Resort was cancelled, in part at least, because I think people saw through its Lost Envy right away. But, Revolution was a different story.
If you know me at all, you probably know how awful I think Revolution is. This is not blind hatred: I have suffered through almost 5 whole episodes! The acting is atrocious. The plot is mildly interesting, but is going nowhere fast. It really needs to die. I sincerely don't see the appeal of it.
So, my point is that Lost cannot be replicated, no matter how hard you try. The closest thing to it is Once Upon A Time: a character-driven, emotionally deep ensemble show with a great story to boot. So, writers of the television world: PLEASE STOP TRYING! That formula is so delicate and you need some really great show runners to pull it off, which have all gone over to USA methinks.
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