LOST - EVACUATION: 2010

Hit series Lost will leave the airwaves in 2010, meaning there are just three more seasons until the survivors of Flight 815 are rescued. Or eaten by polar bears. Or simply all have brain aneurisms trying to fathom what the hell's going on!

In a compromise between network ABC and the show's producers, each season will now only contain 16 episodes. That's seven less than usual, meaning there are only 48 episodes left after the season three finale in June. Or two "normal length" seasons, spread out over threee years, essentially.

Unfortunately, the break between season three and four will be a mammoth nine months. Lost will return in February 2008 for its uninterrupted 16-week run. American fans are already up in arms about its lengthy hiatus, forgetting that waiting a year for new TV is de rigeur for the rest of us!

Personally, I think this is all good news for Lost. I can wait nine months for my next fix after season three's supposedly "game changing" finale and, now the writers have an end date set in stone, they can begin structuring the show with greater precision.

The changes should mean more quality writing, less filler material and cohesive storytelling. I've always thought serialized shows work best if they run half the length of typical US seasons, as sustaining momentum in ongoing storylines for 20-odd hours is very difficut. I hope ABC's move sets a precedent, as Battlestar Galactica and Prison Break would have benefitted from shorter seasons.

As a fan, I'm just glad Lost will be allowed to tell its story and have a proper ending. The cruel axe of cancellation looms over every American TV series, with studios willing to kill underachieving shows at the drop of a hat. Just look at FOX's Drive, which was canned after a measly four episodes!

2010 it is, then. The year the losties get found. Or the polar bears get to feed.