5 Lost Ripoffs That Failed or Flailed
Day Break
Premiere Date: November 15, 2006
Summary: When ABC decided to split Lost's third season into two segments -- a six-episode "pod" in the fall followed by a spring run without repeats -- the network needed something to fill the gap. Enter Day Break, which found Taye Diggs attempting to solve a murder he'd been implicated for by reliving that crucial day over and over. Audiences didn't take to the deja vu, and ratings fell so fast that the show was cancelled in a month.
Number of Episodes Produced: 13
Heroes
Premiere Date: September 25, 2006
Summary: During its first season, Heroes threatened to usurp Lost's cult TV dominance. It had the advantage of being brisk and new while Lost was navigating its lugubrious third season, and though Heroes was serialized sci-fi, the plots were simple enough to lure in new viewers. Sadly, Heroes fumbled its lead, and its increasingly dunderheaded writing couldn't be salvaged by the limited cast (imagine a version of Lost where almost every actor is at the caliber of Nikki and Paolo, and you'll get Heroes). Two thirds of its audience has abandoned this expensive series, and if it gets picked up for another unlikely season, most expect that will be its last.
Number of Episodes Produced: 77
FlashForward
Premiere Date: September 24, 2009
Summary: By the time ABC premiered FlashForward last year, the network wasn't just looking for a Lost companion, but a series that could supplant the concluding show. Indeed, the FlashForward pilot is awfully similar to Lost's, with a stubbly hero awakening after disaster strikes (in this case, a worldwide blackout) and an ensemble cast that must come together to solve the show's central mysteries. Still, despite FlashForward's fondness for ex-Losties like Dominic Monaghan and Sonya Walger, it spun through its showrunners like it spun its wheels. ABC has more chips on its sci-fi serial V at this point, and if it has to choose between the two at the end of this season, it's likely to can the underperforming FlashForward.
Number of Episodes Aired: 10
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Comments
FlashForward is just like Lost: half-great pilot, then fast downhill into rubbishness.
I actually guite liked Invasion...I think it was plucked before its time, but that happens all the time I guess.
I still watch heroes, and its the most painful experience.
The rest were never good.
Of these shows, Heroes is really the worst one. Unfortunately, it's also one of two still on the air.
Don't forget Jericho. The smoke monster was a nuclear bomb.
How about Threshold on CBS, which lasted a few episodes in 2005 or 2006. Brannon Braga was a writer, which may offer a hint on the success of the show.
every one of these shows (and Jericho and threshold) suffer/ed from the same problem. lack of an end date. and a few of them suffer from network distaste for a short show. something like The Nine is really only good for one season or it goes too thin. but the network would never go for that. same for daybreak. the others could have perhaps make it 3 good seasons. at most. Especially Heroes. 3 preplanned seasons with a solid act one, two and three could have been awesome. instead we get one good season followed by stretched out crap
"Invasion" had an amazing, beautiful soundtrack. Just about the best I've ever heard in a TV series. Of course, I'll always love Shaun Cassidy who created the series for "American Gothic" which had one of the best pilots ever.
I've been watching Lost on Hulu from the beginning. Earlier tonight, I caught the flashback for Rose/Bernard. I apparently missed this ep the first time around, being a casual watcher, but the fact she visits "Isaac of Uluru" (the faith healer) caught my attention, as in Heroes, Isaac the comic artist creates the rock creature "Uluru" in s1.
and here I just left it at "the two Claire's" and Grunny (and now DHL) being shared between the two series.
The problem with ABC is simple, ABC.
What needs to be cancelled is the head of programing and that person's entire staff. Showtime is kicking butt on every other network with its original programing and unlike ABC, which never gives a show time to find an audience, showtime gives you an entire season, then they deceide if it goes on, and most do.
Look at "Californication" "The Tudors" "Weeds" "Dexter" "Six Feet Under" "Deadwood", these shows are masterpieces in a time of absolute crap on the big three.
The only shows we watch on ABC are "The Middle", "Modern Family" and "Cougar Town". I'm just waiting for ABC to screw up the Wednesday night schedule like they do everything else.
They didn't give "EastWick" time to gain an audience and now they are cancelling "Ugly Betty" what sense does that make? This is why I don't watch network tv, in our house we watch Showtime,FX,TLC,Animal Planet,History Channel,Discovery etc. The big three seem to becoming more and more the uneducated people's channels, with crap like "Dancing with the Stars" and all of these stupid reality shows and endless CSI's and NYPD's and Law and Order.
ABC needs to get some balls and put together a schedule, stick with it and stop acting like a 5 year old with ADD. I think one reason some of these shows don't make it is that the public does not trust ABC to run a season of a show so people don't invest time in watching. Thank God for Cable!
Say what you want about Heros but not all the actors are as bad as you paint them to be. Zachary Quinto plays Sylar amazingly well and shouldn't be lumped in with the rest. He is the only redeeming quality that show has.
First off, Lost is not that great at all. Sure the first couple of seasons are good, but now it's almost painful. I can't wait until the end just so there is a conclusion.
As for Invasion - that was a good show.
Heroes is great - not as good as the previous seasons, but still great imo.
And someone else mentioned Jericho. Jericho was VERY GREAT! Why that ended, I have no idea D:
heroes is great and lost is painful?!?
you must be out of your mind
I loved Invasion and was greatly saddened when it was cancelled. Now I'll never get to know what happened!
Of the Series discussed above, it was Daybreak that that pulled me in because of the Deja Vu premise, and the cast involved.
Love the Time Travel/Alternate Universe/Alternate Path hook.
I was gratified to see that it wrapped up reasonably well, and released to DVD. I'm re-watching it again, and it remains a favorite
of mine.
As for the rest of them, I liked Invasion, but liked Surface more.
Liked Nine at the start, but where was it going? And the scheduling?
Maybe as a Mini-Series it would have fared better(?).
Ditto for Hero's and FlashForward.
And as was mentioned, Threshold was really an interesting idea, but
the wrap-up was pretty lame. Jeez, if they can make a Mini-Series out
of The Andomeda Strain, they could've done the same for Threshold ya think?
Maybe the Networks should rethink the whole process, and green light
proposals as Mini-Series to test the waters for a response, rather
than considering them as Series for which the Networks too often
don't care/don't know what to do, with what they have.
Speaking of the Networks(ABC, Fox, et al), I think they should revisit some of their inventory of Series that weren't given a fair chance the first time, and package them in a DVD Set (is FOX listening?).
Fox could take Mantis, Brimstone, and Strange Luck, for example,
and put them into a DVD Box Set (I'd be interested in that,)and cut
us fans a break.
They may be surprised by the Fan response. Firefly anyone?
But that's just my opinion.
"Jericho" was more a "24" rip-off than a "Lost" rip-off.
Florence and the Machines completely dominated the Video Music Awards. Dog Days Are Over is such an amazing song and it really is so much better than the trash on pop radio today.
Aw, this is a real top quality content. In fact I'd like to write this way as well - taking skill and actual focus to bring about a very good blog post... yet what could I say... I put things off a whole lot and never appear to get things completed...
I’m wondering in case anyone knows what Canada’s immigration conditions are. As an good old fart, I probably don’t possess the “skills” they want. They’ll clearly make sure I’m fleeing a were unable country, looking for decent health care.
Jay Storm, why dont you and da Youngfellaz just give it up alrady. I mean this site is a perfect example where good music is at. Why isnt your stuff on here. Huh.
did someone just say lost sucks and heroes is great? lmao
Well, now that Lost is ancient history by now, we know that it was the biggest ripoff of all ...