When Lost premiered in 2004, there was a chance that the series could change television forever. In a certain sense, it did -- the show ushered in several more dramas that emulated Lost's winning formula of flashbacks, mythology, and diverse casting -- and yet many of the would-be heirs to Lost's throne didn't last a season, and the few that are still around today are struggling as Lost barrels toward its conclusion. Here are five that tried and failed to unseat the big daddy of serialized storytelling:
Invasion
Premiere Date: September 21, 2005
Summary: Nearly a year after Lost debuted came Invasion, the first series to capitalize on it -- so much so that it even got the time slot following Lost. Still, this William Fichtner-Eddie Cibrian alien invasion drama was hamstrung by several elements: a slow beginning, a hurricane-heavy series premiere that ABC became wary of in the wake of that year's Hurricane Katrina, and that once-attractive time slot. Turns out, Lost fans weren't always in the mood to watch another mythology-rich show afterwards, preferring instead to hash out the island drama online or with friends. It was a lesson ABC would learn all too late.
Number of Episodes Produced: 22
The Nine
Premiere Date: October 4, 2006
Summary: The next series to follow Lost eschewed the show's sci-fi elements but retained its sprawling cast, flashback-based structure, and heavily serialized nature. The Nine's pilot seemed promising -- nine strangers survive a bank heist, with glimpses to come throughout the series on how it happened -- but later episodes were hemmed in by the high concept. The Nine failed to pick up an audience and never made it to a second season, but would it have abandoned its premise if it had?
Number of Episodes Produced: 13
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