I know this might be a few months late, but what the hey. I did some digging last night on how the writers strike is going to effect Lost. There is some good news, and some bad news…Because of the mid-season start, Lost has an advantage over other network television shows. Most shows began in the fall, and since the writers strike, have also ran out of material. That is the reason that Heroes didn’t go ahead as planned and decided to make episode 11 a more solid conclusion than originally planned.

Lost on the other hand hasn’t yet begun their season, so they won’t have much, if any, competition on the Thursday night spot. Although, the writers of Lost only got 8 episodes scripted, Lost will be the most watched show on Thursday night. What’s this mean? Well, because of the prolonged off season, Lost very well might have lost a good number of fans. Many people might have become disinterested. I was worried that the show might be cancelled, but I’m beginning to think otherwise. With no competition, the show will rake in unbelievable ratings, and being aired on Thursday, Lost no longer has American Idol to contend with.

Now, the bad news. Like I mentioned, only 8 shows were scripted. If the writers strike isn’t settled before episode 6 is aired, Lost might end this season with episode 8, leaving us to wonder about the conclusion for 8 months. It was bad enough having to wait 8 months after a solid conclusion to season 3, but ending mid-season is like reading half of a book and then having it taken from you for 8 months.

In Season 3 - Episode 14, Paolo hides in the bathroom and watches as Ben and Juliet spy on Jack at the Swan Station. This represents an error in the story timeline. The beechcraft is still lodged high above the entrance to the Flame Station when we see Paolo spying on Ben and Juliet. Ben tells Juliet as they are entering the Flame Station to have Tom cover the entrance with the plane. Boone was killed when he climbed up into the beechcraft and it fell with him in it. Boone died 2 days before Locke and Jack retrieved the dynamite and blew the hatch door open. So if the beechcraft is still high above, then it’s safe to assume that at that point Boone is still alive. If Boone is still alive, then we know that Locke hasn’t yet opened the Swan Station hatch door.

Thanks to Official Lost Forum member TmcMistress for pointing this error out.

Lost Producers are beginning plans for the event which will make Lost fans cringe at the very thought of, the Lost series finale.

The makers of Lost are in talks with ABC officials about setting the date that the final Lost episode will air. No signs have been given that could lead one to believe that the finale is coming at anytime in the near future, however, having a definite date set will guide Losts
There’s no sense the finale is coming anytime soon. But knowing they have a deadline will help writers of the convoluted drama lay out how they want the story to end, producers said Sunday in a meeting with TV critics here.

“Once we figure out when that will be, a lot of the questions will go away,” said Carlton Cuse, an executive producer. “Lost” is in its third season.

The producers, citing Fox’s “The X-Files,” said they didn’t want to wear out their welcome. “That was a great show that probably ran two seasons too long,” Cuse said. “That is a cautionary tale for us.”

“Lost” is due back on ABC’s schedule next month following an extended hiatus after the season’s first six episodes and will air uninterrupted through May. The schedule was a direct result of fans’ complaints about reruns disrupting their concentration in past seasons, producers said.

It’s likely next year that all 22 episodes will run consecutively, much like Fox is doing with “24.”

One prominent critic _ ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson _ said he thought the first six episodes this season concentrated too heavily on the stories of Jack, Kate and Sawyer at the expense of other members of the large cast.

The producers said that will be rectified right away for the season’s second half as “Lost” goes back to the beach.

“Lost,” which is shifting back an hour to 10 p.m. Eastern time, Wednesdays, on ABC’s schedule, has seen a 14 percent drop in its audience this year, according to Nielsen Media Research. Producers contend the numbers are deceptive because of a comparison with the second season, when “Lost” was a cultural sensation.

The producers concede that it’s a demanding story for viewers to keep up with, and not one that people can join in the middle.

“We want them back,” executive producer Damon Lindelof said of the lost fans. “We really believe in the show and the audience we’re getting. But if we write towards getting them back, we may alienate the audience that we already have.”

Dominic Monaghan and Evangeline Lilly have announced their plan to tie the knot during the summer of 2007. They plan on holding the ceremony in Hawaii. The duo has kept their relationship from the scrutinizing public view since the first season of Lost.

Dominic has expressed an urgent desperation to start a family on more than one occasion, while Evangeline has remained evasive on the subject.