Lost: The Journey
Encyclopedia
"Lost: The Journey" is a clip show
narrated by Brian Cox during the first season of Lost
. It originally aired on April 27, 2005, on ABC
, between the 20th and 21st episodes of the season. The special was repeated in the US on May 21, between the two-part episode, "Exodus
", in build-up to the May 25 finale. The special was narrated by Lost actors Evangeline Lilly
and Dominic Monaghan
in Australia.
The show was the first attempt to present in a linear fashion the struggles of the survivors of Oceanic
Flight 815 before and after they became stranded on a mysterious island. ABC intended the special to "bring new viewers up to date -- but which current viewers will also find illuminating."
In anticipation, the TV critic for the St. Louis Post Dispatch noted that unlike usual clip shows, "the hour-long recap is, for once, not just a cheap way to stretch out a hit show. This time, it's a public service."
which premiered weeks after Lost, the progressively complex nature of the continuing storyline required viewers to keep tuning in weekly, a potential impediment to new viewership. This became a source of concern for the network, which found that individual episodes had a limited repeatability.
While the first nine episodes of the freshman season were broadcast in weekly order, the following ones were shown in blocks of two to four episodes, with repeats or other series in their scheduled timeslot
. "The Journey" was broadcast after the final such break of three weeks. During the second season, the fans and show's producers grew increasingly unhappy with the scheduling, leading to an announcement by ABC that the third-season would be broadcast without repeats, in two blocks.
In addition to the traditional broadcast, "Lost: The Journey", following the special "Sorting Out the Dirty Laundry", became the first primetime shows streamed
from ABC.com. According to ABC's senior VP for business development, Bruce Gersh, "Placing these two specials literally at the fingertips of internet users is a great 'first' for ABC.com, and an exciting way to introduce new viewers to two of the most talked about new series of the year while also feeding the appetite of current fans."
, "Lost: The Journey" won its Wednesday timeslot by 4.7 million viewers (a total of 13.7 million) over CBS
's 60 Minutes Wednesday, ranking first in all critical demographics for the night, against other networks' original broadcasts.
. In Australia
, it was reportedly included as episode 21 on the first season box set. Belgium
's VT4
network released the episode on a promotional DVD under the title "Lost Special: The Journey, Samenvatting van Seizoen 1."
Clip show
A clip show is an episode of a television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows feature the format of a frame story in which cast members recall past events from past installments of the show, depicted with a clip of the event presented as a flashback. ...
narrated by Brian Cox during the first season of Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
. It originally aired on April 27, 2005, on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, between the 20th and 21st episodes of the season. The special was repeated in the US on May 21, between the two-part episode, "Exodus
Exodus (Lost)
"Exodus" is the first season finale of the ABC television series Lost, consisting of the 23rd through 25th episodes of the first season and the show overall. The episodes were directed by Jack Bender, and written by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. "Part 1" first aired on May 18, 2005 and "Part 2"...
", in build-up to the May 25 finale. The special was narrated by Lost actors Evangeline Lilly
Evangeline Lilly
Evangeline Lilly is a Canadian actress, best known for her role as Kate Austen in the ABC drama, Lost.-Early life:...
and Dominic Monaghan
Dominic Monaghan
Dominic Bernard Patrick Luke Monaghan is an English actor. He has received international attention from playing Merry in Peter Jackson's adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and for his role as Charlie Pace on the television show Lost....
in Australia.
The show was the first attempt to present in a linear fashion the struggles of the survivors of Oceanic
Oceanic Airlines
Oceanic Airlines and less frequently Oceanic Airways are fictional airlines used in several films and television programs.The most famous use of this brand is in the TV show Lost, where Oceanic Airlines is featured branded with a highly-stylized logo depicting an Aboriginal dot painting that...
Flight 815 before and after they became stranded on a mysterious island. ABC intended the special to "bring new viewers up to date -- but which current viewers will also find illuminating."
In anticipation, the TV critic for the St. Louis Post Dispatch noted that unlike usual clip shows, "the hour-long recap is, for once, not just a cheap way to stretch out a hit show. This time, it's a public service."
Purpose
Like ABC's serial drama Desperate HousewivesDesperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
which premiered weeks after Lost, the progressively complex nature of the continuing storyline required viewers to keep tuning in weekly, a potential impediment to new viewership. This became a source of concern for the network, which found that individual episodes had a limited repeatability.
While the first nine episodes of the freshman season were broadcast in weekly order, the following ones were shown in blocks of two to four episodes, with repeats or other series in their scheduled timeslot
Scheduling (broadcasting)
Broadcast programming or scheduling is the practice of organizing television shows or radio programs in a daily, weekly, or season-long schedule. Modern broadcasters use broadcast automation to regularly change the scheduling of their programs to build an audience for a new show, retain that...
. "The Journey" was broadcast after the final such break of three weeks. During the second season, the fans and show's producers grew increasingly unhappy with the scheduling, leading to an announcement by ABC that the third-season would be broadcast without repeats, in two blocks.
In addition to the traditional broadcast, "Lost: The Journey", following the special "Sorting Out the Dirty Laundry", became the first primetime shows streamed
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
from ABC.com. According to ABC's senior VP for business development, Bruce Gersh, "Placing these two specials literally at the fingertips of internet users is a great 'first' for ABC.com, and an exciting way to introduce new viewers to two of the most talked about new series of the year while also feeding the appetite of current fans."
Ratings
According to the Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, "Lost: The Journey" won its Wednesday timeslot by 4.7 million viewers (a total of 13.7 million) over CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's 60 Minutes Wednesday, ranking first in all critical demographics for the night, against other networks' original broadcasts.
DVD releases
On the US release of the season one DVD boxed set, "Lost: The Journey" was cut due to space, but was made available on a bonus disc, when purchased at Best BuyBest Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
. In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, it was reportedly included as episode 21 on the first season box set. Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
's VT4
VT4
VT4 is a Flemish commercial television channel. It is part of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG.The channel began broadcasting on 1 February 1995. The channel initially had no Belgian broadcasting license and was transmitted via London . The channel now broadcasts legally from Zaventem in Belgium...
network released the episode on a promotional DVD under the title "Lost Special: The Journey, Samenvatting van Seizoen 1."