"LOST" Finale May Have Been The Most Hyped, But It Wasn't The Most Watched - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 05-24-2010, 03:00 PM

"Lost" Finale Draws Okay Numbers
by Scott Harris
posted May 24th 2010

Last night's "Lost" series finale was one of the most talked about, buzzed about and hyped television episodes in years.
What it wasn't, however, was one of the most watched.

As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, the "Lost" series finale's figures of 13 million viewers and a 5.6 rating in the coveted 16-49 demographic were solid for the show but hardly anything to write home about.

It does mark the highest ratings for the show in two years, but is still down from the average ratings the series drew at its peak of popularity, meaning that while some "Lost" fans returned to find out the ending, the show couldn't even bring all of its own fans back in, much less appeal to the broader television world.

That stands in contrast to some of the other major series finales over the years, many of which drew vast numbers that far exceeded their average viewership as curious television fans checked in to see what all the fuss was about.

"M*A*S*H", of course, went out in 1983 with 106 million viewers, which remained the largest domestic audience for any American broadcast up until this year's Super Bowl.

"Cheers" came in second on the most watched finale list in 1993 with 80 million viewers, while "Seinfeld" racked up 76 million viewers when it went off the air in 1998.

Compared to those shows, then, the 13 million brought in by "Lost" seems pretty paltry, but considering the dense mythology of the series, the higher expectations being touted by industry experts prior to the finale may have been little more than wishful thinking to begin with.

A better comparison for "Lost" may have been the similarly complex, sci-fi heavy finale of "X-Files", which, by the way, brought in 13.2 million viewers when it went off the air eight years ago.

And that's not such bad company to be in after all.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/05/24/lo...llion-viewers/

Mr. Television · 05-24-2010, 03:12 PM

Yea I don't think it's right to compare MASH and Cheers to Lost. They were easy to pick up on if you missed a bunch of shows. If anybody stopped watching Lost ,they would have been lost watching the finale.

comedyfreak · 05-25-2010, 03:50 AM

True, as I was lost.

05-24-2010, 03:00 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,079	"LOST" Finale May Have Been The Most Hyped, But It Wasn't The Most Watched *"Lost" Finale Draws Okay Numbers* by Scott Harris posted May 24th 2010 Last night's "Lost" series finale was one of the most talked about, buzzed about and hyped television episodes in years. What it wasn't, however, was one of the most watched. As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, the "Lost" series finale's figures of 13 million viewers and a 5.6 rating in the coveted 16-49 demographic were solid for the show but hardly anything to write home about. It does mark the highest ratings for the show in two years, but is still down from the average ratings the series drew at its peak of popularity, meaning that while some "Lost" fans returned to find out the ending, the show couldn't even bring all of its own fans back in, much less appeal to the broader television world. That stands in contrast to some of the other major series finales over the years, many of which drew vast numbers that far exceeded their average viewership as curious television fans checked in to see what all the fuss was about. "MASH", of course, went out in 1983 with 106 million viewers, which remained the largest domestic audience for any American broadcast up until this year's Super Bowl. "Cheers" came in second on the most watched finale list in 1993 with 80 million viewers, while "Seinfeld" racked up 76 million viewers when it went off the air in 1998. Compared to those shows, then, the 13 million brought in by "Lost" seems pretty paltry, but considering the dense mythology of the series, the higher expectations being touted by industry experts prior to the finale may have been little more than wishful thinking to begin with. A better comparison for "Lost" may have been the similarly complex, sci-fi heavy finale of "X-Files*", which, by the way, brought in 13.2 million viewers when it went off the air eight years ago. And that's not such bad company to be in after all. http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/05/24/lo...llion-viewers/ Attached Images

05-24-2010, 03:12 PM	#2
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,133	Yea I don't think it's right to compare MASH and Cheers to Lost. They were easy to pick up on if you missed a bunch of shows. If anybody stopped watching Lost ,they would have been lost watching the finale.
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05-25-2010, 03:50 AM	#3
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,059	True, as I was lost.
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