'Lost' secret revealed: Darlton discuss how their history-making partnership began
By now, the story about the "Lost" pilot is the stuff of Hollywood legend. What Lostie doesn't know about former ABC President Lloyd Braun's half-baked idea about castaways on an island and his brilliant move to give J.J. Abrams a whack at writing the pilot after twice being disappointed by other writers?
It was late January 2004 -- very late in the development cycle -- when Braun introduced Abrams to Damon Lindelof, a writer and producer on "Crossing Jordan," to give him some help. Abrams and Lindelof hit it off and four days later they had the 25-page outline that was used to cast and begin production on the two-hour pilot.
Twelve weeks, a global casting search, and an estimated $11 million later, the "Lost" phenomenon was in the can, waiting for that ominous Sept. 22, 2004, premiere date.
But do you know the rest of the story? When was Darlton born? What prompted Carlton Cuse to join the series in October 2004 as an executive producer and co-show runner?
Cuse, creator of "Nash Bridges," had given Lindelof his first writing job on that series, but let's let Darlton tell you the rest of it for themselves:
-- Maria Elena Fernandez (follow me on Twitter @writerchica)
Video: Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse interviewed in the appropriately named Orchid Suite of the Halekulani Hotel in Oahu last month. Credit: Maria Elena Fernandez
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Interesting choices? You mean yanking my chain for three years? These guys act like they created a brilliant drama, but it was nothing but smoke and mirrors and unanswerable questions. Abrams' movies are the same way--thin, glitzy, pointless. He's not a genius, he's a scourge.
Posted by: woundedduck | February 23, 2010 at 10:54 AM
I would never call "Lost" the "best" drama, but it is certainly my favorite. Do all the mysteries have answers? No, but if they did, the show would no longer provide that wonderful sense of vertigo and awe. What matters is how these characters navigate a world that is often (seemingly) magical and inexplicable, much like we all must in our lives. With all of its intertextuality, self-referencing and self-awareness, it is by far the "thickest" show on network TV.
Posted by: fearlessweaver | February 23, 2010 at 01:31 PM
Wow, lots of pats on the back after a co-creator credit was given to Jeff Lieber who was then tossed in a classic Disney/ABC move. Go do some research and find out more about Lloyd Braun's "brilliant idea."
Posted by: LATimes Reader | February 23, 2010 at 02:23 PM
wait for the show to end before you people complain about lack of answers.
Posted by: James Martin | February 24, 2010 at 01:56 PM