'Lost' Can Be Found On G4, Sci Fi Next Week
Nets Take Different Scheduling Tacks With Syndicated Version Of ABC Series
By Larry Barrett -- Multichannel News, 9/11/2008 10:06:00 AM
G4 and Sci Fi Channel begin their syndication runs with Lost next week, but will present the popular ABC series in different ways.
Comcast Entertainment Group’s G4 will strip the series weeknights at 9 p.m., while Sci Fi will stack the show on Monday nights. Both networks scored deals with Disney-ABC Domestic Television last fall, securing rights to the show’s four existing seasons, as well as its fifth campaign, which is slated to begin on ABC in January, plus the series concluding sixth season.
G4 will debut the acclaimed two-hour pilot on Sunday Sept. 14 at 9 p.m. (ET/PT). From there, the network, starting Sept. 15, will strip Lost weeknights at 9 p.m. with its interactive 2.0 application that showcases pop-ups that give viewers character profiles, show trivia and commentary from the hit show’s creators.
During its Writers Guild of America-strike-shortened fourth season, Lost ran a number of annotated episodes, a move ABC officials said was inspired by G4’s presentation of Star Trek in 2.0.
“‘Lost in 2.0’ will give both existing and new fans the opportunity to delve deeper into one of television’s most talked-about shows and experience previously undiscovered aspects of the story, characters and mysteries that encircle the island,” network officials said in a statement. “With the premiere of all-new episodes on ABC delayed until early 2009, G4 offers the perfect forum for Lost addicts to reconnect with the series and gain insider scoop about their favorite characters and plotlines, while interacting with other fans online.”
G4 has also set up a dedicated Web site, www.g4tv.com/LOST, to present additional special features including an "Interactive Episode Guide," highlighting the major events in each episode, a "Daily Lost Trivia" section presented in bar trivia style with 15 - 20 questions per episode and a "Next Episode" box describing the upcoming episode, with date and air time.
For its part, Sci Fi will stack four episodes of Lost each Monday night from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. That programming schedule commences Sept. 15, with the two-hour pilot and then the next two episodes from the show’s first season.
Additionally, Sci Fi has obtained the right to stream a limited number of episodes of Lost on SciFi.com the most heavily trafficked destination for the genre on the Internet.
Sci Fi Channel Gets Into The Game
06/08/2008Sci Fi, G4 Find ‘Lost’ Off-Net Rights
10/16/2007Sci Fi’s Vitale Promoted To EVP
10/14/2008Interactivity Goes Off-Net
10/21/2007
