More than 12 million people tuned into the two-hour season finale of Lost last night, which helped propel ABC to win Thursday night in adults 18-49 and total viewers despite the absence of an original Grey’s Anatomy. The out-of-season finale, not surprisingly, dominated its 9-11 p.m. timeslot and topped the No. 2 show, Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance, by 36 percent in the 18-49 demographic. It also marks the 13th consecutive week that an original Lost episode has won its timeslot in the key demo. (An interesting side note: Lost gained 1 million viewers, from 11.7 million to 12.7 million, from start to finish last night.) More positive news about the finale viewership could come shortly when the network gets data on DVR playback. This season, Lost has seen its overall audience grow by 1.9 million viewers and jump 18 percent in adults-18-49 from its initial broadcast numbers through seven days of recorded DVR playback.
Now, the sobering news: last night’s finale is a far cry from season 1, when the May 25, 2005 season-ender attracted 20.7 million viewers and earned a 7.8 rating among adults 18-49. By season 2, the finale lured just 17.8 million viewers and earned a 7.6 rating. The season 3 finale dropped to 13.9 million and a 5.9 rating in 18-49. At least Lost appears to be holding steady with its current audience: Thursday’s finale attracted a 4.9 rating among 18-49, which is what the show had been averaging in previous weeks.
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Why should anyone concern themselves with the ratings LOST gets? It’s not going to be canceled. We have two seasons left of what in my mind has been the greatest television show of this generation. Sure it has lost viewership due to the complexity of the storyline, time slot changes, etc. but it will always do 11-12 million viewers because at this point these 11-12 million people want to see it through to the end in 2010. Thank you LOST for giving me so much to “geek out” about last night and for the last 4 seasons.
Ratings are a thing of the past. What with DVR’s, streaming, etc. who really knows how many people are watching?
Lost is a good show but SO frustrating. Yesterday’s finale was 2 hours of nothingness. The TV equivalent of “Babel.”
Lost is the most overrated show on television. I’m happy to see its viewership is continously dropping. I guarantee that in 2010, the show’s finale will be as hated as the “Sopranos” finale. This show is just a major build-up to disappointment.
Hey Rob, why comment on a show you don’t like? Sounds like a hater to me.
ppl watch this show on ABC.com and dvd too so how can you track that. i know personally my best friend just got caught up this season and is a LOST addict now and has turned her daughter on to it as well. at least for the 12 mil of us out there we are devoted, hard core fans who want to see this thru the end. part of the reason viewers left was the lack of focus in season 3 but when the producers finalized an end game it was back! last night’s show was one of the best ever!! i think the american ppl overall want something dumbed down and mindless which this show never was and that’s the shame of it all. it’s great to finally have a show that is fully engaging and not just some mindless crap.
But isn’t viewership down across the board? I think that softens the blow of “disappointing” ratings like these. Plus, what TV series gains viewers over the years? That pretty much never happens. I think as long as Lost is winning its time slot, it should be considered a high-performing series.
How could anyone bash last nights finale’? What a brillantly told story again. The Lost season enders are like epic movies. Unreal story and a lot to keep you wanting more next year. People who are haters aren’t smart enough to understand the show or loyal enough to stick with a story. Go watch CSI Miami if you want everything tied in a nice bow each episode…mindless entertainment. As far as ratings. A serialized show like this will drop viewers each year. Factor into DVR usage, all shows on abc are free the next day and how many other shows have survived being in 5 different time slots in 4 seasons and still get very good ratings? This one!
I can’t believe some of you think the finale was 2 hours of nothingness. It had intrigue, death, surprise, more questions. Some parts of the plot are hard to follow or understand but that’s part of the intrigue. I can’t wait until next season starts. I tape it while I’m watching for 2 reasons….I don’t usually stay up that late so I don’t want to take a chance of dozing off during a commercial AND it’s better watching it a 2nd time.
Last night’s episode was what the show needed- an introduction to a fresh storyline.
Winning the timeslot is still good news. It may be down from season 1 but aren’t most shows losing viewers?
I think the move to a new timeslot at a much later time is part of the problem. It’s hard to be up til 11pm when work comes at 6am. I’d like to see what the DVR/Tivo numbers are on this episode.
LOST finales also tend to attract viewing parties — we had 10 people in my apartment last night but that’s only going to account for 1 view.
Excellent season finale. Excellent season.
Those who resent this show can’t handle the lack of continual closure. To those folks, I suggest ‘Law & Order’ or any of the CBS hour-long crime procedurals. This show is simply not for you.
For the rest of us, this ride continues to thrill. I’m expecting a great Emmy year for this season too. Terrific writing and excellent acting this year, particularly from the actors portraying Sun (especially her – who knew she had all this in her?), Sayid, Kate and Ben.
Someone else wrote that Lost isn’t for people who need immediate gratification. It’s so true. Making a show that defies conventional TV structure in favor of something that evolves and may potentially turn off people who want a narrow premise that can be easily grasped – takes resolve and ratings to back it up. Thanks to ABC for backing this show in the fickle business that is television.
I had 6 people at my house and i know someone that had 8. That only counts for 2 views….it doesn’t matter how many viewers tuned it…lost is still great!
I wouldn’t worry about Lost’s descending ratings at this point. It may have been a concern last year when Lost almost drove its fanbase to the breaking point with its stagnant storylines, but now that the show has an end date, a slimmed down format that dramatically improves the show’s good:bad episode ratio, and the fans are sated and more involved than ever, the concern is almost non-existant at this point. ABC will still support Lost to the bitter end, despite dropped ratings (and factor in the writers strike as well for ratings descension). Well that, and a portion of the season 1 viewers stopped halfway into season 2 or season 3.
I also agree that people who expect immediate closure within every installment will be turned off. That point was made most blatant when CBS’s Criminal Minds beat Lost in the ratings in fall 2006. The irony is that Minds aims to be psychologically harrowing and creepy, but Lost does a much better job at performing both.
Lost ratings are great when you factor in the NBA playoffs ratings are back and the writer’s strike that turned people off in general, even though it had little effect on the Lost season (missed approx a month). Me and my wife are dedicated fans and thought this was the best season so far. Kudos to the actor that plays Ben. He took a part that when he was first introduced, I could care less to now I could not picture Lost without his character. Kudos to the best writers and actors on TV.
I agree with most of the posters that ratings right now are irrelevant – either inaccurate of true viewership, or as one poster said meaningless in terms of deciding the show’s fate (the last 2 fixed seasons will happen no matter what given the core fan base). Hey, the show isn’t for everyone. Nor should it be. But for those who invest the time into it, it’s amazingly rich, layered, complex, and entertaining (and thanks to Doc Jensen for the recaps and fantastic theories to make the experience even more enjoyable).
I’m almost GLAD viewership is down LOL It’s so annoying when “non Losties” try to talk about the show when they haven’t seen every single second like us true (rabid!) fans
Only the most faithful will remain, and that suits me just fine. Namaste!
I’m actually disturbed that viewership has (and continues) to decline. What’s the matter people? Can’t keep up?
It’s a good thing Lost isn’t on Fox or they would have cancelled it by now
Or maybe all of this just shows what certain critics and hardcore fans aren’t willing to accept, that this show is declining in quality. It’ll never be as good as the first season and a 1/2, it’s veered off course so much from what it was, the show was about survivors on a mysterious island, now it’s been hijacked by a ‘war’ between Ben and Widmore. Ok…it is still a watchable show, but def NOT the best thing on TV right now. Deal with it.
George your comments are amusing. Of course the show is not what it used to be. It is almost 5 years in the making on one story arc! There is not another show currently airing on television with that kind of arc. I do not know what you watch on television however, nothing digs as deep as LOST except maybe battle star galactaca. If you can not see the funneling effect to a conclusion than just keep watching the crap that you think is the best on tv. The rest of us, we will watch LOST and participate in a real television experience.
Sorry Birish, but it’s not ‘5 Years in the making’, this show reboots itself every year while the writers try and find a way to tie it all together and come up with a running storyline. I watch BSG, a FAR superior show to this, where at least the writers admit they are making it up as they go along, but seems to tie together in a much better way. And for the record, I also watch Madmen, 30 Rock, Reaper, and Damages. I also loved The Wire. All fine shows, and none of which are considered ‘crap’ by any stretch. Maybe not as ‘innovative’, but all are quality shows. Stop assuming that just because we don’t think this is the best TV show since TV was invented that we only watch ‘crap’ shows. Don’t be such an ignorant snob. A person can criticize this show without being a ‘hater’, that is a stupid argument used to silence people who don’t agree with you. Maybe you should just cover your ears and shout ‘Lalalala’ over and over again? Sorry if you refuse to see that the emperor has no clothes.
Ratings, like political polling are a joke. What a small percentage of viewers are watching, somehow represents what we are all watching. Regardless, as mentioned already, moving a show to 5 different timeslots, LONG breaks between seasons etc…the show still has a following.
But I will say…I’m old enough to remember what was a “hit’ show in the 80’s…any network show with less than 20 million views was toast back then. So it is VERY funny to hear shows called a hit today with 10 million viewers (when there are actually MORE TV viewers).
George, BSG?? You are going to have to give a better example than that if you expect me to take your comment as anything more than a joke. Sorry pal, it simply sounds like you just want to be right, but unfortunately, you’re not. The flash forwards were very much proof that the writers already had the basic story plot already completed. So you don’t really even have an kind of argument. You’re certainly entitled to your opinion though, but you didn’t give any proof that you were right. So please don’t wine about it, no one has to agree with you.
To Pete … BSG IS FAR SUPERIOR! And it has one up on LOST, flawed as they are, LIKABLE characters. I don’t really CARE about the characters on LOST, they’ve never brought out enough humanity in them to want me to see them survive. Far too much time is spent on the backstory of new characters YOU DON’T LIKE and CARE ABOUT — and not enough on the ones you barely do.
Actually, Pete, the FF reek of “we’ve run out having to come us with a flashback for the characters, so let’s reboot the show YET AGAIN and say we planned it all along”. They don’t prove anything in terms of what was thought out. If anything, seasons 4-6 seasons *may* have been thought out once they came up with the FF idea, towards the end of S3, but I doubt it. Especially when you consider Ben was only supposed to be on for 3 or 5 eps, but the producers changed their minds, which is just one example. So you don’t seem to know what you are talking about. Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt, and unlike you, I’m not trying to ‘be right’, I was expressing my opinion, and will continue to do so. I didn’t realize expressing an opinion was equal to wining. And it seems that there are people who agree with me, hence the sagging ratings of this show. Oops, sorry, we’re all watching crap on other channels. Don’t blame me if my argument or point escapes you.
I actually am a little worried about the ratings decline. I know that ABC has set an end date, but that doesn’t necessarily stop them from canceling it beforehand. As there will be yet another long break before the next season (and with people who may or may not have liked the direction the show went this season), I’m concerned that the ratings might go down to a point where the last season is in question.
With that being said, though, I hope that this is a core of fans who really want to find out what is in store for the end and will stick around through the final season.
I also wish that there could be a better way to get ratings. I just don’t see how Nielsen numbers can be accurate, given all of the different ways people watch television these days.
Oh, and in regards to quality, I’d say that the second 1/2 of season two and the first 2/3 of season three weren’t necessarily so great, but I really enjoyed this last season and am looking forward to more.
Personally, I don’t think the ratings have anything to do with how good or bad the show is. I think it is a fatal flaw by the networks to put 8 months between the end of a season and the begining of a new one. They are shooting themselves in the foot, plus the fans who get frustrated with the long wait. You forget details and plot lines by that time and it feels like too much work to go back and refresh yourself after 8 months. I know that the reasoning behind the wait is so fans can get the episodes consecutively, but it seems to me, they can make it work in the fall.
Ally, I am really surprised at your comment b/c the part I have enjoyed most about this show has been getting to know the characters, learning where they come from and seeing them transform through their experiences on the island and w/ each other. A perfect example is Sawyer’s sacrifice on the season finale. Thinking back to the first season, did you ever imagine he would be capable of such selflessness? And if you felt nothing watching Sun’s overwhelming and dramatic devastation, you are probably right to decide the show is not for you. Each to their own. The characters are what captivate me… there’s always the smoke monster, of course.