Netflix Revives Hit Series ‘Lost’ After Disney Decided to End It

Disney has been getting rid of quite a few shows over the recent months, and now, a few more fan favorites have been added to the chopping block. Luckily, Netflix is here to save the day for fans of these recently canceled shows.

The show Lost, was a groundbreaking television series that premiered in 2004 on ABC, captivated audiences with its intricate storytelling, blending drama, science fiction, and mystery. It had viewers on the edge of their seat every episode, wondering if the characters would survive in what seemed to be a hopeless situation.

Created by J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, and Jeffrey Lieber, the show follows the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815, which crashes on a mysterious island filled with inexplicable phenomena.

The main characters include Jack Shephard, a skilled surgeon and natural leader, Kate Austen, a fugitive with a mysterious past, Sawyer, an initial con artist with significant character development, Locke, a believer in the island’s mystical properties, Sayid, a former Iraqi soldier, and Hurley, the amiable source of levity. The series follows a very non-linear narrative, incorporating character flashbacks and present-day island events, revealing intricate connections among the survivors.

Lost received critical acclaim and numerous awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Drama Series in 2006 and multiple Primetime Emmy Awards. The show concluded its six-season run in 2010, offering answers to some mysteries while leaving others open to interpretation. While the show ended nearly 14 years ago now, it is still highly regarded by man of its fans as one of the best shows to come out of ABC.

Due to ABC airing the show, the series belonged to Disney, but now, instead of Disney+ or Hulu keeping the rights to the show, Disney has sold their licensing power to Netflix, their competitor.

Discussing Film (@DiscussingFilm) wrote, “Disney is licensing ‘LOST’ and ‘PRISON BREAK’ to release on Netflix in early 2024.”

Disney is licensing ‘LOST’ and ‘PRISON BREAK’ to release on Netflix in early 2024. pic.twitter.com/RA68FuE5JA

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 11, 2023

This means that both Lost, as well as the hit series Prison Break, will be coming to Netflix next year, and this may have been one of the bigger mistakes made by Disney.

While both of these shows have come to an end, they were incredibly popular. The New York Times wrote that during Lost’s finale, “A two-hour recap that led into the closing episode also earned strong numbers, and the finale itself displayed almost astonishing consistency for most of its two and a half hours. “Lost” averaged 13.5 million viewers, varying by only about 200,000 viewers from start to finish.”

It appeared that Lost even beat the Grey’s Anatomy finale that year, “topping every other scripted show in that 18-to-49 rating for a finale this season, unless the hit CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory manages a higher number. (Its finale was Monday night.) Lost easily beat the finale for the next highest-rated drama, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, which had a 5.4 rating among the 18-to-49 audience.”

For content, Disney+’s Loki finale was also highly popular, but even that only pulled in 11.2 million viewers, according to Collider.

Netflix was smart to recognize that the fandom of Lost was strong, and since it has been dormant for quite some time, that means it is ready for a revival. While new episodes will not be added, after 14 years, there is certainly room for a new audience that has grown up into the 18+ category, and with such a strong reputation, viewers may be inclined to give the series a shot, or will want to relive the show as they likely forgot many aspects from the initial go-around.

Related: Disney Announces Two Beloved Shows Permanently Canceled

We have seen Netflix do this as of late with shows like Suits. While it originally premiered on USA Network, Netflix bought the licensing rights years after the series came to an end, and gave it a second life. Over the past year, the show has remained on the top 10 series list for months. It seems likely that the streaming mogul is counting on Lost to do the same.

What do you think about the news of Lost coming to Netflix? 

This post is originally appeared on Inside the Magic.