In 2004, Lost premiered and TV fans were absolutely captivated. The wild, riveting, and intense series aired for six seasons on NBC and told the epic story of plane crash survivors learning how to make it on a tropical island. The people were just as mysterious and interesting as the setting itself, and viewers quickly realized that it was impossible not to obsess over the show and all of the theories and meaning behind each episode.

While TV fans often hear a new TV show described as "the next Lost," it definitely seems like nothing can compare to the experience of watching this popular series the first time around.

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While many TV shows have been compared to Lost, Manifest might be the most famous example. The series began airing on NBC in September 2018 and fans were eager to find a new show about a mysterious plane crash that they could sink their teeth into. The show's fourth season is now moving to Netflix after a cancelation that was very sad for fans, but it's hard to say that it's definitely as good as Lost was. Another recent show that has gotten the same comparison is the brilliant dark thriller Yellowjackets and the many questions that fans have.

Matthew Fox as Jack Shephard lying on the ground on Lost

Neither show can be like Lost, though, because the show was so shocking, fresh, and memorable thanks to its point in time. When the series began airing in 2004, fans were taken with the concept of "event television," even if no one was calling it that quite yet, and the show had really high ratings. There are many recent drama TV shows that are fun, but nothing can compare to Lost.

The writers and producers on Lost made a few interesting, creative choices that help it stand out and prove that no other show can do the same thing. One is the decision to not only feature flashbacks but also flashforwards. While fans were thrilled to learn more about the backstories of each main character through the famous flashbacks, the flashforwards show what everyone's lives is like once they leave the island. Fans still love the Lost pilot, and it's fair to say that many other episodes are just as epic and easy to remember.

Another cool thing is the "numbers" that are featured throughout all of Lost. Fans find out that Hurley wins the lottery with certain numbers (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42) and he thinks that these numbers are unlucky and cursed. When the Man in Black and Jacob fight over what will happen to humanity, viewers discover that each number represents a different person who is supposed to come to the island to look after it, including Hurley, Sayid, John Locke, Jack, Sawyer, and Jin-Soo. Although these numbers can be confusing and it can be tough to keep track of everything involving them, that's honestly the beauty of Lost. It's a confusing TV show that still feels intelligent and brilliant. It's almost more enjoyable to watch it while knowing that it can be baffling because that feels even more interesting, somehow. This can't be said of other TV shows.

Jorge Garcia as Hugo Hurley Reyes On Lost

It makes sense that some fans didn't like the series finale of Lost. The last season of a show can sometimes upset fans and they often wish that characters and stories went another way. Search Party's final season is very different from the previous four, and fans have strong ideas about the very last episode. When fans learned that the main characters on Lost had been dead the entire time, and that they died at various moments and then all ended up on the island as it is the afterlife for them, not everyone was thrilled. Some felt that it was a bad explanation. Others wanted loose ends to be tied up, like why there were polar bears on the island.

For countless fans, Lost was the most unique and exciting TV viewing experience. While it's always a shame to see a spoiler for a favorite show or to have a friend mention a plot point that ruins the excitement of seeing that happen firsthand, getting spoiled while watching Lost was a huge deal. No one wanted that to happen and fans scrambled to keep up with each new episode. This is where the idea of "event television" comes in. Even though fans have loved other TV shows since, nothing can ever replicate what it felt like to be totally desperate to find out why The Others were on the island, what happened to Claire and her baby, if Kate would pick Jack or Sawyer, and if John Locke was really evil. Whether watching the show each week when each new episode aired or catching up after it was finished, one thing is for sure: fans know that no other TV show can ever be like Lost.

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