Josh Holloway is standing under a banyan tree in a clearing not far from the shore in Kahuku, a picturesque place on an island where he works hard - and plays even harder.
   It's a setting that has become imbued with mixed memories for the actor. It was in this spot, under the banyan, that as Sawyer, the bad boy of ABC's hit series Lost, he was tortured in one of last season's most memorable episodes.
   "You get an emotional imprint of these places when you do something that intense," he says. "I spent two 12-hour days on my knees tied to a tree.... Read the full story here. (8:43 AM)

   Plenty of television viewers are discussing Michelle Rodriguez these days. That's no accident; her character on ABC's "Lost," the brooding, broken ex-cop Ana Lucia Cortez, became one of the most intensely hated characters on television this fall in a few short episodes.
   Achieving villain status among "Lost" fans wasn't difficult. All she had to do was be a demanding, increasingly hostile leader and bully Michael (Harold Perrineau), Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway), the survivors we already knew and loved.
   So, when Ana Lucia shot Shannon (Maggie Grace) through the gut at the end of the series' first November sweeps episode, that was, to many, the last straw. Never mind that Shannon was the least deserving of sympathy of all the previously known survivors, that the shooting was a terrible accident, and that the regret on Ana's face was immediately, torturously palpable. Ana Lucia haters merely detested her even more.... Read the full story here. (9:07 PM)

   Zap2It has reported the final Nielsen ratings for the previous week's episode, "Collision." The show ranked 8th for the week in both ratings (10.8/17) and total viewers (19,293,000). (9:03 PM)

   CBS will probably win the November sweeps, which end tomorrow night, but in the hearts of media planners and buyers the real winner is, or ought to be, ABC....
   ...But readers, asked which network orchestrated the most impressive sweeps, chose ABC, and by a wider margin: 51.9 percent to CBS's 37.9 percent. The other networks hardly registered a pulse, each pulling in single-percentage votes.
   Why readers chose ABC is not hard to figure out. They ranked the network tops when it came to stunts, and they were most impressed by what's become known as the Big Death on the hit show "Lost," in which Maggie Grace's character Shannon was killed off, the victim of Ana Lucia's misplaced rage at the Others.
   Just under a third of readers, 32.8 percent, voted that episode as the sweeps stunt they most looked forward to watching.... Read the full story here. (9:02 PM)

   Lists are arbitrary but useful prompters, jogging our memories and sparking debate. Twice a year TV critics are surveyed by a trade publication, Television Week, to assess the tube's best and worst.
   The "worst" category is always toughest, an overcrowded field with hundreds of hours on dozens of channels contending for the title. Thankfully, the "best" category was not difficult to fill this year.
   Consider my offering to Television Week as a starting point for discussion.
   The 10 best shows on TV aired since July 11, 2005, (not in repeats) from broadcast, cable or syndication:
   1. "Lost," ABC: This is the top-of-the list winner for its smart plotting, suspenseful pacing, well-conceived characters and clever mythology. Plus, there's room for deeper investigation away from the TV set.... Read the full story here. (8:55 PM)

   Everyone knows that Hurley won the lottery (and inherited quite a streak of bad luck) by using the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42, numbers which have since popped up quite often on the show.
   The numbers have become so popular that usage of that specific number combination has surged in lotteries around the USA and possibly the world. However, unluckily (or luckily if you believe in the power of the numbers), the numbers have yet to prove to be a winning combination.
   Until November 19, 2005.
   At the Irish National Lottery, the winning numbers for November 19 were 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 24 (Bonus: 19). Notice anything about the numbers? Yes, the first five are exactly the same as the Lost numbers, and the sixth - 24 - is 42 reversed.
   The official website for the Irish National Lottery indicates that 298 people matched 5 of the numbers correctly (and one reader reports that it's 4 times the average number of Match 5 winners). One wonders how many of these winners plugged in 4, 8, 15, 16, and 23.
   Which begs the question: Should we worry about a Hurley-like jinx for these people? Or will the luck of the Irish cancel it out?
   For more information, check out The Irish National Lottery, Blogcritics, and Second-Level.com. (7:01 PM)

   It's been fashionable of late to slam Desperate Housewives and praise Lost.
   Like with most fads, there's some validity there.
   And some hokum.
   While both shows have had their ups and downs - yes, both - and taken a ride in the quality elevator for different reasons, they remain two of the best, most-talked about shows on TV. Lost is better; Housewives gets more ink. Neither is in any danger of dropping off a smart viewer's TiVo schedule.... Read the full story here. (6:59 PM)

   I was halfway through my "Lost: The Complete First Season" DVDs on Sunday when I nodded off. Or at least I think I nodded off.
   I then awoke - sort of - and found myself sitting on a plane, in midair. Every seat was taken, except in my row, where every seat (except for mine) was empty.
   Within seconds, a flight attendant walked over to me.
   "Hi," she said. "I'm Cindy. Can I help you?"
   I shook my head and asked, "Where am I?"
   "I don't know, sir," she said. "You tell me."
   "I seem to be on a plane."
   "That's correct," she said. "Oceanic Flight 815, Australia to L.A. But don't get your hopes up.... Read the full story here. (6:55 PM)

   Channel 4 has been criticised by a broadcast watchdog for showing adverts too frequently during hit drama Lost.
   Twenty-three viewers complained about the frequency and placement of advert breaks after Channel 4 began screening the US series in August.
   Ofcom found that Lost contained about 36 minutes of new material in its 65-minute weekly Channel 4 slot.
   Channel 4 said it took a maximum number of adverts to compete with rival channels. Ofcom upheld the complaints.... Read the full story here. (9:27 AM)

   The people who know the secrets behind the unfolding story of castaways stranded on a remote island on the hit ABC series "Lost" know that somewhere in our collective imagination, we all hunger for life's answers.
   Behind the mystery of the hatch, the Others and those darn numbers is a creative writing staff that is constantly examining the journey of life from various cultural viewpoints, and conjuring up adventures that fans can relate to on multiple levels.
   "The show is called 'Lost' because all the characters are lost in their lives," says Damon Lindelof, co-creator and executive producer of the show. "We're really telling redemptive stories. We show character flaws in the past, and explore ways these people can evolve on the island and redeem themselves."
   Each week, 10 writers collaborate to create the tales that feature 14 major characters in a production process filled with tight deadlines. During November sweeps, the schedule is so packed that a request for a photo shoot of the writers was denied for lack of time.... Read the full story here. (9:25 AM)

   Thea Sharpe has given surfing a try, but moving to Hawaii was not about tanning oil and bikinis for the 2005 Moffat County High School graduate.
   It was a strategic career move, and the 18-year-old said she couldn't be happier about it.
   "Eventually, I will be moving to (Los Angeles), but right now, the island of Oahu is becoming the second Hollywood," Sharpe said. "There's always something going on down here."
   The actress left for the airport in May, just an hour after walking across the high school stage in her cap and gown. She said she knew she wanted to break into the TV and movie business. Moving to Oahu put her in the setting for some of the biggest productions, she said.
   "Down here, you can be a big fish in a small pond," Sharpe said.
   The plan seems to be paying off. She has landed a regular extra role on a new series called "Boarding School," and she likely will appear in a flashback scene on ABC's popular series "Lost" this week.... Read the full story here. (9:23 AM)

   Tell Jorge Garcia that his "Lost" character, Hurley, may be television's most lovable castaway since Gilligan and the actor begs to differ.
   "I thought you were going to say Rupert," says Garcia, citing Rupert Boneham, the bushy-haired contestant from another island drama, last year's "Survivor: Pearl Islands."
   Hugo "Hurley" Reyes certainly has as wild a mane and the same burly frame as Boneham. But competitive enough for a reality series?
   No way. Hurley is a mellow guy who skirts conflicts with his often touchy fellow plane crash survivors. And he's got the sort of heft that's more a comfort than a threat, not to mention an endearing way with his trademark word "dude."
   Garcia said he recognized Hurley's potential from the start.... Read the full story here. (9:21 AM)

   "Lost" is "Baywatch" for the new millennium.
   And just as Baywatch embodied the values of the 80s, so Lost incorporates our current set of values - all our secret hopes and fears. It must do - that's why it's successful.
   So what does the success of Lost tell us about ourselves? Fans talk about the suspenseful story lines and the sexy actors (see the unofficial site - www.lost-tv.com), but the truth has to be deeper than that.
   The great modern fear - death by aircraft, is too obvious to mention. More subtly, the idea of being stranded somewhere and making the most of it, is of course, close to the off-grid life we espouse. The success of Lost suggests this is a great hidden theme in our technologically driven advertising- saturated lives. "Lost on paradise isle and never wanting to be rescued" shouts the London Daily Express in one article about the series. The success of Lost has been contrasted with the comparative failure of Desperate Housewives, a series which celebrates the Suburban lifestyle.... Read the full story here. (9:11 PM)

   The Others' legs. The tattoo on the shark. Hurley and Locke having the same boss. These are the teensy, blink-and-you'll-miss-'em clues we've been driving ourselves crazy with this season on Lost, as we rewatch episodes, freeze-frame shots and play audio backwards. But do they really mean anything? I asked big cheese Damon Lindelof for a few answers, which you can see in the video clip at right. (By the way, this clip has its own egg--I swear at one point you can hear the monster!)
   And get this. "People find Easter eggs that we didn't plant," Lindelof admits with a laugh. "Especially when they go digging back into the first season, and then you go, 'Oh, no. Well, that wasn't us. I wish we could take credit for that!' "
   Still, many of them are legit. Jack rushing by Shannon and her stepmonster in the hospital in last week's episode solidified the theory that Mr. Rutherford--the guy who died in the car crash that injured Julie Bowen's character--was indeed Shannon's father. Harold Perrineau's wife Brittany (the Lotto girl and Sawyer's fling) will be back for a third intentional egg, and Yunjin Kim hints that the "best one yet" appears in the 10th episode. "It made me go, 'Oh my god!' " she says.... Read the full story here. (9:06 PM)

   Murtz Jaffer: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
   Damon Lindelof: I am from New Jersey originally. I went to NYU film school for college and then as soon as I graduated, I came out to LA. I just sort of did the learning process here. I worked for an agency for a year. Then I worked for Paramount for three years. In all that time, I was writing. I finally decided to take the leap and I got a job as a writer's assistant on this TV show called 'Wasteland' which was on the air in 1998 or 1999. That was sort of my break. It was Kevin Williamson's show who did the Scream movies and Dawson's Creek. He sort of gave me my shot and made me a writer on that show right before it got cancelled. The next job I got after that was Nash Bridges. I worked on that show for a year. That was its sixth and final season. After that I went to go work for Crossing Jordan in its first year and I worked on that show for its first three seasons and then J.J. and the rest is kind of history.... Read the full story here. (11:03 AM)

   The mysteries of ABC's "Lost" are about to get bigger -- and smaller.
   The Emmy-winning hit is spawning a second series for mobile phones in a deal soon to close with a major U.S. carrier, sources said. About 20 episodes -- each several minutes long -- are being shot next month in Hawaii to hit phones sometime early next year.
   The project is not being produced by ABC or Touchstone Television but is under the oversight of "Lost" executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.... Read the full story here. (11:08 AM)

   The age of EZBoard is over. The Lost-TV forums now have a new home! Please update all your links and bookmarks and head on over to http://www.losttv-forum.com/ to check out the Lost-TV Forum, now in its new home! (8:33 PM)

   Following in the storied tradition of "Gilligan's Island," where cosmonauts and Globetrotters would wash up with some regularity, ABC's "Lost" keeps adding regular cast members to a deserted island getaway that seems much less exclusive than your basic club med. Viewers have been washing up in larger audiences than ever, thanks in part to the show's new blood, mysterious characters like Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje's Mr. Eko.
   London-born Akinnuoye-Agbaje would be on the verge of becoming a household name this winter expect very few households are going to find it easy to pronounce his unique name. The son of Nigerian immigrants, the 38-year-old actor progressed from stereotypical African roles in films like "Congo" and "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" to a memorable turn as the Simon Adebisi, the baddest of the bad on HBO's "Oz." His mainstream visibility is only increasing with his role as charismatic drug dealer Majestic in "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" and his "Lost" gig, which he took immediately afterwards as something of a vacation.
   "Working in Hawaii, being out there, it's different, man," Akinnuoye-Agbaje says. "It's a trip. You're on a rock and you work and all the locals know you and it's quite a trip. I took it after 'Get Rich or Die Trying' just to cleanse me out. It was nice to wash that out and go to a beautiful environment.... Read the full story here. (7:40 PM)

   The ABC Television Network will be launching the first official "Lost" podcast series on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8. The first podcast will be available on ABC.com. Beginning on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, all future podcasts will be available on both ABC.com and Apple's iTunes.
   Each week throughout the November sweeps, various "Lost" cast members, along with informative conversations between creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse, will tease the week's upcoming episode, as well as answer fan questions.
   On Tuesday, November 8, the first podcast will feature Josh Holloway (Sawyer) and Daniel Dae Kim (Jin) providing compelling insights into filming some rather rough raft scenes. Lindelof and Cuse will be on hand to discuss the first season, music and the upcoming episode "Abandoned" (airing on Wednesday, November 9).... Read the full story here. (7:37 PM)

   Someone get the crash survivors of "Lost" a compass. They are so not lost! The cast of the hit ABC television series, now in its second season, is enjoying the good life on the North Shore of Oahu while their alter egos - Jack (Matthew Fox), Hurley (Jorge Garcia), Savid (Naveen Andrews), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Locke (Terry O'Quinn) and the rest - struggle for survival on a mysterious tropical isle.
   The multistory, 375-room Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu doubles as a location for the show, which is filmed entirely in Hawaii, the resort's expansive and mostly pristine waterfront landscape the perfect stand-in for a deserted island.
   Because filming is all out in the open, guests at the property might catch a glimpse, especially if they do the 20-minute walk from the hotel to the property's giant banyan tree, the largest such tree in the state and a prime location on the show. The actors and crew usually start work at 6 a.m. and finish at sunset and it's not uncommon to spy cast members as you traverse the property's hiking and biking trails or make your way to the beach (pity for me when I visited in September they were in L.A. picking up the show’s Emmy for Best Drama Series).... Read the full story here. (9:52 AM)

   Entertainment Weekly's latest issue, #849 (with Harry Potter on the cover) will feature an A-Z glossary on everything Lost. Entertainment Weekly will hit newsstands nationwide on Monday, November 7. Download the magazine cover here. (11:52 PM)

   "Lost's" debut season earned it its status as one of the most-watched shows on air. On ABC it has been second only to its contemporary hit Desperate Housewives. For a year now, J.J. Abram's and Damon Lindelof's creation (Alias and Crossing Jordan, respectively) have traced the fate of plane wreck survivors stranded on a remote, unknown island.
   Its popularity last season was due in part to the cult following that spread "Lost" forums and blogs all over the Internet, but with each episode it also seemed clear that the show was not the average deserted island cliché and had the potential to be much more than a mindless fad.
   Much of the show's merit comes from the writers' skill in character and plot development.... Read the full story here. (11:50 PM)

   The ABC television network and sister publishing label Hyperion Books are taking the concept of product placement into a new direction -- by turning an imaginary product into a real one.
   Producers of ABC's mega-hit castaway thriller "Lost" plan to introduce a new storyline centering on the discovery of a fictitious manuscript that will become the basis for a real-life novel that Hyperion will publish this spring.
   The book will then be promoted as the work of an author, named Gary Troup, who supposedly delivered the manuscript to Hyperion days before perishing in the show's stage-setting event, a plane crash that maroons a group of survivors on a spooky island.... Read the full story here. (12:45 AM)