http://community.tvguide.com/blog/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Re****t/700000049
Ausiello Re****t
by Michael Ausiello
Read It's Official: Lost Finds Extra Hour... But There's a Twist!
It's official, Ausholes!
I can now confirm what I first teased earlier this week: Team Darlton
has sealed a deal with ABC to bring us an extra hour of Lost this
season.
But there's a twist.
Lost isn't the only ABC hit experiencing an unexpected growth spurt.
Sources confirm to me exclusively that Grey's Anatomy will also expand
its season by an hour — and it has Lost to thank!
Allow me to explain. With a 14th hour of Lost now a done deal, the
show's finale will swell to three hours. But, in what can only be
described as an unorthodox scheduling move, the first hour of that
finale will air on May 15, and then we have to wait two weeks — until
May 29 — to get the last two hours! That's right, no Lost on May 22.
Why?
Apparently, Darlton convinced ABC that the final two hours had to air
together. And with the finales of Grey's and Ugly Betty already slated
for May 22 at 8 and 9 pm respectively, ABC really had no other choice
than to sked Lost's two-hour exit for May 29. That, in turn, created a
hole on May 22 at 10 pm — hence the net's decision to tack an extra
hour onto the Grey's finale.
Confused? Let me break it down for you.
May 15
8 pm: Ugly Betty
9 pm: Grey's Anatomy
10 pm: Lost (part 1 finale)
May 22
8 pm: Ugly Betty finale
9-11 pm: Two-hour Grey's Anatomy finale
May 29
8 pm: Lost encore (part 1 finale)
9-11 pm: Two-hour Lost finale
All told, a pretty fraktacular turn of events. That is, unless you
have a stake in the success of Swingtown. The controversial CBS drama
was scheduled to debut on May 29 at 10 pm against little or no
competition. Now it's up against the most anticipated 60 minutes of
television all year.
D'oh.
I'm guessing you guys have an opinion on all this. Do you think the
one week pre-emption will slow Lost's momentum? And, if so, is that a
small price to pay if the end result is an extra freakin' hour of
Lost? Sound off below!
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