15 Things They Didn’t Want You To Know About ‘Lost’

For six wonderful seasons, Lost captivated viewers with its ongoing mystery and pitch perfect character development. Along the way, it essentially launched the careers of the creative minds behind some of today’s most popular science fiction: J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, and a host of others. While the show itself has remained a cause for endless debate, it has etched an irreparable place in the pop culture pantheon. It’s a mysterious time-shifting desert island drama with enough intrigue to fuel fifty shows and some of the most memorable characters ever to saunter across the small screen. Yet, there’s still plenty to know about this groundbreaking series. Here are some hidden facts nestled in Lost’s vault.

1. There’d Be No ‘Lost’ Without Lloyd Braun

While Abrams and Lindelof get the real (and much deserved) credit for the show, it was initially conceived by the head of ABC at the time, Lloyd Braun. If that name rings familiar to you, you’re thinking of the minor character from Seinfeld who was named after, you guessed it, the real-life Lloyd Braun (Braun was Larry David’s manager at one point). At any rate, on a vacation from work, Lindelof conceived of Lost as a cross between Cast Away, Lord of the Flies and Survivor (because that’s how studio execs think).

2. J.J. Abrams Had To Be Convinced

Coming off the success of ABC’s Alias, Abrams had the freedom to choose his next project with care. When Lloyd Braun showed him a script for Lost, he was initially turned off. That is, until Braun granted him an incredible level of creative control to re-write the script, throw in a supernatural element, and hire add a writing partner. The studio, in turn, sent him Damon Lindelof, who was legit excited to work with Abrams after his work on ABC’s spy show.

3. Abrams and Lindelof Lied Their Faces Off

Going into the production, ABC executives were concerned that Abrams was going to make his show a little too serialized. You see, the continuing adventures of Sydney Bristow had made Alias a difficult show to jump into; in other words, it was pretty inaccessible to new fans. In order to skirt this criticism, J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof straight up lied to executives and claimed that every episode of the new series would be self-contained. Meanwhile, the masterminds behind Lost intended a four-to-five season arc (at least) right off the bat.

4. Lindelof Looked to Video Games For Inspiration

Among avid video gamers, 1993’s Myst has always held a hallowed spot. The puzzle adventure is only for the most intrepid gamers, people willing to walk blindly through a world that’s only unlocked by those able to spot small details and solve intricate puzzles. When crafting Lost’s mythology, Lindelof claimed the game as inspiration, saying, “No one told you what the rules were. You just had to walk around and explore these environments and gradually a story was told.”

5. Let’s Get Real: It Was Lindelof’s Show

When Lost hit the air, J.J. Abrams had already taken the first steps on the path to his success. Sure, helping to craft the basic building blocks of Lost helped things along considerably, but the guy was out the door for pretty much the entire series. It was Lindelof and Carlton Cuse who truly guided the series on its way after Abrams left to direct Mission: Impossible III.

6. ABC Put Loads Of Faith in the Freshmen Show

In spite of the fact that ABC was falling behind almost universally in the ratings and in spite of the fact that science fiction shows were historic under-performers, ABC not only granted Abrams and Lindelof a pretty fair amount of creative control, they also funded the pilot, which turned out to be the most expensive in network history. Some reports indicate that the pilot cost upwards of $14 million.

7. Roles Were Written For the Actors

So, when Oceanic Flight 815 initially crashed, 70 people — of the original 324 — walked away from the wreckage. This was an intentional move that was meant to allow the writers to work in new characters and larger conflicts as the show developed. It also allowed the showrunner the opportunity to pick his favorite actors and just write characters meant for them.

8. Matthew Fox Should Have Died In the Pilot

As the original pilot was written, the show’s star, Matthew Fox, was supposed to die in the plane crash. In fact, the role was written with Michael Keaton in mind. In Jack’s stead, Kate (Evangeline Lilly) was intended to take over as the group’s leader (fun fact: Kate was also originally intended to be a middle-aged business woman). But, ABC execs nixed that idea and Matthew Fox was cast as the show’s primary protagonist.

9. Sawyer Was a Fruitful Character

Ultimately, three of the show’s cast auditioned for the role of Sawyer. Dominic Monaghan tried out and the producers loved him so much they shifted the character of Charlie — who was originally an aging rocker — to suit his look and style. Lovable Jorge Garcia also auditioned for the role, and Lindelof and company loved him so much that they wrote a role in the show specifically for the actor. It wasn’t until Josh Holloway used a Southern accent and kicked a chair in his audition that the showrunners saw their Sawyer.

10. Ben’s Mother Was His Wife

No, this isn’t some wacky Oedipal sub-plot, just a bit of intriguing trivia for you. Michael Emerson, who played the chilling Benjamin Linus on the show, is married in real life to actress Carrie Preston, who is probably most known for her work on True Blood. However, she also played young Ben’s mother Emily Linus in the flashback episode: “The Man Behind the Curtain.”

11. The Shoot Was An Actor’s Nightmare

No, not really. Pretty much the entire series was shot on location in Oahu, thanks to the islands diverse array of potential locations. Sure … that’s the reason they chose to shoot in and around a tropical paradise. It was only on rare occasions that the crew left Hawaii — like the one time they used a hospital set borrowed from Grey’s Anatomy.

12. The Theme Was Composed By An Academy Award Winner

When it came time for the show to find the right kind of eerie lead in, Abrams and company turned to Michael Giacchino. In the process of composition, Giacchino utilized some pretty unusual methods (like hitting suspended bits of the broken plane), but they paid off. The theme earned him an Emmy. In the years since, he’s gone on to win an Oscar for composing the score to Pixar’s Up.

13. You Can Study ‘Lost’ in College

Sometimes it felt like you needed an advanced degree to follow along all the threads in Lost, but you can actually get post-secondary credits for studying this cult-favorite show. Birmingham-Southern College has a Lost themed course that delves into the show’s themes like spirituality, temptation and redemption.

14. Want to Know What “DHARMA” Stood For?

It actually stood for the Department of Heuristics And Research on Material Applications. This was never actually revealed on the show itself, but the acronym could be found in the Alternate Reality Game “The Lost Experience” that came out after season two.

15. ‘Lost’ Helped Save ABC

When the pilot of Lost aired on ABC, it grabbed more than 18 million viewers, dominating its time slot and getting ABC its biggest ratings win since 2000. That record made execs extremely happy. Of course, they were also happier the next month when Desperate Housewives toppled Lost’s record by a slim margin.