Lost - The Complete First Season DVD: Review By Brian

With those gigantic longstanding sitcoms of late 90's coming to an end over the last few years, there has existed a gap primetime that has left viewers hungry for some quality programming, most of which existed few and far between the basic networks, and tended to be reserved for the cable networks. Then began a change in some of the decisions the basic networks were making. With raw shows like The Sopranos topping cable networks like HBO, basic nets started taking more risks, becoming more edgy, and serving up what they thought the people wanted. A slew of fine programming started hitting the primetime airwaves and catching a buzz with TV watchers everywhere. More notable, shows like 24 took viewers into realms that they had not witnesses on local TV channels before, thus creating a sort of trend in even the more conservative of networks, that pushed the boundaries of dramatic storytelling on basic television.

In 2004, ABC racked up viewership and morphed people into instant fanatics as it aired the first episode of it's disorienting adventure, Lost, about the 48 survivors of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 whose plane crash landed on what they think is a deserted island. With J.J. Abrams in tow, creator of the hit show Alias, the series has since become an overnight phenomenon, filling volumes of fan blogs across the internet, and becoming the topic of choice for TV watchers everywhere. No one really knows what's happening to Flight 815, but one thing is clear, the world is dying to find out.

As the past years have rolled along, viewers have become sick of the worthless ploys for our attention with the mindlessness of reality television. We've become a society yearning for more substance in our entertainment, but we have yet to realize it.

With the reality TV take over, I was one to get rid of my cable service altogether. I have yet to come back to becoming a subscriber to any sort of television, and for the last few years have stuck strictly to what's out on DVD. Though, as the reality TV boom has fizzled, I have become a huge fan of many programs which have recently graced the airwaves. Lost is absolutely one of my more recent favs.

From it's eery Twilight Zone-esque intro, to it's submersive plotlines which leave viewers hanging on the camp's every turn, there is no doubt in my mind why the show has become such a success. There is an element which draws people in to the humanistic side of the characters. Every day people trapped on an island, dealing with the shock of crash-landing in their plane, completely disoriented from their surroundings and the people their share their experiences with, the struggle to survive is a huge factor in the original allure of the show. Combine these dramatic human elements with some extremely out of the ordinary events (what was that Polar Bear doing in a tropical jungle. What is that monster that kills people?) that leave the audience scratching their heads as much as the characters in the show do, and you cannot help but be addicted. You want answers, and you'll keep watching until you get them.

Just as addictive is the way the creative forces behind the show have decided to give us some background on these characters they want us to care about. Told through a series of flashbacks, the audience is let into the personal lives of the characters before they were stranded on the island, allowing us to fully know who we're dealing, yet frustrating us by keeping the other characters on the island in the dark about who they are. A nice tactic that plays well into the mystique of the show.

The cast is phenomenal. Matthew Fox, whom I've been a fan since his days as Charlie Salinger, is amazing. He carries the weight of the show, and everything this man goes through onscreen, the audience is sure to feel in their gut. With the rest of the cast having such diverse resumes, spanning everything from Lord of the RIngs to Young Guns, the talent that brings Lost to life is top-notch.

I'm hooked. You couldn't drag me away from this show now. The only problem I have with this first season coming to DVD is that the wait for the next season to hit store shelves may just be unbearable.

The list extras is gigantic, and to tell you the truth, I haven't even gotten through the all yet.

Lost Flashbacks

All new, unaired flashbacks that they never used for the show. A great watch and gives some deeper insight into the LOST characters.

Welcome to Oahu: The Making of the Pilot

A great featurette which dives into creating the initial plane crash, which is absolutely one of those key factors that grabbed audiences everywhere right from the start.

The Genesis of Lost

Designing a Disaster

Goes deep into the aspects of designing a show like LOST. Insightful, even for the most hardcore fan.

Audio Commentaries with the Cast & Crew

Executive producers J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, Bryan Burk, Carlton Cuse, producer Jack Bender, co-executive producer David Fury, supervising producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach and actors Maggie Grace, Ian Sommerhalder, Dominic Monaghan and Terry O'Quinn all give commentaries on various episode throughout the set. Plenty to keep any LOST fan busy for hours on in.

Before They Were Lost

Audition tapes of the cast before they got their roles. Great stuff and the kind of content you wanna see on every DVD.

Deleted Scenes

Approximately 15 minutes worth of deleted scenes are included within the set. A great addition to the set as it allows to further yourself deeper into the storyline, and even gain some new perspective on some of the characters.

LOST: On Location

This is an expanded feature which boasts several high end featurettes which explain various aspects of the production on various episodes. Some great insight into how the show comes together and why it's pivotal moments work the way they do onscreen. Great behind-the-scenes content for the enthusiastic fan or the casual viewer.

The rest of the features listed are short bits, a few minutes in length piece, but well worth watching for any true fan of the show.

Bloopers From the Set

On Set with Jimmy Kimmel

The Art of Matthew Fox

A small snippet of content which Matthew Fox himself created for the cast & crew at the end of the first season.

LOST at Comic-Con

A small clip featuring the cast and their appearance at the 2004 Comic-con convention.

Live From the Museum of Television & Radio

Backstage with Driveshaft

The look of the show on DVD is immaculate. Originally shot in HD and in some areas throughout the country, broadcast as such, the show looks beautiful on my Sony 55" Grand WEGA, as it plays out in it's 1.78 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio. The more I watched, the more I realized, this is exactly the kind of show my widescreen LCD was made for. The colors amazed me as they were so immensely rich in the contrasts and tones of the Hawaiian location where the show is shot. Awe-inspiring stuff through and through.

Complimenting one of the best pictures to ever grace my 55" Sony Grand WEGA, the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is a perfect match. Mixed to perfection, balanced, and thundering where it wants to be, I could not ask for anything more from such a perfect soundtrack. There is obvious evidence of extreme care that went into the production of this DVD.

Capturing the feel of the show, the artwork presents the show exactly as it should. The word LOST is very bold and apparent here the cast, silhouetted by the confines of a tropical wetness, are minimized into a window which reveals hardly anything at all but gives off a sense of there being a lot more than "meets the eye."

As you dive deeper into the set you'll find random photos and artifacts from the show scattered within, all set against the fold-out plastic on cardboard style so many of the premium television box-sets grace these days.

Once again, the perfect compliment.

You need this show. Everyone does. There's a sense of mystery and intrigue, well balanced with the allure of human drama that will make an addict out of anyone with just one viewing. Rich characters, beautiful backdrops, and a storyline that will have you begging for more, what more could you want from TV? I'll tell you. Nothing.

And for those who might experience the show for the first time this way on DVD, you're in for a treat...there's 24 episodes on 7 discs here, and you don't have to take a break! Get your marathon sweatpants on and get Lost on DVD today!