But, as unique as LOST is, and there’s nothing really like it anywhere, time travel shows are a dime a dozen. Before LOST was ever an apple in J.J. Abrams eyes, Dr. Samuel Beckett was hopping through time and Gary Hobson was getting tomorrow’s newspaper today. After a 10 year break, time travel is back in prime time with LOST, Life on Mars, Heroes, Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles and a new Dr. Who. The shows themselves, however, have achieved mixed success. Heroes time-traveling Hiro is a popular character, but his adventures through time have become a crutch the writers use to raise the stakes, Life on Mars is unwatched despite the lead-in from LOST, Terminator is teetering on the cusp of cancelation. So, is there any hope LOST can succeed where others have failed?

LOST has a few things on it’s side. First, it established itself as a character and mystery show very early on, and has maintained a loyal, if not devout fanbase. The producers has a finite end date for the program. They don’t have to worry about being renewed or ratings as much as telling a story. This will allow them to tell the story well, which, actually, will likely help the show keep the viewers it has.

But the biggest advantage LOST has is simple: it has not fallen into the trap of so many other time travel fiction falls into. It has not become obsessed with trying to change the future. Quantum Leap and Early Edition both used this as the main plot device: by using information they have in the future, you can fix a mistake. Both shows were modest hits, last five and four seasons respectively. Heroes, on the other hand, has already presented it’s audience with several alternate futures. LOST’s producers have promised that anything shown on the show actually happened, and that there is only one time line.

The first episode to feature time travel, “Flashes Before Your Eyes”, went one step further, establishing that you can not change the future or prevent someones death, because the universe has course-correction. And, in a recent episode, when a character was asked why he didn’t try to change his past and save himself from the pain, he retorts: “I needed that pain to get to where I am now.” I think that’s writer for ‘everyone does that and it’s not really interesting.’