Christopher J. Arndt fights a never ending battle for truth and justice...


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ABC and the Lost Creators are Being Jerks

Lost ran as an extended episode tonight. That demonstrates and indicates that the creators of the television show, as well as ABC, are somewhat thoughtless and inconsiderate and as I somewhat overstate, they are being jerks. Since ABC ran an extended episode tonight, I missed the ending. I'm pissed. The ending of a show like this is either an average and mundane bit of resolution played to a background of pop music, or it contains a valuable nugget of dramatic importance. I am really, truly mad because I missed what it was. I control my television viewing, or attempt to, in a manner as divorced from the station controlling my schedule as possible. I record a fix number of shows using my VCR and then watch them as my schedule permits and demands. I am often busy on Wednesday and Thursday nights so Lost and Alias must be recorded. The VCR is set to start recording at 9 PM and cease at 10 PM EST; it is faithful and reliable, unlike ABC. I didn't get to see the ending of the show and I was filled in by my online buddies. ABC is effectively snubbing those using standard recording devices. My fellow victims can find out what happened here.

I am not losing perspective. I know that it is only a television program. However I am a man who values constancy and consistency and in fact I need it. I desire and even expect a certain amount of those qualities from others in the proper ways. A one-hour show starts at one time and ends one hour late, as it is recorded in the television guide and as it occurs every week. My VCR turned off at 10 PM EST, just in the middle of what Sawyer was saying to Kate. It cut off a conversation between two major characters in the middle of a sentence; I think it was in the middle of a word! Naturally I get angry when my best-laid, simple, and innocent plans go awry thanks an easily-averted outside force directly interjecting in what should be complete entertainment. jwd (IP:63.233.94.251) has a similar experience tonight* and no doubt we share a similar sentiment.

I set my DVR timer and of course per usual it cuts it off because the show was exteneded. I got the part where Michael [xxxxxxxxxxxSPOILERSxxxxxxxxxxxx] and the show ended on me. Blast doors come down? Magneto bust out of the wall and declare they're on "Island M" ?

Stupid extended episodes. *grumbles*

Michael Hutchison put it in perspective when he explained who was hurt by this and who will be hurt by this.**

I'm now in the doghouse because I told Melinda that I'd tape Law and Order for her while she's at work, and then Lost ran over so that viewers miss the whole premise of Law and Order. And don't think that's not intentional. It's the networks trying to keep you from watching any other channels, first by eliminating all buffer time between shows and now by not following an hourly schedule.

I was going to say "if only there was a way to make them pay for that" but then I realized that they are digging their own graves. I mean, are they TRYING to encourage more online piracy? Because nothing's going to drive more honest people to appreciate the possibility of Torrent files than having millions of loyal viewers discover that they've missed the ending of their show due to ABC being manipulative jerks. What, are you going to wait for the REPEAT (if ever) to find out? No. I'm not a pirate, but I'm definitely going to have to download the complete Law and Order episode to show my wife.

Lost's creators are violating fair expectations with far too little warning. It's not like my evening's ruined, but to see my plans go unfulfilled because what should be the most simplest of routines and promises is ignored just to edge out other networks' programming concerns is just annoying and inconvenient. I did not get to see the whole episode. They’re yanking my chain. Yet I will be back next week; I suppose that makes me part of the problem.


* Posted on November 30, 2005 at 21:37:29
** IP:68.115.94.172 Posted on November 30, 2005 at 23:38:00

posted by Chris Arndt at 11/30/2005 11:50:00 PM | |