Half season Lost

Last year, Lost fans were frustrated when the show went on an extended, three-month hiatus, resulting in the lowest ratings the series had ever seen. Vowing to bring things back up to speed, ABC announced that the next three seasons would be shorter - down to just 16 episodes each - and would start airing in February so there wouldn't be any interruptions.

But it seems the Writers Guild strike may prevent that plan from going ahead. Executive producer Carlton Cuse, who was in the picket line on Monday with fellow Lost EP Damon Lindelof, has made a statement about where things lie for the fourth season. The first eight episodes of the season, which are almost all in the can now, will air, but if the strike is prolonged then fans will have to put up with another frustrating hiatus. "There is a cliffhanger at the end of the eighth episode. It will only be frustrating [for viewers] to have to step away from the show and not see the second half of the season," Cuse said. "The first half of the season, like a good novel, sets all the events of the show in motion and the second half deals with the consequences. We're very proud of the first eight but it feels weird to have to stop literally mid-stream."

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