TIP/The end of ‘Lost’

Jan. 26, 2010

TO: Editors, news directors
FROM: Jenny Price, University Communications, 608-262-8296
RE: TIP/THE END OF ‘LOST’

After hours of groundbreaking and head-scratching television, the ABC series “Lost” launches its sixth and final season on Tuesday, Feb. 2.

The program — built around complex plot lines and human drama — has such a following that the White House press secretary recently reassured “Lost” fans that President Obama’s State of the Union speech would not conflict with the show’s premiere.

“Lost” is also striking for the diversity of its cast, mind-bending theories concerning fate and time, and its reach across media, including the Internet. Rabid fans voraciously seek spoilers online and debate each episode as they dissect plots and search for meaning and symbolism in every frame.

The following University of Wisconsin–Madison experts can discuss “Lost” with interested media:

• Jonathan Gray, associate professor of media and cultural studies and communication arts, 608-263-2541, jagray3@wisc.edu. Gray is an expert on pop culture and contemporary television and can discuss “Lost” as a serial narrative, as well as how the show’s producers have used multiple media platforms to engage audiences and build buzz during its run.
• Daniel Chung, associate professor of physics, 608-265-3133, danielchung@wisc.edu. Chung can discuss questions about the possibility of time travel.
• Mary Beltran, associate professor of communication arts, is on sabbatical and can best be reached at mcbeltran@wisc.edu. Beltran studies non-white participation and representation in U.S. film and television and can discuss ethnic representation on the series, including how “Lost” creator J.J. Abrams auditioned actors of various racial and ethnic backgrounds for all the roles on the “Lost.”
• Michele Hilmes, professor of media and cultural studies and director of the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, 608-262-2547, mhilmes@wisc.edu. Hilmes is an expert on the history of U.S. broadcast media and contemporary U.S. television. She is an avid watcher of “Lost” and can provide context for how the show changed the television landscape, but does not promise to unravel its complex plot lines.