TV REVIEW ABC has found a hit with 'Lost'

By CHARLIE McCOLLUM
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Trying to write a capsule description of ABC's new "Lost" is almost impossible without making it sound, at best, positively ludicrous.
In the series' first two episodes, there's a plane crash on a tropical island, with one passenger getting sucked into a jet engine and another going into labor. The 48 survivors soon discover that the plane was way off course and no one knows where they are.
Several of the passengers are not what they seem to be. One is a veteran of the first Gulf War -- as a member of the Iraqi Republican Guard. Another is a coke-sniffing rocker. The female lead is an escaped federal prisoner.
Then we get to the good stuff: Out in the jungle is an unseen but man-chewing creature. A rampaging animal, killed by a passenger, turns out to be a polar bear. (Remember we're in the tropics.) And the survivors' radio picks up a distress call sent by someone stranded on the island -- 16 years ago.
No wonder at the end of the second episode, one crash survivor asks: "Where are we?"
Preposterous-sounding? Sure. Good television? You bet.
Riveting
Like his other drama -- the spy thriller "Alias" -- writer-director J.J. Abrams has taken a batch of hokey elements and has cooked up the most riveting opening hours of a new series since ... well, the first episodes of "Alias." The show, which debuts at 8 tonight, may sound like a dubious cross between "Land of the Lost," the old kids' show, and "Survivor" minus Jeff Probst. But it packs a wicked punch with true emotional urgency, suspense that doesn't let up and a real knack for the surprising.
And, as he does on "Alias," Abrams never loses track of his characters, no matter how far-fetched the story lines. By the end of the first hour, you'll actually find yourself caring about what happens to the people on the island.
Strong points
The first two episodes are so lavishly produced that they look like a feature film. (The scenes of the crash and its aftermath are really sensational.) The large cast (hey, someone has to get eaten every week) is strong, particularly Matthew Fox ("Party of Five") as a doctor who takes charge of the group, Dominic Monaghan from "Lord of the Rings" as the rocker and newcomer Evangeline Lilly as a sexy but probably dangerous woman.
Given its underlying premise and ongoing story lines, "Lost" -- again, like "Alias" before it -- may be a tough sell to the larger TV audience. But viewers who discover it are likely to get drawn into the show, and ABC should really give the series a chance even if the initial ratings aren't the best.