Source: http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/newsletters ... /index.jsp

1. "American Idol" (FOX) 21.5/32
2. "Lost" (ABC) 11.4/17
3. "Lost: Reckoning" (R, ABC) 6.1/10
4. "CSI: NY" (R, CBS) 6.1/9
5. "Law & Order" (R, NBC) 5.1/7
6. "Criminal Minds" (R, CBS) 5.0/7
7. "Dateline" (R, NBC) 4.6/7
8. "Dr. Phil: Escaping Addiction" (R, CBS) 3.8/6
9. "Movie: Daredevil" (WB) 1.7/3
10. "Movie: Hair Show" (UPN) 1.5/2

Total Viewers

1. "American Idol" (FOX) 35.36
2. "Lost" (ABC) 17.57
3. "Lost: Reckoning" (R, ABC) 8.39
4. "CSI: NY" (R, CBS) 8.26
5. "Law & Order" (R, NBC) 6.48
6. "Criminal Minds" (R, CBS) 6.29
7. "Dateline" (R, NBC) 6.23
8. "Dr. Phil: Escaping Addiction" (R, CBS) 5.32
9. "Movie: Hair Show" (UPN) 1.73
10. "Movie: Daredevil" (WB) 1.60

Lost was down 3 million viewers from the season 1 finale, while AI was way up from season 4. Almost 43 million people were watching when they actually announced the winner.

I cant believe that TV networks do cycles in america, there must be nothing to watch during the summer. Why don't networks put shows on during the summer, wouldn't that be beneficial all round?

Sometimes they do (Survivor, Dancing with the Stars) but if they hit, they're moved to the regular season to become bigger hits.

Summer pretty much belongs to Cable.

As for the ratings, somewhat decent for Lost. Those are their highest numbers since AI moved up against them in March. And Idol. . .wow.

Those numbers make me sad.

How can so many people watch Idol? How??

Is that the biggest episode AI has ever had?

Quite pathetic if you ask me.

Last year Lost averaged a 20+ million finale head to head with AI.

I think there are too many factors working against Lost at this point...
--American Idol keeps growing
--scheduling resulting in pissed off viewers
--iTUNES an easy escape to missing episodes
--ABC airing the very episode FREEEEEE the day after.

Or maybe people were just fed up with the direction of the show. The characters have so far become unbearable, the long winded explanations and flashbacks. It wasnt until the last 3 episodes that the show got alot better but you have to admit during the midseason the show was quite boring with nothing really happening

AI is a beast.

Less I say about Lost, the better.

AI is unstoppable obviously.

The biggest reason for Lost's decline is the quality of the show, it's just turned people away this year.

-People giving up on the show.

Was last night's episode any good? Or just more of the same?

Last night's episode was explosive (literally and figuratively). I can safely say more happened in this finale than in the entire series thus far.

I wouldnt say that Lost as a show has gotten any better or worse. For what I've seen it's just dragging things out much too slowly with the endless flashbacks.

JJ Abrams has returned to the show as head honcho for next season i hear.

A vast improvement over the midseason shows. At least alot has been revealed and doesnt drag along slowly like it did previously

As opposed to last year's rockin' mid-season?

This just in, JJ Abrams has left "Lost" to make Mission: Impossible 4.

And Star Trek.

And Wonder Woman.

And another mediocre TV show for ABC.

Much more happened this season than last season on Lost. The main difference in the seasons 1) a change in character focus away from audience favorites. And 2) In the first season the characters spent 22 episodes overcoming their differences and becoming a community, in this season basically most of them treated each other badly, often for no reason. People might not name that as something that turned them off but I suspect it did with some.

But you know there really is'nt a lot of difference between a 17m finale and a 20m. It's all projections and estimates anyway, it's not like movies where they simply count tickets sold. With TV ratings there's a margin of error.

I just noticed this, but Wednesday was May 24. Just to let you know.

I said this earlier this season, and got shot down. But I'll say it again. I suspect the reason Lost is losing viewers is because it's becoming more and more complicated, and tougher for the average Joe to follow. Look at the Lost thread. andaroo and Krem are going nuts with all the clues that were in the finale. It's a lot easier for people to just turn on Idol and mindlessly listen to people sing, then make a commitment to Lost, and watch it each and every week. It's a very taxing show, as loyal and baba's comments have shown. When it first came on the air, it was a bit like Desperate Housewives with all the character drama and such. But now, it's become more and more like X-Files, with its own mythology. And X-Files was never one of the top shows while it was own. I'm fine with the ratings, as long as it doesn't make ABC cancel it. And 17 million people is nothing to sneeze at, especially when it's against 35 million people watching Idol.

Fixed.

Loyal and bABA do have a point, though. The writing was kind of lazy in the middle of Season 2 - Michael screaming "Waaaaalt" whenever he got a chance too was proof to that. But yes, all the clues are awesome, I just hope they don't ruin the show.

Whats wierd about Abrams is that he doesnt seem to care that much that hes leaving everything he started.

Honestly, while I am a big fan of Lost, there is something about these ratings that makes me happy. It gives me hope that Lost won't go on for ten seasons.

I feel for JJ Abrams fans, with the whole ratings thing. But lets not forget, Lost is still like one of ABCs top 3 shows. Its expensive, but it brings in the hype, the acclaim and the ratings, with a powerful impact in the 18-49s which is all that really matters anyway.

Just hope that Lost continues to be as creative as it already has been, and it doesn't brickwall.

Im thinking of skipping the entire second season and just watching the finale and then watching season 3.

I think that, aside from the people like Loyal and yoshue, people seem to be pleased with what "Lost" did last night. That is going to work in "Lost"'s favor, and when the time comes for Season 3 to begin, more people will be back on the Lost bandwagon.

WOW at American Idol. What a monster that show is.

Lost performed quite well, too. When the actual ratings come out, it'll probably be at 18 million viewers or something, just a little bit below last year. Considering the huge competition it was up against, I say it did fine.

Most people, as Mr. X stated, seem to be quite satisfied with the season finale (including my friends). The 3rd season premiere will do fine, me thinks.

I need to add that there is probably no one here who has obsessed more over X-Files than I. Partly it's my age and growing up with X-Files.

So yeah, I have no issues at all with complicated mythology.

I needed to clear the air about my beloved X-Files.

Well, it does seem like almost everyone enjoyed it immensely. I'm sure some people will say that ALL their friends hated it, just like when these friends hated the Season 1 finale as well. But, the fact of the matter is that there are a LOT of people, from those who love Season 2 to those who think it's a major step down, that liked the finale last night. Very rarely does a show like Lost give its fans a satisfying season finale. The buzz behind it will be big, and I think it'll carry throughout the summer into Season 3.

I just hope the 7 episodes on, 13 episodes off, 16 episodes on format isn't going to kill the show.