The Crossing is decent, but it’s no Lost
Sci-fi and fantasy hits are more likely found on cable or streaming
Broadcast TV won’t be creating another Lost.
ABC teased a comparison to the legendary supernatural serial with promos touting its latest high-concept drama, The
Crossing ( Mondays at10 p.m. on CTV), as coming “from the network that brought you Lost.” Nobody realistically expects
The Crossing to achieve Lost’s ratings, but the connection underlines how much TV has changed since 2010, when Lost ended its six-season run, and how unlikely it is that the next complex sci-fi serial to become a pop-culture sensation — a long shot to begin with— will come from broadcast TV. It’s nothing against The Cross
ing, which offers an intriguing hook, dozens of time-travelling refugees from 180 years in the future arriving en masse off the coast of a small Oregon town; an appealing cast; and relevant questions about immigration, eugenics and government secrecy.
But the most immediate question points to broadcast’s unique problem: because poorly performing shows often get pulled after a few episodes, should viewers risk engaging with a promising serial that could be gone before they get answers to complex mysteries? Broadcast networks have tried to show more patience, especially as TV ratings and viewing habits have evolved, and use technology to nurture a fan base — ABC made The Crossing available online in advance of its premiere. On-demand and online viewing options can help, too.
But the episodic structure is more uncertain than cable or streaming, which can guarantee full seasons or even deliver them all at once, and don’t face the same pressure to deliver ratings.
The Crossing premiere per- formed decently, winning its time period (5.4 million sameday viewers in the U.S.), but fell far short of hit status, something even tougher to attain for a title that doesn’t come from an existing franchise, such as The Walking Dead or Westworld.
Recent broadcast seasons have seen the quick demise of many high-concept shows, including The Event, Extant and Dollhouse. Short-term, serialized successes, such as Under the Dome and Revolution, have faded after strong starts.
Sci-fi and fantasy hits of recent vintage have been on cable (AMC’s The Walking Dead, HBO’s Game of Thrones), which has fewer content restrictions and, often, larger budgets; or a streaming service (Netflix’s Stranger Things), where bingeviewing can benefit a heavily serialized show.
Lost executive producer Carlton Cuse notes the advantages of cable and streaming services, home to his post- Lost shows ( The Strain, Colony, Bates Motel and Amazon’s upcoming Jack Ryan). “Having more time, more money to make episodes and freedom from some of the (censors) of network television are real assets,” he says, adding that helps attract top writers and producers, including Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes and his fellow Lost producer Damon Lindelof. “All of those things make it hard to be successful in network television in this sort of genre.”
Cuse warns against a pitfall that has nothing to do with TV platforms. “If the idea is really complicated, it sometimes swamps character development.”
The Crossing isn’t going to be a Lost- sized phenomenon. Even if it fails, ABC deserves credit for still trying a wide range of genres on a mass-appeal broadcast network. Taking chances is how it ended up with Lost in the first place. But realistically, if you’re looking for high-concept hits, stay tuned to cable and streaming.