Oh my dog.... It's like a magical happy land full of happiness. Not much cash, compared to Hollywood, but a magical happy land nonetheless.

If you're frugal, you might make it to the next series without dying of starvation or the cold or something. But, if we're lucky, we might get time to do things right.

Not much cash

This, speaking as one who works for the commercial arm of the biggest player in the magical happy land full of happiness and would really like to be able to pay off her credit cards sometime this centuty...is not a point which can be understated.

That's probably a reasonable accurate take on the subject.

Unassailable, really.

My best friend writes for Canadian TV, and I've heard her talk about pre-pickup show bibles. And they're certainly not throwing around the luchre.

I don't mean to imply I think show bibles guarantee anything. I mean, they can be a bible of really bad idea that the writer reconsiders in time to get a brilliant series out of it. Or a writing team can do just brilliantly without one.

However, in looking at Lost failings, I doubt a show bible would have made it worse. A mere plan would have made it better.

A mere plan would have made it better.

Honestly, I think they've had at least this much this whole time. Maybe even not more than a single page of bullet point summarizing their vague ideas, but I think they've met at least this minimum from the beginning.

I know some people may feel otherwise, but it's the reason Javi was hired in the first place -- to help develop long term arcs for the show when the pilot hadn't been written yet -- so they were at least somewhat thinking long term.

Well, if they had a plan, they must not like it much. Because they say stuff in public and then contradict themselves and don't follow up, etc.

Well, if they had a plan, they must not like it much. Because they say stuff in public and then contradict themselves and don't follow up, etc.

I don't know what this specifically refers to, so I can't comment to that, but I'm not one to necessarily hold something a writer says publically about intended show direction too much against them. It's writing, and TV writing in particular. I'm not saying they're not playing extremely fast and loose with their "plan," or that the show ultimately adds up to something wicked cool and well thought out, but I would at least give them the benefit of the doubt when they say there's a direction they're going in.

ETA: That last sentence sucks, but I don't have time to reword it.

I would at least give them the benefit of the doubt when they say there's a direction they're going in.

Over the word of one of the writers that said there was in fact no plan?

Speaking only from my own experience as someone who has twice done interstate moves with no map, I can tell you there's a huge difference between knowing what direction you're going in, and having an actual plan.

Over the word of one of the writers that said there was in fact no plan?

Is there some reason we should be believing Mr. Fury more than the writers who didn't leave the show? Frankly, the circumstances under which those comments were made robbed them of any validity I might have otherwise been inclined to give them. But at this point, aren't we just arguing over which writer we like more, and hence should give more trust?

I'm not sure I like any of the Lost writers. However, the cranky bastard has a crusty truth-telling rep going for him, as well as the other writers contradicting themselves in public.

I seem to recall (but can't substantiate) that the objection to what Fury said was "You can't talk about that in public!" as much as or more than "Liar!"