Pilot (Lost)

Pilot (Lost)

"Pilot" constitutes the first and second episodes of the first season of ABC television series Lost, with part one premiering on September 22, 2004 and part two on September 29, 2004. The episodes were directed by J.J. Abrams, written by Abrams and Damon Lindelof, and based on a story created by Abrams, Lindelof, and Jeffrey Lieber. The pilot introduces the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815, who experience a plane crash and end up on a mysterious island. Three of the characters, Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox), Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly) and Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan), are featured before the crash in flashbacks of their experiences on the plane as it breaks apart in mid-air; these scenes established Lost's defining use of flashbacks.

This episode was the most expensive pilot episode up to that time, costing between $10 and $14 million. This was primarily due to the expense of purchasing, shipping, and dressing the actual decommissioned aircraft body used to represent the wreckage. It is one of the most critically acclaimed television pilots of all time. Both parts of the pilot earned high ratings, and the episode would later win many awards. TV Guide ranked the episode No. 5 on its list of "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time".