"Lost" is good... But let's face it, it is a TOTAL ripoff in concept

[\S/JcDc\S/]

Peter Benchley's Amazon unfortunately did not air on a major channel like ABC, so it did not see the success that Lost has, which also features a stranded cast after a plane crash in a remote jungle. The main hero of Amazon was likewise a doctor, played by C. Thomas Howell. there's even a similar, beautiful brunette love interest: Carol Alt as "Karen."

This isn't to say I don't enjoy watching Lost, it's just that
I just wonder how many people missed the run of Peter Benchley's Amazon. Even the original premise marketed sounds similar to Lost.


PREMISE
A commercial airliner crashes deep in the Amazon jungle. Only a handful of people survive. When they cannot be located by search parties, the survivors are given up for dead. Injured, lost and with little hope of rescue, these modern-day castaways are about to come face to face with the unbelievable: an encounter with a secret tribe of Caucasians whose ancestors were shipwrecked and similarly marrooned in the vast Amazon jungle almost 400 years earlier.

 

[AllThingsComic]

I remember this show, never watched, but I remember it. Yeah, I guess this was some sort of foundation for Lost?

 

[KenK]

I think that's a bit of a reach. To read the description of Amazon, I'd say the only thing Lost has in common with it is people surviving a plane crash and being stranded on an island. It's not like such a concept hasn't been done before. You might as well say Lost rips off Gilligan's Island.

 

[Killgore]

The high concept that was pitched to Hollywood for Lost was Castaway the series. So it's unoriginal, but what is original?

 

[KenK]

Even Castaway didn't have all the trippy stuff that happens on Lost. Mostly just Tom Hanks talking to a volleyball! That's not gonna make for a very interesting series.

 

[ultimatefan]

Civilized people who end up on an island is one of the oldest concepts there is - Gilligan´s Island, anyone? What´s cool about Lost is the mix of mystery/sci-fi/character drama

 

[Ghostvirus]

I just heard father time. Is filing a law suit against the creators of 24.

 

[Mrh7448]

Well Peter Benchley ripped off Jules Verne's Mysterious Island. And perhaps he ripped off Robinson Crusoe, which was based off a true story of a british navy man named Selkirk I believe it was.

So in essence, it's not a direct rip off. The stories are similar in that they revolve around a group of people who have been stranded.

 

[Killgore]

Lloyd Braun of ABC Studios pitched the idea of a television series based on the movie, obviously titled: "Cast Away: The Series." That show later evolved into the hit ABC show Lost. The pilot episode of the show was the most expensive pilot ever produced and fearful ABC executives subsequently fired Braun, ignorant of the success to come for Lost.

 

[\S/JcDc\S/]

Yeah I watched the extras on Lost DVD, I know they mentioned "Castaway" the series on there

I'm just saying there is more to it ripping on the Amazon.

During Amazon they did flashbacks to explain the characters before they crashed on the commercial air liner.

Interesting Lost does the same thing.

Not just that they crash, but that they actually use the same format to explain the characters.

 

[lars573]

I remember Amazon. Might have even watched it once. But having C. Thomas Howell as your lead means that you gots a really low budget. This show really showed that.

 

[KenK]

Will poor Pony-Boy EVER be forgiven for Soul Man? The world may never know.

 

[Killgore]

He should have listened to Jonnie when he said Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.

 

[Super_Ludacris]

Dont really see too many similarites beyond the foundation of people on an Island....

 

[Superfreak]

Just remember that Lost also had the advantage of capitalizing on the popularity of Survivor, but just gave it a fictional narrative, rather than stupid people trying to do even stupider activities together.

This is how I've always looked at lost, 'the fictional version of survivor'

 

[Superfreak]

Just remember that Lost also had the advantage of capitalizing on the popularity of Survivor, but just gave it a fictional narrative, rather than stupid people trying to do even stupider activities together.

This is how I've always looked at lost, 'the fictional version of survivor'

 

[\S/JcDc\S/]

Oh there is more than that one similarity...

Both shows lead character of the survivors is a doctor. They both have an episode where they try to get a signal from a radio by climbing a really high tree. The Amazon has the character "Will" who had a small sign of some sort painted on his forehead from one of the "others" and for some reason is seen special to them, and at one point in the show is taken and the other survivors look for him. Similar dynamic where in Lost "Walt" has something special about him and is taken by the "others" and the main characters search for him. You also have the story not only taking place on the island in both shows, but each episode features a flashback in their regular life to one of the characters before they crashed.

I ask you... Is that similar or not?

 

[Ghostvirus]

Oh there is more than that one similarity...

Both shows lead character of the survivors is a doctor. They both have an episode where they try to get a signal from a radio by climbing a really high tree. The Amazon has the character "Will" who had a small sign of some sort painted on his forehead from one of the "others" and for some reason is seen special to them, and at one point in the show is taken and the other survivors look for him. Similar dynamic where in Lost "Walt" has something special about him and is taken by the "others" and the main characters search for him. You also have the story not only taking place on the island in both shows, but each episode features a flashback in their regular life to one of the characters before they crashed.

I ask you... Is that similar or not?

ok fine you win. It a rip off. what exactly do want from this? should we kidnap Abram's & torture him until he confesses. What the hell is the point to this thread? every single show on television is a rip off of another. You haven't unlocked a mystical box of knowledge that know one hasn't known for years.

Here is the thing Amazon obviously sucked! Lost is 10x better than the stuff it is "ripping off". So here is your cookie. Move on.

 

[GhostPoet]

I think Lost probably did borrow the premise to an extent....but the big difference is that Amazon wasn't really that great....Lost is. =) Lost took the premise and really built up on it...improved it.

 

[ultimatefan]

Oh there is more than that one similarity...

Both shows lead character of the survivors is a doctor. They both have an episode where they try to get a signal from a radio by climbing a really high tree. The Amazon has the character "Will" who had a small sign of some sort painted on his forehead from one of the "others" and for some reason is seen special to them, and at one point in the show is taken and the other survivors look for him. Similar dynamic where in Lost "Walt" has something special about him and is taken by the "others" and the main characters search for him. You also have the story not only taking place on the island in both shows, but each episode features a flashback in their regular life to one of the characters before they crashed.

I ask you... Is that similar or not?

Well, the Amazon producers didn´t file a lawsuit against ABC, so I gues they´re less concerned with that than you...

 

[ultimatefan]

Oh there is more than that one similarity...

Both shows lead character of the survivors is a doctor. They both have an episode where they try to get a signal from a radio by climbing a really high tree. The Amazon has the character "Will" who had a small sign of some sort painted on his forehead from one of the "others" and for some reason is seen special to them, and at one point in the show is taken and the other survivors look for him. Similar dynamic where in Lost "Walt" has something special about him and is taken by the "others" and the main characters search for him. You also have the story not only taking place on the island in both shows, but each episode features a flashback in their regular life to one of the characters before they crashed.

I ask you... Is that similar or not?

Well, the Amazon producers didn´t file a lawsuit against ABC, so I gues they´re less concerned with that than you...

 

[ultimatefan]

edit

 

[\S/JcDc\S/]

I think Lost probably did borrow the premise to an extent....but the big difference is that Amazon wasn't really that great....Lost is. =) Lost took the premise and really built up on it...improved it.

That I can agree with. Good post.

 

[\S/JcDc\S/]

ok fine you win. It a rip off. what exactly do want from this? should we kidnap Abram's & torture him until he confesses. What the hell is the point to this thread? every single show on television is a rip off of another. You haven't unlocked a mystical box of knowledge that know one hasn't known for years.

Here is the thing Amazon obviously sucked! Lost is 10x better than the stuff it is "ripping off". So here is your cookie. Move on.

Sorry about your problem with PMS. Didn't know my thread stirred your emotions so. I made it simply because I believe many people didn't even know there was a show called PB: The Amazon. Interesting for those that didn't know this other show existed.

You suck at life

 

[The Question]

I can understand getting lost in the Amazon rainforrest, but you can't really be straned there. Walk in any direction long enough and you'll find civilization of some kind.