Writer Claims ABC Hijacked Lost!!!!
This just proves that no one has any original ideas anymore!
Anthony Spinner, a producer on Baretta and Babes in Toyland, claims that he was commissioned to write a TV pilot for $30,000, which shares the name and excessive similarities to the hit ABC show, Lost.
Spinner, who wrote the 121-page script in 1977, is now suing ABC and Touchstone Television.
He claims the network passed on the show in '77, '91 and '94 and suddenly created an exact replica with Touchstone in 2004.
The veteran writer lists uncanny similarities in the lawsuit, notably an "airplane headed to Los Angeles [that] crashes into a tropical jungle-like environment."
He also claims that the main characters were stolen from him, down to their occupations and dark pasts.
Spinner hopes to walk away with damages, a cut of royalties, profits and a several other fees.
Supposedly, he tried to sue a few years ago, but it was dismissed due to procedural reasons.
He's probably devastated with what has become of his beloved project!!!!
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Shock! Another TM to the Z article posted several days after theirs…
Don't see why he would be devastated. Best show on TV. It's taken him 5 years to sue? Yawn.
YAWN. This is ridiculous. Its been too long to suddenly be like 'oh shit thats my idea'. Lost is one of the most detailed enigmas passing off as television lately… unless he has a smoke monster, ancient civilization remnents, same characters, same flashbacks etc… its all moot.
Lost is the most well written show on tv its for SMART people!
thats cool as shit. would of been better in the 70s
Yep, read about this yesterday.
WOW- I SEE $$$ IN HIS FUTURE!!!!
OK, the series has been on how many seasons? And he's only just NOW noticing this?
Yeah, all these years on. Shady!
Are you kidding? LOST just gets better and better with every season!
…makes sense to me. My interest in this plodding program was LOST a while ago.
I call B.S.
Re: imsoregistered – agreed
why did it take him so long to sue? hmmm.. something's fishy
I only care about my Josh
OMG . . . it's William Gaddis's "A Frolic of His Own" all over again . . .
LOST rules!! best show on TV…ever!!
All of a sudden he is suing? Hello!!! Lost has been around for a while now. As usual, looks like there is only one incentive here, the almighty $$$$$$$$$.
First of all, I don't know why ya'll always hate on Perez with your "yep, read this yesterday" comments. No one gives a fuck.
Secondly, does this guy really think that LOST fans are going to buy it? Why didn't he sue when the pilot aired? Something's fishyyyyy
I'd be mad too!!!! He deserves one serious paycheck.
The show's about to be over. It sure took him a while to be absolutely sure. Besides, a show about people stranded on a tropical island was bound to come up in a person's head more than once, right? But I don't think anybody can do it as good as JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cruise. They're the best eva!
lost has been on for how long now?? if he was so positive it was his show, then even though they dismissed his first suit…he shoulda tried harder…damn money hungry people.
Well, the characters are taken from Stephen King's The Stand, and an airplane crashing on a deserted island isn't the most original thing ever. *cough*Gilligan's Island*cough*.
Did this douchebag come up with the DHARMA Initiative? The smoke monster? Jacob?
Yeah. That's what I thought.
It sounds like he may have a case. No one should be able to peddle and profit from another's genuinie work without acknowledgement or an agreement of some kind.
WHATEVER!!! LOST is the best show out there and Damon, Carlton, and the other writers are truly creaative minds that have borrowed from many books, themes, religions and all of the above to assemble the craziness which is LOST. I highly doubt this guy has a shred of proof. Epic fail.
He won't get any money. An idea can't be copyrighted and I doubt he signed a contract with ABC stating he had rights to the show. A lot of networks do that, they hear someone out about a show, tell them no, tweak a little and release it. It saves them the money of having to pay royalties and they also can't get sued for it. Evil, but smart.
Um, Lost is the best show on TV. Perez, you can be kinda of a douche, especially when you speak of shit you never even watch!! You aren't even smart enough for it.
Re: Failkips – Gilligan's Island was about a group of SHIPwrecked people, not plane crash survivors.