STRIKE COVERAGE: ABC to Air Partial Season of Lost

Alphabet Network to Air Eight Episodes Even as Fox Benches Partial Season of 24

By Ben Grossman -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/7/2007 11:46:00 PM

ABC said that as of now, it is sticking with its plan to air the eight episodes it has of Lost -- this coming on the day that Fox announced that it will bench its own serialized midseason thriller, 24.

Lost executive producer Damon Lindelof said Wednesday that the final episode that has been written ends in a cliffhanger that will not be resolved for viewers until after the strike.

But Fox decided not to run a partial season of 24, instead benching the Monday-night drama pending the outcome of the strike.

With few expecting the strike to conclude anytime soon, the network decided that it would rather wait than air the beginning of the seventh season of the heavily serialized drama.

Of course with American Idol poised to return in January -- and probably against much weaker competition than usual due to the strike -- Fox is in a better position than most to rest one of its top assets.

For a gallery of photos from the picket line, click here.

For full coverage of the strike, click here.