Mobile 'Lost' stories will dial in Verizon

Mobile 'Lost' stories will dial in Verizon

By Cynthia LittletonMon Nov 21, 4:13 AM ET

The Walt Disney Co. is venturing into more experimental territory with ABC's hit drama "Lost," sealing a deal with Verizon for a series of shortform "Lost" episodes revolving around some of the other poor souls who happened to be on Oceanic Flight 815.

"Lost Video Diaries," a series of 22 two-minute episodes, produced by the company's home video arm Buena Vista Home Entertainment, will premiere exclusively on the Verizon Wireless V Cast broadband service in January.

The episodes will be produced under the supervision of "Lost" co-creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and series executive producer Carlton Cuse. "Lost" scribes Dawn Kelly and Matt Ragghianti are penning the two-minute installments.

At least six of the mini-"Lost" episodes also will be included as extras on the "Lost" Season 2 DVD boxed set next year. Verizon plans to program the episodes on a once-a-week basis just as the series airs in primetime.

"Viewers always ask us, 'What's going on with the people in the background? Don't they have stories too?"' Lindelof said in announcing the deal. "Well, the answer is yes. ... And now we've got the perfect format in which to tell those stories."

Verizon charges a $15 monthly fee for subscriptions to its V Cast service, which bowed in February. V Cast has offered some premium content that requires an additional fee for viewing, but it has not yet been determined whether an additional fee will be levied on "Lost Video Diaries," according to Verizon spokesman Jeffrey Nelson.

Disney's deal with Verizon comes on the heels of a similar venture at 20th Century Fox TV to produce original shortform content stemming from Fox's hit drama "24" for mobile phone platforms.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter