A producer by the name ofAnthony Spinneris claiming that he was paid $30,000 in 1977 to write a TV pilot that never aired. The 121-page script for the pilot was called Lost.
From TMZ:
Spinner is now suing ABC and Touchstone Television, claiming the network passed on the show in ‘77, ‘91 and ‘94 … then suddenly created an exact replica with Touchstone in 2004. Spinner is suing for damages and a cut of royalties, profits and a bunch of other stuff. Spinner tried to sue a few years ago, but it was dismissed for procedural reasons.
Some of the comparisons between the 1977 script and the hit TV show from the document sent to TMZ include:
- Airplane headed to Los Angeles crashes into a tropical, jungle-like environment,
- Doctor (Jack?) in the group is the humanitarian voice for the survivors,
- Trailblazer (Locke?) challenges the group to accept that they are stuck on the island and the island can provide for them,
- Military man (Sayid?) survives and sets strategy in place to take responsibility for leadership in military style activities,
- Stubborn and reluctant semi-hero (Sawyer?) challenges the leadership of the real leader and has a dark father-son past,
- Survivor suffers from a drug addiction (Charlie?),
- Physically fit and durable young woman (Kate?) suffers from a recent loss of her partner and can perform many of the same physical tasks as the men,
- Ethnic minority character (Sayid?) must deal with racial slurs especially from one character (Sawer?),
- Lone survivor of a scientific expedition (Rousseau) is found with gunpowder, secure shelter, and an apparent relationship with others who were on the island before them (The Others?),
- Cold weather animals in a warm tropical jungle (Saber Tooth tiger in original script),
- Cave dwellings with signs of riches, civilization, and written warnings to the group,
- Use of flashbacks to the regular life of each character before being marooned as both a source of content, style, and a means of character development,
- Jealousy erupts when a man sees that a woman’s attention is focused on another man (The Kate, Jack, and Sawyer love triangle)
Pretty crazy, right? Sure, it could be a big coincidence, but get real. There’s also the small chance that it’s viral marketing considering the original script was written in ‘77. Remember when Hurley tried to write Star Wars?
[via
albotas]