2010 - the end of Lost

Variety reports that ABC and Lost's producers have agreed that Lost will end in 2010 (three years from now). However, to keep the show from stalling over the course of the next three years, each of the next three seasons will be only 16 episodes long (essentially, this season, minus the 6-episode mini-season from the Fall). Thus, the same number of episodes that aired in seasons 1 and 2 (combined) will aire in seasons 4-6. Click the title of this post for Variety's full article.

I like this solution - it keeps the show about exactly as long as the producers first envisioned (5 normal-length seasons, spread out over 6 years) but extends its run long enough into the future that ABC won't have to feel it has compromised itself financially. Here's hoping with the end in sight (at the length originally envisioned) that the Powers that Be really ramp up the action and make things happen!