Finding yourself in Lost: Viewer interpretation of the series through reader response

The popular American television series Lost (2004-10) gained notoriety and a cult following for its interwoven storylines and numerous mysteries that permeated the series. However, despite the expansive amount of research that has examined and analysed the series, relatively little has explored the way viewers interpreted the series based on their respective academic, philosophical or religious backgrounds. With that in mind, the current research argues that rather than containing definitive meaning, Lost's success is due in part to its permutability with regard to how the show could be read by viewers. As one of the ground-breaking and iconic series of the twenty-first century, it is important to understand how Lost's approach to storytelling allowed the show to thrive in the contemporary television landscape and the impact it may have on how television is made in the future.