Party of Forty-Eight - Last night marked the ABC's premiere of the new J.J. Abrams juggernaut Lost. Starring a beefed-up-and-even-hotter Matthew Fox (of Party of Five fame), the series takes the cliche of castaways stranded in on a desert island in the South Pacific and turns it on its ear. It is an "hourlong drama with thrills, suspense, fine acting and startling twists" or alternately described as: "Gilligan's Island, the nightmare edition."

The plot of Lost is about "48 survivors of a plane crash who cling to life on a remote island." Stylized and smart, Lost thrilled and entertained me like only the early episodes of Alias and Felicity could, demonstrating Abrams' knack for creating compelling characters to whom audiences are immediately drawn. Other characters include Charlie, played by the scruffy hobbit Dominic Monaghan. In case you missed last night's episode, on Saturday, October 2nd ABC is repeating the first two hours of the series, and I would definitely recommend giving it a look.