Everybody mentions LOST as a serial... but complete ignores the fact that it wraps it's serial in a complete episodic frame work. And even the stuff on the island usually has some sort of episodic framework. Island = partial serial. Flashbacks = episodic.

This is why it had wild success... it was serial, but episodic enough for someone to watch an episode. When it began at least... now that it's less the case, look what's happening to the ratings.

These shows that think they are cloning LOST... are not even close.

This show looks decent to me, like a good idea. He keeps failing every day, but gets closer to the resolution he wants.

However, it needs to be tied up in one season.
And the next season needs to be completely unconnected to this season outside of the whole keep-doing-one-day-until-it's-right gimmick.

If the plot between the two seasons overlaps, if it's the same conspiracy or a repeat main character or maybe even a conspiracy at all, I'll lose interest. And I don't think the networks have the balls to continue a series in name and theme only, not with the same characters.

I haven't been able to get into any of the new serials except Heroes because I just don't want to devote myself to any more continuing stories. I watched the first ep of The Nine and while it was great, I thought "there's no way I'm letting myself get sucked into this thing." I also saw Jericho, but it wasn't compelling enough (sorry Skeet). I watch too much TV as it is. That being said, I'll probably still watch Daybreak because it's in the same timeslot as Lost and I don't have to add to my schedule.

Has anyone seen the previews for the Denzel Washington movie Deja Vu? Doesn't it look alot like Daybreak?

I think Vanished's "demise" and Kidnapped's demise are not quite the same.

So long as Day Break doesn't resort to massive government conspiracies that suck, and alot of seemingly paranormal clues that don't mean anything, I'm set. I imagine by the end of the season, watching him repeatedly save a person might get old. If he saves even one person in the Pilot, he'll have to do it again and again. But it's on my Watch List, so it's up to them to impress me.

Also, Groundhog Day was done best by Stargate SG-1.

All I've seen of Daybreak was the preview provided on ABC's website, but it was enough for me to want to at least check out my default six episodes. That is, unless the first one or two are so bad that I just can't face any more.

"Telemimicry" continues to spread, but for my money, and time, having an outbreak involving serials beats the hell out of the past epidemic of reality shows.

BTW Bob, the entire article after the mention of "Daybreak" is a huge-assed link.

I caught the premiere early as well:

http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/19/day-break-an-early-look/

And I really liked it. I have no idea how it'll last a season (nevermind beyond), but I'll be watching. Hell, ABC must have faith if they're unloading this in Lost's timespace.

I was able to watch 25 minutes from the Daybreak pilot, and those 25 minutes had me eagerly anticipating the season. It has the tension of 24 and a great premise. Hope they can keep it interesting.

Hey, anything to break away from the horror that was reality shows.

Television programs have become more serial in nature while continuing to exist in a infrastructure geared towards 22-episode seasons. That's positively exhausting, when you think of it. It's asking a lot of the audience to tune into something that may be stretched out to make way for more commercials.

I've watched the first two episodes of the Nine, and that's likely going to be it, because I know there are supposed to be 20 more of them, and that's 20 hours of my life I could spend doing something differently. It didn't hook me, and its early poor ratings will keep me from investing any more time in it.

Also, all of these shows started at the same time. How am I supposed to keep up with Vanished or Kidnapped? Those shows sound like cop shows, or close to cop shows, and there are so many of those on the air.

LOST was successful because it provided a different spin on two shows embedded in the cultural consciousness - Gilligan's Island and Survivor. Heroes is currently a hit because superhero movies have done incredibly well in the marketplace.

I'm much more interested in Daybreak because it takes the premise of Groundhog Day and does something different with it. For that, I imagine it will do somewhat better then crime shows. Daybreak also starts at a time when nothing else is debuting, so it won't have to compete with all of these other shows.

I'm actually looking forward to Daybreak. Before the season started, when I looked at the breakdown of all the new shows, Daybreak jumped out at me as something I would really like to see (not to mention that it has Adam Baldwin in it as well).