The Antihero Rising: How Lost, House, and Prison Break transformed television.
Early in the 2000s, television was changing fundamentally. Rising cable outlet competition drove networks to start experimenting with fresh formats and narrative techniques. This helped to create what is today recognized as the Golden Age of Television. Premounced in a brief period of time, three innovative shows—Lost, House, and Prison Break—marked a lasting impression on the television scene.
The advent of moral gray characters and serialized storytelling
Beginning in 2004 and then 2005 respectively, Lost and Prison Break embraced serialized narrative. With its complex mystery developing over several seasons, lost enthralled viewers. Using a big ensemble cast, the program made sure every character had a significant part in the story. Prison Break, meantime, concentrated on Michael Scofield's one goal—that of releasing his brother Lincoln Burrows from prison. Though the idea was not completely realized at the time, Prison Break proved the potency of a great miniserie.
House, on the other hand, energized procedural narrative. Driven by a bright but austere diagnostician, Dr. Gregory House solved medical riddles with his team of colleagues. With his drug addiction and sharp demeanor, Dr. House broke with conventional television heroes. He opened the path for morally complicated characters to become mainstream, therefore influencing the predecessor for antiheroes like Walter White and Don Draper.
House's impact on TV heroes
House directly led to the antihero emerging as a central figure on television. Hugh Laurie, who portrayed Dr. House, never won an Emmy even though he was nominated several times for his work. But the characters House inspired—Don Draper and Walter White—earned their actors several Emmy Awards. This captures the change in television during the early 2000s when cable networks started to rule award season and usually eclipse network television.
The Ongoing Legacy of Lost and the Emergence of Limited Series
Success of Lost motivated networks to produce long-form mystery shows including Heroes, The Leftovers, and Manifest. Still, these programs had different degrees of public and critical success than Breaking Bad and Mad Men. Lost was able to keep its mystery across several seasons—a accomplishment other series found difficult. Though networks keep creating mystery shows with big ensembles, none have had the same influence as Lost.
With its early success followed by falling seasons, Prison Break proved the possibilities of limited series. The first season of the show had a gripping story, but later seasons descended into a general mystery never really coherent. This helped one to realize that shorter, more concentrated seasons could be more efficient in conveying powerful narrative.
Network Television's Evolution
Network television suffered greatly with the arrival of Lost, House, and Prison Break. Shorter seasons become one of the most important improvements. While serialized dramas favored shorter, more concentrated stories with less filler episodes, procedurals like House carried 18–22 episode seasons. Lost became a warning story with its few filler episodes failing to forward the main story. These days, even network shows usually run 12 to 18 episodes each season.
These three pioneering programs still have an impact felt today. They brought in shorter, more concentrated seasons, morally difficult heroes, and a new era of serialized narrative. Unquestionably, they have affected network television as networks keep pushing the envelope of storytelling and experimenting with new formats.
