Pretty people roaming around, disoriented. Clothes dirtied by disaster. Fear in their eyes.

Dear J.J. Abrams,

p.s. Love the poster…

It was just announced that the 8 new episodes of Lost that are already ‘in the can’ will air as scheduled, in spite of the fact that the writers strike has shut down the production of the remaining episodes.

By the way, I found it fascinating that 90% of the people I talked to today at work and beyond had no idea that there was a writers strike going on. Granted, none of us are in the industry or located near the picket lines. But something tells me that the eyes and ears of the nation will perk up once their beloved shows begin to run out of fresh episodes and they face the deluge of repeats…

Although
Abrams only entered my personal entertainment radar with Felicity, his career really took off in the early 90’s. Though many
know him as the mastermind behind Lost,
he has had an interesting and impressive ride to the top. Let’s take a look…

1990: Co-wrote the film
Taking Care of Business, a Jim
Belushi/Charles Grodin comedy

1991: Wrote &
co-produced the film Regarding Henry,
the Harrison Ford/Annette Bening drama (Abrams appeared in the movie as a
delivery boy)

1992: Wrote & produced
the film Forever Young, the Mel
Gibson drama

1993: Had a small role
in the film Six Degrees of Separation,
the Will Smith drama

1996: Had a small role
in the film Diabolique, the Sharon
Stone thriller

1996: Produced the film
The Pallbearer, the David
Schwimmer/Gwyneth Paltrow comedy written by Felicity
writer Matt Reeves and Bionic Woman/Friday Night Lights writer Jason Katims

1997: Co-wrote the film
Gone Fishin’, the Danny Glover/Joe
Pesci comedy

1998: Co-wrote the film
Armageddon, the Bruce Willis/Ben
Affleck drama

1998 – 2002: Created & wrote
the television series Felicity (Abrams
also composed the main theme song)

1999: Produced the film
The Suburbans, a little-seen Jennifer
Love Hewitt comedy co-starring Will Ferrell

2001 – 2006: Created, wrote
& produced the television series Alias
(Abrams also composed the main theme song)

2001: Received an Emmy
nomination for writing the pilot episode of Alias

2001: Formed the
production company Bad Robot

2001: Wrote &
produced the film Joy Ride, the Paul
Walker thriller

2001- 2004: Wrote screenplay
for revamped Superman, was in
contention to direct; Superman Returns
debuted in 2006 with Bryan Singer at the helm and a script by Michael Dougherty
and Dan Harris

2004: Developed sitcom
with ex-SNL star Cheri Oteri; not
sure what ever happened to this

2004 – Present: Co-creator,
executive producer & writer on the television series Lost

2005: Won two Emmys, one
for Outstanding Drama Series and one for directing the pilot episode (Lost)

2005 & 2006: Won ASCAP Film
and Television Awards (for Lost, along
with composer Michael Giacchino)

2006: Won Television
Producer of the Year at the Producers Guild Awards (Lost)

2006: Won a Writers Guild
of America award for Dramatic Series (Lost)

2006: Directed an episode of the talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live
 

2006: Directed & wrote
the film Mission: Impossible III, the
third installment of the Tom Cruise franchise (Abrams also composed 2 songs for
the soundtrack)

2006: Inked 6-year deal
between Bad Robot and Warner Bros. TV

2006: Inked 5-year deal
with Paramount Pictures

2006: Produced the
television series What About Brian, the
Barry Watson drama

2006: Produced the
television series Six Degrees, the Campbell
Scott/Hope Davis drama

2006: Co-wrote an
episode of the animated television show Avatar:
The Last Airbender

2007: Directed an
episode of the television show The Office

2007: Currently
directing & producing an untitled new series for HBO about the lives of
cancer patients

2008: Producing the
film Cloverfield (a.k.a. 1-18-08 or the Untitled J.J. Abrams Project), the sci-fi thriller with a LOT of buzz, written by Drew Goddard (Lost) and directed by Matt Reeves (Felicity)

2008: Directing &
producing the new Star Trek film,
with a screenplay by Felicity vets
Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci (who are apparently slated to write the sequel to
Transformers)

2008: Will produce &
write Fringe, a new sci-fi
television series for FOX that sounds like a cross between Alias & The X-Files

2008: Will produce Boundaries, a new television comedy
series for ABC written by Six Feet Under
alum Jill Soloway

2009: Will direct &
produce the film currently labeled the Untitled
Hunter Scott Project, with a script by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Robert Nelson
Jacobs (Chocolat)

Future projects/dates
unknown: