'Lost' is a text produced by ABC (a large production company which focuses on producing mainstream texts), directed by JJ Abrams, a director who predominantly works in mainstream texts such as Star Trek. The intended audience for such a director and company, and therefore the intended audience for the programme would be as wide an audience as possible, being more mainstream than niche.
An example of the programme's attempt in appealing to such a wide, mainstream audience stems from it's use of an ensemble cast. With characters of a range of ages, genders, religions, beliefs, nationalities and sexuality, there is something for every audience type to relate to within the narrative. An example of a character found relatable by audience members may include Charlie, who we realise to be a drug addict through the use of flashbacks. Within the flashbacks we see Charlie put a powdered substance onto his gums and visibly relax in comparison to his previous state, and audience members of an type may find this relatable, whether they suffer from addictions relating drugs or alcohol, or know of the consequences cause by such addictions through someone that they may know. Another example of such relatable characters include the father-son relationship found between Michael and his son, Walt. We come to find out within the episode that Walt's dog survived the plane crash and is also on the Island, however lost. The relationship becomes strained between the two and Walt takes comfort in the company of Locke, a quiet, middle-aged man playing board game on the beach, telling Lock that he and Michael have only known each other a couple of weeks. Walt was taken into Michael's care after his mother died in Australia. The relationship between the Michael and Walt may be found extremely relatable for certain audience members, whether the relationship is between father and son or mother and daughter, the issues that lie within the relationship will prove similar.
In the same scene as Walt's finding comfort in Locke, we are faced with an enigma code, another convention used by 'Lost' to appeal to a wider audience base. The enigma code in the mentioned scene produces Locke asking Walt if he would like to know a secret. After the question is asked, the shot cuts to another scene, leaving the audience with wondering what the secret may be, and when they will find this information out. Throughout the episode, as the trills and tribulations of the characters continue, after approximately 7 minutes, a scene ends and fades to black, allowing time for an advert break. The scene ends after Walt (Michael's son) finds a pair of handcuffs just into the forestry away from the beach after looking to find his dog. As Michael approaches and finds his son, the handcuff's are discovered. The shot zooms in on the handcuffs which have been discarded on the floor and then cuts to black for the ad break. This use of an enigma code again leaves the audience in anticipation, the aim of the programme being to ensure that members of the audience watching will return to continue watching after the ad break has ended. Other enigma codes include a mysterious letter which we discover Sawyer reading nearer to the end of the episode, which is not solved during the same episode.
