Naveen Andrews, who plays Sayid on ABC's hit series Lost, told SCI FI Wire that he believes the network may be mulling a later start for the upcoming fourth season, which would begin in January and run straight without a break, a la Fox's 24. "I believe that's the plan," Andrews said in an interview while promoting Grindhouse, in which he has a role.
This year, Lost premiered in the fall, ran for six weeks, then took a 13-week hiatus before returning in March with original episodes. The audience for the once-white-hot series cooled considerably, though it remains a top-10 show. The show also moved to a later timeslot, Wednesdays at 10 p.m., which may have been a factor in the audience drop.
"I think they should make it sort of like what it was before," Andrews opined. "I liked it when it started a little bit earlier, because a lot of the audience are kids, aren't they? I thought, hmm."
ABC recently announced that it was renewing Lost, but made no mention of start dates or timeslots.
As for future episodes involving Andrews' character, a former intelligence officer for the Iraqi Republican Guard? "It would be nice if he were seen a bit more," Andrews said. "That's a start."
Andrews added about the show's direction: "I loved the first season. Now I'm really proud of it, and I put it up there with the work that I'm most proud of, and we'll always have it. They can't ever take it away. It'll always be there. And, you know, I'm not a writer. It's their choice to do what they want to with that show, and they will."
Lost remains in production, with four or five episodes yet to film, including the season finale, Andrews said. Grindhouse opens April 6
