What about The New People, the show Lost stole it's idea from? (1 Viewer)

[Mark To]

As I'm sure few people know, although Entertainment Weekly wrote about it, The New People was basically the same premise as Lost, done 35 years ago and as a straightforward drama and without the supernatural elements. There are only 17 episodes, perfect for a set. You can say here's where Lost stole their show from. Likewise, Longstreet, which was more a more realistic version of Blind Justice.

 

[todd s]

Mark,

Can you tell us about the show??

 

[todd s]

Just checked out www.tvtome.com And here is the show description from the pilot:

 

[Jeff#]

Rod Serling actually created The New People, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Craig S]

Isn't it a bit presumptious to say "stole"?? "Lost" creator J.J. Abrams was all of 3 years old when "The New People" aired in the 1969-70 season. TNP was came & went without making much impact on anyone; I doubt it registered in a toddler's mind - assuming he even saw it, which is a pretty big assumption.

Besides, the theme of a group of people stranded in a remote place and having to create a new society had been explored in several works before TNP aired. Ever hear of "Lord Of The Flies"? "Gilligan's Island"? I expect that chestnut (and "Survivor") had more influence on Abrams than the little-seen and barely-remembered "The New People".

 

[Scooter]

The other unique thing about this show was that the episodes were 45 minutes, tied back to back with a music show, called "The Music Scene". The music show made stars of Lilly Tomlin and David Steinberg.

That music show would feature the top 10 of the week and the time it premiered, "Sugar, Sugar" was the #1 song for 4 weeks running. It wasn't until week 4 that CBS finally allowed a clip from the Archie cartoon series to be used for the video.

Damn I "AM" showing my age lately!!!

 

[Lou Sytsma]

...and both shows are descendants - a much better term than stole - of Lord of the Flies.

 

[Scott_F_S]

Hasn't been an original idea worth a crap since 1975, and every TV show ever aired before that should be released to DVD.

 

[LaurenceGarvey]

Sheesh... am I the only person still living who actually WATCHED The New People???

As I recall, it was fairly awful. Imagine The Mod Squad meets Room 222 on a desert island.

There was a bit of controversy at the time, as some other network was premiering a new music show called The Now People the same season. "Now" got changed to something else, and probably didn't last any longer than "New" did.

 

[Scooter]

I saw The New People as well...didn't care much for it.

 

[Steve Phillips]

BLIND JUSTICE is just Daredevil without the costume.

 

[LaurenceGarvey]

BLIND JUSTICE is just Daredevil without the costume.

I for one am not prepared to watch a nude, blind male crimefighter. Now, if the title character were portrayed by, say, Charisma Carpenter....

 

[JohnAP]

Really, the concept of people stranded on a desert island is way older than the New People.

 

[Charles Ellis]

Someone had asked a few months ago about The New People, and I remember reading a response from someone in the know (I think it was Aaron Spelling himself) stating that they couldn't find the film prints or negatives of the show. I'm sure that the episodes are probably mislabled in a vault somehere.


Now that Paramount has announced its intnentions to put EVERYTHING on DVD, I'm chomping at the bit for Longstreet- the fact that Bruce Lee guested in several episodes should be a big selling point for a DVD season set! Now that's my idea of 'blind justice'!

PS- there is a show about castaways that aired earlier than The New People- there was a skipper, his first mate, a millionaire and his wife, a movie star, a professor and a Kansas farmgirl on board a charter boat from Honolulu for a three-hour tour.......

 

[todd s]

Not to bring up and old arguement. But, why the hell did they all have extra clothes for a 3 hour tour?? And I find it hard to believe the Millionaire Howells would be on a cheap boat tour and not on their own boat.

 

[TravisR]

Todd, the answer to that question, much like the meaning of life, is above the comprehension of mere mortals.

 

[Eddy-C]

The writers didn't steal the idea of Lost from "The New People' but they have been made aware of it by fans so at the museum of television and radio last weekend, J.J. abrahms showed a epsiode of "the new people" to the crowd at the Lost panel for jokes.

"The evening started with a clip of a 1969 show called “The New People,” about a group of people who’ve survived a plane crash on a tropical island. Hysterically funny! A fight on the beach. Some hipster ‘60s types with dreadful scarves. The leader declaring that the survivors were “the worst savages in the South Pacific.”

Then, they showed the pilot, part 1 in its entirety. JJ Abrams said they wanted to show something new but they couldn’t. Typically, a featured series would showcase next week’s episode, but because they’re on hiatus, they couldn’t show it that many weeks ahead of schedule. Phooey! (shakes fist at ABC!)"

 

[Mark To]

Lord of the Flies has to do with small children, not really similar to either show IMO. As for GI, well that would be like saying that NYPD Blue could have been influenced by Car 54 since they are both about New York City cops. Quite a stretch in both cases.

 

[TravisR]

Since no one of us know for sure if the idea was 'stolen', it's just as possible that it's a coincidence.

 

[Craig S]

The fact that you've resorted to personal insults says all that needs to be said about your arguments.