Lost was a television landmark. The series practically ushered in a new golden age of TV back in 2004, and it was to be expected that it would influence later products. This happened with the already canceled “Flash Forward” and “Alcatraz,” in addition to the recent “The Manifest.”
Series that featured countless characters linked to mysteries and hazy pasts ended up not working out, either due to a lack of audience or a weak script.
Aiming to kill a little of the nostalgia we have for Lost, we separated some shows like lost, which were undoubtedly influenced by the production, and others that certainly inspired it.
David Lynch is a genius, and Lost, which fused characters and mysteries so well, owes it to Twin Peaks. The mother-of-all-good series created by Lynch and Mark Frost was also a revolutionary product in television. Also non-procedural, we followed the small town of Twin Peaks (and its 51,201 inhabitants) after the murder of Laura Palmer.
In return, nearly 30 years later, in 2017, we learn more about the Black Lodge and continue rooting for the saga of FBI Agent Dale Cooper. The series played with different timelines and was even more remarkable than the original.
The 100
Based on the book of the same name by American author Kass Morgan, The 100 (2014-2020) shows a world decimated by a nuclear war that happened 97 years earlier. The only survivors are the space station inhabitants orbiting the Earth.
When the central station, called Ark, starts to have life support problems, 100 prisoners are sent to Earth with the mission to determine if the planet is habitable or not. After they land far from where they were supposed to land, the prisoners must look for shelter and food while trying to survive in the harsh environment of post-apocalyptic Earth. Besides, the survivors must deal with each other, which is always tricky.
Person of Interest
Another highly recommended series is Person of Interest (2011-2016). The show revolves around an invention made by billionaire Harold Finch (Michael Emerson): a computer program that identifies acts of terrorism and violent crimes shortly before they happen.
And that’s when John Reese (Jim Caviezel), a former CIA agent, enters the field with the task of going to the scene of these crimes to prevent them from happening. However, the computer program informs only a few details about the crimes, leaving it to the agent to analyze the situation and make the best decisions.
Even though it’s more drama and investigation than mystery, there’s another reason we included her on the list: billionaire Harold Finch is played by Michael Emerson, who played Benjamin Linus in the series Lost. It’ll be nice to see a familiar face again, won’t it?
The Leftovers
Also based on a book, The Leftovers (2014-2017) series was directed by Damon Lindelof, co-creator and executive producer of the Lost series. If you liked the footprint of Lost, you would also like this series.
The series has a fascinating premise. It revolves around the “Sudden Departure,” a global event that resulted in the disappearance of 140 million people overnight, with no explanation. From this, those left behind must seek answers about what happened.
In the first season, we follow Police Chief Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux), who must try to calm the population and normalize things after the Sudden Departure.
Twin Peaks
If you like shows like lost, you’ll like Twin Peaks (1990-1991). The series has a straightforward premise, but it develops very interestingly.
In Twin Peaks, we follow in the footsteps of FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) and local sheriff Harry Truman (Michael Ontkean) as they investigate the mysterious death of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) in the town of Twin Peaks. However, as they look into the case, they realize that several city inhabitants may be involved in the crime.
In 2017, the series gained a kind of continuation called Twin Peaks: The Return, showing the return of Agent Dale Cooper to the city of Twin Peaks 25 years after the crime.
Westworld
Developed by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, the Westworld series (2016-present) is inspired by a 1973 film of the same name. It revolves around a futuristic Wild West amusement park where guests can experience a western adventure in a highly realistic populated by robots. Visitors can do anything they want inside the park, which opens up a whole discussion about the place and rights of androids.
The robots’ memories are erased, and they are prepared for the next day. However, everything starts to change when some of these robots gain more consciousness and retain some memories.
Stranger Things
If you’re a fan of shows like lost, you’ve undoubtedly heard of this Netflix hit: Stranger Things (2016-present). With a proposal to simulate and honor the productions of the 80s, both for the aesthetics and the premise, Stranger Things revolves around the disappearance of the young Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). While trying to find Will, his friends encounter a mysterious girl with telekinetic powers named “Eleven” (Millie Bobby Brown).
While investigating Will’s disappearance and Eleven’s emergence, the inhabitants of the peaceful fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, end up facing even greater mysteries: top-secret government experiments and the existence of a parallel reality called “Upside Down.”
Dark
Finally, finishing the list of series similar to Lost, another mystery series, which also involves the disappearance of a boy, is the German series Dark (2017-2020). Also a Netflix original, the series revolves around a pattern of disappearances of children in the German city of Winden, which happens every 33 years.
In the first season, we follow in the footsteps of three main characters: Jonas Kahnwald (Louis Hofmann), a young man who has just lost his father to suicide; Ulrich Nielsen (Ulrich Nielsen), a police officer who lost his brother 33 years ago and who now he has to deal with another disappearance, this time of his son, and the police chief, Charlotte Doppler (Karoline Eichhorn), who is leading the investigation into the disappearances.
Having a very complex plot involving time travel and wormholes, Dark was very well accepted by the public and is already considered a milestone in the mystery and science fiction genre.
So, did you like our selection of shows like Lost for those who want the mystery genre? Have you watched any of them? Did I miss anything on the list? Well, tell us in the comments!
Also, remember to check out our 9 Must-Watch Parallel Universe Movies list for an excellent list of mind-bending movies!