Lost is a show made for high-definition. The entire series is shot on location in Oahu, Hawaii, and the visuals have wowed audiences since the show's premiere in 2004. Since the beginning, it's been broadcast on TV in gorgeous, stunning HD, and starting with the third season, released on Blu-Ray Disc along with standard DVD. The Blu-Ray sets of seasons 3 and 4 are some of the best releases on the format, and highlights of my personal collection. But seasons 1 and 2 have only been available in standard-definition on DVD, until now. On Tuesday, June 16 th, ABC released the first two seasons on Blu-Ray, and today we're taking a look at the first of these two releases (check back in later for a full review of season 2). Does the release stack up to its Blu-Ray brethren? Find out in my review of Lost: The Complete First Season on Blu-Ray Disc.

THE SHOW:

I'm sure all of my readers are aware of my intense love of Lost, since I've been blogging about every episode since the start of the fourth season. I truly believe it's the best show on television, and perhaps my favorite show of all time.

Some shows can take a whole season (or longer) to find their stride, but Lost had it from moment one. Many still consider the first season to be the show's best, and while I wouldn't go that far, it's undeniable that the show's freshman outing was one of the best seasons in television history.

It all starts off with the 2-hour Pilot, which remains to this day the best pilot for any show I've ever seen, setting the stage not only for what we'll see in season one, but for the entire show. We're introduced to the huge ensemble cast, get a great taste of how scary and mysterious the island really is, and see many of the show's overarching themes get established. To say the show started off with a bang would be an understatement; it literally opens with a huge, breathtaking action sequence set in the immediate aftermath of the crash of Oceanic 815. It's heart pounding, gripping, and introduces many of the characters and their core personalities without much dialogue. While Lost has always had strong action, this sequence remains one of the show's best. For the rest of the pilot, the survivors set up camp, get to know each other, and begin to explore the island. It all ends with a line that perfectly sums up the entire show-"Guys...where are we?"

The rest of the season is just as strong. In its first season, Lost featured fourteen actors with star billing, a record amount for television at the time. One of the great things about the show's first year is that not one of those 14 characters was given the short end of the straw. They are all explored through flashbacks and on-island stories, and we get to know each and every one of them intimately. Sure, some characters get more screen time than others (Jack is the de facto lead, followed closely by Kate and Locke), but no character is underused. The cast's size fluctuated in later seasons, and as the story got more developed, some characters inevitably got diminished; one of the great joys of season one is the pitch perfect use of the cast.

Each season of Lost has its own specific theme, and I think the theme of the first year is simply exploration. The characters are literally exploring the island and its secrets, but the audience gets to explore the characters and their psyches. Compared to the rest of the series, season one is relatively light on the mythology, but that's as it should be: in the beginning, we need to know about the main players before we're introduced to the Others or the Dharma Initiative or time travelling bunnies. The dual cliffhangers season 1 leaves us with perfectly segue us out of the exploration phase and into the discovery phase season 2 would embody.

There's not much more to say about this season that hasn't already been said. Still, every review of Lost has to mention the beautiful score by Michael Giacchino, which I believe to be the best score in the history of television (it's better than most movie scores as well). In season 1, he establishes all the musical themes and motifs that are now iconic, and gives us a strong emotional connection to this world and the characters. The best piece of music in the season comes at the end of Exodus, Part I, when Michael, Walt, Jin and Sawyer all leave on the raft. It's sweeping, grand, beautiful, and enveloping. If you haven't ever picked up the soundtrack to season 1, do so; it's simply terrific, as is the phenomenal year of television that spawned it.

Program Rating: A

VIDEO AND AUDIO:

The Lost Seasons 3 and 4 Blu-Ray sets sported flawless, pristine images that made you think you were looking out a window at the show's beautiful Hawaiian scenery. This new Season 1 set doesn't look quite as good; the detail is softer and the colors are less vibrant. But don't let that discourage you: this is still a phenomenal image that has the capacity to blow your mind plenty of time with each hour.

Detail is razor sharp, allowing you to see things that you wouldn't see in standard definition, like individual grains of sand on the beach or each individual piece of stubble on Jack's chin. Colors, likewise, are vivid and bright, with very accurate, realistic flesh tones. Contrast is rock solid, allowing dark scenes to sport similar levels of detail to brightly lit scenes. There's definitely some grain, but that's just how this show is shot and it never distracts; in fact, it looks good and fits with the context of the show. Most of Lost takes place on an island with gorgeous scenery, and this image really makes you think you're there. Some of the shots are so beautiful that they will simply melt your brain, and there were plenty of shots I wanted to freeze frame and put on my wall. But there is occasional softness in color and detail, along with the rare digital artifact, and this holds the image back from being the home run season 3 and 4 were. It just doesn't sport the same level of clarity. But it's a big step up from the DVD set and even the original HD television broadcast. The Pilot looks weaker and softer then the rest of the season, so don't worry if it doesn't look great from the start-it gets better quick.

Audio wise, the set sports a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track that sound extremely impressive for a TV show, and would even make a good movie mix. Many scenes are center-heavy, but music and sound effects make good use of surround channels. When the monster attacks, you hear it all around you. The greatest joy in this mix, however, is the amazing use of Giacchino's score, distributed across the surround channels and enveloping your entire living room, without ever overpowering the dialogue. The last scene in Walkabout, where we learn that Locke was a paraplegic, is immensely powerful because of Terry O'Quinn's delivery and Giacchino's emotional score, and the sound mix reproduces both of these so incredibly well that it really adds to the power of the scene.

Despite some minor flaws, this is a very pleasing A/V experience that is a clear step up from the DVD. You've never seen the first season in this level of quality.

Video Rating: 18/20
Audio Rating: 18/20

EXTRAS AND PRESENTATION:

While the A/V experience of Lost Season 1 on Blu-Ray impress, the extras side of things isn't quite as cool. The set of extras here is exactly the same as what we had on the DVD version...no additions, no subtractions, and everything is still in standard definition. Don't get me wrong: this is a great set of bonuses, but most people buying this set are fans of the show who probably are upgrading from the DVDs and have thus seen this material before. How cool would it have been to have a new feature where, five years down the road, the cast and crew reflect on the first season, or an extra where the writers talk about what season 1 mysteries have been solved and what is still to come? Alas, there is nothing like this. Still, this is a very healthy serving of extras.

There are Audio Commentaries on the episodes Pilot (Parts 1 and 2), Walkabout, The Moth, and Hearts and Minds; they're good, especially the pilot commentary, which branches off with extra video content. I would have liked some new commentaries, perhaps on the season finale, but that's not the case.

Other than the commentaries, all other extras are contained on Disc 7, and are split into three categories. Departure, the first category, starts off with The Genesis of Lost, an interesting look at the birth of the series. Designing a Disaster is about the production design of the plane wreckage. Before They Were Lost is a cool look at the casting process, and 13 Audition Tapes (one for each star except for Terry O'Quinn, who was cast without an audition) are also included. Welcome to Oahu: The Making of the Pilot is just what it sounds like: a documentary about making the show's inaugural episode. The Art of Matthew Fox is a video, narrated by the actor, of production pictures that Fox took on the set. Lost @ Comic Con is a very brief take on the show's first (of many) Comic Con appearances.

Tales From The Island, the second section, contains Lost On Location, a 10-part documentary highlighting the production of certain episodes. On Set With Jimmy Kimmel is a piece from the Jimmy Kimmel show where the obnoxious talk show host interviews the cast in Hawaii. Finally, Backstage With Driveshaft is a fun discussion of the fictional band and the character of Charlie Pace. The third and final section, Lost Revealed, contains 2 Lost Flashbacks and an addition 15 Deleted Scenes, none of which are essential viewing but welcome nonetheless. The Blooper Reel is the most entertaining extra, providing some hearty laughs as actors mess up lines and goof off. Live From the Museum of Television and Radio is an excerpt of a panel with the cast and crew at a Director's Guild tribute event. Flashbacks and Mythology is a discussion of the show's unique structure.

It's a very robust set of extras, one that demands to be seen. Still, the lack of anything new (or any HD content) is disappointing, and has been factored into my grade. On the presentation side, the packaging is a simple 7-disc Blu-Ray case that is far, far more convenient than the old DVD packaging, but not quite as sleek. The menus are, thankfully, the same as on the DVD version (this show has fun menus) but, again, more conveniently put together. A feature called Season Play is included, which tracks your progress through the season and saves your spot in the episode down to the second even if you take the disc out, turn off the player, and watch another movie. It's very cool (and was also included on the previously released Seasons 3 and 4 Blu-Rays).

My singular gripe with presentation is that the two-hour finale, Exodus, Part 2 is provided in its syndication version, which splits it into two separate hour-long episodes. All the content is there, but this isn't how the episode aired, nor was it how it was intended to be seen. The same could be said for the pilot, also split in two, but this is a problem held over from the DVD. It's not a big deal, but is slightly annoying.

Extras and Presentation Rating: 7.5/10

CLOSING THOUGHTS:

It's Lost. On Blu-Ray. What are you waiting for? In all seriousness though, this is a great set, with pristine video quality and a crystal clear audio track. The extras are phenomenal, though the lack of any new material is disappointing. Still, that shouldn't shy anyone away from such a great purchase. If you're a die-hard Lost fan, this is worth the upgrade, and those new to the show should start on Blu-Ray. The price is great, especially over at Amazon.com, where they've got a couple of great deals going; the package also comes with a $20 rebate for DVD owners. So, to reiterate...It's Lost. On Blu-Ray. What are you waiting for?

OVERALL RATING: 9/10