ABC says show will conclude in three seasons

The producers of "Lost" -- and maybe some of the show's fans too -- will get their wish of a definite end date for the series.

ABC has worked out a deal with showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse by which the pair will remain with "Lost" for three 16-episode seasons, after which the show will end. All three seasons, the last of which will come in 2009-10, will air in unbroken blocks.

Cuse and Lindelof have for some time advocated the setting of an end date for the show, and they're both happy to have the deal in place.

"We always envisioned 'Lost' as a show with a beginning, middle and end," the two say in a statement. "By officially announcing exactly when that ending will be, the audience will now have the security of knowing that the story will play out as we've intended."

Speaking to reporters in January, Lindelof said the original vision for the show involved "in the neighborhood of 90 to 100 episodes," and that he and Cuse had started discussions with ABC on that front. At the time, network executives said the talks were little more than informal discussions. Now, though, it's clear those talks came to pass.

"In considering the powerful storytelling of 'Lost,' we felt this was the only way to give it a proper creative conclusion," ABC Entertainment chief Stephen McPherson says. "Due to the unique nature of 'Lost,' we knew it would require and end date to keep the integrity and strength of the show consistent throughout and to give the audience the payoff they deserve."

The 48 episodes of "Lost" that will be produced over the next three seasons are roughly equivalent to two standard-length seasons for a network series. The show will end this season with 71 hours under its belt -- 24 in each of its first two years and 23 this season.

As part of the end-date deal, Lindelof and Cuse also signed new contracts with "Lost" producer ABC TV Studio to remain as showrunners, with development deals to follow their time on the series.