Lost Will Be Found On January 21, 2009

EW’s Hollywood Insider is reporting that ABC has finalized the premiere date for the fifth season of Lost. The show is set to premiere with a two-hour event on Wednesday January 21, 2009, at 8 PM/ET. This means that Lost will be returning to its original day-of-the-week slot. Last season, it aired on Thursday nights. While plans are still being finalized, Lost will launch with its first two episodes aired back-to-back, not a single, two-hour episode like its season finales.

Should ABC reconsider the plan, look for the first hour of the two-hour event to be some kind of recap special. ABC still hasn’t decided if Lost will be making Wednesday at 8 PM/ET its permanent season five time slot. An 8 PM/ET time slot would put Lost up against Fox show-killer American Idol. For its premiere, at 9 PM/ET, Lost will compete with Fox’s new procedural, Lie To Me, which will premiere the same night as Lost’s return.