Co-Creator Damon Lindelof has revealed that he and network executives had drastically different ideas of when Lost should have come to an end. Alongside J.J. Abrams and Jeffrey Lieber, the series was pitched to ABC under the false pretense that it wouldn't be serialized and contained no mystery elements. Blending supernatural and science-fiction elements with traditional drama, Lost expensively premiered in 2004 to a wave of popularity and critical acclaim. Starring Matthew Fox as the group's oft-appointed leader, Jack Shephard, the show followed the survivors of a plane crash.

Stranded on a seemingly deserted island, the ensemble at first struggled with the elements, a lack of resources, and internal conflicts. Over time, however, a larger threat emerged in the form of a mysterious and hostile group known as The Others. Equally, the survivors had to contend with a mysterious shapeshifting creature, outside factions eager to lay claim to the island, and the various mysteries that permeated their new environment. The series also starred Terry O'Quinn as John Locke, Evangeline Lilly as Kate Austen, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, and Naveen Andrews as Sayid Jarrah - turning them and the rest of the cast into globally recognized stars. The series ultimately ran for a total of 121 episodes across six seasons, concluding in 2010.

Related: How Lost's Controversial Finale Redeemed Mistakes From Earlier Seasons

Speaking with Collider, Lindelof revealed that it would have been much sooner, had he and fellow showrunner Carlton Cuse gotten their way. According to Lindelof, he and the rest of the team were talking about an endpoint for the show as early as the pilot, already realizing the overall concept and flashback-centric storytelling would be finite. Though they had a plan for a balance between answering mysteries and setting up new ones, Lindelof also admitted that they failed on that front - with the subsequent stacking up of questions also contributing to the desire for an early end.

"There were all of these compelling mysteries and so we were saying, 'We wanna have this stuff answered by the end of season 1, this stuff answered by the end of season 2, and then the show basically ends after about three years.' That was the initial pitch and they were not even hearing it. They were just like, 'Do you understand how hard it is to make a show that people want to watch? And people like the show? So why would we end it? You don't end shows that people are watching.'"

Locke and Jack on the island on Lost

Lindeloff went on to reveal that with the network unable to come around, he and Cuse planned to leave at the end of Lost season 3 and let others take the reins. ABC apparently began to see since during the third season. Though Lindeloff maintains that the writers were giving it their all, it was clear to all involved that there was an element of characters treading water in order to keep the show going. Furthermore, mysteries were admittedly not answered properly. However, despite the newfound agreement, ABC still held onto an outlandish idea of the show's longevity, in Lindelof's eyes:

"They were like, 'We have agreed to let you end the show.' ... I just said to [ABC president] Steve McPherson, 'Thank you. This is what's best for the show,' and he said, 'We were thinking of 10 seasons.' Mind you, we're halfway through season 3, so first off how do you even think we're gonna get to 10? That's really the same as saying we're not gonna let you end the show, because how many drama series even get to 10 seasons?'

After Lindelof countered with the idea of four seasons, the next work lowered to nine. After more haggling, a compromise of six seasons was ultimately reached. Even ten years since the Lost series finale aired, opinion remains as divided as ever. As such, the debate will no doubt rage whether six seasons was still too many. Whatever the case, as demonstrated by The Leftovers and, more dramatically, the current one-and-done season of Watchmen on HBO, Lindelof clearly took the lessons learned from Lost to heart and has ensured not to make them again.

More: Lost: Everything That Changed From The Original Plan

Source: Collider