"The Lost Room" on the SciFi Channel

How is it that I own three Tivos with a combined storage capacity of roughly 300gb holding hundreds and hundreds of hours of video and capable of recording as many as four shows simultaneously and I still missed an episode I wanted to watch?

I had heard about the show "The Lost Room" and it sounded interesting so I programmed my Tivo over the Internet to record the miniseries. I didn't think to set any of my other Tivos to record it as well since there was not going to be a conflict. Two of my Tivos have to use the infrared extension to change the channel on my DirectTV receiver. Wouldn't you know it, during the day of the second episode broadcast the infrared unit had been knocked out of place. Harrumph...

The miniseries was only broadcast the one time as far as I know and it isn't scheduled to be rebroadcast any time soon. Here is a case where I would gladly pay a couple of bucks to watch this video on Google or any other pay-per-view service, but it is nowhere to be found.

I did get to see the first and the last episode and I can more or less guess what happened in the second. However, I enjoyed the series so much that I really want to see it again end to end.

While I was watching the first episode there were so many plot points thrown up that I was afraid this was going to be nothing but a teaser for a full television series. I was unsure how they could wrap it up neatly. It turns out, I needn't have been worried. The miniseries closes out with such an absolute and satisfying ending that it is near perfection. Yet, there are still plenty of story left to tell. I am hopeful that the SciFi channel will turn it into a TV series as I think it will be quite successful. If they have a clear story arc that reaches an ultimate conclusion to the central mystery over the course of one (or two seasons at the absolute most) it could be a fun ride.

I have heard plenty of people describe the series as being a thriller with a lot of Twilight Zone tossed in. From the moment I started watching it I was reminded of the great cult classic film 'Repo Man'. There are similar themes and equally interesting characters.

The basic premise of "The Lost Room" is that there is a 'magic' key that if you place it into any door it will open that door into a motel room in 1961. Once you are in the motel room and you exit you can arrive at any point on modern day earth through a door you imagine. Basically, it is a teleporter which requires you walk through a motel room to operate.

Strange, weird, and odd, sure, but doesn't it also sound kind of stupid? Is it sold just for camp value? No, Instead it is told as a tightly placed thriller populated by numerous interesting characters pursuing near mythical talismans of fate.

And, while you might think the teleporter premise would quickly wear thin it turns out that the key is but the tip of the iceberg in a much greater puzzle and mystery; one that may, ultimately, tie into the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics and the theoretical ability of reality itself to warp in profound and unexepected ways.

I suppose I shouldn't put any spoilers here for those who have not yet seen the series. I can merely say that the ending of the miniseries is so note perfect that it could not have been resolved in any way more satisfactory. It is more than simply having the main character achieve some surface goal because it comes with a price that must be paid with unforseen consequences.

I can't wait until they broadcast the series again and I am hopeful they make it a TV series. The question remains as to whether or not they can sustain the quality of the cast, special effects, and depth of story telling they achieved with the miniseries to begin with.