"FlashForward" Encore Presentation!

ABC's hot new sci-fi series "FlashForward" began last night and people are already talking about it! If you missed the show, ABC will be running an encore presentation, but more on that in a second.

For those unfamiliar with the premise for "FlashForward," it is a show set in the present with the premise of everyone in the world simultaneously experiencing a "blackout." As the show progresses (without giving any "spoilers" away...) it is discovered that people were not actually blackout, but rather apparently seeing glimpses into the future. Many died (especially those who were flying or driving), but everyone who didn't snapped back into the present two minutes and seventeen seconds after the "flash fowards" began.

At the end of "FlashForward," the viewers are given a cliffhanger that is sure to have them asking "Who is that and why..." (No spoilers!). Many viewers will be eagerly awaiting next Thursday to start finding out the answers to all the questions this show raises, and there are definitely a lot of those!

Robert J. Sawyer fans will already know this, but "FlashForward" is loosely based on his 1999 novel of the same name. The early success of the show might bring renewed interest into Sawyer's book, but don't expect it to be exactly the same as ABC's series. This is similar to the manner in which Charlene Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels have been liberally altered to become HBO's hit series "True Blood." Those who have turned to the books are surprised to find characters from the show missing in the novels, and vice versa.

"FlashForward" is sure to captivate fans of the sci-fi genre, but has the potential to reach out to other audiences, as well. Given the fact that it was a worldwide phenomenon, there are a multitude of potential storylines. As one of the characters in "FlashForward" noted, the experience is one that was shared by everyone who survived. The simple question "What did you see?" essentially transcends gender, religion, or any other kind of social divisions.

ABC seems to have a surefire hit on their hands and the reaction is already rather favorable. The network was looking for a current companion, and eventual successor, to its mega-hit "Lost" and ABC just may have found one in "FlashForward."

If you didn't catch it the first time around, ABC will be showing an encore presentation of "FlashForward" on Friday, September 25th at 8 pm EST / 7pm CST. Make sure you check this one out!