Today, show themes are doing a fast fade as the networks crunch their programming budgets. Are they about to join the variety hour in the TV graveyard? Many sitcoms and one-hour dramas are dropping that device. They dive straight into the action. ABC's "Lost" does it. The twisty drama begins after a teaser, which touches on what happened in previous installments, and cuts to a black screen at a crucial plot point. A white "Lost" logo swirls into view. Eerie music plays. The whole thing lasts about five seconds. Read more