On Thursday night, ABC premiered the pilot for the science fiction series FlashForward, loosely based on the novel by Robert Sawyer and adapted for television by David Goyer and Brannon Braga.

The premise centers around a global phenomenon in which everyone on Earth blacks out for exactly two minutes and seventeen seconds. During this time, many experience visions of themselves six months in the future.  For some, it’s a hopeful vision.  For others, it’s a nightmare.  And, just to add to the mystery, some people don’t see anything at all.

Viewers will find the beginning set pieces, including a disastrous traffic jam in Los Angeles, to be certainly impressive, but the rest of the episode turns into rundown after rundown of every character’s vision.  While they’re necessary in setting up the rest of the series, the constant successions of the visions- or flashforwards- can get tiresome.

It’s difficult to tell from the pilot alone if FlashForward will be the next Lost, but the ending promo for the rest of the season promises more intriguing storylines and new characters, including a mysterious figure played by Dominic Monaghan.

Here’s hoping that the series will grow to reach its potential.

If you missed the premiere, don’t worry.  ABC is showing an encore presentation tonight at 8PM PST.

If you saw the pilot, what did you think of the FlashForward premiere?