ABC launched on Friday the midseason schedule affected by the strike and announced that starting January 31 “Lost” will be aired on Thursday instead on “Grey’s Anatomy”, which is out of new episodes.

“Lost” has not been aired since May, and has only eight episodes completed from the new season. This change it’s the third one for “Lost” in four seasons, and is also the first time it won’t be aired on Wednesdays nights. Thus on Thursdays it won’t have to compete with Fox’s “American Idol” or the new episodes of CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” as long the strike is on.

Damon Lindelof, the co-creator of “Lost” said: "The only show you don't want to be up against in January is 'American Idol,' and there were very few time slots that would afford us to not compete with 'Idol.' If they had told us last year we were going to get the 'Grey's Anatomy' time slot, I would have been thrilled, especially since there's no new 'CSI' to go against," Lindelof added. "But the time slot is completely colored by the fact that we're still engaged in this writers strike. It's bad for the entire town," Los Angeles Times informs.

ABC announced in May that three more seasons with 16 episodes each of “Lost” will air without any interruption until 2010. The series helped ABC to rise from the last place.

Although other series have 22 episodes, ABC thought that fewer episodes aired without reruns would be more likeable for the public.

The decision of airing the eight episodes came after the network aired the third season in two parts: six episodes in the fall and 16 in midseason.  “Lost” will be aired Thursdays at 9 p.m. Eastern Times.

ABC also announced new series for “Dancing with the Stars, on January 7, Cashmere Mafia," on January 3, which will be moved to Wednesday January 9,  OrlandoSentinel.com reports.