The cast of Lost celebrated their Emmy win on Sunday

And in keeping with the traditions of the hit series, the first instalment ended with a tense cliffhanger.

"When people watch this show and get to the end of the episode, they're dying to find out what's going to happen next week," said leading man Matthew Fox.

The first series of Lost is currently running on Channel 4 and E4 in the UK.

Another Channel 4 import, Desperate Housewives, begins its second season in the US on Sunday.

'Incredibly smart'

Actor Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Korean plane crash survivor Jin Kwon in Lost, said the secret of the show's success lay in the inventiveness of its writers.

"Our writers are incredibly smart," he said.

"I'm sure once they start answering questions for the audience, they'll be asking five more for every one they answer."

Stewart's show is modelled on The Apprentice starring Donald Trump

Wednesday night also saw the premiere of reality show The Apprentice: Martha Stewart on the NBC network.

A spin-off from hit show The Apprentice, the show marks the second stage of the US lifestyle guru's comeback following her five-month sentence for her role in a stocks scandal.

The original Apprentice show, in which property tycoon Donald Trump subjects 16 potential employees to a gruelling 15-week job interview, begins its fourth series on Thursday.

The show has spawned a British version starring Amstrad founder Sir Alan Sugar. A Chinese spin-off is also in the pipeline.

Commiseration

Viewers saw Stewart dismiss the first unlucky candidate in a more cordial fashion than the brutal "You're fired" made famous by Trump.

"You just don't fit - goodbye," she told creative director Jeff, later penning him a commiseration note.

Nelly is the latest star to board the reality TV bandwagon

The winner receives a $250,000 (�139,000) position at the host's company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

The beginning of the latest Apprentice series coincides with news that rapper Nelly is to develop his own reality TV series.

The as-yet-untitled show will chronicle the day-to-day life of the 30-year-old performer, who can currently be seen in UK cinemas in prison comedy The Longest Yard.