‘Lost’ Co-Creator ‘In The DNA’ Of ABC’s ‘Once Upon A Time’; Producers Detail ‘Lost’ References In New Pilot

“Lost” co-creator and Executive Producer Damon Lindelof helped develop the pilot for the Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison and Robert Carlyle-fronted fairytale crossover series “Once Upon A Time” for ABC, but although he’s since departed the staff, producers say he is still involved in many ways.

“His name is not on the show, but he is in the DNA of it,” Executive Producer Edward Kitsis, who produced “Once Upon A Time” alongside fellow former “Lost” EP Adam Horowtiz, said on Sunday at the ABC panel to promote the show at the Television Critics Association Summer Session. “He’s really been like a godfather, helping us kind of realize our vision of the show. And he very much wants it to be our show, so he helps when he can and sometimes he gives us tough love.”

The producers revealed that there are a number of nods to “Lost” in the pilot, including a reference to Oceanic Flight 815, and a few others.

“We can’t help ourselves,” Horowitz said.

“Yeah, we can’t help ourselves. There’s actually two more ‘Lost’ references in the pilot,” Kitsis chimed in. “One is the Geronimo Jackson sticker on the back of Emma’s car and the other is the eye, the close on the eye.”

“And the other one is door No. 109,” Horowitz added.

Fans can look to spot the sly “Lost” references when “Once Upon A Time” – about Morrison’s character, Emma Swan, who at the age of 28, finds out her mom is Snow White (Goodwin) – when the show premieres on October 23 at 8 PM on ABC.

The show also stars “Stargate Universe’s” Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold, and former “Swingtown” actress Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen/Regina in the series, which has life in reality and in the fairytale world.