The episodes of Season 1 were shown on television in the United States starting on September 22, 2004. There were 24 episodes, which were shown on Wednesday nights. After their plane crashes on an island, the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 must work together to stay alive. The survivors find mysterious things including polar bears, an unseen monster, and the other people living on the island, known as the "Others." They also meet a Frenchwoman who has been on the island for 16 years and find a metal hatch (door) buried in the ground. Some of them try to leave the island on a raft.