LOST and Flash Forward connection?

So what exactly is going on here? There clearly seems to be more than just a coincidental relationship between LOST (the greatest show in the history of TV) and ABC's newest sci/fi adventure genre attempt. Is this show a direct "spin off" of LOST? Is it more than a "spin off" and rather an actual supplement to the show? Or are the powers that be at ABC merely paying homage to their favorite shows with oddly placed references?

So what am I talking about? Well, for starters the show is set in LA. LA is, of course, the official destination for Oceanic Flight 815, which never landed at its intended destination (at least not yet!).

Also, the use of "flash backs and flash forwards" has been an essential story telling tool used by the writers of LOST for several seasons. Naming a show "flash forward" would be the equivalent of naming a show about Milwaukee in the 50's "Ayyyy" and tell us it has nothing to do with the Fonz.

Next, we see a seemingly random kangaroo walking down the streets of a post apocalyptic LA. Was it random, or was it a not so thinly veiled reference to the take off location of Oceanic flight 815, which departed from Sydney? Random? I highly doubt it, since it not only appeared in the show but also was flashed in the scenes from later in the season.

Next, we have multiple actors who have crossed over. Penny from Lost is now Olivia. LOST's Sawyer's (Cassidy) baby mama is now a brand new character (or so it seems) on Flash Forward.

Finally, in terms of actors, Dominic Monaghan makes a very interesting appearance in the pilot episodes "scenes from next week". DM, pops up from the back set of the protagonist's car and claims to know the secret of why everyone in the world drifted off for nearly 2 1/2 minutes. Not only does he claim to know, but the look on his face seems to beg the audience to assume that this is not just character X as played by Dominic Monaghan, but is in fact CHARLIE PACE!

So what could Charlie Pace have to say about this seemingly impossible mystery? Well, if in fact FF is an extension of LOST, the moving of the Island by Ben Linus certainly could have had a major impact on the rest of the planet. In fact, shifting the island could have sent the rest of the world temporarily to a date (april of 2010) for few minutes until things settled and everyone came back to the present.

So, given all of this, it certainly seems like Flash Forward is doing more than just referencing LOST with randomness. It appears to much more than that. Lets hope it is. LOST can never die!