Mark your calendar: 'Lost' finale date set for May

 Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly and Terry O'Quinn of 'Lost'

Credit: ABC

Mark your calendars, "Lost" fans, because your final trip to The Island has been set for a special night in May.

Oh, don't look so sad. You knew it was coming.

ABC formally announced that the "Lost" series finale will air on Sunday, May 23. The two-hour episode has been set from 9-to-11 p.m. and it will, as always seems to happen with "Lost" events, be preceded by an hour-long recap special.

"Lost is an example of what happens when you put creativity above everything else, trust the creative vision, and take the risks required to be truly original," says ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson in the network's statement. "It's a testament to staying true to the creative vision of one of the most iconic shows ever on television, and we’re giving the producers an unprecedented opportunity to respect the fans and really satisfy the viewers with a spectacular conclusion."

The finale announcement came the morning after "Lost" premiered its sixth season to a large and receptive audience, improving on the fifth season premiere by 6 percent in total viewers, 10 percent in viewers 18-49 and a whopping 20 percent in adults 18-34.

The sixth season premiere was the most-watched "Lost" telecast in nearly two years among adults 18-49 and 18-34.