LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- ABC has formally ordered its drama pilot "Flash Forward" to series.

The news had been long expected as a viral campaign for the series kicked off during last week's episode of "Lost." Despite said development, Alphabet brass didn't sign off on the pickup until today.

Here's how the network describes the project, which hails from ABC Studios:

"What if you were shown a glimpse of your future, but didn't like what you saw? How hard would you fight and what would you sacrifice to keep it from coming true? When an unexplained, cataclysmic event knocks out the entire population of the world at the exact same moment, for two minutes and 17 seconds, everyone will see a glimpse of their own future. Then they will wake up to chaos. From his flash forward, LA FBI Agent Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes) is able to piece together the 'when' � April 29, 2010, but he's desperate to figure out the 'why' and stop what's coming � because it's a future he doesn't want to see. In the future, Mark's beloved wife has left him for the father of one of her patients. He's started drinking again, his loyal partner's been murdered and masked operatives are hunting him down. Before long, everyone starts asking themselves and each other, "What did you see?" As Mark and his team struggle to figure out what caused this bizarre event and wonder will it happen again, the only thing they have to go on is a huge mosaic of people's flash forwards. Adapting award-winning science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer's revolutionary novel, executive producers David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight) and Brannon Braga (24, Star Trek: Enterprise) invite us to flash forward into a thrilling vision of a world held captive by events that have not yet taken place. No one knows for certain what the future holds, but everyone will have their theories."

Sonya Walger, John Cho, Jack Davenport, Brian O'Byrne, Courtney B. Vance, Christine Woods, Zachary Knighton and Peyton List also star in the hour, which David S. Goyer directed from a script he co-wrote with Brannon Braga. The pair are also executive producing alongside Jessika Goyer and Vince Gerardis.

"Eli Stone" co-creator Marc Guggenheim has also been tapped as an executive producer, where he'll serve as a showrunner alongside Goyer. Braga had originally been set to serve in said capacity however his duties on the upcoming eighth season of "24" were in first position.

"Forward" is set to roll out this fall and has already been pegged as a likely Wednesday tentpole until "Lost" returns for its swan song in 2010.

The series joins previous 2009-10 pickups "Modern Family" and "Copper."