The U.S. National Security Agency has been eyeing viewers of TV's popular series, "Lost" and "CSI," as potential recruits.

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Fans overwhelmingly responded to NSA help-wanted ads aired in the Washington-Baltimore market during the two shows this fall, the Baltimore Sun reports. NSA Human Resources Director John Taflan told the newspaper in a written statement the ads brought thousands of hits to its Web site.

It's obvious why the NSA targeted viewers of "CSI," the CBS franchise about forensic science, but the choice of ABC's "Lost," about a disparate group of plane crash survivors marooned on a mysterious island, is not as clear.

Longtime CIA officer Ron Marks told the Sun "Lost" is a good choice because it reaches an "audience that's interested in problem-solving and thinking differently."

The NSA is looking for recent college graduates and high-tech industry employees with skills in computer science, languages, engineering and math.