Posted on: Thursday, December 9, 2004

Fox still may bring 'North Shore' back

By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hold the obit! Fox's Hawai'i-based series "North Shore" isn't dead yet.

Producer Harry Bring said yesterday the network has contacted the show's executive producers and "expressed interest in a second season."

It appeared the struggling show was on the verge of a formal cancellation last week when the network canceled plans for the season-ending 22nd episode.

"It's too early to count chickens," Bring said. "But right now the situation is a 'fold-and-hold,' not a death strike. Things are much more positive than they were a few days ago."

Bring was told that if the show does get picked up for another season, it will again be part of Fox's summer schedule. That means that the network will likely have until February to make a decision.

"I don't know that it would take that long to say 'yea' or 'nay,'" Bring said.

If the show is indeed picked up for another season, production would likely start in late winter or early spring, Bring said.

This latest news, while somewhat surprising, is in keeping with what has been a tumultuous season for the freshman series.

"North Shore" was heavily promoted as part of Fox's groundbreaking summer schedule, and initial ratings were solid if not spectacular.

Often compared to last year's surprise hit "The O.C.," "North Shore" was aimed the coveted age 18 to 45 consumer demographic. But the show found its efforts to grow its core audience stymied by two protracted hiatuses and a switch from Mondays to Thursdays.

Despite relatively low ratings, Fox came through with a "back nine" order in August to give the series a full 22-episode season.

The move to Thursdays was intended to give the series a boost with a lead-in from "The O.C." but the initial results weren't good, with both shows struggling against a Thursday schedule full of heavy hitters like "CSI," "Survivor: Vanuatu," "Without A Trace," "Extreme Makeover" and "The Apprentice."

Ironically, on the same day the network canceled the final episode, "North Shore" drew a 2.7 rating/4 share, it's strongest performance in several weeks.

The show is shooting two more episodes — the 20th and 21st — before it wraps up Dec. 17.

The network will air the 20th episode before turning over the time slot to mid-season replacement "Point Pleasant," a supernatural soap opera from former "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" writer Marti Noxon. There are no plans yet to air Episode 21, which is being rewritten to include a season finale-type ending.

Reach Michael Tsai at 535-2461 or mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.