Posted on: Wednesday, November 10, 2004

'North Shore' to learn its fate soon

By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

November is shaping up to be a "put-up or shut-down" month for Fox's "North Shore."

The show is wrapping up filming of its 18th episode this week, with just four episodes left on the network's first-season order (13 initial episodes, plus the "back nine" pick-up made in August).

Fox ordered three more scripts last month, but the corresponding production order for three more episodes is still pending.

Under the current schedule, the show will continue shooting through Jan. 12, 2005, with a two-week break for the holidays. If network executives want to go ahead with the three additional episodes, they'll need to make a decision within the next few weeks.

"It may be that the November ratings determine if we get that production order," said producer Harry Bring. "I expect that we'll know by Dec. 1 if they want to keep going."

After a month-long hiatus for the sweeps period, "North Shore" returned to the airwaves last week in its new night and time (Thursdays, 8 p.m. in Hawai'i), right after the season premiere of "The O.C."

The show drew a modest but improved 3.6 Nielsen rating/5 share and 4.87 million viewers, despite going against a stacked schedule that included CBS' "CSI" and NBC's "The Apprentice."

(Ratings represent the percentage of households with TV sets tuned in to a show. Each ratings point is equivalent to 1,055,000 viewers. Shares indicate the percentage of sets in use that are tuned in to a specific show.)

"It was very good," Bring said of the show's performance last week. "It might have been the relaunch, or it might have been the lead-in from 'The O.C.' It's hard to tell, but I'll take it."

Last week's episode got a 2.0/5 rating among 18- to 49-year-olds, the networks best performance for the Thursday time slot in two years.

"North Shore" has had a rough first season, floundering at or near the bottom of its old Monday night time slot. Yet, it has connected with a small core audience that has stayed loyal through two hiatuses and a schedule change.

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