Producer Harry Bring, who had been in daily contact with the network since the show wrapped up filming last December, said he received the bad news yesterday afternoon.

"They just said they will not renew the show," Bring said. "There was no reason given yet. I don't know if it was cost or ratings or whatever."

Hawai'i film commissioner Donne Dawson said she was saddened by the cancellation.

"It was just really a wonderful experience working with them, and it's really unfortunate that they're not coming back," she said. "The upshot of all this is that we have a stronger relationship with Fox now, and hopefully we'll see more productions coming our way."

North Shore was the first of three major network television series (along with ABC's "Lost" and NBC's ill-fated "Hawaii") to film on O'ahu last year. Greenlighted as part of the network's summer programming experiment, the production hit the airwaves with just one-third of the preparatory time most series are given.

Panned by TV critics, the show about life at a luxury North Shore hotel nonetheless found a small but devoted following, drawing between 3 million and 5 million viewers a week.

Uneven scripts and two protracted hiatuses (one for the Olympics, the other during October sweeps) hamstrung the show's efforts to build its audience. Actress Shannen Doherty was added to the cast at mid-season, but even her involvement couldn't spur a ratings rally.

Though the ratings improved slightly after a November move from Mondays to Thursdays (following "The O.C."), it wasn't enough to prevent Fox from canceling the last two episodes of the season.

Still, the fact that the show wasn't canceled earlier in the season had given producers a glimmer of hope.

"I kept thinking the length of time they were taking to make a decision was in our favor," Bring said.

Uncertainty about the status of the show affected more than just the cast and crew of the show.

Bring said he has been in contact with producers from "Lost," who are interested in taking over the soundstage used by "North Shore" at the state's Diamond Head Studios.

"Lost" has been using a retrofitted space in the old Xerox building on Nimitz Highway.

Bring said he'll ask "Lost" producers if they'd like to use the $1 million Grand Waimea Hotel facade before it's broken down. The rest of the set was packed and stored in the middle of the soundstage when the show wrapped for the season.

"It's really sad because we had a wonderful family here," Bring said. "We really had something special."

Bring said his experience working with the local crew only enhanced his appreciation of Hawai'i as a filming destination.

"I've heard digs about the local crews but not here, not in my book," Bring said. "They're hot (stuff). This is the first time I've every worked on a show and wanted to spend time with the crew on the weekends."

Honolulu Film Commissioner Walea Constantinau said the loss of show would hurt on many levels.

"It's certainly a shame," she said. "There are a lot of people out of work now. The show was also a tremendous promotional vehicle for the island, and it brought a lot of money into town."

Over the past few weeks, the studio had granted "North Shore" actors Kristoffer Polaha, Jason Momoa and others permission to audition for other pilots.

"I guess that was an indication," said Polaha, who is back home in Los Angeles.

Polaha said he was disappointed but not surprised by the news.

"Our ratings weren't bad," he said. "But TV is such a difficult business. It's like opening weekend for a movie. You have to pop from the get-go or you'll get pushed aside.

"I just want people in Hawai'i to know how much I appreciated and enjoyed working among them," he said. "It was one of the highlights of my life, and something I'll keep with me forever."