Down the Shore

This show had two iterations under the same title, but there was only a passing relationship between them.

The first try was a delightful ensemble comedy that, in the right hands, could have made "Friends" seem like a cheap rip-off. In one episode that I remember clearly, even 12 years on, the girls in the cast are dared to go topless on the beach. It was promoted with FOX's usual nudge-nudge wink-wink subtlety, but it actually turned out to be a thoughtful essay on the value and cost of friendship.

The second time the show appeared, it had been tinkered with in the same way my 2 year old tinkered with my VCR. I can only remember watching about 5 minutes of the first episode. What had been a nice ensemble comedy had been reduced to a "let's get the fat guy laid" teen-movie.

"Down the Shore" - we hardly knew ye.