March - June 1996
NBC | 10 episodes | Primetime Soap Opera
WHO'S IN IT? Keri Russell, Charisma Carpenter, Essence Atkins, et. al.
SYNOPSIS: Zack, a working-class kid from the San Fernando Valley, meets and falls in love with Chloe, a girl from wealthy Malibu shores. Nobody thinks the relationship will work - but then an earthquake throws the Valley kids and the Malibu Shores crowd together.
VERDICT: ★☆☆☆☆
Just over 26 years ago to the day that the final episode aired, I am re-watching the first episode. Well, I say re-watching but I've never actually seen the show before and I can imagine many people are in the same boat.
Aaron Spelling, who produced the show, touted it as: "Romeo and Juliet with a little West Side Story thrown in" but really it's just boring rich kids facing another existential crisis: shitty dialogue - "They're tresspassing on our private beach!" - over a trendy soundtrack with sweeping shots of the shore. At a party at the beach one of the rich kids pulls out a huge knife and that is the most dramatic moment.
The show debuted as a mid-season replacement and was cancelled 10 episodes later. Critics at the time described the show as "pretentious lowbrow junk". It's an NBC show but feels very The WB or FOX.
CANCELLED TOO SOON? No - not a loss that it was cancelled early.
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