Doherty gets
3 more episodes

Shannen Doherty's Hawaii sojourn on "North Shore" has been extended another three episodes. Doherty, whose first episode aired Monday to low ratings/share (1.8/6), was originally hired for three shows, with producers hoping she'll boost ratings. Executive producer Bert Salke in a recent article says one reason for casting Doherty was to give the show an "engine ... to not only give an expected ratings jump and bring more viewers to a show that has momentum, but also something that a story spins off on."

Doherty concedes that rumors she was hired as the show's savior is "a huge amount of pressure. ... My attitude is that I can't do this by myself. I cannot single-handedly pump up the ratings for this show. I realize that some people think I may be able to, but I can't. It takes a team." She went on to say that she wants "everybody to be happy, the network ... cast. I want everybody to want me here. I don't want to be someplace where I'm not wanted" ...

Viacom's The N cable network has green lit 22 half-hour episodes of "Boarding School," described as "Blue Crush" meets "Dawson's Creek." The drama is about five high-school girls training to become professional surfers. Locations being considered for the $1 million-an-episode series include Hawaii, Puerto Rico and California. Filming will begin somewhere in March 2005, with a scheduled airing next September ...

Daily Variety calls "Lost," which debuts tonight on ABC opposite NBC's "Hawaii," an "expensive, intriguing prototype."

"More than any of the current shows lensing in Hawaii, ... (it) makes sumptuous use of its tropical surroundings, even if the precise location isn't revealed within the show," reads the trade's review.

Here's what some future scripts reveal: The unnamed South Pacific island has its own mythology. There are no traditional monsters on the island. Many people have found themselves here, but no one has been able to leave. Some of the characters refer to the island's unseen creatures as "the beings." (Star Matthew Fox says it's "larger than an elephant.")

Producers expect "Lost" to be picked up for another nine shows. In addition to the 14 regulars, there are 33 other characters who survived the crash ...

The drama's creator/executive producer J.J. Abrams and his Touchstone-based Bad Robot company will produce a pair of drama projects for the WB and ABC, but not in Hawaii. Abrams is also tagged to direct the next "Mission Impossible" movie sequel starring, once again, Tom Cruise ...