Shark Bytes

I watched this show every day after classes in college. It was in syndication, but it was fun to watch a decent show. I liked how it wasn't over the top in dealing w/race issues. Lorraine and Annie had incredible chemistry and I totally bought them as lifelong friends. The supporting characters were great too. I liked the use of the flashbacks. Like 2 shows in one. I hope ADN eventually makes it to dvd

I really never thought this show never jumped the shark I still and always will enjoy the re runs I can see in the lifetime for real women channel.

Yes! The replacement child actors weren't as good as the first ones however,the show had to replace them. They needed girls who looked liked they were in high school. The first actors now are in their late teens and early 20s. They were just to young for high school years.

What was young collyar's name. I simply cant not think of it. He now plays a lot of different shows. He is really a good actor.

It's my favourite series!!! The best series!!! And my favourite actress: Lorraine Toussaint!!!!!!

I never understood why they replaced the original child actors - The Renee replacement actually looked a bit like the original child and adult actors, but the new ME? No way! Ye they never replaced the young Carter - which resulted in the girls appearing years older. The youth story lines seems contrived after that.

to add on to what i wrote before, the kelly-has-a-baby storyline works fine. someone else wrote "somehow she would be a 17-year-old mom who really could take care of a child. Then, POW! Right after coming home from the hospital, Kelly gets all whiney about how she has made a mistake" someone who's ex became a (married) father at 18 and who's best friend became a married woman at 17 and had her first child three years later, the wisdom/panic transition is convincing. By 21 my ex was divorced, depressed and a parent of two. By friend's husband left her when she was pregnant for their second child, and she went from mature young bride and mother to a young college student struggling to get by and not go crazy, thus the plotline (while not always well-written) worked for me.

Olivia Hack as ME was AFWUL!!! Mae Middleton played young Mary Elizabeth so well, and to replace her with that no-talent Cindy-Brady-Actress was terrible. Shari Dyon Perry was also awesome as the original young Renee, but at least the girl who replaced her was still somewhat believable in the character. Olivia Hack was NOT. That is when the show (which was wonderful) jumped the shark.
As for the baby thing, that didn't bother me so much because at least it was believable. It isn't as if she got pregnant and had a happy-ever-after, which would have been far more ridiculous.

Bill messed it up for a minute. The show managed to bounce out of right out of the shark's mouth, though. But for the period she loved and mourned over Bill, it was kind of pathetic. I loved this show, they were both cool and the episodes were both funny and had strong writing. Bill had kind of ruined things for a while, but somehow, they had bounced back and wrote episodes stronger. It was just cool. I still watch the reruns and my mom taped it.

This show jumped the shark when ignorant people don't think two different races can survive. As the above poster has ignorantly stated. Yes, getting pregnant young isn't wise at all, and yes marrying outside of one's race can be difficult but it has been done. The writers were trying to show that although the boyfriend was scared out of his mind he tried to do the right thing by marrying Kelly. Newsflash black men are and have married women of all races they have gotten pregnant! Morally backwards (kid first and marriage second) ok but people of all races have done this. M.E. wasn't thrilled either but she dealt with the pregnancy the only way she knew how. It just so happened that her best friend is black. Remember, the husband was a friend with Renee as well and yet he wasn't happy at all. I was actually upset with Kelly's character because she was so defiant not because she fell in love with a young black man. She was a typical hard headed teenager wanting what she wants. I am not against you voicing your opinion but get your head out of the sand.

Big JTS moment when a teenager not only gets pregnant by someone who is black, but marries him as well because "she is following in her mother's footsteps and is mature" esp. when her mom is sooooooooo understanding and sympathetic to the black race with a black friend. Please people.

Renee's hair did not look good for the first four seasons! What the hell was the hairstylist doing to her? I couldn't tell if it was a wig, a piece, her hair - it was god awful and made her look a mess.

WHOA! I just thought of something weird. Watching the scenes where James Jackson, Rene's father, comforts his little girl in the flashbacks, it is very reminiscent of Atticus Finch talking with Scout. In the very first episode, where he tells her she can be anything she wants to be regardless of skin color, I could clearly substitute Atticus and Scout. Oh my God. In the present day part of the show, the Syms' dog is named Scout!!!!!!! Wow. I AM good. (Joking). Tell me what you guys think.

Any Day JTS when Bill and Renee broke up. He was perfect for her, and vice versa. They had chemistry and great lines. Breaking it off was dumb. Also, having Kelly marry and have Ajoni's baby was just LUDICROUS. They're from two different cultures (as stated in the episode where Rene defends a white couple trying to adopt a black baby) and marrying at such a young age is lunacy. The baby will suffer.

The episode they replaced the child actors signaled the surprising jumping of this movie. Up until then it was my favorite show but I couldn't bear to watch it afterward.