Exclusive: Men in Trees Extends Branch to Morgan Fairchild

• Sep 13, 2007 05:18 PM ET
• by Michael Ausiello

Remember me telling you a few weeks back that Men in Trees was looking for an actress to visit Elmo and become infatuated with all things Marin Frist? Well, said actress has been found.... And she's '80s soap vixen Morgan Fairchild!

Fairchild will guest-star later this season as - get this - herself. "She shows up in Elmo and decides she wants to buy Marin's life rights," reveals MIT creator Jenny Bicks of her one-episode stint, which shoots this month but won't air until February 2008.

Why the delayed gratification?

As you'll recall, Trees already had five unaired episodes in the can from last season when production started up last month. As a result, they're way ahead of schedule. And that, according to industry insiders, is the one and only benefit to being unceremoniously yanked off the air in place of a crap show like October Road. Sorry, but someone had to say it.