Anne Heche and James Tupper, Men in Trees
Question: I think an emerging problem bubble shows like Men in Trees and The New Adventures of Old Christine have in an era where every TV network has a counterpart studio to produce shows, is that of being produced out-of-house, so to speak. If the ratings are great, like NBC Universal's House is on Fox, then it's a moot point, but I feel a show being produced by a rival network's studio is starting to become a liability. Trees and Old Christine, both produced by Warner Bros. TV, are quality shows deserving of a larger audience. But CBS would rather cancel the latter for a lowbrow show that only does marginally better (Rules of Engagement, produced by CBS Television Studios), and ABC would rather treat Trees with five different time slots in two seasons and an eight-month hiatus. I still don't think networks are out to cancel shows, but compare these shows' plights to Friday Night Lights, an NBC Universal show that NBC was dying to find a deal with Direct TV to keep going and ...
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Morgan Fairchild, Men in Trees
The male-dense berg of Elmo gets a much-needed shot of womanhood when TV-serial icon Morgan Fairchild descends upon ABC's Men in Trees (tonight at 10 pm/ET). Playing "Morgan Fairchild," the blonde beauty will seek to secure rights to Marin Frost's life story. TVGuide.com invited (the real) Fairchild to preview her visit to Alaska, tell Morgan apart from "Morgan," and reflect upon '80s fashions.
TVGuide.com: Men in Trees is working off quite a lag time. Hopefully it hasn't been so long since you filmed this episode that you don't remember it at all.Morgan Fairchild: Oh, I definitely do. I had a great time on the show. They were very, very nice.
TVGuide.com: When, if ever, was the last time you played yourself?Fairchild: I play myself every once in a while. I played myself in Holy Man wit
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James Tupper and Anne Heche in Men in Trees by Michael Courtney/ABC
Some head-scratching is in order upon looking at ABC's latest round of midseason shuffling. On one hand, I get why the network would try to give Women’s Murder Club some exposure on a night that isn’t Friday. But in announcing its return with three new episodes on Tuesdays at 10 pm/ET, starting April 29, you can’t help but wonder if the show is being given a favor after all. This scheduling puts it head-to-head against NBC’s powerful Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which you’d think targets much of the same audience. Not only that, but April 29 is the night SVU airs its 200th episode, featuring Robin Williams as a guest villain. (And it has been previously announced that Mariska Hargitay will be getting a steady boyfriend in Bill Pullman, adding even more juice to this already potent franchise.)Quick check of tea leaves. Yep. SVU is going to murder Club first night out.The return of Women’s Murder Club shifts Boston Legal to Wednesdays at 10 pm/E...
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Women's Murder Club by Gale Adler/ABC
ABC has set an April 29 return date for Women's Murder Club, which has three fresh episodes to burn off. WMC's Tuesday-at-10 time slot effectively bumps Boston Legal to Wednesdays at 10 as of April 30, which in turn trims Men in Trees from the network's schedule for several weeks. Trees is expected to resume its oft-resuming second season on Wednesday, May 28.What's your take? The same sad story for Trees, or did it not have any "momentum" to lose?Check out our Returning Favorites guide for previews, photos and videos of more than 40 shows!For more on ABC's scheduling decision, read the Roush Dispatch.
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Sofia Vergara by Jordan Strauss/WireImage.com
Who knew amnesia has such plum benefits? Sofia Va-va-Vergara, whose year-long courtship with ABC has thus far taken her to Knights of Prosperity and Dirty Sexy Money, next will bring her considerable charms to Men in Trees. Appearing in at least two episodes, Vergara will play a book editor/associate of upcoming guest star Morgan Fairchild's, who takes a shine to Patrick, the memory-addled bumpkin. To be fair, at the same time Annie will be getting wooed by Ben's new hockey star, so it's really a win-win for everyone. But especially for Patrick.Vergara's airdates have yet to be confirmed. — MWM
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Returned March 5 airs Wednesdays at 10 pm ABCNumber of new episodes to air 6Whats coming up Series creator Jenny Bicks tells us that Jack and Julia grow closer as Marin learns an unsettling secret about Julia Then theres the matter of The Book oh yeah the book When Marin tops off her tome she must ask herself What do you do once you finish the project that ostensibly was keeping you in Elmo in the first placeNewstrange bedfellows Ivan and Annie grow closer while Patrick winds up in New York where he is hit on by Janes new author Sofia Vergara Will he remember Annie before its too lateWatch full episodes | Photos | More Returning Favorites coverage
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Anne Heche and James Tupper by Jeff Petry/ABC
Lifetime has dared to burst ABC's bubble. The Alphabet net, sources tell the Reporter, courted the cabler to air either or both Men in Trees and October Road. Lifetime execs, however, reportedly declined to pick up either. October Road pretty much sealed its fate with a low-rated season finale, while Men in Trees — despite having like a zillion episodes in the can — is still considered to be "on the fence" as it averages fewer than six million weekly viewers.
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Question: Any news from Men in Trees?
Answer: Yep, and some of it's good, while some of it's, well, less good. The sucky news is that the ratings haven't been great since the show returned. On the plus side, Trees' small but feverishly loyal audience has been growing over the past two weeks — and, given the across-the-board erosion we're seeing these days, that's pretty miraculous. Let's hope the numbers continue to inch upward and series creator Jennie Bicks doesn't have to use the alternate, series finale ending she shot for this season's last episode.
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Now playing in the March 12 edition of the Mitovich Mega Minute:• The Office's plan for pregnant Angela• Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell kisses Jack and tells• A new sighting of How I Met Your's Mother!• And a Mega Minute Mini Rant about... Men in Trees.Enjoy!
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Anne Heche in Men in Trees by Sergei Bachlakov/ABC
If ever a show deserved a second (or third or fourth) look, it's ABC woefully mistreated Men in Trees. Tonight's episode, which plays almost like a season-opener in the way it resolves one major cliff-hanger storyline and reassesses a number of key relationships, is a terrific re-entry point for those who fell away from this charming show during its many inexplicably long absences from the schedule. (And the new Wednesday time slot does it few favors, with incompatibly cheesy reality-show lead-ins.)This episode is titled "Sonata in Three Parts," a musical metaphor that movingly announces itself when one of Elmo's locals reveals an unexpected past. This character explains how a sonata plays out in three movements: the first generally upbeat and lively, the second a little darker (think Jack adrift at sea and feared dead) and the third taking you back to the beginning. "Things have a way of working themselves out," we're told.And so it is in this episode, as the town maintains an unea...
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