Question: I love your column and respect your opinion greatly. I believe you said a while ago that we are in a golden age of TV drama. A few years ago I wouldn't have believed it was possible, as I lamented the loss of the great Boomtown. But so far, I'm very happy with this TV season. High on my list are Jericho, which I was happy to see seemed to be well-received, and Six Degrees, Kidnapped and Justice. Coming in close behind are Men in Trees, Studio 60 and Vanished. I'm slightly concerned about getting hooked on these shows only to have them canceled, but that would never stop me from enjoying them while I can. In your opinion, can these shows survive? I would hate to see any of them go too soon. Also, I was a bit perplexed and annoyed by the media coverage following the premiere of Studio 60. There was a lot of talk about how the show was not able to retain the audience of its lead-in, Deal or No Deal. Who would possibly think that those two shows are compatible? As a high-school ...
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It seems as though everyone in Elmo is experiencing an identity crisis. Clearly, Marin is completely lost and searching for herself in this small Alaskan village. We already knew that. Although this week she seems to really be struggling, which seems justified — she is dealing with rumors that she is dead. But now this crisis seems to have engulfed the entire town — literally. The townspeople question what it is that makes Elmo special after they are dumped by their sister town. All due to a population drop that demotes Elmo to village status. Of course relationship coach Marin jumps right in with advice on how to land a new mate — one that actually appreciates what makes Elmo special. This is where the plot gets good. Marin along with her ever-loyal fans, Annie and Patrick, make a humorous trio as they attempt to woo Matexi (I attempted to spell that phonetically) and somehow make Elmo appear to be exactly what the people of Matexi need. This plan of making yourse...
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... Also known as the continuing true-life adventures of Bergl's search for the real Alaska — and the dirtiest blog to date!Greetings from the set of Men in Trees (Fridays at 9 pm/ET, on ABC). I just returned to my trailer — I still get a kick out of saying that: "Oh, you know, my trailer... " — with a fabulous spread for lunch. I think there's only one thing about the entertainment business that isn't over-glamorized, and it's the food! I've never met a caterer I didn't like, although I must admit that I find "free" to be one of the best spices. On my way over here one of our drivers, Jerry, remarked, "Are you really going to eat all that?" Yes, Jerry, yes I am.Our story continues as Tyler and I were kayaking outside of the town of Pelican. We couldn't believe our eyes at first, but a short distance from our kayak were what appeared to be a large mama bear and two cubs. They were practically cavorting like in some kind of Discovery Channel special. Tyler was quick on...
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Question: I love Men in Trees but find Six Degrees a real disappointment. Is there a chance that they will switch the time slots so Men in Trees will be seen by a larger audience on Thursdays after Grey's Anatomy? Thanks for all the great information!
Answer: Still a little early to be playing junior programmer, but it's true that Men in Trees is doing surprisingly solid business on Fridays. While I still find it a pretty thin premise and a pale shadow of Northern Exposure, if it continues to show signs of life, I'd be surprised if ABC doesn't find a more hospitable home for it. The post-Grey's Anatomy slot is awfully prime real estate, but I agree that Six Degrees is unlikely to earn its spot there in the long run. There's also a potential opening on Mondays, should the revamped What About Brian fail to catch fire. (ABC flopped in that time period this week with a Men in Trees repeat, but honestly, this is not the sort of show that can withstand double-runs. ...
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Eskim-yo, Mallory! Justine Bateman is joining ABC's Men in Trees in the recurring role of a down-to-earth wildlife photographer ex-girlfriend of Jack's (James Tupper) who returns to Elmo with "startling news," an ABC rep tells TVGuide.com.... Reuters reports that David Spade has joined the cast of CBS' mid-season laffer Rules of Engagement, playing the best bud of Oliver Hudson's prospective groom.
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Another fine episode. I love how everything always comes around full circle and connects to underscore the excellent lesson of the night. The Bachelor Auction was the perfect backdrop for exploring the question of self-worth, which is something that I think lots of people struggle with. Anne Heche is doing a splendid job taking us along on her journey to understanding (and appreciating) exactly how valuable she is alone. The only question that nags at the back of my mind while I watch is how problematic Jack is to Marin being alone. I really like James Tupper's character -- he plays the ruggedly handsome, slightly arrogant man well. I am torn between really rooting for Marin and Jack and wanting to join in Marin's celebration of her freedom. A truly newfound freedom — heck, she's been in a relationship since she was 14. I think we are going to have to watch her "invest in herself" for a while before she can invest in Jack, or anyone else for that matter.I am really interested...
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... Also known as the continuing true-life adventures of Bergl's search for the real Alaska.This is the story of my search to discover Alaska, to find for myself the little towns that are like our town of Elmo on Men in Trees, which, in case you haven't heard, was the No. 1 show on Friday, woo-hoo! I'm really looking forward to seeing this week's episode (people always think I see them ahead of time, but I watch them on TV like everybody else), not only because it's written by another redhead, Anna Fricke, but also because I can't wait to see our auction scene. I will reveal that in this episode we hold an auction of Elmo's eligible bachelors, although I won't tell you if Annie ends up walking away with one of her own. What a crazy day it was shooting that auction. I think we worked on that one scene for at least 15 hours. The most amazing part was that Anne Heche, who has almost all of the dialogue, entertained us the entire day as our auctioneer. Even when she was off camera, she ...
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Marin continues on her journey to self-discovery with a new job, a new love interest (kind of), new friends and a new home. And she is doing quite well until she shuts off the entire town power supply with a single blow-dryer and then decides to follow the advice of a radio caller to get her power back by sleeping with a random person
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Here now, the rest of mine own fall forecast:WednesdayThe Nine, ABC: A fun little cast of familiar faces (24's Audrey! Bailey Salinger! The shadowy Prison Break dude!) and a far-out premise make this serialized drama more than worthy of a long hard look. But the crux of the show ? What exactly happened to the nine people involved in a seemingly life-altering 52-hour bank hostage situation? ? could prove frustrating if the mad-cryptic flashbacks are only parceled out mere seconds at a time. Jericho, CBS: As I told the show's publicist, I was loving this pilot, about a small town isolated from the rest of civilization after some sort of nuclear assault on major cities, until the very final scene, which in my opinion rang illogical. Blocking that moment out, however, I'm excited for this series. Justice, Fox: Alias' Spy Daddy (Victor Garber) as the most cunning of cunning, high-priced defense attorneys? I'm so there. Plus, I like the gimmick of showing us, in the coda, what really happ...
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... AKA the continuing true-life adventures of Bergl's search for the real Alaska.You're in for a treat tonight with the second episode of Men in Trees, "Power Shift," written by our creator, Jenny Bicks, and directed by the awesome film director, Allison Anders [airing tonight at 9 pm/ET, following an encore of the pilot]. I'm trying to figure out how to make that sound like it isn't just a plug, because I'm in love with this show! Annie is definitely one of my all time favorite characters I've every played. Although I'm a little worried about how we're going to get any press, because we don't have any feuds, crazy dieting, lateness due to partying, or even "creative differences." It's a big ole boring love-fest over here at Men in Trees! Practically every Saturday night, which is sometimes our only real night off during the week, we're all hanging out with each other, usually playing poker. If you ever find yourself at a poker table with our star, Anne Heche, or our producer, Rick...
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