This is disheartening. ABC has been looking to Lifetime as a new home for Men in Trees and October Road. Both dramatic series have not as yet been picked up for next year, and now this report makes it clear they are both skating on thin ice. The powers that be at Lifetime were given copies of both shows to review and chose not to pick up either of them. They basically threw the ball back to ABC, forcing the network to decide the fate of these two shows.The ratings have sucked for October Road and Men in Trees, in part because ABC has bounced them all over the schedule. You would need a compass, GPS and a gypsy fortuneteller to know how to find them if you care enough to watch.
Of the two show, Trees has a better chance of getting some kind of reorder from ABC because the show -- supposedly -- enjoys "solid support at the network." I'd like to think that's true, but I haven't seen it.
Fans of both shows have been urged to follow the Jericho model by organizing a Keep the Show On the Air campaign. At the message boards on ABC.com, an efforts been made by Men in Trees supporters to plant tree for families in third world countries. After substantial amount has been accrued, ABC president Steve McPherson will receive a certificate attesting to how many fans were motivated to do this to prove their love for Men in Trees. Very creative, and likely more helpful to the world than peanuts.
On the other hand, October Road's Bryan Greenberg and Geoff Stults were on Yo on E! and when asked about how fans could persuade the network to pick up the series, Bryan facetiously (I think) urged them to rake up leaves, bag them and ship to ABC. Geoff had another idea: "Send me cash." Hmm...didn't that once get Soupy Sales into trouble? (You do remember Soupy Sales, don't you?)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-20-2008 @ 11:07AM
Bash said...
Both series lost me at the beginning of season two. Men in Trees lost it's appeal because they didn't have any more story to tell.
And October Road? They had the premise, nothing more.
They should leave the soap opera stuff to the soap operas if you ask me.
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3-20-2008 @ 12:06PM
Denise said...
I'm sorry I would have to disagree. Both of these shows are refreshing to watch. I am just so sick of Reality TV. October Road shows real struggles that people face on a day to day basis. It is a show about relationships and their ups and downs. Men in Trees is just hilarious. I have to admit I was not a big Anne Heche fan until this show. It definitely brightens up my week.
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3-20-2008 @ 12:21PM
C C said...
October Road doesn't deserve a pickup by anyone, period. I've made a sincere effort to watch it-I just start gagging. It's awful.
Men in Trees is a different story. Although the show has been a bit uneven, it's always enjoyable. The last three episodes in particular have been excellent. I'm surprised Lifetime didn't pick it up. It would fit in very nicely. ABC has treated Men in Trees abomitably, yanking it from one timeslot to another. If they had any heart, they would keep it for at least another season.
I recently made a discovery about Men in Trees that is truly remarkable. i don't want to give too much away, but Men in Trees, from the word go, has been paying homage to another series, currently on the air, with the names and storylines it has been using. HBO's In Treatment (another endangered series) has also integrated the same series' "code" into their characters and plot. I can't tell you which series it is, because it's an industry "secret". But everyone will know in the future exactly what Men in Trees and In Treatment did-and refer to them in connection with ?. ABC and HBO MUST know what's going on, and must know what the future legacy of these shows is going to be.
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3-20-2008 @ 12:29PM
Jack said...
If the show doesn't get picked up, you'll be taking that secret to the grave. Why not spill, since the majority of people can't muster up the interest to watch the show, much less explore some "hidden code" in the show.
3-20-2008 @ 12:47PM
Bash said...
I'd rather solve the puzzle on the back of my cereal box. I'll admit that Men in Trees is "better" because it made me enjoy about half of the 15 episodes I saw whereas I FFed the other half but honestly there's nothing more to tell. They even hopped to New York and back in the first season because they ran out of material and had to separate the main characters because they didn't have anymore to do with them. Same goes with October Road. Six episodes and they ran out of material and had to separate them via a bogus decision. And I can't stand that agoraphobic guy anymore or the good looking guy dating the oh so cute obese chick who just talks and talks and talks in supposedly big words that in the end are just bla... both shows are just bla. It's all talk no substance. If life was like those two shows it would be so god damn great because I am so much like that (talking all day long) that I would have so many women...
Life's just not like that but I understand why women would think that way.
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3-20-2008 @ 12:59PM
C C said...
I can't. The problem is that the show that Men in Trees and In Treatment are honoring isn't over yet. I probably shouldn't have posted this information, but Men in Trees and In Treatment deserve to be renewed, and I'm frustrated about how myopic the networks are.
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3-20-2008 @ 3:30PM
Lee said...
Oh, for heaven's sake. What on earth is going to happen if you say which show it is? The shows are going to suddenly be cancelled because a few people at TV Squad know some supposedly hidden code about a current show that is now running? This is pretty bizarre.
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3-20-2008 @ 4:08PM
Kim said...
Love Men in Trees! Hate networks that cancel practically every show that I like. Sick of the ratings game. Sick of game shows, talent contests, and reality television. Sick of giving new shows a chance only to have them yanked! Must develop other hobbies!
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3-20-2008 @ 4:19PM
Eric Cotton said...
I was a big fan of Men In Trees until this season. The Patrick-loses-memory story line is just silly (and not in a good way), and never-ending. And the Marin-and-Jack-make-house drama was about as cliched as you can get. Sadly, I'm done with it.
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4-27-2008 @ 5:49PM
St. Louis said...
I agree -- Men in Trees is a mess. It just feels like the writers, or maybe it's the producers, have gotten lazy ... and crazy. It's become boring, predictable ... if it weren't for some of the actors, like the woman who plays Celia (I think her name is Cynthia Bilhartz) ... it would be a total loss. The last 3 straws for me:
1) when Patrick got amnesia ... seriously, amnesia?? Is that the best they can do???
2) that scene where Marin suddenly found herself surrounded by wild wolves ... how ridiculous
3) when they showed Jack and Julia "stranded at sea" and the "sea" looked like a YMCA pool with all the lights turned off and a lot of wave action, it was so second-rate
I felt like I was watching Guiding Light.
I used to look forward to this show every week, and I would watch and re-watch each episode (in the first season, at least.) Now, I can leave it on my TiVo for days and not care when I watch it.
3-20-2008 @ 5:55PM
an4rew said...
I think October Road is a great show, i watch it with my girlfriend and we spend some quality time together. Isn't that what its all about.
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3-20-2008 @ 10:55PM
Coronaboy said...
I'm a fan of October Road, I'm hoping CW will pick it up (since two former actors from the network are in it). The reason for the bad ratings is the fault of ABC, and the time slot they put it in... that's my opinion anyhow.
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4-18-2008 @ 11:18PM
hiheenah said...
Me too! I watched all episodes of October Road in about two weeks and only realized it was in danger of not coming back after I was wayyyy hooked. I am shocked that some people think "they ran out of material." I feel like it was just gettng warmed up. I think this would be a great CW show (forget ABC). Great replacement for Gilmore Girls. I don't care where it goes though as long as it comes back somewhere - here's hoping!!
3-21-2008 @ 11:46AM
Erica said...
I hope OR does get cancelled so Bryan Greenberg can come back to One Tree Hill
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3-23-2008 @ 5:16PM
Carrie said...
I have not gotten into October Road but I love Men In Tress and look forward to watching it every week. I even dvr the show and always watch it again. Please don't get rid of this show.
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3-24-2008 @ 4:59PM
Lissie said...
I am a huge fan of October Road, and I sincerely hope it will be picked up for another season. I have seen every episode but I have not been counted in the ratings. The lines are memorable, the characters are endearing and human, the plot has roped me in, and it is on a cliffhanger! Please give this show another chance.
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3-29-2008 @ 7:12AM
heinlein said...
I don't care for October Roead, but the first season of Men In Trees was really funny and light-hearted. The second season has been OK, but there has been a bit too much of serious issues and less light subjects, especially Patrick's memory loss, Jack lost at sea and Cash's sickness. Still it is better than most other shows and I would like to see it renewed (and oout on DVD). I can't believe ABC held back the new episodes during the strike when most other channels had nothing interesting to show. Why not take advantage of a large episode stockpile and almost no competition. Stupid!
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3-31-2008 @ 8:45PM
jan said...
October Road is a drama. People who like dramas will love it. Unfortunately most people prefer to see shows about crime. Maybe some of the characters should murder a few others and a few characters could be kidnapped and found dead! That might boost the ratings. Obviously, I feel exasperated by the fact my favourite dramas are constantly cancelled.
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4-07-2008 @ 9:16PM
Lovirea said...
I feel completely opposite about these two shows. I never really enjoyed Men in Trees all that much. The plot was not all that great, but I watched it because there was nothing better on TV. Now, it's gotten so boring I completely stopped watching it. Bye Bye. October Road on the other hand has never lost my attention. I look forward to it every Monday night. I hope and pray it comes back for a third Season. I also might add that I HATE soap operas and October Road does not have a soap opera feel to it by any means. Why do people dislike shows about "real" people in "real" situations? When will we get tired of the same old reality crap? I never much liked it to begin with.
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