TVSquad

Just because CBS is changing where the new medical drama Three Rivers will be filmed, doesn't mean the show is in trouble. After all, a lot of shows are retooled once the pilot is filmed. However, they recently dumped the leading lady, Julia Ormond, too. To me this says that Three Rivers is shifting focus, and I don't mean by filming in a Pittsburgh hospital set that they're building in Los Angeles instead of the real thing in Pennsylvania.

It could well mean that CBS is thinking about making Three Rivers a star vehicle for Alex O'Loughlin. CBS has The Mentalist in mind for Three Rivers, with Alex becoming the next golden pin-up, just like Simon Baker. I mean, take a look at this publicity picture. That's a muscle shirt more than a surgical scrubs top. And don't get me wrong, Alex has the body to pull it off.

When the news about Without A Trace ending its run was made official at the CBS Upfront this past week, I wasn't shocked. Rumor had it that either Without A Trace or Cold Case would be dropped, and Cold Case might have tipped the scales in its favor with a strong showing with its two-part season finale. But as much as I liked Without A Trace, I'm not really sorry that it's calling it a day.

Seven years is a darn good run for a TV show. In fact, if it had been a British series, it might have ended after 30 episodes – unless you're talking Coronation Street which is a freak of TV.

But here's the thing about Without A Trace, it's been a solid show with a strong set of characters who've had a chance to shine as much as possible within the confines of a procedural. Anthony LaPaglia as Jack Malone was terrific. The high point in many an episode for me was when Jack lost it and got in someone's face. His personal life was generally a mess, so LaPaglia had lots of chances to show the troubled side of his character.

Next Wednesday, CBS will be announcing its schedule for the new season, and while rumors have swirled that Cold Case or Without A Trace might be on the chopping block -- despite good ratings -- one sure thing seems to be the spinoff from NCIS.

Well, now that I've seen the two-part NCIS episode that served as a pilot for the show, I'm hoping that CBS gives this new series a thumbs-down. I don't expect that to happen, but if it were my decision, I wouldn't dump a solid series with a loyal viewership like Cold Case or Without A Trace, for the hope of LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell's overly fussy, overly procedural NCIS derivative step-child.