Men In Trees RIP

Well the Series finale of this show happened tonight. Long after it was announced it was cancelled of course on ABC. At the same time, this episode and the way the show ended pretty clearly was at best a SEASON finale, and I can imagine some of the way they had a lot of the romantic twists the last 5mins happen were written-in on the last day of shooting.

But the things to say about this show, it's funny how I really am not one to get too attached to shows like Desperate Housewives and even Grey's Anatomy. Sex and the City as well. Gilmore Girls being one of the big exceptions, but that show had a lot more to it than all the soapy lovey-dovey crap, so the chic-show romantic-focus of that show was tolerable given the payoff with the writing, characters, and humor.

Men In Trees, sorta seemed this decade's renewal to NORTHERN EXPOSURE on the surface, and while it probably did not get to nearly the level of quality or character development of that show, it certainly grew on me and others. But ABC, not unlike some other networks, never gave it any stability or a chance to really get the viewers attached. Not finishing the 1st season, then making the May Sweeps episodes part of the 2nd Season's beginning (not airing them in the Summer like they could have of course). Not advertising it at all either.

It was put on after GREY'S ANATOMY the Spring of '07 and of course the ratings were very good. But of course when the fall lineups were announced it was moved to FRIDAYS, which of course is often a dooming night for a show.

But still, when it did air, I couldn't help enjoy watching it, even if it was a marathon of catchup from the DVR last March.

Very much reminds me of another similar kind of ABC show the same thing happened to just last year.



not given a chance, this show was addictive, especially the Spring it premiered. JJ Abrams was behind it, etc..for some reason the suits at ABC weren't impressed enough by it to even run ads that Summer/Fall and then it didn't even manage to have a proper Series finale as well, airing the final episode in March. It's really too bad, the writing, drama, subtle comedy, and characters you became attached to. Not to mention they managed to have a handful of eye-candy. I still felt Brian should have got together with Marjorie, but it would have been hard to skate-past the whole conflict with him killing his best-friend's wedding and marriage to her. Thankfully Sarah Lancaster is now on CHUCK, and a regular guest star/looker in Rachel LeFevre is to star finally (she has a good recent list of guest-appearances) in the borrowed British TV--premise of LIFE ON MARS as well. My friend thinks the show started shark-jumping when they killed off Angelo anyway. I need to see the DVDs now as there is an unaired episode included.

So..2 years in a row..SHARK and MOONLIGHT are also gone and I mourn their loss as well. But this does not seem surprising 2 consecutive seasons with an ABC Dramedy. Suppose I'll come to expect it every year from now on. Hey, some of the best tv only have short-runs as Judd Apatow remarked on the FREAKS AND GEEKS DVDs.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with some of the MiT's cast. Anne Heche?..maybe movies again. Nicholas Lea will go back to KYLE XY next Winter. Maybe they could get the actress who played Sara to appear on the KYLE-show. And maybe John Amos will guest appear on PSYCH again, which is only about a month away from coming back!

on deck: Battlestar Galactica Season 4.0 finale, more tv season wrap-ups and fall speculation.