Men in Trees
Encyclopedia
Men in Trees is an American romantic television dramedy
series which premiered on September 12, 2006 on ABC
and starred Anne Heche
who played relationship coach Marin Frist. The series was set in the fictional town of Elmo, Alaska
and concerned Marin Frist's misadventures in relationships. The premise showed at least superficial similarities to the HBO
television series Sex and the City
(on which series creator Jenny Bicks
was a co-executive producer), which also featured a romantically-oriented, female writer. The protagonist's apparent "fish-out-of-water
" feeling in a remote, small, Alaskan town can be likened to CBS's Northern Exposure
. The protagonists in both series were New Yorkers
thrust into small town Alaska societies. Filming for the series was based in Squamish
, British Columbia
.
Five episodes of the first production season, which were not yet shown on ABC, debuted in New Zealand
on the TV2 network in June 2007 and July 2007. The five carryover episodes aired on ABC
after the first episode of the second production season, beginning October 19.
Men In Trees has been cancelled as of May 4, 2008. Its final episodes aired starting with Wednesday, May 28, 2008.
with a preview on September 12, 2006 after the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars
. On September 15, 2006 the show moved to Fridays at 9 p.m. ET
. From November 30, 2006 until March 2007 episodes aired Thursdays at 10 p.m. The network announced on May 15, 2007 intentions to return the series to Fridays, albeit one hour earlier than its original timeslot, in its fall schedule.
Men in Trees was pulled from the air in favor of the new ABC series October Road
, which began airing on Thursday, March 15, 2007. After the initial run of October Road, Notes from the Underbelly
was supposed to take over, but that has been changed. The Futon Critic and Zap2It.com have each reported that the remaining five Season 1 episodes will air as part of Season 2 in the fall of 2007.
Noting the absence of Men in Trees from ABC's schedule since March, series creator Jenny Bicks reported in her blog for ABC that reruns of the show would be shown on ABC beginning in June 2007, continuing throughout the summer. Reruns of the series' first season began airing on ABC on Thursday, June 28.
The series began the Fall 2007 season airing Fridays at 10 p.m. However, due to its inability to hold on to the audience of freshman hit Women's Murder Club
and the underperformance of 20/20 at 8 p.m., Men in Trees was moved to the 8 p.m. Friday slot.
Five episodes of Men in Trees unscreened in the US premiered on TV2 in New Zealand
, and started on Monday, June 25, 2007 with the 18th episode titled "Chemical Reactions".
Following the end of the 2008 writers' strike, the show returned on February 27, 2008 in its new timeslot on Wednesdays at 10PM.
:
s, to debut in the fall of 2006, originally to follow Ugly Betty
. After that series was shifted to a lead time slot on Thursdays, Men in Trees eventually followed Friday encore episodes of Grey's Anatomy
until November 30, when Trees was moved to follow first-run Grey's episodes.
On October 28, 2006 ABC ordered 4 more scripts to be written for the show. ABC then ordered a full season pickup for the show on November 8. It became the seventh new series to be given a full 22-episode order in the 2006-07 season.
Men in Trees is among several scripted series affected by the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike. In particular, a total of 14 new episodes were written for the second season, versus an order for 22. Combined with five episodes carried over from the first production season, Men in Trees has 19 completed episodes for its second broadcast season in the United States, and was on hiatus from late December 2007 until it returned on February 27, 2008, taking over for Cashmere Mafia
. The series was not aired during the May 2008 sweeps period. On May 4, 2008, ABC announced the official cancellation of the show, and that the final episodes would be broadcast starting on May 28, 2008.
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
series which premiered on September 12, 2006 on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and starred Anne Heche
Anne Heche
Anne Celeste Heche is an American actress, director, and screenwriter. She started her career on the daytime soap opera Another World, for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991. Heche gradually landed supporting roles in feature films, and in 1997 appeared in I Know What You Did Last Summer,...
who played relationship coach Marin Frist. The series was set in the fictional town of Elmo, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and concerned Marin Frist's misadventures in relationships. The premise showed at least superficial similarities to the HBO
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
television series Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
(on which series creator Jenny Bicks
Jenny Bicks
Jenny Bicks is an American television producer and screenwriter, most notable for her work as a television writer on the HBO series, Sex and the City and as the creator and writer of the ABC series, Men in Trees....
was a co-executive producer), which also featured a romantically-oriented, female writer. The protagonist's apparent "fish-out-of-water
Fish out of water
Fish out of water may refer to:* Fish Out of Water * Fish Out of Water , 1990* "Fish Out of Water" , a song by One Minute Silence* "Fish Out of Water", a song by OPM on the album Menace to Sobriety...
" feeling in a remote, small, Alaskan town can be likened to CBS's Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
. The protagonists in both series were New Yorkers
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
thrust into small town Alaska societies. Filming for the series was based in Squamish
Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
Five episodes of the first production season, which were not yet shown on ABC, debuted in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
on the TV2 network in June 2007 and July 2007. The five carryover episodes aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
after the first episode of the second production season, beginning October 19.
Men In Trees has been cancelled as of May 4, 2008. Its final episodes aired starting with Wednesday, May 28, 2008.
Scheduling
The show first aired on ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
with a preview on September 12, 2006 after the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (US TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a reality show airing on ABC in the United States, and CTV in Canada in 2011. The show is the American version of the British BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing...
. On September 15, 2006 the show moved to Fridays at 9 p.m. ET
North American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
. From November 30, 2006 until March 2007 episodes aired Thursdays at 10 p.m. The network announced on May 15, 2007 intentions to return the series to Fridays, albeit one hour earlier than its original timeslot, in its fall schedule.
Men in Trees was pulled from the air in favor of the new ABC series October Road
October Road (TV series)
October Road is an American television drama that debuted on ABC on March 15, 2007 following Grey's Anatomy. It follows Nick Garrett , who after a decade returns to his hometown, the fictional Knights Ridge, Massachusetts.The series is produced by ABC Studios and GroupM Entertainment; the latter is...
, which began airing on Thursday, March 15, 2007. After the initial run of October Road, Notes from the Underbelly
Notes from the Underbelly
Notes from the Underbelly was an American sitcom that debuted on ABC as a midseason replacement. The series is based upon the novel of the same name by Risa Green, and is produced by Eric and Kim Tannenbaum for Warner Bros. Television...
was supposed to take over, but that has been changed. The Futon Critic and Zap2It.com have each reported that the remaining five Season 1 episodes will air as part of Season 2 in the fall of 2007.
Noting the absence of Men in Trees from ABC's schedule since March, series creator Jenny Bicks reported in her blog for ABC that reruns of the show would be shown on ABC beginning in June 2007, continuing throughout the summer. Reruns of the series' first season began airing on ABC on Thursday, June 28.
The series began the Fall 2007 season airing Fridays at 10 p.m. However, due to its inability to hold on to the audience of freshman hit Women's Murder Club
Women's Murder Club
Women's Murder Club is an American police procedural and legal drama, which ran on ABC from October 12, 2007, to May 13, 2008. The series is set in San Francisco, California and is based on the 'Women's Murder Club' series of novels written by James Patterson...
and the underperformance of 20/20 at 8 p.m., Men in Trees was moved to the 8 p.m. Friday slot.
Five episodes of Men in Trees unscreened in the US premiered on TV2 in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and started on Monday, June 25, 2007 with the 18th episode titled "Chemical Reactions".
Following the end of the 2008 writers' strike, the show returned on February 27, 2008 in its new timeslot on Wednesdays at 10PM.
Main characters
- Marin Frist (Anne HecheAnne HecheAnne Celeste Heche is an American actress, director, and screenwriter. She started her career on the daytime soap opera Another World, for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991. Heche gradually landed supporting roles in feature films, and in 1997 appeared in I Know What You Did Last Summer,...
) - Relationship coach, author, and radio host. She discovers that her fiancée Graham has been cheating on her right under her nose. Decides to start a new life in Elmo, Alaska. - Annie O'Donnell (Emily BerglEmily BerglAnne Emily Bergl is an English-born American film, stage, and television actress. She is best known for her role as Rachel Lang on the film The Rage: Carrie 2 , Annie O'Donnell on the ABC television show Men in Trees , Beth Young on Desperate Housewives and Tammy Bryant on the TNT drama series...
) - Fan of Marin's books and Patrick's fiancée; followed Marin to Alaska. - Patrick O'Bachelorton (Derek Richardson) - Avid fan of Marin's books, runs the town inn and radio station; engaged to Annie. Patrick changed his last name to O'Bachelorton, after it was originally Bachelor, citing the influences as O' from (Annie) O'Donnell; Bachelor from his mother; and -ton from his biological father's last name, Washington.
- Jane Burns (Seana KofoedSeana KofoedSeana Kofoed is an American television and stage actress, born on 13 August 1970 in Wilmette, Illinois.-Early life:Kofoed was raised in the Chicago area and attended New Trier High School, Northwestern University and the Royal National Theatre in London...
) - Marin's editor, falls for "plow guy". - Jack Slattery (James TupperJames TupperJames Tupper is a Canadian actor best known for his role as Jack Slattery on the ABC television series Men in Trees and recently appeared as Dr. Chris Sands on the NBC medical drama series Mercy , which was cancelled by NBC in May 2010.Tupper was born in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada...
) - Local biologist and Marin's love interest. - Buzz Washington (John AmosJohn AmosJohn Amos is an American actor and former football player. His television work includes roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Good Times, the miniseries Roots, and a recurring role in The West Wing. He has also appeared on Broadway and in numerous motion pictures in a career that spans four decades...
) - Pilot of one of the only planes in and out of Elmo. The biological father of Patrick from a tryst with Celia Bachelor. - Ben Thomasson (Abraham BenrubiAbraham BenrubiAbraham Rubin Hercules Benrubi is an American character actor known for his appearances as Jerry Markovic on the long-running U.S...
) - Owner of the town bar, The Chieftain, and the local hockey team, the Huskies. The town sports facility, Thomasson Center, is named after him. Allegedly made his fortune by inventing Wetnaps, but left Seattle to get away from his various hangers-on. - Sara Jackson (Suleka MathewSuleka MathewSuleka "Sue" Mathew is a Canadian actress, known for her portrayal of Dr. Sunita Ramen on the Canadian television series Da Vinci's Inquest....
) - Town's former "working girl", single mother who now works at The Chieftain with one-time boyfriend Ben. - Theresa Thomasson (Sarah StrangeSarah StrangeSarah Strange is a Canadian actress, known for work in a variety of American and Canadian television and film projects, most notably as Helen in the Canadian drama Da Vinci's Inquest.-Life and career:...
) - Ben's wife, once estranged from him, who works as the town barmaid. She is a former backup singer for Jewel. - Police Chief Celia Bachelor (Cynthia StevensonCynthia StevensonCynthia Stevenson is an American actress.Stevenson was born in Oakland, California, the daughter of Gayle, an editor, and Al Stevenson, an upholstery warehouse owner. She grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia....
) - Patrick's clingy, widowed mother. (Eps. 14-present; recurring previously) Celia's maiden name is Hisbut. - Mai Washington (Lauren TomLauren TomLauren Tom is an American actress and voice actress perhaps best known for her roles as Lena St Clair in The Joy Luck Club, Julie in the TV series Friends, and for providing the voices for both mother and daughter characters on two animated TV comedy series: on Futurama she voices Amy Wong and her...
) - Buzz's wife, an entrepreneur who sells various items taken from unclaimed luggage. (Eps. 14-present; recurring previously)
Recurring characters
- Jerome Robinsky (Timothy Webber), Regular patron at the Chieftain. As the show has progressed, bits of Jerome's past have been revealed (in "The Girl Who Cried Wolf," several pictures of a younger Jerome are seen with various world leaders, and in "Sonata in Three Parts," he reveals to Annie that he is a composer. His last name is also revealed.) Was previously involved with Annie's mother Mary Alice, but the relationship ended when Jerome discovered she had gone back to her husband. He composed a song for her, which he played at Sam and Jane's wedding in New York.
- Carl (Adrian McMorran)
- Lynn Barstow (Justine BatemanJustine BatemanJustine Tanya Bateman is an American actress, writer, and producer. She is best known for her regular role as Mallory Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties...
), Jack's pregnant ex-girlfriend who has again left Elmo because Jack didn't love her. - Police Supervisor Richard Ellis (Currie GrahamCurrie GrahamCurrie Graham is a Canadian stage, film and television actor. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City....
), Celia Bachelor's boyfriend - Sam Soloway/"Plow Guy" (Ty OlssonTy OlssonTyler "Ty" Olsson is a Canadian actor. He's best known for being the voice of the dragon Ord on Dragon Tales and for portraying real life 9/11 victim Mark Bingham in the A&E television movie Flight 93.-Life and career:...
), Jane's husband who drives a plow - Stuart Maxson (Jason O'MaraJason O'MaraJason O'Mara is an Irish actor who starred in the American television network dramas In Justice and Life on Mars. He now appears in the Fox series Terra Nova.- Career :He performed with The Royal Shakespeare Company...
), Marin's book publisher - Cash (Scott ElrodScott Elrod-Early life:After moving around the Philippines with his military family, he was raised in Parker, Colorado. His father was an F-16 pilot and Elrod wanted to become a pilot himself. He earned his pilot license after graduation and became an air traffic controller....
), An attractive handyman who finishes repairing Marin's cabin in exchange for a place to live and has a secret—he's dying of kidney failure. - Eric (Nicholas LeaNicholas LeaNicholas Lea is a Canadian actor best known for his portrayal of Alex Krycek on The X-Files and on Kyle XY playing Tom Foss.-Biography:...
), The minister at the local church that is dating Sara. - George Washington (Orlando JonesOrlando JonesOrlando Jones is an American comedian and film and television actor. He is notable for being one of the original cast members of the sketch comedy series MADtv and for his role as the 7 Up spokesman from 1999-2002.-Early life:...
), Buzz Washington's gay son. - Terri (Mario CantoneMario CantoneMario Cantone is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor, with numerous appearances on Comedy Central including Chappelle's Show. He also played Anthony Marentino on Sex and the City...
), Elmo's only hairdresser, a New York transplant, and occasional boyfriend of George Washington. Donates a kidney to Cash. - Ivan (Diego KlattenhoffDiego KlattenhoffDiego Klattenhoff is a Canadian actor best known for playing Derek in Whistler and Ivan in Men in Trees.-Career:Diego Klattenhoff studied with some of Canada's most respected acting coaches, including David Rotenberg, Bruce Clayton and Rae Ellen Bodie, and eventually his dedication and persistence...
), Croatian ice hockey player
Ratings
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of Men in Trees on ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
:
| Season | Timeslot (EDT) | Season Premiere | Season Finale | TV Season | Rank | Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friday 9.00 P.M. (September 12 - November 10, 2006) Thursday 10.00 P.M. (November 30 - February 15, 2007) |
September 12, 2006 | February 15, 2007 | 2006-2007 | #65 | 8.4 |
| 2 | Friday 10:00 P.M. (October 12 - November 2, 2007) Friday 8:00 P.M. (November 9 - December 7, 2007) Wednesday 10:00 P.M. (February 27 - June 11, 2008) |
October 12, 2007 | June 11, 2008 | 2007-2008 | #105 | 5.8 |
Production history
The series was given a 13 episode order at ABC's May 2006 UpfrontUpfront
In the North American television industry, an upfront is a meeting hosted at the start of important advertising sales periods by television network executives, attended by the press and major advertisers...
s, to debut in the fall of 2006, originally to follow Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
. After that series was shifted to a lead time slot on Thursdays, Men in Trees eventually followed Friday encore episodes of Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
until November 30, when Trees was moved to follow first-run Grey's episodes.
On October 28, 2006 ABC ordered 4 more scripts to be written for the show. ABC then ordered a full season pickup for the show on November 8. It became the seventh new series to be given a full 22-episode order in the 2006-07 season.
Men in Trees is among several scripted series affected by the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike. In particular, a total of 14 new episodes were written for the second season, versus an order for 22. Combined with five episodes carried over from the first production season, Men in Trees has 19 completed episodes for its second broadcast season in the United States, and was on hiatus from late December 2007 until it returned on February 27, 2008, taking over for Cashmere Mafia
Cashmere Mafia
Cashmere Mafia is an American television dramedy which ran on ABC from January 6, 2008 to February 20, 2008. The series was created by Kevin Wade, who also served as executive producer alongside Darren Star, Gail Katz, Jeff Rake and Michael Pressman, with Susie Fitzgerald co-executive producing....
. The series was not aired during the May 2008 sweeps period. On May 4, 2008, ABC announced the official cancellation of the show, and that the final episodes would be broadcast starting on May 28, 2008.