Three Rivers a no-flow on CBS - cancelled?

It's sad to see that a TV medical program promoting organ donation and transplantation did not attract enough viewers. It's suggested the reason is because someone had to die for someone else to live and that someone dying every week was just too much for the public to swallow.

By Tom Jicha SunSentinel.com

It looks like the end of the line for Three Rivers, the first season medical drama about organ transplant specialists on CBS.

The network has pulled the show from the schedule for all of December, putting it in the nebulous category of "on hiatus."

CBS has a long history of not using the "C" word. Rather than admit failure by announcing a series as canceled, the network just puts them on hiatus; out of sight and out of mind. Come May, when the new fall season is announced, these shows are acknowledged as not returning.

This coming Sunday, Cold Case will move to the 9 p.m. slot, followed by a rerun of NCIS: Los Angeles.

On Dec. 13, a Criminal Minds rerun will follow Cold Case.

On Dec. 27, a rerun of Jesse Stone: Thin Ice will air 8-10 p.m. followed by Cold Case.

CBS has not announced its programming on Dec. 20 but that looks like the likely spot for the climactic episode of Survivor: Samoa and its reunion show.

There are countless reasons why a show fails. A serious issue with Three Rivers was the fact that in most episodes, someone had to die for someone else to live. Characters have to die occasionally for a medical show to have credibility. But every week was probably too much.

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Sign Your Donor Card & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network. NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants. One tissue donor can help up to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ or tissue transplant.

2nd episode of Three Rivers airs tonight

Viewers will note a new episode title change: "Ryans First Day"

The Futon Critic

ANDY AND THE TEAM TRY TO SAVE A STUDENT IN NEED OF A LUNG TRANSPLANT, ON "THREE RIVERS," SUNDAY, OCT. 11 - 9:00 PM-10:00 PM EST on CBS

"Ryan's First Day" - Andy and the team try to save an 18-year-old college student in need of a double lung transplant but run into a road block that might not allow her to be eligible for a new set of lungs, on THREE RIVERS, Sunday, Oct. 11 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

SERIES REGULARS:

Dr. Andy Yablonski................ Alex O'Loughlin
Dr. Miranda Foster............. Katherine Moennig
Dr. David Lee........................... Daniel Henney
Ryan Abbott................... Christopher J. Hanke
Dr. Sophia Jordon.................... Alfre Woodard
Pam Acosta........................... Justina Machado
Lisa Reed................................. Amber Clayton

See the complete Guest Cast.

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Sign Your Donor Card & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network. NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants. One tissue donor can help up to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ or tissue transplant.

New schedule for organ transplant TV series "Three Rivers"

CBS BUMPS NEW "THREE RIVERS" PILOT, SECOND EPISODE TO AIR FIRST Oct 4th at 9pm ET

the FUTON CRITIC

LOS ANGELES -- CBS is giving "Three Rivers" a new pilot - again.

Scheduling updates released by the network this morning indicate the show's second episode ("Place of Life") will now serve as its premiere on Sunday, October 4 at 9:00/8:00c. "Tick-Tock," originally set for October 4, will instead air the following week.

Here's how the Eye details the respective installments:

"Place of Life": After suffering a heart-attack, Dr. Andy Yablonski (Alex O'Loughlin) tells a young pregnant woman that in order to save her and her unborn child she must get a heart transplant. However, unexpected complications with the donor's family place the operation in jeopardy, on THREE RIVERS, premiering Sunday, Oct. 4 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

"Tick-Tock": Andy and the team try to save an 18-year-old college student in need of a double lung transplant but run into a road block that might not allow her to be eligible for a new set of lungs, on THREE RIVERS, Sunday, Oct. 11 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Both episodes were filmed after the original pilot was scrapped to accommodate the addition of Alfre Woodard (replacing the Julia Ormond and Joaquim de Almeida characters) as well as relocating production to Los Angeles.

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Sign Your Donor Card & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network. NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants. One tissue donor can help up to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant.

Alfre Woodard to star in 'Three Rivers' - New organ transplant drama on CBS this fall

Viewers can catch all the drama about organ transplantation starting Sunday, October 4th on CBS at 9/8c.

Alfre Woodard replaces Julia Ormond from the pilot, playing Sophia Jordan, head of surgery at Three Rivers Hospital. The show follows the drama of organ transplants from three points of view: the donors, the recipients and the doctors.

Show Synopsis - from the Three Rivers web site

THREE RIVERS is a medical drama that goes inside the emotionally complex lives of organ donors, the recipients and the surgeons at the preeminent transplant hospital in the country where every moment counts. However, dealing with donor families in their darkest hour and managing the fears and concerns of apprehensive recipients takes much more than just a sharp scalpel. Leading the elite team is Dr. Andy Yablonski (Alex O'Loughlin), the highly-skilled workaholic lead organ transplant surgeon, whose good-natured personality and sarcastic wit makes him popular with his patients and colleagues. His colleagues include Dr. Miranda Foster (Katherine Moennig), a surgical fellow with a rebellious streak and fiery temper who strives to live up to her deceased father's excellent surgical reputation; Dr. David Lee (Daniel Henney), a womanizing surgical resident who's broken as many hearts as he's replaced; Ryan Abbott (Christopher J. Hanke), the inexperienced new transplant coordinator who arranges the intricately choreographed process of quickly and carefully transporting organs from donor to patient; Dr. Sophia Jordan, the head of surgery and a dedicated medical professional; and Pam Acosta (Justina Machado), Andy's no-nonsense operating assistant and best friend. In this high stakes arena, in which every case is a race against the clock, these tenacious surgeons and medical professionals are the last hope for their patients.

NOTE: Read more about the cast and their attitudes about organ donation at TV Guide

“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Sign Your Donor Card & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Register to be a donor in Ontario or Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network. NEW for Ontario: recycleMe.org - Learn The Ins & Outs Of Organ And Tissue Donation. Register Today! For other Canadian provinces click here

In the United States, be sure to find out how to register in your state at ShareYourLife.org or Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

In Great Britain, register at NHS Organ Donor Register

In Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register

Your generosity can save up to eight lives with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants. One tissue donor can help up to 100 other people by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves

Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes.