'Grey's' Isn't Going Anywhere
'Red Widow' Gets The Axe
Men in Trees axed by ABC
by Allison Waldman, posted May 5th 2008 8:42AM
I'd like to say I'm surprised by this, but I'm not. ABC has canceled Men in Trees. Despite being one of the genuinely sweet and funny comedy/dramas on the network -- one that's more rooted in reality than flights of whimsy and pretentiousness -- Men in Trees has struggled to find a home on ABC. It's been shuttled about from day to day, time slot to time slot, in and out of the line up so that it became a gypsy. How were you as a viewer to invest in the romantic adventure that Marin Frist was on in the wilds of Alaska when you weren't sure when the dang show was going to air? A failed attempt to put the show on Lifetime back in March spelled doom for the show. 
If there's a glass half-full way of accepting this, here it is: instead of just fading into oblivion, the creator of Men in Trees, Jenny Bicks, will be able to wrap up the storylines and give viewers closure. Michael Ausiello spoke with her and while she expressed gratitude for the fans loyalty -- and they are loyal because I've received many emails from them, too, about the fate of Trees -- she also agreed that all the time shifting by the programmers mucked up her show. "I wish the show had not been moved six times and put onto two long hiatuses. No show could survive that," she conceded.
Now that the fate has been cast, the writers will be able to pen an ending to the story, give relationship coach and writer Marin her happy ending which presumably will be with Jack, although love may not be the ultimate wrap up for this modern woman. She's writing a book about her Elmo life so perhaps that's the real happy ending -- a bestseller. And we'll also, I hope, get Annie and Patrick reunited. Maybe the hockey team will win a game, too. The remaining Men in Trees are slated for a summer run on ABC. I'll be tuned in, happy to savor the last of a series that was short, but very sweet.
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