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Three Rivers (TV series)

Three Rivers is an American medical drama television series that aired on CBS from October 4, 2009, to July 3, 2010, and starred Alex O'Loughlin in the role of a famous transplant surgeon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[1][2][3] On November 30, 2009, after just eight episodes of the season had aired Sunday at 9:00 pm (EST), CBS announced that Three Rivers had been pulled from its schedule with no plans to have it returned,[4] and the series was later officially cancelled.[5] However, the remaining unaired episodes were burned off Saturdays at 8:00 pm (EST).[6]

Development

With the long-running NBC drama ER coming to an end, CBS executives put out a call for a new medical show to fill the void. Carol Barbee was introduced via Curtis Hanson to a pitch by Steve Boman, a former transplant coordinator and Chicago newspaper reporter, for a drama about a transplant hospital.[7] Barbee decided to undertake the project, telling it from three points of view: the donor's, the recipient's, and the doctor's. The location for the show's setting in Pittsburgh was decided based on a determination that the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) was the world's leading transplant center with the coincidence that the dominant topographical feature of the city, the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers, would provide an allegory for the show's three points of view.[8] Barbee did her research for the show at The Cleveland Clinic with Dr. Gonzalo Gonzalez-Stawinski, who also tutored the show's lead star Alex O'Loughlin. Dr. Robert Kormos, co-director of heart transplantation at UPMC, also provided input. Transplant pioneer Thomas Starzl, who visited the set, is the inspiration for the fictional transplant pioneer who is revealed to be the father of character Dr. Miranda Foster.[8]

The pilot for the Pittsburgh-set medical drama was filmed in western Pennsylvania in March and April 2009 using the closed Brownsville Tri-County Hospital and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center for hospital interior scenes.[9] Post-pilot recasting resulted in actors Julia Ormond and Joaquim de Almeida departing and Alfre Woodard and Amber Clayton joining the series.[10][11] Ultimately, the pilot was dropped and a new episode was shot for the television premiere. A high-tech, more visually appealing hospital set for the ER and ICU was built on sound stages 19 and 20 at Paramount Pictures, where interior scenes were thereafter produced, although location shooting still occurred in Pittsburgh for exterior shots.[8]

Cast and characters

Main

Supporting

Episodes

References

  1. ^ "CBS picks up six new series", Los Angeles Times, 2009-05-18.
  2. ^ "CBS's fall schedule: 'Three Rivers' runs through it" Archived 2009-05-23 at the Wayback Machine, Post-Gazette, 2009-05-20.
  3. ^ "Fall TV: CBS Announces Premiere Dates". TVGuide.com. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
  4. ^ Natalie Abrams. "CBS Pulls the Plug on Three Rivers". TVGuide.com.
  5. ^ "Three Rivers: CBS Officially Cancels Alex O'Loughlin Series, No Season Two". TVseriesfinale.com.
  6. ^ "Breaking News - CBS Revives "Three Rivers" for Saturdays Starting June 5". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
  7. ^ Owen, Rob (2009-08-05). "'Three Rivers' hospital set a complex operation". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
  8. ^ a b c Owen, Rob (2009-10-04). "Doctored Pittsburgh-set medical drama finally premieres". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
  9. ^ Orlando, Trina (2009-05-25). "Closed Brownsville Hospital To Be Used For TV Show". KDKA. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
  10. ^ a b "Recasting Season Claims Its Latest Victim: Julia Ormond", New York Magazine, 2009-05-28
  11. ^ a b "Alfre Woodard joins 'Three Rivers'", The Hollywood Reporter, 2009-07-28
  12. ^ "Syndication Bible - Three Rivers". CBS Television Distribution. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
  13. ^ Gorman, Bill (October 4, 2009). "TV Ratings: Sunday Night Football Wins; Three Rivers Runs Dry". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  14. ^ Gorman, Bill (October 19, 2009). "TV Ratings Sunday: Football Boosts Both NBC & CBS; Doesn't Help Three Rivers". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on February 25, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  15. ^ Gorman, Bill (October 25, 2009). "TV Ratings Sunday: Football + Baseball = Big Fox Win". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  16. ^ Gorman, Bill (November 2, 2009). "UPDATED TV Ratings Sunday: World Series Has Most Watched Game Since 2004". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  17. ^ Gorman, Bill (November 9, 2009). "TV Ratings Sunday: Cowboys Point NBC To Win; Housewives, Brothers & Sisters Hit Lows". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on February 25, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  18. ^ Gorman, Bill (November 16, 2009). "TV Ratings Sunday: Football Wins For NBC; Housewives, Three Rivers, Cold Case All Up". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on February 25, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  19. ^ Gorman, Bill (November 23, 2009). "TV Ratings Sunday: American Music Awards Rivals Football; Cold Case No Better At 9pm". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on November 25, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  20. ^ Gorman, Bill (June 6, 2010). "TV Ratings Saturday: America's Got Talent Repeat Challenges Cops / America's Most Wanted; Three Rivers Unwatched". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  21. ^ Gorman, Bill (June 13, 2010). "TV Ratings Saturday: Cops, America's Most Wanted Carry The Night, Three Rivers Stays Low". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on December 17, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  22. ^ Gorman, Bill (June 20, 2010). "TV Ratings Saturday: Even With Tiger In The Hunt, Cops & America's Most Wanted Top US Open". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  23. ^ Gorman, Bill (June 27, 2010). "TV Ratings Saturday: 48 Hours Mystery Repeat Tops The Night". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on April 23, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  24. ^ Gorman, Bill (July 4, 2010). "TV Ratings Saturday: The Forgotten Tops Three Rivers In Dead Show Series Finale Battle". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2011.

External links