Three Rivers: New This Fall

Summer still has a little way to go but in TV land, the quest for Fall TV audiences is in full swing. One hotly anticipated show of the fall season is CBS.TV's entry into the medical drama genre, Three Rivers starring personable actor, Alex O'Loughlin. What separates this from other medical dramas for some may be the premise behind the show, that of organ transplant. However, for rabid Moonlight fans, it is the series star, O'Loughlin.

Yes, I must admit I am one of those vampire loving, avant-garde lover of the unusual, who appreciates good drama and a clandestine love story with mystery that was all that and more that Moonlight delivered consistently. Yes, I am one of those anxious fans that felt the need to write to CBS when my favorite program was abruptly and viciously canceled for no apparent reason other than some television executive's whim. Yes, I swore off the network in total retaliation for ruining my Friday night fun. And yes, I will be tuning in to Three Rivers despite all that I swore.

Organ transplant is a subject that hits close to home for me personally. My father-in-law, before he passed away was lucky to receive a kidney transplant. While the entire family was caught up in the excitement that comes with the telephone call you receive in the middle of the night that hurries your family member into the hospital for this new lease on life, initially not too much thought is given to the young person killed in the motorcycle accident that precipitates the transplantation. That awareness for this selfless gift comes much later in the recovery process of the patient and the family. Make no mistake about the entire process, although your donor may never be revealed to you, that person in some small way remains in our heart for giving you the ultimate gift. However, i understand that this new drama is only an hour long show and this is, after all, television and not real life. Still, from the promos, it looks like that whole emotional aspect is hit upon with the appropriate over-bearing ring of reality and drama mixed together.

It is hard to review a show that I am yet to see but I must admit that those sneak peeks, and O'Loughlin do have me curious. To read a synopsis of Three Rivers please visit www.cbs.com/primetime/three_rivers. Once there, you will be able to see previews for yourself and form your own judgments. However, I have to question the powers at hand at CBS television. Cable television has had wonderful success with its vampire program, True Blood. The Twilight book series are widely popular as are the movies it has and will spawn as a result. Vampire themed entertainment is popping up all over. CBS was blazing a trail and then doused its own innovation for what? Another medical drama! Yet, I am willing to give this show a "shot."

Alex O'Loughlin stars as a hard-hitting head of the medical transplant team with the moniker, Dr. Andy Yablonski. I'm guessing CBS or the writers chose to name O'Loughlin this to give the series a bit of realism. It just doesn't roll off the tongue the way O'Loughlin's last named television persona, Mick St. James. I know, I have to let Moonlight go but gosh, it is hard. I'm also assuming that Three Rivers, the title is based on the name of the hospital where the action tales place. So it doesn't have that captivating allure and the mystifying effect a title like Moonlight had. I'll go out on a limb and say that Three Rivers is symbolic for the three factors involved in organ transplant, that being the patient, the donor, and a higher power to assure the success of the transplantation.

This whole thing may wind up to be just as far-fetched as your everyday vampire drama but it does feature Alex O'Loughlin. Come on die hard Moonlight fans, let's give Three Rivers a chance to flow freely into an ocean of entertainment before CBS boards up a dam.