ABC gives the ax to 'Men in Trees'

May 8, 2008

I wish I could say that I didn't see this coming. I had a feeling ABC would cancel "Men in Trees," and sure enough, TVGuide.com reported Monday that the network has done so.

Here's what I wrote about "Men in Trees" a month ago: "Good ensemble dramadies are not easily created, and 'Men in Trees' has more heart and earnest insight than most. But perhaps the most notable thing about the 2-year old show, which stars Anne Heche as a New Yorker living in Alaska, is the blinding stupidity with which ABC has treated it."

As I wrote then, "MIT" is not perfect TV, but I can guarantee it'll be better than at least half of what ABC rolls out next fall. It was certainly a million times better than "October Road," the show that ABC gave the plum post-"Grey's Anatomy" time slot to, and which is now all but dead.

But "MIT" was not a product of ABC's corporate sibling, the TV production company ABC Studios ("MIT" is a production of Warner Bros. Television). Perhaps partly for that reason, perhaps just because of network boneheadedness, the show never really got good treatment from ABC. And now the winsome "MIT" is dead. Sigh.

I hope that Lifetime or another cable network is smart enough to pick up this show, but that's a long shot at best. The fact is, we may only have a few more visits to Alaska left.

ABC begins airing the final three second-season "MIT" episodes May 28.

Britney back on 'HIMYM'

Britney Spears, who made a cameo appearance as a receptionist on the CBS comedy "How I Met Your Mother" March 24, visits the show again Monday.

"HIMYM" viewers will recall that her character, Abby, had a crush on Ted, but she ended up meeting Barney at the end of that episode. When Abby returns, she'll be "dating" Barney, who is on the outs with Ted. And apparently so is Abby, for reasons that we'll no doubt discover Monday.

According to the network's release, "When Barney and Abby realize they have one thing in common—their mutual hatred of Ted—the 'couple' decides to go to the bar to flaunt their new relationship in Ted's face."

I'm not crazy about a non-acting celebrity stealing the thunder of the show's capable cast, but overall I don't mind her appearances if they help "HIMYM" survive. It sounds as though "HIMYM" will go on to have a fourth season, and the stunt-casting of Britney was likely a factor in that (her first appearance boosted the show's ratings).

Overall, the poststrike episodes have been strong, and both Neil Patrick Harris and Josh Radnor nailed the recent scene in which Ted confronted Barney over Barney's breaking the "Bro Code" by sleeping with Ted's ex, Robin.

As long as the show keeps on churning out quality comedy, I'm OK with a modicum of stunt-casting. Just no Paris Hilton, OK?

moryan@tribune.com