Men in Trees: ABC Cancels Anne Heche Drama
After being ping-ponged around the ABC schedule for two years, the network has cancelled the series about Marin (Anne Heche) and the residents of Elmo, Alaska. In retrospect, the writing’s been on the wall for awhile.
When Men in Trees premiered in the fall of 2006, it attracted a respectable number of viewers. Unfortunately, the show never seemed to be a priority for the network — possibly because it’s not produced by ABC’s in-house production company. Though its viewership was slowly growing, the TV show’s first season was cut short due to ABC’s scheduling of October Road (which is produced by ABC Studios). Instead of airing all 22 episodes, the network opted to air just 17 and added the remaining five episodes to the series’ season two order, in preparation for a possible writers strike.
When the writers strike hit in November 2007, it was expected that Men in Trees would benefit from the lack of original scripted programming on network television. That never seemed to happen and the series was put on hiatus in December. It returned once the strike was over in February and ABC cut Men in Trees’ second season order to 19 episodes, including the five from season one.
There series is on hiatus once again and isn’t scheduled to return until after the May sweeps period is finished — a sure sign that a network has lost faith in a series. ABC sent tapes of both Men in Trees and October Road to Lifetime to see if they’d be interested in taking on either series. They weren’t.
To little surprise, series creator Jenny Bicks was informed of the Men in Trees cancellation last week. She lamented to TV Guide, “I wish the show had not been moved six times and put onto two long hiatuses. No show could survive that.”
She says, “I am really proud of the work we did on MIT… A huge thank you to our supportive fans.”
On the positive side, Bicks realized that the series might not be back for season three and the cast and crew did some extra filming. As a result, an alternative ending for this season’s finale was filmed to serve as a series finale.
Men in Trees is scheduled to return to ABC on May 28th. If the network lets it remain in that Wednesday night timeslot for three episodes, the series finale should air on June 11, 2008. Based on the network’s track record with this show, it’s hard to say if that will actually happen. Stay tuned! 
48. teka said said,
bring back men in trees this was a really fantastic show give it a real time slot , bring it back, bring it back,
47. Lori B. said,
Hey ABC. You guys are absolute idiots. You have now become famous for canceling shows mid-season or at the end of a season and not saying anything. But that’s okay — we still have stimulating TV like Tori & Dean, I Survived a Japanese Game show, and Wipeout which is a knock off of Spke’s MXC. That’s also okay because I’m sure that some celebrity wannabee will come along and ask you to put them on the air (Dina Lohan, Denise Richards, Pam Anderson). Now that’s quality TV. And we also have all of those crime scene shows which just gives our mentally challenged psychopaths ideas on how to kill someone. Between the reality shows, game shows and violence on TV today, I don’t even watch regular TV any more. I’ve chosen to expand my knowledge with MSNBC and Discovery. At least it is “real”.
think you need to get some new, young blood in your executive department. Since you obviously don’t care about your viewers, why don’t you cancel Desperate Housewives or Lost? You’ve already pissed off a large percentage of viewers. You may as well piss of the rest and then sell ABC for a big profit before it goes completely down the toilet.
BRING BACK MEN IN TREES ON A REGULAR SCHEDULED DAY AND TIME SLOT AND GIVE IT A FAIR CHANCE. YOU GUYS ARE BLOODY IDIOTS.
46. Jackie said,
Very big disappointment, the cancellation of MIT, it really was a great show with a great story line and a great cast. It could still grow, someone, PLEASE put it back on TV, ANY network, we ALL will follow!
45. Nicole said,
what a disappointment- i really enjoyed MIT. very funny and smart! It was my own hour to enjoy TV. Characteres were cute and interesting. I grew up in a small town and this show really hit the small town atmosphere!…. what a bummer……
44. aley said,
ABC who? I will miss MIT and ABC will miss me because i will not watch this network until they bring MITs back.
43. Jessica said,
Not sure why this was cancelled, who cares about the huge ratings, it had good ratings and the fans truley loved this show! I love October Road as well two of my favorit shows. This should be thought over for the loyal fans. It was a good wholesome show!! A fun to watch and look forward to every week. Cant be surprised when you constantly change nights and take off and put back on the air. What does ABC expect? PLEASE PUT BACK ON!
42. kimberly said,
Cancelling MIT is a bad idea - what a fun little show with beautiful scenery. Just a feel good thing and everytime something really good comes along - someone gets a brilliant idea to axe it… VERY DISAPPOINTED MIT has been cancelled.. Please rethink that Decision
41. Pam said,
I never knew that MIT was filmed through another production company. It comes down to the money. They replaced it with a pathetic show… October Roads, which was a huge bomb. I can’t believe that lifetime didn’t pick it up. How pathetic is that? It’s so frustrating and disappointing to get involved with a show and it’s characters only to have it yanked. Should have known ABC/Disney only cared about the money. Doesn’t surprise me. Just gives me another reason to never watch ABC again. Thus far I’ve done a great job of not watching anything they offer. I’ll continue to do so and pass the word along to others.
40. Judy said,
MIT was clever, entertaining, addressed honest relationship issues humorously and logically. Each character helped make the series fun, thoughtful and heartwarming. The scenery was breathtaking and the writers accomplished all of this without crime scene violence, foul words, reality TV antics or special effects. Could we just have good entertaining TV to watch at least on occasion; such shows as Men In Trees? Please reconsider your mistake in canceling a show worthy of watching.
39. Julie said,
I am so very bummed. Clearly, Men In Tress isn’t just a women’s show… my husband loved it, too. It is beyond me as to how it can be cancelled when there is so much garbage that stays on… all using the repeated phrase “wanna have ***?” as a a filler for poor writing and supposed quick attention. Here we have a well thought out show that kept you hanging each week. It was so smary and funny. It had great character developemnt. Where are the execs getting their viewership info from? Are we tracked by our digital boxes? I wish they’d give the show a fair chance on a steady night. I am so sad it is going away. Hopefully, they will sell the short series on Dvd so I can cancel my cable service. Everything else on is just junk using the tired old sexual hype. The only way to send a clear message is to write to the executives and then stop watching the garbage that is on. I know that’s all there is on for entertainment, but for me, I am ready to make a stand. Cheers to all who loved MIT!! Julie
38. Melissa Gilbert said,
I was hooked on Men in Trees after watching only two episodes toward the end of the second season. I made it a point to keep that time slot open every Wednesday evening only to be tossed around. I would tune in to find another show airing during MIT’s slot. I thought the show was gone only to find out I missed the finale! If I could get sucked into this show after two episodes, imagine the fans if it was actually given a chance on the same night, at the same time every week. I am sad that I will not get to see more MIT. Bring it back, I’ll watch!
37. Cathy said,
Why is it whenever you find a show that has some substance they cancel it.. Enough of these silly reality shows. Who really cares…. Why not leave on MIT.. that was such a good show… Leave something for the people who have some intelligence and don’t want to watch the trash that is on tv now……….Bring back MIT
36. Sue said,
ABC this is money on the Tree. Why are you NOT thinking?
35. Debbie said,
Once again, an amazing show canceled by a network because they screwed up…..
it was like “where’s waldo?” where is MIT? when is MIT? how many changes could they make without losing viewers?
entertaining, intelligently written, funny, family friendly- there are not too many other series you can say that about on any of the major networks. please reconsider bringing back this quality “dramedy”. Air it on a consistent night at a consistent time and you will attract and retain viewers. As a network, ABC, you do not have much else! very disappointing.
34. Meg and Peg said,
My mom and I are extremely upset and disappointed of the cancellation of Men In Trees! We have highly enjoyed watching this show together and have been devoted viewers since day one. We completely agree with everyone’s posts and ABC needs to bring this show back, or another network needs to pick it up! This show is beyond amazing and it’s great for all viewers, young and old. Quality shows like Men In Trees just don’t exist anymore. The talent of the cast members and crew are spectacular and deserve to be awarded by another season! ABC should pay attention to the viewers opinion, AFTER ALL WE ARE THE ONES WATCHING AND GIVE THEM THEIR RATINGS!
Do away with trash t.v., such as reality shows, and give us some wholesome goodness with Men In Trees! ANY NETWORK that would give this show a chance and keep the same time-slot throughout one season, will see how successful this show will be and the devoted viewers will PROVE IT!!!!
So any network with half a brain will listen to the posts of MIT’s devoted fans, bring back the show, and in return they’ll be glad they did!
We’ll keep a warm fire burning until you BRING US BACK TO ELMO!!!!!!
33. pam said,
Once again you cancel a great show.I am so tired of the way networks move shows around so you can’t find them and then whine that no one is watching.I only watch a few shows on the big three because of the lousy treatment they afford their shows.
32. Jan McMurdy said,
Loved the show everytime I get hooked on a show it gets canceled These reality shows suck but they keep them coming Thanks to the whole cast of MEN IN TREES
SUPER JOB
31. Markie said,
Good to see other people have to go through the pain that we Cavemen fans had to go through with Cavemen’s unfair and silent cancellation. MIT was another show I enjoyed watching on ABC, next to Cavemen, Carpoolers, Dancing with the Stars and Pushing Daisies. ABC is really ******** up when it comes to quality TV Shows, giving way to cheap, cookie cutter nonsense. They screwed up with Cavemen and Carpoolers and now with MIT. I do not put it past them to screw up on Pushing Daisies because it’s WAY too awesome of a show for ABC. If it isn’t about ******** your neighbors wife or that hawt doctor/lawyer across the hall then it isn’t worth it for TV now-a-days. This is why I read books.
People should really boycott the state of television today. Boycott by GOING OUT AND DOING SOMETHING BESIDES WATCHING TV!
30. HusbandAndWife said,
We are very upset at the cancellation of this show! We were quite upset when ABC stuck October Road in all of a sudden just when the show was growing roots. Then they moved it all over or put it on hold. ABC does not deserve our loyalty any further. MIT was, no, it is a very accomplished, well written, wholesome and inviting show. ABC shouldn’t be so cocky about their Desperate Housewives Lost over this show that will continue to alienate even more viewers by their cancellation of it. If they wisely choose to return it; they need to leave in it’s best time-slot for at least two full seasons before they make another move. ABC, wise up and move us back to Elmo!
29. Dee Stublefield said,
MIT, one of the few good shows on tv. I suppose it was canceled for another blasted reality show or another game show. Whoever is responsible for canceling the show is not too bright. I am also tired ot all the CSI shows (on another channel), but guess I don’t have any choice, unless I want to watch a “Japanese Game Show”. Is that what is replacing MIT? Figures!
28. Florene said,
It’s really sad that the show ended. I loved the laid back atmosphere it offered. With life being so hectic; it provided a real comfort level. I hope ABC will seriously reconsider bringing it back to televison. The show reminded me of northern exposure which I adored but with a sweet twist.What about patrick? Buzz? All of the cast were fantstic in their roles. And one of the great mistakes was not adding Cash into more scenes.We need a great wholesome show to watch. What is wrong with ABC? Please for all of us that live for simplicity in life please find a way to bring Anne back. I will miss her sign offs of each show a lot!!! Loyal fan.
Fprice
27. Dolores said,
What a shame! Men in Trees was never scheduled at a regular time slot; therefore you never knew when it was going to be aired. ABC is dropping the ball on this one. I know of many fans of this show—we are tired of all the CSI shows — now what will we watch - You took October Road off the air too and this was another hit or miss show–never had a regular day or time for viewing. Please reconsider and bring back both shows! Who needs all this CSI nonsense on T.V.
26. Jesi said,
Personally for me, MIT was one of the few shows that was heart felt and all around a good enjoyable show to watch. It wasn’t like all the other shows out there such as Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, *** and the City (granted all the mentioned shows are fantastic in their own ways but all consistantly are based around *** and cheating), it had variety and so many excellent and amazing story lines.
I have been a loyal fan since day one when the show first aired, if comes out on DVD you can mark my words that I’ll be purchasing it. I just wish that another network would pick the series up, because it’s an excellent show.
TV just isn’t what it used to be I guess… Let’s see how many more reality shows we can shove down a viewer’s throat…
25. B said,
I am disappointed with the series finale. How could they not let Patricka and Annie back together?
24. Daizey said,
My whole family watches Men In Trees everytime its on and when I saw it said series finalie, I thought it was a mistake. So I pulled it up and found out it was not a minstake. I hope they decide not to get rid of it for good. Please keep it going, with ER leaving, the only other shows we watch are Moonlight and Greys Anatomy. Please keep Men in Trees gloing.
23. Heather said,
MIT, a fun and heartfelt show that I’ll sadly miss. Really wish some network would give this another chance … ABC, cancelling this is a mistake.
22. Anonymous said,
i also loved men in trees. first they really didn’t give it a chance with how they changed the times, the day, etc. then, it got preempted for other shows a few times. it’s not a great show, but it’s a sweet show that you care about and deserves another chance. please change your mind abc. i’m also sick of reality shows.
21. Kelly said,
I loved MIT and am very dissapointed in the cancelation, the only reality TV show I watch is Extreme Hom Make Over addition…. Bring back MIT, WMC and OR!
20. C Rubio said,
Personally….. we finally get a decent show that makes you laugh and has some really great characters and a wonderful story line and it gets cancelled. How depressing!!! Instead we get to see reality TV which is really not reality, crime shows and stupid game shows. When all I beleive the majority of people would like to be enetertained by what Men In Trees brings. A story of something that we can relate to and escape from the day in and day out hum drum of working at the office. I looked forward to the nights of Men In Trees, it makes the rest of the week a much happier place to be. Seriously every channel you turn on its about this investigation of somone being murdered. We hear and see enough bad news every day. Why take away a show that is like a breath of fresh air, where we can see the beauty of what Men In Trees brings not some crime show you know the start the middle and the end to as soon as it starts. Please rethink.
19. Diane said,
There are so many of us that loved this show, it was comforting,funny, and just gave us a “family” feel. So many crazy shows and you take MEN IN TREES OFF? I hope you change your mind soon, or ABC will loose alot of viewers..Put it on and keep it in one spot!!!!
18. chante g said,
i’m sorry to see that “october road” and “men in trees” are no longer on the air. i’ll be looking forward to their shows when they come on dvds..especially “men on trees”. what i enjoyed is down home feeling when i watched these two shows.
“dancing with the stars”, “grey’s anatomy” and “desperate hussies” are what ruling the airwaves these days.
NBC is no longer the must see tv anymore..lol..
17. Tom M said,
How many time slots did you have MIT in? How many weeks was it taken off air? It is no wonder the show couldn’t get ratings, no one could find it. It was one of 4 network shows that we watched and the only one on ABC so guess what……….now your batting .000 in this household. Keep up the Mickey Mouse work!!!!
16. Linda McKinnon said,
I have been an avid supporter of ABC series, however these decisions appall me! Finally you brought us your regular viewers a different content which many have embraced .I could only hope that the indiviuals that make these decisions take the time to read all of our thoughts and comments.otherwise, I fear they are about to lose a enormous audience.
15. Linda said,
October Road and Men in Trees are the 2 shows I recorded weekly to keep up with. They were both homespun, They left you with a different perspective and a happy feeling. I am tired of the drama and reality shows. I am sorry to see these shows leave. Not much on TV lately other than an occasional movie. It is hard to find good evening TV series to follow. oh Well !! Thanks for the short time of good tV viewing, even if you can’t get the hang of good scheduling.
14. Marsha said,
I want to take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing us two seasons of Men in Trees! And thank you for making it easy for me to permanently tune out ABC shows! For months I have been indecisive as to whether I should keep watching network tv, MIT kept me coming back to ABC. I even tried out Eli Stone which I also enjoyed. However, your terrible decision to cancel MIT has led ME to decide to cancel ABC. I know that you blame it on the ratings, but you and I both know that the lack of viewers is solely ABC’s fault. You moved the show around so much it was impossible for fans to find it. You took it off the air for months at a time. And when it was finally on the air you rarely advertised that fact. Finding Men in Trees was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. You did that intentionally because you never wanted the show to succeed. If you would have put even one-eighth of the promotional effort into MIT that you do into your favorites, “LostGreysUglyDancingHousewives”, then it would have been a huge success. But Men in Trees was too good of a show for ABC. It didn’t fit in to the agenda that that Disney pushes. And that is why you killed this show. ABC/Disney doesn’t want shows that promote love, friendship and positive thinking. No, they want shows that portray men as spineless, wimpy, whining idiots and women as bossy, *****y, backstabbing whores. Men in Trees did not fit in with all of your other shows, so I understand why you wouldn’t want it on your network. Well, you will get exactly three more hours of my viewing time and after that I am done with ABC forever. No longer will I start my day out with Good Morning America. NBC will get my attention now. You can take Barbara Walters and her “View” and shove it where the sun don’t shine. (I didn’t appreciate her special being in MIT’s slot last night!) Sorry, but I won’t be tuning in to the nightly news with Charlie Gibson. And even though I like Eli Stone, if by some chance you renew that show for another season, I won’t be watching it either. I know that I am only one person in the almost 300 million people that live in the United States, but I can guarentee you that I am not the only one that will be done with ABC permanently after this idiotic decision. If you bother to read the comments on the message boards and at tvguide.com then you will know how pissed off people are and how done with ABC they are. You let less then one percent of the population decide what is being watched on tv. Surely even you know how antique and outdated the Nielson ratings system is. However, I was thrilled when I read that the ratings were slumping for your favorite shows. I hope that fans everywhere stand up in protest to you ABC and that your ratings continue to slide until you are at the bottom of this trash heap we call network television!
13. rachel said,
i just can’t believe this! my daughter-in-law would come over every week just to watch this with me it was our wednesday date!!! i am 46 and abc has always been my family pick of networks but if this is not made right and this show is not brought back on you can bet it will be fox nbc or cbs! PLEASE MAKE THIS RIGHT!!! by the way my husband loves this show too! so this is for all the men out there please raise some hell aaaaabout this!!!
12. lee said,
I personally think ABC’ s decision to cancel this show just shows how they want to control our viewing decisions and cattle herd the public into other shows that have no moral meaning or just plain stupid this show was actually appealing to baby boomers like myself just to see how the other half lives in ALASKA .Maybe if this had been a reality show to destroy someones life it would have been a hit I guess real life isnt good enough to satisify abc execs.to us simple folk who pay the bills you are cramping my style *** and drugs are not everything
11. Miemie du Preez said,
I live in South Africa and enjoy Men in Trees and October Road more than Greys or Desperate House Wives or for that matter any other show. I’m equally sad to hear that they’re both cancelled. ABC definitely need to do their homework better to realise which shows are more popular. Greys and House Wives are getting very boring and I will rather have them be discontinued than Road or Trees. Come on ABC give these shows a fair chance and you will discover that they will be more popular than your so called favorites. The characters on Trees and Road are so much more human and the scripts are more interesting. If anyone asks me to choose a bunch of friends out of a TV Series, guess who, Trees and Road’s people for sure! I think all the fans out there in the world should unite and write to ABC to show their dissapointment! Come on lets do it!
10. elizabeth said,
This sucks…they never gave it a chance! I would seach and saw every show…they always cancel the good ones….what great people, everyone of them was a joy to watch. No wonder TV sucks..they don’t care what the viewers want…I have never even watched one show of Boston Legal…can’t get past the two space cadets that are the lead men!
9. tonic said,
Hard to build any viewership or loyalty when you move things around for whatever reasons. This was one of those shows that was constantly on the move and while many won’t, I did make the effort to go looking for it. When you have to work that hard to watch something you enjoy, well sometimes it is just easier to turn on the radio or put on a cd. This was one of those great lighthearted shows that you could just sit and relax and not worry about the shoot em up and blood and guts that you would have to endure. It also gave me a thing or two to ponder. If someone else decides to pick this one up, I for one will be happy to watch and I don’t think I’ll be alone…give it try someone!!!!! TV needs nice shows like this one.
8. Kim said,
Just one more cancellation of a really good show. I am sick of, and do not watch the so called “Reality” shows. Guess there are no more talented writers out there, they have filled TV with that ****. Men in Trees and October Road has good scripts, great to watch with great story lines, and talented actors. I even managed to watch it even though I had to practically hunt for the new time slot in what seems like weekly. Lifetime, since you are the only network with decent shows please reconsider ABC’s castoff’s. They are apparently to stupid to know a good thing when they’ve got it.
7. Joel Fleischman said,
What a bunch of a$$h0les at ABC. Damn! They wouldn’t know a good show if it bit them between the pockets. This was the closest I came to watching a “Northern Exposure” type of show. As far as I’m concerned, Northern Exposure got dropped way too soon–loved the show and have episodes on DVD. Anyway, fans of shows can’t count on the networks listening to a damned word they have to say; fans have no input. Even if a show gets renewed, look at how long they keep them on the air. Geeze, what a waste!
6. Ryan said,
They keep “Boston Legal” and “Desperate Housewives”, 2 of the dumbest tv shows I have ever watched(or rather, glanced at), and cancel a good tv show? If you want to bring such useless tripe and drivel on tv, just bring Marcy Darcy from Married: With Children whining for an hour….
5. Janice C said,
I’m not surprized ABC cancelled the show - they moved it and preempted so many times you couldn’t keep up. At least I know now why and know not to get into any of their series- they just might cancel and how am I to know if it’s not an ABC production company series. It was cute, the cast of characters and plots crazy but refreshing. Sorry to see you go.
4. Anonymous said,
Men In Trees is an enjoyable show, there are TOO Many Reality shows on TV an
TOO many violent shows. For those of us who have serious jobs, a lighthearted
show is relaxing, but I guess there is the off switch on the TV.
3. LuLu said,
I can’t believe they are cancelling “Men in Trees”. I agree with Double Dee, how many detective shows can one watch. “Men in Trees” is a great series. Anne Heche is fabulous along with the rest of the cast. There isn’t anything good on local channels anymore. Guess I’ll have to watch cable. Please reconsider bringing back “Men in Trees”.
2. double dee said,
I am very sad, I liked the show, and for once it had some clever and different plots, they should look into other shows to cancel, or stop the constant repeats!
between this and big shots being cancelled, there are no more NEW shows. Same ol **** and b.s. out there. how many more detective shows or law shows can one watch- If they would have just advertised when show are going to be on instead of constantly telling us when the “big named shows” are going to be on people may actually be interested - when things are not on the same time slot, and moved around, we cant keep up with it. maybe they are going to add more reality shows……….oh please………….please.
1. sallie b said,
personally, i’m gladd it was canceled. i tried it a couple timez and culdn’t get into it. i love octobor road tho! eddie is a cutie!!!