To little surprise, CBS has pulled Three Rivers from the Sunday night schedule, effective immediately. Will the show be back? Has it been cancelled?
Three Rivers follows a group of dedicated doctors and medical staffers who help those in need of organ transplants. The series stars Alex O’Loughlin, Katherine Moennig, Daniel Henney, Justina Machado, Christopher Hanke, Amber Clayton, and Alfre Woodard.
The medical drama got off to a slow start in the ratings back in early October. Unfortunately, the numbers only got worse as the weeks wore on and it became a likely candidate for early cancellation.
To CBS’ credit, the network has been patient with the series and has kept it on the air. Two weeks ago, the network tried switching timeslots with Cold Case. While the veteran crime drama benefited from the time change and attracted more viewers, Three Rivers did not.
Three Rivers has now been pulled from the Sunday night schedule. As expected, Cold Case will slip into the earlier timeslot and repeats of various crime dramas will take over at 10pm.
A CBS spokesperson has said that Three Rivers’ fate has not yet been decided but the network has not ordered any additional installments beyond the initial 13 episodes.
Eight episodes of the drama have been aired, leaving five on the shelf. CBS will likely burn them off either on Saturdays or during the summer months but, unless the execs have a major change of heart, Three Rivers is essentially cancelled.
What do you think? What went wrong with Three Rivers? Is Sunday night football to blame for the show’s failure to attract more viewers or was the show flawed?
Image courtesy CBS.
I really enjoyed Three Rivers. Foot ball was an issue because even if you tivo’d it you didn’t get it and often it was pushed way too late. Be fair give the program a fair shot and a decent time slot. Now , CBS, you are also going to cancel As The World Turns, what are you thinking. What do you have to offer? I have watched As The World Turns from it’s first episode.
It’s up against football and Desperate Housewives! I don’t have a DVR so I would change channels to try to watch both. But in the end, I switched back to DH because 3R just didn’t have enough to interest me. Also, I’ll admit I’m still very bitter with CBS for cancelling Moonlight. The CBS execs should have listened to the fans instead of the critics! CBS seems to think they can plug Alex into any show and have an instant fan-based following – it doesn’t and will never work that way.
Alex rocks / CBS sucks!
I loved Three Rivers. It’s definitely one of the best and most important medical shows on television. How can you just suddenly decide to stop my favorite show in the middle of the season? TV sucks, you finally find a show that you actually get excited to watch and suddenly it’s gone. And you leave so much destructive, negative, “garbage” on. Maybe you should think about educating the silent majority about something really important and meaningful instead of just MONEY. Plus your advertising for 3R’s sucked, nobody has even heard about it, how can you expect it to do well… Read more »
I’m so upset about this. What’s wrong with them wanting to cancel a show like Three Rivers, but they allow others, such as, Jerry Springer, to continue? I realize that ratings is what essentially decides whether or not a show gets canceled, but its hard for me to understand why society chooses to watch crap, instead of those with meaning. I just wonder if those who don’t watch the show would change their minds if their lives were impacted by the need of a transplant. I just hope CBS reconsiders and brings the show back. Personality I think the show… Read more »
Good for her Ami, that’s great!
Also, you should see how many views on the full episodes online are. They can help, cause some people may not me home on the weekends. PS because of this show, my friend held a Donate Life booth and have over 200 people sign up to donate organs.
I meant to say SIT on the couch together 🙂
We know Ami. But thanks for the chuckle!
I think this show is one of the best medical shows I have ever watched. It’s the only show where my family and I just shut up and **** on the couch together and watch. In my opinion I think its better then house. I think the exec’s have to look the fans who care for this show and don’t want to see it fail. I know A LOT of people who have other shows they watch at 8pm and 9pm but would LOVE to watch this show, still on Sundays. I would blame it on maybe football? Also, I’ve… Read more »
Three Rivers is a goodshow that does not deserve to be cancelled. Watching it has brought me to tears several times, and I think that it does a good job of making people think about organ donation, which is a very worthy cause. It has also made me laugh many times, and the characters are all believable and easy to connect to. I don’t know if football deserves all of the blame, but it can’t have helped that there was sometimes no telling when Three Rivers was actually going to come on – many people are likely to give up… Read more »
Sunday football: definately to blame. I love Cold Case; always have, always will. But, I had quit watching it every week because I got tired of never nowing for sure when it was going to come on. Same with Without a Trace last season. I loved Three Rivers. Three Rivers brought me back to CBS Sunday viewing. Couple that with a show I already liked (Cold Case) and I WAS back. Now I’ve started questioning every Sunday again; Whether or not the Cold Case episode is worth waiting out the game. Three Rivers, the answer was a no brainer…wait it… Read more »
My husband and I love this show. I was shocked to have it not on…with no notice. Did it get pulled? Did the time slot move? We only watch a couple of shows and mostly on demand because we work like middle America does…8 AM-10PM, and then sandwich our kids in the middle of it all. We may seem the minority but we are numbers, numbers that aren’t big enough compared to Football? Not fair for us, the ones who like wholesome, save the life in the end TV. Its not about being competitive, its not rough and tumble, its… Read more »
I know I’m just another email that will never be read…I dont have money to produce nor do I have any pull should a show be pulled or not. I do know its business, its hard to step back and seperate personal & business. Yes, money is the ultimate goal, viewers as well. But maybe, just maybe CBS will take a minute to say, lets finish out the season with 3R. Im picky and have a select few shows that I watch like its my job, and the best way I can describe the unbelivable writing & acting for 3R… Read more »
I’m not surprised that Three Rivers has not caught on. The characters are given little depth and not developed well; each episode they are able to perform multiple miracles and are depicted as near-perfect shiny happy people rather than real people with issues and problems and soul. Yes, the physicians and medical staff are shown in crises and losing patients, but still the overall effect is they are still seen as near-perfect people who are en-nobled by their efforts. Basically, the show has little soul beneath its shiny exterior. The hospital is shown as the miracle ship and little of… Read more »
You need to Google : Can TV Save Your Life? “Three Rivers” has. In a few short interrupted weeks, this is what has already transpired!
What is it that determines the longevity of a series nowadays? Is it quality, thought-provoking, inspirational material as found on Medium, Eastwich and Three Rivers? Or is it still sex, violence and the lowest common denominator (i.e. what the mass mind majority demands)? That excellent performance of Mandy Patinkin on Three Rivers brought us both to tears.
Here, here Doug. I wholeheartedly agree. I hope Mr. Patinkin gets his dues. I wonder what he’s thinking now. After he put his heart and soul into that part?
This was a very well scripted drama…only CBS would can it so early….Being from the Pittsburgh area even made watching this show more interesting….bring it back and quite messing with the good things in life….