Three Rivers--A TV Review

Title: Three Rivers--Season 1
Starring: Alex O'Loughlin, Katherine Moening, Daniel Henney, Christopher Hanke, Alfre Woodward, Justina Machado
Aired in: 2009
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars


Hospitals are sometimes the bearer of bad news. People come in for treatment all the time and occasionally, the treatment comes a little too late. Not everyone who walks through the doors of Three Rivers Regional Medical Center is quickly cured; in fact, some of their patients are the most desperate, in need of surgeries, transplants, that will save their lives. That is where Dr. Andy Yablonski (O'Loughlin) and his fellow surgeons step in.

There are various different personalities in this hospital. Dr. Yablonski is a workaholic, much to the detriment of his marriage, but he is still extremely personable with patients and physicians alike. Dr. Miranda Foster (Moening) is feisty and won't take no for an answer; she is determined to get what she needs for her patients. Dr. David Lee (Henney) is the more flirtatious surgical resident, but this does not stop him from doing his job and seeking to do it  well. Dr. Sophia Jordan is the head of surgery, the proverbial glue that holds everything together. Along with Ryan Abbott, the dubbed "transplant coordinator," these men and women seek to find viable organs for dying patients. It isn't an easy job--and just because someone in need of, say, a lung gets one doesn't mean instantly they are better. However, for these doctors at Three Rivers, it is extremely rewarding. If there is even a change to save a life, they will take that chance.

********************************************************

I have this paranoia of doctors, so why I first decided to tune into this show (as it kept popping up on my Netflix Recommends list) is beyond me. I believe it was because of the show taking place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which as you know, is somewhere very near and dear to my heart. I like reminders of the place where my dearest friends live as often as I can. =) And as I watched, they mentioned landmarks and places that I had either been to or had heard of. That was quite a thrill. I also loved that for a medical show, it was more "warm hearted." It was a show that made giving life a concept of value and something to be considered. (For the record, it reminded me of why I am an organ donor)

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why this only got one season from CBS. Considering that CBS's shows usually rake in an audience of ten million and up per week, and this did not, I can "see why" CBS axed it. However, I also believe that if it had been on NBC or FOX, it would have continued to air. The cast had reasonable chemistry, there wasn't any content (in the entire season, there was one brief season. That's it.), and it was always an enjoyable forty-five minutes of my viewing pleasure. The one downside, perhaps another measure aiding in its downfall, was that 'Three Rivers" never delved into the personal lives of the characters involved as one would wish. I'm a girl who wants to know about a person outside of the office and inside of their mind; I want to know what makes them tick and the people who do so. As much as I searched for it, "Three Rivers" didn't do this on the scale that I wished, certainly not on the same wave length that "Grey's Anatomy" was doing at the same time on a different network.

However, I thank "Three Rivers" for one huge thing: my current fascination with Alex O'Loughlin. I'm not ashamed to admit it--that guy is one of my favorite viewing pleasures right now. I added him to my "Why Can't Doctors Look Like Them" list. I mean, the guy is good looking, just be honest. I have begun the first season of "Hawaii Five-O" because of him (and now I am loving the entire series. Only that is a review of its own when I finish up watching Season 1 and trust me, there will be a lot of praising Alex O'Loughlin then =D) *Cough*

If anyone can get their hands on a copy of this gone to soon series, I encourage you to do so. It's nothing spectacular, but I say that it is definitely worth viewing. I am so glad that I gave it a chance,  despite the fact that I love shows that last longer, MUCH longer, than thirteen episodes.