[Updated 26-Mar-09]

Alex O’Loughlin has finally confirmed that he has signed on for the lead role in the medical pilot Three Rivers!  Many on-line sources have also reported additional casting news for this CBS project.

Three Rivers is a “character heavy” show, according to CBS Entertainment chief Nina Tassler. The role set aside for Alex is that of Dr. Andy Yablonski. We’ve read that he’s the workaholic surgeon at the head of a team of organ transplant specialists at a fictional medical center set in Pittsburgh. The Hollywood Reporter writes that the team is based at the Three Rivers Hospital. Andy is separated from his wife and lives in a motel close to work.

Julia Ormond has been cast as Dr. Jordan, who is the head of surgery at the hospital. Presumably this would make her Andy Yablonski’s boss!

Supporting cast members are Katherine Moennig, who has signed on as a self-destructive member of the lung/heart transplant fellowship program and Daniel Henney, who has been cast as the kidney/liver/pancreas specialist on the surgical team. Justina Machado will play a surgical assistant and Joaquim de Almeida is the director of “the institute of transplant medicine” (a recurring role in the series), which I presume is a reference to the hospital where the transplant team is based.  Christopher J. Hanke is to portray Ryan Romero, the assistant to the transplant coordinator.

So is Dr. Yablonski also the transplant coordinator? It’s possible, although transplant coordinators tend to be registered nurses, so perhaps that’s a role that has not yet been cast. According to BroadwayWorld, however, Hanke has actually been cast as the transplant coordinator and not as the assistant to the TC as other sources have reported. Interesting to know is that the concept for the show is inspired by the experiences of Steve Boman, who was a transplant coordinator at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

“A Strong Case for Early Pickup”

TV.com’s Tim Surette has some heartening words to share about Three Rivers: “O’Loughlin fans should also take note that this series has a strong case for early pickup, and its prognosis for a long life is good. Not only is CBS mad for its own successful medical drama, but its emphasis on all sides of the story–the donor perspective being the wild card–adds extra oomph to an otherwise worn-down genre.” I certainly hope Tim is right, but we can’t forget that CBS has two other medical pilots to consider for pickup: Miami Trauma and The Eastmans.

Today The Herald-Standard reported that the now closed Brownsville Tri-County Hospital has been selected as the shooting location for the Three Rivers pilot. The article, however, does not list Alex O’Loughlin among the cast members, which has some of us worried. Alex, on the other hand, changed his MySpace mood to “accomplished” on March 25th, so he may very well be referring to his involvement in Three Rivers. He is clearly sending a message to his fans, and if he is upbeat, then there’s no reason why we shouldn’t remain positive as well!

[tags]alex o’loughlin, alex o’lachlan, three rivers, andy yablonski, cbs[/tags]

[Updated 23-Mar-09]

According to a brief article said to have been published in the Australian Herald Sun of March 12th, Alex O’Loughlin has “landed the lead in the pilot for a new US drama, Three Rivers“. This one hour CBS drama is set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (For non-US fans, three rivers merge in Downtown Pittsburgh, which is also known as the Golden Triangle, hence the title. It’s been reported that Three Rivers is also the name of the hospital where a lot of the action takes place.) Central to the show is a group of transplant surgeons and Alex is said to have been cast as Dr. Andy Yablonski, who, according to The Hollywood Reporter is “the workaholic head of the team of organ donor transplants who is separated from his wife and lives in a motel near the hospital”. Interesting about Three Rivers is that each transplant story is told from the point of view of the surgeon, the recipient and the donor.

Assuming that Alex is indeed cast (he is confirmed to still be in negotiations with CBS), we need to keep in mind that he is currently looking at doing the pilot only, the shooting of which is expected to commence on March 23rd and last for three weeks. A detailed plot outline is already circulating on various message boards.

It’s interesting to note that Tim Surette at TV.com is of the opinion that Three Rivers “has a strong case for early pickup, and its prognosis for a long life is good. Not only is CBS mad for its own successful medical drama, but its emphasis on all sides of the story–the donor perspective being the wild card–adds extra oomph to an otherwise worn-down genre.”

Another medical show that CBS has commissioned a pilot for is Jerry Bruckheimer’s Miami Trauma. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Miami Trauma and Three Rivers are part of CBS’ concerted effort this development season to find a medical drama for fall”. On March 18, however, BuddyTV named The Eastmans as the second medical pilot that Three Rivers is up against. We won’t know whether Three Rivers will make it to a series until May 20th, when CBS are expected to announce their fall lineup. If the show does not get picked up, then it’s unlikely that we will ever get to see the pilot!

If you’re interested, the Pittsburgh Film Office are looking for background actors and stand-ins required for the pilot episode in the period March 20th – April 10th. Casting is beginning immediately!

Alex set his MySpace status to “moving house” last week (his first status ever, by the way!). There was some speculation that this has to do with the possible new show. If he is shooting the pilot only and the show has not yet been greenlit, then his current relocation probably has more to do with his personal circumstances than with Three Rivers. If the show does get picked up, the question will be whether it will be produced entirely in Pittsburgh. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Until they know whether Three Rivers has a future beyond the pilot, producers won’t commit to a filming location for additional episodes”.

Fingers crossed that we will get some official confirmation soon that Alex indeed is signing on for this new role — I’m hoping that he will post a new blog (that’s a hint, Alex!). He has, meanwhile, approved some MySpace comments congratulating him on Three Rivers.

Pending further news from CBS and/or the man himself, below are links to other recent articles on Alex O’Loughlin and Three Rivers. Many offer the option of leaving a comment.

• March 18: BuddyTV: “‘Moonlight’ Star Makes TV Comeback with ‘Three Rivers’”
• March 17: TV.com: “More Blood for Alex O’Loughlin at CBS”
• March 17: IGN: “Moonlight Vamp Finds New Blood on CBS”
• March 17: Zap2It: “‘Moonlight’s’ Alex O’Loughlin doctors up ‘Three Rivers’”
• March 17: HitFix: “CBS Floats ‘Moonlight’ Star Down ‘Three Rivers’”
• March 17: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Moonlight Star is in Talks for Pilot Filiming Here”
• March 17: Daemon’s TV: Alex O’Loughlin Cast in New CBS TV Show THREE RIVERS
• March 17: TV Squad: “Mick St. John is Back, and he’s a Doctor”
• March 17: TV Guide: “The Doctor is in: Alex O’Loughlin Eyes Medical Series”
• March 17: The Ausiello Files: “Scoop: ‘Moonlight’ vamp sinks teeth into new series”
• March 17: The Hollywood Reporter: “Alex O’Loughlin Navigates ‘Three Rivers’”
• March 16: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Three Rivers: Casting About”

[tags]alex o’loughlin, alex o’lachlan, three rivers, cbs[/tags]