CBS has canceled Three Rivers

Uh oh! CBS has canceled Three Rivers. Poor Alex! Unfortunately, he has been down this road before with our beloved Moonlight :(

CBS Pulls the Plug on Three Rivers
by Natalie Abrams

Once again, adoring fans must say farewell to Alex O'Loughlin: His new medical drama, Three Rivers, has been canceled, TVGuide.com has confirmed.

Effective immediately, the network will air repeats of Criminal Minds and NCIS: Los Angeles instead of the organ-donor drama.

Rivers will complete production on all 13 episodes from the show's original order, but no decisions have been made on whether they will air.

The cancelation news would be more of a blow to CBS if it hadn't had such a successful fall with NCIS: LA and The Good Wife. Rivers has been flatlining in the ratings, drawing an average of 7.5 million viewers, compared to Wife and LA's 13.7 million and 17.5 million respective averages.

What are you going to miss more: Alex O'Loughlin or Three Rivers?

http://www.tvguide.com/News/CBS-Pulls-Plug-1012644.aspx

Photograph ~ Dr Sophia Jordan (Alfre Woodard) and Dr Andy Yablonski (Alex O'Loughlin) from Three Rivers television series

New online interview with Alex O'Loughlin

This video is of a new interview with Alex O'Loughlin. It was created for the international marketing of his tv show, Three Rivers.

New time slot for Three Rivers this Sunday

Three Rivers will air in a new time slot on Sunday (November 22nd, 2009). The series is changing places with Cold Case this weekend. Then, it is supposed to go back to its regularly scheduled time period. Alex O'Loughlin posted the info on his MySpace page to make sure fans were up to date.

Three Rivers Television Program
Sunday, 11/22/09
9:00 PM Central Time
10:00 PM Eastern & Pacific Time

Photograph ~ Three Rivers tv show cast ~ Dr Andy Yablonski (Alex O'Loughlin), Dr David Lee (Daniel Henney) and Dr Miranda Foster (Katherine Moennig) ~ in a series promo photo

Three Rivers TV Show premieres tonight

Finally! Three Rivers debuts tonight on CBS. I can't wait to see it..... and to hear what y'all think of it :)

Synopsis of tonight's pilot episode (Place of Life #1x01) ~

A team of Pittsburgh surgeons perform organ transplants and deal with the emotionally complex lives of the recipients. In the opener, a pregnant woman suffers a heart attack and is told she must undergo a heart transplant in order to save her life and the life of her unborn child.

Three Rivers television series
Premiere : October 4th, 2009
CBS Network
8:00 PM Central Time
9:00 PM Eastern & Pacific Time

Photograph ~ Series promo photo of the cast from new medical drama, Three Rivers

Live Q&A with Alex O'Loughlin

Who wants to chat with Alex O'Loughlin? I thought so *wink* Thanks to the lovely folks at TV.Com you will have that chance tomorrow ~ 10/01/09 @ 12:00 PM (Noon) Pacific Time (USA)! Here is the info Edlyn was kind enough to share with us :)

Three Rivers chat with Alex O'Loughlin

Join us on Thursday, October 1 at 12 p.m. PDT for a live chat with Alex O'Loughlin from CBS's new fall drama, Three Rivers !

Alex O'Loughlin, the star of CBS’s new fall drama Three Rivers, will join us for a live Q&A chat in anticipation of the show’s pilot premiere on Sunday, October 4 at 9 p.m. PDT. The new drama is set in a hospital specializing in donor organs and transplants.

We’ll try our best to post as many questions as we can, but in order to keep the conversation flowing and easy to follow, every question or comment may not be posted. Think of this event as similar to a live Q&A.

http://www.tv.com/threerivers-chat/

Photograph ~ Doctor Andy Yablonski (Alex O'Loughlin) in a promo photo for the new medical drama, Three Rivers

Video ~ Promo tv commercials for Three Rivers

These videos show four of the promo tv commercials that CBS is airing for the new Three Rivers series. One centers on organ & tissue donations. Another focuses specifically on Alex O'Loughlin.

Article in Aussie paper about Amber Clayton's Hollywood tv break

Australian newspaper, The Herald Sun, published this quick article about Amber Clayton joining the cast of Three Rivers.

Melbourne's Amber Clayton gets Hollywood TV break
by Fiona Byrne

MELBOURNE actor Amber Clayton has landed her first regular TV role as the main female character in a new American drama series.

The 28-year-old South Yarra resident will leave this week for Los Angeles, after landing the role in the eagerly anticipated medical drama Three Rivers.

Aussie actor Alex O'Loughlin has been cast as the male lead in the series.

Clayton was working as a psychologist before turning to acting three years ago.

"I worked in mental health for three years, but I have always had a passion for acting and I always wanted to be an actor," Clayton said.

"I decided it was now or never, so I went to New York in 2005 to study at the Lee Strasberg Institute."

The cool blonde said she was thrilled but nervous.

"This is just a huge leap for me," she said. "I have done some commercials, some theatre, one low-budget film and I had a guest spot on (Channel 10 drama ) Rush, but they are little things compared to this."

Three Rivers is about the lives of organ donors, the doctors, and organ recipients at a transplant hospital.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25810903-5006022,00.html

Amber Clayton joins cast of Three Rivers

Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Aussie actress Amber Clayton has been cast in Three Rivers. The lucky girl may get to be the love interest of Alex O'Loughlin's character.

Tuned In Journal
Casting scoop: Newcomer scrubs in for 'Three Rivers'
by Rob Owen

Newcomer Amber Clayton has been tapped to play a doctor on CBS's Pittsburgh-set medical drama "Three Rivers."

Clayton will play Lisa, a doc who helps facilitate cases brought in through the ER. She may also be a potential love interest for Dr. Andy Yablonski, played by series star Alex O'Loughlin. The role is billed as recurring and could become a series regular.

Meanwhile, construction continues on the Three Rivers Center for Transplant Medicine set at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. The wall between two adjoining soundstages was broken down to make way for a huge hospital set that I'll report from during press tour on July 31.

"Three Rivers" premieres on CBS on Oct. 4.

http://tinyurl.com/kjs4x2

TV Squad Previews Three Rivers

The folks at TV Squad have gotten a sneak peek at several of the new shows scheduled for CBS this Fall. One of those is Three Rivers. I will share Allison's opinion of it here. To read about all the shows, follow the link below.

TV Squad previews CBS's new shows
by Allison Waldman

Generally speaking, CBS had a strong 2008, developing one bona fide hit drama -- The Mentalist -- even though shows like The Ex-List never found an audience or a critical plaudit. Ironically, I liked The Ex-List based on the screener I reviewed last summer, so go figure. Sometimes a preview can inform you about a show's potential and sometimes it's just the best it'll ever be.

CBS has shared previews for the new season and we've had a chance to take a look. There are star vehicles for Jenna Elfman, Alex O'Loughlin and Julianna Margulies, which would seem logical based on the success of Simon Baker as The Mentalist. CBS is counting on familiar, popular TV stars to win over audiences. Will the strategy work? It's probably too soon to tell.

Still, we've watch these advance peeks and here are our thoughts -- bearing in mind that things are liable to change before the shows air.

Three Rivers (Sunday at 9:00PM ET)

Premise of the screener: Dr. Andy Yablonski is a dedicated doctor, the leader of the team of surgeons at Three Rivers Center for Transplant Medicine, a prestigious Pittsburgh hospital that specializes in transplants. Working against the clock to save patients, Three Rivers explores not only the doctor's trials, but the lives of organ donors and recipients of the organs, often dealing with questions of ethics and efficacy.

Allison says: Alex O'Loughlin is the centerpiece of Three Rivers, and if fans feel that CBS didn't come through for the star with Moonlight, the network has made every effort to give him a success with this new medical drama. The show is not edgy or caustic in the style of House or Nurse Jackie. Three Rivers is just the opposite. It's earnest and contemplative. It poses ethical questions about transplants, giving the viewpoints of those donating organs as well as those receiving the spare parts. While there's some mention of Dr. Andy's troubled home life in the screener (he's living in a motel instead of his house), the focus of the show is the hospital, the patients and the life or death race to get the transplants done. Considering the quality of this initial offering, as well as the prime Sunday time slot, Three Rivers will have a solid send-off and could very well be an early hit.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/07/02/tv-squad-previews-cbss-new-shows/

Photograph ~ Dr. Miranda Foster (Katherine Moennig) and Dr. Andy Yablonski (Alex O'Loughlin) in promo picture for Three Rivers television series

Premiere date for Three Rivers

CBS has announced the premiere date for Three Rivers. The show debuts on Sunday, October 4th, 2009 @ 8:00 pm Central, 9:00 pm Eastern/Pacific. Mark your calendar!

TV Squad ~ Three Rivers Making Changes

Allison Waldman (an entertainment reporter from TV Squad) gives her opinion of the adjustments to Three Rivers.

Three Rivers making changes
by Allison Waldman

Just because CBS is changing where the new medical drama Three Rivers will be filmed, doesn't mean the show is in trouble. After all, a lot of shows are retooled once the pilot is filmed. However, they recently dumped the leading lady, Julia Ormond, too. To me this says that Three Rivers is shifting focus, and I don't mean by filming in a Pittsburgh hospital set that they're building in Los Angeles instead of the real thing in Pennsylvania.

It could well mean that CBS is thinking about making Three Rivers a star vehicle for Alex O'Loughlin. CBS has The Mentalist in mind for Three Rivers, with Alex becoming the next golden pin-up, just like Simon Baker. I mean, take a look at this publicity picture. That's a muscle shirt more than a surgical scrubs top. And don't get me wrong, Alex has the body to pull it off.

For the record, CBS claims that filming the pilot in Pittsburgh was not conducive to the production's needs. There were limitations. If you understand the flexibility of filming on a sound stage brings filmmakers, this is understandable. What they gain in productivity, though, they lose in verisimilitude. Shows like The Sopranos, filmed in New Jersey and Queens, had the right look and feel. CBS says they want Three Rivers to have a warmer look, hence the move to the Paramount lot.

As for Julia Ormond, what a come down. Here's an actress that has played opposite Harrison Ford (Sabrina) and Sean Connery (First Knight), not to mention Brad Pitt in last year's Oscar-nominated The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. She also did a recent guest arc on CSI: NY. Being bounced from Three Rivers has to hurt.

In place of female co-star, creator Carol Barbee, is opting for recurring characters like specialists and a social worker to appear, with one a possible love interest for Dr. Andy Yablonski, a.k.a. the hottie in scrubs, Mr. O'Loughlin. Julia's role, Dr. Jordan, the head of surgery, will be recast.

To see how it all plays out, Three Rivers will air Sundays at 9 p.m. If you set your DVR, be prepared to bracket your timer for late starts. The NFL will be encroaching on CBS prime time like it always does from September to December.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/12/three-rivers-making-changes/

Photograph ~ Dr. Andy Yablonski (Alex O'Loughlin) in a Three Rivers television series promo picture

LA Times ~ CBS to Revamp New Drama 'Three Rivers'

Here's an LA Times article with more details about the changes happening with Three Rivers. Note ~ the feature mentions Joaquim de Almeida as part of the show's cast. However, as we know, he is no longer involved with the series.

CBS to revamp new drama 'Three Rivers'
by Maria Elena Fernandez

Don't you just love the TV development cycle? The networks rush all spring to cast and complete pilots to present them to advertisers in May and then spend all summer retooling many of them before launching them in the fall.

CBS has decided to shoot its new medical drama, "Three Rivers," at Paramount Studios instead of the Pittsburgh hospital where the first pilot was filmed. Created by Carol Barbee ("Jericho"), the drama is set in a preeminent transplant hospital and centers on the lives of the organ donors, the recipients and the healthcare workers who care for them. Each story is told from those three points of view.

According to a source close to the project, CBS wants the pilot to have a "warmer" look and will essentially build a hospital on the Paramount lot. Production on the original pilot was limited to certain areas of the working hospital in which it was filmed, and executives hope this change will help expand the universe of the show.

To that end, Barbee also is looking to add recurring characters -- specialists and a social worker -- who will pop in and out of episodes. One of them will probably become a love interest for Dr. Andy Yablonski, a highly skilled workaholic organ transplant surgeon, played by Alex O'Loughlin ("Moonlight"). The role of Dr. Sophia Jordan, head of surgery, which was played by Julia Ormond, will be recast.

Rob Bailey ("CSI: NY"), who served as co-executive producer on the first pilot, will be the show's director and executive producer.

The cast also includes: Joaquim de Almeida, Christopher J. Hanke, Daniel Henney, Justina Machado and Katherine Moennig.

"Three Rivers" will air Sundays at 9 p.m.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/06/cbs-to-revamp-new-drama-three-rivers.html

Video ~ Alex O'Loughlin & Three Rivers in TV Guide's Mega Minute feature

Check out this video. In his Mega Minute feature for TV Guide, Matt Mitovich talks about Alex O'Loughlin and his tv show, Three Rivers. He asked CBS' Kelly Kahl (Senior Executive Vice President of Programming) what he thought would be the secret to the success of the new series. Kelly's reply.... "It's the cute guy from the Vampire show." Three Rivers has been greenlit for the normal freshman 13 episodes. Of course, there is the option for 9 more if the network picks up the program for a full season.

CBS' Three Rivers tv show relocates to Los Angeles

CBS' 'Three Rivers' wants to get 'warmer'
Zap 2 It Website By Rick Porter

CBS' new drama "Three Rivers," which is set in Pittsburgh, has decided not to film there. Instead, the show will set up shop at Paramount Studios in the middle of L.A., and attempt to re-create the Steel City hospital where the pilot filmed on a soundstage.

The idea, a source close to the show tells the LA Times Showtracker blog, is to open up the show visually -- since the pilot filmed in a working hospital, the production was restricted to certain areas -- and make it "warmer" (insert reference to star Alex O'Loughlin's hotness here).

Having more room to roam could also pave the way to expanding the cast. Executive producer Carol Barbee is hoping to add some recurring characters, mainly other doctors and a social worker, to go along with the core group of six regulars. One of the new characters may be a love interest for O'Loughlin's workaholic transplant surgeon.

The cast also includes Katherine Moennig, Daniel Henney, Justina Machado and Christopher J. Hanke; Julia Ormond was in the pilot, but her role is being recast.

Something about the combination of CBS and O'Loughlin seems to result in the revamping of shows. After CBS picked up "Moonlight" two years ago, it scrapped the original pilot presentation and recast nearly everyone around O'Loughlin. The changes on "Three Rivers," though, are shaping up to be less drastic.

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/06/cbs-three-rivers-wants-to-get-warmer.html

Photograph ~ Dr. Miranda Foster (Kathrine Moennig) and Doctor Andy Yablonski (Alex O'Loughlin) in promo photograph from the new Three Rivers television program

Three Rivers to recast and relocate

Three Rivers is moving. The production will no longer be filmed in Pittsburgh. A set is being built on the Paramount Studio lot in LA. The pilot episode will be reshot. Also, Julia Ormond has been let go. Her part (Head of Surgery, Dr. Sophia Jordan) is being recast. Of course, new series ~ and some established shows ~ often go through these sorts of growing pains. Alex O'Loughlin is no stranger to this after his experience on Moonlight. The entire cast was replaced, except for him... the title changed from Twilight to Moonlight... etc.

Three Rivers to be given Inspire Award by Donate Life Hollywood

Three Rivers tv show has not even premiered yet, but has already won an award & positive attention! At the inaugural Donate Life Film Festival, the series will receive their Inspire Award. *cheer*

Press Release ~

CBS-TV's 'Three Rivers' Pilot Receives Award Before Airing

LOS ANGELES, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- When does a television pilot receive an award before it even airs? When it is that good.

On June 13, Donate Life Hollywood will honor CBS TV's new fall show "Three Rivers" with its first annual Inspire Award. Bestowed by the organ and tissue donation and transplant community, it will be presented at an awards dinner hosted at the Directors Guild of America as the culmination of the daylong Donate Life Film Festival. "Three Rivers" is a medical drama that goes inside the emotionally complex lives of organ donors, recipients and the surgeons at a preeminent transplant hospital.

The pilot episode of "Three Rivers" met and exceeded the Donate Life Hollywood criteria of portraying organ donation and transplantation in a way that was dramatic, showed viewers an accurate portrayal of the donation/transplant process, and left viewers feeling that organ donation is a good thing.

"Carol Barbee, who penned the pilot episode of 'Three Rivers,' went above and beyond to create a show that is dramatic, yet accurate," said Donate Life Hollywood campaign director Tenaya Wallace. "We arranged for Carol to see an actual organ procurement through the Southern California organ procurement organization, OneLegacy. She witnessed how OneLegacy sensitively approaches donor families, requests the transplant list from UNOS, places the organs for transplant based on this list and coordinates transplant teams to perform the recovery of the organs. Carol did her homework and the result is a dramatic donation and transplant story that shows viewers how this process really works."

"CBS recognizes that transplant stories are ripe with human drama," said Carol Barbee. "I am excited about bringing these incredible stories to life."

Organ and tissue donation is not always so well-presented on television. A study recently conducted by researchers at Purdue University shows that misleading and inaccurate information in dramatic television programming causes many people to shy away from choosing to be a donor.

Donate Life Hollywood is part of the national Donate Life movement and serves as a liaison between the organ and tissue community and the entertainment industry with the mission of seeing more accurate and inspiring organ donation storylines on television and in film. www.donatelifehollywood.org

SOURCE Donate Life Hollywood

New deal with CBS for Carol Barbee

THREE RIVERS (CBS) - Executive producer Carol Barbee has inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with CBS Television Studios. The pact covers her showrunning duties on the freshman drama as well as any development during said period. In addition, she'll continue to serve as an executive producer on fellow studio-based "The Beautiful Life" at The CW.

Julia Ormond & Joaquim de Almeida dropped from cast of Three Rivers

No reason has been given, however, word is out that Julia Ormond and Joaquim de Almeida have been dropped from the cast of Three Rivers.

Video ~ Behind the Scenes of new tv show, Three Rivers

Here is a behind the scenes video for the new tv show, Three Rivers. We learn what the show is about through interviews with Alex (Andy Yablonski), Julia Ormond (Sophia Jordan), Katherine Moenning (Miranda Foster) and Carol Barbee (the series executive producer). Alex O'Loughlin in scrubs and a brief glimpse of one of his patented smiles.... yum! ;>

"A second chance is a powerful thing"

Three Rivers has been picked up for Fall 2009

It is official! CBS has picked up the new tv show, Three Rivers, for their Fall 2009 television schedule. The series will air on Sunday nights @ 8:00 PM Central Time/9:00 PM Eastern Time.

Photograph ~ Dr. Andy Yablonski (Alex O'Loughlin) in promo photo for new CBS television series, Three Rivers

TV Guide ~ CBS picks up Three Rivers!

CBS isn't hosting their official up front presentation until Wednesday. However.... TV Guide's Matt Mitovich is already reporting that CBS is picking up Alex O'Loughlin's new television series, Three Rivers! *CHEER*

Today's News: Our Take

Fall TV: CBS Picks Up Seven New Shows, Including Alex O'Loughlin's
by Matt Mitovich

CBS in one fell swoop ordered seven new shows for the 2009-10 season, including projects that will bring familiar faces Alex O'Loughlin, Jenna Elfman and Julianna Margulies back to the tube, sources say.

The new shows getting the OK from the Eye are:

-Three Rivers, starring O'Loughlin and revolving around organ transplant surgeons

-Accidentally on Purpose, a comedy about a movie critic (Elfman) who inadvertently gets pregnant in a fling with a younger man

-The Good Wife, starring Margulies as a woman who returns to work as a lawyer when her hubby gets incarcerated

-The NCIS spin-off sneak-peeked in two recent episodes of the hit procedural, and starring Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J

-Miami Trauma, a medical drama from Jerrry Bruckheimer

-Undercover Boss, an unscripted series summed up by the Hollywood Reporter as "Secret Millionaire meets Dirty Jobs"

-House Rules, about a freshman class of U.S. representatives

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Fall-TV-CBS-1006165.aspx

Photograph ~ Actress Jenna Elfman and Actor Alex O'Loughlin

Will Three Rivers be on the CBS Fall television schedule?

A week from today! CBS Network will hold its upfront presentation on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009. That is when we should find out if Alex O'Loughlin's new television series ~ Three Rivers ~ will be picked up for the Fall schedule. *fingers crossed*

Nikki Finke @ Deadline Hollywood Daily is reporting "I also hear that MIAMI TRAUMA and THREE RIVERS are still in skintight competition at CBS for the medical show Les Moonves wants." And.......

MIAMI TRAUMA (Warner Bros/CBS-Paramount) is Jerry Bruckheimer's medical show, and I'm told Les wants a medical show. But this may not be the one because sources say it was a "soft screening" and is in competition with Three Rivers.

THREE RIVERS (CBS-Paramount/Deuce Three) is looking likely to be the medical drama Les wants (and wants more than rival Miami Trauma). CBS liked what they saw. And the network loves star Alex O'Loughlin. Not only might he bring his small but rabid Moonlight fanbase, but he recently starred in a Criminal Minds sweeps episode. And I hear CBS Films just put him in the feature film Plan B opposite Jennifer Lopez. Insiders are betting this show with a 24 splitscreen feel will go.

http://tinyurl.com/pxj6xu

http://tinyurl.com/r7s4eg

EW talks to Alex O'Loughlin about Three Rivers and The Back-Up Plan

Entertainment Weekly's Pop Watch Blog has a fun interview with Alex O'Loughlin. I especially giggled at the discussion of possible sensual moments in his new show, Three Rivers.... "I told them I'm happy to do whatever sex scenes they want. Either with actors or by myself." Alex has such a wonderful sense of humor.

Alex O'Loughlin: Catching up with the 'Moonlight' star on his 'Criminal Minds' guest spot and more!
EW ~ PopWatch Blog ~ by Mandi Bierly

We know. You're not used to seeing Moonlight's Alex O'Loughlin looking like a serial killer with OCD. (You prefer to remember him the way we do: either holding a "Hi Slezak!" sign at 2008's New York Comic Con or shirtless.) But it's only for a role. O'Loughlin guest stars on tonight's episode of Criminal Minds (CBS, 9 p.m. ET) as what fans of the series know as the Unsub, or unidentified subject. He plays a man who sends a video of one of his murders to the BAU team, hoping that they'll be able to end the bloody spree that he himself cannot stop. We phoned O'Loughlin for a quick chat about the part, his CBS drama pilot Three Rivers, and the romantic comedy he begins shooting next month with Jennifer Lopez, The Back-Up Plan.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY : We can't actually go further into your character on Criminal Minds without giving the twist away, but tell us how the part came to you.

ALEX O'LOUGHLIN : The genius writer and friend of mine Simon Mirren [one of the show's co-executive producers] offered it to me. I'm eating an apple while we talk. Is that okay?

EW : That is fine, yes.

Alex O'Loughlin : Thank you. I read it and was like, "Absolutely." It's not often that I get to play character roles. You kinda leave drama school and you head off into a direction and that's the direction you take. You're either on the character actor route or the leading man route. It was a delight for me to play a role like this.

EW : You are the leading man in the CBS pilot Three Rivers. [We'll know May 20, when CBS announces its fall schedule, if it gets picked up for next season.]

Alex O'Loughlin : I play a cardiothoracic surgeon called Andy Yablonski, who's based on a real-life surgeon called "Gonzo" Gonzales-Stawinski who's become a wonderful friend of mine. He's a cardiothoracic surgeon up at the Cleveland Heart Clinic, which I spent a bunch of time at in my preparation for the role. It's a fantastic script that's really grownup and smart and important. It tells the story of organ transplants from three perspectives: The organ, the recipient, and -- the organ? [Laughs] It tells it from the organ's perspective. From the recipient, the donor, and the surgical team.

EW : I read that Andy is separated from his wife and lives in a motel near the hospital. Is that right?

Alex O'Loughlin : Yeah, connected next to the hospital, actually. So he can live his job even more than he usually does.

EW : The word motel always sounds kinda seedy to me, so I thought maybe we'd get to see him taking advantage of that proximity. But if he's a workaholic.... Are we not gonna see sex scenes is basically what I'm asking you.

Alex O'Loughlin : Ohmygod. No, I told them I'm happy to do whatever sex scenes they want. Either with actors or by myself. So they're getting back to me on that. That may or may not be a reason why they pick up the show. "He's obsessed with sex. No, we're not gonna pick the show up. Moonlight f---ed with him. He's kinda all weird now."

EW : You have a holding deal with CBS, so I'm assuming you had a few pilots to choose from. Why this one?

Alex O'Loughlin : It's a well-written piece that I foresee a longevity with that I didn't with the other pilots that I read. I see three years ahead, you know what I mean? I see the fifth season. I see where the characters are going to go, the potential. I loved the character. I've sat in on five open-heart surgeries now. I realized how important a story like this was before I did that stuff, but the deeper I've gone into it, the more mesmerized I am.

EW : And what's Andy's personality like?

Alex O'Loughlin : He's a bit cheeky, too. He's like a lovable scallywag.

EW : You're about to start filming the movie The Back-Up Plan with Jennifer Lopez. Tell us about that one.

Alex O'Loughlin : It's a movie about a girl who is heading toward her 40th birthday, she hasn't met The One, she really wants a baby, and so she goes and gets artificially inseminated. Right after she does this, she bumps into this guy called Stan. I play Stan. She falls in love with him. He falls in love with her. She tells him about the pregnancy after they've fallen in love and he flips out. Then it's about him coming to terms with the fact that if he loves her, he loves all of her, and working out how he's gonna deal with it. It's very funny. It's very moving. It's a terrific little film.

EW : You've met Jennifer already, obviously. How's the chemistry?

Alex O'Loughlin : The chemistry is fine. I think we're gonna be pals. You know when you sit in a room with someone and you kinda can't talk to them, or you sit in a room and you're easy with someone -- we're easy together. So I think it's gonna work. I think we're gonna be really good onscreen together. Her husband is wonderful. I met Marc and the kids, and they're great. They're a really lovely unit.

EW : You also costar in the thriller Whiteout coming out this fall. [Kate Beckinsale plays a U.S. Marshal in Antarctica in the graphic novel adaptation.]

Alex O'Loughlin : I can't remember how many years ago I shot that. I can't remember what I did in it. [Laughs] No, that's not true. I'm looking forward to seeing that. They've been cutting it for so long. That's Kate's film though. Essentially, I play the villain in that as well. A rogue-ish, rugged, Australian pilot who's a bit of a smartass. It's like Wow, what a stretch.

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/04/alex-oloughlin.html

Alex O'Loughlin talks with Entertainment Tonight

Entertainment Tonight interviews Alex O'Loughlin!

Alex O'Loughlin: From Vampire to Serial Killer

"Moonlight" hottie Alex O'Loughlin returns to CBS tonight for a guest-starring role on an episode of "Criminal Minds," in which a serial killer sends the team a videotape detailing one of his crimes. On the tape, he includes a plea, asking them to help him stop his killing spree. But first, ET checks in with Alex to get his take on his turn to the dark side.

ET: This role is quite a departure from Mick. How do you think your fans will react to it?

Alex O'Loughlin: How do you think they will react?

ET: I think they may be disappointed. You are not as sexy as you were in "Moonlight."

Alex O'Loughlin: There is more of that coming up. There is plenty of that.

ET: Is that why the part appealed to you, because it was so different?

Alex O'Loughlin: Absolutely. I didn't go to leading man school. I went to drama school. I don't want to play the same role, every role I get. The other thing is, my true fans, emphasis on the word true, will follow me wherever I go. I thought it was a well-earned breather between roles.

ET: Did you do any research on serial killers?

Alex O'Loughlin: Not so much on serial killers, as on OCD. I did a lot of research on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

ET: Right, because this character had to open doors twice and not step on cracks.

Alex O'Loughlin: There is more to it than that. OCD is an anxiety disorder. The patterns that people have ... you yourself might have some patterns that you are not aware of. A lot of us do. The patterns that people have in their daily life, such as putting their sunglasses on with both hands, or the way they tie their shoes. There are patterns that we have in real life that ease an anxiety that is inside of us. This is an extreme case of it.

ET: CBS seems to love you. You are doing the new pilot, "Three Rivers," for them. Can you describe your role and talk about the series?

Alex O'Loughlin: We have already done the pilot. The character's name is Andy Yablonski. It is based on a real-life character called Gonzo Gonzales-Stawinski, who is a cardio-thoracic surgeon I have been shadowing for the past couple of months. He has become a great friend of mine.

My character is a cardio-thoracic surgeon. He is a staff surgeon, but he is being preened to become head of surgery at Three Rivers Clinic, set in Pittsburgh. It is called Three Rivers because there are three rivers in Pittsburgh: The Allegheny, the Monongahela and the Ohio, but it is also told from three perspectives: The donor's perspective and the grieving family, the recipient and their family and the surgical team.

It is very different than "Moonlight." It is not about vampires, but there are equal amounts of blood as my last show.

ET: When you worked on "Moonlight," you worked with the American Red Cross for blood donation.

Alex O'Loughlin: That is something I am hoping to take on to my next project. I want to take it to another level and work with Donate Life America, which I will be working with in affiliation with Gonzo and CBS. I want to put something together and do something special for that.

ET: With 'Twilight' now and "True Blood," do you think that "Moonlight" was just one year too early?

Alex O'Loughlin: Many people say that. If they put it on now, maybe less people would have watched it because people are watching the other vampire projects. I just think they pulled it off too early. I think it is a show that took a minute to find its legs, but once we found our legs, our numbers were consistent and we won some awards. We were doing really well and then they canceled it.

ET: Nina Tassler said at the TCA [Television Critics Association] press tour that when they studied the fan reaction to the series, you tested better than the show.

Alex O'Loughlin: That is lovely to hear. It is always funny when you hear things like that, because what do you say besides thank you? I don't get it. I get up in the morning and my hair is all hanging in my face and poking up on one side, I need to shave and I look older than I am. When I stagger into the kitchen to get my breakfast, I don't think, "Oh, look at that handsome guy. Look at that talented special creature."

"The Big Wheel" episode of "Criminal Minds" airs tonight at 9 p.m. on CBS.

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/04/73321/index.html

Photograph ~ Serial killer, Vincent (Alex O'Loughlin), from the CBS television series Criminal Minds

TV Guide ~ Matt Mitovich chats with Mr. Alex O'Loughlin

Matt Mitovich, from TV Guide, has posted a new chat with Alex O'Loughlin.

Today's News: Our Take

Alex O'Loughlin Previews Criminal Turn, Opens Up About His Post-Moonlight "Tailspin"
by Matt Webb Mitovich

'Alex O'Loughlin says of his Criminal Minds appearance, "Yeah, it's a little different." '

Can a serial killer played by Alex O'Loughlin slake his thirst for murder? The star of TV's too-short-lived Moonlight talked to TVGuide.com about his compelling guest spot on CBS' Criminal Minds (Wednesday, 9 pm/ET). Plus: Why Alex O's fans should give his new medical drama a chance.

TVGuide.com: Where have ya been, man? We had a long stretch there, after Moonlight went bye-bye, where the fans were missing you terribly.

Alex O'Loughlin: Yeah, I didn't work for like 10 months. I went back to Australia for a minute, and then I went and sat in a forest for a couple months and got my thoughts together. I did a bunch of writing.... Essentially, I went into a bit of a tailspin and left the country, to Mexico, out of phone range. I was kind of upset.

TVGuide.com: Well, nearly a year later, not a week goes by that I don't get a reader asking not if but when that show is coming back. Exactly what measures were taken to possibly save Moonlight?

O'Loughlin: I don't know exactly what happened after they cut it. I know they talked to CW, they talked to TNT ... a bunch of people.

TVGuide.com: Is there anything you can share about what was going to happen next on the show?

O'Loughlin: What I do know is that there was going to be some really cool stuff going on with Eric Winters' character, [the ADA] who was gathering the list of vampires.

TVGuide.com: Turning to the April 29 episode of Criminal Minds: [Series creator] Ed Bernero told me that your serial killer reaches out to the BAU for "help" — and he put "help" in quotation marks.

O'Loughlin: There are a few twists, and I can't tell you what they are. But the thing that I love about this episode is that we find a very disturbed character — a guy whose life is run by obsession and by compulsion, and he can't stop this pattern of killing. But he wants salvation. He finds a child, and the child represents perhaps the last bit of innocence within himself. This is what I drew from the character when I first read the script, and I hope that's what we see when the show plays. The episode was written by a friend of mine, Simon Mirren, who is very, very talented.

TVGuide.com: Paget Brewster told me that you had the women on the set all atwitter.

O'Loughlin: Oh, boo. Come on. I must have missed that! [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: You went from taking lives on Criminal Minds to saving lives on the CBS drama pilot Three Rivers. Sell me on the concept.

O'Loughlin: It's set in Pittsburgh, where the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio rivers meet, and it's told from three perspectives — the organ donor, the organ recipient, and the surgical team. That of course means that in every episode, someone dies and someone potentially lives, so it's always very high-stakes. The show is really well-written and smart and sensitive. It's a beautiful little hour of TV.

TVGuide.com: I just know that some of your Moonlight fans are concerned that the premise, on paper, doesn't sound dynamic enough for their Alex O'Loughlin.

O'Loughlin: It's absolutely dynamic enough. I plead with my Moonlight fans to give this show a chance if they let me give it a chance. I can't do Moonlight again — it's finished. The bottom line is that my true fans will follow me where I go.

TVGuide.com: I take it that your Three Rivers character, Dr. Andy Yablonski, is not Australian.

O'Loughlin: [Laughs] No, he's not. They offered me the role, and I was like, "Can I at least audition as an Australian?" "G'day! Do you need a new heart?"

TVGuide.com: And they weren't buying.

O'Loughlin: No, they weren't.

TVGuide.com: Was Three Rivers the first project that CBS sent you as part of your talent deal with them?

O'Loughlin: No, no. They had a bunch of other things.

TVGuide.com: Did they try to add you to any existing series?

O'Loughlin: Mmmm.... There was talk about a couple bits and pieces that we didn't take seriously.

TVGuide.com: When are you doing the Jennifer Lopez movie?

O'Loughlin: That films in like two weeks. She plays a 40-year-old girl who hasn't found the one and wants to have a baby, so she gets artificially inseminated. Then she meets the guy of her dreams — and that's me!

http://www.tvguide.com/News/OLoughlin-Criminal-Minds-1005531.aspx

Photographs ~ Alex O'Loughlin on the red carpet at TV Guide's Sexiest party, and as serial killer Vincent from Criminal Minds tv show

New TV Squad interview with Alex O'Loughlin

As usual, Alex O'Loughlin gives a great interview! In this chat, they not only talk about his new projects but also our beloved Moonlight. Do you think that, as a boy Vampire, Mick St John would kick Selene's (Kate Beckinsale) tail? I would like to see that fight ;>

Oooooooo.... I totally agree that the Vampyre film Alex recommends ("Let the Right One In") is a must see!

Moonlight's Alex O'Loughlin talks guest spots, TV pilots, and vampire smackdowns
by Mike Moody

Moonlight is history, but Alex O'Loughlin is still in demand. The actor, who garnered a huge fan base playing Moonlight's good guy vampire Mick St. John, returns to TV this week. O'Loughlin will guest star as a conflicted serial killer on CBS's Criminal Minds on Wednesday.

For O'Loughlin fans, the guest appearance is only a tease. What they really want to see is their favorite Aussie actor starring in a new weekly series. They might get their wish if CBS picks up Three Rivers, a drama pilot starring O'Loughlin as an organ transplant surgeon.

I got a chance to speak with O'Loughlin this week. We chatted about his new projects, his love for the vampire genre, and how Mick St. John could totally kick Kate Beckinsale's ass. Click through for the conversation, plus preview images and video from the actor's appearance on Criminal Minds.

Mike Moody : Moonlight got the axe, but you've landed a high-profile guest spot on CBS's Criminal Minds and you're starring in a new pilot for the network, Three Rivers. How does it feel to be so in demand at a major network?

Alex O'Loughlin : It feels good, Mike. It feels good. I mean, as an artist, you spend a lot of your life maybe not working and training, reading and really trying to further yourself. And the reality is a lot of us never really get to make a living at it. So it brings me great joy to be in demand. It's a lovely feeling. I've worked hard for a long time to be able to choose what I want to do ... It's a lovely feeling.

Mike Moody : You play a serial killer who's possibly seeking redemption in Criminal Minds. Can you draw any parallels from that character to Mick St. John from Moonlight, or is this something completely different?

Alex O'Loughlin : It's definitely different, which is what drew me to the part. With Mick St John, the only thing the two have in common is that they are both in control of what they're doing, but Mick was more in control than this guy. This character has a crippling case of obsessive-compulsive disorder, which now runs his entire life. He's had to stop working to maintain his anxiety, and it takes him all day and every moment to control it. And the killing is part of that as well. It's a form of control for him, and yes, he is seeking redemption.

Mike Moody : Did you study the effects of obsessive-compulsive disorder before taking on this role?

Alex O'Loughlin : Yeah, I actually had it. I think a lot of us have a certain degree of it, I know I do, but I'm not crippled by it. When I was a young boy in elementary school I was quite a blatant example of a child with OCD, and I remember how it used to make me feel and how difficult it was. I also did a lot of reading and I studied the effects of OCD on children and how it continues from childhood to adulthood if left untreated.

Mike Moody : Let's talk about Three Rivers, the CBS pilot you're starring in. The character you play is based on a remarkable real-life surgeon, Dr. Gonzalo Gonzales-Stawinski. What was it like getting to know the doctor and playing a character based on him?

Alex O'Loughlin : Well, I don't get star struck by many people, but I'm completely star struck by this guy. I love this guy so much. He's become such a great friend of mine. He's a rock star, he's a hero, and he's so cool. I spent many hours shoulder to shoulder with him in the operating room, and I've never met anyone like him before. I've really been affected by him. He's a great source of inspiration to many people. He gives life to people, and he's a wonderful, funny guy and really enjoyable to be around.

Mike Moody : Three Rivers can be called a "show about doctors," but it seems to be more than that. What's unique about this project?

Alex O'Loughlin : It's not a show about doctors, it's about transplant surgery, and it's called Three Rivers because it takes place where the Allegheny River and Monongahela River meet with the Ohio River in Pittsburgh. And it's also called Three Rivers because it's about three perspectives of transplant surgery: the recipient, the donor and the surgical team. That's what unique about it.

Mike Moody : Do you think it will appeal to Moonlight fans?

Alex O'Loughlin : I think it's going to appeal to a lot of people. It's a different genre. I love the vampire genre, though. I always have. Actually, I want to recommend a film, Let the Right One In ... It's directed by Tomas Alfredson.

Mike Moody : I've seen it. It's great.

Alex O'Loughlin : You've seen it?

Mike Moody : Yeah, I liked it.

Alex O'Loughlin : Oh, it's f*ckin' brilliant. Yeah, I'm a huge vampire fan, but (Three Rivers) is a different show, and I love it. It's really smart, it's grown-up, it's clever, it's funny and sensitive, it's got everything.

Mike Moody : You've been involved with a few causes, like the American Red Cross, that seem to stem from the roles you take on. What are your hopes or goals for Three Rivers, not on an entertainment level, but on a social or awareness level?

Alex O'Loughlin : My hope is to become involved with Donate Life America or an equally large non-profit organization to educate about organ donation. I want to be in a position where we can leverage the philanthropical aspects of what we do with TV spots, PSA's and campaigns.

Mike Moody : You have a few big movies coming up, including White Out with Kate Beckinsale, who was in the Underworld films. Did you two trade vampire stories on the set?

Alex O'Loughlin : A little bit, yeah. It was more like, "Who was the better vampire?" I was the better vampire! No, I was the better vampire! No, I'm a boy, I was better and I'm stronger than you!" (Laughs) We went back and forth, and I think she finally said, "You're an idiot" and walked away. But the bottom line is Mick St. John would kill what's her name, I don't even remember her name, from the (Underworld) movie! Mick St. John would kill her!

Mike Moody : So you're obviously a big fan of the vampire genre. Is there any chance you'll return to genre television or maybe do a genre film anytime soon?

Alex O'Loughlin : Sure, why not genre film? Why don't we do a big film? I'd love to do more genre work. I don't know about anytime soon, but it's not out of the question for me.

Mike Moody : Audiences really responded to your onscreen relationship with Sophia Myles on Moonlight. Any chance you might work with her again?

Alex O'Loughlin : Yeah, maybe. There's nothing set up, but she's a friend, and you never know. It's a small world and we have a scarcely small acting fraternity, so I wouldn't be surprised if it happened. She's great.

Mike Moody : We look forward to seeing you on Criminal Minds next week. Anything you want to say to your fans about the show?

Alex O'Loughlin : Tune in. Come on! Show up! It's a good episode. I think you'll like it.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/28/moonlights-alex-oloughlin-talks-guest-spots-tv-pilots-and-va/

Photograph #1 ~ Mick St John (Alex O'Loughlin) from Moonlight television show

Photographs #2 & #3 ~ Serial killer Vincent (Alex O'Loughlin) from the CBS tv program, Criminal Minds

Ask Matt answers a fan's questions about Three Rivers tv show

TV Guide's Matt Roush fields great fan questions about Alex O'Loughlin and his new tv show pilot, Three Rivers.

Ask Matt

Question : There's been a lot of buzz about the Three Rivers pilot. I don't think I've ever heard this much about a pilot being filmed before. Is this an indication that it has a higher than normal chance of being picked up for the fall schedule? Do the networks push certain pilots to the top of the heap for better chances of being chosen? Alex O'Loughlin fans (me included) are chewing their nails off waiting for news on new pick-ups. Any inside news about this? The show sounds fascinating beyond the fact that it will star our handsome and talented Aussie hunk. —Cindy R

Matt Roush : The buzz about Three Rivers is magnified by the fandom for Alex O’Loughlin. Nothing wrong with that, but keep it in perspective. Industry buzz, including in the Hollywood Reporter just this week, indicates the show is a “strong contender” for fall, no doubt enhanced by the star’s enthusiastic following, especially since the demise of Moonlight on the same network. (There’s a reason he was given a high-profile guest role on Criminal Minds in an episode airing next week.) Is all of this enough to clinch Three Rivers an on-air spot? Maybe, maybe not. For me, the show makes some sense because with ER gone, there’s an opening for a new medical drama with sexy leads. The transplant-surgeon angle also sounds promising, but just the very idea of Alex O’Loughlin around blood (even if it’s being pumped into patients instead of being drained from necks) no doubt has millions swooning. Hard not to see why.

http://www.tvguidemagazine.com/ask-matt/ask-matt-say-it-br-aint-so-tony-750.html?page=2

TV Guide Magazine ~ Alex O'Loughlin Resurrected!

It is soooooooooo good to see Alex O'Loughlin being featured in TV Guide again :)

Alex O'Loughlin Resurrected!
by Lisa Bernhard

Not every actor’s return to TV merits a countdown clock. But check out Alex O’Loughlin’s MySpace page, where a flashing display reads: "23 days, 16 hours, 47 minutes, 38 seconds until my guest spot on Criminal Minds."

A little over the top for a one-week gig? Not to the millions of obsessed, feverish (and mostly female) fans who hunger for the mere sight of him—the ones who swooned over his sexy vampire, PI Mick St. John, on the CBS drama Moonlight. When the show was canceled last May after just one season, they protested. Not just in e-mails and chat rooms, but also in ads in Variety and on the backs of buses.

“I had never seen a group of people fall so deeply in love with a character I’d been a part of,” says O’Loughlin. CBS didn’t revive the show, but the network still felt the love for O’Loughlin, giving him a development deal for a new series as well as the juicy guest shot on Minds.

In the episode airing April 29, the Australian actor plays a serial killer. A smart move for a sex symbol? “It’s funny you should mention that,” says O’Loughlin, 32. “This lovely lady, a fan, came up to me the other day and asked exactly that. And I said, ‘Hang on a minute—if the character has no path to redemption, then it’s difficult for me to play. But this guy, at the end, breaks through his own wall and touches another person. It’s a transition to epiphany.’ If people can’t see that, I’m not doing my job.”

From all accounts, O’Loughlin does his job well. Says Minds coexec producer Simon Mirren, “You know it’s a good [performance] when the crew starts hanging around the monitor. They came up to me and said, ‘This guy’s great.’ From my point of view, the more an actor can inhabit something that’s the opposite of him, the more producers can be surprised by it.”

That may be why O’Loughlin is following Minds with yet another sharp turn, as cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Andy Yablonski in the CBS fall pilot Three Rivers. Costarring Julia Ormond (CSI: NY), the Pittsburgh-based drama focuses on an organ transplant team, with O’Loughlin’s role inspired by real-life surgeon Dr. Gonzalo “Gonzo” Gonzales-Stawinski. “I absolutely love him,” says O’Loughlin of Gonzo. “I’ve sat in on five open-heart surgeries with him in the last few weeks. And what I realize is, I play a very, very important person. It’s completely changed my life.”

Known for taking work home with him (“I walk in the shoes of the character 24 hours a day”), O’Loughlin also takes his work to heart. While shooting Moonlight, he became a spokesperson for blood donation with the American Red Cross. For Three Rivers, he’s hoping to work with Donate Life America, an organization promoting organ and tissue donation.

Giving back comes naturally to a guy who gets so much—especially from his fans, who shower him with gifts, including a humidor loaded with expensive cigars. As for his personal life, O’Loughlin dated Aussie actress Holly Valance (Prison Break) for four years, but “we’re having a time-out,” he says. Hear that, ladies?

Another treat for fans: O’Loughlin costars in this fall’s feature film “Whiteout,” opposite Kate Beckinsale. The Antarctica-set thriller casts him as a “young, bold smart-ass.” (“Omigod, what a stretch,” he jokes.) And get this—in one scene, O’Loughlin runs across the ice, wearing only boots and a furry hat. Start the countdown clock now!

http://www.tvguidemagazine.com/feature/alex-oloughlin-resurrected-687.html

Photograph ~ Alex O'Loughlin posing for TV Guide ~ Photo credit Rodolfo Martinez