Men In Trees: Blogs In Trees

Jennifer Shaklan on "Taking the Lead"

Air Date: 6/12/2008

Well, Elmoians, not only was this my first script for “Men in Trees” -- it was the first script I was ever hired to write! It was a very exciting time for me, but also a crazy time all over town as the writers strike was about to happen. How did this affect things? Well, I had to write like there was no tomorrow in order to make the strike deadline, and at the same time, continue doing my regular job as the script coordinator on the show, which meant proofreading everyone else’s scripts, making sure they were delivered to all the right people, etc. And, since this episode shot in January, well into the strike, I wasn’t able to fly up to Vancouver for the filming (I was out picketing with all the other writers in town – a crazy experience in and of itself!), so I can’t give you any inside, behind-thescenes scoop. I can, however, tell you what it’s about, although being that this is the series finale, I’m not going to reveal much – better to let you soak up your last visit to Elmo as it happens.

What I will say is that in general, this story is about the balance of power in relationships, the role each person takes on – or finds themselves in, and what “taking the lead” in a relationship can mean, for better and worse. And all this is set against the backdrop of... an Elmo talent show! Yes, that’s right – performances by Elmo’s finest, including Buzz and Mai doing a little singing (in fabulous costumes, I might add – thank you, costumers!), Dick and Celia doing some magic (with Celia as feisty as ever), and Marin, Sara and Theresa putting a new spin on a Marilyn Monroe classic. Of course, there are surprises, too, on stage and off, but you’ll just have to tune in to see what they are. And although Jane and Sam aren’t in town for the theatrics – they’re driving cross-country from New York to Elmo throughout – they have a bit of a show(down) of their own, something that helps them make sense (or in this case, cents) of their relationship.

I’m sad that this is the series finale – it’s been so much fun the past two years spending workdays in the charming world of Elmo, which was full of such an endearing cast of characters (and a lovely bunch of actors playing them) – but Elmo, its inhabitants and all the journeys and self-discovery that Marin and everyone else there experienced will always have a place in my heart, and hopefully yours, too. Thanks for tuning in all this time and, hey, long live the “Trees”!

Chris Dingess on "Kiss and Don't Tell"

Airdate: 4/23/08

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

This episode is about opening yourself up to people, which is something I hate doing. I've never been a big fan of people. They usually let you down hard when you open yourself up to them. Sure, it works from time to time. Celia let’s Mai into her house and gains a girlfriend. Buzz lets Annie and her ideas into his brain and finds a new layer within him, Jane let's Patrick into her office and discovers a great assistant and a hunky bargaining chip (Yep, I said "Hunky" and I'm quite comfortable with that).

 

But then, on the other hand, you got Jack. After struggling with it, Jack opens up his home and let's Cash in and what happens? Cash kisses his lady behind his back. I believe the O'Jays said it best: "They're smilin’ in your face. All the while they want to take you're place. The backstabbers." Go now, listen to that song and heed it’s warning. It speaks the truth. Am I paranoid? Maybe. Maybe I've had too much caffeine? Perhaps am I writing song lyrics because I can't think of really good stuff to blog about? There's a very distinct possibility of that.

 

I don't know... I guess opening up and letting people in isn't all-bad. Speaking of which, I'd just like to send out a cheesy "thank you" to the awesome fans who've let us into their homes. So... uh... thanks! Ugh. I make myself sick

Jenny Bicks on "Wander/Lust"

Airdate: 4/16/08

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

And so…Julia and Marin finally meet. It's been a long time coming. And of course, as you could have guessed, they get along. Because really, Julia is pretty groovy and she isn't a threat to Marin. Right?  Right??

I wanted this episode to be about comings and goings. Patrick departing for parts unknown (starting with a stop to see Jane in

New York

). Jack gets a part-time job in

Anchorage

with Julia.  Jane's ring goes missing.  Celia gets a roommate. Marin gets a sculpture. Of Julia. In her living room.  Yikes.

I also wanted to try writing a smaller story about the ebb and flow of a couple--there is something really interesting to me about what happens when two couples meet for the first time.  It's almost like you are dating the other couple.  Comparing, contrasting in your own head.  Are they happier than you?   Do they have your same troubles? (p.s.- I suspect it may only be women who do this--guys?  Thoughts?)   There is sometimes a "grass is always greener" thing that happens in these situations and I wanted Marin to go through that and realize maybe what she and Jack have is pretty damn good.

And of course, this is all made complicated by the fact that Jack and Julia shared that experience at sea. What happened out there bonded them, and Marin will always feel like a bit of an emotional outsider with Jack when it comes to that.   Would you let him take that job with her?

Stay tuned for the hilarity of Mai and Celia as mismatched roommates and Patrick on his journey...and,  I promise, more Cash.

Jenny

Anna Fricke on "Get a Life"

Airdate: 4/2/08

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Believe it or not, the idea of a celebrity coming to Alaska has been rattling around in the writers' room brain for quite a while.  Why?  Because they do whacky things, these celebrities.  We originally thought that a celebrity might come to Elmo and love it so much they'd try to buy it.  This happens, people.  Kim Basinger owns an island somewhere.  Who can blame stars for seeking a place to escape?  Or a life to escape into, in Morgan Fairchild's case.

But at the end of the day, this episode is not really about Morgan Fairchild, delightful though she may be.  It's about what happens when someone shines a light on your life; do you like what you see?  Marin, having been here for a year, has grown quite comfy in her routine.  She loves Jack, she loves Elmo… but does she love everything she's become?  We think it's important on this show to remind ourselves from time to time where Marin comes from.  She will always be, to some extent, a fish out of water.  At the same time, she wants to feel like she truly belongs in Elmo.  No one likes to feel like an outsider.  I come from Maine, but my mother and I are still considered "from away" because we weren't born there -- we moved there when I was five.  It takes a long time for a town to officially adopt you, and even though Marin owns a cabin in Alaska, she herself isn't ready to adopt the area code.

"Men In Trees" is actually loosely based on the life of a matchmaker who lives in Alaska and we own her life rights.  While we were breaking this story, we got a sample contract for buying someone's life rights.  It's pretty fascinating.  You're basically allowed to do whatever you want with a person's life story when you own it.  It's a good thing Marin decided not to sell. 

This episode was called "Get a Life" because everyone is exploring the other side of the fence in this episode.  Morgan wants to be Marin.  Marin wants to be the old Marin.  Patrick wants to be Ivan.  Ivan wants to be a better man to win Annie's affections.  Annie wants to be ready.  Sara sees her boyfriend through someone else's eyes and realizes she's more than she thought he was.  Buzz thinks he can safely go back to his gambling habits but is sorely mistaken. Everyone gets to try out another style of life for a change… and most decide they'd like to go back to what they had.  Some find that they can't. 

Some things of note: that is really Nick Lea, who plays Eric singing.  He wrote the song that he plays at the church.  That's also his real band in the background.  He does have a website, nicklea.com.  I asked Suleka, who plays Sara (and also dates Nick in real life), if she'd be uncomfortable if I visited the website and started making him cookies.  I don't think she thought that was funny.  That's also newcomer Diego Klattenhoff out there on the ice.  He may not be a recruit from Croatia, but he's pretty good.  And I would like to give Emily Bergl props for always managing to keep it together when she's standing out there in the freezing cold just wearing those cute little tights Annie always wears.  The rest of us, behind the camera, were bundled up in long underwear and several layers the night we shot that beautiful scene with Annie and Ivan on the road. 

Stay tuned next week to see Julia again – and meet her husband, Jim. And don't think that Mai's not gonna find out about Buzz's gambling problem. 

Anna

Michael Kramer on “A Tale of Two Kidneys”

Airdate: 3/26/08

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Hello Elmoians,

This was my first script for "Men In Trees," so therefore, my first blog.  Although I've written on a couple of live-action shows in the past, I've spent most of my career writing animated series.  So it was nice to see actual humans saying my lines again. 

A quick word about the title -- my original one was something so bland and boring I can't even remember it.  Jenny Bicks asked me to come up with something better.  As a joke, I titled it, "A Tale of Two Kidneys," figuring I'd replace it once I thought of a better one.  But the other "Men In Trees" writers liked it and that was it. So after years of writing animation, I finally get on a great live-action show, only to name my first script something that sounds straight out of Bugs Bunny.

As a poker enthusiast, I was excited to have a poker scene in my script.  Mostly because I'm hoping I can now write off my gambling losses as "research" on my taxes.

Since Ivan Palacinke appears in my episode for the first time, I had the dubious task of having to come up with a realistic-sounding Croatian name for him.  I looked up "Croatian first names" on the internet and found Ivan. I thought that sounds hockey player-ish. (Of course, the only activity I do that involves ice is drinking, so what do I know.)  But I couldn't find a Croatian last name that worked.  Then I remembered that on "The Honeymooners" (one of my favorite shows of all time), Ralph had an Italian neighbor named Mrs. Manicotti.  I always loved that they didn't even bother giving her a real Italian last name.  So I went back to the ol' Information Superhighway, but this time looked up "Croatian foods."  And voila!  Palacinke is a Croatian pancake.  When Jenny Bicks read in my outline that Ivan's nickname was "The Pancake," she asked me what that has to do with hockey.  I said, "Nothing.  It has to do with 'The Honeymooners.'"  She said then I'm missing a joke opportunity in which someone assumes it has something to do with hockey, only to discover that it doesn't.  Hence, when Annie learns that Ivan's nickname is “The Pancake,” she says, "Because he flattens people into the boards!" Then Buzz says, "No, because in Croatian, his last name means pancake."  To which Annie replies, "Oh. Then it's not really a nickname.  It's his real name."

In this episode, Annie gives Marin a homemade clay replica of Marin's house as an anniversary present. In real life, my friend Meg makes those for people. (Not the one in the episode though.)  Meg works for "Judge Judy" and once excitedly showed me the clay replica she made of Judge Judy's house.  I compared it to the photo of her house and instantly pointed out, much to Meg's chagrin, that she forgot the garages.  Hence, Jerome asking Annie, "Where’s the chimney?" (Since Marin doesn't have a garage.)

We filmed "A Tale of Two Kidneys" in October of '07, and the other writers warned me (practically begged me) to pack tons of warm clothing.  But I figured it's October, how cold can it be?  So I opted out of bringing long underwear and fleece, etc.  And I was fine the whole time and mocked their advice… until we filmed inside a hockey rink… for an entire day.  I spent most of it cursing the day I was born.  In the future, I will heed their advice.

And that’s about it.  I hope you enjoyed watching it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Michael

Padma L. Atluri on “Read Between The Minds”

Airdate: 3/19/08

WARNING!  SPOILERS AHEAD!

By now you’ve realized we here at Men In Trees like to examine how men and women communicate. What works, what doesn’t, what’s fair, and well, what gets us in trouble. In this episode we asked , “In a relationship, do you have the right to remain silent?” I know no one asked me per se, but I must admit I find silence complicated. I’m all for not speaking for the mere sake of hearing one’s voice (because that’s just plain annoying). But if there’s an issue at hand, why not talk it out? Then you can be done with it and move on. Personally, I get flustered when others choose not to discuss matters at hand. Sure it can be nerve-wracking. But it’s only when the Band Aid is ripped off that we can really heal, right? But again, that’s just me.

In this episode we watched Patrick take his right to remain silent rather seriously when his mother arrests him. He wants to punish her. And sadly, it works. Sam  however is the polar opposite. He’ll tell you exactly how he feels (except maybe how surprised he is that Jane’s parents are little—were you?). But as evolved as Sam is, Jane still struggles. She’s a little too concerned about appearances. And though she hates to admit it, she’s embarrassed of Sam’s emotional side. But in time she learns, courtesy of her mother, that when you find the right person for yourself, someone who truly gets you, their words and actions do in fact open a part of you up—a part you didn’t even know was there. And when that happens we see that a little PDT (public display of tears, of course) won’t hurt you, even at  your very own post-elopement reception.

Meanwhile, Sara learns that sometimes it takes a stranger’s kind words to remind us of what we’re good at and what we’re capable of. Thankfully, Dr. Harbeck didn’t keep that to himself. Nor Jerome for that matter. His love letter to Mary Alice, showed us that when we can’t find the words, we can find other ways to express ourselves. Even if it’s in the form of a composition. In the end, when Jerome played the piano in the bar, it was hard not to feel his love... and his pain.

And then there’s Marin and Jack. We always knew Jack wasn’t much of a talker. But when he first silenced Marin by seducing her (not a bad alternative, huh?) and then pulled away when they were in New York, we knew something was wrong. Let’s face it. Actions can speak louder than words. But they still can leave us guessing... and assuming (and we know how that saying goes...). Marin may be a good listener and a great relationship coach, but we see it’s still hard for her to put the pieces together when nothing is being said. But thankfully, Jack finally realizes that the torture of his nightmares isn’t going away and that it’s affecting his relationship. He knows he owes it to Marin to tell her why he hasn’t been himself. So he does. And by doing so he lets Marin comfort him in a way he so very needs. Just by being there.

So as you can see, a lot happened in New York. And there’s a lot happening in Elmo (especially now that we know there’s something wrong with Cash!). So be sure not to miss what’s coming up.  That way you can tell me what you think. And get this, I’ll listen.

Padma

Jennie Snyder on "Home, Seized Home"

Airdate: 03/12/08

 

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Hey Everyone! I’m new to the town of Elmo, but I got to say, it's nice to be here. And I was especially glad to write the Jack and Marin move-in episode. As it happens, I was penning this episode just as my boyfriend was moving into my house, so I was able to use lots of personal anecdotes and plug them right in -- much to my boyfriend's dismay. In fact, after this episode, he instituted a "privacy" policy at our house so that not everything that happens behind our closed doors ends up on TV! But, that was after this episode, luckily. And in fact, much of what Jack and Marin were going through as Jack moved in, Jamie and I were going through as well. In fact, I would often have to stop our conversations and negotiations to jot down something that would go into the script. And the whole "Captain of the Room" thing? Well, that came directly from Jamie as he tried to find a place for his personal items amidst my throw pillows and decorative bowls.

It’s a big step -- moving in with someone -- and Jack and Marin certainly did it sooner than most couples. But then again, if you almost lost someone, it makes sense that you want to keep them close to you, right? Near death experiences make "seizing the day" seem less like a choice, and more of an obligation. We don't know how long we have, so we've got to make every moment count. But, as Marin learns, the day AFTER you seize the day is when reality sets in, when the romance starts to fade and you have to deal with all the pesky details. Which are often messy and complicated. Just like life.

In this episode, all of our characters are struggling with the practical fallout from their decisions. Theresa and Ben want a baby, but this desire transforms sex from a romantic act, to a scheduled event. Buzz allows Patrick to fly his plane, only to be met by Celia's wrath. And Jane and Sam? Well, their hasty wedding and their decision to split their time between Elmo and New York, means that Jane has to reconcile what she thought her life would look like, with what it actually does look like. Even if that means she won’t get into the New York Times Vows section.

 

And then, there is Marin and Jack. Marin’s fear that she and Jack moved too quickly, and that he will be less enchanted by the "real" her -- warts and all -- is, I think, a very relatable one. After all, in the early stages of dating we pick and choose what we reveal. We hide our flaws, and then show them slowly. When we feel safe. But, because Jack and Marin never really dated, and their history is more a series of stops and starts, she doesn't feel safe yet. And so, when her work is lost due to his "unplugging" (something that happened to another writer in the room who shall remain nameless!), she overreacts. And then, when Jack calls her on her overreaction, she overreacts further -- as if daring him to love her, despite her flaws. She is upset about her lost work, of course, but more than that, she is scared that she and Jack made a mistake -- that they rushed into things, that once he knows her -- really knows her, the way you know someone when you live with them -- he won't love her. She sort of spirals into self-doubt (as we all are prone to), until Sara points out that she's looking for reasons to bail, instead of looking for reasons to stay. See Marin (alright, much like me) likes to be in control. Plus, she's been burned before, by Graham. All of which makes opening up, and sharing a life with someone, a very scary prospect. Then again, maybe that's why they call it "falling in love." You can’t be in control. You have to let yourself  "fall."

 

 

Jennie

 

 

 

 

Cara DiPaolo on "Sonata in Three Parts"

Air Date: 03/05/08

WARNING!! SPOILERS AHEAD!

So, did anyone think Jack was dead? Even for a second? Anyone? I only ask because when we had the read-thru for the episode previous to this one, James (the actor who plays Jack) was actually a bit nervous. Not only was he NOT in the last episode at all, but we learn from Chief Celia that Jack is lost at sea -- possibly forever! You can see why it might make an actor a little anxious. In general, we make it a point not to tell the actors about any upcoming storylines, but in this case we did tell James not to worry. He'd be back, very soon.

Overall, I have to say that this was a challenging episode to write. It was tricky because it ran the emotional gamut for Marin -- going from total despair at learning the news of Jack's likely death, to impotent anger as the news finally sinks in, to utter joy at their unexpected reunion. Incidentally, that scene at the dock is my personal favorite. Even watching take after take, I never got tired of seeing the moment when Marin realizes that the man walking along the dock isn't a ghost, it's actually Jack. Still, we wanted to do a different slant on the traditional lovers' reunion. Everyone's seen the romantic "run through the field" moment. And really, who doesn't love it? It's classic! The challenge was to find a way to have this classic moment, but still make it our own. That's where the bike came in. Seeing Jack get bowled over by Marin's runaway bike cut through what might've been a very melodramatic moment and hopefully, was a little funny, too.

 

I also enjoyed getting to explore Jerome's musical back-story. Last season when we talked in general about the show and the characters one of the questions that kept popping up was 'what sort of people move to Alaska?' One of the answers we talked about was 'people that are either running away from something or who have something to hide.' That idea of a character having a secret past was something I was really drawn to. Jerome seemed both the likeliest and unlikeliest candidate for that particular idea. He's someone that always seems to know something about everything, but you're never exactly sure how he knows it. (Also, you careful viewers out there may remember seeing Jerome ponder an interesting picture of himself alongside important looking folks after he goes sober for Patrick's wedding.) The best part of this storyline was when we were discussing it in our writer's room, a few people mentioned some of their own hidden talents and we discovered that one of our producers actually was a concert pianist! Who knew?

 

The theme of the episode -- which may have been kind of hidden since we didn't have one of our faithful question on the radio scenes -- was regret. I'll tell you one of the things I don't regret -- having my husband Andrew Friedman play Dr. Thompson, Cash's doctor (He's an actor -- it’s not like he's an accountant and I just decided to put him in the episode). Wasn't he delightful? But in all seriousness, we liked the theme of regret and what it does to people. When your life flashes before you, you don't want to regret one of those moments that passes you by. So, why not have Jack and Marin move in together? Maybe? Do you think it's too soon? Or do you think they've been through enough and they're ready for this step? Time will tell! Or… next week's episode.

 

Cara

Seana Kofoed on "Charity Case"

Airdate: 2/27/08

WARNING!! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Hello fellow Treehuggers!

I was thrilled to be asked to blog this episode because the script was one of my favorites and it was a total adventure to film! It was our first pair of back-to-back night shoots. That’s when our day begins as the sun goes down and ends as it comes up. With lunch at midnight. In the middle of the woods, no less. Like summer camp, only colder, without the outhouses, and they make you stay up all night. If you think back to those all-nighters you pulled to study for a test or write a paper, and the rollercoaster of giddy/sleepy/giddy/sleepy with a small bout of weeping around 3 am…well, that was us. Minus the weeping.

We were shooting a sequence in which all of Elmo turns out for a movie night under the stars, New York City style. Marin’s idea, natch. So we spent two evenings in this beautiful little clearing in the middle of the woods under the stars. We were cheered on by our fearless leader, Jenny Bicks, and our excellent and spirited director, Bob Berlinger, who would entertain us during camera set-ups to keep our minds off the mosquitoes and the chill and the fact that it was four in the morning. The cast was spread out on picnic blankets and between shots, Marie, our ever-attentive, on-set wardrobe supervisor, would come around with parkas and Indiana Jones-style, mosquito netting hats for all of us to don. We looked like a dozen lost biologists on an Arctic picnic. Whenever I felt sleepy or insect-devoured, I would simply turn around and sneak a peek at Mario Cantone, who plays Terri, sitting alone on his picnic blanket, looking like an indignant Park Ranger, and it would cheer me right up.

Anyway, enough about the woods, on to the story! Er, well, the bits of it I can divulge – the rest you’ll have to tune in to see. And well worth it, I say!

There’s a lot of navigating boundaries in this episode. Friendship boundaries and relationship boundaries. What’s the division between meddling and caring? When are you a busy-body and when are you a friend? How much say can you have in another person’s life? Chief Celia and Buzz deal with the New Patrick that Patrick himself is still discovering. They delicately walk the line between honoring his new life and trying to connect him to his old one.

Annie is navigating a whole new set of relationships, as she is suddenly no longer a fiancé or a daughter-in-law to be. What happens to those bonds that were forged when your life was entwined with someone else’s? Do they disappear simply because the person you once had in common has?

And the boundary between caring and meddling is tested when Cash’s closely guarded secret is finally revealed and Marin steps in to help. Yes folks, that stone he threw a few episodes back…his fleeting appearance at the hospital…questions will be answered tonight. And we’ll see how quickly that answer spreads in a close-knit town like Elmo.

Sara and Eric begin exploring new territory when a plan is hatched to help him save money. One involving close quarters and an impressive amount of discipline.

Relationship boundaries are also tested when Jane’s attempt to give Plow Guy a fashion adjustment spirals out of control. An offending, threadbare flannel takes on a life of its own as Jane learns the hard lesson that you can’t dress everybody. I was particularly fond of this storyline as, well…it’s mine, naturally. But also because I, too, have had men near and dear to me who refuse to retire clothing even when it has so many holes one might mistake it for fish netting. Clothing that you toss under the sink to be used as a dishrag, or hide in the recycling bin, or cut into strips to disguise its former self, and yet the next day it manages to show up at the breakfast table, tucked into a pair of corduroys.

Just kidding about the cutting into strips bit. I have never done that.

Through this episode, Jane and I have learned that sometimes you do not need to love the shirt or the pants or the hats of this man, only the man himself. We may not like them, but happily, we don’t have to wear them.

And last, but most certainly not least…Jack. About whom we are all very much in suspense. Marin has been unable to make contact with him out on the Bearing Sea, and news of the crisis has not yet reached shore. He is noticeably absent from the Elmo festivities, and what Marin hears as the episode concludes is one of the biggest cliffhangers of the season.

Stay tuned, tell your friends and thanks for being a Hugger!

Seana

Hello Treehuggers, from Jenny Bicks

Hey Treehuggers—

If you are reading this, that means our strike is over and I can finally blog again!  It is a pleasure to be back in your midst, and let me just say that it is not lost on any of our cast, crew or writers how fervent and loyal you guys are.   This tree for life program is just perfect and trust me, we have been adding a few trees into your forest.

I hate reading any fear about cancellation for our little show.  We are not doing more episodes this year because we have enough to finish out the season. And yes, ABC picked up some shows early, but that doesn’t mean they won’t pick us up come May.  Which is where all of you come in.  When you’re not selling trees (when is that, exactly??) please tell your friends, your family, strangers…to watch us when we start airing again on February 27th at 10 pm.  We need eyeballs. And you guys have ‘em!

In case you’re wondering, the Men In Trees family stayed busy over the strike by having pot luck dinners.  Seana (Jane) Kofoed makes a mean chili, by the way.  Scott (Cash) Elrod is hosting the next one in honor of our “re-premiere” so stay tuned for news from that soiree.   And by “news” I do not mean secret photos taken of Scott’s bedroom. Shame on your dirty little minds.

Okay, so once we are back on the air, we will be back to posting a weekly blog.  Come back and visit here soon and keep fighting!

Jenny

Chris Dingess on “ Sweatering It Out”

Airdate: 12/07/07

Wow. That was a rough one, huh? Who knew whale researching was such dangerous business? I, uh, wow… hope you guys don’t hate us…

This episode is mainly about waiting, something I hate to do… and patience, something I don’t possess a ton of. But as I wrote this and put ol’ Jack Slattery through the ringer, I became fascinated with the idea of this man going through a nightmare while his friends and neighbors went on with their lives, completely oblivious to his plight.

A long time ago, I worked at a place called INSERT GENERIC CORPORATE JOB. One day, as I started my day with a donut I didn’t need, I heard the bosses talking about this guy who worked named Gary (just like the research assistant). Gary worked the afternoon shift and when he came in that day, he was going to be fired. Hours later, I watched as Gary pulled up to the building, got out of his car, smiling at the sun and heading blissfully unaware into his last day of work. I wondered then, what Gary did with his day before the ax fell. Eating breakfast and lunch, maybe seeing a movie and, the whole time, ignorant of the fact that miles away his life was being altered. For some reason, it was eerie to think about and I forgot about it until writing this episode.

What would the gang think if they knew what Jack was going through while they fretted with their knitting, their plow expos, their crushes and their Stuarts? When you step back and look at it, it’s all very frivolous, isn’t it? But I guess that’s what life is? It’s about getting wrapped up in your own crap and every once in a while, pulling your head out of the sand and realizing how small you are in the grand scheme of things. I’m rambling aren’t I? Sorry. I hope you enjoyed this episode and, furthermore, I hope Jack and Julia are okay…

Chris

Anna Fricke on “Sea Change”

Airdate: 11/23/07

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

So, here we are, finally caught up. It was a little confusing for us for a while, what with writing a new episode to go between what were supposed to be episodes 16 and 17 of last season. But for the writers anyway, this episode means that our timeline is back on track. And so, just to be clear, it’s spring, a few days after Patrick and Annie’s would-have-been wedding. Patrick is coming home from the hospital… and nothing will ever be the same again. With so many things in flux – Jack out to sea, Patrick’s memory erased – we wanted to pose the question, “how do you know when you’ve made an impact?” Marin Frist is an intelligent, sage soul. But even the most level headed of women eventually finds herself asking the guy she’s with “are we dating or not?” Jack took off before they could actually have that talk. Ship to shore communications being what they are, can you blame the woman for being a little insecure?

Coming into this episode, we wondered how we would keep the relationship with Jack alive with no Jack in Elmo. We knew that Marin would be watering his plants, etc. And then, of course the discussion of snooping came up. This seems to be a universal thing at some point in every relationship (although I have made it a point of not snooping through my husband’s stuff, I swear). Across the board, everyone had a story of something they had found that they wished they hadn’t. And how horrible to come across a piece of loose, dubious “evidence” when the one person you want to question is out of reach? And chatting with a very likeable marine biologist? Please do not hate Julia: she is a nice married lady. Still, it’s frustrating when the man you wish to speak “relationship” with is talking whale migration to another woman.

And it’s incredibly frustrating for Annie to be looking at the Patrick she knows and loves… and yet she doesn’t know him at all. Or, rather, he doesn’t know her. We had many discussions with Derek Richardson, the actor who plays Patrick, about how to approach this whole amnesia thing. He wondered, “so am I just a jerk now?” No. New Patrick (as we call him) is not a jerk. He just doesn’t know any better. And all of this information that’s being thrown at him is simply overwhelming. Annie, good soul that she is, does her best to be a good friend to him. But how can she stop herself from trying to be more? After all, this was the man she was going to marry. But when she sees the lack of impact she’s made on Patrick, at least in this early stage of his recovery, Annie needs to protect herself.

Her mother Mary Alice, meanwhile, is putting herself out there. In a big way. I love Mai and her brainstorms; what makes sense in Mai’s makeshift beauty parlor swiftly goes south in the real world. But as funny as Jerome and Mary Alice are, in the end they’re playing a very sweet love story. These are two people who haven’t put themselves out there in quite a while. To bare your soul and be rejected; what’s worse than that? We all want to ensure that we’ll make an impact.

Some things you might be wondering… what’s up with that crazy wave that turned Jack’s boat topsy-turvy? Where is Cash and why was he in the hospital? Stay tuned!

Anna

Anne Heche on 'Nice Day For A Dry Wedding'

Hello Treehuggers!

What’s happening here?!?! Well, our great leader, Jenny Bicks, thought ahead and cared for us, the talent and crew of Trees and for you our fans and wrote five shows that we can shoot even though so much is going on. So we, unlike most shows, are still shooting our little (now freezing cold) tails off. We are very fortunate to be in this position. We will have enough shows to carry us through our winter break. So new shows will continue to be on the air! Go Jenny! She and our team of writers really are amazing to have been able to accomplish this task and we are very grateful. Thanks to all of them, we are now way ahead of you in what you are seeing on the air, and I can say there are many surprises ahead.

By now you have most certainly been devastated over the Patrick disaster. Let me tell you, it doesn’t get any better, for him anyway. Sorrow has taken over his bride to be and his mother. Marin is missing Jack terribly and has to find things to do and men to warm by. (Oh no! Jack come back!) Someone gets sick, someone wants to have a baby, someone gets addicted (maybe more than one) a prayer meeting gets held (in the most inappropriate of places, people want to have sex (who doesn’t?) and more hunks arrive in Elmo to stir the pot and wreak havoc on our sweet town. So keep watching and keep praying or omming or chanting, whatever you can do to help and heal. We want all our families, both imagined and real, to continue working and thriving and being treated with the respect and kindness they deserve.

Peace and love,

Anne Heche

Anna Fricke on The Girl Who Cried Wolf, Part 1

Airdate: 11/09/07

WARNING! SPOILER ALERT!

 

There is no way to talk about this episode without giving away everything… except for what happens in the NEXT episode. And a lot happens in this episode, so settle in, people.  Welcome to the wedding –part one! Episodes 5 and 6 of this season were originally conceived as a two-part finale to our first season.  But, things happen, as this episode proves.

 

I know, you’re thinking to yourself… not only is Annie’s mom a hilarious drunk and Patrick is the most devoted groom ever, but what’s this about Jack taking off for the Bering Sea?  How could we do this?!  Have him leave, just when things were looking good for our heroes?  How can we interrupt this budding romance!  Because, people.  The man is a fish and game biologist and he’s dreamt his whole life of studying whales on a research vessel in the Bering Sea, okay?  This is what life is like in Elmo, Alaska.  It’s unpredictable.  Unless you’re Mai, who thinks she can predict everything.

 

Mai’s dream was a piece of the puzzle that came into play fairly late in the breaking of this episode.  When this episode became part of a two-parter, we needed something dramatic to tie the episodes together.  And what better way to do that than an ominous dream?  You will have to stay tuned to see if Mai is, in fact, psychic.  Disaster certainly seems to ensue.  This is what happens so often at weddings.  Everyone strives so vigorously for everything to go right that something inevitably goes wrong.  In this episode, everyone is on the precipice of something: a wedding, a departure, leaving the church, taking a drink – just how long can you keep it together before the universe pulls everything apart?  Mai and Celia have a mystical secret between them in the form of The Curse.  Is the curse real?  Is it better to know or not to know when disaster is imminent?

 

Which is how our radio question comes into play: how do you know when to give up the fight?  It might be noble to say never, but can we all be so steadfast when the wolf is at the door?  Is it time for Marin to let go of having a relationship with Jack?  Has Annie given up on her dream wedding too soon?  Did Sara and Eric make a mistake?  Is it time for Mary Alice to give up on her own marriage?  These are all things that will be addressed and amplified (yes MORE, much more happens!) in the next episode.  For now the best we can do is hope that Marin makes it out of this particular scrape alive.  And Domino Dan – of course we all have our fingers crossed for Domino Dan.

 

A few things of note: cats aren’t very easy to train.  Nor are eyebrows easy to make disappear.  And incidentally, for fans of both shows – we know that Dr. Christina Yang waxed her eyebrows off on “Grey’s Anatomy” right before her own botched wedding.  We know.  This episode was written long before that one aired.  But, as Mai (and the bell at the Elmo Inn) shows us in this episode, some things are quite simply beyond our control.

 

Anna

Chris Dingess on “I Wood If I Could”

Airdate: 11/02/07

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!!

...Okay, wow. We wrote this sucker a long time ago, so bear with me while I take a trip down memory lane with “I Wood If I Could.” In a nutshell, this episode is about the downside of wish fulfillment. I’m sure this is something all of us have experienced at one point or another. It begins when we’re little kids. We beg and bug our parents for some awesome toy, then we finally get it, pull it from its fantastic box, play with the thing for about half an hour and realize… “Hey, this toy really sucks.” Little do we know that this is just the start of a trend that will most likely trail us for the rest of our lives.

I think that usually, if your dream comes true and you find yourself disappointed with it, it’s because the dream wasn’t earned. That’s definitely the case with Jack and Marin. He says, almost verbatim, the words she’s dreamt he would say to her, but they land on her with a thud, or in this case, a splash. That’s because he hasn’t done enough to back the words up. And for her part, Marin hasn’t done enough work on herself to heal and find herself in a spot to accept what Jack says. We know you folks have wanted this for a long time, too. But let’s be honest: Would you have bought it if Lynn leaves and Jack and Marin get back together a mere two episodes later? Who gets back together with a guy a week or so after his pregnant ex-girlfriend/new fiancée leaves him and gets back on the bus? Idiots, that’s who! And our girl Marin is no idiot. Sure, she might flirt with the idea, dip her toes into the dream. But in the end, she’s an intelligent person and, like most of us, she’s able to pull herself back from the brink and noodle things through. She not only makes sense of the situation for herself, but she helps Jack see things as they truly are as well. We hope you guys keep watching to see if Jack and Marin can work toward their dream of being together. Even if one of them takes a detour through the Bering Sea.

And speaking of wish fulfillment, I had a dream come true when I got to write this episode with Cara Dipaolo. She’s a wonderful writer and a thousand times classier than I, so words can’t describe how happy I was when she got down and dirty when we cranked out the Bachelorette/O’Bachelorton party scenes. I’m sure I speak for both of us when I thank the dedicated crew members who had to put the Chieftain set together after the mud wrestling. Just once, I’d like to be involved with a bachelor party where property wasn’t damaged.

Chris

Anna Fricke on "No Man Is An Iceland"

Airdate: 10/26/07

ELMO ALERT! TIME SLOT CHANGE!

We interrupt Anna Fricke's blog to give you this exciting announcement--starting next Friday, November 2, Men In Trees will move to a NEW TIMESLOT--8PM ON FRIDAYS!  We are all thrilled, and hope you are, too.  Now you don't have to stay up late or miss that party to get your dose of Trees.  So, Huggers, start the in case of emergence-tree -- call, visit, e-mail everyone you know and let them know.  Remember, it starts with our very next episode, so I don't want anyone to miss it.  It is really, really good. And I rely on you guys to get the word out. 

Jenny

WARNING!! SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!

For those of you keeping track of seasons… it is finally spring in Elmo! Very confusing I know, as we creep towards Halloween in the real world, but these episodes were meant to air last year and we wanted to remain true to our Elmo timeline. Of course, that meant that there was a freak snow storm in Vancouver during the filming of this episode. But hey, it's Alaska. That’s what happens. And it’s not so much the weather that we’re interested in. We wanted to write an episode about the emotional thawing that occurs in the Elmoian spring.

As we came off of the turmoil of the first two episodes of season 2, we wanted to give our characters a chance to heal and lick their wounds. Mistakes were made. Words were exchanged. Engagements broken. Rocks were thrown and windows were blown in by arctic cyclones. After Jack and Lynn broke up, we thought Jack needed a moment to react to this. True, people might not have wanted Jack and Lynn together. But it was a blow for Jack nevertheless. He went out on a limb for all the wrong reasons and an entire town saw him fall. What happens when you experience a breakup in a small town like Elmo? Everyone talks about it. For a private man like Jack, this is a nightmare.

We also realized that Marin had survived her first winter in Elmo, literally and figuratively. The worst had happened, pretty much. And she came through the other side okay. It was an appropriate time for spring to come. But most of all, this episode was inspired by people’s reluctance to show their cracks. Jack won’t admit he needs help. Cash doesn’t want to get attached to Marin. Annie doesn’t want to relinquish control of her wedding. As much as she loves Patrick, it’s hard for her to believe that he’ll be able to hold up his end of the bargain on the big day. Celia doesn’t want to be vulnerable to Dick. Terri is afraid to give his heart to George, lest it get broken again. And of course there is the ice itself; Elmoians are at the mercy of the elements. What happens when the ice cracks? You’re forced to deal with being uncomfortable.

And speaking of uncomfortable… how much does this episode make you not want to get a tattoo? I have nine. But none of them are names. Because that was a bad idea, Jack! The Jack and Lynn who got those tattoos must have been a couple of lovelorn fools. Anyway, for those of you who are screaming at the television telling Jack to look into laser removal, for the love of god, we want you to know that “sanding” tattoos off is an option – especially if your tattoo artist lives in Elmo and doesn’t have the latest equipment in stock. This is true. Our tattooed writers’ assistant checked it out. And if Raimy’s word isn’t gospel, I don’t know what is.

We wanted to use this episode to throw our characters into unknown elements and see them come out stronger on the other side. Most of all, we wanted Jack and Marin to realistically come to a true thaw between them. Despite how Marin was hurt by Jack’s engagement, at the end of the day she’s a relationship coach – and a good person to boot. Her instinct is to help someone – everyone. That’s what she brings to this town. And having survived her first winter, she realizes that she’s strong enough to keep going – even stronger than she thought. Thanks for watching. If you love weddings, boy do we have some festivities in store for you… and if you love Sam and Jane (which I personally do) fear not, they have not disappeared – stay tuned for a scene stealing reunion…

Padma Atluri on "Chemical Reactions"

Air Date: 10/19/07

Okay, if you’re still with me, let me start by saying, “I bet you didn’t see that (breakup) coming.” For all you Jack & Marin fans--or “Jarin” fans--we told you it would be worth the wait

I know Jack just asked Lynn to marry him a couple episodes before. And I know it seems harsh. However I come from the school that there never really is a “good time” to deliver bad news or break up with someone. Let’s face it. You’re not doing anyone a favor by waiting until AFTER Valentines Day, Christmas, their 30th birthday, or in this case when the baby’s born, to tell them that it’s not right (no matter how hard you try to make it) and that you need to move on. It still sucks, it still knocks the wind out of you, but it’s still the truth. And honesty is really what we want in the end. (Ok, I will own it-- what I want in the end).

Getting to that point, however, can be tricky. But reality undoubtedly has a way of setting in the minute we make decisions, especially a life changing decision. Be it picking a partner, deciding to have a baby, quitting a job, or even spending way too much on a car. With Jack, this isn’t just a case of cold feet. As soon as he proposed, he knew something was wrong. Jack realizes that he and Lynn are just living on the fumes of their past. And as we all know, "fumes” aren’t enough to carry any relationship. It’s not fair to the baby, not fair to Lynn (after all she deserves more than a caretaker) or fair to Jack.

The breakup aside, what I enjoyed about this episode was the notion of chemistry. That chemistry is more than mere attraction. It’s a force to be reckoned with. A force, if you’re lucky, that can bring out the very best in you. It is hard not to see Jack and Marin together in the woods and get it. Chemistry! (P.S.) I know it’s fall in your world now, but don’t be thrown that it’s early spring in the show—we are staying true to our show timeline.

As much as I loved that Patrick’s last name was Bachelor (which suited him perfectly in his single days) I loved even more his progressive nature that lead him to O’Bachelorton (catchy, huh?). By studying the chemistry of his own name, he was able to share the biggest gift (of his new identity) with his ever-loving mother, new father and future bride.

I loved that in this episode, we got a sneak preview into another side of Celia-- her compassionate side. And while it’s not okay to lie on the stand, it’s pretty amazing to see what lengths people will go to to keep their families and neighbor’s families together. And then there’s Dick. When Celia broke the law, she broke his heart. But their chemistry won out, and he forgave her. The things we do and forgive under the umbrella of love.

So as you can see (despite the breakup) there’s still a lot of love in Elmo. And they’re all searching for it. Searching for that chemistry. Learning that when you’re with the right person, he or she will be with you because they want to be there (not because they may feel like they should). They will know how to read you (even when you’re lying), and if you’re lucky, they’ll bring out the very best of you, even when you didn’t think that was possible.

Jenny Bicks on “A Tree Goes In Elmo”

Airdate: 10/12/07

Our First Blog of Season Two!!!

Hey, tree huggers-

I can’t believe I actually wrote “Season Two” up there. It is actually, FINALLY happening! If you are reading this, you probably caught our premiere episode tonight. If you didn’t, you may not want to read on until you have. I may be feeling spoiler-ish.

So this episode was a real puzzle for me. As many of you know, we had five great episodes left over from our shortened first season. But the first one back didn’t really help to re-introduce the whole town for a whole new season. So I had to create an episode that would make you guys who were newer to the show get some background, and also let our diehard Felmoians have some fun, too. And it all had to be closed-ended (meaning, I couldn’t cliff-hang anything for the next episode... since the next episode had been shot eight months ago!). And I needed to make it exciting. So I took to my bed and fretted.

What I did know I wanted to do in this episode was to allow Marin to have emotional closure with Jack. She had been on a real rollercoaster with him, and she needed to put all of her anger and pain somewhere. Actually, first she needed to acknowledge her pain. Jack moved on so quickly with Lynn that Marin began to feel that maybe what they had was never real. So that’s what the episode is about – Marin feeling it was real, mourning it and moving on. The tree is that symbol – like her pain, she doesn’t realize what deep roots it has. So, I knew I wanted to tell that story. But I needed what the people in suits call a “story engine.” I was reading about arctic cyclones and got into the idea of making that work for this episode. They blow through Alaska and unearth all this stuff and isn’t that kinda what’s happening to Marin? So, that’s what I did. How about that blowing snow, huh? It was soapsuds and plastic flakes. The magic of television.

Of course, other people unearth other things about each other as well – Patrick learns Annie isn’t perfect (how about Emily Bergl’s backbend playing Twister! In skorts!), Mai learns she wasn’t Buzz’s first choice in a mail-order bride, and Celia learns about Dick’s flatulence problem. I know. I did a fart story. I swore I never would. But I dare each of you in a relationship to tell me you haven’t been through the moment of the first fart. It’s real and it’s uncomfortable and that makes it worth writing. So there. P.S., John Amos brought a fart machine to work for days during this episode, proving once again, that boys just love anything resembling a fart joke. Yes, John Amos, heralded actor of stage and screen, owns a fart machine.

And a shout-out to my friend Rhonda Britten, life coach from the sadly departed NBC show “Starting Over.” Occasionally she would have the gals on that show do things like write their troubles on rocks and throw them off things or through things or into things. It seemed to work for them. So, I had Marin do it, too. Man, I miss that show.

What does Cash’s rock mean? You will have to wait and see. Will Sara lose Matty? Stick around. And what about Jack and Lynn? Watch the next episode... and then come back here for a whole new blog next week. That’s right. We’re going to be on AGAIN with a new episode next week... and the week after... and so on! Because it’s Season Two finally! I just had to write that again.

Jenny

You asked for it...

Hey, Felmoians, nothing like some pestering on the website to get a new blog out of me! Speaking of, how ’bout that fancy new webpage we have, huh? I’m still trying to figure out how to navigate it myself!

So, first up, no one panic. We will not be on the air again until we premiere October 12th. So that means don’t expect to see any reruns on Thursday or Friday nights before then. Okay? And remember, our new timeslot is 10 p.m. on Friday nights. This gives you over two weeks of downtime from Elmo to get completely ready for our Season Two return. That means, pop the popcorn, make sure you have your TV watching blanket (you know you have one), and strap in. It really is going to be a fun ride.

We are deep into filming in Vancouver at this point – shooting our sixth episode back, which will be the twelfth episode you see this year (remember, we have five episodes from last year that will air after our new season premiere). The whole gang up there has been hard at work, and we have some new twists and turns. Cash is still around... and soon you will meet Julia, Jack’s new workmate. We are going up into the mountains and out to sea... Just another day in Elmo!

I have read many of your posts on the new message board and am curious – why do you think the church Eric runs is Catholic? We were very specific to dress it as a Lutheran church could be dressed... Also, yes, we shoot in Squamish, a great little town north of Vancouver (and on the way to the site for the next winter Olympics, which means many road construction nightmares! Many men in trees... and backhoes!). Oh, and I love Jane and Plow Guy, too. They are not done with each other, so stay tuned...

As soon as we start airing, we will start to do weekly blogs as we did last year, written by the writer of that week’s episode. So, more blogs, more episodes, more fun... It’s all good!

Jenny

Is It October Yet?

Well, Felmoians, we have been hard at work shooting again in Vancouver.   The weather has cooperated and it is great to see the cast again.  Of course it hasn’t all been hard work as an oddly large batch of us are Leos, which means many interruptions of hard work for birthday cake over the last month…Lauren (Mai), James (Jack), Cynthia (Celia), Thom in the hair department, Ginger in the AD department, Padma Atluri in our writers’ room, and of course, me.  So yeah, I happen to be partial to Leos.  We also have a lot of Geminis, so last weekend Anne hosted a Geminis versus Leos softball game.  I believe the Leos took the crown.  Duh.

I wanted to answer a few questions that seem to be coming up a lot from you guys.

--The episode we are airing first comes BEFORE the last five we shot in Season One.  You will see this new episode followed by the five shot.  Okay?  None of you in the States will be missing any episodes and I promise this first episode will make sense to you.

--Contrary to press reports, the character of Julia, played by Kelli Williams (not Martin, folks!) will NOT be a love interest for Jack.  She will play a happily married scientist who works with Jack.  They will bond, but this isn’t a love thing, okay?  You will get some delicious Jack and Marin this season, I promise.

--DVDs.  I have no control on a first season DVD.  Trust me, I wish I did.  This is decided by Warner Brothers, our studio.  Maybe you want to send them a mess of raccoons and pressure them into releasing it??

Okay, keep writing and enjoy what is left of the summer…oh and Happy Birthday fellow Leos!

Jenny

Welcome to Season 2...

Hey Felmoians!  Sorry for the delay in starting the blog up again.  I do have a good excuse - I was actually writing my first episode for the new season.  We started filming it last week, with our new producer/director Bob Berlinger directing, and I have to say, it is looking great.

So, let's get your questions out of the way - we will premiere at 10pm on Friday, October 12th.  ABC just announced this at the Television Critic Association press tour this week.  That will be our time slot until I am told otherwise.  10pm, Fridays.  Spread the word.  Let's hope we get to stay there for a bit so that everyone can find us again!

The episode that we are filming now will be seen first up as our season premiere, then it will be followed by the five episodes that were shot last season and that our New Zealand friends have been so happily vocal about - glad you are liking them down under, people!  I do not know how this will work for you guys who have already seen these five episodes - I hope you get to see our new season opening episode, but I will have to check and get back to you.  We will have 27 episodes this year (the full 22 order, plus these five)...plenty of MIT to love!

We did a panel at the TCA's, where we got to talk to the critics.  Anne, James, Seana, Ty (Sam),
Scott (Cash), John and Lauren all flew down from Vancouver to participate with me.  I have to say, we have great support from the critics and I have to thank them for keeping the word out about us.  Check out photos online of Anne at the after party - she looked stunning.

The writers are hard at work breaking stories for this season.  Lots of twists and turns this year.  And Kelli Williams will be joining our cast, which we are really excited about.  She plays a married marine biologist that works with Jack.  I want this season to feel really satisfying in terms of taking Marin places that she hasn't been (emotionally and physically) and really delving into the lives of the other characters.  Jane and Plow Guy are going to have a really fun arc and wait 'til you see what happens with Jerome.  And of course, Jack and Marin.  Ah, Jack and Marin.  So different, but so pulled to each other.  And then there's Cash, who has a big secret.  And yes, Stuart will be back as well.  So, strap in.  It's going to be a great ride!

And thanks for still writing to the blog during the summer.  We read every post.  I know you guys would rather be sitting out in a lawn chair drinking a beer.  Or a cosmo?  What do you guys drink?  These days I'm favoring infused vodkas.

Love from Elmo,
Jenny
 

Why we should all go live in New Zealand…

Well, it’s true…apparently some of you Felmoians will get to see our special super secret last five episodes from our previous season very soon…if you don’t live in the US, Canada or Mexico!  Here’s the deal—our international buyers got all our episodes when we completed them last season, and will be running them without a break for re-runs (as we are doing here in the US).  So some of you will get to see “Chemical Reactions” (our next episode up) as early as this week.  Aargh.  I am happy for all you foreigners (and not just because you get to sit in piazzas and have espressos and speak beautiful languages) , but I’m sad for the North America fans.   While they get to watch all the re-runs, they don’t get these new episodes until the Fall.  So, I need to ask all you lucky people outside of North America a huge favor.   Zip it. Keep your mouths shut. No spilling the beans!  Keep the spoilers to yourselves.  You know what I’m saying.   Let’s try to give all of us on this continent a chance to enjoy all the craziness of these episodes when they air in October.  A little plus for you North American fans—we are shooting a “season opener” episode that will come before these five episodes and really kick us off with a bang (or a cyclone?)  So, that’s something, right? 

Jenny

We’re baaaackkk…

Hey Elmoians!

Sorry for the very long wait for this next blog entry. (Are you guys still out there? Is this thing on?) I wanted to make triple sure that the info I was giving you for all our next air dates was pretty much air-tight. So here goes:

We will start RE RUNS on June 28th (not the 21st as earlier reported) at 10 pm (Thursdays after Greys Anatomy). You will get to see almost all of your old favorites, starting from the beginning, Thursday nights, all summer. There are one or two that will not air because we don’t have enough time over the summer to squeeze them all in. So, set your Tivos. Have a party. Invite your friends who never got to see our first 16 episodes. Eat. Laugh. Do all those things. Then…buckle your seat belts.

SEASON TWO will start airing FRIDAY NIGHTS at the end of September or beginning of October. This is the one date that they have not released yet—but stay tuned, we will have it well in advance of our premiere.

We started back in the writer’s room last week, and have been having a great time breaking stories for this next season. It is nice to know we have those five episodes we shot last year “banked” for the beginning of this season, because I have to say, I think they are our best episodes so far. And, of course, it’s nice to feel you have already accomplished something when you are staring at a blank, big, daunting white dry erase board . Joining us this year in the writer’s room are David Rosenthal (he ran Gilmore Girls last year and wears lovely shirts), Jennie Snyder (also from Gilmore Girls, her talent, aside from writing, is being able to sleep anywhere at any time) and Mike Kramer (all-around funny guy and very good poker player). Everything is looking peachy for second season. We even moved offices so now we can stare at the Ugly Betty offices and marvel at their number of parking spaces. To be clear, we didn’t move for that reason…it is just an added bonus.

Now that we are up and running after our much-needed hiatus, I will be back to blogging on a regular basis. Please come back often, and, as always, leave a comment. But only good comments. We only have 3 parking spaces and our egos can’t handle it.

Jenny

Okay, here’s the deal… Another blog by Jenny Bicks

April 26, 2007

Oh, Felmoians. What a crazy month of scheduling (or non-scheduling) madness, huh? Thanks for all of your e-mails. We feel your pain. And share it. So here is the latest from the network’s mouth to my ear…we will absolutely be on the air starting in June with re-runs all summer. They have told me the night and time but I am going to wait a beat on telling you, as I have noticed that these schedules seem to morph in the blink of an eye. And I am losing all my credibility with you guys! I do trust the re-run part, which is great since many of you who fell in love on Thursday nights never got to see the first 8 episodes that aired on Fridays. So you can catch up over the summer and remember Elmo. So, that’s number one.

Number two; we remain picked-up for next season. Please do not worry about that. We will be on in the fall, with everyone else. Can’t tell you the night or time yet because they haven’t announced that yet (they announce May 15 in NYC). We will air our last 5 episodes first, so we will have 27 new episodes to show you next season. Less re-runs, more fattening! Yay! And in case you remain concerned, us not being on in May has nothing to do with these 5 episodes creatively. They rock. It has everything to do with ABC wanting to use Thursday nights to showcase new shows. I know, I know.

So my promise, as usual, is to come back here through out the next few weeks and months to fill you in on everything. As soon as I know anything, I will put it up here. We are recording a ton of podcasts that will go up on this blog continually so make sure you check back frequently.

A few other asides: I wish I could do something about putting more episodes on the web. I can’t. That is controlled by my studio, not me. Keep writing and e-mailing the network, they notice. The contact info is on the ABC web site. Happy Birthday, Emily Bergl! And how great is Jordin Sparks on American Idol?

Jenny

I know, I know… A blog by Jenny Bicks

April 10, 2007

I get it. Your confused about when we’re gonna be back on the air. You’re Felmos. You’re concerned. My Dad is very concerned. I think he is threatening to sue the network. Which I think one does when one is a lawyer with time on his hands. Well I hate to say it, but I don’t have the answers. Here’s what I do know—we have been picked up (early) for a second season. We will be back with another 22 episodes (add that up—27 episodes you haven’t seen yet!) This is hugely great news and gets us through these short-term moments when we don’t know what to tell friends when they ask when their next fix of MIT is coming. We will be on in the fall with a big long season (and—God and the network willing—a time slot we get to stay in without all this change). However, we will not be on this April, and perhaps not in May either. This has nothing to do with how the network feels about our little show. It has everything to do with giving other shows a chance to be seen—on the biggest night of the week for ABC. So yeah, it’s frustrating. But let’s try and keep the big picture. And be happy that we are not a show waiting to hear their fate for next year.

There are rumors about a possible 2 or 3 episodes airing in May on Thursday nights. This may happen, but I would not bet on it. Personally, I am little worried now that if we did air, no one would know we were on, and you guys might miss it all together. That would suck. I do promise AS SOON as I know more information, I will put it up here. So keep checking back, okay? (And keep telling the network what you think—they do listen).

We have wrapped production on our last episode of this first season, and I really can’t wait for you guys to see it (and the other 4 you haven’t seen yet!) We had quite the wrap party in Vancouver last weekend (just ask Mike Love, props). Tomorrow night, we throw another party in LA for all the crew down here. We MIT peeps, we like to get our party on. Man, do we have a great crew. Hard working, kind, and easy on the eyes.

So, keep the faith, people. It’ll be okay. We will return stronger, funnier, and with added calcium and Vitamin B. That’s my promise to you guys.

Write me and let me know what you want to see more of next season, okay? We are starting to break stories…

Jenny

We’re REALLY still here! By Jenny Bicks

March 22, 2007

This is a fun blog for me to write tonight, as today we got the official call from the network that we are COMING BACK FOR A SECOND SEASON. As Patrick would say: “huge.” Really huge.

We are thrilled to get an early pick-up and it comes at a great time—we are filming our last episode of this season starting next week, so now we can shoot the thing not thinking the whole time, “ah geez, this will be the last time we shoot in the Chieftain,” or “I better load up on that fried cheese from craft service,” or “I guess I better go say goodbye for good to that extra with the really long beard.”

I had a very Elmo moment today as I tried, from LA, to get in touch with Anne in Vancouver to tell her the great news before she read it on the Internet somewhere. (It happens—my own father in New York City e-mailed me congratulations before anyone from the network had reached me!) So turns out we were shooting on top of a very big mountain outside Vancouver today where they get zero cell reception (like all of Elmo). I had to send my lovely and courageous Vancouver assistant Asha up that mountain with a bottle of champagne and a note and the direction to seem very, very sad and not like she was carrying the biggest happy secret in the world. And contraband alcohol. She apparently may have a future on the stage or screen, as Anne and the crew were completely shocked and surprised. What a thrill it is to share with your lead actress, who has worked so hard and brought so much talent and spirit to your project, that she gets to do this all again next year.

So, to answer your next questions: No, I don’t know if this means we will stay on Thursday nights for next year. We will know that answer in May. Yes, I believe we will be back on the air this year by mid-April (not so far away—do your taxes and then we’ll be back!) And you bet this pick-up has everything to do with you guys—the Fans. The Felmos (get it? Fans and Elmo?) The Doberman’s who didn’t quit. Our heartfelt thanks to you and your support. Keep it coming. Thank ABC for their good taste. And when you’re done, make sure you check back here—we’ll be waiting with a cold Chieftain longneck beer and a smile. And really bad cell phone reception.

Jenny

We’re still here!: a blog by Jenny Bicks

March 15, 2007

Hey there—

If you are reading this, perhaps you are jonesing for a little Men In Trees. Well I am here to tell you that while we are off for a few weeks, we are far from over! We will be back on the air at the latest on April 12th in our old time slot and then we have five new episodes to show you. I will be able to give you a precise air date for our new episodes in the next two weeks…but it will be no later than that April 12th date…

It has been so great to read all of your comments here and elsewhere. We so appreciate the love you have shown our show and the…gosh darn tenacity…you guys show in continuing to contact us and the network. It reminds me of my dog Trixie. She is this 15- pound Border Terrier, but you do not want to cross her. She becomes like a 200-pound Doberman. That’s what our fans are. The 200 pound Doberman dressed as sweet, smart, normal people…until you cross them and take our show off the air for a few weeks. You go, fans!

Okay. So I just wrote the last episode of the season. Note: I said “of the season”, not “of the series.” It is big. Our last two episodes are a 2-parter and I have to say quite a bit happens. Stuff you may not see coming. We’ve got it all—Cash, Danny, more Sam and Jane drama, Marin and Jack drama, a storm, a wedding, a proposal, an accident, a pack of hungry wolves…well, you’ll see. Upon finishing this last episode I promptly got sick and took to my bed for three days. This is what happens after you are done writing a season—your body literally gives out on you. Today I am up and around and feel like I have at least another season in me…

So keep writing, you guys. And we will keep writing back. It will make the time pass much more quickly, I promise. Also soon, our podcast will be up and running on this site, so make sure to check back!

Jenny

Chris Dingess on "The Buddy System"

Original Air Date: October 27, 2006

Hey everybody,

“Buddy System” was all about connections and being tied to people. Crap. Why do I always get the ones about tying and strings? I don’t even like tying and strings. Seriously, as I write this I’m wearing slip on shoes.

Connections are tough. But from the moment we’re born we start making them. We have no choice. We break out of the womb and there’s these people that take us home and we grow up and we get to know them and we get attached to them and they annoy us and we annoy them (and waste their money) until someone either moves out or everyone becomes creepy.

Then we go out in the world and what do we do? Make more connections. We meet people, realize we have stuff in common like a mutual love for films, music or sports teams and we become friends. Or we discover a mutual desire to get naked and do stuff to each other and we become more than friends. Then, after the nakedness and the doing stuff, you wake up one morning and realize you’re in love and attached to this person. Then they annoy us and we annoy them (and we start wasting each other’s money).

Marin’s not like that. She’s all about connections. Since moving to Elmo, she’s managed to create ties with the various guys in town. They know her and, to a degree, have come to respect her. Buzz and Patrick listen to her and try to find common ground; especially Patrick, who follows Buzz up to his cabin/snowy death trap. Then there’s Jack who literally ties himself to Marin and falls into an old mine shaft (that’s right, I said mine shaft). Marin starts to think being connected to him is toxic.

It was important for us to have Marin save Jack in this episode. Up until now he’d pulled her out of the ice, helped her sick raccoon, given her a stink removing tomato bath…We wanted to correct the balance and it came at a good time, when she was having doubts about herself. By being able to rescue Jack, we were hoping that would give her the boost of confidence to propel her forward.

Because really, that’s what connections do, right? They bug us, but they also save us. It’s our connections that help us grow, hold us as we deal with loss, bail us out of the slammer and tell us not to lay any cash on the Chicago Bears.

While we’re on the subject, I’d like to thank all of you guys who’ve made a connection with our little show. We bug the hell out of you by bringing in pregnant ex-girlfriends and you climb on our backs screaming at us to get rid of her. But still, we feel the love under the anger. You’re connected to us. You can’t deny it. We really appreciate all of the letters and e-mails you guys are writing to us here and to ABC. Keep ‘em coming. We know you want more episodes online. That’s not our call. But keep asking for them. Because if you, the people, speak, you the people will be heard. So you guys write and love, and we will keep on writing and loving you for caring. Deal?

This will be our last episode on air for about a month. But please keep coming back here to our site because we will be updating it continually with new stuff—even a podcast where we interview our cast. There’s a lot to look forward to in MIT land. We are shooting our last two episodes now…and let me just tell you…you won’t want to miss them. Another proposal…a wedding that may or may not happen…packs of wolves, a cat, a divorce and a missing eyebrow. Stay tuned!

Chris

Jenny Bicks on “Power Shift”

Original Air Date: September 15, 2006

Welcome to the very first episode we ever shot as a real series. I wanted to do a quick blog on this episode since we hadn’t started our week-to-week writer blogs when this first aired way back in September (on Friday nights…remember those days?) The pilot was shot the previous March, and so this was our first episode together as a cast and crew (shot in July—if you notice Anne and Emily looking a little hot in their winter coats on the street…they were! It was close to 90 degrees that day).

When you write the first episode after the pilot, there is so much to “re-set” (network language there) about your characters and how everyone fits in. I tried my best to lay in this info in an elegant way, but it’s tough. It makes you appreciate how far you’ve come (we are currently about to start shooting episode 20 of 22) and how easy it is now for all our Elmo characters to interact without introducing themselves.

For some of you, this episode may be the first time you realized that Ben and Theresa were separated when we started the series, that Annie followed Marin to Elmo, and that yes, Sara was the town “hospitality hostess” (prostitute). The episode also re-introduced Rocky the Raccoon, for which I remain sorry. Raccoons are not indigenous to Alaska, and no one had told me. So, sorry everyone. But he (Elvis) is a damn cute and talented raccoon.

Thematically, I needed this episode to separate Marin, finally, from Graham and allow her to make her first steps towards integrating into Elmo. This does not happen without fits and starts. In the end, I wanted to start selling Elmo as its own character. Elmo is a place where, even if people don’t always like you, they will support you. I find this to be true of many small communities and I think it is a beautiful thing. This is what keeps Marin in this world—they accept she is learning and are there to catch her when she falls.

I love watching the early interactions of Jack and Marin. They are so tentative with each other here…but you can still see the sparks. I still enjoy that final walk along the railroad tracks with them. Besides being a beautiful cinematic moment, it really shows these two connecting. And when Jack finally smiles at her? Man. That’s good.

You also get to meet Ian, Jack’s brother, for the first time in this episode. He came back in 105 (the Anchorage episode) and will re-appear in our next-to-last episode. He’s a trouble maker, that Ian.

Some housekeeping matters…congrats to SUZANNE FROM VANCOUVER who correctly identified Grandpa Michael Patrick from his first star turn in “Talk For Tat”! Susan, e-mail us your contact info and the MIT scarf is yours! (We promise to not put your info on the site!)

Also…AIR DATE ALERT. Do not panic. Next week ABC will re-air “The Buddy System” (where Patrick discovers Buzz is his dad) and then they are using our timeslot to premiere the new show “October Road” for a few weeks. We should be back on the air with ORIGINAL EPISODES on April 12th, and then pretty much get to run new episodes all the way through May sweeps. Yes, it sucks we are off that long, but it’s great that we can run our new episodes after that without interruption. Please do not forget about us, keep writing to ABC and us, and keep checking back here for more blogs and fun.

Jenny

Jenny Bicks on "The Indecent Proposal"

Episode Date: February 15, 2007

Dear viewers and readers…

If you watched last night, it is quite possible some of you want to kill me today. So, let’s address that right up front. Don’t kill me. And yes, Jack proposed. And if you listen closely to what he tells Ben in the Chieftain, you will understand why. To answer your most frequently asked questions on this…

Yes, I know exactly where all of this is going. I had the entire first season planned out before we started shooting our first episode (in fact, as the show runner you must “pitch” the arcs for all your characters before the network or studio lets you spend their money). I’m a big fan of planning. So, please try to stop worrying. It will all be okay.

No, I don’t think Jack is less of a man for doing this. Here’s the thing—I set up that he could not get involved with Marin because of some girl named “Lynn.” It would be bad story telling not to introduce her. Yes, they got back together quickly. But she had left just four months prior, they have been together since they were 15, and he takes care of her. That is the dynamic I wanted to express a bit more in this episode. He is a guy who “does the right thing.” I find that sexy, by the way. That he is loyal. And wants to take care of that baby. Even though it is not his. Some of you will agree, some of you won’t. Will he learn that perhaps this decision is a tougher one than he thought? Watch the next episode.

I also know there is only so long you can go without showing the flaws of your characters. Jack could not go on being just the man of few words who seemed in many ways perfect. We plan for five years here (and yes, our ratings have been going up—so thanks for the continued support!). He has to have something to come back from. And if—IF—it doesn’t go right with Lynn, trust me he will have to fight for Marin. She is a woman who stands by her convictions. And that’s why we love her. I think the showdown they have at the end of this episode is some of the most beautiful acting Anne has done so far. When I started writing this episode I had a few key lines in my head—one of which was Marin’s in this scene: “You know what I’ll never get? How you could open your heart to someone who broke it into pieces, but you couldn’t open it to someone who just wanted to heal it.” To me, it summed up so much of what Marin and Jack have been through. She did that line proud.

Other things I love in this episode? Annie Potts and Colm Meaney could not have been more perfect as Annie’s parents. Colm and Derek’s scene on the couch even made our sound mixers laugh. And trust me, they are a tough audience. Seana Kofoed (Jane) also did some of her best comic stylings in this episode. Her face, trying not to be drunk, on her line “is this an intervention” is genius. And Celia enduring a make-over in the hands of Mai…

Oh and yes, Grandpa Michael Patrick can be spotted in another one of our episodes, as an entirely different character. A “Men In Trees” scarf goes to the first reader to find his other cameo!

Okay. Thanks for reading, you guys. And yes, we read all the posts you send back to us. Even the mean ones that we won’t put up here for everyone else to see because my Dad would come and throw a slipper at you if he read them. Trust me, it’s for your own good.

The show will be off the air for a few weeks. Don’t panic, we will be back in March. I have seen parts of the next episode and it is worth the wait!

Thanks again for all the support. We call MIT “the little show that could.” And it’s because of all of you that we are succeeding.

Jenny

Anna Fricke on “Nice Girls Finish Frist”

Episode Date: February 8, 2007

We always get into interesting conversation in the writers’ room about the differences between men and women… which is useful, since that’s what the show is going to be about. But never before had the women so confused the men about an issue. The question we grappled with for this episode is why women go over the top to be nice to someone – even when they don’t particularly like them. We all had a bunch of stories to tell about bending over backwards to make someone else happy, even though you’re not sure why you’re bending so far back. I told a story about buying three hundred dollars worth of wedding china for my ex-boyfriend and then never hearing from him again. I was just trying to be nice and say that I applauded his marriage! Okay, and maybe I also wanted to show that I was a generous and loving soul and important enough in his life that he would also eat dinner off of plates I gave him. These things are complicated. Jenny hoped that I would work through some issues in writing this episode. I think that I did. But Zach: A thank you note? Something? Anything?

Anyway, the production process of this episode proved to be fascinating. Our show shoots in Vancouver, as you know, so a lot of our meetings take place via speakerphone. Jenny and I had a conference call with our co-executive producer and the director of the episode, Jeff Melman. Jeff is a great guy and also directed my last episode. But he was initially mystified by Marin’s actions. “I’m just trying to understand,” he said over the speakerphone. “Why exactly is Marin getting Lynn such a huge gift?” Jenny and I looked at each other. This episode always made perfect sense to us. “She thinks she’s being nice. She wants Lynn to like her. She’s getting this gift to show that she’s fine with everything, and the best way to show that is to get the best gift possible.” We said. There was a pause. Jeff, on the other end said, “but Marin still has feelings for Jack.” “Exactly!” We said. It’s complicated. Jeff got on board and said that we were teaching him a lot about women. Hopefully we’re spurring conversations in bedrooms all over America and women will stop spending money on other women they don’t actually like and we can put an end to fake friendships once and for all.

We felt it was important to show this dynamic between Marin and Lynn. Two strong personalities that, in another world, might have been friends. But in this world, they don’t have a heck of a lot of reasons to like each other. We knew it wasn’t believable to play Lynn as Marin as friends and we wanted to address that. Lynn struggles in this episode, too. She knows it’s awkward to ask Marin to celebrate her baby, but it’s even more awkward to leave her out of it, right? And Jack is trying to be nice to both Marin and Lynn, which is clearly not working out well for him. We know that many of you are frustrated by the Jack/Lynn relationship. But this episode is a good example of Jack’s struggle. He doesn’t feel entirely comfortable about what he’s entering into with Lynn, but he’s carrying through with it because he’s a good guy (as will be furthered in next week’s episode).

We went through a few different versions with the Sam and Jane story. We wanted it to be a deeper issue than that Jane is just a career-crazed woman and Sam is laid back. That would be an insult to career crazed women everywhere (half our staff). We wanted to show that, while we love Sam and Jane together, maybe these two people fundamentally don’t work as a couple in the real world. When you’re in Elmo, it’s easy to get caught up in the laid back small town fantasy. But what happens when the honeymoon is over? When we were writing this, we had to make sure there were moments where both Sam and Jane were at fault. They both had their not-so-pretty moments. But personally, I could watch Sam and Jane all day. I think they’re really great together. I hope those two work it out.

We’ve known for a long time how we wanted to play Buzz’s reaction to having a gay son. We knew it would be tentative and awkward between the two of them, but that Buzz would want to embrace George the way he’s embraced Patrick. But Buzz is an old fashioned man and not necessarily well versed in the modern ways of homosexuality. He really is trying to do right by George, but he unknowingly does very wrong. George and Terri = delightful. I loved them. I hope you do as well. I think they accurately portrayed how a deep seeded neurosis about one’s body can affect your ability to hook up with someone you’re attracted to. I am clearly using this episode to work through some issues.

Oh – CASH. I haven’t even gotten to Cash. Somethin’ else, right? He is the man who says what we’re all thinking. He was also a good way to work out the frustration we all have with contractors. Look for him to shake up Marin’s life even more…

Thanks for watching,
Anna

p.s. During the shooting of this episode, I had the stomach flu for several days and had an unfortunate but contained incident on the set of Ben’s house. The cast and crew were incredibly supportive. Sorry. Just couldn’t go without mentioning that.

Chris Dingess on “Take It Like A Man”

Air Date: February 1, 2007

Let me start this blog by stating this: sex with no strings is magnificent. Maybe I’m saying this because I’ve been sleeping with the same beautiful, magnificent woman for nearly ten years or perhaps it’s because casual sex was such a rare occurrence for me as a young man that it became a precious jewel of an experience (thank you, dollar shot night). Either way, I believe this to be one of the truths of the universe and that is why I loved writing this episode. I was going to take a stand for the people out there who prefer to meet someone, share an orgasm or two (okay, usually one) then go on about their business. You people know who you are and God bless you.

When I got assigned the “sex with no strings” episode I thought, “Holy Crap! This is gonna be easy street!” I felt like I was stealing money. However, even when you’re just writing forty two minutes of television about sex with no strings, you have to think about it. Is there really such a thing? Sure, there might not be a string on your side of the bed. But what if there’s a tiny bit of twine dangling on the other side? The writers talked about this in the room and I, for my part, can remember times when I didn’t want things to be casual, but the woman I slept with did so I said nothing. I can only imagine the reverse happened as well. That was when we realized we had to protect our characters, or one character in particular. Not Marin. We all know Marin and we love her. She might screw up once in a while, but she’s mature and intelligent and will usually come around and be honest with herself. The character we had to protect was Stuart.

With Stuart, we were already starting in the hole because everyone would prefer our heroine to be with our fish and game biologist. Plus, we’ve only seen Stuart Maxson a couple of times and he’s been handsome, smart, sweet, and charming. A lot of times it’s this guy that turns out to be a creep. We were afraid that this is just how Stuart would come across when he has phone sex with Marin, then whisks her off for skiing, après skiing, and sex.

Luckily, this episode is also about Marin exploring what it’s like to be a dude. This way, we could have her be the aggressor, maybe think with “little Marin” instead of her brain (I know. Not all guys are like that but some are, so there.). Marin’s the one who ups the ante during the phone flirting, Marin’s the one who chooses to go skiing, and Marin’s the one who decides to give a stringless throw down a try. And even though, in the end, Marin realizes she’s not that type of girl, we want Stuart to hedge a little on their “agreement” first. That’s why he’s hanging around for coffee the next morning and that’s why he’s making plans for the Rangers/Blackhawk’s game. Jason O’Mara, the excellent actor who plays Stuart, was aware of this and really made an effort to show a hint of regret in Stuart during that scene. This is a guy who’s starting to see that he’s got an amazing woman on his hands and maybe he’s given her an out too soon. I hope that came across.

In the end, Marin comes to find she needs more, and Stuart starts to realize that strings might not be all that bad… and they aren’t really. While it’s awesome to get in and get out sometimes, there’s something to be said for waking up after a few months, or years, to find the same person in bed next you… kicking you because you snore too loud or scream in your sleep because of night terrors.

Chris

Tim Davis on “Bed, Bat, and Beyond”

Airdate: January 25, 2007

Howdy once again, loyal MIT viewers, and welcome to another edition of what-I-did-on-my-Vancouver-vacation. Strictly speaking, of course, our time in Vancouver does not consist of activities normally associated with a vacation. We writers are hard at work up there, many hours a day, doing our darndest to provide you with the highest quality entertainment possible. For the most part, that means working closely with the directors (in tonight’s case, the multi-talented former dancer/choreographer Matthew Diamond) to ensure a sense of continuity from episode to episode, and also to help realize the vision of each script as it makes the often treacherous transition from page to screen.

But as hard as we work, every once in a while we have an experience that reminds us our job does come with its own particular brand of perks and pleasures. If you don’t believe me, just ask the aforementioned Mr. Diamond. During the particularly challenging setup for the painting party (the first part of which was shot in one painstakingly orchestrated take), Matthew kept hearing what can only be described as... can I write this in a network-affiliated blog?... farting noises coming through his headphones. The rest of the actors and crew on set heard the sound as well and were kind of embarrassed for their director, since it appeared these ‘blasts’ were coming from him. They assumed, and I must admit I did too, that Matthew had eaten something disagreeable off the catering truck at lunch and was clearly unable to control himself, perhaps due to the stress of setting up such a difficult shot. But we were all too embarrassed to say anything because, I mean, come on, it was a very embarrassing situation. We felt bad for the guy, and didn’t want to add to his apparently increasing discomfort. You see, Matthew continued to emit these noises at regular intervals, while remaining admirably focused on the job at hand. Only John Amos (Buzz) seemed amused by the situation. Greatly amused. Finally, after about the 10th ‘blast’, John broke down and revealed a tiny speaker that he’d surreptitiously dropped into the hood of Matthew’s jacket. Yes, my friends, John Amos, that renowned actor you might remember from such legendary television programming as Good Times and Roots, or more recently The West Wing, is a whiz with the remote farting machine. Like the pro he is, Matthew took the prank in stride, and quickly broke down in laughter. (And maybe a few tears, I couldn’t really tell.) Far from being a distraction, however, Mr. Amos’s antics kept the mood on the set light, and helped inject the resulting scene with great energy and humor. But you see what I mean when I talk about perks of the job, right?

The rest of the cast this week were just as much fun to work with, even if they didn’t tickle my adolescent funny bone in quite the same way. I will confess here that my colleague, Chris Dingess, and I have a friendly competition about who gets to work with more of the cast members on any given week. Even though we have little control over who’s in our episodes, we like to pretend that we do -- and being two male writers on a predominantly female staff, competition seems unavoidable. Without further adieu then, in addition to the merry prankster and the rest of our regulars, I trust you enjoyed tonight the diverse and sparkling talent on display of (in no particular order): Justine Bateman, Currie Graham, the always hilarious Lauren Tom and Cynthia Stevenson, and everybody’s favorite new hunky plow guy, Ty Olsson. All of them, plus a truly terrifying bat AND Clarence, the bear from Borat. So, um... how do you like them cast apples, DIngess?

Before I say goodnight, I want to remind you all that tonight's episode is currently up on abc.com, and can be found there for the next week. Sadly, because of certain corporate arrangements I’m not at liberty to discuss (mainly because they haven’t been shared with me), we can't make the whole season available just yet. But we’re working on it, just as hard as we’re working on bringing you the best possible shows each and every week. And that’s a promise from all of us here at Men In Trees.

Goodnight now.

Tim

Jenny Bicks on “History Lessons”

Air Date: January 18, 2007

Happy 2007 guys! Thanks for being such loyal watchers and writers…I read a lot of what everyone writes into this site and others (especially when I have a deadline…like Marin, I enjoy a good procrastination…) By the way, keep calling and writing ABC. Those calls and notes make a big difference. Fans of MIT call more often than all other shows but Grey’s and Lost. Let’s make it number 1!

So, speaking of what some of you guys have been writing about…I know, I know. You are a little pissed at Jack. I think this episode will help you to understand a bit more about Jack and Lynn’s history and maybe you can give him a break for a bit. I think everyone has that person from their past—the one that got away—that if you had the chance to try again with, you would. That’s Lynn for Jack. It’s very bad timing, yes, that she came back just as Jack and Marin were starting up…but she only left Jack a few months before, so this is all very fresh for Jack. They go all the way back to high school. That’s when they got those tattoos. Jack is human and trying to figure it out. History can be very seductive. And yes, we love Marin, but Lynn isn’t the devil. I promise.

In the meantime, Marin has some major eye candy in the form of Stuart (Jason O’Mara) in this episode. Really, how handsome is that guy? And he and Marin have great chemistry. Who knows, maybe that’s who she should be with? They have the intellectual thing in common, and they both love red wine and sitting in snow banks! (and don’t forget he gave her a first edition book of Thoreau. Who doesn’t love a man who does that?) That “snow bench” was up on Grouse mountain, just 15 minutes above Vancouver. That’s also where we shot Jack and Lynn ice skating (note: Jack is wearing my favorite outfit of all time in that scene—that chunky black turtleneck with a Carhartt jacket). James is a great ice skater (the Nova Scotia in him) so he was really excited to get out on the ice. Justine was a little more rusty, but a trouper! Here’s a fun fact about Stuart O’Mara—he is actually Irish and has a great, sexy accent in real life. He does a mean American accent, don’t you think?

We based the rummage sale on a rummage sale that happens in a little town in Maine I know. I think it’s so funny how every year there’s someone who brings in a broken toaster. Who buys someone else’s used, broken toaster?

I am so excited for Marin and her new house. This is going to be a really great project for her. That cabin is pretty run down, but it has an amazing view. And one funky out-house! Look out for it in a coming episode…along with some more wildlife. (And I promise, no more raccoons until someone does a whole speech about how raccoons are not indigenous).

Speaking of wild life, Marin will also get a very hot guy by the name of Cash to help her with her house. I think you’ll like him. A lot. His name is Scott Elrod and when he came into casting, even my knees went weak!

A few last things…

Yes, we know the darkest day of the year doesn’t come right after Thanksgiving. We made a creative choice before we wrote the last episode that it would be okay to collapse time by a few weeks. Good eyes, people!

And some of you have asked about Elmo. It is a fictional town but I always thought it was around the Ketchikan area. That is pretty southeast, compared to most of Alaska, so the weather does vary much more than what you would think. There is not often snow, and more often rain. And the temperature can vary quite a bit. A big shout out to my Ketchikan ladies! They rock.

Thanks for watching.

Jenny

Cara DiPaolo on “The Darkest Day”

Air Date: January 11, 2006

We’eeere back! This was a fun episode to write, though in a much different way than my earlier one. In my first episode (“Talk for Tat”) I had the delightful task of bringing together our two leads in a fun and light way. For this one, I had the, well, “darker” task of breaking them apart. So, that was hard. Though I enjoyed getting to further develop Lynn and discovering more about the woman behind Jack’s infamous tattoo.

There were a few memorable moments that occurred during the making of this episode that I’d like to share. The first noteworthy one happened when we learned we got picked up for the rest of the season just as I was leaving to come to Vancouver for the shoot. Jenny Bicks had literally uttered the words, “We got picked up!!” as I was rolling my e-jorm-o suitcase out of the office to catch my ride to the airport (to clarify: 8 shoot days+2 weekends=e-jorm-o suitcase). Very exciting. Then, when I got on the plane, just as I sat down the song “Suddenly I See” (by KT Tunstall that was used in the pilot) came on the airplane’s sound system and I thought “What a coincidence!” THEN, when I arrived in Vancouver and we were driving to the hotel, I saw a couple of guys working up in a tree! I mean seriously, people! How often do you actually see men in trees? (Other than Thursday nights at 10PM on ABC and now, streaming on the WEB! Woo-hoo!)

Another memorable thing about this shoot was the rain. Or should I say the CONTINUOUS TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR for 12 STRAIGHT DAYS. I mean yes, I was warned that I was going to be in Vancouver during the “rainy season.” And yes, I was told to “buy heavy rubber boots” and to “get good rain gear” and to “bring multiple layers” when I went on location because the rain could be a little “unpredictable.” And no, I didn’t listen. But 12 STRAIGHT DAYS of rain? What is up with that?

In Vancouver’s defense, the level of rain was unusually significant while I was there. But may I just say that the crew sailed (literally) through the storm with nary a complaint. During the “Festival of Lights,” we started shooting at 4pm and didn’t finish until 5:30AM the next morning and it rained off and on the entire night (you can see it in some shots). People were literally wringing out their jackets and gloves between takes. Honestly, I couldn’t believe the crew kept coming back every day—with smiles on their faces no less! That’s the thing about working in Canada. You work with Canadians. And let me tell you something about Canadians. They are extremely nice. They are so nice; you start wondering, “Why are they being so nice? Is it a cover-up? Maybe they’re niceness is just a ploy to hide the fact that they’re secretly trying to kill me.” At least that’s what I start wondering. But I’ve been called paranoid.

So, on that noteworthy note, I’ll bring this blog to a close. Thanks again for your continued support. We are in the midst of breaking out the final episodes of the season and let me tell you, there is some good stuff coming up! So stay tuned. You won’t regret it!

Cara

Cindy Chupack on "Ladies Frist"

Air Date: December 28, 2006

Hello people who read our blog!  Thank you so much for caring enough to not only watch the show, but to read about the making of the show.  As you may or may not know (depending how many blogs you read), I worked with Jenny Bicks in the writer's room of Sex and the City, and I was friends with her even before that, so we have a long history together, and I'm very proud to be working on this new show of hers.  The only thing better than writing television is writing television with people you actually like and respect, and I've been lucky enough to do that for many years now, and in the fun and fabulous writer's room at Men at Trees (which you should be getting a taste of from these blogs), I get to do it some more.

Being in Vancouver for the shooting of this episode was a real treat.  For starters, I'd never been to Vancouver, and it's beautiful... a great downtown ringed with a walking/jogging/biking path and surrounded by water.  You see logging ships, cruise ships and seaplanes, and then beyond the water all around you are beautiful snow-capped mountains.  It's really breathtaking, and although it's Canada (not Alaska), you get that Elmo feelings that you are closer to nature, and once you drive the hour to Squamish (the little town we use for Elmo), you truly feel like you can finally, as Marin does, breathe.

In addition, this was my first chance to meet most of the cast, and I'm happy to report that they were all incredibly welcoming and excited to be doing this show.  It's hard getting a show up and running, and it was great to see that the cast is really loving the material and loving working together, which I think shows up on screen.  Anne Heche (Marin) and James Tupper (Jack) clearly enjoy working together, which is why their scenes together always sparkle.  When I was there, James had just started working out with a personal trainer, and after his first training session he stopped by the set to show Anne how incredibly buff he was getting.  He's really funny and self-deprecating, and a very nice guy.  That's right, fans.  He's the real deal.  Merry Christmas!

John Amos (Buzz) had a lot to do this episode, which is great because I think he's a fantastic actor.  One funny aside -- he hadn't read the script before the table read (that's the first time the cast reads the script aloud), so when we got to the ending (about how he might be Patrick's father) he was as surprised as you might have been.  In fact, he joked that he would need to see a DNA test.

Speaking of Patrick (Derek Richardson), he's really good, don't you think?  He's not only adorable and nice (as nice in person as he is on screen), but he can do the comedy and the drama.  He takes his job as an actor very seriously and he's always looking to ground his scenes in real emotion.  For example, in that final dinner with Celia, he played that angrier than I imagined it, but I think he was right to do that because he's really feeling betrayed by his mother.  It was great watching him perform with Cynthia Stevenson (Celia) in those mother/son scenes they had together.  She also had a lot to play in this episode, and she amazes me the way she can play a tough moment, and then turn on a dime and make it funny.  This episode was also the first time we did a scene just between Jack and Patrick (their scene on the dock) and I thought it was great to see men (especially these men) trying to connect and comfort each other.  What I remember was that it was really loud that day on the dock, there were a lot of planes flying overhead, so we had to do many takes of the scene, but the actors nailed it every time. 

I also really enjoyed working with the director of this episode, Tamra Davis.  There aren't a lot of women directors in television, and she was a pleasure to watch and learn from.  Plus she's a groovy rock-and-roll Soho/Malibu mom who is married to a Beastie Boy and films her own cooking show soon to be featured on Yahoo, so she was inspiring to be around not just professionally, but in general.  To give you an example of her offbeat coolness: The scene between Patrick and Buzz at the end of the show (when they go to see the plane wreck) was in a very muddy spot, so on the way to the set Tamra decided we should stop by a thrift store and buy $2 shoes that we could throw away afterwards.  It was fun shoe shopping with her (and not for Christian Louboutins!) and I found it funny to imagine that somebody's old shoes spent the day on the set of our television show.

Liza (Ever Carradine) was great to work with and a fun character to write because she gave us a little window into Marin's family dynamic.  Sometimes when you're in a new city (or new relationship), you feel like you can be whoever you want to be... until your family shows up.  There is a writer on staff who has a friend who is still known in her family as New Baby, so that's where that idea came from, as much as I would love to take credit for it.

What I can take credit for, unfortunately, is the quarters game New Baby (Liza) instigates at the Chieftain.  It came out of the fact that I grew up in Oklahoma where my girlfriends and I were no strangers to drinking games.  On the set when we filmed that, Tamra began referring to me as "the quarters expert" because I had to explain the rules of the game to the cast and crew, and although that was a little embarrassing (it doesn't seem as cool now as it did back then), I did feel a little vindicated that all those nights of playing quarters were finally paying off.  (It was research, Mom!)

Most importantly... those cute firemen were real firemen from Vancouver, except for the one Liza went out with.  He was an actor playing a cute fireman.  So, if you are ever desperate to meet a real man and you can't afford to go to Alaska, you can always call the fire department.  (I'm sure ABC does not condone that idea, but this is my blog, right?)  

Cindy

Tim Davis on "Caribou in the Room"

Air Date: December 21, 2006

“Friendship between a man and a woman is complicated, especially if they’ve shared something more.  And there are times when love can be stronger and even more rewarding if it’s built on the foundation of a really great friendship.  But wherever it’s headed, wherever it’s been, being ‘just friends’ doesn’t have to mean settling for something less; sometimes it can be the brass ring after all.”

So says Marin over tonight’s closing montage, and I have to say her words resonated for me during the shooting of this episode.  And not just ‘cause I wrote the thing either.  (BTW, my name’s Tim Davis, aka ‘Timmy Hollywood’, aka the staff story editor, for those of you scoring at home. BTW#2, we all really appreciate the responses our new blogs have been getting. Keep up the good work, and we’ll try to too.  But I digress…) From the moment I arrived in Vancouver I was struck by how close everyone was, not even two months into production.  Yeah, I know, behind-the-scenes stories about casts cavorting after hours has become almost a cliché by now, but I’m here to tell you that this cast, to a man and woman, all truly respect, enjoy, and downright dig each other.  In a big way.  Even the caribou in tonight’s episode was greeted like a member of the family.  How else do you think Abraham Benrubi (Ben) was able to coax that critter out of the bar? 
 
Seriously, I do believe these new off-screen ‘just friendships’ are informing the work on-screen, and paying big dividends in the process.  Annie and Patrick’s relationship, which takes an intimate turn tonight, is made much more believable by the fact that Emily Bergl and Derek Richardson have developed such great rapport since they first met while shooting the pilot.  No, gossip-hounds, they’re not dating, they’re ‘just friends’ – friends who clearly enjoy working together.  It was also a treat to overhear Emily talking at great length with good pal Cynthia Stevenson (Chief Celia) about Annie’s snoring, so Cynthia could get it just right when it came time for her to imitate Annie’s distinctive snore.  And let’s not forget Marin and Jack.  It’s hard to believe their relationship would carry the weight it does if not for the fact that Anne Heche and James Tupper have become genuinely good friends over the relatively short course of making this show.  America knows by now what great romantic chemistry these two generate (see exhibit A, last week’s episode, “Talk For Tat”).  What I loved about this episode is that we got to show what great friendship chemistry they have as well.  It must be said, and it might as well be by me, that all of this bonding is a tribute to Jenny Bicks -- for the characters she created, the cast she hired, and the familial atmosphere she has helped nurture, both on the set in Vancouver and back at the home office in Hollywood, CA.
 
Since we’re on the subject of friends, I would be remiss if I didn’t extend thanks to Rick Wallace, the director of ‘The Caribou In The Room’.  You see, Rick didn’t just direct the episode, he also put me up for five nights at his North Vancouver apartment when my allotted number of hotel days had come to an end.  This arrangement raised more than a few eyebrows back in the writer’s room, but enabled us to finish the episode side by side. Rick proved to be a passionate and generous filmmaker, and I never went to sleep at night less than utterly and creatively satisfied.  I should add that neither of our wives were in the least bit threatened by our relationship... The brass ring indeed!

Cara DiPaolo on “Talk for Tat”

Air Date: December 14, 2006

Okay, let me start out by saying, thank you for watching the show (or re-watching the show, in this case) and for being interested enough to take the time to come here and get riveting insider scoop information. Or not. It all depends on your definition of “riveting.” For example, would you find it riveting that the frogs we used in this episode had to be “cooled” in a refrigerator for twenty minutes prior to their pivotal “mating” sequence…or would you find it mildly disturbing? If it’s the latter, I should inform you that no frogs were harmed in the making of this show. In fact, the frog wrangler informed me that frogs naturally cool their bodies when they hibernate so by putting them in the fridge we were merely simulating a natural happenstance. Chilling the frogs had the effect of slowing down their reflexes so we were able to manipulate them to sit atop one another and simulate another natural happenstance, i.e., sex. And, as you may have noticed, there was a lot of that in this episode.

You know who else noticed? My relatives. Many of who repeatedly asked me, “So…uh, how much of that was autobiographical?” The simple (and sad) answer is, just the frogs. I collect them. Well not really. But my family seems to think I do because I mentioned that I liked them once when I was around seven and have been getting frog-like collectibles ever since. Oh and I’ve also been in a heat wave before. Does that count?

In any event, I had a lot of fun writing this episode. It was exciting to see all of our characters get together for the first time and it was refreshing to be able to do it so early in the series and deal with the fall-out of sex-too-soon. Because, let’s face it, most people can relate to the fall-out of having sex-too-soon with someone, am I right? Not me, of course. Other people.

The other nice thing about writing this episode was that I got to go to some stunningly beautiful locations in Vancouver. The fly-fishing location was particularly lovely. James Tupper who plays Jack on the show learned how to fly fish for that scene. He’s also a carpenter, if you can believe it. He actually knew how to use a “planer.” I, on the other hand, do not. Nor do I really know what a “planer” is, which is why I put it in quotes. I only know that we used one in the scene where Jack’s building the kayak and Marin admires his “tools.” Good times, good times.

The keen-eyed among you may have noticed that the director was the lovely and talented Joanna Kerns. Many of you may remember her as “Maggie Seaver,” the smart and lovable mom from the hit television series “Growing Pains.” She’s also smart and lovable in real life. An example of life imitating art…or is it the other way around? Either way, I’ve run out of “riveting” things to say, so I’m gonna close up now. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful holiday!

Cara

Anna Fricke on “New York Fiction Part Two”

Air Date: December 7, 2006

Hey guys. I hope that the suspense of “New York Fiction, Part One” made you eager to watch Part Two this week. Jenny and I had a lot of fun writing this together. We broke it up by storyline, which worked surprisingly well, and then we mashed it all together to deliver what is hopefully an enjoyable hour of television.

I was up in Vancouver for the entire filming, which was very… well, it was very rainy and cold and our film crew mocked me for not having proper raingear or wool socks, but aside from that, it was delightful. Jeff Melman directed the episode and I thought he did a wonderful job. You may recognize him from many beloved Grey’s Anatomy episodes. We shot a little bit of episode 9 at the same time, since so many things were continuous. Lynn’s arrival, for example. Lynn’s arrival was the last shot of the day; we were in a town called Squamish, which serves as Elmo’s main street and the docks (and is where the real Chieftain bar is). Earlier that same day, we found out we had been picked up for the back 9 episodes. It was really exciting to be with the crew for that. Here’s a fun little fact to keep in mind when you’re watching. We found out about the pick-up right before we filmed Jack driving by Marin on her bike. They stop and kiss; it’s a lovely backdrop, etc. They look especially happy and giggly, don’t they? In addition to their fine acting skills, it’s because they just found out our show had a future. Anne gave a great speech and everyone was hugging and cheering. And then we were behind our filming schedule by about an hour and a half, but whatevs.

Another fun fact: those fish that the guys on the dock are always slinging are not real. They’re rubber. I’m only telling you this because they look incredibly real to me. They are, however, very hefty.

Also, the location where we shot the hospital scene with Jack, Lynn and Marin was actually a recreation center/skating rink. It’s quite possibly the loudest location on earth. It was a mixture of screaming children and senior citizens who would walk by and yell, “Oh, we’re in the movie!” The actors did a good job keeping their concentration. Other fun things that happened while filming: when Theresa lost her ring in the sink, the prop sink started to leak all the water out; the pie that Patrick and Theresa were eating was actually incredibly delicious strawberry rhubarb pie that they had saved their appetites for; when Sam and Jane were in bed and he was reading over her shoulder, he continued to ad-lib “romance fiction” with such ease that I wondered if he might have a side career.

Anyway, thanks for watching! We’re all really having a great time making the show. Let’s hope the love lasts.

See you later,

Anna Fricke

Jenny Bicks on "New York Fiction Part 1"

Air Date: November 30, 2006

Hello out there. Jenny Bicks here. This is our first official blog posting for Men In Trees, which is very exciting. Except I’ve never done this blog thing before so I fear it will be, well, less than exciting for you, the reader. I worry that even my parents won’t call after they read it.

I feel like we should fill it full of behind-the-scenes secrets so you will come back wanting more. Like did you know that Emily Bergl (Annie) is addicted to fondue? That Anne is a semi-professional poker player? That James Tupper is as adorable off screen as on but has very misbehaving hair? That the dove we had in this episode was by far the most easy-to-work-with animal we have had thus far on the set?

Speaking of this episode, it was a blast to film. We went to New York to shoot which was great for so many reasons—we actually got to film New York for New York (versus Vancouver for New York—not easy because the extras rarely walk as fast as real New Yorkers!) and I got to be in my hometown. The old paparazzi who used to stalk our “Sex and The City” set showed up which made me feel oddly comforted. And I looked out my window and actually saw a white pigeon—just like Marin—something in all my years I have never seen in New York. All my 22 years, in case you were wondering.

I took the white pigeon to be a good sign, which I guess it was. Later that week, we got the full season pick-up and got put on Thursday nights after Grey's Anatomy. I don’t know if you know that little Grey's show. Yeah, only about a grillion people watch it every week. So here’s hoping those grillion enjoy us too.

Thanks for watching…and for reading…

Elmo rocks!

Jenny