I just found this article, it's not on Three Rivers, it's actually on ER, but it contains a curious tidbit:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09091/959596-67.stm
"
Leslie Moonves now heads CBS Corp. but played a major role at Warner Bros. in developing "ER" into something more affecting than the old Michael Crichton script no network wanted.
NBC execs Warren Littlefield and Don Ohlmeyer were wary of audience testing the studio provided, showing "ER" to be off-the-charts popular. Moonves' team grumbled but retested the show before NBC would buy the results and the series."
If Les Moonves was behind ER's success, maybe he could back TR as the new ER, and since there are sources saying that he REALLY wants Alex on screen, putting the two together ...
Sorry, the long Alex drought drives me to this kind of crazy speculation.