Three Rivers - news, links, discussion - part 5

[redwinter101]

That's so sad, Grace. I think it will be wonderful if 3R can raise awareness of organ donation so that fewer and fewer people have their lives blighted or cut short because there are no donor organs available.

In the UK, since 2001, 23,551 transplants have taken place but 4,500 people have died waiting for a transplant and one in ten people awaiting a heart transplant will die. Anything that improves those stats has to be a good thing.

Red

Edited to fix a typo

[Fleur de Lisa]

Hmmm... putting this here altho it's not technically about 3R....

Our young neighbor down the street just died from waiting for an organ transplant. None of us knew she was that sick... I'm not totally convinced her family understood. She was in her early 20s and not living at home anymore, so I think they realized she MIGHT get to needing a transplant, but I had chatted with her mother recently and got no sense of urgency about it.

Sad sad sad... she was my kids' first babysitter... years ago. She apparently died in the hospital and they were searching for whatever it was she needed... I think it was both liver and kidney.

Anyway... I think this is the first person I know who died from not getting a transplant and it is awful... she was such a lovely girl! So maybe the show WILL help raise awareness of the need...

to you, grace.
Another instance where things get harshly put into perspective. Hoping for a measure of peace for that poor family.

[wpgrace]

Hmmm... putting this here altho it's not technically about 3R....

Our young neighbor down the street just died from waiting for an organ transplant. None of us knew she was that sick... I'm not totally convinced her family understood. She was in her early 20s and not living at home anymore, so I think they realized she MIGHT get to needing a transplant, but I had chatted with her mother recently and got no sense of urgency about it.

Sad sad sad... she was my kids' first babysitter... years ago. She apparently died in the hospital and they were searching for whatever it was she needed... I think it was both liver and kidney.

Anyway... I think this is the first person I know who died from not getting a transplant and it is awful... she was such a lovely girl! So maybe the show WILL help raise awareness of the need...

to you, grace.
Another instance where things get harshly put into perspective. Hoping for a measure of peace for that poor family.

Oh I am too, honey... I swear they did not see this coming. I think they knew she was sick, but had no idea she was at the end of her being able to wait. I am kinda guessing that SHE knew and just didn't tell her mom and dad. I have seen mom a few times since the daughter died, but all she can do at this point is to break into tears... so I haven't been able to really chat.

I made a little book for them of our memories of her kid... she likely can't get thru it right now, but one of these days, it might be nice to have. But NOT the kinda news of I was expecting to get this summer... and you're right, it puts the show in a whole new light for me.

And I have NO idea what the US stats are for folks waiting, folks saved, and folks who don't make it, Red... but ya know... maybe 3R will make a difference in the numbers if it makes it as a show... and have y'all ever found out if they will carry it in the UK?????

[redwinter101]

and have y'all ever found out if they will carry it in the UK?????

No news as yet. But our "seasons" aren't as rigid as in the US and there isn't anything like the level of publicity until much closer to an airing date so I wouldn't necessarily expect to know anything yet. In all likelihood, no-one here would buy it sight unseen anyway. So, as usual, we wait...

Red

[wpgrace]

and have y'all ever found out if they will carry it in the UK?????

No news as yet. But our "seasons" aren't as rigid as in the US and there isn't anything like the level of publicity until much closer to an airing date so I wouldn't necessarily expect to know anything yet. In all likelihood, no-one here would buy it sight unseen anyway. So, as usual, we wait...

Red

Well then, here's to good reviews, decent opening ratings, and a UK pick up...

[allegrita]

Grace, what a poignant story...and yes, if Three Rivers helps raise awareness about organ donation and gives more people a chance at life, it will have succeeded in my eyes.

I wanted to post about the Donate Life Film Festival, which was held this weekend at the Directors Guild of America on Sunset Blvd. Lunalux and I went on Saturday, June 13th, and met up with a bunch of the SoCal Freshies group there. It was great to see them and I wish we could have spent more time, but my hubby and I had a gig last night and we had to go home soon after the panel ended, in order to get ready. We had a delicious buffet lunch before the panel, and had the opportunity to speak with one of the panelists, Krystal Houghton of CSI: Miami, who was sitting at our table.

After lunch we attended the panel, called "Make 'Em Laugh, Make 'Em Cry: How Organ Donation Storylines Cut Deep." The panel discussion was oriented toward the depiction of organ donation in the media, and how TV shows can do a better job of portraying transplantation accurately. The man who led the panel was from an organization called Donate Life Hollywood, which promotes awareness about organ donation, dispelling myths about organ donation and transplantation, and offering resources to film and TV productions.

The guests were Carol Barbee (executive producer of Three Rivers), Krystal Houghton (a writer-producer for CSI: Miami), and Lyla Oliver (a former writer and producer for Judging Amy and now a writer for Bones). Carol Barbee is Donate Life Hollywood's darling at the moment, since she worked with them closely and got most of the stuff right in their view... After doing an episode of CSI: Miami on the subject of transplantation, Krystal Houghton received a letter from Donate Life Hollywood, explaining that the show had perpetuated misinformation about the subject. She was asked to participate in the panel and agreed to do so in order to help find ways that writers and producers could do a better job in future shows on the subject. Lyla Oliver wrote an episode of Judging Amy that dealt with transplantation as well, and agreed to be part of the panel in order to help raise awareness of the issue and to give another perspective on the subject. (I think she's a friend of the panel moderator, too.)

We had been expecting to see the entire Three Rivers pilot, but unfortunately, they showed just a 4-minute preview. It showed some more footage than other previews we've seen, but not much more...sigh. It's hard to make any kind of judgment based on the short clips, but it looked pretty gripping to me. I have to say that I was extremely impressed with Carol Barbee's intelligence and thoughtfulness, and after hearing her speak, I have a lot of hope for the show. CBS certainly seems to have faith in it, as they are building hospital sets on the Paramount lot for the show. This was confirmed by Ms. Barbee during the Q&A. She also mentioned that, although the show is being reshot using the new sets and incorporating different actors, they are going to use the same script as before. (My impression: that doesn't mean that they won't tweak the script...I tend to believe the stuff that came out in the LA Times blog about them "warming up" the show by adding more characters and focusing more on the doctors' personal lives.) She said that the main reason they're reshooting is that since they had to use an actual hospital, the action, camera angles, etc., were constrained by space issues. The new sets will allow them more room, higher ceilings, etc. Carol Barbee mentioned that they had worked closely with Donate Life Hollywood and had also spent time at the Cleveland Clinic (where Dr. Gonzalo Gonzalez-Stawinski works) and with a Dr. Gorman at a clinic in Pittsburgh. Dr. Gorman is a consultant for the show and was in the audience. His hands were used as Alex's "stunt hands" for surgery scenes. (I have to say that I cringed when Carol Barbee pronounced Alex's last name "O'Lofflin"!!!! YEEKS! But Alex wasn't the focus of this panel, and I was proud of his fans for not standing up and yelling at her for her gaffe. Another time, she won't get off so easy, though....)

Most of the Q&A was related to the issue of organ donation and transplantation, since that was the subject of the panel. Another question regarded how to find a balance between accuracy and making a good story. Obviously, one-shots such as the episode of CSI: Miami can't put as much time into showing the true process of organ transplantation. That's why Three Rivers is so important to this organization--they see it as a way of bringing more accurate information to the public and also making it easier for people to choose to become donors (for example, by having their license marked). But even Three Rivers has to condense the process in order to make it work within the context of a story. It was interesting to hear the three panelists talk about how to fit the subject into different genres, such as cop shows or shows like Judging Amy, which had an episode that touched on the subject. Also, there is a long process going from story idea to script to producer to studio to network--and at every step changes can be made to the story that takes it away from the original focus that the writer had in mind. So there's only so much a writer can do to keep a story "on point" with the goals of an organization like Donate Life. All three writers agreed that sometimes, when you have a story you really love, you hesitate to bring it to a studio--because you know they are going to mess with it and it may very well turn out nearly unrecognizable. That was very interesting for me to hear...I hadn't really thought about it before. At least as a fanfic writer, I "own" my stories. Script writers? Not so much.

They talked about the fact that when you create a show, you have to create a world for the show to exist in. So you do a lot of research on that world. For the CSI shows, they work with police and work very hard to create labs, etc. For a show like Judging Amy, they visited many courts and also worked with social workers in order to get the feel right for the world they created. In Three Rivers, that world is the world of organ transplantation, so the producers have consulted with experts to help them portray the world believably, accurately, and still make a compelling show.

Another question involved possible future storylines for Three Rivers, as well as the other shows. One idea was that a donor's family might become unhealthily interested in the recipient, possibly going so far as to stalk them to make sure they "took care" of the donor's organ. (That one made the Donate Life people a little leery!) Another idea is to take the recent news stories about face transplants, and do a multi-episode arc about a person going through that long process.

Alex was nowhere to be seen, unfortunately. Oh well. It was fun anyway.

[wpgrace]

O'Loflin huh? What is WITH these people? Does he not introduce himself and pronounce his name for them???

Thank you Alle, for that wonderful report! And NO KIDDING??? Scripts get messed with that much? Really makes me cringe to hear that and I'm not even a writer! I bet you and Luna both felt a major chill when you heard that! Can you imagine Presto Agitato or Us: Right Here Right Now if the execs got a hold of them????

Tho 3R will have to find a balance between accuracy and drama... I mean cop shows are hardly accurate... no one ever solves a crime in an hour, or just happens to show up at the perp's house RIGHT as he is fixin to smother the kidnap victim... but it would be good if it didn't perpetuate myths... and sometimes just making people more aware of the issue is all it takes...

And I am sorry they didn't show the pilot... do you think that is because they're gonna make changes? And even more sorry no Alex... who I bet cannot be an organ donor here... didn't they say last year he couldn't give blood cause he's an alien??? If he can't even give blood, I wonder if he can sign up to be an organ donor...

I am glad you got to go, nonetheless, and glad that Barbee (who I am sure would be quick to correct anyone who mispronounced HER name) was otherwise impressive... to you, Sweetie.

[redwinter101]

Thanks so much for the report, alle. Fascinating stuff, both about Donate Life and the script-to-screen process. Having never watched CSI Miami, I'm intrigued about what they got so wrong - did they mention any specifics? And kudos to that writer for fronting up to the panel.

But still, no Alex.

Red

[darkstarrising]

Alle,

thanks for reporting back...I'm glad to hear that they're trying to do things right....but a warming up of the story lines couldn't hurt.

[darlingcat]

Thanks for the detailed report, Alle
I am glad you had a good time despite not seeing the pilot.

We had been expecting to see the entire Three Rivers pilot, but unfortunately, they showed just a 4-minute preview. It showed some more footage than other previews we've seen, but not much more...sigh. It's hard to make any kind of judgment based on the short clips, but it looked pretty gripping to me. I have to say that I was extremely impressed with Carol Barbee's intelligence and thoughtfulness, and after hearing her speak, I have a lot of hope for the show. CBS certainly seems to have faith in it, as they are building hospital sets on the Paramount lot for the show. This was confirmed by Ms. Barbee during the Q&A. She also mentioned that, although the show is being reshot using the new sets and incorporating different actors, they are going to use the same script as before. (My impression: that doesn't mean that they won't tweak the script...I tend to believe the stuff that came out in the LA Times blog about them "warming up" the show by adding more characters and focusing more on the doctors' personal lives.) She said that the main reason they're reshooting is that since they had to use an actual hospital, the action, camera angles, etc., were constrained by space issues

It sounds very promising to me and I like your assessment about the show and its showrunner.
Even if they use the same script, I am sure they are very aware how important it is to engage the viewers by making the doctor's lives the center of the stories. (Especially Dr. Andy's )
I am excited and hopeful!
What on earth will it take for Alex to get across the message that his name is not O'Louflin?
And about using someone's hands, I am not so sure.... Why not the world's perfect hands?

[MoonMad]

... And even more sorry no Alex... who I bet cannot be an organ donor here... didn't they say last year he couldn't give blood cause he's an alien??? If he can't even give blood, I wonder if he can sign up to be an organ donor...

I assume you don't mean a little green monster type alien Grace?

I thought he couldn't donate blood because he was low in iron? 'Cos Holly's an alien too, and she gave....

[amyvil]

Thanks, Allie, for the report on the Donate Life Festival. Although I'm sorry you did not get to see the pilot, I imagine it was because they will reshoot it and it will look entirely different. So they would not want the pilot to be viewed 'as is'. I'm very excited about the prospects of "warming" up the show. Happy that Carol Barbee struck you as an intelligent, articulate woman. And am thrilled they're building a hospital set for this show. More than anything else, this proves that CBS is seriously behind this project.

Amy V.

[francis]

And about using someone's hands, I am not so sure.... Why not the world's perfect hands?

I guess that to make it look like an actual surgery he would need more skill than he has. Maybe if they told him it's a motorcycle, he could fake it himself...
What do they use for those closeups anyway? Dead bodies? Actual footage of heart surgery? A plastic puppet?

[wpgrace]

And about using someone's hands, I am not so sure.... Why not the world's perfect hands?

I guess that to make it look like an actual surgery he would need more skill than he has. Maybe if they told him it's a motorcycle, he could fake it himself...
What do they use for those closeups anyway? Dead bodies? Actual footage of heart surgery? A plastic puppet?

Pretend it's a motorcycle??

And MoonMad... definitely NOT a green alien...
And I could well be wrong (cause that happens lots) but I thought I had read that neither he nor Sophia could give blood to that blood drive because they were not citizens... Don't know WHY that would be a problem... but laws can be weird sometimes... or maybe it's just Red Cross policy... I dunno...

[mwj01]

I recall that Sophia couldn't give blood but I think it was an issue specific to UK citizens. I remember hearing that it was a medical thing (I guess iron level sounds right, unless that was speculation) for Alex not being able to give at the time and that Holly did donate at Paley. Alex sure made up for not being able to personally donate with the number of people who enthusiastically offered up their blood at his request! Next up: the organs!