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Three Rivers

Three Rivers

2009–2010Ended1 season13 episodes~60 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows

Three Rivers is an American television medical drama that debuted on CBS on October 4, 2009, starring Alex O'Loughlin in the role of an infamous transplant surgeon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On November 30, 2009, after just eight episodes of the season had aired, CBS announced that Three Rivers had been pulled from their schedule with no plans to have it returned, and the series was later officially cancelled. However, the series later returned to the network on June 5, 2010 to burn off the remaining unaired episodes.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Three Rivers?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Three Rivers to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about Three Rivers?

Three Rivers earns 3 badges, led by Preferred by Women and Hopeful.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Three Rivers worth watching?

Three Rivers' Midcredits score is the 45th percentile of all shows, from 1.6K ratings across 2 sources. 70% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

45th percentile

Better received than 45% of shows

40th percentile among Drama39th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)41st
Approval (how many liked it)50th

Acclaim

Mixed: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

69 /100

41st percentile of all shows

38th percentile among Drama34th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

Approval

How many liked it

70% liked it

50th percentile of all shows

44th percentile among Drama43rd percentile among 2000s
70% rated it 7–1030% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

62nd percentile

1.6K ratings across platforms

53rd percentile among Drama55th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 10% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the show has a worthwhile premise about organ transplantation but is limited by repetitive storytelling and underdeveloped characters.

Fans praised

  • interesting premise focusing on organ donation rather than romantic drama
  • strong performances from cast, especially Alex O'Loughlin and Katherine Moennig
  • compelling medical drama with intense transplant sequences

Detractors panned

  • one-dimensional characters with minimal development across the season
  • over-reliance on CGI and flashy production style
  • predictable episode structure: accident, donor declaration, successful transplant

What stands out

ActingDivisive55

polarized: fans praise O'Loughlin and Moennig, detractors call O'Loughlin wooden and Moennig unlikeable

OriginalityDivisive55

fresh premise of organ donation but formulaic execution

TensionDivisive50

transplant urgency works for fans; detractors find it repetitive

Plot and storyDivisive35

predictable episode formula, limited scope due to transplant focus

PacingDivisive35

fans say intense, detractors say rushed and monotonous

Emotional impactDivisive35

forced sentiment leaves fans somewhat moved, detractors disgusted

CharactersDivisive30

thinly written, no arcs; fans see potential, detractors say nonexistent

Cinematography30

overuse of CGI, shaky camera work cited by detractors

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 35 points higher than men.

US vs non-US

Preferred by US Viewers

US viewers scored it 11 points higher than non-US viewers.

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2009 · 13 episodes

  • S1E1
    S1E1

    Place of Life

    Oct 4, 200944 min
  • S1E2
    S1E2

    Ryan's First Day

    Oct 11, 200944 min
  • S1E3
    S1E3

    Good intentions

    Oct 18, 200944 min
  • S1E4
    S1E4

    Code Green

    Oct 25, 200944 min
  • S1E5
    S1E5

    Alone Together

    Nov 1, 200944 min
  • S1E6
    S1E6

    Where We Lie

    Nov 8, 200944 min

Watch experience

What is Three Rivers like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you hopeful.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseHopeful
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Warm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe show takes its life-and-death subject seriously, balancing clinical tension with warm team dynamics.
The rideThe series sustains a tense, urgent atmosphere in each episode's surgical crises, balanced by moments of hope and human connection, with emotional weight distributed across the run.
StructureEpisodes follow a conventional medical procedural arc: crisis, procedure, resolution.
Episode formatEach episode presents a medical case-of-the-week (often a transplant) while weaving ongoing personal and team dynamics across the season.
Season formatThe single season focuses on a consistent cast and setting with ongoing character development, though it does not follow a single serialized plot from start to finish.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
HopefulCathartic · 3% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe show leaves a sense of hope and emotional release as organ transplants succeed against the odds.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestRescue
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% (this title) · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

6% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeEach episode follows the transplant team's race to retrieve and implant a life-saving organ, structured as a medical rescue mission.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% (this title) · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7% (this title)
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsLoyalty · 7% of showsPurpose
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series centers on the emotional and ethical weight of saving lives, weaving in personal dynamics that test family-like bonds among the team and their patients.
StanceThe show treats medical heroics and the emotional bonds formed in crisis with warmth and respect, celebrating the resilience of patients and doctors alike.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score
SettingA busy transplant hospital in a major city, with operating rooms, ICU, and staff break rooms as primary backdrops.
MusicLikely a synthesized orchestral score underscoring tension and emotion, typical of the era's medical dramas.

Content guide

Is Three Rivers okay for kids?

TV-14

Three Rivers is rated TV-14.

Ratings in 5 other countries
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • Portugal12AP
  • Spain7
  • Türkiye13+

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Three Rivers have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Three Rivers?

Cast

Alex O'Loughlin
as Dr. Andy Yablonski
Kate Moennig
as Dr. Miranda Foster
Daniel Henney
as Dr. David Lee
Christopher J. Hanke
as Ryan Abbott
Justina Machado
as Pam Acosta
Amber Clayton
as Dr. Lisa Reed
Alfre Woodard
as Dr. Sophia Jordan
Devika Parikh
as Nurse Rehka
Owiso Odera
as Kuol
Joe Holt
as Bret

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