Tuning In

ABC cuts ’Trees’

ABC has canceled “Men in Trees,” TVGuide.com reported yesterday.

The news was confirmed by series creator Jenny Bicks, who says she was informed of the network’s decision late last week. “I am really proud of the work we did on MIT,” the Web site quotes her as saying. “A huge thank you to our supportive fans.”

Miss Bicks says she thinks two years of schizophrenic scheduling ultimately did in the cherished dramedy. “I wish the show had not been moved six times and put onto two long hiatuses,” she says with a sigh. “No show could survive that.”

Miss Bicks and her team prepared for the possible demise of “Trees” by shooting an alternate series-finale ending that will be tacked onto the show’s last episode, slated to air this summer.

“Trees,” which stars Anne Heche and James Tupper, kicks off its final run of episodes on May 28.

’Blonde’ ambition

MTV is making exclusive show content and extra materials available on its Web site in support of its upcoming reality show “Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search For Elle Woods,” Multichannel.com says.

Fans logging onto MTV.com can see cast profiles, photos, audition reels and performances; get info on series star and executive producer Haylie Duff (“7th Heaven,” “Hairspray” on Broadway, “Napoleon Dynamite”) and the show’s judges; watch full episodes and the series’ trailer; and check out deleted show scenes and an episodic flip book.

After becoming the first cable network to televise a musical (“Legally Blonde: The Musical”) in its entirety, MTV is partnering with the show’s musical team on the reality competition series, which debuts June 2 at 10 p.m.

The eight-episode serieswill provide a firsthand look at what it takes to star in a Broadway musical. Viewers will follow 10 hopefuls as they vie to replace the Tony-nominated Laura Bell Bundy in the lead role ofElle Woods at Broadway’s Palace Theater. “Legally Blonde: The Musical” is based on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ film “Legally Blonde.”

On hand to show the competitors just what it takes to succeed will be the musical’s director and Tony Award-winning choreographer, Jerry Mitchell, who will have the final word on who will star nightly on his stage; associate director Marc Bruni; associate choreographer Denis Jones; and cast members including Miss Bundy, Nikki Snelson (who plays Brooke Wyndham), Orfeh (Paulette) and Richard H. Blake (Warner Huntington III).

Miss Duff will be on hand with theater vocal coach Seth Rudetsky to provide guidance as the contestants face critiques from a panel of judges: casting director Bernard Telsey; Heather Hach, the Tony-nominated book writer for “Legally Blonde: The Musical”; and original Broadway cast member Paul Canaan.

“Legally Blonde: The Musical” debuted on MTV in October as a behind-the-scenes special and reached more than 12.5 million viewers during its premiere weekend.

The special earned a pair of Daytime Emmy nominations in the outstanding special class and outstanding special class directing categories.

Leaving ’Smallville’

Superman won’t have Lex Luthor to kick around anymore.

Michael Rosenbaum, who has played Clark Kent’s antagonist on “Smallville” for the past seven seasons, is leaving the show at the end of the season, Zap2it.com reports.

The actor, 35, says he wants to “start the next chapter of my life and career.”

“I hope that I gave you some enjoyment over the years and that you found my portrayal of Lex Luthor to be satisfying,” the actor’s statement says.

Buzz about Mr. Rosenbaum’s possible departure from the CW show has been circulating for a while. The parting appears to be amicable, however, and there’s a chance he could return next season as a guest star.

In the wake of Mr. Rosenbaum’s departure, “Smallville” will introduce a pair of new villains for Clark (Tom Welling) to battle next season. One will be Doomsday, who killed Superman in the DC Comics universe (from which the show remains mostly separate). The other will be a “dangerously sinister” woman whom Clark finds irresistible, Zap2it.com reports.

Short takes

• Senator and presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain, already the most frequent guest in the show’s history, will make his 13th appearance on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” tomorrow, Broadcastingcable.com reports. The appearance will be Mr. McCain’s first since locking up the Republican nomination. Mr. McCain last appeared on the show in August 2007.

• Zoologist and TV veteran Jarod Miller was named host of CBS’ “Greatest American Dog” (working title), a reality show that will have dogs and their owners competing for that title and $250,000, Broadcastingcable.com reports. The series, slated to debut July 10 from 8 to 9 p.m. on the network, will feature 12 teams of dogs and owners. The owners will live together while they compete in tests of their ability to train their dogs, which range from pageant contestants to plain-old pooches.

• Wild Dream Films has secured a $4 million contract to produce a fifth series of “Ancient Discoveries” for the History Channel, Variety reports. The 13 one-hour documentaries bring the ancient world to life with computer-generated images, international locations and dramatic storytelling.

Compiled by Robyn-Denise Yourse from Web and wire reports