Men in Trees (2006)

A witty, sophisticated romantic drama.

The writing is so good, so clean and understated that it's a pleasure to behold.

It’s really a sentimental looking-for-love show after all, albeit one with a wonderful lead actress who will surely do her best to bring nuance and spark.

Heche really shines in this role.

But while it shows Heche at an advantage, the series itself is, to tap into the script's car-driving metaphors, just a rusty old vehicle.

A surprisingly refreshing romantic dramedy full of appealing characters.

Heche is very likable here. She plays some of the same notes she played when stranded with Harrison Ford in "Six Days Seven Nights," or playing Amanda in last year's "Everwood" guest arc, but also crafts a credible character, and slips into her central role comfortably.

It's a premise that seems more appropriate to a mid-'90s theatrical romantic comedy -- something with Sandra Bullock or Meg Ryan -- than to a TV series, and indeed, given how much transpires in the pilot, you could bang an extra hour of complications and resolutions onto the end and have a spiffy little chick flick.