Someone's just asked the entire cast of ABC's "Men in Trees" what they've learned about relationships this past year.

Which, if you're a nosy person who occasionally peruses the Tattle column, you might consider a tricky question to pose to "Trees" stars Anne Heche and James Tupper, whose own relationship last season may or may not have been linked to the end of their respective marriages.

Fortunately, at least for those of us who aren't necessarily interested in the actors' personal lives, Heche and Tupper are unfazed and unforthcoming, Heche expounding on learning about finding a family, Tupper saying, "I now know that if a guy gets in trouble, he gets to go fishing."

I think they were talking about their characters. If so, good for them.

Now, on to those of you who love Heche and Tupper for the people they play, I can tell you that you're eventually going to get to see those five episodes from this season that never aired -- meaning next season should be 27 episodes long -- but that before they premiere, there'll be a brand-new episode on Oct. 12 that's meant to reintroduce the show, which disappeared from the schedule in February before recently returning in reruns.

This episode will take place immediately after the last episode that aired and will deal with a larger event in the lives of the people of Elmo, Alaska, according to jenny Bicks, who claims she hadn't been discouraged by the show's unexpectedly long hiatus because ABC had already promised the show would be back this season.

"We have a very rabid fan base," Bicks adds. (Those of us who've had to field the e-mails, may consider this understatement.)

"I think people need to find us again...we're hopeful that we'll get some new people" to watch, she says.

All this is a far cry from the session a year ago when reporters devoted much of their time to questions about Elvis, the raccoon who menaced Marin (Heche) in the pilot episode and who was in some scenes actually played by a dog (because, if I remember correctly, raccoons aren't good on stairs).

Someone finally asks how Elvis is doing.

Bicks claims to be glad we asked.

"I got in a lot of trouble for that raccoon. Raccoons are not indigenous to Alaska. Now this would probably" have come to light sooner or later, but the attention paid to the raccoon early on got Bicks' shortcomings as a naturalist some added attention.

"He and the dog are still not getting along very well," Bicks adds. "Elvis will be back," but not before she figures out a way to explain his presence to viewers.

Oh, and by the way, speaking of animals that menaced Marin: "Skunks also are not indigenous...you learn."