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For NBC's 'Medium,'
rarest of the rare

It goes into its season finale with ratings well up

By Diego Vasquez
May 12, 2008

In a season where many broadcast programs have hit series lows, NBC’s “Medium” stands out because it has actually gained viewers.

The fourth-year drama, which airs its season finale tonight at 10 p.m., has risen 17 percent year to year among adults 18-49, from a 3.0 to a 3.5 rating, and it’s up 22 percent in total viewers, from 8.5 million last season to 10.4 million this year.

This year “Medium” returned to its original Monday 10 p.m. timeslot after a one-season detour to Wednesdays at 10. The show struggled mightily there, and weak lead-in “Crossing Jordan” did not help.

Certainly this year “Medium” got a little boost from the writers’ strike. The show did not premiere until midseason, at which point CBS’s “CSI: Miami,” which usually dominates the Monday 10 p.m. timeslot, had already moved into reruns. “Medium” also benefited from strong lead-ins, with “Deal or No Deal” and “American Gladiators” among Monday’s highest-rated shows.

NBC has renewed “Medium” for a fifth season, also ensuring the show will live on in syndication. Like last year, “Medium” will return at midseason, though again in a new timeslot, Sundays at 9 p.m., where it will be sandwiched between two new programs.

In tonight’s finale, Allison (Patricia Arquette) tries to comfort a couple who thinks their house is haunted, while Joe (Jake Weber) discovers the truth behind a solar scheme being floated by Meghan (guest star Kelly Preston).

A look at this week’s top TV draws
MONDAY, MAY 12
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 p.m.	ESPN	“Major League Baseball” (S)	The Red Sox face off against the Twins in Minneapolis.
8 p.m.	ABC	“Dancing with the Stars” (R)	The final four teams show off their moves.
8 p.m.	NBC	“American Gladiators” (G)	Season premiere. The arena’s now a little flashier and a few new gladiators join.
9 p.m.	CBS	“Two and a Half Men” (C)	Cougar alert: Charlie’s into an older self-help author.
9 p.m.	Fox	“House” (D)	House is injured in a bus accident in the first half of this season’s finale.
10 p.m.	ABC	“The Bachelor” (R)	Season finale. Matt takes the final two to London, then proposes to the winner.
10 p.m.	CBS	“CSI: Miami” (D)	Tom Sizemore guests as Horatio’s nemesis.
TUESDAY, MAY 13
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	ABC	“Good Morning America” (N)	William Shatner and Shia LaBeouf both guest.
8 p.m.	Fox	“American Idol” (R)	It’s down to the final three, will anyone slip up?
8 p.m.	CBS	“NCIS” (D)	The crew has reason to believe Jimmy Palmer is the target of an assassination attempt.
9 p.m.	CW	“Reaper” (D)	Sam tracks down a soul that’s escaped from hell on more than one occasion.
10 p.m.	NBC	“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (D)	Season finale. Lake reopens a teen girl’s murder case.
10 p.m.	Oxygen	“Bad Girls Club” (R)	Season finale. The women deal with the aftermath of a fight at a club.
10 p.m.	VH1	“Sex: The Revolution” (N)	The second part of VH1’s look at liberal sex in the 1960s.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 14
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	ABC	“Good Morning America” (N)	Tony Danza and “Supernanny” star Jo Frost guest.
8 p.m.	CW	“America’s Next Top Model” (R)	Season finale. One of the final three is bounced, and later the winner is selected.
8 p.m.	ABC	“Wife Swap” (R)	Has had some success in the watered-down timeslot, can it build more momentum?
8 p.m.	Versus	“NHL Hockey” (S)	Game four of the Western Conference Finals between Dallas and Detroit.
9 p.m.	CBS	“Criminal Minds” (D)	A murder suspect wakes up from a coma and doesn’t remember his crimes.
9 p.m.	Fox	“American Idol” (R)	Tonight’s results show will reveal the final two contestants.
10 p.m.	MTV	“The Real World” (R)	Dave brings a girl home and Kim’s not too happy about it.
THURSDAY, MAY 15
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	NBC	“Today” (N)	Angelina Jolie, Jack Black and Candace Cameron all guest.
8 p.m.	CW	“Smallville” (D)	Season finale. Brainiac brings Lex to the Fortress to face Clark.
8 p.m.	NBC	“My Name is Earl” (C)	Season finale. Earl looks for relationship advice from his friends. Good luck with that.
9 p.m.	CBS	“CSI” (D)	Season finale. Warrick is accused of murdering a mobster.
9 p.m.	ABC	“Grey’s Anatomy” (D)	Alex finds out the truth about Rebecca.
9 p.m.	NBC	“The Office” (C)	Season finale. Toby leaves the company, then his replacement shows up and is hazed.
10 p.m.	ABC	“Lost” (D)	A battle between the survivors and the freighter group begins.
FRIDAY, MAY 16
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	NBC	“Today” (N)	Blast from the past: New Kids on the Block guest.
8 p.m.	CBS	“Ghost Whisperer” (D)	Season finale. Melinda finds out why her father disappeared and why her mom kept it from her.
8 p.m.	ESPN	“NBA Basketball” (S)	Either a late conference semifinal game or an early conference finals matchup.
9 p.m.	CBS	“Moonlight” (D)	Season finale. Mick and Josef try to protect the identities of other vampires in the area.
9 p.m.	CMT	“Mobile Home Disaster” (R)	Series premiere. Can be described as “Extreme Makeover: Mobile Home Edition.”
10 p.m.	CBS	“Numb3rs” (D)	Season finale. The team faces a crisis, but Megan leaves regardless.
SATURDAY, MAY 17
Time	Network	Program	Description
1:30 p.m.	NBC	“NHL Hockey” (S)	A Stanley Cup playoffs conference final game.
3 p.m.	CBS	“PGA Golf” (S)	Third round of the AT&T Classic from Duluth, Ga.
3:30 p.m.	Fox	“Major League Baseball” (S)	It’s Brewers-BoSox, Dodgers-Angels or Indians-Reds.
4:30 p.m.	NBC	“Horse Racing” (S)	The second jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes.
8 p.m.	Fox	“Cops” (R)	A much-loved “Stupid Criminals” edition.
11:30 p.m.	NBC	“Saturday Night Live” (C)	Season finale. Steve Carrell hosts, Usher performs.
SUNDAY, MAY 18
Time	Network	Program	Description
3 p.m.	CBS	“PGA Golf” (S)	Coverage of the final round of the AT&T Classic, won last year by Zach Johnson.
7 p.m.	ABC	“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (R)	Season finale. Two-hour season-ender has Ty and Co. head to New Orleans to help with Katrina rebuilding.
8 p.m.	CBS	“Academy of Country Music Awards” (A)	The 43rd annual event, hosted this year by Reba McEntire.
9 p.m.	CW	“The Game” (C)	Season finale. Derwin and Jerome get into a fight over Melanie.
9 p.m.	ABC	“Desperate Housewives” (D)	Season finale. Lynette is accused of child abuse and a round of death threats trouble Wisteria Lane.
10 p.m.	E!	“Keeping Up with the Kardashians” (R)	The girls travel to New Orleans for a charity pool tournament.
10 p.m.	VH1	“Viva Hollywood!” (R)	Daisy Fuentes teach the contestants how to be seductive.
A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.