I read this article that mentions that NBC might be moving Medium (again!), and expanding Deal or No Deal and American Gladiators to 90 minutes each to fill the Monday night schedule. Is it just me or does this sound like another boneheaded move by NBC? Does anyone else think that this could be the final nail in Medium's coffin? And am I the only one who thinks that NBC is deliberately trying to kill this show so they can get rid of it?
First, they hold it back till mid-season. Then, they give it almost no promotion. Then, just when it's starting to get it's footing, they yank it off the schedule again(!) and move it (again!). And all this is after the ridiculous way they treated it last season(which is pretty much the same thing they're doing this season). Maybe it's just me, but it seems to me that that Silverman guy is trying to kill off all the scripted programming and go to all reality tv-all the time. What a moron.
Very strange. The key is where they put it. For some reason, I smell Fridays after FNL and Vegas are out of eps. Neither repeats well at all so that would make sense. The other option is Thursdays at 10pm once Lipstick Jungle is out of eps or maybe even back on Mondays once Gladiators runs dry of eps in February. I agree Silverman is a moron and has made some truley stupid moves this past season but to his credit, he is simply trying to make sure he has some strike bait left once this midseason crop runs dry.
Given that Medium lost almost 8million viewers and almost 2.5demo points from the DoND half hour lead-in last week, I can see why NBC would want to expand DoND and move Medium elsewhere.
Medium on Thursday's instead of Lipstick Jungle (I see a quick failure for this one) would be good. Friday's in place of FNL would also be a decent timeslot for Medium.
Don't blame NBC. America has spoken and, despite Marc's protests, has made it clear to NBC that there can never be too much DoND on the air.
I don't think NBC will move Medium if it starts triumphing in the Monday at 10 pm slot against CSI: Miami encores.
I'm also skeptical about whether Deal or No Deal will get big numbers in the 10-11 pm slot. Reality/gameshows don't do as well at that hour (few kids/teens watching), and I can't recall whether DOND has ever been skedded before in the 10 pm hour.
If NBC moves Medium, this just might be enough to help lift "October Road's" numbers enough to ensure survival to a third season.
As to Medium, if it is moved, I think the Thursday at 10 pm slot would be the most advantageous for the series with "Lipstick Jungle" moved elsewhere (Sundays?).
Good points,all. But as for putting Medium in the Thursday at 10 time slot, isn't that where Lost is scheduled? After the disastrous season Medium had last year against Lost, I would hope that NBC would have better sense than to do that again. Fridays, I guess wouldn't be too bad. But it seems to me that nothing has done as well as Medium in the Monday 10 pm slot for NBC, so why move it? I know they're looking for much bigger numbers than it's pulling in right now, but a full night of reality tv I don't think is going to do it. As dumont said, most of the teens/kids are in bed by that hour, so I don't really see Deal or No Deal pulling in big numbers in that hour either. If anything, I would bet that the last hour of DoND would lose a significant number of viewers. Maybe not as many as Medium lost after DoND, but still not as much as the network's hoping for.
I'm hoping that they're just trying to stretch out the few eps of Medium that they have and they'll hold back a couple of episodes and then bring it back on Mondays. Another schedule change could really hurt the show, no matter what time slot they put it in.
Originally posted by dumont: I don't think NBC will move Medium if it starts triumphing in the Monday at 10 pm slot against CSI: Miami encores.
I'm also skeptical about whether Deal or No Deal will get big numbers in the 10-11 pm slot. Reality/gameshows don't do as well at that hour (few kids/teens watching), and I can't recall whether DOND has ever been skedded before in the 10 pm hour.
If NBC moves Medium, this just might be enough to help lift "October Road's" numbers enough to ensure survival to a third season.
As to Medium, if it is moved, I think the Thursday at 10 pm slot would be the most advantageous for the series with "Lipstick Jungle" moved elsewhere (Sundays?).
Moving Medium would be a stupid move. It's done better than anything else NBC has tried there as of late (Studio 60/Black Donnellys/Journey Man). Expanding Deal or No Deal and Gladiators might be the thing to do if this writers strike last even longer, but let Medium air a repeat or two before you expand your reality shows. When the strike ends, a Gladiators-Heroes-Medium evening sounds perfect.
As for October Road, I'd say it's doom and like Big Shots is only still on the air so ABC can boast having non-repeat programming on. It's pick up only came because compared to everything else that aired after Grey's Anatomy, it looked the best. I'd say Cashmere Mafia has got a better chance at another season because of Lucy Lui and Darren Star being attached.
Originally posted by mediumfan: Good points,all. But as for putting Medium in the Thursday at 10 time slot, isn't that where Lost is scheduled?
Lost is schedules to go at 9pm with Eli Stone following at 10pm. Medium at 10pm would only have to face Eli Stone and reruns of Without a Trace as competition and The Apprentice as a leadin. It would be a good spot, though not as cushy as having the Monday DoND as a lead-in.
Originally posted by mediumfan: Good points,all. But as for putting Medium in the Thursday at 10 time slot, isn't that where Lost is scheduled?
Lost is schedules to go at 9pm with Eli Stone following at 10pm. Medium at 10pm would only have to face Eli Stone and reruns of Without a Trace as competition and The Apprentice as a leadin. It would be a good spot, though not as cushy as having the Monday DoND as a lead-in.
If I recall, CBS is the one that produces Medium and has never been real shy in making it known that they want syndication moolah from it. Therefore, I think CBS Fridays would quickly become its home if NBC decides to make another idiot move and put it in cancellations way. The thing is that 7 million right now is good on NBC so it is far from having to worry, although last season it seemed pretty on the fence. Another show to be thankful for the strike.
If it were not a strike year, I would say it was a Bonehead move. But NBC needs as many hours of original content it can get, and if moving Medium to another slot and expanding Mondays with only 2 shows does it, it should do weel for the network, as a whole.
Medium could take a hit, depending on where it would land.
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Originally posted by mediumfan: I read this article that mentions that NBC might be moving Medium (again!), and expanding Deal or No Deal and American Gladiators to 90 minutes each to fill the Monday night schedule. Is it just me or does this sound like another boneheaded move by NBC? Does anyone else think that this could be the final nail in Medium's coffin? And am I the only one who thinks that NBC is deliberately trying to kill this show so they can get rid of it?
First, they hold it back till mid-season. Then, they give it almost no promotion. Then, just when it's starting to get it's footing, they yank it off the schedule again(!) and move it (again!). And all this is after the ridiculous way they treated it last season(which is pretty much the same thing they're doing this season). Maybe it's just me, but it seems to me that that Silverman guy is trying to kill off all the scripted programming and go to all reality tv-all the time. What a moron.
Medium has been officially yanked from the scedule in favor of expanded DoND, but only for a few weeks as a February sweeps gimmick. Futon Critic Article
Good points, Bruce. I'm just disappointed to see Medium get yanked around all the time, while the rest of NBC's shows are left alone. Maybe it is true that NBC has come to think of Medium as a utility player that they can plug into any slot that they need filled (though it has been proven that even Medium will not work in just any slot). But the positive numbers this season thus far have shown that Medium belongs on Monday, and I hope that they will keep it there. TV Guide is reporting that it will be back on February 19th, which is a Tuesday, so I hope that is not true. It is probably a good move, in the long run, for NBC to hold back a few episodes until February sweeps, and to stretch out the episodes that they do have. And that is fine, but I just don't want to see them start monkeying with the schedule again, just when they've found a spot where Medium can actually score some reasonable numbers and be somewhat competitive. I hope you're right too about the renewal. If the pilot season is truly cancelled because of the strike, then that, combined with Medium's higher numbers this season, should spell renewal for at least one more season. I hope so anyway.
As long as NBC brings Medium back on Mondays in February, I don't mind them holding it off the air a few weeks if it will extend the few eps that they do have.
I'm disappointed that NBC is moving it again, but in light of the strike and with the ratings DOND and AG have been pulling, it makes sense from a business perspective to expand those shows temporarily and save the episodes. I don't think that Medium is in danger of going dark. CBS will pick it up. The show has a strong following and with two shortened seasons, still has a lot of story left to tell.
