alleymon CBS Studios responds on ‘Medium’
Calls NBC’s cancellation ‘inexplicable’
By Nellie Andreeva
May 19, 2009, 03:27 PM ET
There is no love lost between CBS and NBC, but the bad blood between the two companies boiled over Tuesday when NBC canceled the CBS TV Studios-produced drama “Medium.”
Following NBC co-chairman Ben Silverman’s comments, in which he called “Medium” and fellow canceled veteran “Earl” — both from outside studios — “an aging franchise, without a single fan letter, with no passion,” CBS Studios came out with a sternly worded statement.
“NBC’s cancellation of ‘Medium’ is inexplicable to us,” the statement said. “The ratings don’t lie: ‘Medium’ outperforms many of NBC’s renewed shows.
“Despite inconsistent scheduling, ‘Medium’ — under the creative vision of (creator) Glenn Gordon Caron, one of the most preeminent producers in television — has always performed with distinction both creatively and commercially. Multiple award-winning actress Patricia Arquette and the cast have delivered a stellar series for five consistent seasons. The awards and ratings speak for themselves.
“We believe the show has a significant future and await developments.”
For the past couple of seasons, NBC used the procedural as a midseason replacement on Monday.
CBS TV Studios is already in talks with sister network CBS about taking in the veteran drama, possibly as a companion for “Ghost Whisperer” on Friday.
Similarly, “Earl” producer 20th TV is in discussions with Fox and ABC.