any GOOD reviews of "Medium"?
01-03-05, 08:13 AM
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any GOOD reviews of "Medium"?
The two reviews I've seen this morning (local Fort Worth Star-Telegram and USA Today) were both pretty harsh: A 'C' from the FWST and two starts out of four in the USA Today. Anyone see any good reviews of this new show?
01-03-05, 09:02 AM
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2005Jan2.html
NBC's 'Medium': Rare and Well Done
By Tom Shales
Glen Gordon Caron's "Medium" is an especially impressive achievement when one considers how crowded movie and TV screens have been in recent years with living people who "see dead people," with psychics who see into the future, with clairvoyants and soothsayers and things that go bump in the simulated night of darkened theaters or living rooms with the drapes pulled tight.
You may groan at the premise -- a young woman helps the police solve crimes through use of her psychic intuition -- but it's brought off with so much storytelling skill and so few voguish gimmicks that it might as well be the first show of its kind. It's white-knuckle television, and you may want to reinforce the arms of easy chairs and couches so they can withstand rigorous gripping.
It's clear from the premiere of the NBC drama, at 10 tonight on Channel 4, that Caron is getting more than just able assistance from his fascinating star, Patricia Arquette, sensationally sensitive and believable in the title role (in police parlance, she's a "research medium," brought in when cases seem unsolvable). We don't usually engage in speculation about Emmy-worthiness around here, but Arquette's is so intelligently intense that it immediately stands out as -- what else? -- outstanding.
Maybe Arquette and Caron have discovered some psychic bond that exists between the two of them, or it's just pure skill and professionalism on their parts, but Arquette connects with viewers virtually right off the bat, taking your hand and leading you into a realm that has its advocates and its doubters. Both should find the show compelling. You can call it baloney but still want to be there to see it sliced.
"There really is an Allison," reads a brief on-screen prologue. "Really." In fact, Allison Dubois, the character Arquette plays, is a consultant to the show. That doesn't make it an exercise in heroine-worship. As played by Arquette, Dubois comes across as vital and dimensional, replete with flaws. Caron, who created the series and wrote and directed the premiere, deftly balances the obligatory story lines about murder investigations with a running account of Dubois' home life -- a mother with three kids and a refreshingly understanding husband (Jake Weber).
Her professional life does not have glamorous trappings. She shares a cramped storeroom in the lower depths of the police station with the staff sketch artist. Many of those working with her seem embarrassed if not mortified by her presence on a crime-solving team.
The premiere explains how she got the job over widespread misgivings. A colleague escorting her to the scene of a crime laments that "we have to speak to every Tom, Dick and harried housewife" as part of investigations, but eventually the colleague will be doubting her own doubts. Dubois' own anxieties about her strange gift -- one that can clearly be a pain in the neck sometimes -- are eased when she meets another woman with similar but much less powerful abilities: "Even among the 'specials,' " she tells Dubois, "you're special."
It's less with skepticism than with hoo-haw ridicule that Dubois is met by a veteran Texas Ranger, who's asked her to fly down to Texas as part of a last desperate attempt to find the body of a 6-year-old boy who was molested and murdered by a 17-year-old boy currently in custody. The state's case is weak, and Dubois is there to strengthen it, which she does by meeting the suspect, diagnosing his sickness (with help from some now-departed forbears over in the corner) and, almost in a snap, locating the buried body, which a sudden hurricane then unfortunately washes away.
There's crackling, electric byplay between Arquette and the head Texas Ranger, whose unyielding disbelief yields when she matter-of-factly remarks about open-heart surgery he had -- secretly -- a few weeks earlier. Situations are portrayed for their human drama and emotional oomph, not for spookiness or freakiness. This is a character-driven mystery as much as "Columbo" and "Murder, She Wrote" were, but with a character of great verisimilitude and stature. She's down to earth and up among the stars at the same time.
As is the show. If the artsy-smartsy, facile scares of M. Night Shyamalan or Steve King leave you cold, more power to you, and the more you're likely to appreciate the virtues of "Medium," which has Kelsey Grammer among its team of executive producers. The cast is first-rate -- and has to be to keep up with Arquette. Among those most prominent are Miguel Sandoval as the district attorney who looks past his own prejudices to hire her, and Maria Lark as Bridget, one of the three children.
In a future episode submitted to critics -- though not yet assigned an air date -- it appears that Bridget may carry the gene, or whatever it is, that makes Mommy psychic, and if the gift weighs heavily on an adult, it can be even more unnerving on a child. This is dramatized in an episode that unfortunately opens with one of those nightmares we know will later come true -- a very literal-minded dream, as in Hitchcock's "Spellbound," so that the appearance of a wolf turns out to symbolize a villain whose last name is Wolf, and so on. (Speaking of Hitchcock, Jeff Beal's exciting theme music for "Medium" owes something to Bernard Herrmann's score for "Psycho," but so does lots of music for scary movies written in the past 40 years.)
Most of the time, Caron is careful to avoid what's been done before. It doesn't take a mystic to envision many a similar work that preceded "Medium," but Caron dignifies the genre without sacrificing any of the compelling suspense that one expects. It's smart and classy, two qualities in short supply on NBC's prime-time schedule these days. If enough people watch, then, everybody wins -- though this is what might be called a drop-dead triumph for Arquette regardless.
NBC's 'Medium': Rare and Well Done
By Tom Shales
Glen Gordon Caron's "Medium" is an especially impressive achievement when one considers how crowded movie and TV screens have been in recent years with living people who "see dead people," with psychics who see into the future, with clairvoyants and soothsayers and things that go bump in the simulated night of darkened theaters or living rooms with the drapes pulled tight.
You may groan at the premise -- a young woman helps the police solve crimes through use of her psychic intuition -- but it's brought off with so much storytelling skill and so few voguish gimmicks that it might as well be the first show of its kind. It's white-knuckle television, and you may want to reinforce the arms of easy chairs and couches so they can withstand rigorous gripping.
It's clear from the premiere of the NBC drama, at 10 tonight on Channel 4, that Caron is getting more than just able assistance from his fascinating star, Patricia Arquette, sensationally sensitive and believable in the title role (in police parlance, she's a "research medium," brought in when cases seem unsolvable). We don't usually engage in speculation about Emmy-worthiness around here, but Arquette's is so intelligently intense that it immediately stands out as -- what else? -- outstanding.
Maybe Arquette and Caron have discovered some psychic bond that exists between the two of them, or it's just pure skill and professionalism on their parts, but Arquette connects with viewers virtually right off the bat, taking your hand and leading you into a realm that has its advocates and its doubters. Both should find the show compelling. You can call it baloney but still want to be there to see it sliced.
"There really is an Allison," reads a brief on-screen prologue. "Really." In fact, Allison Dubois, the character Arquette plays, is a consultant to the show. That doesn't make it an exercise in heroine-worship. As played by Arquette, Dubois comes across as vital and dimensional, replete with flaws. Caron, who created the series and wrote and directed the premiere, deftly balances the obligatory story lines about murder investigations with a running account of Dubois' home life -- a mother with three kids and a refreshingly understanding husband (Jake Weber).
Her professional life does not have glamorous trappings. She shares a cramped storeroom in the lower depths of the police station with the staff sketch artist. Many of those working with her seem embarrassed if not mortified by her presence on a crime-solving team.
The premiere explains how she got the job over widespread misgivings. A colleague escorting her to the scene of a crime laments that "we have to speak to every Tom, Dick and harried housewife" as part of investigations, but eventually the colleague will be doubting her own doubts. Dubois' own anxieties about her strange gift -- one that can clearly be a pain in the neck sometimes -- are eased when she meets another woman with similar but much less powerful abilities: "Even among the 'specials,' " she tells Dubois, "you're special."
It's less with skepticism than with hoo-haw ridicule that Dubois is met by a veteran Texas Ranger, who's asked her to fly down to Texas as part of a last desperate attempt to find the body of a 6-year-old boy who was molested and murdered by a 17-year-old boy currently in custody. The state's case is weak, and Dubois is there to strengthen it, which she does by meeting the suspect, diagnosing his sickness (with help from some now-departed forbears over in the corner) and, almost in a snap, locating the buried body, which a sudden hurricane then unfortunately washes away.
There's crackling, electric byplay between Arquette and the head Texas Ranger, whose unyielding disbelief yields when she matter-of-factly remarks about open-heart surgery he had -- secretly -- a few weeks earlier. Situations are portrayed for their human drama and emotional oomph, not for spookiness or freakiness. This is a character-driven mystery as much as "Columbo" and "Murder, She Wrote" were, but with a character of great verisimilitude and stature. She's down to earth and up among the stars at the same time.
As is the show. If the artsy-smartsy, facile scares of M. Night Shyamalan or Steve King leave you cold, more power to you, and the more you're likely to appreciate the virtues of "Medium," which has Kelsey Grammer among its team of executive producers. The cast is first-rate -- and has to be to keep up with Arquette. Among those most prominent are Miguel Sandoval as the district attorney who looks past his own prejudices to hire her, and Maria Lark as Bridget, one of the three children.
In a future episode submitted to critics -- though not yet assigned an air date -- it appears that Bridget may carry the gene, or whatever it is, that makes Mommy psychic, and if the gift weighs heavily on an adult, it can be even more unnerving on a child. This is dramatized in an episode that unfortunately opens with one of those nightmares we know will later come true -- a very literal-minded dream, as in Hitchcock's "Spellbound," so that the appearance of a wolf turns out to symbolize a villain whose last name is Wolf, and so on. (Speaking of Hitchcock, Jeff Beal's exciting theme music for "Medium" owes something to Bernard Herrmann's score for "Psycho," but so does lots of music for scary movies written in the past 40 years.)
Most of the time, Caron is careful to avoid what's been done before. It doesn't take a mystic to envision many a similar work that preceded "Medium," but Caron dignifies the genre without sacrificing any of the compelling suspense that one expects. It's smart and classy, two qualities in short supply on NBC's prime-time schedule these days. If enough people watch, then, everybody wins -- though this is what might be called a drop-dead triumph for Arquette regardless.
01-03-05, 01:59 PM
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Originally Posted by ten41
As is the show. If the artsy-smartsy, facile scares of M. Night Shyamalan or Steve King leave you cold, more power to you, and the more you're likely to appreciate the virtues of "Medium,"
I'll pass.
Going against CSI: Miami? I give it 4 episodes.
01-03-05, 03:14 PM
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What bothers me about this show is that it purports to be based on a real psychic!
I don't think there's anything wrong with having a show with a psychic. I like that fantasy and supernatural stuff myself. But when they are trying to feed us the crap that it's real, I have a problem.
I am going to give this show a try just because it's from Glen Gordon Caron who has done some outstanding programs including Now and Again which was canceled after a first season cliffhanger finale. I think it's just going to drive me up a wall though.
I don't think there's anything wrong with having a show with a psychic. I like that fantasy and supernatural stuff myself. But when they are trying to feed us the crap that it's real, I have a problem.
I am going to give this show a try just because it's from Glen Gordon Caron who has done some outstanding programs including Now and Again which was canceled after a first season cliffhanger finale. I think it's just going to drive me up a wall though.
01-03-05, 03:26 PM
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Anyone have an idea how this show compares to Millenium, either in plot, atmosphere, style, quality?
I think I read a while back that there has been research onto 'police-assisting psychics', and absolutely NO evidence that they have EVER helped solve a crime using more than just ordinary logic. So yes, I'd agree with that--make it a fictional show, I could get into it, but not a 'Based on a True Story' that is, well, untrue.
I think I read a while back that there has been research onto 'police-assisting psychics', and absolutely NO evidence that they have EVER helped solve a crime using more than just ordinary logic. So yes, I'd agree with that--make it a fictional show, I could get into it, but not a 'Based on a True Story' that is, well, untrue.
01-03-05, 04:03 PM
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I'll probably watch this but I'm not expecting a whole lot.
Actually, I should say that I'll record this. I'll be watching CSI Miami.
When I finally (if ever) get around to watching it is another story.
Actually, I should say that I'll record this. I'll be watching CSI Miami.
When I finally (if ever) get around to watching it is another story.
01-03-05, 04:39 PM
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Well, Caron was also the creator of Moonlighting, so I'm willing to give this a shot just based on that. Anyone who could have taken part in the creation of "Atomic Shakespeare," one of the top three hours in the history of television, deserves one chance to sell me on a new show. 
01-03-05, 10:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Quatermass
I'm watching it now. I never realized that Patricia Arquette was such a colossally bad actress.
Ill give it a shot tho, the wife is really interested in watching this since, "it is based on a real person." Whatever...
01-04-05, 01:06 AM
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I've never been a big Patricia Arquette fan but she is horrible in this and the writing didn't help much.
It seemed to me like they were trying to be edgy and slick, but it just came off as silly.
This is the probably the worst new show I've seen this season; yes, even worse than Medical Investigation
It seemed to me like they were trying to be edgy and slick, but it just came off as silly.
This is the probably the worst new show I've seen this season; yes, even worse than Medical Investigation
Last edited by MrX; 01-04-05 at 02:09 AM.
01-04-05, 01:55 AM
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After being incessantly hammered with the fucking promos during every Fear Factor/Las Vegas commercial break, I was wondering if it was going to be as bad as I thought it was...glad to see I was right.
01-04-05, 02:47 AM
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I don't think the premise was all that bad. Not original, but not bad. And I don't think that Patricia Arquette's acting was bad either. But they really shouldn't have had her talking that much or that confidently. She's supposed to be this woman who's just coming to terms with her gifts. She should be more shaken up or tormented by her dreams. It would've been good for them to write her as a a confused person who's not entirely sure what to do with her gifts. Instead, by the end of the first episode, she's off and running on what is presumably her new job.
They had the chance here to let a character grow and develop. Watching this happen would let the audience become attached to the character. Instead, it felt like they just rushed her through to her job so that they could get on with storytelling and do the "Case of the Week" style episodes, which will be mucho-lame-o.
They had the chance here to let a character grow and develop. Watching this happen would let the audience become attached to the character. Instead, it felt like they just rushed her through to her job so that they could get on with storytelling and do the "Case of the Week" style episodes, which will be mucho-lame-o.
01-04-05, 08:32 AM
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Originally Posted by hahn
I don't think the premise was all that bad. Not original, but not bad. And I don't think that Patricia Arquette's acting was bad either. But they really shouldn't have had her talking that much or that confidently. She's supposed to be this woman who's just coming to terms with her gifts. She should be more shaken up or tormented by her dreams. It would've been good for them to write her as a a confused person who's not entirely sure what to do with her gifts. Instead, by the end of the first episode, she's off and running on what is presumably her new job.
They had the chance here to let a character grow and develop. Watching this happen would let the audience become attached to the character. Instead, it felt like they just rushed her through to her job so that they could get on with storytelling and do the "Case of the Week" style episodes, which will be mucho-lame-o.
They had the chance here to let a character grow and develop. Watching this happen would let the audience become attached to the character. Instead, it felt like they just rushed her through to her job so that they could get on with storytelling and do the "Case of the Week" style episodes, which will be mucho-lame-o.
I enjoyed watching.
01-04-05, 09:31 AM
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Since it took place in Phoenix, the local news after the show did a story on the real Allison where she broke down what was "movie magic" and what really happened. Pretty interesting and apparently at the University of Arizona tested her awhile back (not sure what the test consisted of) but said she scored with %80 accuracy. First episode was pretty scattered for me with how it just happened. I taped it so I can watch it uninterupted by a child that was fighting homework so my attention wasn't all there. I am interested to see where it goes.
01-04-05, 09:41 AM
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Personally, I liked it a lot. I went into the show with complete cynicism and told my wife I would give it to first intermission and unless it grabbed me I waqs out of there. I was completely NOT in the mood last night. But the first commercial she looked at me and said, "well?" and I had to concede. I thought it was thoroughly entertaining and I liked the characters a lot. Unfortunately the Texas Rangers won't be regular features but the rest of the cast has potential, especially the snotty lawyer at the firm.
We shall see. It's not like we aren't getting a deluge of about 46 episodes over the coming week.
We shall see. It's not like we aren't getting a deluge of about 46 episodes over the coming week.
(I haven't watched it yet.)
01-04-05, 10:36 AM
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HAHAH! Boo!
Actually, I haven't been around here in ages. Somehow I got myself real busy and haven't been afforded the luxery of messageboarding and other sundry distractions. But I dropped by and saw this and had to chime in. You know, have to always have the contradictory opinion and what not.
Personally I think you will like the show. We'll see!
I'll give you a ring. Still at the same number?
Actually, I haven't been around here in ages. Somehow I got myself real busy and haven't been afforded the luxery of messageboarding and other sundry distractions. But I dropped by and saw this and had to chime in. You know, have to always have the contradictory opinion and what not.
Personally I think you will like the show. We'll see!
I'll give you a ring. Still at the same number?
01-04-05, 05:55 PM
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Overall i liked it. I'm surprised at the negative comments about Arquette, i've always liked her performances and this was no different. I agree with some of the comments above specifically that they quickly moved through coming to grips with her powers, and i'll stop watching if it becomes CSI: Psychic Style! Hopefully they'll bring back the Texas Rangers. I particularly liked how Allison wasn't overly depressed like most crime solving shows. I'm glad Jake Weber is getting work as well. It's definatly better than Las Vegas.
01-05-05, 12:15 PM
#24
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FWIW, the ratings were pretty good, but not enough to take out CSI: Miami. I'm sure it will start diving after a few weeks, but who knows.
From zap2it:
From zap2it:
"CSI: Miami" won the 10 p.m. hour with an 11.8/19, well below its season average thanks in part to the solid debut of "Medium," 10.4/16, on NBC. The Sugar Bowl averaged 8.0/12 for ABC.
Last edited by DRG; 01-05-05 at 12:18 PM.
