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.”
Ironically, “Medium,” which had been used by NBC as a midseason replacement for the past couple of seasons, hit a series low for an original episode Monday with a 1.9/5 among adults 18-49 with an anemic lead-in from “Deal or No Deal.”
CBS TV Studios is already in negotiations with sister network CBS, which is expected to take in the veteran drama, possibly as a companion for “Ghost Whisperer” on Friday. (NBC has to release the canceled series by Wednesday night.)
Similarly, “Earl” producer 20th TV is in discussions with Fox and ABC.
