Post by Forever Xena on Nov 23, 2005 0:53:27 GMT -6
'Medium' sees lucrative reruns
November 21, 2005 03:47:14
ENTERTAINMENT-MEDIUM-DCBy Cynthia Littleton
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Lifetime Television has opened its checkbook to scoop up rerun rights to NBC's hit Patricia Arquette drama "Medium" for a more-than-medium-sized fee of about $1.3 million per episode, sources said.
The women's cable network confirmed that it has acquired the series -- in which Arquette plays a woman who uses her psychic powers to aid law enforcement officials -- beginning in 2009.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it's understood that Lifetime made a pre-emptive bid for "Medium." Lifetime also ponied up enough for the show to keep producer Paramount TV from selling the weekend rerun rights to broadcast stations, which has become commonplace for top network dramas.
"Medium's" estimated fee of about $1.3 million per episode is below the record-setting price fetched in fall 2004 by CBS' "CSI: NY," which Spike TV picked up for nearly $2 million per episode. But "Medium" nonetheless pulled in impressive money in what has generally been a soft off-network syndication market in recent months -- particularly for dramas.
"We think this smart and absorbing drama depicting a woman in all of the complexity of her life, juggling a normal family with an extremely unusual line of work, will resonate strongly with our audience and make an outstanding addition to our schedule," said Susanne Daniels, Lifetime's newly appointed entertainment president.
Arquette earned the lead drama actress Emmy in September for her work on the show, which is in its second season on NBC's Monday lineup.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
November 21, 2005 03:47:14
ENTERTAINMENT-MEDIUM-DCBy Cynthia Littleton
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Lifetime Television has opened its checkbook to scoop up rerun rights to NBC's hit Patricia Arquette drama "Medium" for a more-than-medium-sized fee of about $1.3 million per episode, sources said.
The women's cable network confirmed that it has acquired the series -- in which Arquette plays a woman who uses her psychic powers to aid law enforcement officials -- beginning in 2009.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it's understood that Lifetime made a pre-emptive bid for "Medium." Lifetime also ponied up enough for the show to keep producer Paramount TV from selling the weekend rerun rights to broadcast stations, which has become commonplace for top network dramas.
"Medium's" estimated fee of about $1.3 million per episode is below the record-setting price fetched in fall 2004 by CBS' "CSI: NY," which Spike TV picked up for nearly $2 million per episode. But "Medium" nonetheless pulled in impressive money in what has generally been a soft off-network syndication market in recent months -- particularly for dramas.
"We think this smart and absorbing drama depicting a woman in all of the complexity of her life, juggling a normal family with an extremely unusual line of work, will resonate strongly with our audience and make an outstanding addition to our schedule," said Susanne Daniels, Lifetime's newly appointed entertainment president.
Arquette earned the lead drama actress Emmy in September for her work on the show, which is in its second season on NBC's Monday lineup.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
I'm glad the show is popular enough for them to pay so much, because that means the show will probably stick around for quite a few years. ;D