Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24546 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-08-14
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 684 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
It's not a coincidence that Medium represents not only Glen Gordon Caron's best TV work since Moonlighting but also his most successful siege on the American ratings since the 1980s heyday of the latter show. In an interview included in this five-disc set (which contain all 16 episodes from the first season, in addition to bountiful bonus features), the writer-director-producer confides that the series was partly inspired by films like Something Wild and Married to the Mob, in which director Jonathan Demme achieved a balance of what Caron calls "the serious and the frivolous." Medium also contains elements of Moonlighting and another Caron creation,1999's underrated Now and Again; there are echoes of The Sentinel and The Dead Zone as well, not to mention a hefty dose of The Sixth Sense. So while it's not what you'd call unique (then again, what on TV is?), Medium nevertheless provides engaging, rewarding entertainment.

Patricia Arquette stars as Allison DuBois, whose skills as both a medium (i.e., she sees dead people) and a psychic (she can fairly accurately read minds and predict future events) make her an invaluable help to the Phoenix district attorney (Miguel Sandoval). But like most characters possessed of extraordinary powers, Allison isn't entirely comfortable in her own skin; plagued by awful nightmares (one of which kicks off every episode), she tends to become cranky and depressed, has a hint of a drinking problem, and regularly gets into it with her supportive but skeptical husband, Joe (Jake Weber). Those are the very characteristics that make the show consistently watchable. Although one might wish that she would find herself in real danger more often as she deals with everything from necrophiliac serial killers and air crashes to ghosts and child molesters, Caron focuses less on special effects and police procedure than on Allison's humanity, including her efforts to balance work and family responsibilities (sub-plots involving her young daughters are usually effective, if sometimes a bit too cute). It's the stories and the writing that make Medium work; Caron, in fact, is the show's real star. --Sam Graham

Synopsis
Based on the book DON'T KISS THEM GOODBYE by real-life psychic investigator Allison DuBois, NBC's popular television series MEDIUM blends crime-drama with the supernatural for a smart and chilling spin on the detective genre. Patricia Arquette (TRUE ROMANCE, STIGMATA) stars as a fictionalized version of DuBois, a family woman and aspiring lawyer who has been haunted all her life by strange visions and dreams. When she realizes she has the capacity to communicate with the dead and to read minds, Allison puts her unique skills to work for a sympathetic district attorney (Miguel Sandoval) while depending on her husband (Jake Weber) and two daughters (Sofia Vassilieva and Maria Lark) for moral support. Dark, moody, and creatively original, the series' debut season is presented in its entirety with this collection of episodes.

Customer Reviews

Medium - Large on Entertainment!
Medium is an excellently written show. About a woman who can "see" the past and the future, she helps fight crime in Pheonix. It's excellent in the main because of the cast, Patricia Arquette in particular is brilliant as Allison Dubouis, the Medium. Jake Weber play her husband and the girls who play her daughters are very good as are all the supporting cast.

This show was put in the "graveyard" slot (where else you may say) by the BBC and was treated very poorly. Why, when there is so much dross, is this show dumped there?

Four disc DVD region 2 set, there are no extras hence only 4 stars. Could they not at least put in an extra DVD with cast interviews or an interview with the real Medium.

However, am looking forward to the second series coming out on DVD (soon please) but note to distributor - please give us some cast interviews and extra stuff next time.

A Hidden Gem
I discovered this show within the depths BBC1's late night schedule in the middle of its first season. Since then I've been hooked! It's such a shame this show has been given such a poor time slot because it really is a fantastic piece of television. Now however, it is coming to dvd!

The show tells the story of Alison DuBois, a psychic working with the Police to help solve murders through her visions and dreams. The character is fantastically played by Patricia Arquette (Emmy-Award winner) and based on another real life 'medium'.

The first season contains all 16 episodes (including the pilot). I was amazed at how wonderfully the show is written, its both smart and compulsive. Alison's family provide another side to the character of Alison and it's especially interesting to see her girls starting to have their own strange 'dreams'.

Although no details on this edition are availibe at the time of writing this review, the special features on this set should be(in-line with the US release):

Cast and Crew commentaries on slected episodes

Featurette: The Making Of Medium

Featurette: The Real Alison DuBois

And More..!

(although, its not safe to assume this UK edition will be the same)

Overall, this is a fantastic show that will hopefully get a chance to shine with this dvd release.

No Extras, but still great
If I was reviewing the show independently of its DVD format, it would have got 5 stars. However, it only got 4 stars because there were NO extras at all with the English version - what a let down - it may not have as big a following here in the UK but that doesn't mean we aren't just as devoted fans!! Hopefully they won't re-release it with the extras after I have forked out for this version. Anyway the show itself is fantastic - consistently great storylines. It's a less twee Ghost Whisperer - and more believable. I can't wait for season two - but hope they put on extras!!!