Lifetime Television Acquires Exclusive Basic Cable Rights to Hit Drama Series 'Medium' From Paramount Domestic Television

-- Emmy Award-Winning Patricia Arquette Vehicle Joins Lifetime Primetime Lineup in 2009 --

NEW YORK, Nov. 21 -- Marking a significant off-net drama acquisition, Lifetime Television has acquired the exclusive basic cable rights from Paramount Domestic Television, beginning in 2009, for the hit second-year drama series "Medium," starring Patricia Arquette, who won the 2005 "Outstanding Lead Actress" Emmy Award for her portrayal of psychic crime solver Allison DuBois. This follows Lifetime's numerous high-profile comedy series additions such as "Frasier," "Will & Grace," "Reba" and "Still Standing."

Ranking in the top 20 among all scripted series in primetime, "Medium," which averages 3.9 million W18-49 and 12.1 million total viewers in its Monday 10PM time period on NBC, showcases Arquette as a wife and mother of three who is trying to understand her natural intuition about people and her ability to communicate with the dead.

In making the announcement, Susanne Daniels, President, Entertainment, Lifetime Entertainment Services, said, "I love the way Glenn Gordon Caron has created a show that integrates the contemporary struggles of the modern working mother with such compelling psychic mysteries. 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."

From Emmy Award-winning executive producer, creator, and director Glenn Gordon Caron, comes the hit Paramount Network Television drama series MEDIUM, inspired by the life story of Allison Dubois. Patricia Arquette stars as Allison, a woman who can communicate with the dead, but for most of her life viewed this gift as a curse. Allison finally submits to her calling when she realizes she can do more good as a medium than a lawyer. MEDIUM airs Mondays (10-11PM, ET/PT) on NBC and stars Patricia Arquette, Jake Weber, Miguel Sandoval, Sofia Vassilieva, Maria Lark and David Cubitt.

MEDIUM is produced by Picturemaker Productions, Inc. in association with Grammnet Productions and Paramount Network Television. Paramount Network Television is a division of the CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group, a unit of Viacom, Inc.

LIFETIME is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, LIFETIME is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Launched in 1984, LIFETIME serves more than 89 million households nationwide. In 1998, LIFETIME launched Lifetime Movie Network, now in 49 million homes, and in 2001, Lifetime Real Women. LIFETIME Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women, Lifetime Home Entertainment, Lifetime Radio for Women and Lifetime Online are part of LIFETIME Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

SOURCE Lifetime Television
Web Site: http://www.lifetimetv.com