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

Allison Dubois is normal to look at, mother of three daughters and wife to an aerospace engineer, intern at the district attorney's office with intentions of going to Law School. But Allison is gifted; since she was little she's been able to speak to spirits, sometimes see into peoples heads and tell what's going to happen in the future.

She has eerie, sometimes absolutely frightning dreams that are prophetic and will lead her into conclusions of cases she will tend to at work as long as she can somehow decipher their true meanings in time. These dreams lead her into being involved in the investigation of some of Phoenix's most grisly murder cases.

Not only must she somehow manage to solve each case and understand each dream or vision, she must also contend with real life struggles such as her sometimes neglected husband Joe, or her daughters, Ariel, Bridgette and Marie.

If the struggle of trying to keep a part-time job with the oddest hours colliding with trying to hold together a family wasn't bad enough, but she also has to deal with the undeniable reality her two eldest daughters also apparently have inherited her unusual gift.

Unlike Ghost Whisperer, Medium is gritty and slightly more realistic, not shying away from blood and gore, nor shying away from the realities of paedophilia, rape, or sadistic cold-blooded murder. It may leave you momentarily wondering if you've tuned into an episode of CSI rather than a show about a woman who can speak with the dead.

Medium is based very loosely on events of the life of real-life medium Allison Dubois. It is not completely biographical, but touches upon things that have happened to her during her time being a psychic consultant and jury consultant.

Be warned ..... when you start watching the complete first season you will be hooked. This is not your typical crime series with a bit of the supernatural - but a story of a family, a family that WILL leave you with a sense of warmth and happiness.

Medium was a series that took me by surprise. I like sci-fi but i have never been into paranormal shows, so I wasn't expecting much when I caught an episode late on the BBC. In fact to my surprise I was hooked and after watching the episode I went and bought the first series. The show is driven by some great acting from Patrica Arquette and some pretty decent writing for a first season. The show has a good mix of the paranormal and actual solving of crimes. This is a show I really enjoy and would recommend it to anyone. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is the same reason as other reviewers the extras suck. Other than that its definetly worth a punt.

Medium is based on the real life of Alison DuBois, a psychic medium who has used her special skill to help the Phoenix Police Department solve crimes. I've seen the interviews with the `real' Alison DuBois and even she admits that Patricia Arquette et all play her family perfectly. What I liked about Medium was the fact that the writers have created an everyday household trying to deal with an unique situation and as such Medium isn't just about Alison and her talent but about how the entire family has had to adapt. In doing so the writers have made the fantastic seem much more plausible and have given the show a sturdy foundation.

If you are looking for refreshingly crisp dialogue and some excellent acting then give Medium a try. I defy anyone not to fall in love with Bridgette especially!

I'm often fascinated by the lure of the supernatural and this boxset was an immediate attraction. I didn't know much about it before I bought the DVD boxset, but after my first season, I'm not sitting on the edge of my seat awaiting the second.

It is certainly well acted and the relationship between Alison, her hubby and family is believable and realistic. The stories too were, at first, both entertaining and watchable. For me, however, the biggest turn off was the lack of emotional depth demonstrated by all the characters when faced with such emotive and complex issues as capital punishment. The question of the appropriateness of the death penalty was simply not raised and instead the 'good guys' rejoice in the elimination of the 'bad guys' from the world. In my mind, it just isn't that simple. Good guys can be bad sometimes and bad guys can show humanity and love. It's a continuum which this show fails to get to grips with and, after a season of watching and hoping, Alison's attitude just turned me right off.