It has been a tough season for NBC, but the network's midseason has been blessed by the arrival of two out-of-this world shows: Medium, about a psychic who solves crimes, and Revelations, about a scientist investigating the second coming of Jesus Christ. Nearly 16 million viewers watched the debut episode of Revelations, which scored NBC's best performance against an original American Idol since NBC aired an NBA Final opposite the singing competition juggernaut in June 2002. Similarly, Medium is NBC's highest-rated Monday-night drama among adults 18-49 in 15 years, and debuted with 16.1 million total viewers. Overall, originals of the show average a 5.7 rating/14 share in the key adult demographic, improving the time period by 84%. Those are numbers that can give network religion. Indeed a look at network development rosters reveals that the six broadcast networks have eight shows on the boards with spiritual or supernatural themes. The show with the highest profile is NBC's The Book of Daniel, featuring Aidan Quinn as a preacher addicted to prescription drugs who frequently sees Jesus, played by Deadwood's Garret Dillahunt.
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