'Gilmore' gal calls it like she sees it

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — If you're the creator/writer/executive producer of a network television show, there's worse news than having to go up against "American Idol."

OK, so, about the only news that could be worse would be that you're canceled. But with "Idol" sucking up so much of the viewing audience, it's no fun to be fighting that trend.

So there's not much else for the executive producer of the WB's "Gilmore Girls" to do except be philosophical about it. Sort of.

" 'American Idol' is like the Nazis marching through Poland. You just got to let them go. Get out of the way," said Amy Sherman-Palladino. "We're kind of France going, 'You know, just don't burn Paris. That's all we're asking.' "

Which is why it's always so fun to interview Sherman-Palladino — she just says what she's thinking, whether it's tactful or not.

"Is that really the analogy you want to go with?" asked "Gilmore" star Lauren Graham, who plays Lorelai.

"That's how I look at it," Sherman-Palladino said.

Last Tuesday (the first time this season an original "Gilmore Girls" episode went up against "American Idol"), "Idol" pulled a 15.7 rating, which was just a couple of ratings points less than the other five broadcast networks combined. "Gilmore Girls" averaged a 3.5 rating to finish fifth, but it was actually up 40 percent among younger viewers (18-34) that the network targets.

THEY'RE NOT EXACTLY dancing in the streets in Burbank, but the folks at NBC are darn happy about the performance of their new Monday-night series "Medium." So happy that the network has not only ordered three more episodes of the midseason show for this spring (bringing the total to 16), but has already picked up the show for next season.

"Medium" is sort of a moderate hit right now. It tied "CSI: Miami" in the ratings last week (although "Miami" was a repeat and "Medium" was new) and finished No. 18 overall.

The way things have been going at NBC this season, that's great news.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com