Long Island Medium (Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Long Island Medium is a TLC reality television series starring Theresa Caputo, a self-professed medium who claims she can communicate with the dead. Much of the program, which premiered on September 25, 2011, takes place in Hicksville, New York, though it often follows Caputo as she meets with clients in other areas.

Scientific skeptics say mediumship performances are a con, and Caputo's specific claims have been deemed fictitious by numerous critics, including magician James Randi, print publications including Wired, and television news programs like Inside Edition. The Long Island newspaper Newsday refers to her as a "mentalism performer".

Synopsis

Each episode focuses on Theresa Caputo as she conducts private and group readings with both believers and skeptics. Her husband Larry and two children, Victoria and Larry Jr., have learned to live with her mediumship. In a 2011 interview, Caputo claimed she had the ability to communicate with dead people: "Things are just there. When I was younger I used to actually see images and hear things. As I got older and shut down, it has changed. Because it was frightening to see people standing there who actually weren"?t there."

Reception

The show has been a commercial success, running into eight seasons, and the popularity has led to the star producing several books and a jewelry line. Fans describe it as entertaining and fun or amazing. The overall series is described in media review as pretty mild, but it may be disturbing to viewers who are uncomfortable with the topics of death and psychic ability.

Scientific skeptics say mediumship performances are a con, and that Caputo's seemingly paranormal performances are simply the result of well-known exploits like the Forer effect, cold reading, selective editing of the show, and her subjects' eagerness to believe.

In 2012, the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) awarded Caputo its Pigasus Award for being, in its view, the "psychic" performer who fooled the greatest number of people with the least effort in the preceding year. A Pigasus award was also given to TLC for continuing to air the show. In an article published by Wired Magazine the organization's founder James Randi explained why he believed shows like Long Island Medium were deceptive and potentially harmful to its participants:

In June of that year, Caputo appeared in a commercial for Priceline.com in which she portrayed herself "connecting" with the late Priceline Negotiator character previously played by William Shatner. However, this commercial has sparked controversy, since the commercial appears to make light of the Native American belief of smudging. JREF President DJ Grothe issued a statement decrying Priceline.com: "It is difficult to watch the show and not feel heartbroken for those who are desperate to hear from the departed... and even more so if they are being manipulated by a charlatan." Grothe urged the organization to have their new spokeswoman take the James Randi Million Dollar Challenge and prove her paranormal claims.

Inside Edition examined Caputo's claims of being able to talk to the dead and found them lacking as she performed live, saying they "watched her strike out time and again." Mark Edward, who used to portray himself as a medium, gave his opinion that Caputo does not have supernatural powers and explained several common techniques she could be using to pretend to have such abilities. She responded in a statement: "I respect and understand skeptics. I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone, that's not why I do what I do. I feel, and have been told by my clients, that my gift has really helped them, and that's all that matters to me."

Ron Tebo, proprietor of the YouTube debunking channel SciFake, has appeared on numerous programs saying Caputo engages in several forms of deception, including sending staff members to interview audience members in advance in order to be able to acquire knowledge to claim communication with the dead.

In March 2018, skeptical activist Susan Gerbic published an article in Skeptical Inquirer summarizing a number of techniques which she says are used by psychics, such as Caputo, to achieve their effects.

Not all the feedback from the show has been entirely negative. While noting that Caputo's claim of special powers "has been questioned", Variety's Gregg Goldstein described her in generally positive terms in a 2012 article, writing, "In an era of hit reality shows about families and denizens of New Jersey, the series' equally big selling point is the dynamic with her husband and two wisecracking teenagers, making it play like a combination of Real Housewives of New Jersey and Bewitched - particularly when their frustrations surface over her random communications with what she calls 'Spirit.

Cast

Main

• Theresa Caputo

Recurring

• Larry Caputo Jr.
• Victoria Caputo
• Larry Caputo

Episodes

Season		Episodes	Season Premiere	Season Finale
	1	9
	2	14
	3	17
	4	30
	5	18
	6	15
	7	14
	8	14
	9	unknown	unknown	unknown
	10	10

Season 1 (2011)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.36	LineColor = 66CDAA }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.07	LineColor = 66CDAA }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.41	LineColor = 66CDAA }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.31	LineColor = 66CDAA }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.36	LineColor = 66CDAA }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.45	LineColor = 66CDAA }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.44	LineColor = 66CDAA }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.38	LineColor = 66CDAA }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.28	LineColor = 66CDAA }}

Season 2 (2012)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.28	LineColor = B2DFEE }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.25	LineColor = B2DFEE }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.69	LineColor = B2DFEE }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.61	LineColor = B2DFEE }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.48	LineColor = B2DFEE }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.91	LineColor = B2DFEE }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.75	LineColor = B2DFEE }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.91	LineColor = B2DFEE }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.02	LineColor = B2DFEE }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.29	LineColor = B2DFEE }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.84	LineColor = B2DFEE }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.11	LineColor = B2DFEE }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.99	LineColor = B2DFEE }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.24	LineColor = B2DFEE }}

Season 3 (2012)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
ShortSummary =	Viewers = 3.17	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 3.52	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.62	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 3.12	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.68	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.82	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.53	}}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.84	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.74	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.96	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 3.08	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.64	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.93	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.74	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.95	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 3.09	LineColor = CDB5CD }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 3.22	LineColor = CDB5CD }}

Season 4 (2013)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
	Viewers = 2.34	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}		Viewers = 2.51	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}		Viewers = 2.11	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}		Viewers = 2.12	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.93	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.20	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.11	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.25	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.01	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.12	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.82	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.80	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.89	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.93	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.99	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.62	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.66	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.97	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.85	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.88	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.91	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.88	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.99	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.02	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.68	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.72	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.77	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.11	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.94	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = N/A	LineColor = FFAEB9 }}

Season 5 (2014)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.87	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.99	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 2.04	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.63	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.79	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.59	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.74	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.90	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.98	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.76	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.94	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.84	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.80	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.80	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.84	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.84	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.86	LineColor = 99CDC9 }}

Season 6 (2014)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.48	LineColor = CDC9C9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.40	LineColor = CDC9C9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.59	LineColor = CDC9C9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers = 1.60	LineColor = CDC9C9 }} </ref>	OriginalAirDate =	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = CDC9C9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = CDC9C9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = CDC9C9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = CDC9C9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = CDC9C9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = CDC9C9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = CDC9C9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = CDC9C9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = CDC9C9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = CDC9C9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = CDC9C9 }}

Season 7 (2015)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}

Season 8 (2016)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}

Season 9 (2016)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)

Season 10 (2017)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
ShortSummary = Reading for celebrities, Kelsey Grammer, Bob Harper, Mark McGrath, Chrissy Metz	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary = Shark Tank Barbara Corcoran gets a reading. Meanwhile at a fundraiser, Theresa channels an accident victim for the distraught police officer who couldn't save him, and reads a man while she is inside the cryogenic freezing chamber	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}	ShortSummary =	Viewers =	LineColor = b19cd9 }}

See also

• Psychic
• Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry
• Monica the Medium

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Long Island Medium". Reality TV World is not responsible for any errors or omissions this article may contain.