Ask Matt: Changes at The CW, ‘Resident Alien’s New Home,’ ‘NCIS’ Spinoff & More
Welcome to the Q&A with TV critic — also known to some TV fans as their “TV therapist” — Matt Roush, who’ll try to address whatever you love, loathe, are confused or frustrated or thrilled by in today’s vast TV landscape. (We know background music is too loud, but there’s always closed-captioning.)
One caution: This is a spoiler-free zone, so we won’t be addressing upcoming storylines or developments here unless it’s already common knowledge. Please send your questions and comments to [email protected]. Look for Ask Matt columns on most Tuesdays.
Is The CW Even a Network Anymore?
Question: Now that the CW has canceled Walker, one of its top shows, along with Superman & Lois (after next season) and all the others, I have to ask: Is it just me, or is the CW getting out of the network business and getting into the Canadian TV syndication business? — Alan
Matt Roush: It’s obviously not just you. As soon as the network changed ownership, it was clear the previous model of being a pipeline for shows from the studios of its former parent companies (CBS Studios and Warner Brothers, home of the DC Comics franchises) was no longer sustainable—if it ever actually was. No question it’s a jarringly dramatic sea change, and with very few exceptions (All American the most notable), the CW schedule will be much less reliant on expensive scripted shows, and most of those will be either imports or co-productions from Canada to reduce costs. (Next season’s Joan is a co-production from the U.K.) You’ll also see a lot more sports programming in the lineup, as well as a mix of reality and game shows. This is an extreme version of what’s happening on the larger broadcast networks and especially on basic cable, where original production has greatly diminished. It’s a sign of tough economic times for all of these companies, but for an independent network like The CW, this is a survival strategy.
What About Those Homecoming Characters?
Question: With All American being picked up while All American: Homecoming was canceled, will any of the Homecoming characters move over to the parent show? — Scott S.
Matt Roush: It’s too early to say, because Homecoming hasn’t even aired its final season yet. (That begins July 8.) Given that All American’s seventh season will be a shortened one — again, economics — it’s unclear if they’d have room to invite many more characters into their world. But given that the Homecoming characters share the same fictional universe, it makes sense that some of those characters might turn up on the mothership, the way we expect we might see characters from the now-shuttered Station 19 appear as guests on Grey’s Anatomy. How prominent they’d be and how often you’d see them is anyone’s guess at this point.
New Home for This E.T.
Question: I’m doing a very BIG happy dance now that Resident Alien is coming back for Season 4, but should I expect some creative changes now that it is living on the USA Network? — Kelly, Arbuckle, CA
Matt Roush: Let’s hope not. According to an update on USA’s website, the main core and supporting players will stay with the show, and showrunner Chris Sheridan isn’t going anywhere. So even while it made sense for this sci-fi comedy to air on Syfy, the show may be perceived as being more mainstream now that its exposure grew after earlier seasons dropped on Netflix. And why mess with success? If this becomes part of a renaissance of scripted programming at USA, that works for me.
Not Network Love at the Emmys
Question: Why do shows with great ensembles such as Ghosts and 9-1-1 never get nominated for Emmy Awards? There are so many great actors in each of those shows, but none ever seem to make it on the ballot. Seems like every year you can pretty much guess who will be nominated over and over. With hundreds of great actors and shows, it is hard to believe that the Top 5 can be pretty much the same year after year. — Steve O.
Matt Roush: An eternal question, and complaint. Until they put a cap on the number of actors from any given series that can be nominated—and how to make that call is laden with landmines — I’m afraid the categories will continue to look stacked in favor of shows with the highest profile — which these days tend to be on streaming or premium cable. (Abbott Elementary being a recent exception.) Network shows are almost invisible, and while I’ve made an argument since its first season that Ghosts deserves attention for its terrific ensemble and all-around high entertainment value, a procedural like the network-hopping 9-1-1 (even with estimable award bait like Angela Bassett on board) has an even steeper climb. There are fewer submissions this year, meaning fewer slots in many of the categories, so making the cut is going to be even tougher for shows that somehow fall under the Emmy radar. (Watch for The Bear to dominate the way Succession, Ted Lasso, and The White Lotus did in recent years.)
NCI-See Ya Later
Comment: I am so sick of NCIS and hearing about the future NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Tony & Ziva spinoffs. They may start some new NCIS show, but then will they keep it around? I’m so fed up with NCIS: ANYTHING. I refuse to watch anything NCIS from now on. The original is beating a dead horse and they’ve already canceled the best of the series in NCIS: LA, NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS; Hawai’i. So I give up and will go to another channel, read a book, play solitaire, or watch DVDs. Thanks for letting me vent. — Kaye in Louisville, KY
Matt Roush: That’s what we’re here for. We’ve covered this territory quite a bit in recent columns, and I don’t have a lot to add, except to note that ultra long-running shows (take Gunsmoke) were the exception back in the day, and spinoffs also not as prevalent (not counting Norman Lear’s comedy factory). CBS has been mocked by fans for justifying some of these cancellations by noting a need to refresh the schedule when they keep the mothership going even past the departure of its main star. I don’t envy them doing the calculus regarding which offshoots to keep and which to shed — as we’ve noted, the departure of Hawai’i was almost shockingly early after just three seasons — but I’m not surprised that they hang on to the original series as the anchor. (Ditto NBC bringing back the original Law & Order to pair with the ongoing SVU.) I just wish they’d open the schedule up to more new ideas.
And Finally …
Question: A few years ago, maybe before the pandemic, there was a weekly TV show a few of us really got to like. I tried looking it up thru Google, but it gave me a movie called The Apartment. The show I’m looking for, I thought, had a similar name. It was set in “old” New York. The apartment building had many stories (floors), but everyone gathered on the rooftop for parties and get-togethers. The couple that seemed to be in charge of these get-togethers was African American and older. It seemed kind of like they would take some of the younger residents under their wings and try to help them. There was an Army (I think) vet missing a leg and had a helper dog who moved in towards the cutoff of the show, and it turns out that he was somehow related to one of the other residents. Does any of this sound familiar to you? This show was very similar to This Is Us in that it was realistic and a very good show and I’m wondering why it ended and if there is any possibility of it returning? — Bonnie
Matt Roush: You’re thinking about The Village, which aired on NBC from March to May of 2019. Only 10 episodes aired, so the odds of reviving such a short-lived series are next to nil. This was one of several attempts by NBC to replicate the success of This Is Us with dramas that tugged at the heart, but none measured up, either critically or in the ratings. We’re still waiting, because network TV could sure use a few more shows about life as opposed to life-and-death.
That’s all for now. We can’t do this without your participation, so please keep sending questions and comments about TV to [email protected] or shoot me a line on X (formerly) Twitter @TVGMMattRoush. (Please include a first name with your question.)
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services