Ask Matt: Repeat Awards Winners, Shows That Got Away, Crossover Dreams & 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, it’s the most frequent complaint, but there’s always closed-captioning. Check out this story for more tips.)
One caution: This is a spoiler-free zone, so we won’t be addressing upcoming storylines here unless it’s already common knowledge. Please send your questions and comments to [email protected]. Look for Ask Matt columns on most Tuesdays.
When Is Enough Emmys and Globes Enough?
Question: Awards season has begun. After watching the Golden Globes, I wondered if the time will come when actors will not be nominated multiple times for playing the same role. I’m a longtime fan of the work of Jean Smart and Jeremy Allen White, but it doesn’t seem right that they win an award for the same role year after year. Of course, they are just two recent examples, and I know some shows also win year after year for “best” whatever. Are there really so few performances or shows considered good enough to be nominated that the powers that be put up the same names year after year? I’d like to think the actors would consider it ridiculous and remove their own names. I believe this has been done in the past. — Adrienne, Vernon Township, N.J.
Matt Roush: This is the issue that bedevils TV awards shows in particular because when long-running series and their stars become awards-show darlings, it not only begins to feel predictable but rather exasperating when institutions like the Emmys and the Globes seem unwilling to recognize newer shows and talents. On the other hand, the nature of TV is such that certain acclaimed shows and stars tend to dominate certain periods of time — think the Breaking Bad era, the Sopranos and Game of Thrones and Modern Family eras, etc.—and it’s not as if there aren’t other deserving shows, but these are seen as the best of their moment, and how does the industry not reflect that?
There have been famous instances when stars decided after multiple wins to take their names out of the running, most notably Murphy Brown’s Candice Bergen after five Emmy wins in a row, and original Night Court’s supporting player John Larroquette after four consecutive Emmy wins. I could imagine the day when the fabulous Jean Smart, who has already called for a pause in awards shows for the time being because of the devastation of the L.A. wildfires, might decide to ask not to be nominated for Hacks (for which she has won three of her six Emmys). But I also figure that these actors see their wins and nominations as a reflection on the series they’re representing, and to deny the nomination is to deny the work that went into creating the character and their latest arcs from the writers, directors, and other collaborators.
It’s only troublesome to me when an awards-show favorite or an actor within still gets nominated for a lesser season (which tends to happen to the best of them), just because their profile is so high, and the voters are too lazy to look beyond what’s been rewarded before.
If We Could Turn Back Time …
Question: Longtime reader, first-time emailer. I want to know: If YOU could bring back any canceled broadcast show, what would it be and why? I would pick Bless This Mess on ABC because of how genuinely hilarious it was. Chemistry off the charts, witty writing, and unique characters. It pains me every time I remember we never got to see Rio and Mike as parents. So what about you? — Mindy
Matt Roush: I’ll admit I had to look up Bless This Mess (a lot of TV happened between 2020 and today) and it seems in my mailbag the opinions were split between those who loved it and others who saw it as a lesser Green Acres knockoff. But this goes to show you that passion for TV shows runs high and isn’t always dimmed by time. To answer your specific question, the first show that came to mind that I still pine for is also an ABC series that barely made it through two seasons: the whimsical and colorful Pushing Daisies, which was partly a casualty of a writers’ strike in 2007-08. There are many more because as anyone who loves TV knows, our hearts are broken frequently by the ratings, algorithms, and corporate gods of networks and even streamers.
I’m curious what other shows our readers wish could miraculously be revived. (Let’s try to keep it to shows that were canceled too soon, not after a long run of five or more seasons.) Depending on the response, I’ll revisit the topic in a future column.
A Bicoastal Crossover?
Question: I’m enjoying ABC’s new Tuesday lineup of Will Trent and High Potential (though I watched The Irrational instead of The Rookie afterward). It’s a nice alternative to the dour CBS FBI clones’ lineup. Playing amateur programmer, is there any chance of a possible Will Trent and High Potential crossover event (or maybe a High Potential/The Rookie crossover, which might make more sense because both feature the LAPD)? — Stanley A.
Matt Roush: Crossovers tend to be more common when the shows are part of a shared franchise or share the same producers, although all three of ABC’s Tuesday shows come from 20th Television (owned by ABC’s corporate parent, Disney, which is how things tend to work anymore in the broadcast world). Never say never, but such a stunt seems rather unlikely, in part because Will Trent and High Potential, which sharing some quirky attributes, are set on opposite coasts (Will in Georgia, Potential in L.A.), and High Potential and The Rookie come from very different genre worlds, as Potential is more of a comedy-mystery while The Rookie generally plays it straight with more action. Still, stranger things have happened, and I’d love to see Potential’s Morgan (Kaitlin Olson) and Will Trent (Ramón Rodríguez), each a savant in their way, meet and take each other’s measure.
TV’s Summertime Drought
Question: I miss when networks had designated summer shows. By that, I mean SCRIPTED shows, like CBS’ BrainDead and ABC’s Take Two, and not game shows or broadcast airings of streaming shows (Tulsa King). Why do you think that we don’t see many, if any, scripted summer series anymore? Budget? Low viewership? The fact that most summer series didn’t survive past a first season? Do you think that there is a chance that we see a summer series in the future? Or is summer now a place for game shows and encores? — Shirley
Matt Roush: My answers: Yes, yes, yes, doubtful, and yes. Which is to say: The broadcast networks have mostly abandoned any pretense of developing scripted shows for the off-season unless it’s an import from Canada or something equally cost-effective. The networks and their parent companies are wary of throwing limited resources into a programming void, even if it’s a void they helped create. Recent past history shows that summer series (including acclaimed experiments like BrainDead) tend to struggle and fail to attract a sizable audience, which is why they’ve reverted mostly to inexpensive game shows, reality programming, and on occasion (welcome to many non-streamers) opening up a time period to a series from their streaming partners. I’ll never say never, because it only takes one hit to break the mold, but I’ve become resigned to watching the networks play it safe from June to September, with all of the significant creative action happening on streaming.
Is Matlock Too Unlikable?
Question: I know we’re often asked to suspend disbelief in the wonderful world of TV but Matlock is taking it too far, too quickly. The titular character is morally bankrupt, a pretty despicable person, and is doing so many illegal things, yet the show paints her out as some hero. The recent episodes where she’s using her grandson — a kid! — to do illegal activity or the fact she is using everyone, jeopardizing people’s careers, how wrong is this? I was screaming at my screen: She’s using a kid to perform illegal activity and is a lawyer? But the show’s chirpy soundtrack and the writing want us to find her a likable old lady who has been wronged, so we accept that. Everything she is doing is just wrong on every moral, ethical, and legal level. And yet this show is heading for like 100-episodes ahead? Kathy Bates, who I have followed in nearly all her 100+ movies and shows, is at a low point here. I hope that this isn’t as she said her final performance because it’s her worst. She just grimaces. There’s a show in here, though, with Skye P. Marshall and Jason Ritter who both are way more interesting and likable. — Liam C.
Matt Roush: Since its premiere, we’ve published both sides of this debate, from those who love the show — an undisputed hit that likely will be around for a long while — and those with criticisms like these, including earlier condemnation of Maddie using her grandson to further her crusade. All of these are valid points up to a point, but it seems to me that despite its upbeat tone (a CBS prerogative), the show and Maddie herself are very aware of the shady nature of her secret mission and the toll it’s taking on her family and on Maddie, especially as she becomes more entrenched in the life of the firm, some of whom are becoming her friends. This makes Matlock much more interesting to me, and I’m assuming to Kathy Bates, than if it were a straight-up reboot about a cunning, folksy lawyer who nearly always wins the case and the day.
It’s also interesting that at a time when broadcast shows and stars are mostly invisible to awards groups, Bates has been nominated for a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and a Critics Choice Award for the role. This could have a lot to do with her past reputation, of course, but I’m thinking this is also an acknowledgment and celebration of a meaty role created for a veteran actress in her 70s.
And Finally …
Comment: After reading the high praise for Abbott Elementary and English Teacher, I tried both and found the former sadly predictable and the latter too X-rated for my taste. Then I stumbled on A.P. Bio, the old series that began on NBC (2018-19) and migrated to Peacock (2020-21). WHY HAD I NEVER HEARD OF THIS? Sharp, funny without being too coarse, and great observations on school culture and education. The main character is a great collection of ego, neurosis, and immaturity. Patton Oswalt is delightful as the needy principal who wants so badly to be cool, and the students are a wonderful collection of personalities subtly played by lots of unknowns. I’m sorry I missed it originally, but glad to have four seasons to watch. — Allison W.
Matt Roush: Such is the miracle of streaming, where it’s possible to discover shows that never quite made it but should have. And whatever you might think of Abbott Elementary, I can’t recommend last week’s crossover with It’s Alwqys Sunny in Philadelphia highly enough. Blink and you’ll miss Glenn Howerton, who plays Dennis on Sunny and starred in Bio.
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]. (Please include a first name with your question.)
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