Welcome to the Q&A with TV critic — additionally identified to some TV followers as their “TV therapist” — Matt Roush, who’ll attempt to tackle no matter you like, detest, are confused or pissed off or thrilled by in at this time’s huge TV panorama. (We all know background music is simply too loud, it’s probably the most frequent grievance, however there’s at all times closed-captioning. Try this story for extra ideas.)
One warning: It is a spoiler-free zone, so we received’t be addressing upcoming storylines right here except it’s already frequent information. Please ship your questions and feedback to [email protected]). Search for Ask Matt columns on most Tuesdays.
Let Us Again on the Inside, Man!
Query: I’ve been an avid TV watcher for over 50 years. I’ve so many favorites, however Netflix’s A Man on the Inside is now a brand new favourite. I watched all of it and needed extra. I like the solid and characters. I discovered myself laughing and some tears as properly. Do you assume that the present may very well be picked up for extra seasons? The present has a lot humor and coronary heart. — Laurie
Matt Roush: It’s typically onerous to foretell what streamers will do, but when Michael Schur and Ted Danson need to do extra, I’d anticipate they’ll get the possibility. (Particularly after the present made the minimize of the American Movie Institute’s Prime 10 TV applications of 2024, which gratified me personally as an AFI jury member.) My solely fear is that this season was so properly completed and well-cast and the arc of Danson’s character was so particular, as he emerged from his widower’s grief to be welcomed into the retirement house’s group that he entered beneath false pretenses, that it might be troublesome to duplicate with the identical mix of comedy and poignancy with out feeling like a retread. Nonetheless, in the event that they select to return for an additional inside job, I’d definitely comply with.
Is Pop Tradition One Jeopardy! Too Many?
Query: Critical query: How a lot Jeopardy! is an excessive amount of Jeopardy? I like the present, and I by no means miss it. However I really feel like we’re attending to a saturation level. There’s the common each day present, in fact. Now, they’ve taped 40 episodes of Pop Tradition Jeopardy! for Amazon Prime Video, dropping in batches of three on Wednesdays. And ABC has additionally scheduled the brand new season of Celeb Jeopardy! for Wednesdays in January after Abbott Elementary. In order that signifies that on some Wednesdays, we’ll have three hours of Jeopardy (common + hourlong Celeb Jeopardy! + 3 Pop Tradition episodes at a time.) Whilst an enormous fan, I really feel like that is in all probability pushing it. I fear they’re going to dilute the model. The each day model is a ritual that’s a part of my day, and I like that half hour, however there could be an excessive amount of of an excellent factor. – Jake
Matt Roush: This jogs my memory of our many discussions on this area about final 12 months’s event mania. It’s a good concern that too many Jeopardy! offshoots might weaken what makes the each day model so particular to so many tens of millions. I’m undecided we’re there but. The streaming Pop Tradition spinoff and the prime-time celeb model are fairly completely different in tone from the each day, and for those who’re sensing burnout, it’s not that arduous to restrict your self to the one you want finest. (I skipped a lot of the final season of Celeb Jeopardy! due to time limitations, and I didn’t miss it.)
And What’s the Response?
Query: I can’t wait to see a few of the mail you’re going to get about Pop Tradition Jeopardy! I’ve nothing towards Jeopardy! however I’ve by no means been notably keen on watching it. I watched Episode 1 of this one and may watch extra, if solely as a result of I like to observe Colin Jost at work. I usually like recreation exhibits provided that there are fascinating comedians taking part, so most recreation exhibits I watch are from the U.Ok. I do know that you simply and numerous your readers are hooked on Jeopardy! and a few of them are very defensive about any modifications, so the response must be fascinating to learn. All I can say is that it’s high-quality. — D.P.
Matt Roush: Though I grew up with recreation exhibits and panel exhibits that includes celebrities and comedians (most notably Hollywood Squares, which is staging a comeback on CBS subsequent month), the explanation I worth Jeopardy! so extremely is that it showcases and celebrates intelligence and fast considering, typically that includes the kind of on a regular basis contestants you don’t usually discover on TV. Only a few exhibits can pull off this kind of factor with the tempo and constructive vitality you discover on Jeopardy!, and that’s one thing I discovered weirdly missing within the Pop Tradition model, which even with 9 contestants enjoying typically fell flat in these first episodes — and whereas I get pleasure from Colin Jost on Weekend Replace, his supply comes off snarky even when he’s being honest. It would take some getting used to.
However as D.P instructed, the feedback to date haven’t been ambivalent. Together with an e-mail from a co-worker, who labeled this “The Worst Present on TV” and declared, “I turned it off after 10 minutes. Embarrassing. I heard Johnny Gilbert initially and thought that was an excellent signal. It wasn’t.”
From Jake, who penned the sooner “an excessive amount of Jeopardy!” query, he weighed in after viewing the primary episode to conclude “I’m probably not a giant fan of this. It simply feels overly busy. I’m undecided what objective the workforce format serves as a result of more often than not they don’t seem to be actually working collectively on stuff and must make choices on their very own the identical as they might in common Jeopardy! It looks like with 9 contestants directly, it’s much more difficult for the personalities of the person contestants to come back via. The extra laid-back, jokey tone didn’t actually work for me both. It appears unfair to guage Colin Jost on a single episode of internet hosting with a brand new format, however it simply felt like he was attempting too onerous.”
Flying Excessive with Black Doves
Remark: Wow, I simply binged Black Doves on Netflix. That’s the type of present which is ideal for my part. , thrilling story, properly written and directed, and an incredible and fairly massive ensemble solid, at the very least a dozen of whom turned in award-worthy performances: Ben Whishaw, in fact, but additionally the girl assassins stole all of their scenes. Black Doves is the epitome of an ensemble efficiency. — Paul T.
Matt Roush: I additionally loved it, as famous in my assessment that additionally touched on the extra cerebral spy thriller The Company. We’re in fairly an excellent second for spy exhibits on TV, with the Emmy-winning Sluggish Horses on Apple TV+ and the riveting reinvention of The Day of the Jackal concluding its season on Peacock on Thursday. Of this batch, Black Doves is second solely to Sluggish Horses in mining humor from suspense, at all times certainly one of my favourite combos.
It’s Terrible, However I Can’t Cease Watching!
Remark: Physician Odyssey might be the worst new present on TV. And I can take it additional, it’s seemingly the worst general present on TV. (I watch a number of exhibits.) I nonetheless watch it each Thursday evening and it makes me admire the nonetheless high-quality Gray’s Anatomy. What retains me watching Physician Odyssey? The tiny, very enticing solid may be very interesting. The company are often fairly enjoyable and a few of the storylines are watchable sufficient. However I extremely doubt ABC will renew this (it appears unloved and has misplaced a number of viewers). — Fred
Matt Roush: I’m probably not one for hate-watching, however I’ll admit that I haven’t missed an episode of Physician Odyssey (hammocked between two exhibits I watch by alternative, 9-1-1 and Gray’s Anatomy), typically groaning and eye-rolling from the sofa whereas admitting the present works on the extent of thoughts and eye sweet. Particularly concerning its colourful use of visitor stars, an homage to the glory days of The Love Boat, which by no means had ambitions past being a responsible pleasure. Odyssey is responsible of one thing, that’s fairly clear, and I’m nonetheless attempting to determine what and what number of expenses to press.
And Lastly …
Remark: I had enjoyable studying the “easter egg” feedback about A Man on The Inside. However I wish to tackle the mistaken remark in regards to the Brockelbank Flats (the place Madeleine Elster of Vertigo lived). This constructing is at Sacramento and Mason, three blocks away from the Cathedral Flats (1201 California Avenue at Jones) which might be featured because the Pacific View Retirement Neighborhood on this present. These are two completely different buildings. To be honest, they’re the identical classic and each sit atop Nob Hill. I additionally famous a scene shot atop the Stockton Avenue Tunnel, trying over downtown. This location at Busch and Burritt Avenue figured prominently in The Maltese Falcon. — Peter A.
Matt Roush: I defer to anybody with this kind of skilled information of San Francisco. Your Maltese Falcon connection appears to substantiate that the creators of this sequence have an excellent fondness for traditional noir. I’m nonetheless impressed on the resemblance of the lacking jewellery to the necklace from Vertigo
That’s all for now. We will’t do that with out your participation, so please preserve sending questions and feedback about TV to [email protected]. (Please embrace a primary identify together with your query.)