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’re keen on, detest, are confused or annoyed or thrilled by in immediately’s huge TV panorama. (We all know background music is simply too loud, it’s probably the most frequent criticism, however there’s at all times closed-captioning. Take a look at this story for extra ideas.)
One warning: This can be a spoiler-free zone, so we gained’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.
What Does the Late Present Cancellation Say About CBS?
Query: My remark issues the CBS community as an entire. They’re steadily shedding followers due to their unpopular selections, and the community doesn’t even appear to care. They cancel exhibits like NCIS: Hawaii, The Equalizer, So Assist Me Todd, and so on. (which I notice are robust selections made by the underside line of a present’s profitability and viewership). CBS leisure president Amy Reisenbach even went so far as to insult the intelligence of CBS viewers by saying that Blue Bloods was ending to “refresh the schedule” (which, if this have been true, the community would additionally cancel Survivor, The Wonderful Race and Huge Brother, exhibits which have been on the air for much longer), And now The Late Present is ending. It’s one factor if Stephen Colbert leaves CBS on the finish of his contract; it’s one other when the community tells him the present will stop manufacturing. Saving cash or one other means for CBS to bend the knee to the Trump administration so the Skydance merger might be accepted? What are your ideas in regards to the community as an entire? — Kyle
Matt Roush: That’s rather a lot to unpack, however I’ll begin with the Late Present state of affairs, which I’m nonetheless attempting to course of. Approaching the heels of CBS’s indefensible settling of the frivolous and petty 60 Minutes lawsuit prematurely of the proposed Skydance merger, the community’s insistence that this newest blow had nothing to do with the Late Present‘s content material or efficiency or what was taking place at Paramount is akin to the Wizard of Oz telling Dorothy to pay no consideration to the person behind the scenes. (Because of my pal Alan for that analogy.) Awful timing and horrible optics apart, this cancellation exposes the precarious state of late-night and different programming on broadcast community TV, the place advert income continues to fall and viewing habits proceed to evolve amid the streaming revolution. That is particularly acute within the late-night house, the place it’s more durable to monetize exhibits that are actually largely consumed the subsequent day or afterward YouTube or different digital platforms.
For CBS to thoroughly abandon the Late Present franchise after subsequent season, and to announce the information so early, is a tragedy on plenty of ranges. Which is why I can’t simply beat up on CBS when its major rivals, the behemoth dinosaurs of the TV business, have additionally contributed to diminishing the worth of their broadcast networks 12 months by 12 months, canceling sequence proper and left, producing fewer sequence altogether, loading the schedule with cheaper actuality and pointless recreation exhibits (The Quiz with Balls?) and siphoning their most provocative and unique programming to their streaming platforms. (Somebody clarify why Poker Face doesn’t air on NBC, or why CBS is placing NCIS: Tony & Ziva on Paramount+ as a substitute of on the community that made these actors well-known.)
I’ll argue Kyle’s level that the community doesn’t appear to care in regards to the affect of those tough selections, that are largely decided by the underside line. (That features letting Blue Bloods go, a transfer we’ve debated many occasions on this column.) They care deeply, which doesn’t imply they shouldn’t additionally really feel disgrace and be held accountable for his or her dealing with of those crown jewels. What I hope we see within the quick run is a giant bump in Colbert’s scores these subsequent 10 months, giving him the final bitter chortle. I’m additionally begging the Emmy voters to reward Colbert and the Late Present writers with a much-deserved and doubtlessly historic Emmy win. (The Every day Present already has lots.)
Will CBS Simply Go Darkish After Prime Time?
Query: Relating to the abrupt cancellation of The Late Present with Stephen Colbert, the #1-rated present in its timeslot, together with the 32-year-old franchise: Does CBS plan to air a take a look at sample as their cost-effective various? Or will they’ve associates play the Nationwide Anthem, then log off after the native information? — Monica
Matt Roush: That’s the multi-million-dollar query, isn’t it? Will late night time, with few exceptions, go the way in which of Saturday-night prime-time TV, which as soon as used to host a lot of TV’s high sequence (again in my youth within the Nineteen Seventies) however now could be a wasteland? They haven’t mentioned what, if something, will go into this time interval, they usually’ve bought a while to determine it out, however regardless of the determination, it’s prone to be a step backward.
The Emmys’ Blind Spot: Community TV
Query: As soon as once more, I gained’t be watching the Emmy Awards present. I’m bitterly dissatisfied that many of the nominees are from streaming exhibits, most of which I don’t watch. My favourite exhibits, comparable to Chicago Med, Hearth and PD, NCIS, Gray’s Anatomy, Legislation & Order, SVU, Hearth Nation, so many extra, are completely ignored. Why, why, why? I don’t perceive how such nice performing, storylines, directing, and so on., are so uncared for. Saying “that is the way in which the world goes” is a copout and sounds so ignorant. Very sad. — Christine Ok., Belmont, CA
Matt Roush: You’re not alone. And as soon as once more, I’m listening to cries from the disenchanted that the TV Academy ought to set up separate classes for broadcast comedies and particularly dramas, since they’re principally invisible to Emmy voters. As I say yearly, I don’t see this taking place as a result of the Emmys are already top-heavy with classes, and by annexing all of broadcast TV, that might preclude occasional breakouts like Abbott Elementary and, this 12 months, Matlock‘s Kathy Bates from competing on the grown-ups’ desk. The true problem is that the meat-and-potatoes fare that characterizes hottest network-TV drama hews to the formulation of the crime/medical/rescue procedural, and whereas there may be undeniably good work being executed on this style — in the event that they weren’t entertaining viewers, they’d be gone — these exhibits aren’t taken as critically because the formidable sequence on streamers and premium cable that always defy and increase style. It’s true in addition they are likely to take pleasure in extra artistic freedom and expansive budgets, so it’s not a degree enjoying discipline. Copout or not, that’s the fact of the state of affairs.
Deliver Again Ballard!
Query: I simply completed watching Ballard, Prime Video‘s spinoff from the Bosch universe, and am puzzled why we haven’t heard information of a renewal but for a second season. Ought to we be alarmed? I do know you’ve cautioned previously about writers leaving exhibits hanging on a cliffhanger if there’s no assure of continuous the story, however I’d actually hate if Renée Ballard’s (Maggie Q) story ended on that darkish word. — Nancy
Matt Roush: I agree. I wasn’t loopy about that cliffhanger, to be trustworthy, however I’ll be stunned if Prime Video doesn’t give the present a second season. Bosch, which can also be based mostly on Michael Connelly‘s terrific novels (and whose characters made appearances all through Ballard), lasted seven seasons, and its Legacy continuation one other three. It hasn’t even been two weeks since Ballard dropped the whole season—which I’m not satisfied was the very best technique—and it’s nonetheless ranked No. 1 amongst Prime Video originals as of this writing. I’m usually baffled by the streamers in terms of their launch and renewal methods, however there are experiences {that a} Season 2 writers’ room is already up and working, so I’m hoping and betting that’s not simply wishful pondering.
Too Many Contests, Not Sufficient Cooking
Query: Is it simply me, or does it appear that a lot of Meals Community‘s programming is tailor-made round meals challenges? Do you suppose they’ll ever get again to their roots of precise cooking exhibits that I miss a lot? It appears mornings, particularly on the weekend, have been relegated to the cooking exhibits. — Todd
Matt Roush: I can say with some authority that it’s undoubtedly not simply you. As with many cable networks, they’ve discovered a formulation and a handful of franchises that draw probably the most viewers, they usually saturate the prime-time schedule with it to maximise probably the most eyeballs with the least selection. (That is additionally why you discover virtually nothing however paranormal exhibits on Journey Channel.) It’s a must to rise up fairly early to pattern the extra instructional cooking exhibits, which play extra like syndicated TV of the nice outdated days. I doubt that technique will change anytime quickly.
And Lastly …
Query: I do know within the grand scheme of the world that this can be a first-world downside, however I can not perceive what HBO is doing. I do know they modified the identify of their streamer again to HBO Max. Given that there’s, someplace, a Cinemax, and that HBO and Cinemax have been usually linked, means again within the cable days, the identify HBO Max made me suppose the 2 had lastly merged, and I’d be getting each HBO and Cinemax content material with my HBO Max subscription. Apparently, this isn’t the case. So, what’s the Max? Why not depart it as HBO, or if they’re attempting to say that they’re greater than your gramma’s HBO, add a + like everybody else? — Chris D.
Matt Roush: I’ll admit to not understanding what Cinemax is even all about, particularly because it now not produces any unique programming and is means off my radar. From the beginning, the identify of HBO’s streaming platform has generated confusion, even earlier than the brand new boss from Discovery took HBO out of the title for some time. I get that “Max” is principally one other solution to say “Plus,” indicating that the streamer affords extra content material than HBO’s linear channel, together with motion pictures from the TCM library, which I try usually. (I nonetheless don’t perceive why an business fave like Hacks isn’t on HBO as nicely, however that’s one other problem.) I’m simply glad that HBO is again within the model’s identify the place it belongs.
That’s all for now, and since I’ll be taking a while off as we strategy August, this column could not seem as usually for some time. However bear in mind, we are able to’t do that with out your participation, so please preserve sending questions and feedback about TV to [email protected]. (Please embody a primary identify along with your query.)