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 as we speak’s huge TV panorama. (We all know background music is simply too loud, it’s probably the most frequent grievance, however there’s all the time closed-captioning. Try this story for extra ideas.)
One warning: This can be a spoiler-free zone, so we received’t be addressing upcoming storylines right here except it’s already widespread 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 powerful 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 had been true, the community would additionally cancel Survivor, The Wonderful Race and Massive Brother, exhibits which have been on the air for a lot 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 manner for CBS to bend the knee to the Trump administration so the Skydance merger will probably be permitted? What are your ideas concerning the community as an entire? — Kyle
Matt Roush: That’s quite a bit to unpack, however I’ll begin with the Late Present scenario, which I’m nonetheless making an attempt to course of. Approaching the heels of CBS’s indefensible settling of the frivolous and petty 60 Minutes lawsuit upfront 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 backstage. (Due to my buddy 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 at the moment are largely consumed the following day or in a while 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 numerous 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 yr by yr, 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 concerning the impression 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 rankings these subsequent 10 months, giving him the final bitter snort. 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 loads.)
Will CBS Simply Go Darkish After Prime Time?
Query: Concerning 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 different? 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 best way of Saturday-night prime-time TV, which as soon as used to host a lot of TV’s prime sequence (again in my adolescence within the Seventies) however now’s a wasteland? They haven’t stated what, if something, will go into this time interval, they usually’ve acquired a while to determine it out, however regardless of the choice, it’s prone to be a step backward.
The Emmys’ Blind Spot: Community TV
Query: As soon as once more, I received’t be watching the Emmy Awards present. I’m bitterly upset that a lot of the nominees are from streaming exhibits, most of which I don’t watch. My favourite exhibits, resembling Chicago Med, Fireplace and PD, NCIS, Gray’s Anatomy, Legislation & Order, SVU, Fireplace Nation, so many extra, are completely ignored. Why, why, why? I don’t perceive how such nice appearing, storylines, directing, and so on., are so uncared for. Saying “that is the best way 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 may preclude occasional breakouts like Abbott Elementary and, this yr, Matlock‘s Kathy Bates from competing on the grown-ups’ desk. The true challenge is that the meat-and-potatoes fare that characterizes hottest network-TV drama hews to the components of the crime/medical/rescue procedural, and whereas there may be undeniably good work being carried out on this style — in the event that they weren’t entertaining viewers, they’d be gone — these exhibits aren’t taken as severely because the bold sequence on streamers and premium cable that always defy and broaden style. It’s true additionally they are likely to get pleasure from extra artistic freedom and expansive budgets, so it’s not a stage enjoying area. Copout or not, that’s the fact of the scenario.
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 up to now about writers leaving exhibits hanging on a cliffhanger if there’s no assure of constant the story, however I’d actually hate if Renée Ballard’s (Maggie Q) story ended on that darkish be aware. — 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 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 all the season—which I’m not satisfied was the most effective technique—and it’s nonetheless ranked No. 1 amongst Prime Video originals as of this writing. I’m typically 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 assume 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 positively not simply you. As with many cable networks, they’ve discovered a components 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 important to rise up fairly early to pattern the extra academic cooking exhibits, which play extra like syndicated TV of the nice previous days. I doubt that technique will change anytime quickly.
And Lastly …
Query: I do know within the grand scheme of the world that it is a first-world drawback, however I can’t perceive what HBO is doing. I do know they modified the title of their streamer again to HBO Max. Given that there’s, someplace, a Cinemax, and that HBO and Cinemax had been typically linked, manner again within the cable days, the title HBO Max made me assume 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 making an attempt 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 manner off my radar. From the beginning, the title 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 option to say “Plus,” indicating that the streamer presents extra content material than HBO’s linear channel, together with motion pictures from the TCM library, which I try often. (I nonetheless don’t perceive why an business fave like Hacks isn’t on HBO as properly, however that’s one other challenge.) I’m simply glad that HBO is again within the model’s title 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 often for some time. However keep in mind, we are able to’t do that with out your participation, so please hold sending questions and feedback about TV to [email protected]. (Please embrace a primary title along with your query.)