Ask Matt: Underwhelmed by The Emmys
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 here unless it’s already common knowledge. Please send your questions and comments to [email protected] and follow me on Twitter (@TVGMMattRoush). Look for Ask Matt columns on many Tuesdays and some Fridays.
The Emmys Show Deserved Its Low Rating
Question: Is anyone surprised that the Emmys hit an all-time ratings low this year? Besides the fact that it aired on a Monday, the tone of the show was off from the start, with a dismal production number — did they know this wasn’t the Tonys?—and an announcer who couldn’t even pronounce Mariska Hargitay’s name accurately but had to share how hot she thought some of the presenters were? So childish. Rushing the winners off stage in favor of stupid comedy bits was so unappealing I stopped caring who even won. Thankfully, Sheryl Lee Ralph had her big moment early in the night. She was the best reason to watch! — Disgruntled Debbie in Chicago
Matt Roush: These are all fair points, although NBC has no choice but to air the ceremony on a weeknight because of its Sunday Night Football contract. However, I can’t explain why producers of these shows think we want to hear the announcer do anything more than get better-known talent on and off the stage, and Sam Jay was a constant irritant throughout. For me, the low point of the night came when The Dropout’s Amanda Seyfried spent most of her time panicking about how to be thankful for her win when the countdown clock kept flashing. Shameful. If there’s anything good to come out of this year’s Emmys show, it’s that the Sheryl Lee Ralph showstopper may bring an even bigger audience to Abbott Elementary when it returns next week. (Ahem, the true best comedy on TV, no disrespect intended to Ted Lasso and the others.)
Show Respect for the Departed
Question: How can we get back to the way In Memoriam segments used to be done at awards shows? Since it’s a memorial, I want to see the pictures of the people being honored. I don’t want a production number or to have the cameras pull back to show the audience or the singer/band/etc. — Karen
Matt Roush: Couldn’t agree more. I’m OK if they show the celebrity who is performing the song at the start and end of the montage, but anytime the camera cuts away from the names and faces of those who died in the last year, providing a wide shot that makes it harder to see who the honorees are, it’s a mistake. The moment should belong to them and to no one else. The Emmy show is hardly the only culprit here.
Are Broadcast Network Shows Doomed at the Emmys?
Comment: Reaction to Monday’s show: They’re never gonna give a best series Emmy to a broadcast network show again. — Marc
Matt Roush: I’m not sure I agree, though I was also disappointed, though not surprised, that Abbott Elementary couldn’t capitalize on its writing and performing wins with a best-series triumph. In the days of yore, when network shows ruled and they competed with each other and not to just get noticed in the shadow of premium cable and streaming giants, we used to lament that a first-year show rarely had a chance to upset veteran winners. Now it’s an uphill climb to get into the race at all. I still believe that Abbott will continue to get recognized with nominations and it could actually prevail in the years to come. But then, when you see how the Emmy voters failed even to recognize a breakthrough drama like This Is Us in its historic final season, it’s hard not to be pessimistic.
Will All Rise Rise Again?
Question: I want to ask about the show All Rise, starring Simone Missick as a Black judge. The original network (CBS) canceled it and OWN picked it up. But then it disappeared again. Did OWN cancel it also? Is there any chance that it will be back? – L Marlar
Matt Roush: Not to worry. OWN picked up the series for an initial 20-episode season, which has been split into two. The first 10 episodes aired from June through early August, and 10 more are expected to air sometime in the new year. Whether OWN will renew it beyond this season remains to be seen.
Spoiler Alert: Monarch’s Fallen Star
Question: Without revealing any spoilers, [SPOILER ALERT] does the fantastic Susan Sarandon appear in more episodes (likely flashbacks) this season on Fox’s new drama Monarch? I realize she won’t be a main character like during the pilot, but I hope we at least get glimpses of her here and there. She is by far the best actress on the show. The younger daughter is a wonderful singer. I’ll probably stick with this trashy show like I did with Queens last season. — Fred
Matt Roush: Monarch could stand to be trashier. Here I repeat, this discussion is a spoiler alert for those who’ve not yet sampled the first episode of Monarch. (Definition of spoiler: Discussing plot twists before they air. Fox has already aired this episode several times, so … not truly a spoiler.) I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that, despite the events of the first episode, you will still see Sarandon from time to time in upcoming episodes. You’ll also see Sarandon’s actual daughter, Eva Amurri, playing a younger version of Dottie Roman in flashbacks. I’ll be curious how viewers who might have expected Sarandon to be the actual star of the show will react to this turn of events.
And Finally …
Comment: I’m not real happy about Disney hijacking ABC through their ownership. They seem to be on a mission to move the more popular shows to their own streaming service, leaving the crappier fare for the people not willing to pay the price on top of their already excessive cable bill. I’m losing my rosy thoughts about that gang which peaked with the Mickey Mouse Club back in the middle ’50s. — The old-timer, Dick F, Plymouth, Michigan
Matt Roush: I can just hear the old chant now: “Who’s the leader of the club? M-O-N-E-Y” as the House that Mickey Built experiences a public relations crisis with the move of Dancing with the Stars next week to Disney+ exclusively. My mailbag continually spikes with outrage over this and the move earlier this week of NBC’s Days of Our Lives to streaming. I expect the trend won’t end here, but the cold hard fact is that the traditional network and cable economies are more challenged than ever by the digital streaming revolution, and it’s the consumers and viewers currently caught in the middle.
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 Twitter @TVGMMattRoush. (Please include a first name with your question.)
