Ask Matt: More ‘Schmigadoon’? An ‘Accused’ Cliffhanger, ‘American Auto’ & 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, 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 most Tuesdays and very occasional Fridays.
Singing a Happily Fractured Show Tune
Question: I’ll begin by saying I’m much more a Rodgers and Hammerstein guy than a Fosse guy — I’d rather see Carousel for the 10th time than Sweet Charity for the second. That being said, I am loving this season of Schmigadoon! (Schmicago) on Apple TV+ even more than the first one. I can’t wait to see where they go, and the numbers are fantastic. They manage to both pay respect to and parody the originals (Keegan-Michael Key’s reactions to the “Corner of the Sky” number — “Doorway to Where” — were priceless.) My only question now is what we’ll get in the (hoped-for) third season. Schminto the Woods? Schmunset Boulevard? Schmavenue Q? I can’t wait. — Rick C
Matt Roush: Couldn’t agree more. And you’re in for a real treat this week in Wednesday’s episode with a send-up of the Sweeney Todd showstopper “A Little Priest” that must be seen and heard to be believed. It’s probably a bit premature to be projecting towards a third season while the second is still underway—though I could see series co-creator and composer Cinco Paul turning his genius ear for parody to the “British invasion”-style musical (RIP Phantom on Broadway, BTW) — but on recent panels he has discussed his dream of taking a version of the show to actual Broadway. So who knows what the future holds for Schmiga-whatever? I only know I want more.
When Accused Left Us Hanging
Question: Fox’s Accused is one of my favorite new shows of the season — are there still “seasons” in TV? Love the anthology format and the writing and guest stars. I have yet to see a bad episode, although it seems like it cycles through some excellent ones followed by some that are merely good to very good. The most recent, “Morgan’s Story” on April 11, falls into my personal best category, featuring terrific performances by Meaghan Rath (who I’ve been crazy about since Being Human) and Christopher Gorham. But it seemed to have a first for this series: a cliffhanger ending to the episode. The guilty father seemed to walk away from any charges after orchestrating the whole false arrest of his ex-wife and then he showed up, stalker-like, at the park where his son was playing. I watched the trailer for next week, thinking it might be a two-part deal, but it doesn’t seem like it.
Any insight into whether or not the series plans to come back to this story and characters at a later date in another episode, or was it just an unusual open-ended “ending” to this particular story? And if the latter, any idea what the writer/producers were thinking when deciding to “end” it that way? — Michael E
Matt Roush: This episode generated quite a bit of mail — and Accused was also mentioned by several in response to the recent lament about the over-serialization of network series. (I didn’t feel that question pertained to anthologies with different casts and settings each week.) According to Accused executive producer Howard Gordon, the downbeat end of “Morgan’s Story” was not so much a cliffhanger as it was intended to be a provocative all-is-not-necessarily-well surprise, revealing that while she won the day by escaping the frame job, the legal system wasn’t able to protect her altogether from her vindictive ex-spouse.
One of the things I like most about Accused is that not every episode has a pat resolution, and this was one of the more effective twists. At present there are no plans to return to the story, but in classic never-say-never mode, Gordon suggested that if they could find a way to tell another chapter involving these characters, they could potentially pursue it. He also mentioned “Kendall’s Story” as a possibility for revisiting—that was the episode starring Malcolm Jamal-Warner as a father who got trapped in the legal system after seeking retribution for his young daughter’s sexual assault. The good news here is that Accused will return for a second season, and maybe the format can be tweaked to return to some of the more unsettling and unfinished stories.
This Auto Is Not Out of Gas
Question: I have been wondering what you think of Season 2 of American Auto. I just now re-read your initial review, when it debuted at the same time as Abbott Elementary and see that you thought highly of it even then. Personally, I think in the first season they were floundering around trying to find their feet, but in this current season almost every episode has been a gem. They have great comedy writers who can deliver punchline after punchline, and the actors are fine enough to land them all. I think American Auto has suffered by debuting at the same time as Abbott Elementary, and while I agree that it’s not quite on the same level, it is a very very good comedy show, one of the few comedies I actually look forward to each week, whereas some I still watch almost out of a sense of duty. — D.P.
Matt Roush: I would agree the second season has been more confident in its weaving of story, character, and never-ending calamity at Payne Motors. If it helps illustrate my feelings towards the show, I was unhappily shocked to realize this week’s episode (April 18) is the last for the season, and I’ll be rooting for its return, which is far from certain.
You may be right that American Auto suffers by living in the shadow of a universally acclaimed and beloved series like Abbott Elementary, but this might have been a difficult mass-appeal sell to begin with because its characters (with the possible exception of Jack and Dori) are so insufferable, and it may be hard for anyone to sympathize with people who have squandered such promise and privilege while driving a major auto manufacturing company into the ground. As a satire, I’m enjoying it. But I’m a bit surprised that something this niche isn’t a streaming exclusive on Peacock when more broadly accessible shows like Poker Face are relegated to the streaming platform. Puzzling new world.
Not Loving Renewal Limbo
Question: Just wondering: Why it is taking so long for ABC to renew a great show like Station 19? The ratings look good. In fact, sometimes it’s better than Grey’s Anatomy. Any ideas? — A. Gottlieb
Matt Roush: I don’t know the particulars with this specific series, but generally speaking, even with slam-dunk renewals, it can take some time to work out all the deals on a long-running show, especially as it hits the seven-season threshold, which is where Station 19 is now. I wouldn’t worry about this one, but since the spinoff wasn’t renewed at the same time as Grey’s (now heading into its 20th season), it’s possible we might not know officially until ABC sets the fall schedule next month. I’d be shocked if it doesn’t return.
A Spirited Discussion
Comments: Just a thought while watching the most recent episode of Ghosts: The show keeps folding in relatives of the ghosts and having Sam go too far in intervening with them on the ghost’s behalf. They did it with Trevor’s parents, and Carol and Laura’s wedding, and trying to stop Alberta’s descendant from sleeping with Todd, etc. this isn’t a complaint because all of these are great episodes and certainly it raises the stakes because we want to see how Sam will get away with it. It doesn’t even feel repetitive or anything to me because the show is able to make each situation feel unique, but it does make me wonder how often Sam can realistically get away with it with these people. I started to wonder in this episode if they were going to have to have Sam admit to Carol and Laura that Pete’s ghost lives in her house and sound crazy. This would certainly be a unique way for the show to go at some point, whenever they want to play that card. — Jake
Matt Roush: I don’t mind the writers going back to situations like these, involving the surviving members or descendants of the ghosts’ families, so long as they can stay fresh in execution, because I can only imagine the difficulty of breaking multiple seasons of stories within such a confined setting and a more-or-less limited cast of characters. (I suppose there are spirits we have yet to meet, and a few recurring characters who are always a treat to welcome back, but this is a show that by and large lives within a fun but finite bubble.) Keep in mind that the original British series has produced a grand total of 24 episodes (plus three Christmas specials) over four seasons, while the CBS version will have produced 40 by the end of its second. (That’s how we roll this side of the pond.) I’m amazed that the quality has been so consistent given the circumstances. And for those who have been asking, I still don’t know when (or if) HBO Max intends on making the fourth season of the U.K. Ghosts available for streaming.
That’s all for now—and for the rest of the month, as I’ll be taking some time off and will resume this column in early May. Still, 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.)
