Ask Matt: ‘Wonder Years’ and CW Cancellations, Disappearing ‘Ghosts,’ Daytime Strike Chaos & 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.
Will More Shows with Long Breaks Suffer The Wonder Years’ Fate?
Question: Given how badly ABC mishandled The Wonder Years in its second season, I can’t say I’m surprised by its cancellation, but it is still disappointing. And its demise should be a wake-up call for the industry at large. The Wonder Years was obviously damaged by being off the air from May 2022 to June 2023, during which time audiences either forgot about the show or assumed it was canceled. Broadcast shows in particular are habit-forming, and the longer the dual strikes drag on, the less likely it becomes that there will be substantial seasons of broadcast scripted show ready to air in the winter or spring. If scripted shows essentially sit out the 2023-24 broadcast season, will audiences forget about them because of the long hiatus? (This happened to Pushing Daisies during a previous strike, when it launched reasonably well but when it was off the air from December 2007 to October 2008, audiences didn’t return when the show did.)
Good shows that aren’t that far into their runs — like Abbott Elementary, Ghosts, or So Help Me Todd — seem vulnerable if they are gone too long. I want the writers and the actors to get a fair deal, but I also want the shows they are on to be able to come back and still be successful with viewers. The Wonder Years is the latest example of a good show whose momentum was killed by a too-lengthy hiatus. From the outside looking in, it does not seem to me like the AMPTP studios are really concerned about the clock on this broadcast season, and they should be. What do you think? — Jake
Matt Roush: These are fair concerns, but I’m not sure The Wonder Years is the best litmus test for how returning shows will fare when they finally emerge from the long strike hiatus. This whole situation is obviously a disaster disproportionately for the broadcast networks, which have already suffered significant viewer loss during the streaming era. But The Wonder Years was essentially a goner when it became clear that ABC wasn’t going to air it during the regular season, making it an oasis stranded amid repeats instead of giving it a shot behind original episodes of Abbott Elementary (which might have boosted its profile). Which is regrettable.
But in the bigger picture, while some more marginal shows will likely be hurt by the long break, it’s up to the networks to ramp up promotion when their lineups return to some semblance of normalcy and beat the drum loudly for all of their new and returning shows. I’m cautiously optimistic that established series like Abbott and Ghosts will reclaim their audiences — the hit procedurals will likely do even better, quenching their fans’ appetite — but it’s not going to be easy. Let’s just hope this doesn’t drag on much longer, or our hopes for a robust relaunch in early 2024 (when we’d typically be talking about midseason) will be dashed as well.
The Mystery of the Canceled Series
Question: Nancy Drew only got four seasons. I’m curious as to why. Could it be because of the writers’ strike, the new ownership of The CW or a bit of both? – Paul M.
Matt Roush: The strikes have nothing to do with this. The show’s fate was already determined before any of that happened. This is all about the new ownership of the network moving away from costly (and low-rated) original productions in the YA and superhero/fantasy space. Very few survived, even without the complications of the current production shutdowns.
Boo! Where Are the British Ghosts?
Question: In TV Guide Magazine’s Fall Preview, you stated that the first three seasons of Ghosts: UK are available on Max. It’s not there. I’ve looked. What happened? – Randy R.
Matt Roush: When we went to press, the episodes of the delightful British precursor to the CBS hit were still available for streaming on Max. (If they weren’t, our fact-checkers would have noticed.) I rewatched quite a few before writing about it in our Fall Preview. What happened is that, without much fanfare, the streaming rights for Max expired or were canceled last week in anticipation of these episodes airing on CBS (following repeats of the CBS version) starting in November. According to reports, the first two seasons are still available to stream for DirecTV subscribers and episodes of the first three seasons can be purchased for digital download from the usual sources. It’s one of the unfortunate realities of the streaming world that shows are dropping off these services with increasing frequency. (At present, the UK Ghosts doesn’t seem to be streaming stateside. Maybe that will change when CBS begins airing the episodes — which are a blast.)
The Billion Dollar Question
Question: Is there any light at the end of the tunnel concerning the writers’ strike? Thanks. — Charlie S.
Matt Roush: There’s always light. The strikes will eventually end. And the industry will follow closely what happens this week when the writers’ union meets again with the studio/producers’ reps. All sides know the clock is ticking ever louder, and at some point, we’ll be able to look back at this historic moment with perspective (as we eventually did following the pandemic shutdown). Right now, though, it’s awfully painful.
Why Single Out Drew?
Question: I was wondering why Drew Barrymore got such criticism over starting her show again. Since hers is a daytime show, she is within the rules to do so, and Live with Kelly and Mark and The View have been in production and they haven’t gotten the criticism that she has, although I know The View has had picket lines.
Also, I see there’s still no word on ABC’s renewal of The Rookie: Feds, and I hope by some chance that Magnum P.I. comes back on NBC. CBS should have never canceled this in the first place as it was one of their highest-rated shows — Greg W.
Matt Roush: The Drew Barrymore backlash may have been especially heated because she was seen as an ally early on when she dropped out of hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards this spring in the strike’s early days. She was within the rules to reopen her daytime talk show, but given that she is such a prominent member of the acting profession, her peers saw an element of self-serving hypocrisy in her attempt to get her show back on the air. Strikes are meant to be disruptive, and for her to go back to business as usual, citing the desire to provide work for her non-writing staff, rubbed many the wrong way. This is a very fluid and fraught situation, with CBS’ The Talk, Jennifer Hudson’s show, and most recently (and surprisingly) Bill Maher’s Real Time on HBO also pausing their scheduled returns for now. These are hard choices and I don’t envy anyone in their positions as time drags on.
Regarding The Rookie: Feds and other shows in limbo, it’s impossible to predict what’s going to happen when the studios and networks get back to regular business. This could, however, be a boon for a show like Magnum, which will be among the few airing original episodes this fall (starting Oct. 4). Its situation is more complicated, though, having more to do with industry cost-cutting than ratings.
And Finally:
Question: I have seen the previews to the miniseries version of The Last Thing He Told Me (which premiered this spring on Apple TV+) and watched spoilers on the Internet. I have also read the book twice. I don’t do streaming at all and would love love to see this series. Will it ever be out on DVD or am I completely out of luck on this? — Alice P.
Matt Roush: You’ll need to be patient. The DVD market isn’t what it used to be, and I don’t know how long Apple’s exclusivity applies to any individual project. Your best bet is if the series’ producers (Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine with Disney-owned 20th Television) see a potential down the road for monetizing a home-video release. Right now, that isn’t happening, and nothing has been announced. Keep checking Amazon and other outlets in case the situation changes. (And if you’ve got a friend who’s an Apple user, that could be your way in.)
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.)
