Ask Matt: ‘Golden Bachelor,’ Post-Oscars ‘Abbott’ & 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.
Make Leslie the Golden Bachelorette!
Comment: The Golden Bachelor finale missed a big opportunity when non-chosen Leslie Fhima expressed her desire to find love. The show/host should have ended it this way: “And you will … AS THE FIRST FEMALE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE!” She’d have been thrilled and the audience would appreciate the way it was handled. It would have been a win-win for everyone. — Joan B.
Matt Roush: Might have been too soon, given that one of the promos during the finale was asking for new candidates for future seasons to be submitted, so such an announcement would be putting the cart before the horse, as they used to say back in the golden days. However, I agree that this should still be an option for Leslie, or possibly one of the other runners-up, although none had quite the public meltdown of Leslie’s reaction to Gerry breaking up to her face. (Which to be honest showed more character on his part than stringing her along till the proposal reveal, which would have been even crueler.) ABC has been circumspect so far about the next steps for the Golden franchise, and maybe they’re waiting till January’s Golden Wedding special to make anything official (albeit at the risk of upstaging Gerry and Leslie’s big day). The women obviously deserve equal time, and if they can find a houseful of men who can measure up to Gerry’s charisma, they’ll have a hit.
Will Abbott Elementary Get an Oscars Boost?
Question: What do you think of ABC’s plan to air a new episode of Abbott Elementary after the Oscars? I’m certainly not complaining about any attempt to spotlight the show. But I’m not sure the Oscars will provide the same kind of lead-in that the Super Bowl would, and that seems to be the intended comparison here. Also, even with the Oscars starting earlier, Abbott will be airing very late for a family-friendly show. I know live viewing isn’t everything these days with On Demand and Hulu options the next day, but it sure feels like airing after the Oscars is an attempt to get live viewers of the awards to, you know, watch it live. Your thoughts? — Jake
Matt Roush: I don’t get the glass-half-empty spin here. It’s true the Oscars glow has faded in recent years, and airing after a punishingly long awards show is even more of a mixed blessing than airing after a night full of football and post-game coverage. But as a symbolic gesture of support, and as a promotional opportunity for the network’s signature sitcom, this is almost as good as it gets. Whether it pulls in a big number is nearly beside the point, given the publicity boost of being attached to “Hollywood’s biggest night.” I’d expect Abbott’s writers and ABC’s marketers to make the most of this — and if Barbie is one of the Best Picture candidates, that might even help reverse the downward ratings trend of recent Oscar years.
Look Both Ways, People!
Comment: Having just binged Lessons in Chemistry, I’ve come to the conclusion that TV characters are at least a thousand times more likely than real people to be hit by a truck/bus/car while crossing the street. It always surprises me that such gifted writers cannot find more inventive ways to have sudden deaths. — D.P.
Matt Roush: To be fair, the tragic incident you’re describing comes directly from the book and is foreshadowed in ways that set it apart from the usual gimmick (or gag) of someone suddenly being wiped off the pavement by a speeding bus. (Which is almost as tiresome a device as the shot of someone inside a car being T-boned as they drive. I find myself cringing in anticipation anytime I see a driver pictured from the side, no matter what the show or movie.) It’s a fair criticism, but given that this happened during the mundane routine of walking the beloved dog, with the resulting emotional fallout—not just of Elizabeth (Brie Larson) but of the dog itself (voiced by B.J. Novak) — this death scene felt more earned than usual. I really loved this series; look for it on my upcoming Top 10 of 2023 list.
A Frasier Backlash?
Question: I haven’t seen the new Frasier show, and as a die-hard fan of the original series and the cast I don’t ever plan to because it’ll never be the same. That said, what do you think of the huge backlash against it? — Kendall
Matt Roush: Is there a huge backlash? Feels to me more like resigned apathy. (I don’t have the time or energy to go trolling for negativity on social media, if that’s where this is happening.) The reviews that I saw were decidedly and predictably mixed to negative — mine fell somewhere in the middle — with some enthusiasm for Kelsey Grammer stepping into the shoes (now more likely to be Allbirds than wingtips) of his classic character, with grave reservations about an uneven supporting cast, a retrofitted depiction of his son who grew up to be more like Frasier’s blue-collar dad, and the realization that nothing could live up to the original, especially its first five Emmy-winning seasons. (The episode featuring Bebe Neuwirth returning to the role of Frasier’s ex, Lilith, came closest.) I totally get the reluctance to sign on to yet another reboot, especially of a show so highly regarded, but I’m also not a fan of prejudging anything sight unseen. This pales next to vintage Frasier, but compared to the new Night Court, it’s Moliere.
The Unsettling Experience of Watching Past Covid Storylines
Question: The Ion Mystery micro-channel, which broadcasts mega-sized marathons of procedurals, recently added NCIS: New Orleans, and I recently binged the seventh and final season. It was broadcast in 2020-21, during the height of the Covid pandemic, which is reflected both directly and indirectly throughout the season. The two-part premiere, titled ‘Something in the Air’, is completely Covid-centric. It opened by displaying the date “March 2020” on the screen, and then you see Special Agent Pride gazing down a New Orleans avenue that’s empty, except for a wolf wandering down the street. The main storyline focused on a murder investigation aboard a Navy ship quarantined because of a Covid outbreak, with subplots involving personal protective equipment and a misplaced corpse. Covid is referenced throughout in diverse ways, including news broadcasts, casual comments, mask-wearing, and obvious social distancing, as each main character struggles to adjust to the grim new reality. It ended with medical examiner Loretta singing “Amazing Grace,” standing in a room filled with body bags.
Watching the two-part episode was like taking a trip back in time in Mr. Peabody’s WABAC (Wayback) Machine. And it reminded me of other series that also referenced Covid in various ways, like Law & Order: SVU, the Chicago trilogy, The Connors — and the entire 17th season of Grey’s Anatomy, which totally focused on how Covid impacted the health workers and patients at Grey Memorial Hospital. I’m sure these episodes will be of great interest to future cultural historians seeking to understand how we responded to this significant moment — and I expect the Grey’s Anatomy season will be required viewing in future nursing classes. But it also makes me wonder if viewing such episodes might be triggering for individuals who were traumatically impacted by Covid, and for that reason, if they should be prefaced with an advisory (which I’ve noticed has become more common). Your thoughts? — Maurice
Matt Roush: Advisories are never a bad idea, although when shows go into syndication on digital platforms, it’s probably rare for this kind of care to be taken regarding their presentation. I remember the debate when these episodes were first airing between those who appreciated the shows that dared to tackle the new reality and those seeking escapism who much preferred shows that simply ignored what was happening. For some, these episodes will be unwelcome reminders, and an advisory would be helpful. But you’re right that in years to come, they will serve as a fascinating window on how we coped and how we chose to mirror (or not) our changing society.
And Finally …
Editor’s Note: Following recent queries about finding vintage TV shows on streaming and other platforms, some readers weighed in with some helpful tips.
Todd from Sugar Land, Texas, wrote: “I stumbled across this free site (which also has an app), JustWatch, a streaming guide that has been especially helpful for me to locate movies and shows on streaming services.”
And Paul, responding to the reader looking for old episodes of the British sketch comedy The Two Ronnies, advises the following: “Many clips of the show are on YouTube (including the famous “Fork Handles” sketch). YouTube is a great source for old British shows, and they are apparently free of copyright issues. I know that BBC, etc., have had some shows removed from YouTube because of copyright, and assume that the ones they don’t bother with must be copyright-free. Other national broadcasters, such as the Australian Broadcasting Company and New Zealand broadcasters, are alert and quick to remove anything they deem to violate their copyrights. A couple of months ago I had a Le Carré itch and soothed it by watching all episodes of the old Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy, and Smiley’s People from Masterpiece Theater on YouTube. In the past I watched all 26 episodes of the 1967 production of The Forsyte Saga, and I have noticed, but not yet watched, other old Masterpiece Theater productions, such as The Pallisers, are all on YouTube for free.”
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.)
