Ask Matt: ‘NCIS: Origins,’ Midseason Shows & 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 or developments here unless it’s already common knowledge. Please send your questions and comments to [email protected]. Look for Ask Matt columns on most Tuesdays.
More NCIS Origin Stories?
Question: If NCIS: Origins is a success, do you think it will inspire CBS to make more prequels in the franchise? There’s definitely a way to make an incredible NCIS: LA prequel! — Maria
Matt Roush: I imagine the sky’s the limit when it comes to generating NCIS spinoffs, but whether CBS creates multiple prequels could be a leap. I’m somewhat encouraged by the Origins title not specifying Gibbs, that maybe this umbrella title could someday broaden out to give us origin stories of characters seen in some of the other NCIS series, as well as its predecessor, JAG. Mind you, this is purely speculation, but I’m betting this won’t be the last iteration of this undying franchise, prequels or otherwise.
The Midseason Muddle
Question: Will both of The Rookie series return soon? — Charlie
Question: Got my TV Guide Magazine with Returning Favorites the other day and started browsing through it to get the start dates of my favorite shows. I’m wondering about a few shows that were not listed: 1) Law & Order: Organized Crime: I knew this was “on the bubble” but never saw what the final decision was. Will it come in mid-season (January), stream on Peacock, or (hopefully not) did it just get canceled altogether? 2) NCIS: Sydney: I know it was renewed. Is this scheduled for midseason (8 episodes only again)? Hopefully, it won’t just be on Paramount+. — Dava S.
Matt Roush: Such a confusing time of year, especially regarding shows that were renewed but didn’t land a spot on the fall schedule. First off, only the original The Rookie series will be back on ABC at midseason; The Rookie: Feds was canceled. Law & Order: Organized Crime was moved to Peacock, and no premiere date has yet been announced. Streamers don’t really adhere to what we think of as a broadcast season or midseason, so it could show up at any time. NCIS: Sydney will return on CBS in 2025, airing on Fridays after Blue Bloods ends. I’m not sure of the episode count, but it appears to be a half-season run.
Here are some of the other renewed broadcast series that won’t show up until midseason: On ABC, Will Trent and the final season of The Conners; on CBS, The Amazing Race; on Fox, Alert: Missing Persons Unit, The Cleaning Lady, Animal Control, Family Guy, The Great North and Grimsburg; on The CW, All American and Wild Cards.
Can They Milk This for More Seasons?
Question: I’m a huge fan of your column and I finally had a question for you. Do you know for certain if there will or won’t be a fourth season of the series Loudermilk? I understand it’s gone through many streaming services, and I found it on Netflix. I’ve been enjoying it and there are rumors of a fourth season including a tweet from one of the creators, but I haven’t found anything definitive. Can you help? — Austin
Matt Roush: This caustic comedy starring Ron Livingston has certainly had a rocky history, when its original platform (AT&T Audience Network) folded, leaving the third season in limbo until Prime Video picked it up. Now it’s getting more exposure on Netflix, which has a history of resurrecting orphaned or canceled series (Cobra Kai, You, Lucifer, Manifest), which could explain why rumors of its return persist. Until something actually happens or is announced, I wouldn’t get my hopes up so as not to live in a state of perpetual anxiety. But I also would never say never, especially for a show that’s proven to be quite resilient and always seems to be attracting new viewers.
Galloping Into the Awards Circuit
Question: Like you, I was thrilled with the writing Emmy going to Will Smith (not the actor) for Slow Horses. I gasped aloud in surprise and delight, since every article I read leading up to the Emmys predicted a Shogun sweep (I didn’t watch Shogun). I was disappointed but not surprised that Gary Oldman and the other nominated Slow Horse actors didn’t win, but do you think there’s a chance for next year, when hopefully there won’t be a Shogun-esque drama in the running? — Gwen
Matt Roush: I revisited my predictions on the Gold Derby awards website, and like many others in the “expert” field, I ranked Slow Horses just below Shogun, which was such a front-runner it was hard to imagine anything else winning these major awards. So I’m taking this as evidence (along with the show’s other nominations) that Slow Horses is now finally on the Emmy voters’ radar, and that should only continue with the thrilling season currently airing on Apple TV+. I’m betting that unless another juggernaut comes along (there will be new seasons of The White Lotus and The Last of Us, fair warning), Slow Horses should do at least as well. And Jonathan Pryce’s poignant performance this season as a former spy chief now experiencing the indignities of dementia is unquestionably Emmy-worthy.
Good News
Comment: Thanks for your recent mention of CNN’s Have I Got News for You. You should add that it is also available for streaming via Max, on CNN on Max. I’m a long-time HIGNFY fan and have seen almost every episode from its 30-year-or-so run in the UK. (They’re all on YouTube.) The CNN schedule is susceptible to being pre-empted, and of the five recordings my DVR service made of broadcasts of episode 1, all were pre-empted by news coverage. And now that I have watched Episode 1, I just want to add that as a fan of the original, I like this one very much. I was afraid that they would change it so much for an American audience that it was unlike the original, but I think the tone is pretty spot-on. They did a very good job of selecting the permanent cast, people who are both very entertaining and also quite knowledgeable about current affairs. — D.P.
Matt Roush: I was also pleasantly impressed by the launch of this good-humored news quiz. Roy Wood Jr. is a great moderator, Amber Ruffin is always a delight, and Michael Ian Black has found a worthy niche here. I tend to lean into the linear premieres when listing shows like this in the daily Worth Watching columns, but it’s a fact that most shows are also available on their company’s associated streaming platforms.
And Finally …
Comment: I wanted to share that I was very appreciative that this year’s Emmy Awards ceremony actually showed ALL of the faces and names of all of the people in the In Memoriam section! In the past, it was not uncommon for the show to occasionally turn the cameras to the performer(s) while pictures of those who passed could not be seen. This time the camera did turn to Jelly Roll as he performed but not while those who passed were being shown! — Elizabeth E.
Matt Roush: That’s a fair point. I tend to cringe in advance, worrying that the producers will spotlight the talent over the roll call. That didn’t happen here, but even so, as I’ve mentioned previously, I might enjoy the tributes even more if they didn’t feel the need to showcase a famous performer. Just an instrumental backdrop to the list of those we’ve lost would be so much more dignified.
And an addendum to last week’s Emmys discussion: Regarding the cameras showing empty seats in the Peacock Theater during the telecast, the show’s producers explained to Deadline in an interview that because large groups of people sometimes take the stage after a major win, it’s not feasible to use seat fillers for all of those empty seats. Executive producer Jesse Collins noted, “I guess we could try to shoot around it given another opportunity.” Good idea.
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 X (formerly) Twitter @TVGMMattRoush. (Please include a first name with your question.
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