Ask Matt: Taking the Long View on ‘Jeopardy!’ Guest Hosts
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] (or use the form at the end of the column) and follow me on Twitter (@TVGMMattRoush). Look for Ask Matt columns on many Tuesdays and Fridays.
Cut the Jeopardy! Guest Hosts Some Slack
Comment: All the negative comments on Katie Couric, Dr. Oz and all the other guest hosts on Jeopardy! forget one basic fact. They are being compared to an Alex Trebek who had 34 years to learn and grow on the job. When Alex took on the job in 1984, he was nothing more than the host of a handful of relatively unsuccessful game shows. To the press and public at the time, the consensus was that “HE WASN’T ART FLEMING!” So let’s lighten up on the guest hosts — one of them very well may be the next Alex Trebek — but we won’t know until they’ve been on the job for several years. — Rick
Matt Roush: Score one for institutional memory (and for ignoring knee-jerk comments). This reminds me how much I admired Alex Trebek for how respectful he always was when someone brought up his predecessor—often because a contestant’s parents or grandparents had appeared on Jeopardy! during Art Fleming’s tenure. The guest hosts feel that same respect for Alex, and because most of them aren’t looking at this stint as a job audition, I couldn’t agree more that we should just let them enjoy their time at the podium — although I understand the pushback against casting a polarizing public figure like Dr. Oz. When the time comes to name someone full-time to the role of host, it will be a period of adjustment for everyone.
At Home with Kenan, but No Fan of Mr. Mayor
Question: I think the season’s best new comedy is Kenan starring SNL‘s Kenan Thompson. The scenes with his family are terrific: funny and sometimes poignant. However, with the exception of Kimrie Lewis as the producer of Kenan’s morning show, the workplace comedy aspects are pretty weak. Now on the same network, we have the disappointing Mr. Mayor. I love Ted Danson, but this show does not work. The only reason I will tune into Season 2 is Jayden Kwapis as played to trippy perfection by SNL veteran Bobby Moynihan. What I would love to see is Mr. Mayor close up shop, allowing Jayden Kwapis to fly from Sacramento to Atlanta to take a job at the TV studio that airs Wake Up with Kenan! What do you think? — Mike
Matt Roush: What your pipe dream says to me is that Bobby Moynihan makes everything better and funnier, and I wouldn’t argue with that. He stole every one of his scenes in Mr. Mayor, which some might see as petty larceny, and it’s true that the show isn’t quite there yet. Neither, for that matter, is Kenan, which I agree works better on the home front than in the workplace. The real surprise to me is how endearing Don Johnson is as Kenan’s offbeat father-in-law, whose love for his granddaughters is so palpable and sweet.
How It All Began on 9-1-1
Comment: Cheers to the 9-1-1 origin stories. They are great to watch and to see more of the people’s backgrounds from when they joined the crew. It is nice to see this. – Adam D
Matt Roush: Curiously, all of these episodes that have been airing during 9-1-1’s current hiatus are repeats from past years. While no one much likes reruns during the regular season, I thought it was a great idea to highlight these origin episodes during the break, and I wish more shows would use their down time (whether midseason or off-season during summer and the holidays) to showcase special episodes in a creative way. (Like how Jeopardy! aired significant vintage episodes from years past during its production shutdown last year.)
More NCIS: New Orleans Cancellation Fallout
Comment: I agree with the writer who was bummed over CBS dropping NCIS: New Orleans. It’s the only feel-good show (something we need now) in the trilogy. Seniority doesn’t equal quality. The mothership at 18 is just old and Los Angeles at 12 has been a downer in the last 2-3 years. Your noting CBS’s habit of dropping procedural crime dramas (Cold Case, Elementary, Without a Trace) only serves to point out a bad habit. Perhaps the lesson to be learned here is that it’s unwise to invest in watching their shows. — Kate
Matt Roush: Is seven years really such a bad investment? Obviously no one likes to see a favorite show canceled, and this one continues to create a surge in my mailbag, which isn’t surprising since this is the first NCIS show since the franchise ballooned to be terminated. Given the failure rate on network TV, many shows never make it to seven years and 150-plus episodes, which traditionally is more than enough to ensure a healthy afterlife. With few exceptions, TV shows aren’t intended to run indefinitely, but knowing when and how to leave remains a very risky business.
Question: With the cancellation of NCIS: New Orleans, is there a place for Scott Bakula in any of the NCIS programs? — Kay
Matt Roush: It seems unlikely that they’d move a lead actor from one show to another, but Pride is and always will be part of NCIS history, so it’s always possible he’d show up in a Very Special Episode of one of the other series, especially if a case brings them near the Big Easy.
Question: Since I read this season will be the final one for NCIS: New Orleans, will any of the female cast members join the casts of The Equalizer and MacGyver? ‑ Elizabeth
Matt Roush: Even more unlikely. I get that these CBS procedurals can seem interchangeable, but they’re not that interchangeable. That said, these actors are all bankable after their NCIS exposure, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them cast in other series (though as new characters) now that they’re available.
About That Other CBS Franchise …
Question: With the announcement of the CSI: Vegas revival, I’m curious: How come only the original and Miami spin-off are available for streaming (on Hulu and Paramount+)? CSI: NY was probably my favorite and I would’ve loved to have watched it over the past year during lockdown. But save for buying the seasons individually on Amazon Prime, it doesn’t seem to be available on any streaming service. Same with Cyber. Why is that? — Sarah
Matt Roush: The very short run of CSI: Cyber (31 episodes over two seasons) may explain why there’s little demand for licensing that series, but it’s harder to fathom why CSI: NY (197 episodes over nine seasons) is currently missing. Licensing deals for series like these can be complicated and costly, even when it’s in-house for a corporation like ViacomCBS. It wouldn’t surprise me that as Paramount+ ramps up its library of TV and movies after the recent relaunch that we’d see one if not both of these series emerge again.
And Finally …
Question: Will Law & Order: Organized Crime be a separate show from SVU? Or like Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19, will I have to watch the two shows? — Unsigned
Matt Roush: While it was understandable for Organized Crime to launch out of SVU, given the history of the characters as well as the tradition of using an existing show to introduce the new one, these two series are meant to stand on their own. That doesn’t mean there won’t be crossovers from time to time, which the network loves for promotional purposes, but they’re telling very different stories. So you shouldn’t be looking at this as a two-hour investment each Thursday, unless you’re an insatiable Law & Order fan.
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), and you can also submit questions via the handy form below. (Please include a first name with your question.)
Conversation16 Comments
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I had to bail on Dr. Oz's Jeopardy run during his first episode. While I'm all for charity, I'm uncomfortable with the sketchy treatments he's promoted like many others -- for the record, disappointed by Alex Trebek lending his trusted image and goodwill to life-insurance commercials, too. My chief issue, though, is that I can't stand Oz's sloppy diction, which based on a couple of check-ins this week hasn't improved any during his stint as guest host.
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I agree with his diction. He does not speak clearly enough for this show.
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Odd that Matt isn't aware that the H & I Network ("Heroes & Icons") has just a week ago started broadcasting CSI: Cyber.
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Not so odd, really. He often points out that it's nearly impossible to keep up with all the new content across so many channels and streaming platforms, let alone "legacy content" (and DVDs are right out). Trust me that working in entertainment media doesn't translate to being up to the minute on everything being released, especially these days.
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And good luck ever seeing the two L&O episodes together when they finally air in syndication. This crossover trend so many shows are doing (Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 is another example, along with all the Chicago shows, and the CW DC superhero dual or triple or sometimes quadruple storylines) is interesting and highly promotable, but it won't work when the shows enter the great rerun phase on independent stations. Unless a station buys both shows (and the new Stabler one certainly won't have enough episodes to syndicate for a long time, if it lasts long enough) future viewers will either miss the beginning or the ending of the arc.
Not that the producers care right now, but what a disservice to future viewers.
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RE: Jeopardy,I don't view any of the guest hosts as a Alex replacement and doubt they do either at least so far with the small possibility of Ken Jennings.After Ken this has been about charitable contributions not an audition.People like Katie Couric,Dr Oz and the soon to come Aaron Rogers have day jobs they don't really want to give up and/or have other things going on.As for noise about people like Dr Oz,All I think about him as is the host of a game show I love,and leave the baggage out of it.Eventually a permanent host will be named and regardless I'm sure will do a great job as the new host,I intend to give that person lots of slack,and will not do the impossible and compare them to Alex.As Alex would say,this is about Jeopardy,not who hosts it.
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Angela, in that quote, Katie Couric, speaking about some Congressional representatives, said: "But I also think some of them are believing the garbage that they are being fed 24/7 on the internet, by their constituents, " so, yes, I consider her comments insulting to "other conservatives/right-leaning people".
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Not true, Matt. CBS re-casts popular actresses (and actors, for that matter) from its franchises into new roles on its other series quite frequently. The latest example of this: Katrina Law, who was a series regular in the final season of Hawaii Five-0, has been announced as joining the cast of the NCIS mothership series in a semi-regular role, this spring.
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I was not impressed with Katie Curve, she was too unprofessional as a host. I really liked Ken Jennings. I also think the reason for the drop in viewers is due to the loss of both Lucas Black and Shania(spelling) Green. They had a very good rapper. I really don like the new guy he is way to stiff and formal for the show.
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Patricia -- I'm not a fan of Couric's, either (although she's gotten better since her days on The Today Show). But when she made her "deprogramming" comment, I think she specifically meant those voters who harbor a cult-like worship of Trump (as Angela alluded to, in her response to you). Although I definitely would agree with those who'd say she should have clarified her original comments.
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Pride should become the next Director given the fact Vance has been Director for nearly 3/4 of the run. As for Jeopardy, it best not be Ken Jennings as a permanent host or it will be banned in our house.
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Would Vance be given a promotion to another national security role, and still appear on the franchise? (as I haven't heard of Rocky Carroll expressing a desire to leave the show) -- and then Pride would take over, appearing as Director across the mothership, L.A., and Hawaii series? Or would Pride be better suited for more of a Deputy Director or supplementary type of role? If Vance's character does happen to consider retirement, wouldn't somebody younger (than Pride) be more realistically chosen to be groomed as Vance's successor?
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Matt sure threw some disrespectful shade towards Dr. Oz. That was sure uncalled for! Katie Couric is every bit as polarizing as Dr. Oz and Aaron Rodgers has zero business guest hosting. We'll see where it ends up, but the show is still driven by the questions and the contestants and that's why it will endure. Maybe the wise bosses at NTVM in Troy will start running guest columnists for TV Guide since the incumbent is falling into the trap of letting personal political beliefs bleed through.
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My disdain for Katie Couric has nothing to do with her learning curve. I refused to watch her because of her politics, and her condescending comment about deprogramming the political right. I'm more than willing to give the other guest hosts a break, and have enjoyed them........but not her.
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If you and others who are so upset by her comments would bother to actually look at them in context, she was talking about Trump supporters, not the right as a whole. More specifically, she was referring to the ones who were willing to go as far as to storm the Capitol and threaten lawmakers' lives in an attempt to overturn election results and overthrow our democracy. All because Trump rallied them and encouraged them to do such things. Remember those people? Do you not think that there is something fundamentally wrong with people who are willing to go to those kinds of lengths? Do you not think something should be done about them?
Add in their devotion to and support for crackpot conspiracy theory nonsense like that spouted by QAnon, and yeah, it is all very cult-ish, and yes, the people who buy into that stuff absolutely do need to be deprogrammed. Because the stuff they're believing is dangerous and is putting many people's lives at serious risk. When someone's at the point when they're actually chanting to hang the VP because he's not going along with Trump's desire to turn the election in his favor, something has gone very, VERY wrong somewhere in their way of thinking.
If you or other conservatives/right-leaning people don't fit the above description of those kinds of people, then you shouldn't have any problem with what she's said. Right?
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Kenan and Mr. Mayor are both bad. Kenan is worse
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