Ask Matt: ‘Yellowstone’s Missing Link, a Pop Culture ‘Jeopardy!’ and 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.
Is Costner’s No-Show a Mistake?
Question: Given the disappointing box office for Horizon, do you think Kevin Costner should have gone back to Yellowstone? — Maurice
Matt Roush: Regardless of whether this series of big-screen Westerns was a hit or a miss—haven’t seen the movie, so this is no reflection on that–I think it’s ridiculous that these final episodes are going forward (after a two-year hiatus!) without Kevin Costner’s presence as John Dutton in some form or other. Whatever’s behind the split (Costner’s commitment to his movies, the scheduling, some other conflict), a show this successful should be what comes first. It seems to me that Costner’s capital within the entertainment industry rose as a result of Yellowstone’s success, so it’s a bad look to abandon the horse that brought you back to the rodeo. I’m also fairly confident that Yellowstone is bigger than any one star—OK, maybe not Kelly Reilly (Beth)—so when the much-anticipated final batch begins airing in November, I’m not worried about how it will land, even with a gaping hole in the center of the narrative.
Pop Goes the Jeopardy!
Question: I’m not really sure what the point is of Jeopardy! spinning pop culture off into its own Pop Culture Jeopardy! show, other than just to make more content. They’ve already got the regular show and the Celebrity and Masters versions. They don’t have enough to do? It’s not like they don’t cover plenty of pop culture on the regular show. And how do you think Jeopardy! will work on a streaming platform? — Jake
Matt Roush: I do worry a bit about Jeopardy! fatigue becoming a thing if they overdo the brand extensions. But the producers are intent on widening the tent, including with this streaming experiment. It reminds me of when, during the Trivial Pursuit board game craze in the 1980s, one of the special offshoots they released was a “Silver Screen Edition” (I could never find anyone to play it with me, for I guess obvious reasons). I’d wager that the pop-culture categories (whether movies, music, TV, sports, gaming, etc.) are among the show’s most popular, and the team format also should make it feel different. I’m willing to give it a shot, and don’t see a problem with Jeopardy! dipping its toe into the streaming arena, especially on a platform as broad as Prime Video.
Game Shows MIA
Question: I don’t see Generation Gap on ABC‘s summer schedule. Have they canceled the show? Also, To Tell the Truth, hosted by Anthony Anderson and his mama Doris, hasn’t been on for a couple of years. I am assuming that this has been canceled also. I hope they will both return soon as I enjoy both shows. — Beth
Matt Roush: With shows like these that aren’t part of the regular schedule, appearing in the off-season or whenever the network has a hole to fill, it’s hard to know when they’re over for good or just on hiatus. While Generation Gap is not part of the summer lineup, the show still is shown as active on ABC’s press site (same for The Chase, which also is missing this summer), so I’d expect we’ll see it return when the network wants or needs it. The reboot of To Tell the Truth, however, appears to have been canceled. It’s no longer listed as active by ABC and hasn’t been seen since 2022.
The Games People Play
Question: I have a couple of game show questions. With more scripted shows being filmed in Canada, as you have discussed, I found it interesting when I saw it in the credits for the current version of Name That Tune that it is filmed in Ireland. Its first season was filmed in Australia. How do they get obviously American non-celebrity contestants? Is there a poster at the arrival gate of flights from the U.S. reading, “Would you like to compete on Name That Tune?” (The recent shows have been half celebrity episodes, and I can imagine the celebrities paying their way and maybe writing off the expenses somehow or they happened to be in the U.K. on a performing tour.)
My second comment regards the comparison of the budgets of Weakest Link versus The Wall. While the contestants on the latter have a conceivable chance of hitting a big payday, and some have, generally the contestants end up in the low 6 figures. Compare that to Weakest Link, which is promoted as having a chance to win $1 million. But in actuality, “running the chain” is very nearly impossible. I’ve only seen it done once—the episode with all of the military veterans—and would have to be done multiple times. Generally, the won amount is about $40,000. I really haven’t seen any other game show where the odds of hitting the big payday are as bad. — Tom
Matt Roush: Strange as it sounds, Name That Tune does fly American contestants (and, I’d imagine, the celebs) overseas to play the game. Chalk it up to the global nature of today’s TV industry. As for The Wall and Weakest Link, maybe the high odds of success make it more suspenseful for some viewers? I confess the appeal of either of these shows is lost on me.
Not Laughing at Emmys’ Comedy Categories
Question: I know I’m beating a dead horse, but in response to the recent column discussing why the Emmys tend to ignore broadcast network shows: In the comedy categories, there would be more network shows nominated if the shows which aren’t comedies at all were excluded. Take the 2023 nominations: The Bear is of course not a comedy and wouldn’t be considered one by anyone if it were not a 30-minute show. Barry was never a comedy after season 1. Even if The Bear is a comedy, Jeremy Allen White is being recognized for his dramatic scenes, not his comic ones. And then there are the shows which make viewers smile, but supply few, if any, actual laughs: Only Murders in the Building, Poker Face, Shrinking, etc. Many of the best shows which actually produce genuine laughs are indeed network shows, and they deserve to be nominated, and those fake comedies need to be excluded. — D.P.
Matt Roush: I would strongly push back against the categorization of shows like Only Murders and Shrinking (which admittedly starts from a sad premise) not being funny or provoking laughter. Murders in particular, which feels broader in tone and with more jokes per capita than most single-camera comedies. Comedy is subjective, and no show is going to be amusing to everyone, but to me, those absolutely deserve to be in the running as comedies. Poker Face, too, for that matter, if mainly for tone—and similarly, while my understanding is that Elsbeth and Carrie Preston have submitted in drama, I’d be OK if this wacky character and her light-mystery series entered the comedy race. I agree, though, that The Bear is being celebrated for its dramatic heft and not its comedic chops (ditto Barry in its later seasons), and while there is comic relief in The Bear, it’s not what drives the series.
To the bigger point, though, as in drama, where the networks have abandoned almost all pretense of original thought or ambition, ceding that to their streaming brethren, where are the network comedies that truly feel Emmy-worthy, once you get past Abbott Elementary and Ghosts, maybe Young Sheldon? Surely not the Night Court reboot, even when the recorded laughter tries to convince you it’s hysterical. Great network comedy is getting harder to find by the year, when they even bother to scheduling comedies, and that’s no laughing matter.
And Finally …
Question: Will the program Hudson & Rex be on next season? We found it on the UPtv channel. It is such an enjoyable show, especially if you like dogs. The stories are interesting and entertaining. — Ann J.
Matt Roush: I’m told new episodes will be forthcoming, but no announcement yet as to when.
Happy 4th of July! That’s all for now, and I’ll be taking a midsummer pause with this column until later this month. (I’m sure the Emmy nominations on July 17 will stimulate some strong reactions.) 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 X (formerly Twitter) @TVGMMattRoush. (Please include a first name with your question.)
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