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, it’s the most frequent complaint, but there’s always closed-captioning. Check out this story for more tips.) 

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]. Look for Ask Matt columns on most Tuesdays.

Curtain Up!

Question: With the buzz generated from CNN’s recent live showing of Good Night, and Good Luck, do you think networks will consider bringing back the live theater performances that they did in the 2010s? – Teri

Matt Roush: Don’t I wish. Live theatrical shows and popular musicals would seem to be a natural for broadcast networks when they’re looking for big events to promote, especially around the holidays, so I’m hoping that we’ll see producers and creators turn back to this medium to expose new and classic works to a wider audience. Some of the executives involved in those live broadcasts (most notably at NBC) have moved on, and the genre took a hit when producer Craig Zadan (in a classic partnership with Neil Meron) passed away in 2018. Lately, we’ve seen the trend go more in the way of live-capture filming of stage shows like Hamilton and Come from Away (on Disney+ and Apple TV+) or the productions that air on PBS’s Great Performances during the “Broadway’s Best” series (just last month including the Tony-nominated revival of Yellow Face). With the right star and the right property, even one big hit could spark a resurgence. (My suggestion: Get Reba McEntire to reprise her acclaimed Broadway performance in Annie Get Your Gun. She’s already an NBC star.)

Is Georgie & Mandy Growing on You, or Getting Stale?

Comment: I recently caught up on Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, and despite being in its first year I feel they’ve jumped the shark already. My reasons: 1. They seem to have given up on getting their own place to live. 2. They’ve already had the episode about having a second child despite their living situation and not inconsiderable debt. 3. Connor, Mandy’s brother, has now been given a larger role than just eating at the kitchen counter. I find him to be the only interesting character on the show, so I was glad to see his role expanded.

All of this reminds me of B Positive, another Chuck Lorre show, that ran out of ideas once the kidney transplant happened that was the show’s original premise. The show that they then came up with at the senior residence would have been fine, probably, if it was the original idea, but as it was it seemed contrived and desperate and it failed to be renewed. We know from Young Sheldon that Georgie will divorce Mandy, so that seems like all they have left to do this coming season. Thoughts? — Linda

Matt Roush: I’ll hold my thoughts on Georgie & Mandy until after the next comment, because it’s a lively debate. But I’ll argue against the comparison to B Positive because that was such a peculiar situation. The original premise was not sustainable, and the redo was basically an entirely different series built to capitalize on the considerable comic appeal of Annaleigh Ashford and an ensemble of sitcom veterans (including the late, lamented Linda Lavin). Georgie & Mandy is a relationship and family comedy that may still be finding its way, but it’s not yet out of gas. Read on for a differing view from Linda’s:

Comment: Just a quick observation about Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage: I’ve been watching out of loyalty to the characters, and it paid off for me. I think that they’ve finally figured out what they were trying to do, and it is now a genuinely funny show, with real jokes told by funny people. Will Sasso, especially, never misses. They’ve fleshed out the characters a lot more than they did at the beginning, including how to use the character of Mandy’s brother Connor, and they use the old Cooper family in just about the right amount. The show may never be a classic, but it is genuinely funny. — Paul T.

Matt Roush: I’m more in Paul’s camp. This isn’t a show I watch as regularly or as eagerly as I do Ghosts on Thursdays, and it’s not in the same league as Young Sheldon or the instant-classic The Big Bang Theory, but when I tune in, it grows on me. The show has suffered from the moment they slapped that title on it with the foreknowledge that things won’t end well, at least not initially, for this couple, but there’s still a story to tell here, and I’m not one for getting in front of the narrative and writing it off, especially as it continues to evolve.

100% Annoyed by Host Swap

Question: I thought Patton Oswalt was perfect as the host of The 1% Club. It’s a show my school friends (we’re septuagenarians) enjoyed discussing after each episode. Why was Joel McHale brought in? I like his humor but find he can be snarky on game shows. Patton Oswalt was charming even when joking with the guests. I like the show and will continue to watch, just curious as to why the host change. Also, I liked Ken Jennings as Jeopardy! host from the get-go, while others needed to warm up to him (and some still haven’t). I cannot get used to the new version of The Chase on ABC as opposed to the GSN version. Maybe I’m just a grumpy old lady, but some hosts just don’t have the “it” factor to make them successful interacting with contestants. — Adrienne O, Winter Garden, FL

Matt Roush: I haven’t seen an explanation about why The 1% Club made this switch and whether the very agreeable Patton Oswald was either not available or not interested in returning. But I can speculate about why they went with Joel McHale. Fox seems to lean into signature personalities as brand ambassadors, and with Joel’s presence as host of the network’s Crime Scene Kitchen and star of the sitcom Animal Control, and previous experience hosting ABC’s revival of Card Sharks, he’s joining Fox’s club of ubiquitous stars, which includes the cooking-show host/producer mogul Gordon Ramsay and more recently, Nick Cannon now doing double duty on The Masked Singer and, going forward, LEGO Masters. (Regarding The Chase: I’d be surprised if we see that again. It hasn’t been officially canceled to my knowledge, but it no longer appears to be on ABC’s active roster.)

These Games Aren’t Going Anywhere

Question: Will Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune still remain on broadcast (in our market, ABC), or will they move to only streaming? — Elena

Matt Roush: An understandable concern, given the way the marketplace is heading, but the new deal for these shows to stream a day after premiere on Hulu and Peacock is to increase, not limit, their availability. Both shows are renewed for syndication through the 2027-28 season, and I expect as long as they’re profitable, which they most certainly are, they’ll remain on air for all to see for the foreseeable future.

Back to the Cleaners

Question: What is wrong with NBC? Just as Suits LA was getting good, they canceled it. However, I really expected better from Aaron Korsh. The storylines were so weak, and they should never have brought in actors from the original show. Very disappointed. — Mary J.

Matt Roush: I think you answered your own question. The show didn’t live up to expectations and wasn’t nearly as much fun as the original. (I can’t blame them for bringing in characters from the first Suits, but it underscored what was lacking here.) Even if the show was beginning to find its creative footing, the ratings were not good and the likelihood of reversing its fortunes was slim. Plus, as we’ve discussed before, there’s significantly fewer slots for scripted shows in NBC’s 2025-26 fall and midseason schedule, so there wasn’t much of an opportunity to nurture it.

And Finally …

Question: Thank you for your column. It’s helpful to understand TV better. I’m writing about the Ovation TV channel. HOLY SMOKES. They’ve got great shows, but literally every five minutes there’s a boatload of the same commercials over and over. My question: WHY???? I’ve often wondered if Hubbard Broadcasting ever watches their channel. The shows are great, but the commercials are ridiculous. — EB

Matt Roush: Smaller niche channels like Ovation have to pay the bills somehow, and that often entails running the same commercials continually. Sponsors are sponsors. (This is also apparent on many free FAST streaming services, where the commercial breaks on a constant loop interrupt at the oddest times.) It’s the price you pay to see shows without a paywall.

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]. (Please include a first name with your question.)