Ask Matt

Matt Roush: Plus, keep in mind that many more people are watching their favorite shows on a different schedule, thanks to DVRs, or even on a different screen, in the case of streaming video online or downloads. Most Lost fans I know wouldn't dream of not watching it on Thursdays, but you're right that the audience has become more and more fragmented, which makes the watercooler a lot less happening of a place nowadays. Lost may not be what it was in terms of overall ratings, but it's still a hit, albeit more of a cult hit — which I've said before is really what it probably should have been all along, given its ambition and its determination not to be the same show every week. Lost isn't for everyone. Neither was The X-Files. And I'm with you that Lost hasn't lost its way, not by a long shot. The mysteries and mythologies are dense and at times forbidding, but the show has rarely lost its grip on the great and diverse character drama that distinguishes it from any other "genre" show I've ever seen.

Matt Roush: And here is where I caution TV fans to repeat after me: To each his own. Not embracing Lost is not a sign of intellectual emptiness or having a predisposition for garbage. It is a show that demands a lot of a viewer, including patience and tolerance (for those times it hits the inevitable bump) and resilience against the nay-sayers. And for those who don't like the flashback or flash-forward structure, this simply isn't going to be their type of show. And some people simply have no use for adventure-fantasy. It's not for everyone, clearly. I can see why many more people would be willing to settle into a well-done formula show like CSI in the same time period or why others would go with NBC's sitcoms (when they're new). On the other hand, those favoring the ridiculously empty nonsense that is Celebrity Apprentice? That one I can't explain.

Matt Roush: Funny you should bring this up. I'm only now catching up with the comics, because I've been doing my Buffy homework in preparation for (drum roll) having been tapped by the Paley Center for Media to moderate the sold-out Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunion on March 20. Yes, I'm beside myself! To answer your question (and I haven't quite made it to Issue 12 yet, but I know where it's going): Given that the show had already taken us through the Willow and Tara saga, this maybe isn't as groundbreaking as it seems. Still, anything (and anyone) Buffy did was news, so if this had happened on TV, it would have been off the charts in terms of media attention. As is the Buffy reunion panel. Which is my way of asking Buffy fans to submit their burning questions to my mailbag and I'll consider them for what's sure to be a breathless session of Buffy love and lore. I'm hyperventilating already.

Matt Roush: Given the behind-the-scenes chaos on this show, I'm thinking fans should consider themselves lucky with whatever they get whenever they get it. I don't know if production concerns are behind the delay, but practically speaking, it makes more sense for CBS to hold the episodes so all of the originals air during the May sweeps, which is what looks like is happening.

Matt Roush: Well, good luck finding some good movies that fit your criteria. But to address your specific concern: Even if CBS short-run renewal of Jericho was only to give fans closure, that's more than most fans get with shows that get canceled. Still, I'm sure CBS would have loved for the show to become a sudden hit after its resurrection, in which case Jericho might have had a future. (It still isn't officially canceled to my knowledge, but I'd be surprised if it continues into a third season of any duration.) This was always a long shot, as was CBS ordering up a show so removed from its regular "brand" in the first place. But to regard this short season as anything but a gift seems rather cynical to me.

Another observation on Jericho, from Jenny in Kansas: "I was truly surprised to read you hadn't received more comments about Jericho's latest episode and Bonnie's death. Maybe, like me, fans are too saddened and stunned to talk about it yet. It really was a heart-wrenching scene, both the actual shootings and the last scene with Stanley cradling Bonnie in his arms. I could almost feel his heartbreak through the TV. I know it had to happen for the sake of the storylines, and I'm not bitter about it. It's just sad to see such a great character go. It certainly made me excited for the next episode!"

If you missed TVGuide.com's interview with Brad Beyer (Stanley) on this tragic twist, you can read it here. 

Matt Roush: Because The Wire in so many ways seems so real to me, I'm tempted to say it's the characters that let you down and the bleak world in which they live. Dukie's decline after being stranded by Michael (who's quite clearly the heir to Omar's gangster throne) was one of the most heartbreaking parts of the finale, only slightly relieved by the redemption of Bubbles, who was finally allowed out of the basement and into the light of his sister's home. (Yes, there is hope, but on these streets, you often have to hit bottom to get there.) The corruption of Carcetti didn't rattle me at all. That's been ingrained in his character from the get-go. All in all, I was very satisfied by the Wire finale. My biggest problem was in the resolution of the journalist story (perhaps because I'm a journalist myself). Having seen (albeit from a distance) how my former workplace of USA Today dealt with the Jack Kelley scandal, I have trouble believing that bosses even as craven and prize-hungry as the fictional PTB at the Wire version of the Baltimore Sun would ignore Templeton's fabrications when they became so obvious, and after fellow reporters and editors called it to their attention. What good is winning a Pulitzer if you eventually will have to give it back in shame? That heavy-handed storyline, including the demotion of Gus and reassignment of Alma, hit false notes to me. Otherwise, what a great series.

As a final salute for now, here's this love letter from Kathleen: "I have watched the series finale of The Wire (twice), and I have to say that I was again blown away. This is the way to end a series (take note, Sopranos). I cannot wait to own the entire show on DVD so I can share it with people who never got a chance to see it. It is a travesty that this superb show has been ignored by all the awards shows, and things like Boston Legal (of which I am also a fan) were repeatedly awarded. And if there's a person who can watch this documentary on an American society and not see that the war on drugs is about as winnable as the war on terrorism, I want to live in their utopia. I truly think this was one of the finest pieces of television I have been privileged to watch, and I'm embarrassed that it was missed by so many."

In my own personal circles, I know of several people who are only discovering the show now that it is complete and they can savor the entire Wire saga, from first to last. I envy them and look forward to a time when I can soak it all in from the Stringer Bell/Avon Barksdale days to the reign of Marlo. There's no question The Wire will live on.

Matt Roush: No concrete signs, yay or nay, about New Amsterdam's future at this point. It got a boost out of sneak-peeking after American Idol, and did OK (not great, not horrible) on its first Monday airing. Competition is about to get a lot worse on Mondays, with the return of Dancing with the Stars on ABC and new episodes of CBS' strongest sitcoms. We'll have to see if Fox has some patience with this one, which seems potentially more mainstream (by genre standards) than some of what they've done before. And the fact that it isn't airing on Fridays has to be seen as a small plus. The main insight that I can share right now is that my mail on the show since the premiere has ranged from positive to passionate, which makes me fear what will happen if Fox doesn't give this show a pickup of some sort for next season. A sample of the New Amsterdam love follows.

Matt Roush: What you like about the show is what I like. That and the charisma of its leading man. (Only Stephen McKinley Henderson as his elderly son Omar can match him at this point.) Mariah wrote in to gush: "There's something about a man who will be pretty forever. Duncan MacLeod, Angel, Jack Harkness and, yes, Mick St. John (I swear, it got much better after the pilot and became a great fluff series for Friday nights), I'm a fan of most of them. That doesn't mean I automatically endorse a show just because of the genre (Highlander eventually began to suck, Forever Knight had its bad moments and there are surely more that I don't know about because I didn't watch them). But this show has a fantastic character twist that, for the first time in a long time, actually shocked me: John's perpetual paternity. Omar, a 60-something jazz club owner and keeper of John's secret, is also his son. I love this twist, and it's so abnormal for the genre. Usually these shows avoid this sort of complication. I think this has potential for amazing character development. What must it mean to forever outlive your children? How does that impact the parenting of the child? Do other love children of John's roam the city unaware of their origin? I'm seriously intrigued and can't wait for the next episode. Give me this reserved, broody and immortal father any day. Right now it's scheduled to air its final episode on my birthday. I think I know what I'll be using my wish for."

I could go on, and probably will at some point, but the nay-sayers seem to be silent for now.

Matt Roush: My distaste for Big Brother and especially Moment of Truth aside (if that's possible), I should point out that stunt scheduling to give a new show extra exposure is hardly a new strategy. Fox scheduled the first two episodes of Amsterdam after American Idol in hopes of putting the show on viewers' radar. The promotion was pretty extensive. It's up to you to decide what to do from there. And yes, these days it does take some work to keep up with a show's scheduling (unless you've got a DVR or TiVo to do the work for you), especially when it comes to a network that would sell its executives' grandmothers to make room for more hours of American Idol. Moment of Truth was bounced to Monday for a week when Fox had other priorities on Wednesdays, but now it's back on the night, albeit at an earlier hour. It's really not that complicated.

Matt Roush: There was some talk as the industry got back to work that some shows might extend their run into the summer. I don't see many signs of that, but if ABC is extending a few of their hits one night beyond the official end of a seriously screwed-up season, that's OK by me. The late April premiere may be as early as they're able to have episodes of these shows ready, and the decision to produce five hours instead of four could be financial, to amortize the cost of going back into production. (It's also possible one or more of these could be two-hour episodes, but I'm just speculating at this point.) Bottom line: There are no rules when it comes to cleaning up the mess from this strike, but from where I sit, the more episodes I get, the merrier.