Question: In regards to profane language, I do believe This Is Us is disproving the notion that TV without that language won’t be watched. I finally had to quit watching Suits due to the awful language. I can tell you that I work in a courthouse setting and am around attorneys, judges and officers who don’t speak the way they do in Suits. The story would still be the story without all the cursing. — Unsigned
Matt Roush: An excellent point, that working clean is not necessarily a deterrent, even in this coarsened culture. There may be times when the heightened emotions in This Is Us will require stronger language, but I trust it will always be earned. Which is the problem with Suits, a show I still enjoy, more or less — and will enjoy it more if and when it turns back to actual legal drama once in a while. There’s no question that the swearing on that show feels almost mandated by quota. It’s so self-consciously done that it rarely feels authentic, which is the issue here. If it feels real, say it. Too often, though, it seems as if many shows and channels are straining for that cable “edge.” Another fan wrote in to praise This Is Us as “a combination of The Wonder Years and Parenthood. What could possibly be wrong with that? I think it appeals to all generations, and if my friends and family are any indication of its future, it will be on for many seasons to come.”
To submit questions to TV Critic Matt Roush, go to: tvinsider.com