Question: Why is CBS canceling MacGyver? It’s a great show and we love the cast. —Pat R
Matt Roush: The show dropped by more than 20% from season to season in the demos and viewership, but it’s far from a ratings disaster. It’s more likely that CBS looked at its development slate for next season, and as they’ve done in the past, opted to retire some shows in favor of promising new ones that could refresh and reinvigorate the schedule. These calls aren’t made lightly, and they know fans are never happy when a show goes off the air. And given CBS’s involvement in producing the series, it seems unlikely anyone would pick up these procedurals. With nearly 100 episodes produced, I imagine this will have an afterlife in streaming and syndication.
Question: A quick, simple question: Do you think American Housewife has any hope of being renewed? —Mark
Matt Roush: Most observers see this sitcom as being “on the bubble,” so it could go either way — which means there’s hope, but we probably won’t know for sure until next month. Once again, if the network doesn’t renew it, the blame goes to the producers for leaving storylines dangling. If they think that’s going to force the network’s hand, they’re often sadly mistaken.
To submit questions to TV Critic Matt Roush, go to: tvinsider.com