Question: What is it with the same-old same-old ending for season finales? NCIS: New Orleans had Pride shot at the end. When are shows going to do something more creative???? (Hasn’t the age of “Who Shot J.R.?” gone by?) I also wanted to Cheer Blue Bloods, which DID have a terrific upbeat ending that was refreshing. More shows should follow their lead! —Donna
Matt Roush: Couldn’t agree more. It’s so tiresome to watch show after show putting characters in contrived peril between seasons. Now if the idea is to present an actual game-changer that will affect a series going forward, that’s another story. While we’re on the topic, I’d like to add Grey’s Anatomy to the plus column, for choosing not to kill off either April or Arizona as those characters headed off to happy new (off-camera) futures.
Question: How worried are you about what will happen to Speechless now that ABC has exiled the show to Friday? —JL
Matt Roush: Trying to stay positive here, but Fridays aren’t necessarily a TV graveyard for family comedies, and if Fresh Off the Boat and Speechless can revive the old “TGIF” franchise with any degree of success, maybe this will be a blessing in disguise, since expectations generally aren’t as high for shows airing on Friday.
To submit questions to TV Critic Matt Roush, go to: tvinsider.com