Why shows like ‘Matlock’ should be in the awards conversation
Can “Matlock” solve the case of the disappearing SAG Awards broadcast nominations? The CBS drama was an out-of-the-box hit this fall, earning rave reviews for star Kathy Bates and even landing a Season 2 pick-up. The folks at CBS Studios are optimistic enough about the chances for an award – especially for the beloved Bates – that they’ve made it a kudo priority this year.
And honestly, as it should be. Kathy Bates is an Oscar winner (for 1991’s ‘Misery’) and has since earned three more Oscar nominations – in 2020 for ‘Richard Jewell’. The scope of Bates’ work can be illustrated by her two very different Emmy wins: for the sitcom “Two and a Half Men” in 2012 and the creepy series “American Horror Story” in 2014. Bates has also won two SAG Awards, in both Television (“The Late Shift”, 1997) and film (“Primary Colors”, 1999).
In other words, Hollywood is a fan. So why shouldn’t Bates and “Matlock” be considered alongside premium cable and streaming fares? (It seems the Golden Globes were listening, at least a little bit, and recently nominated Bates in the TV drama field. But otherwise, only “Abbott Elementary” got any on-air love.)
“Matlock” isn’t the only freshman telecast with momentum and looking to win some awards: ABC’s “High Potential,” starring Kaitlin Olson, is also performing strongly and earning good marks, especially for its star. Olson, who has earned an Emmy nomination the past two years as a comedic guest actress for “Hacks,” has received widespread praise for her body of work, which includes the long-running “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
As we enter the post-Peak TV era and the volume of original series continues to decline, there’s no reason why broadcast can’t claw its way back into the awards space — and the SAG Awards, which have the largest voting body of all kudocasts, perhaps the place to do that.
After all, as far as comedy goes, it wasn’t that long ago that a television series won the SAG Award for Comedy Series Ensemble. In 2022, ABC’s ‘Abbott Elementary’ managed to beat ‘Barry’, ‘The Bear’, ‘Hacks’ and ‘Only Murders in the Building’. But that was almost an anomaly: The last time a broadcast was even nominated in that category was “Black-ish” in 2017. (“Modern Family” was the last broadcast comedy to win, in 2013).
Drama is where the broadcast has struggled with SAG Awards voters. The last time a broadcast series was nominated for drama ensemble was in 2018, when NBC’s “This Is Us” was tapped and won. (The show also won it in 2017.)
This has been a long-simmering problem: broadcast series tend to have smaller budgets but longer episodes, which isn’t exactly fair compared to tight 10-episode seasons with A-list stars. Broadcast series also face restrictions on over-the-air content, which puts them at yet another disadvantage.
This is of course nothing new. Broadcast television has been fighting the stigma for a decade and a half, when first cable — and then streaming — stole its thunder. So why am I optimistic about a broadcast renaissance now? Just look at how the tide is turning in the television story.
As I wrote recently Varietythe definition of a “hit” has evolved to include the long tail of time-shifted digital viewing. And when these numbers are taken into account, series like ‘Abbott Elementary’ remain dominant, and ‘Matlock’ and ‘High Potential’ are on par with whatever the streamers are doing.
Even streamers are now chasing that broadcast high, trying to copy that model with shows like Max’s upcoming John Wells medical series “The Pitt.” A 15-episode procedural, “The Pitt” essentially replicates the broadcast playbook with more episodes, lower budgets and a realistic timetable. And if you need a sign that broadcasting still matters, look to NBCUniversal — where the broadcast network is still seen as a crucial programming source, unlike most of its soon-to-be spun-off cable companies.
And who doesn’t love Kathy Bates? The awards campaign for “Matlock” begins now.
