The Charlotte Observer (Sunday)
Will ‘So Help Me Todd’ find a home on another network?
You have questions. I have some answers.
Q: I’ve just read that “So Help Me Todd” has been canceled by CBS after two seasons. This is one of the cleverest, well-written shows with very good, versatile actors. Any chance it still might be renewed or possibly picked up by another network?
A: The comedy-drama starring Skylar Astin and Marcia Gay Harden has a better chance of finding a new home than many shows, with decent ratings and a fan base rallying for it online. In fact, Variety’s report on the cancellation said CBS dropped “Todd” and “CSI: Vegas” simply because it did not have room in a crowded schedule. Shows due to join the CBS lineup include “NCIS: Origins,” about the young Leroy Jethro Gibbs; a “Matlock” reboot with Kathy Bates, and still more – as well as a host of current shows that were renewed.
Q: I do not subscribe to Hulu, so I was happy when ABC started running “Only Murders in the Building.” Do you know if ABC will run the additional seasons and when?
A: A lot of people who discovered “Only Murders” on ABC have been asking when they might see more. I’ve been a fan of the comedy-mystery starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez for its entire three seasons on Hulu – and I’m looking forward to a fourth. But the ABC telecasts of the first season were filler while broadcast shows were stalled by the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes. I’ve heard no news of more “Murders” on ABC, so fans for now will have to find it on Hulu.
Q: “The Old Man” on FX never had a finale! Is it coming back?
A: The drama starring Jeff Bridges has had a rocky road in production, including delays caused by the COVID pandemic, Bridges’s treatment for cancer and the Hollywood strikes. The first season appeared in 2022 (and can still be found on
Hulu). ScreenRant reported not long ago that a second season will arrive late in 2024.
Q: I can’t believe they canceled “The Good Doctor”! What happened?
A: When ABC announced in January that this seventh season would be the show’s last, the producers said in a statement that it was “time to say goodbye.” It could be that the show was running out of creative ideas, or that the cast had grown weary, or the finances were not in its favor. I can’t say that the show feels as compelling as it once did, although it did at times have strong storylines (and one sad death). Let’s just hope for a powerful farewell.
Q: Why can I not find the original version of the movie “Two-Minute Warning” with Charlton Heston as a police detective investigating a sniper attack at the L.A. Coliseum during a football championship? Is it because of questionable content?
A: The late 1970s were not a good time for pro football at the movies. In 1976, “Two-Minute Warning” was in theaters (and was later on TV in both expanded and edited versions). The following year brought “Black Sunday,” about terrorists plotting an attack at the Super Bowl. Both “Black Sunday” and “Two-Minute Warning” are available on DVD and Blu-ray, and a “Warning” Blu-ray package includes the theatrical cut and one of the reedited versions.