‘Matlock’ and ‘High Potential’ Should Be in the Awards Conversation as Broadcast TV Flexes Its Muscle This Fall

Can “Matlock” crack the case of the disappearing SAG Awards broadcast nominations? The CBS drama has been an out-of-the-box hit this fall, earning acclaim for star Kathy Bates and even already landing a Season 2 pickup. The folks at CBS Studios are bullish enough on its awards chances — particularly for the beloved Bates — that they’ve made it a priority in the kudo space this year.

And honestly, as it should be. Kathy Bates is an Oscar winner (for 1991’s “Misery”) and has earned three more Oscar noms since then — as recently as 2020, for “Richard Jewell.” The breadth of Bates’ work can be illustrated by her two wildly different Emmy wins: For 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 TV (“The Late Shift,” in 1997) and film (“Primary Colors,” in 1999).

In other words, Hollywood is a fan. So why shouldn’t Bates and “Matlock” be considered alongside premium cable and streaming fare? (It appears the Golden Globes was listening, at least a teensy bit, recently nominating Bates in the TV drama field. But beyond that, only “Abbott Elementary” got any broadcast love.)

“Matlock” is not the only freshman broadcast show with momentum and looking for some awards attention: ABC’s “High Potential,” starring Kaitlin Olson, is also performing strong and earning solid marks, particularly for its star. Olson, who has been Emmy-nominated over the past two years in comedy guest actress for “Hacks,” has been earning praise for her body of work — which also 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 broadcast can’t elbow its way back into the awards space — and the SAG Awards, which boasts the largest voting body of any kudocast, may be the place to do it.

After all, on the comedy side, it actually hasn’t been that long since a broadcast 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 show had even been nominated in that category was “Black-ish” in 2017. (“Modern Family” was the last broadcast comedy to win, in 2013).

Drama is where broadcast has struggled with SAG Awards voters. The last time a broadcast series was nominated for drama ensemble was 2018, when NBC’s “This Is Us” was included, and then moved on to win. (The show also won it in 2017.)

This has been a long simmering issue: Broadcast series usually have smaller budgets but longer episodic orders, which isn’t exactly fair to compare to tight, 10-episode seasons with A-list stars. Broadcast series also face over-the-air content restrictions, placing them at yet another disadvantage.

Of course, this is nothing new. Broadcast TV has been fighting the stigma for a decade and a half, as first cable — and then streaming — stole its thunder. So why am I bullish now at a broadcast renaissance? Just look at how the tide is turning on the broadcast narrative.

As I recently wrote in Variety, the definition of a “hit” has evolved to include the long tail of time-shifted digital viewing. And when those numbers are factored in, 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, looking to copy that model with shows like Max’s upcoming John Wells medical series “The Pitt.” A 15-episode procedural, “The Pitt” is essentially replicating the broadcast playbook with more episodes, lower budgets and a realistic timetable. And if you need a sign that broadcast still matters, look at NBCUniversal — where the broadcast network is still seen as a crucial program source, unlike most of its about-to-be spun-off cablers.

Plus, who doesn’t love Kathy Bates? The awards campaign for “Matlock” starts now.