Matt Waters (1996) User Reviews

Matt Waters wasn't given a chance to grow an audience

[ericcody · 16 October 2003]

Matt Waters, a 1996 CBS mid season replacement starred daytime television host Montell Williams. Williams plays a just retired naval officer, whose brother is tragically murdered in the same New Jersey neighborhood in which Williams character grew up. Williams character Matt Waters, decides to dedicate his life to helping troubled youth in a local New Jersey high school.

He steers his class full of roughnecks towards discipline, honesty, courage, and excellence through the use of naval biology. Matt Waters could be a little preachy at times, but was a potential hit had CBS given the show a chance. Montell Williams gives a surprisingly, convincing performance as a determined high school teacher. Maybe had this show premiered on FOX, it would have had a longer run.

Montell Williams should do more dramatic television. He is that good. Matt Waters should be shown in High Schools around the country. I hope the show is released on DVD someday.

Montell Williams playing a teacher named Matt Waters!! Can You Imagine?!!

[howgoesthenight · 10/10 · 29 July 2013]

Wow!! What a transformation Montel Williams does cashing in on the dedicated, bald, black man, high school teacher whose tough but loving thing..... A Dream marine indeed....

How Creative is Matt Waters you dare to ask?

I'll tell you, They didn't even change the initials of the title to be different from Montel Williams. It's as if while filming, it was just loosely called 'The Montel Williams Show', and then right before they were doing the titles someone scribbled out Montel Williams and wrote Matt Waters after 2 seconds of ingenious creative brainstorming. I think this show would have been a huge hit if it wasn't for the boring title, they should have called it, Bald Educational Justice, or Montel Waters, But seriously, to watch Montel Williams play Montel Williams in a show that they could have easily called Montel Williams is a treat for any fan of fine arts..

Its funny to talk about it now, years after the fact that Matt Waters has become an iconic character, and his name is part of the current lexicon, i.e. Horatio Alger, or Walter Twitty...

Montel Williams right? Enough said right? No Sir! Not enough said. it is notable for one exploitative over the top referencing to Hoop Dreams, which was referenced in some stupid pickup game between Montel and the Kids or something like that...Who doesn't remember the classic 'Matt Waters-Hoop Dreams Episode'?

All the above being true, Montel Williams is terrible but not the worst part of the show...What could be the worst part? If you guessed an unrealistic, array, of ethnic stereotype actors meant to represent a multicultural, and impovershed classroom of inner city students, you'd be right....They make Horseshack appear as deeply layered as Hamlet. The worst sin being the strange but all too common and annoying over-emphasis of a puerto rican being puerto rican..Why can't they have a normal puerto rican in the show who happens to be puerto rican? You know exactly what I'm talking about I know, when the director says, 'Hmm, can you Spanish it up and show a little more spice with the next line?' Then of course they have some lesser developed Asian characters, some trouble African American male genius who has a troubled home life, and some other shades and colors...They don't even do white people realistically either...Yep...hey, it's Montel friggin Williams, what do you want from him? Integrity, discipline, or respect? He had Sylvia Browne as a guest every week...Wait, a disreputable, dishonest man from an illustrious military background? Aren't all soldiers heroes and the best of best men? Duh, me confused!!

Matt Waters an afterschool special presented as a TV Drama? Why, yes it is..and that's why it's so bloody unforgettable