Kathy Bates Was Ready to Quit Hollywood Until She Got the 'Matlock' Script

This fall, CBS is delving into its library of classic hit series with a reboot of the legal drama Matlock with Academy Award winner Kathy Bates taking over the role originated by the late Andy Griffith, who played criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock from 1986-1995.

The gender flip is just one of the changes in the series about legal eagles. Beau Bridges, who plays the CEO of the law firm that hires Madeline “Matty” Matlock, tells Parade, “It’s wildly different. Mainly because Matty Matlock comes in and she turns my world upside-down. Kathy is going to be great in this part.”

Bridges shares that there’s going to be a lot of humor in the show, as well.

“It’s about the legal world, but we get into each other’s lives, too,” he adds. “There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that’s happening. A lot of twists and turns, a lot of mystery. I think it’s going to be interesting for people to watch it. It’s a different Matlock.”

Here's everything we know about Matlock to date:

What is the premiere date for Matlock?

Matlock will premiere a sneak peek episode at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 22 before moving to its regular 9 p.m. Thursday timeslot on Oct. 17)

When will Matlock air?

Matlock will air Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

Who is in the cast of Matlock?

Kathy Bates as Madeline “Matty” Matlock

Bates almost turned down the role sight unseen. After a negative experience on a film, she was thinking of retiring. She told Parade, “[After] I swore to my agent—I said, "That's it, I'm done; I'm out of here"—I got offered this Matlock pilot. They called me one Friday afternoon. They said, ‘Listen, they're doing a pilot of Matlock. You have to read the script. You have to let them know by Monday.’

“So, I hung up and I was kind of grumpy and gruff [from the bad film experience]. And there I am, sitting, looking at my watch. Why haven't they sent a script yet? [Laughs.] So, it's like, so busted. It's like, you want to do it. If you're an actor, it's your life force. It's what you were made to do.”

Related: Kathy Bates Talks Candidly About Why She Almost Quit Acting and Wishing She Were a Man in Hollywood

Sky P. Marshall

Marshall stars as Olympia, a senior attorney and a key rainmaker with a thirst for justice.

Jason Ritter

Ritter plays Julian, Olympia’s ex-husband and the son of the head of the firm.

David Del Rio

Del Rio plays Billy, a charismatic younger associate.

Leah Lewis

Lewis plays Sarah, an uber ambitious younger associate.

Beau Bridges

Bridges will recur as Senior, the firm’s managing partner who has an indomitable presence that immediately alters the temperature of any room.

Yael Grobglas

Grobglas will recur as Shae Banfield, an insightful jury consultant able to suss out character and sniff out the truth using her mastery of body language, facial expressions and neurolinguistics.

Is there a trailer for Matlock?

There definitely is a trailer, which teases Matty’s re-entry into the legal profession and how being a woman of a certain age works to her advantage as “nobody sees us coming.”

What is Matlock about?

After achieving success in her younger years, the brilliant septuagenarian Madeline Matlock rejoins the workforce at a prestigious law firm where she uses her unassuming demeanor and wily tactics to win cases. Matty is assigned to Olympia. As Matty endeavors to establish herself in her new high-stakes world, she works alongside the firm’s younger associates Billy and Sarah.

Are there any spoilers for Matlock?

Not much has been released yet on Matlock, but Parade did talk to Del Rio at the CBS Fall Schedule Celebration in May, who shared that the cases they will be covering are pretty intense ones.

“I keep getting so shocked by the stories,” he says. And while the stories aren’t ripped from the headlines, he adds, “You can relate it to real life problems that are actually happening today in 2024. It’s such a real great connection of commenting on what’s going on in the world right now in the justice system. It’s really, really cool.”

How to watch Matlock

Matlock will air on CBS with episodes available the next day on Paramount+.

Next, CBS Announces Its Fall 2024-2025 Schedule