Matlock Renewed at CBS — The Fall’s First New Show to Score a Season 2
MWBSP!
CBS announced on Tuesday afternoon that its Matlock not-a-reboot starring Kathy Bates has been renewed, after just two airings.
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Matlock debuted with a special Sunday sneak preview that delivered 7.7 million total viewers — CBS’ most-watched series launch not airing after a Super Bowl since April 2019 — and a 0.4 demo rating. TVLine readers gave the twisty premiere an average grade of “A-.”
Following a multi-week break, the series’ first regularly scheduled Thursday-at-9/8c episode retained 6.4 million viewers and put up the same 0.4 demo rating. Of all shows that aired that Thursday night, Matlock posted the second-largest audience, trailing only the premiere of CBS’ own Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
“This reconceived Matlock was devised by Jennie Snyder Urman with a brilliant surprise plot twist,” notes CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach, “and we knew we had something very special the moment we saw the first episode brought to life by the incredibly talented Kathy Bates. The audience reception and critical acclaim for it has been overwhelming. We can’t wait to get started on a second season.”
Matlock stars Emmy and Academy Award winner Bates as, the official synopsis told(/lied to) us, “Madeline ‘Matty’ Matlock, a brilliant septuagenarian who achieved success in her younger years and decides to rejoin the work force at a prestigious law firm where she uses her unassuming demeanor and wily tactics to win cases.”
Matty painted herself to law firm colleagues as the broke widow of a cheating husband, and caretaker for her late daughter’s brat of a son. But in truth — series premiere spoiler alert! — Matty’s real name is Madeleine Kingston; she is wealthy with a doting, alive husband and loving grandson; and she is out to infiltrate the Jacobson Moore law firm so as to find out who there was responsible for helping a Big Pharma client keep in the marketplace the opiates that her daughter Ellie died from.
Matlock‘s series regular cast also includes Skye P. Marshall (Good Sam), Jason Ritter (Parenthood), Leah Lewis (Nancy Drew) and David Del Rio (The Baker and the Beauty).
Want scoop on Matlock, or for any other TV show ? Shoot an email to [email protected], and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line!
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