‘Matlock’ Renewed for Season 2 After 2 Episodes

Kathy Bates will be returning to “Matlock.” CBS renewed the drama starring the legendary actor for a second season after airing only two episodes.

It’s not surprising that CBS would be eager to renew this particular series. The gender-swapped revival of the classic drama starring Andy Griffith debuted a sneak peek in September. That first episode was CBS’ best non-Super Bowl premiere in over five years, securing 7.7 million viewers. The audience grew to 10.67 million viewers within three days of multiplatform viewing. In addition to being widely watched, the series has also proven to be a critical success and currently holds a coveted “Certified Fresh” 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“This re-conceived ‘Matlock’ was devised by Jennie Snyder Urman with a brilliant surprise plot twist, and we knew we had something very special the moment we saw the first episode brought to life by the incredibly talented Kathy Bates,” Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said in a statement to press. “The audience reception and critical acclaim for it has been overwhelming. We can’t wait to get started on a second season.”

“Matlock” stars Bates as Madeline Kingston, a wealthy lawyer who returns to practice as “Matty Matlock.” To everyone in the office around her, she’s an unassuming and devoted worker who’s desperate to make a name for herself and support her family in this late stage of her life. But in reality, Madeline plans to use her brilliant legal mind and unassuming demeanor to investigate a highly personal case connected to the opioid epidemic. In addition to Bates, the series stars Skye P. Marshall, Jason Ritter, David Del Rio and Leah Lewis.

The drama is executive produced by Jennie Snyder Urman, Joanna Klein, Eric Christian Olsen, Kat Coiro and Bates. CBS Studios produces the series for the CBS Television Network and it’s distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

“Matlock” airs new episodes on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Episodes are available to watch live on Paramount+ for Premium subscribers the night they air on CBS. For Paramount+ Essential subscribers, episodes are available to watch the day after they premiere on CBS.