The classic TV show “Matlock” is coming back to screens next year – but with a twist. Kathy Bates will take on the lead role as a lady lawyer named Madeline “Matty” Matlock in CBS’s reimagined version of the legal drama.
Matty is joining a prestigious law firm later in life, looking to prove that experience counts just as much as youth. As a woman in her 70s, she’ll show viewers that older people still have a lot to offer. “I wanted to write a character who challenges ageism,” says producer Jennie Snyder Urman.
Bates, who is 76 herself, thinks Matty’s role is long overdue. “You never see women my age as the lead on TV,” she points out. Her character will have depth, taking on complex cases and corrupt bosses week after week.
Helping Matty in the courtroom is Olympia, played by Skye P. Marshall. Olympia is a senior attorney, and her ex Julian (Jason Ritter) also works at the firm. Recent law grads Billy and Sarah (David Del Rio and Leah Lewis) round out the team.
The new Matlock aims to stand on its own, without connecting to the original 1980s series. But producer Eric Christian Olsen still wants to tap into nostalgia, saying the first show reminds him of time with his grandmother.
This reimagined Matlock kicks off with a special preview this September, before moving to its regular Thursday 9PM time slot starting in October. It joins other new shows in CBS’s fall lineup like the sitcom “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” and the game show reboot “Hollywood Squares” hosted by Drew Barrymore.
With Kathy Bates at the center and a committed creative team, the gender-flipped Matlock reboot looks ready to deliver compelling drama and exploration of important themes to television audiences this fall season.
