Kathy Bates’ star-powered “Matlock” revival delivered an impressive 7.73 million viewers during its sneak peek premiere on Sunday, September 22, making it CBS’s highest-rated non-post-Super Bowl series debut since The Code in 2019.
In Canada, the premiere was the #1 show of the night, drawing in 1.2 million viewers.
Matlock is inspired by the classic 80’s show starring Andy Griffith as the titular protagonist, Ben Matlock.
In the reboot, Bates plays Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a decorated, septuagenarian attorney who comes out of retirement to join a prestigious law firm. She uses her unique skills and experience to win cases and expose corruption within the legal system.
The show is a gender-flipping revival, with a focus on corporate crimes, which sets it apart from the original series, which was more engaged in solving murders. The show is less a reboot more just a show about a lawyer with the same name, the original Matlock is even mentioned here as being a popular TV show.
The second episode of Matlock will air on Thursday, October 17, with additional encore broadcasts planned for early October. The first episode is also available for streaming on Paramount+.
