Summary

• Emmy winner Beau Bridges has been recast in a major role in the Matlock reboot.
• The reboot was announced in February 2023 and is currently in the pilot phase.
• Kathy Bates leads the cast as Maddie Matlock, a septuagenarian lawyer, with several other actors joining the project.

Decades after the beloved original went off the air, CBS is reviving Matlock with an all-new cast of familiar stars, and there are a ton of exciting updates about the upcoming reboot. Debuting in 1986, the original series followed lawyer Ben Matlock as he used his folksy wisdom to solve cases as they went to trial. Known for Andy Griffith's towering performance and its exciting courtroom scenes, Matlock helped set the stage for many of the procedurals that followed throughout the '90s and 2000s.

Running for a total of nine seasons, Matlock was not only a hit on its own but spawned a slew of successful spinoffs, like Diagnosis Murder and Father Dowling Mysteries. After the original series went off the air in 1995, the Matlock franchise began to wind down by the turn of the new millennium, and it didn't have much chance of returning. However, with the popularity of TV show reboots like Night Court and Quantum Leap in the 2020s, CBS decided to bring back the beloved '80s and '90s staple with Kathy Bates leading the cast.

The Matlock Reboot Latest News

A Major Role Has Been Recast

First announced in the early months of 2023, news regarding the CBS reboot has been scant, but the latest update sees a major role recast in Matlock. Emmy winner Beau Bridges has been tapped to join the cast in the role of Senior, the law firm's owner. The role was originally played by Jamey Sheridan in the previously-shot pilot episode, and no reason has been given for the switch. It's unknown if any other casting changes will take place before the show's unspecified release date.

The original Matlock is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Pluto TV.

The Matlock Reboot Is Confirmed

The Project Was Announced In February 2023

The Kathy Bates-led project was first announced in February 2023 when CBS gave the Matlock reboot a pilot order. Unlike other shows which get direct-to-series orders, Matlock went through the classic pilot process in which a test episode is shot and tweaks are made before the show moves forward. While there's little doubt that Matlock will make it to the screen, CBS hasn't given it a full order yet, and a release date hasn't been established.

The Matlock Reboot Cast

Kathy Bates Leads The Reboot's Cast

While the full cast of the Matlock reboot hasn't taken shape yet, there are a few big names already attached to the project, including its lead. Taking over for TV legend Andy Griffith, Kathy Bates (Misery) will star as Maddie Matlock, a septuagenarian lawyer who decides to return to practice law and uses her unassuming manner to unravel a host of legal mysteries. Jayme Sheridan (The Stand) was originally tapped to play Senior, the owner of the law firm that Matlock works for, but the role was given to Beau Bridges (The Fabulous Baker Boys) after the pilot episode.

Outside those two roles, Skye P. Marshall (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) will also appear in the reboot as Olympia, Malock's much younger boss. She will be joined by Jason Ritter (Parenthood) as Julian, one of Matlock's co-workers, while David Del Rio (Pitch Perfect) appears as Billy and Leah Lewis (Elemental) as Sarah. Little is known about the supporting roles, but more details are expected as the premiere nears. Also, because of the procedural nature of Matlock, it's expected that each episode will have a guest star or two.

The Matlock cast includes:

The Matlock Reboot Story

What Is The Matlock Reboot About?

Much like the original, which is considered one of the best legal dramas of all time, the Matlock reboot will feature a case-of-the-week format that will see the titular character use her legal know-how to crack the case. However, the reboot will have one big twist because it takes place in the real world, while the 1980s original was merely a fictional TV show that also exists in the reboot's universe. It's unclear exactly how this will affect the plot, but it is a clever wrinkle that no other modern reboots have tackled.

It will also put a heavy emphasis on Matlock's place in the world, and expose how older women are ignored in modern society despite their value as elders in the community. Much like Griffith's version, Maddie Matlock will use that to her advantage and hide her amazing talents behind the unassuming visage of a retiree. There will also be some strife within the office as the septuagenarian not only clashes with her jealous boss but tries to fit in with her much younger co-workers.

The Matlock Reboot Trailer

The First Look At The Reboot

In an unprecedented move, CBS released a trailer for the Matlock reboot in 2023, well before a release date had been established. The 2-minute trailer not only introduces the new Matlock character but quickly establishes that the original series is a fictional TV show in the reboot's universe. While the trailer relies heavily on Kathy Bates' charm in the lead role, it does offer a few glimpses of her relationship with her boss, Olympia, and her fish-out-of-water place among her much younger co-workers. More trailers for the Matlock reboot are expected once the series gets closer to a release date.