Matlock has been renewed for a third season, and Elsbeth for a fourth season at CBS.
From Jennie Snyder Urman, Matlock stars Kathy Bates as 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 is assigned to Olympia (Skye P. Marshall), a senior attorney and key rainmaker with a thirst for justice. Olympia’s ex-husband, Julian (Jason Ritter), the son of the head of the firm (Beau Bridges), is intrigued by Matty and her clever skills.
Deadline recently announced that Edwin Hodge would be joining the fold later this season as a guest star. He will play Langston, the kind of guy who can show up late, knowing he’ll charm everyone into forgetting about it as soon as he arrives. A double PhD in neuroscience and philosophy, he is a deep thinker… and a smooth talker.
His casting heralds Hodge’s return to CBS, following the conclusion of FBI: Most Wanted last year, in which he played the series regular role of Special Agent Ray Cannon across the show’s fourth to sixth seasons. Hodge will also reunite on-screen with his real-life wife, Marshall, whose work on the series is critically acclaimed.
In addition to Hodge, Sarah Wright Olsen and Henry Haber are set to recur on Matlock when it returns from hiatus following a mid-season break on February 26. Wright Olsen will play Gwen, an efficiency expert analyzing the firm, and Haber as Hunter, a younger associate from the floater pool who is a total bro.
Marshall recently told Deadline on the Golden Globe red carpet what fans can expect the new duo to bring to the show.
“The two new cast members brought such a completely different light, energy, and charisma to our storyline that I cannot wait for our audience to witness it,” she shared.
Urman executive produces the CBS Studios-produced series alongside Joanna Klein, Eric Christian Olsen, Kat Coiro and Bates.
Based on the character featured in The Good Wife and The Good Fight, Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston) is the astute but unconventional consent decree attorney working with the NYPD to catch New York’s well-heeled murderers, utilizing her unique perspective. Wendell Pierce also stars as Captain Charles Wallace (C. W.) Wagner.
The show has welcomed a number of guest stars again in its third season, including Lindsey Normington, Jaime Pressly, Andrew Rannells, Stephen Colbert, Andy Richter, Tony Hale, Dianne Wiest, Lois Smith, William Jackson Harper, Annaleigh Ashford, Amy Sedaris and Lindsay Mendez, among others.
It’s notable that a character from the Good Wife/Good Fight universe returns as her original character: Sarah Steele as Marissa Gold. Preston, as well as Christian Borle and Steele, are the three actors from the Universe to appear in all three franchise shows.
Elsbeth is produced by CBS Studios and executive produced by Robert King, Michelle King, Jonathan Tolins, Liz Glotzer, Erica Shelton Kodish, Bryan Goluboff, and Gail Barringer, with Tolins serving as showrunner. The Kings co-created the series.
The network announced the renewals Thursday along with fellow scripted series Tracker, Fire Country Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage and the NCIS shows and unscripted series Survivor and The Amazing Race.
