Kathy Bates' hit CBS legal drama Matlock has become the network's first show to receive a renewal for next season. The series, which is a gender-flipped re-imagining of the successful Andy Griffith show of the same name, debuted on September 22 on CBS and was watched by 7.74 million viewers. The series sees Bates in the role of Madeline "Matty" Matlock, a brilliant but aging former lawyer who rejoins a prestigious law firm and uses her unconventional approach to win cases.

The positive reception of the show has not gone unnoticed - with its second episode attracting 6.38 million viewers - and, per Deadline, CBS has made the decision to greenlight a season 2 already. Matlock set a CBS record when it posted the biggest audience for a non-post-Super Bowl series premiere since The Code in 2019, and hopes are high for the 18-episode first season. CBS President of Entertainment Amy Reisenbach praised the show and its clever plot twist,...