All rise! The CBS Original series Matlock is back in session. The popular legal drama, available to stream on Paramount+, has been renewed for Season 3, and is set to premiere in CBS’ midseason 2026-27 schedule.
Oscar® and Emmy® winner Kathy Bates returns as the fierce and lovable Madeline “Matty” Matlock, and the show will be heading into uncharted territory after a surprising Season 2 finale.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about Matlock Season 3: release details, cast, story, and where to watch. SPOILER ALERT: Key plot points from Season 2 and the game-changing finale will be shared.
Key facts
- Network: CBS
- Streaming: Paramount+
- Premiere: TBD, Midseason 2026-27
- Lead star: Kathy Bates
- Creator: Jennie Snyder Urman
How to watch the new season
You can watch Matlock Season 3 on CBS and Paramount+. Fans can watch new episodes live on your local CBS TV station, or on Paramount+ with the Paramount+ Premium plan. You can stream episodes on the day after they air with either the Paramount+ Premium plan or the Paramount+ Essential plan. All episodes of Seasons 1 and 2 are available to binge-watch now on Paramount+ (all plans).
Here’s a quick look at how to watch Season 3 of Matlock:
Matlock Season 3
- Date: TBD, Midseason 2026-27
- Time: TBD
- Channel: CBS
- Streaming: Paramount+*
*New episodes can be streamed live on Paramount+ as they air on CBS via the Paramount+ Premium plan, or they can be streamed on the day after they air via any Paramount+ plan.
When Season 3 premieres
A premiere date for Matlock Season 3 has not yet been announced. The legal drama, renewed for Season 3 in January 2026, is planned in the CBS 2026-27 fall schedule as a midseason entry. That means the show is likely to return in early 2027, unlike previous seasons. (Season 1 premiered Sept. 22, 2024, and Season 2 premiered Oct. 12, 2025)
What Season 3 is about
WARNING! Spoilers from Season 2 ahead.
Matlock Season 3 will feature a brand-new mystery as the Wellbrexa case and investigation concluded in the shocking Season 2 finale titled “Matty Matlock.” Matty avenged her daughter’s death and those responsible for hiding key details in the Wellbrexa case were exposed and arrested. Case closed.
After chasing down her enemies and juggling a secret identity, Matty reaches a crossroads in her life. Will she continue her ruse as the brilliant attorney Matty Matlock or will she return to life as the retired Madeline Kingston?
There is also the big question on the future of the law firm Jacobson Moore and its employees as the guilty leadership has been removed. A big reset is definitely in store for the show, and time will tell what showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman and her team have up their sleeve for the new season.
Where things stand after Season 2
Matlock Season 2 ends with the Wellbrexa investigation coming to a close, guilty parties arrested, and Matty exposing the truth and avenging her daughter’s death. Things have been left in limbo when it comes to the future of the Matty and Olympia partnership and the law firm Jacobson and Moore.
The finale teases a possible new job opportunity for Matty and Olympia: a chance to strike out on their own. Season 3 will start fresh, with a whole new mystery for the attorneys and fans.
Who is returning
Kathy Bates returns as Matty
Oscar® and Emmy® winner Kathy Bates is back as Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a brilliant lawyer with a hidden agenda. Her performance as the clever and formidable attorney Matty Matlock has captivated many and scored her an Emmy and Golden Globe nomination.
Matty is the heart of the series and the reason fans keep coming back for more. The retiree rejoins the workforce at a prestigious law firm with a secret mission at hand. In pursuit of justice for her daughter, Matty ends up finding herself again after a devastating loss.
Why the show became one of CBS’s biggest hits
As Thursday night’s No. 1 entertainment program during the 2025-2026 primetime season, Matlock has found huge success on broadcast and streaming on Paramount+. The combination of Kathy Bates’ stellar acting skills, superb legal procedural storytelling, and a serialized mystery you can’t stop watching, makes this show a huge hit.
Matlock, the beloved legal drama from the 1980s and ’90s starring Andy Griffith, gets a breath of fresh air with a gender-swapped lead and surprising new mystery. The courtroom antics and reveals might ring familiar to fans of the classic show, but Kathy Bates takes the sometimes cantankerous attorney role to new heights with a secretive ulterior motive for rejoining the workforce.
Let the record show that plenty of fans agree that Matlock is a must-see drama. Bates is a dream and her surrounding cast members help propel the show to the top of the Nielsen ratings week after week. So do yourself a favor and hop on Paramount+ to get hooked.
Matlock
Watch NowFAQ
When does Season 3 come out?
Matlock Season 3 is set to come out midseason in the 2026-27 fall schedule. Early 2027 is when fans can expect to see fresh episodes with new twists.
Do I need to watch Seasons 1 and 2 first?
You can jump in at any time to watch Matlock.
How many episodes will there be in Season 3?
The official number of episodes in Matlock Season 3 has not yet been released, but we do know that Season 1 had 19 episodes and Season 2 had 16 episodes.
Streaming on Paramount+
Even though fans might have to wait a little longer for Matlock to return, Season 3 is on the horizon with a new mystery and fresh direction. As you wait for the return of Matty and her wiley ways, binge-watch every episode from Seasons 1 and 2 available on Paramount+, and if it pleases the court, don’t forget to return in early 2027 for a brand new season.
