Matlock Season 3 is officially confirmed, but fans will need to be patient. Matlock Season 3 will premiere in the 2026–2027 broadcast season on CBS, but this time it is getting a midseason premiere. That means rather than returning during the fall television season, Matlock has been moved to midseason, with Season 3 expected to premiere in early 2027 on CBS. The delay was by design — and creator Jennie Snyder Urman says the extra time is being used wisely.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- CBS renewed Matlock for Season 3 on 22 January 2026, alongside nine other shows including Tracker, Elsbeth, and Survivor.
- No exact premiere date has been confirmed — Season 3 is slated for a midseason slot in the 2026–27 CBS schedule, pointing to early 2027.
- Kathy Bates and Skye P. Marshall are expected to return as leads; no official cast list has been announced.
- The Season 2 Wellbrexa storyline concluded in a two-hour finale on 23 April 2026, clearing the way for a brand-new mystery.
- Season 3's new storyline will centre on insurance and healthcare, per showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman.
Show summary
Show | Matlock (CBS, 2024–present) |
Network | CBS |
Streaming | Paramount+ |
Creator | Jennie Snyder Urman |
Lead star | Kathy Bates |
Season 3 premiere | TBD — midseason 2026–27 (expected early 2027) |
Season 3 episode count | Not yet confirmed |
Previous seasons | Season 1: 19 episodes; Season 2: 16 episodes |
Is Matlock renewed for Season 3?
CBS revealed on 22 January 2026 that Matlock will officially be back for Season 3. The renewal came as little surprise, as the legal drama remains one of broadcast's most critically acclaimed series and Kathy Bates had nabbed nominations from the Emmys, Golden Globes, and more major associations.
As Thursday night's No. 1 entertainment programme during the 2025–2026 primetime season, Matlock found huge success on broadcast and streaming on Paramount+. The show was renewed as part of a bumper CBS announcement that also confirmed new seasons for Tracker, Elsbeth, Fire Country, NCIS, and Survivor.
Why won't Matlock Season 3 return in autumn 2026?
In autumn 2026, Elsbeth will take over Matlock's timeslot, which leads into the new legal drama series Cupertino at 10 p.m. The move was not a network decision alone — Urman specifically asked for it.
"I asked for it with the network. We had a talk. I just feel like we had so much stuff to think about because we really landed the plane on this and we really thought that was important because we didn't want to keep dragging out the same story and the characters have to get to someplace real emotionally."
Urman said she needed ample time with her writers to map out the new mystery, so she had a meeting with CBS asking if Matlock Season 3 could be moved to midseason. "[It's a] big reset, so we have an extra long writer's room before we go to camera, and I really want to do it right," Urman adds. "The quality is everything to me."
CBS entertainment president Amy Reisenbach echoed that framing. "It really speaks to the strength of our schedule that we're in a position to move bonafide hits like Matlock and Ghosts to midseason," she said, per Variety.
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 schedule as a midseason entry, meaning the show is likely to return in early 2027, unlike previous seasons.
This means that Matlock Season 3 likely won't make its premiere until January 2027 at the earliest, though midseason could also mean February.
When did previous seasons premiere?
For context, here is how the first two seasons launched:
Season | Premiere date | Network |
Season 1 | 22 September 2024 | CBS |
Season 2 | 12 October 2025 | CBS |
Season 3 | TBD — early 2027 (midseason) | CBS |
The show premiered with a sneak peek on 22 September 2024, before its timeslot premiere on 17 October on CBS. In October 2024, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on 12 October 2025.
How to watch Matlock Season 3
You can watch Matlock Season 3 on CBS and Paramount+. Fans can watch new episodes live on their local CBS TV station, or on Paramount+ with the Paramount+ Premium plan.
Who will be in the cast of Matlock Season 3?
An official cast list has not been announced, but expect series leads Bates and Skye P. Marshall to return. Matlock also stars Jason Ritter, Leah Lewis, Sam Anderson, Aaron D. Harris, and Beau Bridges, with recurring guest stars Justina Machado and Niko Nicotera.
Patricia Belcher will be back as Mrs Belvin in Season 3 in an expanded role, Urman told TV Insider in the Matlock Season 2 finale interview.
Ritter's wife, Melanie Lynskey, also made a surprise appearance earlier in Season 2 and returned in the penultimate episode. Marshall's husband, Edwin Hodge, made his Matlock debut later in Season 2 and could return as a love interest for Olympia in Season 3.
Urman also said that Yael Grobglas, Gina Rodriguez, Yara Martinez, Bridget Regan, and Machado could all return in Season 3.
What happened to David Del Rio?
David Del Rio, who played associate Billy Martinez, was fired in October 2025 following an internal CBS investigation into an alleged sexual assault. Del Rio has denied the allegations, and CBS later reopened the investigation. He will not return for Season 3.
What will Matlock Season 3 be about?
Matlock Season 3 will feature a brand-new mystery, as the Wellbrexa case 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.
Julian and Senior are going to jail. Matty and Olympia are starting their own law firm. That significant shakeup clears the decks for an entirely new chapter.
Urman has already teased the direction of the new overarching mystery. Speaking to Give Me My Remote, she said:
"There is a new mystery, and it comes in quite organically as a thread from the old, but not related at all to the old, so it feels fresh... It's going to have to do with the insurance business — insurance and healthcare."
She added that emotionally, Matty has forgiven herself for what she could or couldn't do for Ellie, and that "the deep emotional spine of the show [in Season 3] and the thing that we'll be touching on and trying to get through — that I think is going to give us all the poignancy — comes from a slightly different place."
Latest news on Matlock Season 3
As of August 2026, Matlock Season 3 remains confirmed for Paramount+'s midseason 2026–27 schedule. No trailer has been released and no specific premiere date has been set. The series is currently in its extended writers' room phase, per Urman's earlier statements.
The official number of episodes in Matlock Season 3 has not yet been released, but Season 1 had 19 episodes and Season 2 had 16 episodes.
Kathy Bates' profile has only grown during the hiatus. Bates made Emmy history, becoming the oldest performer ever nominated in the lead drama actress category at age 77 for her role in the CBS reboot of Matlock. With the nomination, Bates surpassed a record previously held by Angela Lansbury, who was 70 when she received her final nod in 1996 for Murder, She Wrote.
Bates also received two nominations in 2025 for her work on the series: a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Speaking to The New York Times ahead of the show's launch, Bates described the role with characteristic directness:
"This is my last dance."
FAQs
- Is Matlock renewed for Season 3? Yes. CBS officially renewed Matlock for Season 3 on 22 January 2026, alongside nine other network shows.
- When does Matlock Season 3 start? No exact date has been confirmed. Season 3 is scheduled as a midseason entry in CBS's 2026–27 broadcast schedule, pointing to January or February 2027 at the earliest.
- Will Kathy Bates return for Season 3? Yes. Bates is expected to reprise her role as Madeline "Matty" Matlock. No formal cast announcement has been made, but all major leads are anticipated to return.
- Why is Matlock Season 3 coming later than usual? Creator Jennie Snyder Urman personally requested the midseason slot. The Season 2 finale served as a complete reset for the series, and Urman wanted extra time to develop the new storyline properly.
- What will Season 3 be about? The Wellbrexa opioid storyline wrapped in the Season 2 finale. Urman has teased that Season 3's new overarching mystery will involve the insurance and healthcare industry.
- Who is leaving Matlock before Season 3? David Del Rio, who played Billy Martinez, was fired in October 2025 following an investigation into an alleged sexual assault and will not appear in Season 3.
- Where can I watch Matlock Season 3? Season 3 will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+. New episodes will be available live on Paramount+ Premium, or on demand the following day on any Paramount+ plan.
- How many episodes will Season 3 have? CBS has not confirmed an episode count. Season 1 had 19 episodes and Season 2 had 16 episodes.
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