What do you get when you cross the legendary Kathy Bates with a razor-sharp, undercover lawyer? Well, you get Matlock - the best legal drama in years (or so say its fans), of course! Part courtroom drama, part detective series, the hit show follows Kathy Bates as lawyer Madeline "Matty" Matlock - and, after series one ended with a bang, the second instalment, which is coming to arrive on Sky Witness and NOW - is set to address some very important issues.

The twist at the heart of the show (stay with us) is that Matlock isn’t actually Matlock. She’s actually Madeline Kingston, who's secretly operating under the alias at a prestigious law firm after the death of her daughter to an opioid overdose. She susses out that the law firm hid some important documents that could have prevented her daughter's death from happening - and she wants retribution for the tragedy.

With series 1, which aired last November, leaving us with a number of unanswered questions, there's a lot resting on series 2. So, while we await its arrival on our screens this arriving on our screens, here’s everything you need to know about the series, from the cast to the plot to how to watch it.

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What is Matlock about?

If you’re yet to catch the first series of the show (and you very much should!), here’s the lowdown: it’s a legal drama starring Kathy Bates as Madeline “Matty” Matlock. But all is not as it seems - the septuagenarian is working undercover at law firm Jacobson Moore. No, Matty’s not the retired widower she claims to be who is going back to work after her late husband racked up gambling debts. In fact, she’s wealthy and happily married - but she has a cunning plan to expose corruption at the heart of law firm.

toronto april 17: "tricks of the trade part one" and "tricks of the trade part two" when sarah's client is arrested after his business partner is found murdered, billy attempts to help her handle the case while matty and olympia contend with a pressing confidential matter, on a special two hour first season finale of the cbs original series matlock, thursday, april 17 (9:00 11:00 pm, et/pt) on the cbs television network, and streaming on paramount+ (live and on demand for paramount+ with showtime subscribers, or on demand for paramount+ essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. pictured (l r): leah lewis as "sarah franklin" and kathy bates as "madeline matlock". (photo by sonja flemming/cbs via getty images)
CBS Photo Archive

So why has Matty deceived her way into a legal position? Well, she’s attempting to avenge the death of her daughter Ellie, who died from an opioid overdose - and believes that someone at Jacobson Moore helped conceal documents that could have taken the drug off the market. As part of her newfound identity as a law firm associate, Matty takes on cases alongside colleagues Olympia Lawrence (Skye P. Marshall) and Billy Martinez (David Del Rio), earning their trust in the process.

Part of the fun is watching Matty try and escape detection, while Kathy Bates brings charm to the role. Bates’ character chooses her alias Matlock from the original Matlock series that ran between the 1980s and 1990s, with Andy Griffith as a male lead - and (slightly mind-bendingly) the original exists as a TV show within this TV show.

What will happen in Matlock series 2?

As it stands, no plot details for series 2 have been released, but we're expecting it to address some pretty big issues from series 1. We won’t share any major spoilers here in case you’re yet to catch up on the first series, but the unresolved plot lines from the series 1 finale include a surprise pregnancy, some clues about the "hidden documents", and a moment where Matty meets someone who could be the father of Alfie, her genius grandson. In the midst of it all, there's the all-important issue that Matty’s secret only ever seems to be moments from being revealed.

toronto april 17: "tricks of the trade part one" and "tricks of the trade part two" when sarah's client is arrested after his business partner is found murdered, billy attempts to help her handle the case while matty and olympia contend with a pressing confidential matter, on a special two hour first season finale of the cbs original series matlock, thursday, april 17 (9:00 11:00 pm, et/pt) on the cbs television network, and streaming on paramount+ (live and on demand for paramount+ with showtime subscribers, or on demand for paramount+ essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. pictured (l r): kathy bates as "madeline matlock" and skye p. marshall as "olympia lawrence". (photo by roert voets/cbs via getty images)
CBS Photo Archive

Commenting on the future of the series and its ongoing plot lines, executive producer Kat Coiri told Collider: “I can say that there’s still a lot that you guys are going to have to figure out. In a way, the show has a slow drip. It’s not just huge plot each week. It’s psychologically complex. It’ll go on for years.” Does that mean that are many more series on the way? Here's hoping!

Who’s in the cast of Matlock series 2?

toronto april 10: "i was that, too" a pregnant woman asks for olympia's help obtaining a divorce from her husband, whose family is a client of the firm, on matlock, thursday, april 10 (9:01 10:00 pm, et/pt) on the cbs television network, and streaming on paramount+ (live and on demand for paramount+ with showtime subscribers, or on demand for paramount+ essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. pictured (l r): kathy bates as "madeline matlock" and skye p. marshall as "olympia lawrence". (photo by sonja flemming/cbs via getty images)
CBS Photo Archive

The full cast of Matlock series 2 hasn't yet been revealed, but we do know that, One Day At a Time’s Justina Machado is joining the cast as Eva, a recurring character who's the fourth ex-wife of Beau Bridges' character Senior. We'd also hope that the following stars of Matlock series 1 will return:

  • Kathy Bates as Madeline "Matty" Matlock/Madeline Kingston
  • Skye P. Marshall as Olympia Lawrence
  • Jason Ritter as Julian Markston
  • David Del Rio as Billy Martinez
  • Leah Lewis as Sarah Franklin
  • Eme Ikwuakor as Elijah
  • Aaron Harris as Alfie Kingston
  • Sam Anderson as Edwin Kingston
  • Beau Bridges as Howard "Senior" Markston
  • Patricia Belcher as Mrs. B
  • Yael Grobglas as Shae Banfield
  • Piper Curda as Kira
  • Andrea Londo as Simone

Is there a trailer for Matlock series 2?

There isn’t a trailer for series 2 of Matlock just yet, but you can watch the series 1 trailer below:

Is Matlock any good?

Yes, it's absolutely brilliant. Kathy Bates has been nominated for an Emmy for her turn in Matlock (making her, at 77, the oldest person ever to be nominated!) The series had a huge viewership when it first premiered on CBS in the US, and it was renewed for a second series after just 2 episodes, so that’s a huge vote of confidence. It’s also had rave reviews from viewers, with one saying: “I don’t remember anything this enticing since Breaking Bad” and others calling it "the best legal drama in years".

How can I watch Matlock series 2?

los angeles july 15: kathy bates reacts to the cast and crew from the cbs original series matlock surprising her with a celebration upon the morning of her emmy nomination for best lead actress in a drama series. pictured (l r): kathy bates as "madeline matlock". (photo by sonja flemming/cbs via getty images)
CBS Photo Archive

Good news - Matlock series 2 is coming soon! The second instalment will premiere on Sunday 12th October on CBS, which means it's likely to arrive in the UK on Sky Witness and Now slightly later in November. As soon as we have a confirmed UK release, we'll share it here. While you wait, you can catch up on series 1 on Sky Witness and NOW.