Good Wife Spin-Off Elsbeth Gets Series Order At CBS
With more networks and streaming services than ever before, everyone's trying to grab as many eyeballs as possible. That often means relying on what's worked in the past, and that's clearly the approach CBS is taking with its slew of new orders.
TV Line reports that CBS is moving forward with a reboot of "Matlock" as well as a new comedy from the Wayans brothers called "Poppa's House." However, fans of legal dramas also have reason to rejoice. A spin-off of "The Good Wife," a CBS legal drama that ran from 2009 to 2016, has gotten the green light that will be titled "Elsbeth." Fans of "The Good Wife" can likely surmise the new show will center on Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston), a quirky lawyer who helped out the main cast on more than one occasion. While it was only a recurring role, it obviously made an impact to the point where she's now going to be the one in charge.
Elsbeth will work alongside the NYPD
"The Good Wife" has already seen success with spin-offs. "The Good Fight" sees Christine Baranski reprise her role as Diane Lockhart, gaining exceptional viewership on CBS All Access before moving to Paramount+. "Elsbeth" is going back to the franchise's roots at CBS with a series order. According to the synopsis, Elsbeth has had a great career in Chicago, but she's taking her unconventional attributes to the Big Apple as she "utilizes her singular point of view to make unique observations and corner brilliant criminals alongside the NYPD." In addition to Carrie Preston playing the lead role, she'll be joined by Carra Patterson ("Turner & Hooch") and Wendell Pierce ("Jack Ryan").
Preston certainly hasn't lost her touch with playing the character. She most recently had a recurring role on "The Good Fight, but now, it seems as though she's ready to take center stage. Along with sharing the TV Line article, Preston took to Twitter to express her excitement as well as voice support for the writers currently striking in Hollywood, stating, "I am unbelievably psyched and humbled at this dream come true.... So let's keep hoping for a fair deal for the writers so they can begin their magic! I'm so grateful to Michelle and @RKing618 for creating such a sensational role and to @CBS for letting us share this with you!"
There's no word on an official release date, but one would surmise it would be part of the 2023-2024 network TV season.