Elsbeth is coming back to primetime with another killer for Carrie Preston and Co. to try and take down, and fans of The Good Wife may recognize the show's first murderer of the 2026 TV schedule. Hamish Linklater, who appeared in two episodes of the Emmy-winning drama in its day, will be back opposite Elsbeth, but not as that same character. Ahead of the winter premiere on February 26, Preston spoke with CinemaBlend about her show breaking the "rule" set by The Good Wife and The Good Fight about not reusing the same actors.

The winter premiere is called "Ol' Man Liver" and will feature Gen V's Hamish Linklater as Archer Kopunek, making Elsbeth his first return to the world of The Good Fight since he played a character by the name of David LaGuardia back in the original series' fourth season. Carrie Preston previewed what to expect from his Elsbeth character, saying:

Nobody in primetime can successfully needle killers into dropping their guard quite like Elsbeth Tascioni, usually with hilarious results to justify the show being switched from drama to comedy for awards consideration. The humor is just one of many elements that separate Carrie Preston's show from the two that came before. Of course, The Good Wife and The Good Fight have never been considered necessary viewing to enjoy Elsbeth, although all three shows are currently available with a Paramount+ subscription.

Elsbeth has brought back actors from the other shows to reprise their roles, including Sarah Steele as Marissa Gold this season and Christian Borle's Carter Schmidt last season, but that's not the only option to recruit actors to return. Nathan Lane arrived to play somebody entirely separate from his role on The Good Wife, and Modern Family's Jesse Tyler Ferguson did the same in his arrival on Elsbeth after The Good Fight. Now, Hamish Linklater is up next. Carrie Preston went on to tell me her thoughts on Elsbeth bringing him back, along with others:

Carrie Preston definitely isn't kidding about Law & Order, as we have a whole list of notable actors who played multiple Law & Order roles. Plus, Nathan Lane's episode of Elsbeth remains one of my favorites of the entire show, proving early on that it was definitely worth recycling actors.

And as it turns out, it was no coincidence that there were no repeats across the years of The Good Wife and The Good Fight, but a rule that Elsbeth hasn't held back from breaking. Carrie Preston went on:

Therefore... welcome back, Hamish Linklater! Preston noted that while she didn't think they "would run out of actors" if they followed the old rule, they "would have to do a wider search." She went on to praise Linklater for what he brings as an actor, while still not spoiling the events of the winter premiere:

Fortunately, the wait is nearly over for the first episode of Elsbeth since the Christmas-themed murder mystery fall finale back in December 2025. The winter premiere will air on Thursday, February 26 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS, directly after the winter premiere of Kathy Bates' Matlock at 9 p.m. ET. You can also stream episodes next day on Paramount+.

Warning: spoilers are ahead for Episode 2 of Elsbeth Season 3, called "Doll Day Afternoon" and available streaming next day with a Paramount+ subscription.

Elsbeth returned to its usual time slot in the fall 2025 TV schedule with "Doll Day Afternoon," featuring Arrested Development's David Cross as the guest star killer of the week. The episode had plenty of laughs thanks to the hostage situation going down in a toy store and the killer bumbling his way through the crisis, but also inlcuded a fun shout out to The Good Wife and The Good Fight.

While Elsbeth is a very different show, Carrie Preston's character did start out in those series before getting her own spinoff, and it's fitting that a fan-favorite got a mention ahead of another Good Fight star coming on board later this season. Preston opened up about the upcoming arrival, but let's start with the Easter egg for fans of the previous two shows in the franchise!

Elsbeth Has A Client Recommendation For Diane

Elsbeth leaned on her legal skills while trying to get through to Nolan (David Cross) in "Doll Day Afternoon," and was making such headway that he wanted her to be his lawyer. She said that wouldn't be possible, but she did know somebody who worked in both Washington, D.C. and New York City and might be a good fit to take on his case.

Later, she vaguely said that this friend of hers didn't really specialize in any field in particular, but name-dropped none other than "Diane." It could only be a reference to Diane Lockhart, played by Christine Baranski in every season of The Good Wife as well as The Good Fight.

Crossovers between Elsbeth and the wider Good Wife/Good Fight world have been rare over the three season so far, since the original two shows aren't required viewing for Carrie Preston's series. Other than Christian Borle as Carter Schmidt in Season 2, only Preston has appeared to reprise a character from the original two shows.

It remains to be seen if Diane ever appears in the flesh and gets more than just a mention, but there's an upcoming Good Wife reunion for the leading lady that's officially on the way.

Carrie Preston Previewed Sarah Steele's Arrival

News broke ahead of the Season 3 premiere (with Stephen Colbert) that none other than Sarah Steele was set as a guest star to reprise her Good Wife and Good Fight role of Marissa Gold. The actress appeared in 22 episodes of the original series, then had a larger role in The Good Fight as a series regular. When I spoke with Carrie Preston ahead of Season 3 about how Carra Patterson's Kaya will be involved, she also weighed in on the arrival of Sarah Steele among the vets of The Good Wife and Good Fight:

This isn't a case of a former actor from the franchise coming on board to play a new character like what happened with Nathan Lane as the Season 2 premiere killer. Sarah Steele is confirmed to be back as Marissa Gold, and Carrie Preston went on to share another perk:

As Carrie Preston said, Elsbeth is technically set in the same world as the original two shows, but everything from the tone to the format are very different. It's just a matter of time before fans see what Marissa is like in the Elsbeth corner of the world.

For now, we can only wait to see when Sarah Steele will appear in Elsbeth, but keep tuning in to CBS on Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET for the newest episodes of Season 3. The next will bring back Carra Patterson as Kaya, as well as feature Julia Fox as a guest star. You can also find The Good Wife, The Good Fight, and the first two seasons of Elsbeth streaming on Paramount+ now.

For the most part, you’d never really know that Elsbeth is a spinoff of The Good Wife and The Good Fight. Every once in a while, Elsbeth’s past comes back to haunt her, and occasionally her work as a lawyer in Chicago is mentioned. However, you don’t need to have seen the previous two shows to understand the lore. However, as Season 3 approaches its premiere on the 2025 TV schedule, a guest star has been added that marks this CBS series' strongest connection back to its predecessors.

Last season, Christian Borle’s Carter Schmidt came to New York to pay Elsbeth a visit. This season, Sarah Steele will be reprising her role as Marissa Gold, per EW. For those who might not remember, Marissa made her debut on The Good Wife in Season 2 (which you can stream with a Paramount+ subscription). As the daughter of Alan Cumming’s Eli Gold, she appeared after that in Seasons 3, 6 and 7. She was in 22 episodes of the flagship show in total before becoming a regular on The Good Fight.

As I mentioned, Steele was a regular on The Good Fight, with her run starting on Episode 2 of Season 1. She appeared in 58 of the show’s 60 episodes, where she served as the firm’s private investigator. However, on Elsbeth, we’ll get to see how she’s switched careers, as she enters the story as the campaign manager for New York mayoral candidate Alec Bloom.

Considering the numbers alone, Steele’s involvement in Elsbeth easily marks the show’s most direct connection back to the franchise, seeing as Borle appeared in five episodes of The Good Wife and three episodes of The Good Fight.

Now, other than the few guest stars, Cary Agos (who was played by Matt Czuchry) was name-dropped very early on in the show. He was in every episode of The Good Wife, making his name the biggest to get mentioned. Elsbeth has also mentioned her ex-husband a few times, and he was played by Will Patton on the OG project. However, since they have not appeared in person, they're not the strongest connection.

Also, there have been a few actors who have appeared on Elsbeth and The Good Wife; however, they played different characters. For example, Nathan Lane was in the Season 2 premiere of Carrie Preston’s show. However, he did not play lawyer and accountant Clarke Hayden. He played the murderous opera aficionado Phillip Cross.

So, again, Sarah Steele’s involvement in Elsbeth as Marissa Gold is a very, very big deal. Not only is her character iconic, but she also opens a door for more legendary characters to pop up, like Alan Cumming’s Eli Gold (I’d also love to see him play a new and campy murderer on Elsbeth, too). Though admittedly, that feels like a very far-flung dream.

Coming back to reality, it will be fascinating to see what brings Marissa into the story. It sounds like she’s taking a page out of her dad’s book by getting into politics and managing a campaign. I also can’t wait to see what her interactions with Elsbeth are like and if any old memories from their times on The Good Wife and The Good Fight come up.

Along with Steele, William Jackson Harper (who you might recognize as Chidi from The Good Place) and Ivan Hernandez will also guest star in the episode that’s titled “Poetic Justice.”

It’s unclear which episode this is specifically; however, odds are it will be early in the season. So, make sure to tune into Elsbeth’s third season starting Sunday, October 12 at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS. Then, make sure to keep watching as it moves back to its normal night and continues to air weekly on Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET.

Legal dramas, thrillers, and comedies have been part of Hollywood since the very beginning. Whether it's classic shows like L.A. Law and Ally McBeal, or movies like A Time To Kill and To Kill A Mockingbird, there is every kind of movie about the law, and the lawyers who practice it.

L.A. Law

Admit it, you can hear that saxophone intro as the trunk slams on the Mercedes that opened every episode of L.A. Law for eight seasons from 1986 until 1994. It was one of the anchors of NBC's legendary Thursday nights in that era. It was the only drama in the lineup, and for those of us who grew up at the time, it was the perfect way to end the evening.

A Time To Kill

Matthew McConaughey's first movie role came as a cast member of the legendary Dazed and Confused, where he was responsible for some classic lines. He really became a more rounded movie star with his starring turn in A Time To Kill, with Samuel L. Jackson. McConaughey plays a lawyer defending Jackson's character for what audiences see as a justified murder.

Ally McBeal

The legal world has always been a rich area for comedy. I'm not going to make any comments about lawyers here... But Ally McBeal helped define late '90s TV and made stars of Calista Flockhart, Jane Krakowski, and Portia de Rossi.

Juror #2

Lawyers aren't always the focus of legal dramas. Sometimes, movies are about the jury, like the appropriately named Juror #2, directed by Clint Eastwood. Nicholas Hoult plays a juror who quickly learns he may actually be responsible for the death of the person the man on trial is accused of murdering. It's an intense movie, to say the least.

Perry Mason

In the early days of television, one of the most popular and longest-running shows was Perry Mason. It proved so enduring that Raymond Burr, who starred as the titular attorney, returned to play the role in more than two dozen TV movies right up until just before his death in 1993. Perry Mason set the template of "case of the week" shows that followed it.

A Few Good Men

Years before JAG made the Navy's Judge Advocate General's Corps a staple on TV, the Aaron Sorkin-penned, Rob Reiner-directed classic A Few Good Men brought audiences into the world of military political thrillers. Tom Cruise plays a cocky but inexperienced officer defending two Marines accused of murder in this amazing movie with amazing performances all around, especially Jack Nicholson.

My Cousin Vinny

Marisa Tomai might have won an Oscar for My Cousin Vinny, but she's hardly the only amazing performance in this fish out of water legal comedy starring Joe Pesci as a New York lawyer...well, almost lawyer... who travels to a small town in Alabama to defend his nephew and his nephews friend, who are charged with murder. It's a hilarious classic.

Legally Blonde

You knew we had to include the beloved Legally Blonde on this list. It's the movie that really made Reese Witherspoon an A-list star and spawned multiple sequels, a musical, and a streaming TV show on Prime. The law in it may be dubious, but the comedy is not.

Marshall

2017's Marshall is the origin story of a real-life superhero, future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. The film, starring Chadwick Boseman as Marshall, tells the story of an early case in the legend's career when he defended an innocent man, played by Sterling K. Brown, accused of murder. It's a movie that doesn't often get mentioned, but it should because it's as powerful as it sounds.

To Kill A Mockingbird

One of the true American classics of both literature and cinema is To Kill A Mockingbird. The movie, based on the book by Harper Lee, stars Gregory Peck as the single father and lawyer Atticus Finch, who defends a man accused of assault. It's hard to understate how important both the book and movie are to millions of people.

Suits

Of course, these days, Suits is maybe most famous for being the Duchess of Sussex's greatest success on screen. Meghan Markle is part of a great cast of this legal drama that first became a hit on the USA network before finding a second life years later on Netflix, when its renewed popularity spawned a spinoff, Suits LA, on the streamer.

The Firm

The Firm is about a different kind of practice than most legal thrillers. There aren't any courtrooms or dramatic moments deposing witnesses; instead, it's about a slimier side of the law. Tom Cruise plays a young lawyer fresh out of law school who unwittingly goes to work for a mobbed-up law firm. Like others on this list, it's based on a John Grisham book, one of his first.

Amistad

One of Steven Spielberg's more under-appreciated movies has to be Amistad, about the trial of a group of enslaved men accused of murder on the high seas. It features a ton of wonderful performances, including Anthony Hopkins in the role of former President John Quincy Adams, who helped defend the men in this true story.

Boston Legal

The Practice was a more serious legal drama on ABC in the late '90s, but its spinoff, Boston Legal, mixed in a ton more humor. James Spader and William Shatner both play lawyers in the show, and both are brilliant in their roles. It had some very serious moments, and some completely over-the-top ridiculous ones, too. It was a great blend of drama and humor. It's a rare example of a spinoff meeting and maybe exceeding its predecessor.

Erin Brockovich

Julia Roberts' character, the titular Erin Brockovich, is a real person, though she wasn't a lawyer. That doesn't mean she didn't understand the law, though, nor was she unwilling to fight for those that couldn't get anyone else to help.

Law & Order

Of course, we had to include Law & Order. The enduring show has run for more than two dozen seasons over the years, though not all consecutively. We'll just include all its various spinoffs here; otherwise, we'd only be able to half the list we have here with all the different versions over the years. And you can admit it, you're humming the theme song right now.

Better Call Saul

There are a handful of TV spinoffs on this list, and one is Better Call Saul, which, of course, was spun off of Breaking Bad. The immensely popular show was critically lauded, but somehow the Bob Odenkirk-led drama never won an Emmy, which is bonkers.

The Rainmaker

John Grisham has written a ton of books that have been adapted into movies, and one of the best of those adaptations is the underrated The Rainmaker, starring Matt Damon as a young lawyer suing an insurance company in a true David v. Goliath plot. It's one of Francis Ford Copolla's most overlooked movies.

How to Get Away with Murder

Shonda Rhimes has developed everything from medical dramas (Grey's Anatomy) to political thrillers (Scandal), so of course, she's got a legal drama under her belt with How to Get Away with Murder. It's unique because it blends law school with law practice, and it definitely benefits from the wonderful performance by Viola Davis in the starring role.

Matlock

Right there with Perry Mason as one of the most famous TV lawyers of all time is Andy Griffith's Matlock in the show of the same name. Sure, it's been the butt of jokes on The Simpsons for years, but the show was truly beloved when it aired and even spawned a reboot recently on CBS.

Philadelphia

One movie that people love, but can only watch once because it is so heavy, is Philadelphia, starring Denzel Washington as a lawyer suing on behalf of another lawyer who was let go from his law firm after contracting AIDS. It was one of the first movies to ever confront the epidemic and its effects directly, and it's an amazing and heartbreaking legal drama.

12 Angry Men

12 Angry Men, from legendary director Sidney Lumet, is considered one of the best movies ever made, to say nothing of one of the best legal dramas ever. It's a power takedown of McCarthyism at the height of the Red Scare in 1957, and it's a fearless movie in that regard. The cast is led by Henry Fonda and includes actors like Jack Klugman, Jack Warden, Ed Begley, Sr., and Martin Balsam as the jury foreman.

Anatomy Of A Fall

The Best Picture-nominated Anatomy Of A Fall gives audiences a peek into the legal system in France, which is very different from most of the entries on this list. The movie is set around a mysterious death that could be murder. It's a powerful and engaging movie that holds the viewer's attention for every second of the film.

Night Court

If you grew up watching TV in the 1980s, there is little doubt that Night Court on NBC was a favorite sitcom. The cast became legendary, winning all kinds of Emmys and other awards. The plot, about the goings on of a court in New York City, was not secondary to the characters, either, as every episode had some over-the-top legal moments, few of which were realistic but most of which were hilarious.

The Lincoln Lawyer

Television producer David E. Kelly has a great history of developing legal dramas for TV, which include Ally McBeal, The Practice, and Boston Legal. His fourth on that list is The Lincoln Lawyer, based on a book by Michael Connelly called The Brass Verdict about a lawyer who literally practices law out of his car, a Lincoln. The first book in the same series was adapted into a movie starring Matthew McConaughey in 2011.

The Good Wife

The parade of guest stars that appeared in episodes of The Good Wife is long and distinguished, but that isn't all the show is remembered for. Unlike most legal TV shows, the show often had long story arcs over multiple episodes. It made the show unique and insanely bingeable.

The Pelican Brief

The Pelican Brief is John Grisham's third book, and the second to be adapted into a movie (behind The Firm). Like most of Grisham's stories, it's fast-paced and entertaining, but it's a pretty different story from The Firm or A Time To Kill (Grisham's first novel). It almost has the vibe of a spy thriller as much as a legal thriller. Julia Roberts' career was really exploding at the time, as was Denzel Washington's, so the movie was almost guaranteed to be a hit, and it was.

Legal Eagles

1996's Legal Eagles is unique on this list in that it is a rom-com as much as it is a legal movie. There aren't all that many movies that cross those genres, and while the '80s movie does feel a little dated, it is buoyed by two solid performances from Debra Winger and Robert Redford, and some snappy directing from Ivan Reitman.

The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Anyone alive in 1995 remembers the O.J. Simpson murder trial all too well. It was literally inescapable. In a way, it's surprising that it took more than 20 years for a movie (or, in this case, a mini-series) to be made about it. It was worth the wait, though, as the Ryan Murphy-produced show was gripping, despite the fact that everyone knew how it was going to end. It also has a fantastic ensemble cast.

A Civil Action

1998's A Civil Action was one of the first legal movies to tackle a civil litigation against a big company. Based on the true story of a lawyer named Jan Schlichtmann (John Travolta), the movie follows a class action lawsuit against two companies accused of contaminating groundwater, causing widespread cases of cancer. While it is very much a "'90s" movie, and it didn't do all that well at the box office, it's got some solid performances by a slew of great actors.

From The Hip

We had to include this oft-forgotten classic comedy that we think is very underrated. From The Hip features a hilarious performance from Judd Nelson as a young lawyer trying his first case and not understanding (or caring about) the rules of the court. Not the best movie on this list, but a fun deep cut if you've seen all the others.

The Client

Another great legal drama based on a book by John Grisham is The Client, starring Susan Sarandon, who works on behalf of an 11-year-old who is a witness in a mob case. Brad Renfro, who is an actor who died tragically before turning 40, plays the boy in a scene-stealing performance.

As someone who has been simultaneously watching The Good Wife for the first time and Elsbeth weekly on the 2025 TV schedule, I think a lot about how the two worlds could cross over. Obviously, we've seen characters from Elsbeth’s past life come into her show. However, we’ve also seen beloved Good Wife guest stars pop into the Carrie Preston-led show as totally new characters.

So, with that in mind, I need to see Alan Cumming, who played Eli Gold on The Good Wife and The Good Fight, on Elsbeth. However, I don’t want him to play the campaign manager, and I need you to hear me out here…

I’d Rather See Alan Cumming Play A New Character Rather Than Eli Gold

Now, I fully realize Eli Gold is an iconic and beloved figure in the greater Good Wife universe. As I’ve been binging the show with my Paramount+ subscription, I’ve loved seeing Cumming’s character work with Alicia and Peter to further Peter’s political career.

However, think about how delicious it would be to see Cumming play an over-the-top murderer or suspect in the world of Elsbeth.

That dream is not unprecedented, either. Nathan Lane, who was a prominent guest star on The Good Wife, played a new character who was the murderer in the Season 2 premiere of Elsbeth. It was so fun to see Lane sink his teeth into this new role, and it was delightful to see this actor known for his stage work play a murderer with a story deeply connected to the theater.

I want the same thing for Cumming. Over the last few years, we’ve gotten to see him play an incredibly over-the-top version of himself as the host of The Traitors, and that’s the kind of energy I want him to bring here.

Seeing Cumming as a new New York personality who goes head-to-head with Elsbeth would be a blast. And, honestly, he is the perfect person for a role like this; he'd fit right in with the catalog of eccentric characters.

However, I’m Also Not Opposed To Seeing Him Reprise His Good Wife Character. We Could Have Both.

Now, obviously, it’d be fun to see Eli reunite with Elsbeth. I mean, Cumming did guest star on The Good Fight, so I’m sure he’s not 100% opposed to playing the character again. Plus, he told Vulture when that episode, which was called “The End of Eli Gold,” aired that they didn’t kill his character off because “they could bring me back.”

At the time, Elsbeth did not exist. However, the possibility of more shows within The Good Wife universe was around. So, it seems like the X-Men actor hadn’t totally closed the door on playing his beloved character.

Therefore, I’m also not opposed to seeing Eli return. In fact, I’d welcome it. All I’m saying here is I’d rather see Cumming play a new murderer first.

Maybe, it could be revealed that Eli has an evil twin. Maybe, Cumming could get a full makeover for his role as a murderer and use his Scottish accent so he looks and sounds totally different from his Good Wife character.

The realm of possibility is vast, and anything is possible in the world of Elsbeth. So, let’s make all this and more happen!

In any case-of-the-week procedural, you get a slew of guest stars popping in and out. However, in The Good Wife, the army of talent Robert and Michelle King’s show assembled to support the cast of regulars is next level. From actors we already knew and loved when the show was airing on CBS in the 2010s to performers who have since become A-list names, this list is really a who’s-who of Hollywood’s finest talents.

Pedro Pascal - Nathan Landry - 6 Episodes

These days, we know Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic in the Fantastic Four or Joel in The Last of Us. However, before all that – and even before he died on Game of Thrones – he played the prosecutor Nathan Landry in six episodes of The Good Wife across Seasons 1 (Episodes 8, 13, 14 and 15) and 2 (Episodes 1 and 12).

Cristin Milioti - Onya Eggertson - 1 Episode

A handful of years before she was revealed as the mother of the How I Met Your Mother cast and over a decade before she stunned us all with her portrayal of Sofia Falcone in The Penguin, Cristin Milioti played the paranoid Onya Eggertson in Season 2, Episode 1 of The Good Wife.

Brian Tyree Henry - Randall Simmons - 1 Episode

In Season 2, Episode 2, Brian Tyree Henry plays Randall Simmons, a man Will and Alicia defend in military court. Of course, after this brief role, the actor went on to have an illustrious career as he starred in the hit show Atlanta and films like Causeway (for which he earned a 2023 Oscar nomination).

Rachel Brosnahan - Caitlin Fenton - 1 Episode

Rachel Brosnahan is Lois Lane in James Gunn’s Superman, and before that, she was The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Before those career-defining fast-talking roles, she played Caitlin Fenton, a client Alicia worked with during Season 2, Episode 6.

Michael J. Fox - Louis Canning - 26 Episodes

I think there’s an argument to be made that The Good Wife should be considered one of Michael J. Fox’s best projects. Yes, there’s Family Ties, Back to the Future and Spin City. However, his cunning and sly lawyer Louis Canning is an incredible character who he plays to perfection in 26 episodes across Seasons 2 through 7.

Ana Gasteyer - Judge Patrice Lessner - 5 Episodes

Making sure the lawyers say “in my opinion” in their various statements is Judge Patrice Lessner’s signature move, and it’s hilarious. That funny element of this character is perfect, too, considering she’s played in Seasons 1, 2, 4 and 6 by Saturday Night Live alum and comedy genius Ana Gasteyer.

Mike Colter - Lemond Bishop - 21 Episodes

Mike Colter has become a Michelle and Robert King repertory player thanks to his leading role in the show Evil, and you likely also recognize him for playing the titular Luke Cage in the Marvel series. However, before that, he played the drug lord Lemond Bishop in 21 episodes of The Good Wife between Seasons 1 and 6.

Melissa Benoist - Molly - 1 Episode

I was introduced to Melissa Benoist when she appeared on Glee. Then, The CW’s Supergirl made her a household name. However, long before all that, she had a small guest starring role on The Good Wife as Molly, Cary Agos’ first cousin, in Season 2, Episode 9.

David Oyelowo - Judge Edward Weldon - 1 Episode

From Selma to Lawmen: Bass Reeves, David Oyelowo has become well known for playing very powerful people. That was true back in 2010, too, when he played Judge Edward Weldon in Season 2, Episode 11 of The Good Wife.

Jeremy Strong - Matt Becker - 5 Episodes

Long before playing the “eldest boy” in the cast of Succession and winning an Emmy for his portrayal of Kendall Roy in the HBO hit, Jeremy Strong played pollster Matt Becker in five episodes of The Good Wife. While we’ve come to know this actor for his big roles in film and television, his early career features this fun, smaller and memorable character who appeared in Seasons 2 (Episodes 13, 15, 16 and 17) and 4 (Episode 21) of the CBS hit.

Rita Wilson - Viola Walsh - 6 Episodes

There’s a rotating cast of entertaining lawyers who pop in from time to time to be a thorn in the side of Lockhart/Gardner. This includes Michael J. Fox and Martha Plimpton’s iconic defense attorneys. It also includes Rita Wilson’s lawyer, Viola Walsh, who was featured in six episodes of the show between Seasons 2 and 6.

America Ferrera - Natalie Flores - 4 Episodes

The year after Ugly Betty ended, America Ferrera joined the cast of The Good Wife for three episodes in Season 2 (Episodes 15, 18 and 20), then popped up again during Season 5, Episode 8. She played student Natalie Flores in the show. After that, she went on to lead the comedy Superstore and played a major role in the cast of 2023’s Barbie.

Taye Diggs - Dean Levine-Wilkins - 3 Episodes

I was introduced to Taye Diggs thanks to his role as the Bandleader in one of the best musicals, Chicago. He’s also very well known for films like House on Haunted Hill, Rent, and Set It Up. So, it was fun to come see him play on The Good Wife when he appeared in Season 6, Episodes 2, 3 and 5 as the lawyer Dean Levine-Wilkins.

Sarah Silverman - Stephanie Engler - 1 Episode

Sarah Silverman had been in the comedy game for a long time before playing Stephanie Engler in Season 2, Episode 22 of The Good Wife. And she brought that sense of humor to the show while also showing off her more dramatic side while playing this client of Lockhart/Gardner.

Michael Kelly - Mickey Gunn - 2 Episodes

Michael Kelly is one of those actors who seemingly has shown up in everything. He’s a well-known character actor who has been in projects like Jack Ryan, Lioness, The Penguin, House of Cards and so much more. And in Season 3, Episodes 2 and 8 of The Good Wife he played Mickey Gunn, a political strategist who spent a lot of time verbally sparring with Alan Cumming’s Eli Gold.

Sterling K. Brown - Andrew Boylan - 1 Episode

Sterling K. Brown is a staple on television, thanks to his starring roles in This Is Us and Hulu’s Paradise. However, as he was coming up as an actor, he guest-starred on a whole bunch of network procedurals, including The Good Wife, where he played complicated eyewitness Andrew Boylan in Season 3, Episode 4.

Meghann Fahy - Shelby Hale - 1 Episode

Meghann Fahy’s leading role in Freeform’s The Bold Type introduced me to her, then she broke big because she was part of The White Lotus’ Season 2 cast. In the lead-up to all that, she guest-starred in Season 3, Episode 6 of The Good Wife as Shelby Hale.

Matthew Perry - Mike Kresteva - 3 Episodes

Matthew Perry’s Mike Kresteva proved to be a snarky adversary of Alicia in his introductory episode (Season 3, Episode 19). And seeing him come back in Season 4, Episodes 1 and 18, was always fun! Overall, while the actor brought the sarcastic sense of humor we know and love him for thanks to Friends, this show also let him show off a more dramatic side.

Kristin Chenoweth - Peggy Byrne - 2 Episodes

The Good Wife loves its Broadway guest stars, and one of their biggest gets on this front was Kristin Chenoweth. The Tony winner and Wicked alum played Peggy Byrn in Season 4, Episodes 1 and 6 and it was always fun to see her interact with Alan Cumming’s Eli Gold.

Nathan Lane - Clarke Hayden - 15 Episodes

In the beginning (Season 4), Clarke Hayden is a trustee assigned to Lockheart/ Gardner, and he worked on their horrendous financial situation. Later, he worked with the firm as a lawyer. This character who appears in 15 episodes across Seasons 4 and 5 is played by the remarkable Nathan Lane, who you most definitely know from his legendary work in films like The Birdcage, The Producers and The Lion King.

Carrie Preston - Elsbeth Tascioni - 14 Episodes

Carrie Preston’s Elsbeth Tascioni was so iconic on The Good Wife and The Good Fight that she got her own show. After starring in 14 episodes of the flagship show across every season (except Season 2) and five episodes of the spinoff and winning an Emmy for her work, the Kings created Elsbeth, a hit CBS show based around Preston’s lawyer-turned-crime-solver.

Stockard Channing - Veronica Loy - 11 Episodes

Who do you hire to play Julianna Margulies’ on-screen mother? Stockard Channing, of course. In 11 episodes across Seasons 4, 5, 6, and 7, the Grease actress appeared as Veronica Loy, the mom of our leading lady, Alicia Florrick.

Will Patton - Mike Tascioni - 4 Episodes

Elsbeth talks a lot about her ex-husband and her son. While we didn’t meet her kid, Teddy, until Elsbeth, we did meet her former spouse, Mike Tascioni, in four episodes of The Good Wife during Season 7, Episodes 15, 16, 17 and 19. He was played by Will Patton, who you likely recognize from one of the best sports movies, Remember the Titans, and shows like Yellowstone.

Parker Posey - Vanessa Gold - 3 Episodes

Who can go toe-to-toe with Alan Cumming and play his ex? Parker Posey, of course. The indie film darling played Eli Gold’s ex-wife in Season 3, Episodes 6, 15 and 20, and she was the perfect person to play this vital character in the political consultant’s story.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph - Margie - 1 Episode

Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph appeared in one episode of The Good Wife, Season 4, Episode 21, to be exact. She played Margie on the show. These days, she’s best known for her turns in The Holdover, Dolemite is My Name and Only Murders in the Building, so it’s cool to think that this CBS procedural was one of her first-ever on-screen gigs.

Gillian Jacobs - Sonia - 1 Episode

In an almost blink and you’ll miss it role, Gillian Jacobs (of Community fame) appeared in the pilot of The Good Wife as Alicia and Cary’s assistant.

Christina Ricci - Therese Dodd - 1 Episode

Before The Good Wife, we knew Christina Ricci from The Addams Family and Casper. In more recent years, she and the Yellowjackets cast are all the rage. However, for one episode in 2012, Season 4, Episode 7, to be exact, she played comedienne Therese Dodd in the hit CBS drama.

Wallace Shawn - Charles Lester - 3 Episodes

We know and love Wallace Shawn for saying “inconceivable” in The Princess Bride, and we also adore him for his roles in The Incredibles, Toy Story and more. We also know and love him for playing the Lemond Bishop’s lawyer, Charles Lester, in both The Good Wife and The Good Fight. And for the sake of this story, he was specifically in three episodes of the flagship series, appearing in Season 4, Episode 16, Season 5, Episode 13 and Season 6, Episode 22.

Kyle MacLachlan - Josh Perotti - 4 Episodes

Kyle MacLachlan is a TV legend. Obviously, Twin Peaks is what he’s best known for, and more recently, he and the cast of Fallout have made quite the splash on streaming. Between all that, he appeared in four episodes of The Good Wife (Season 4, Episodes 14 and 15 and Season 6, Episodes 5 and 6). He played Josh Perotti on the show, a federal prosecutor.

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor - Linda Underwood - 1 Episode

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is best known for her work in movies like Origin, King Richard and Nickel Boys, and she’s reached great acclaim for them. In the earlier days of her career, though, she was featured in Season 1, Episode 5 of The Good Wife, where she played Linda Underwood.

Matthew Lillard - Rowby Canton - 2 Episodes

It’s honestly a joy to see Matthew Lillard in anything. Of course, we know him best as one of the original Ghostfaces in Scream and Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, and he’s made waves in recent years for Five Nights at Freddys. However, he can do more than genre work, as proven by his two episodes of The Good Wife (Season 5, Episode 11 and Season 7, Episode 12) where he played musician Rowby Canton.

Vanessa Williams - Courtney Paige - 4 Episodes

Vanessa Williams is well known and loved for her roles on long-lasting shows like Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives. However, she’s also a King repertory player. She appeared in four episodes of The Good Wife, Season 7, Episodes 7 through 10, as CEO Courtney Paige, and then she showed up as a totally different character years later in the spinoff series, Elsbeth.

This list is honestly barely scratching the surface of the iconic actors who have been recruited to guest star on The Good Wife. The list is honestly elite, and it’s always fun to go back and see so many performers during so many different stages of their careers.

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor has many roles under her belt these days, with more than 80 acting credits credited to her name, including some hitting the 2025 movie schedule. However, before The Mentalist, If Beale Street Could Talk, Quantico, Lovecraft Country, Nickel Boys, The Color Purple and even before she joined the cast of Justified: City Primeval, the actress says it was Keke Palmer who really helped her to land meatier roles. This was a surprise for me, as I remember her career really shifting into high gear thanks to another TV role.

In 2012, Ellis-Taylor starred opposite Ms. Palmer in the Lifetime original movie Abducted: The Carlina White Story. In the movie, she played a nurse who had abducted a baby from a hospital system years before and had raised her on her own, all while the child’s birth parents were still searching for her.

The made-for-TV movie was based on a true story, and it’s a role that was higher profile for the actress at the time. She said in a speech while accepting an American Black Film Festival (ABFF) honor (via Variety) that if it wasn't for Keke Palmer and her mother, she might not have ever gotten the chance to really launch a major Hollywood career, noting of Carlina White:

Of course I would never want to take away the actress’ own thoughts on her career and the pivotal moment she felt like things changed for her, but I do think it's worth noting Ellis-Taylor was already starting to make her mark on the industry a few years before that.

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor’s Good Wife Episode Is The One That Really Put The Actress On My Radar

In 2009, Ellis-Taylor had a one-off appearance on The Good Wife, then in its first season on CBS. The show was already a critical darling (and led to spinoffs that have become critical darlings), and the actress landed a role in one of the most memorable early Alicia Florrick episodes. In it, she played Linda Underwood in an episode where Alicia was defending three widows whose husbands had been involved in a fatal train crash. Subsequently, the company was trying to push the blame onto the dead men, leaving the widows with no pensions. It’s a mess of an episode culminating in Alicia having to make a difficult moral choice, but it’s the scenes with Ellis-Taylor that stand out.

By 2010, she’d landed a role as Madeleine Hightower in The Mentalist, and while she didn’t have the world’s biggest role on the CBS series, it was a popular procedural that plenty of people still revisit today. Plus, her role was memorable and lasted for plenty of episodes. It felt then that she was well on the way to making a name for herself.

Regardless, the connection with Keke Palmer and her mom was obviously cool and extremely meaningful for her. It certainly amplified her profile quite a bit when the movie came out in 2012, but I’d like to think the kind of roles she's garnered since would have come in another way if Palmer hadn’t been there.

At the end of the day, it’s always cool when a major actress shouts out another major actress, and Ellis-Taylor and Palmer’s connection years later is still a fun BTS story about the inner workings of Hollywood. Now, excuse me while I go watch Abducted: The Carlina White Story with my Amazon subscription.

If you’re like me and began your journey in The Good Wife universe by bingeing Elsbeth, you likely see Carrie Preston’s character as wholesome, lawful good. However, now that I’m watching the series she was introduced on with my Paramount+ subscription alongside the current CBS hit, I’m realizing that while the sweet attributions are accurate, this lawyer is not afraid to play dirty. Now, with new episodes of Elsbeth’s second season airing on the 2025 TV schedule, it seems like her past and present might collide in a way that ties the two shows together in a great way.

Now, while Carrie Preston plays Elsbeth the same between The Good Wife and Elsbeth, the work she’s doing in each show is totally different. This difference in work, in fact, is what makes it possible to watch Elsbeth without seeing The Good Wife first, in my opinion. However, after Season 2, Episode 10 of the spinoff, it would appear that the two series will tie together as the lawyer-turned-crime solver potentially makes her way back to the courtroom.

So, basically, Elsbeth’s past has come back to haunt her this season. One of her high-profile clients from her Chicago days is causing problems and making headlines. In Episode 10, Preston’s character voices her anger about not being able to defend herself due to attorney-client privilege as it’s revealed that the blame for burying a police report related to this case is being placed on her.

However, Elsbeth obviously isn’t going to sit back and let that happen. So, by the end of the episode, she figures out how to get out of attorney-client privilege. In the final seconds of the installment, she approaches Van Ness, and says:

Van Ness responds, saying that if Elsbeth says anything about the report he’ll make her “life hell,” saying he has “friends in the police” and could find her door kicked in. He also said he could fill her email with internet harassment.

That led to Kaya arresting him, saying his words were a misdemeanor. When the man claims he was just talking to Preston’s character, she fires back with:

I’m not kidding, I applauded Elsbeth when she said this. It was the most Good Wife thing she’s done all season, as she swerved her way masterfully through the law and its loopholes. Plus, it gave us a hint of what she could do next as she goes up against Van Ness.

I’d assume that this whole conflict is leading to a big courtroom battle that will see Elsbeth back as a defense lawyer. She has not been in that position once in Elsbeth – though we did get a taste of her courtroom prowess in that jury duty episode earlier in the season – and I can’t wait to see more of her practicing law and doing what she does best outside of solving crime, winning.

She is, pardon my French, a kickass lawyer on The Good Wife. While she’s overall a good person, like the other attorneys on that show, her primary goal is making sure her client wins, and that comes with some morally grey territory that she’s never been afraid of. I want to see her cleverly defending herself like she defended Peter, Alicia, Will and more. I want to see her unique approach to the law. And I’m dying to see her back in court!

So, here’s hoping that at some point during Season 2 (which airs on CBS on Thursdays at 10 p.m.) we get to see Elsbeth back as a lawyer, because not only would it be epic, but it’d also serve as a fantastic tie back to The Good Wife, the excellent show that made Elsbeth possible.

I’m watching the shows that make up The Good Wife cinematic universe out of order, meaning, I started with Elsbeth and then decided to hop into the show that started it all in 2009. So, my understanding of this world, and Elsbeth Tascioni specifically, is a tad skewed. However, that has made bingeing the flagship show that introduced us all to Carrie Preston’s character even better.

Now, as I continue to watch these beloved CBS shows with my Paramount+ subscription, I’ve come to realize that I love them – and Elsbeth’s involvement in them – in great part because of how Preston has played this lawyer-turned-crime solver across the last 15 years.

Elsbeth’s Personality And Unique Ways Of Problem-Solving Have Stayed The Same Since Day One

As someone who started watching Elsbeth with no knowledge of The Good Wife, I was shocked to learn how little Preston is actually in the flagship show. Elsbeth appears in 14 episodes of The Good Wife and five episodes of its spinoff, The Good Fight. However, I can see why they gave Carrie Preston her own spinoff, because in what little screen time she has, she is magnetic, engaging and fully formed.

The first time this defense attorney appears in The Good Wife is during Season 1, Episode 20. She’s in the episode for only a few minutes, and she’s there to help defend Peter after he broke parole. Her distracted nature (she was asking lots of questions about Alicia's apartment) and assertive forms of problem-solving were incredibly distinct the second we met her, and all this mirrors what we see in Elsbeth.

Then, in Episode 22 of the first season, we saw some of Elsbeth’s silly quirks – like her general confusion over the technology her son gets her and her tendency to carry at least three very large bags.

All these things are pillars of what makes her, her, and they’re central to the show Elsbeth.

Considering Elsbeth’s story spans more than a decade and three shows, I figured she’d change or Preston would play her differently. However, she’s stayed consistent and clearly understands this woman at her core. That is what makes her character truly remarkable and fun to watch.

While Elsbeth’s Outlook On Work And Her Job Evolve Between Shows, Carrie Preston Still Plays Her In An Honest And Consistent Way

What makes all this even better is that even though Elsbeth’s personality, quirks and ways of problem-solving have stayed the same, her motivations and job have changed. That makes for a fascinating viewing experience as I move through Elsbeth’s season airing on the 2025 TV schedule and The Good Wife’s seven seasons simultaneously.

Every Thursday, I watch Elsbeth solve crimes and fight what many would consider the good fight. Then, every other day of the week, I see the cast of The Good Wife work to win – and that’s not as morally straightforward as the work the lawyer does on her new show.

While Elsbeth’s work ethic and personality haven’t wavered, I’d say her morals have. On The Good Wife, she’s a surprisingly cutthroat lawyer, and she’s willing to do what needs to be done to win a case – which has been shown as she’s defended Peter, Alicia, Will and others.

On Elsbeth, she’s trying to do what’s right and almost repent in a way for her actions as a lawyer.

That juxtaposition is intriguing and creates a fantastic evolution for this character. However, when it comes to how Carrie Preston plays her, she’s still the same. At Elsbeth’s core, she’s bubbly, honest, deeply caring and hilarious while also being hyper-intelligent, confident and vigilant.

I LOVE that all that has remained true since the second she walked into the Florrick’s apartment in Season 1 of The Good Wife. Now, I can’t wait to keep seeing more and more of her as I keep binge-watching this CBS classic and her spinoff that is well on its way to becoming a classic.

Gilmore Girls was not just a hit that ran for seven seasons in the early 2000s, but a show that’s still beloved by fans to the point where a sequel miniseries was made in 2016 (which you can watch with your Netflix subscription), nine years after the original finale. It’s also one of the most rewatchable shows ever that gives fans a nostalgic experience, but if you’ve recently completed a binge of the family dramedy, then it’s good that we have a list for you of 32 movies and shows that feature the Gilmore Girls cast. Enjoy!

Supernatural (2005-2020)

Sure, this list could have started anywhere, but why not start with the portrayer of (mostly) sweet Dean, Jared Padalecki? His supporting role on Gilmore Girls couldn’t have prepared fans for his hugely successful run as the creature-of-the-night hunting Sam Winchester on Supernatural. The series ran for 15 seasons and has tons of amazing episodes, especially if you enjoy spooky stuff.

How To Get Away With Murder (2014-2020)

Overall, most of the players from GG saw a boost in their careers after the show, and likely helped make it possible for Liza Weil, who played the ever-stressed Paris Geller, to eventually make her way to a major role on the thrilling ABC hit, How to Get Away with Murder.

The O.C. (2003-2007)

Is bringing up Fox’s early aughts mega-hit teen drama The O.C. this quickly a bit of a cheat? Sure, but we can’t deny that without the popularity of his Dave Rygalski in Season 3, we might never have gotten actor Adam Brody as the funny, loyal, Summer-obsessed Seth Cohen in one of the defining teen shows of all time.

The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-2021)

Much like viewers were probably not prepared to watch Padalecki fight monsters after his time on Gilmore Girls, I doubt most could have expected to see star Alexis Bledel take on Dr. Emily Malek, the strong-willed and rebellious Handmaid first known as Ofglen. She won an Emmy Award for her role, so this is one drama not to miss.

Parenthood (2010-2015)

There might be no character more strong-willed, funny and quirky than Lorelei Gilmore, who was brought to life so exceptionally by Lauren Graham. If that character description sounds a lot like Sarah Braverman-Holt from NBC’s family drama, Parenthood, then you get why Graham was a perfect fit for both.

Bride & Prejudice (2004)

A small role is a role nonetheless, and if you check out the amazing Jane Austen-inspired rom-com, Bride & Prejudice, you’ll see Bledel as Georgie Darcy, Will’s younger sister.

The Good Wife (2009-2016)

Say what you will about being Team Logan, but the Huntzberger boy still has his supporters even today. This is probably because Matt Czuchry did such a good job portraying him, much like he did the charming go-getter Cary Agos on CBS’ legal drama, The Good Wife.

Fire Country (2024)

As one of the biggest dramas on CBS, Fire Country is hard to miss and even harder to dislike. That’s why it’s the perfect show to check out to see Jared Padalecki as the still-grieving firefighter Camden Casey during Season 3.

Saw IV (2007)

Honestly, were you expecting to see something as horrific as Saw IV on this list? Well, you might be even more surprised to know that Scott Patterson, who played Luke Danes, appeared in a total of three Saw films as determined FBI agent Peter Strahm.

This Is Us (2016-2022)

Can you imagine if anyone has forgotten This Is Us? NBC’s family drama was an immediate success, with the trailer for the very first season racking up a staggering number of views. Of course, you can revel in your Team Jess status by watching Milo Ventimiglia portray loving patriarch Jack Pearson.

13 Reasons Why (2017-2018)

13 Reasons Why is a teen drama that made major waves during its run on Netflix, but you might not know that Keiko Agena, who brought Lane Kim to life on GG, spent the first two seasons playing the kind and protective communications teacher, Pamela Bradley.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024)

If you can be in the mood for a holiday film all year long, then 2024’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever should be added to your viewing calendar. In it, Lauren Graham brings her signature charm to the role of Beth Bradley.

Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)

Of all the GG actors who one might have expected to appear in a giant blockbuster franchise, few fans would likely have bet on the actor who gave us the wonderfully nice but odd Kirk Gleason, Sean Gunn. After a supporting role as Kraglin in the original Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, he’s now reprised the part in seven MCU films and TV series.

Bridesmaids (2011)

For the first time on this list, we get to Melissa McCarthy, who played beloved chef Sookie St. James. She was in several projects after Gilmore Girls ended, but the comedy hit Bridesmaids, where she played the loyal but crude and somewhat erratic Megan, launched her career into the stratosphere. She received an Oscar nomination for her work, so it’s not to be missed.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (2020-2021)

The jukebox musical dramedy series, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, was a treat, but if you missed its two seasons on NBC, know that Lauren Graham played a major role in Season 1 as Zoey’s strict boss, Joan.

The Cleaning Lady (2022-Now)

Any show about gangsters needs a good cop investigating and trying to bring them down, and Liza Weil has starred as confident and cunning FBI agent Katherine Russo on The Cleaning Lady for the thriller’s entire run so far.

The Heat (2013)

Need a wild action comedy about two mismatched officers (one a prim, by-the-book FBI agent, and the other a crass, quick-to-anger, by-any-means-necessary local cop) who have to get along enough to get a drug lord off the streets? Then you should watch Melissa McCarthy as police detective Shannon Mullins ASAP.

The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (2021-2022)

This follow-up to The Mighty Ducks film franchise hit Disney+ and brought GG fans more of Lauren Graham, as she starred as Alex Morrow, who forms and then coaches a new underdog hockey team after her son is cut by the Ducks.

The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants (2005)

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a two-film franchise that still means a lot to those who were young women at the time it was released. There’s no better time than now to revisit (or watch for the first time) Alexis Bledel as Lena in both films.

An Unmarried Woman (1978)

Here’s a throwback for you. The 1978 romantic comedy-drama, An Unmarried Woman, features a performance from none other than Emily Gilmore herself, Kelly Bishop, as Elaine, a good friend of the title character.

The Lost Boys (1987)

Alright, this one’s technically a throwback, too, it just doesn’t go back quite as far. But, The Lost Boys is a definite teen horror classic, along with talents like Kiefer Sutherland and Corey Feldman, stars Richard Gilmore actor, Edward Hermann, in an important role.

Prodigal Son (2019-2021)

This Fox crime drama may not have lasted long, but it certainly had a dedicated fanbase, and some of that was likely because of Keiko Agena’s work as the kind, trusting, and socially awkward medical examiner, Dr. Edrisa Tanaka.

Sullivan’s Crossing (2023-2024)

The family drama, Sullivan’s Crossing, came to The CW with a treat for Gilmore Girls fans, as it brought Scott Patterson back to the network as the estranged father, Sully, of the lead character, big city neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan, who returns to her small Nova Scotia town after a scandal.

Mike & Molly (2010-2016)

The long-running comedy Mike & Molly is another of Melissa McCarthy’s post-GG projects. This CBS hit saw the titular couple fall in love after a health-related meet-cute, and work on their relationship while attempting to deal with their often wacky families and friends, and life’s many ups and downs. Check it out for McCarthy’s Emmy-winning performance.

Sin City (2005)

Based on the comic book series of the same name, Sin City is a noirish, action-filled crime drama that just so happens to feature Alexis Bledel as a…well, not entirely trustworthy participant in the rampant criminal shenanigans that abound in the sinful city of the title.

The John Larroquette Show (1993-1996)

One of the very few series to take place in St. Louis, Missouri, The John Larroquette Show was a sitcom that saw the actor portray the night manager of a run-down downtown bus station, with Liz Torres, who played the bubbly and gossipy dance teacher Miss Patty on Gilmore Girls, as his secretary. Torres received two Emmy nominations for her work here, so it’s definitely worth a watch.

The Resident (2018-2023)

Considering the number of medical shows that tend to fill the airwaves, it’s a bit of a surprise that it’s taken this long to get to one, but it is a pretty fine one. The Resident stars Matt Czuchry as the conceited (but still somehow charming) Dr. Conrad Hawkins, a third-year resident who practices with unconventional techniques and a knowledge of the business of medicine who’s determined to stop younger residents from putting their chosen profession on a pedestal.

All In The Family (1971-1978)

If you haven’t yet watched the classic ‘70s sitcom, All In the Family, you’re missing out. Not only does the Norman Lear series use its humor to tackle a number of hot-button issues that are still very relevant for today’s audiences, but it also features Sally Struthers (she was Lorelei and Rory’s nosy neighbor in Stars Hollow, Babette) in her Emmy-winning role as Gloria, the somewhat childish, college-aged daughter of Archie and Edith Bunker.

Walker (2021-2024)

After his immensely successful run on Supernatural, Jared Padalecki moved right on to yet another show on The CW. This one, Walker, was a reimagining of the long-running Chuck Norris hit Walker, Texas Ranger, which saw Padalecki take on the lead role as he returned home after being undercover for two years while trying to reconnect with his teenage children and figure out how his wife really died.

True Blood (2008-2014)

Here’s one that’s easy to miss, even if you’re a die-hard Gilmore Girls fan. Among the many characters, human and supernatural, who populated the HBO vampire series True Blood for seven seasons, you see plenty of Merlotte's Bar & Grill short order cook, the kind but troubled Terry Bellefleur. But, did you know that he’s portrayed by Todd Lowe, the same guy who brought us Hep Alien’s dim, womanizing, guitar-playing, lead-singing wanna-be rock star Zack Van Gerbig? Well, now you do!

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

Melissa MacCarthy was able to hit the Academy Awards red carpet as a nominee again when she starred in the biographical film Can You Ever Forgive Me? As writer Lee Israel. It’s based on Israel’s memoir of the same name, where she talks about her attempt to revive her writing career by forging letters from deceased celebrities and selling them. This critically acclaimed drama is one not to miss.

Spy (2015)

Last, but not least, we have another of Melissa McCarthy’s winning comedies in Spy. The movie follows CIA employee Susan Cooper, who is only allowed to assist her James Bond-esque partner via a desk job at the home office and an earpiece. But, when an operation goes wrong and leads to her partner’s death, Susan volunteers to go into the field and get to the bottom of things. Seeing as how this is a McCarthy film, you can bet that the situation gets hilariously out of hand before all is said and done, and you’ll be better for it!

As you can clearly see, while Gilmore Girls has been off the air for nearly 20 years, not only has it not been forgotten, but its stars have continued to keep us entertained in a number of other TV shows and movies, and hopefully will for many years to come!

It’s been eight years since The Good Wife ended, but the legal drama lived on in spinoffs The Good Fight (which remains exclusive to those with a Paramount+ subscription) and Elsbeth, whose second season premieres on CBS during the Fall 2024 TV schedule. Creators Robert and Michelle King are already staying pretty busy with the crime procedural, but now we've learned the duo will return to the legal drama genre for another CBS show, and I am so pumped.

The Kings are developing a new series that's tentatively titled Cupertino and is described as “David vs. Goliath legal show set in Silicon Valley,” according to Deadline. They are writing the script for the series and serving as executive producers alongside Liz Glotzer forking Size Productions. CBS Studios will be the producing studio, marking the latest collaboration between the studio and the Kings during their 15-year partnership.

Considering Robert and Michelle King were behind The Good Wife, which ran for seven seasons on CBS and was considered to be one of the best shows on television, I’m more than excited to see what could come from Cupertino. While they were also behind the legal drama spinoff The Good Fight, that was on Paramount+ specifically, so Cupertino will indeed mark the Kings’ first legal drama on CBS since the end of The Good Wife. And any judge and jury would agree that it's about time.

As of now, not too much else has been revealed about Cupertino, with the synopsis and casting yet to arrive. Just from the brief description, though, it sounds like a show you won’t want to miss. Depending on storyline and where the Kings plan to take the series, perhaps it can be their next growing legal drama franchise? The possibilities are certainly endless for now.

News of Cupertino comes just days after the Kings’ CBS-turned-Paramount+ supernatural thriller Evil ended after four seasons. The series finale premiered on August 22, and while a lot of people think it’s a no-brainer that the show should be saved, there’s no indication that it will happen. Things could always change, though, and luckily, there are plenty of similiar series that fans can watch in the meantime.

Meanwhile, news of the new series also comes just weeks before the second season of Elsbeth premieres on October 17 on CBS. Even though Elsbeth is not a legal drama like its predecessors, it still became a breakout hit on the network and presumably had an impact on this latest series development.

At the very least, knowing that it’s been far too long since Robert and Michelle King have dipped their toes in the genre on CBS makes the prospect of another Robert and Michelle King legal drama coming to the network in the future makes it that much more exciting. And I really hope it happens.

Have you watched the well-reviewed Elsbeth yet? The new show has had a slow burn release trajectory on CBS, but now that I’m 3 episodes in, I’m really, really loving the series. The new drama is a spinoff of The Good Wife and its followup (definitely a spinoff) The Good Fight, but if you asked show creators Michelle and Robert King, they’d tell you it’s not a spinoff at all. Here’s why they feel this way, and why I definitely disagree. 

First and foremost, when Robert and Michelle King were doing press for the Elsbeth spinoff starring frequent Good Wife guest star Carrie Preston, one of the things they were asked about was about Elsbeth’s status on CBS, and it turns out they think very differently about the detective drama than they did about The Good Fight, which was essentially another legal drama starring Christine Baranski in a new setting with a new cast. Robert King explained to the LA Times why they feel the new series is different. 

For the creators, Elsbeth has little similarity to their previous two shows. In fact, Ms. Tascioni is constantly waxing poetic about how she’s happy to be moving away from defending the bad guys and now has a new purpose in finding the truth. On the one hand, I get what King is saying. The new drama is more of a spiritual successor to Columbo than it is to The Good Wife. 

It’s literally a show about a woman who is playing a game of cat and mouse with bad guys in order to find the truth. It’s set in New York and it's about crimesolving and catching the baddie--not keeping the baddie out of prison. It’s sort of akin to its former series in the same way Cheers and Fraser are connected, but not really similar in tone at all. 

And when Elsbeth tested in groups, and Carrie Preston told CinemaBlend a lot of newcomers to the series hadn't seen the former shows at all. So, the co-creators have a point. But I’d like to make mine as well.

Why I Think We Should Keep Calling Elsbeth A Spinoff (And Why It’s A Good Thing)

As we've established, plot-wise, Elsbeth has almost nothing in common with its predecessors. Each episode has a few scenes of Ms. Tascioni figuring out where she fits in as an overseer at the precinct who is forging new relationships and then many scenes of her poking at those she thinks did wrong, hoping to catch them in an untruth. 

Yet, in other ways Elsbeth is exactly like the shows that came before in a way that I find largely positive. If you were a fan of The Good Wife and The Good Fight, there’s a lot of overlap in the careful way the show is written and the strongly dramatic scenes. The tone is different, but it still feels like a show from the Kings. 

There’s also a ton of overlap in the way the creators are able to bring in A+ talent as guest stars, including a reunion with Preston's True Blood co-star Stephen Moyer, Modern Family's Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and 30 Rock’s Jane Krakowski in early episodes. The Good Wife used to draw big names like Stockard Channing, Kristen Chenoweth, Nathan Lane, and so on and so forth as well. 

Finally, it’s in the same universe. Yes, Elsbeth Tascioni is in New York now and she has a different job and she’s definitely facing criminals from a different perspective, but she’s still essentially the same quirky character we all fell in love with more than a decade ago. Plus, not to just really hammer home the obvious, but there have already been in-show ties, like the fact Cary Agos is name-dropped in the first episode. I'd love to see some familiar faces pop on the series long term.

So, to me, even though it’s a very different type of show, I would absolutely recommend it to everyone who enjoyed the two King legal shows. And I think that's enough to not only declare it a spinoff, but for it to be a positive thing to call the new series such. 

So maybe what we have here is a case of disagreement over semantics. Maybe we shouldn’t call it a spinoff, but a spiritual successor? An off-shoot? A “similar watch” if you will? Whatever it is, it’s great. And if you haven’t caught new episodes of Elsbeth on the 2024 TV schedule yet, you can tune in on Thursday nights at 10 p.m. ET on CBS, or stream it with your Paramount+ subscription. 

The Good Wife was a popular courtroom drama on CBS that ran from 2009 to 2016. The show starred Julianna Margulies as the main character. Juliana played Alicia Florrick, the wife of a disgraced former state's attorney trying to piece her life back together after the fallout from her husband's affair and suspected corruption. Fans of the show watched as Alicia navigated the challenges of resuscitating her legal career and the pressure of supporting her husband after his very public fall from grace.

Since The Good Wife finale in 2016, many of the cast members have stayed busy with new and interesting roles, and gone on to achieve continued success in their careers. 

Julianna Margulies (Alicia Florrick)

We'll start off with the star of the show herself, Julianna Margulies -- She has made numerous TV appearances since The Good Wife ended its run. She appeared as Kitty Montgomery in AMC's Dietland and as Catherine Brant in the Showtime series Billions. In 2019, she appeared as Dr. Nancy Jaax in the National Geographic series The Hot Zone. Most recently, she has  appeared as Laura Peterson in the Apple TV+ series, The Morning Show, alongside Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Anniston. 

Christine Baranski (Diane Lockhart)

Christine Baranski played Diane Lockhart, the formidable senior attorney at Lockhart Gardner, the law firm that offered Alicia Florrick a position after her fifteen year absence from practicing law. Being part mentor and part adversary, Diane was a notable character on The Good Wife and had a big influence over Alicia and the events of the series. 

Christine Baranski was so memorable as Diane, she went on to star in her own spinoff to the series, The Good Fight, which premiered in 2017 and ran for six seasons. Fans of Christine can currently watch her in the cast of The Gilded Age on HBO Max. 

Josh Charles (Will Gardner)

Josh Charles played the memorable Will Gardner, another named partner at the firm of Lockhart Gardner. Will and Alicia's relationship went through ups and downs throughout the show, with phases of both rekindled romance and alienation. The chemistry between Will and Alicia was memorable, but fans may have stronger memories of his abrupt departure from the show. 

Since leaving The Good Wife, Josh Charles has gone on to make multiple television appearances including in HBO's miniseries We Own This City, which aired in 2022. He has also appeared in The Power on Amazon Prime which premiered in 2023. 

Archie Panjabi (Kalinda Sharma)

Archie Panjabi played Kalinda Sharma, the enigmatic investigator at Lockhart Gardner. There were few subjects who could outsmart Kalinda when she set her mind to discovering the truth of the case. Panjabi left The Good Wife in 2015 amid rumors of conflict on the set. Despite the murky circumstances of her departure, Panjabi left her mark on the series with Kalinda being one of the most interesting and impactful characters throughout the course of the show. 

Fans of Archie Panjabi can watch her performances in multiple TV series, including the Peacock original Departure, which aired from 2019 to 2022. She currently appears in the Apple TV+ series, Hijack, which premiered in 2023. 

Matt Czuchry (Cary Agos)

Matt Czuchry played Cary Agos in The Good Wife. As Alicia's Florricks rival in the early seasons of the show, Cary was motivated to compete with Alicia for the one available permanent position at the firm. Over time, Cary and Alicia's relationship evolved with the two trusting and relying on one another. In the later seasons, Alicia and Cary became partners and opened their own firm. Since the show ended, Matt Czuchry has appeared as Dr. Conrad Hawkins on Fox's medical drama The Resident, which ran for six seasons and ended in 2023. Czuchry has also appeared as Dexter Harding Jr. in the newest season of American Horror Story. 

Chris Noth (Peter Florrick)

Chris Noth played the husband of the titular character on The Good Wife. It was Peter's dubious actions that set the events of the show in motion and required his wife to be as good as she was. 

After the end of The Good Wife, Chris Noth returned to playing another of his iconic roles, Mr. Big. For six seasons he played the handsome yet unattainable love interest of Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City. Noth resumed the role of Mr. Big as Carrie's husband in the Sex and the City spinoff And Just Like That. Although his run on the spinoff was brief, it brought back a character that largely defined his career. Noth also appeared in the CBS series The Equalizer, playing William Bishop, the mentor to the show's star, Queen Latifah. 

Carrie Preston (Elsbeth Tascioni)

Carrie Preston brought welcome comic relief to tense moments in The Good Wife with her role as the unconventional yet brilliant Elsbeth Tascioni. Elsbeth had a style all her own, but she could be counted on to come through for her clients in some of the most challenging cases featured on the show. 

Preston returned to play the character again on The Good Fight alongside Christine Baranski, and she is now featured in the title role of the new CBS drama series Elsbeth, which premiered in February 2024. 

Alan Cumming (Eli Gold)

Alan Cumming managed to be both ruthless and lovable in his role as the shrewd campaign manager, Eli Gold, on The Good Wife. Eli took on the insurmountable task of restoring Peter Florrick's reputation and rescuing his political career after his infamous press conference that ended his time as state's attorney and resulted in criminal charges. 

Fans of Alan Cumming can see him in the many prominent roles he has played throughout his career, including as Nightcrawler in X-men. Since The Good Wife ended, he has continued the role of Eli Gold in two episodes of The Good Fight. He has also appeared in the Apple Plus series Schmigadoon alongside Keegan Michael-Key and Cecily Strong. In January 2023, Cumming began hosting The Traitors US on Peacock, a reality show featuring a murder mystery game in which the contestants compete to win a $250,000 prize. 

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Jason Crouse)

Jeffrey Dean Morgan played private investigator Jason Crouse in the final season of The Good Wife. As an investigator, Jason assists Alicia with the challenges that come along with managing her own firm and navigating the ongoing battles with Peter Florrick's career and corruption charges. 

Morgan has maintained a flourishing career since his time on The Good Wife. He has appeared in multiple feature films including Walkaway Joe and The Unholy. However, his most notable role in recent memory is as Negan in The Walking Dead. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's performance as Negan is both unsettling and captivating, resulting in his continued appearance in The Walking Dead: Dead City. 

All of these talented cast members contributed to the show's seven successful seasons, and fans have plenty of options to view their favorite stars in current roles. The Good Wife can be found streaming on Paramount Plus for those of us who want to go back and revisit the drama of Lockhart Gardner. 

Fans of Carrie Preston’s beloved character Elsbeth Tascioni are finally getting their chance to see the attorney take center stage. After recurring roles on The Good Wife — for which she won an Emmy — and its streaming spinoff The Good Fight, Preston is set to head her own spinoff on CBS, aptly titled Elsbeth, which premieres on the 2024 TV schedule at 10 p.m. ET February 29. Critics were able to screen the first few episodes of the new mystery series, and they seem to like the lighter touch Preston adds to the universe.

Elsbeth sees the fan-favorite character move from Chicago to New York, where she connects with Capt. Wagner (Wendell Pierce) and de facto partner Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson), and continues to perplex and amaze with her unique observational techniques and investigative methods. David Bianculli of NPR seems delighted by this “sweet, off-beat” murder mystery series, whose format is in the same vein as Poker Face and Columbo. The review concludes: 

"Great leading role; delightful guest stars; decent, clever mysteries that are solved by the end of each episode. And in an era where so much TV is so dark and depressing, Elsbeth stands out as a sweet, happy little treat."

The series was created by Michelle and Robert King, the same duo responsible for The Good Wife and its first spinoff. To that end, people who are already fans of the character likely  know at least a little of what to expect from this new series. However, according to Variety’s Aramide Tinubu, that doesn’t keep Elsbeth from feeling fresh, with its impressive guest stars, infusion of humor and pop culture references. Tinubu writes: 

"Elsbeth is unique as a character, and the series’ construction is also intriguing. The camera hones in on small details the audience and the other figures in this world, including Kaya, might miss, allowing viewers to observe crime scenes and suspects in the same manner that Elsbeth views them. Since procedurals have been a dime a dozen for decades, it’s hard to deliver anything distinctive to the genre. But Elsbeth breaks the mold by presenting different formats within the episodes."  

Ben Travers of IndieWire grades the new series a B, noting that Elsbeth follows the case-of-the-week “howcatchem” formula, but with an overlying plotline having Carrie Preston’s character secretly investigating Capt. Wagner, there are a lot of exciting places the series could go. The initial episodes seem to be easing possibly new viewers in, Travers says, writing: 

"The first three episodes screened for review don’t stretch too far from the formula, though I suspect that’s to help audiences get comfortable with Elsbeth as a lead. Anyone new to the character may need a little time with Preston’s performance to buy in, and even Good Wife/Fight veterans may be wary of the impossibly peppy attorney carrying an entire series. Fear not. Preston, who won an Emmy for this role in 2013, knows the exact pitch at which to play Elsbeth."  

Manuel Betancourt of AV Club also gives it a B, warning viewers not to dismiss Elsbeth as too flighty or frivolous. Carrie Preston and the series creators have molded the supporting character into someone who can carry her own series, resulting in “a comfort watch the likes of which they don’t make that often anymore,” Betancourt writes. The critic continues: 

"A show like this one lives or dies on the strength of its protagonist. Thankfully, the way the Kings have further shaped Elsbeth so she can finally be the focus is nothing short of miraculous. Rather than bend her into becoming a main character, what they’ve done (with Preston’s help) is make this quintessentially supporting character take center stage; this is the Elsbeth Tascioni The Good Wife fans all know and love. She’s just now been given room to breathe and grow as she tries to figure out whether she can have it all in the Big Apple." 

Daniel Fienberg of THR says you don’t have to be familiar with Carrie Preston’s appearances on The Good Wife in order to enjoy Elsbeth, but it might give context to the series’ lighter tone. The critic notes that this spinoff seems to be molded around its main character’s sensibilities, rather than the darker series that preceded it, creating a “comfort-food spinoff.” Feinberg says: 

"Elsbeth is immediately striking for how at ease it is. It’s more culturally topical than politically topical and while it’s a show driven by weekly murders, it handles that carnage with a distinctly light touch. As a result of that levity and the sense that Elsbeth would rather be a warm blanket than a burr in the saddle, it’s doubtful this series will generate the same passionate critical affection as the Kings’ earlier shows. But it’s designed to attract a wider audience as a fizzy, accessible comic thriller built around a charmingly quirky lead performance." 

There seems to be a lot to like about the new The Good Wife spinoff, regardless of if you’re familiar with the fan-favorite recurring character. Elsbeth premieres at 10 p.m. ET Thursday, February 29, on CBS and can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. 

If you’re like much of the population with a Netflix subscription, then you probably spent at least a few days this year doing one thing with it: binging Suits. The legal drama landed on the service in late June and basically became the biggest thing in streaming for several weeks on end. That streaming success for the series (which ran from 2011 through 2019 on USA, and starred Patrick J. Adams, Meghan Markle, Gabriel Macht, Sarah Rafferty and many others) has led to talks of a new series set in the Suits universe. But, we know that the wait for that (if it even comes to fruition) will be rather long. 

Fans of the original show are likely still looking for more entertainment like the kind they got from the hard-working attorneys of Pearson Specter Litt (or any of the other names of their firm, which must have changed at least a dozen times over the course of the show), and we’re here to help! Let’s talk about 10 shows like Suits that you can watch right now, and start with another USA original that might be continuing soon.

White Collar

Though not a legal drama, per se (don’t worry, there are several on this list), White Collar is very much in the vein of Suits. The 2009-2014 series follows forger/con artist/thief extraordinaire Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) once he’s finally captured by FBI Special Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) and begins acting as both Burke’s informant on the criminal activities of others, and an official FBI consultant.

This show was my jam the entire time it was on. It really has everything: the likable White Collar cast and their characters (who develop over time), a push/pull dynamic between Neal and Peter that changes as the show goes on, cool secondary characters/villains/cases to be solved, and all of that is wrapped in a dramatic bow that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It should be right up a Suits-lover’s alley.

Stream White Collar on Hulu.
Stream White Collar on Freevee through Amazon. 

Burn Notice

Burn Notice is another USA Original (2007-2013) that has my heart, but this one is considerably more action-packed than either Suits or White Collar. Here we focus on long-time spy Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan), who finds himself “burned,” a.k.a fired from the intelligence agency he worked for. Unable to rely on his usual contacts and help from the government, he’s also stuck in his hometown of Miami as he tries to figure out who burned him and why, and who he can still trust.

This is another drama where the strong relationships between characters, a la Suits, is a big plus, as Michael doesn’t have to lone-wolf it through all six seasons, but has help from his ex-girlfriend Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) and good buddy Sam (Bruce Campbell), who are both ex-spies, and his very concerned mother, Madeline (Sharon Gless). Plus, you get a revolving door of amazing bad guys, frothy spy action, great twists, and leads you can’t help but always root for.

Stream Burn Notice on Hulu.
Stream Burn Notice on Freevee through Amazon.

L.A. Law

If you’re currently thinking, "Where are the other engrossing legal shows with complex relationships (sometimes of a romantic nature) between lead characters, political jockeying within the firm and can’t miss cases," then the oldie but goodie L.A. Law is where I’m taking you next. From prolific drama creator Steven Bochco (and executive produced/written in part by famed wacky legal show creator David E. Kelly), L.A. Law (which ran on NBC from 1986-1994) followed the inter-office politics, romances, and cases of the influential attorneys and staff at the L.A. law firm McKenzie, Brackman, Chaney and Kuzak.

L.A. Law revolutionized what a legal show could be. While you will definitely get some intense cases, and episodes that deal with serious issues of the time, some of the drama is infused with true weirdo humor you wouldn’t expect (one character dies by falling down an elevator shaft in the building, you guys). Like Suits, it has a large, highly-watchable cast, and stories that will keep your eyes glued to the TV.

Stream L.A. Law on Hulu.

Perception 

Perception sees us follow professor/neuropsychiatrist (who deals with hallucinations from his schizophrenia) Daniel Pierce (Eric McCormack) as he’s enlisted by former student Kate Moretti (Rachael Leigh Cook), now an FBI agent, to help solve some of the bureau’s most complicated cases. Luckily, Daniel is able to use his hallucinations to help him see patterns and make connections he wouldn’t otherwise be able to make.

This TNT series, which ran from 2012-2015, is perfect for those who like to put together clues, and it’s also great for Suits fans who want to follow a tight knit group of characters with complicated lives.

Stream Perception on Freevee through Amazon.

The Good Wife

When Alicia Florrick’s (Julianna Margulies) husband becomes embroiled in a very public political corruption and sex scandal and ends up in prison, she returns to her former career as a lawyer to provide an income for her family. 

With strong performances from top to bottom (including Christine Baranski, Josh Charles, Archie Panjabi, and many others) The Good Wife struck a character-driven chord with viewers and critics, leading to an incredibly successful seven-season run (2009-2016) on CBS and a spinoff that those with a Paramount+ subscription can enjoy. Suits lovers should enjoy every part of this show, especially the relationship between Alicia and old friend/fellow attorney, Will (Charles).

Stream The Good Wife on Freevee through Amazon.
Stream The Good Fight on Paramount+.

Castle

There was a time when you couldn’t miss news on Castle, the ABC hit that saw ebullient mystery novelist Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) join by-the-book NYPD detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) to help solve cases, even though their personalities often led to clashes. 

Castle ran for eight seasons (2009-2016), and Suits watchers who miss the frequent tête-à-têtes between Mike and Rachel (not to mention those of Harvey and Donna) will enjoy watching Richard and Kate slowly go from getting under each other’s skin to getting into each other’s pants.

Stream Castle on Hulu.

Boston Legal

Here’s another David E. Kelley legal drama for you, which also has some of those wacky comedic stylings seen in L.A. Law and many of the other shows he’s worked on. Boston Legal had five seasons (2004-2008) on ABC, and sees the somewhat slimy Alan Shore (James Spader) do whatever it takes to win his difficult cases for Crane, Poole & Schmidt. Meanwhile the antics of his lively and unconventional best friend, Denny Crane (William Shatner), lead many in the firm to attempt (and frequently fail) to rein him in.

So, you binged all of Suits and are really missing those stirring courtroom moments? Well, Boston Legal is for you!

Stream Boston Legal on Hulu.

Chuck

And we’re back to something more spy-actiony that will still give you an interesting group of characters with intriguing relationships and backstories. Chuck ran on NBC for five seasons (2007-2012), and brought viewers along as smart but unambitious retail computer service expert Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) finds all the secrets of the CIA and NSA downloaded into his brain, leading to him being assigned government handlers (Yvonne Strahovski, Adam Baldwin) and living a secret life as a spy.

If you want to kick things up in the action department and add some levity, but still desire absorbing cases and an ensemble of characters with interpersonal ties that grow stronger over time, give Chuck a shot.

Stream Chuck on Amazon.
Stream Chuck on Max. 

The Lincoln Lawyer

Based on the Michael Connelly novels of the same name, The Lincoln Lawyer is a recent Netflix hit that subscribers have really taken to. The drama (created by David E. Kelley) follows criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller (Manuel García-Rulfo) as he works hard for his clients… often from the back of his Lincoln Navigator. Suits lovers will enjoy the strong characters, cases and courtroom drama.

Stream The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix. 

Pearson

Last, but certainly not least, this list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Pearson, the unfortunately one-season spinoff that focused on former Suits mainstay Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres) after being disbarred and leaving New York for Chicago, where she’s become the new mayor’s fixer. Her desire to win, however, frequently clashes with her craving to do the right thing.

This 2019 show offers a natural continuation of Jessica’s story for Suits fans who really missed having her around for the last three seasons of the show.

Stream Pearson on Peacock. 

This is hardly every show that will be a good fit for those who’ve already made their way through of Suits, but it’s a great start that’ll keep them occupied for hours on end.

Over the last several decades, the critical view of television has changed from being a lesser, more mass produced art form, not on the level of movies, to being the place for some of the most creative and progressive content being produced. Much of that collective reappraisal is due to HBO. In the late '90s and early 2000s, the premium cable company poured money into original productions like The Sopranos, Sex And The City, The Wire, Six Feet Under and more. 

As the awards, critical praise, positive fan feedback and subscriptions poured in, more TV networks started taking chances on difficult and complicated subject matter and shelling out to attract major stars. HBO still remains arguably the most famous and successful prestige TV network, but over the last few decades, tons of other networks have taken their chances with riskier and complicated shows. Many of those chances have paid off too.

Here’s a look at some really famous and really successful prestige TV shows that didn’t air on HBO but likely took some level of inspiration from the path the network blazed.

House Of Cards (Netflix)

Few shows in the history of television have upended the entire industry more than House Of Cards. The political drama was the first major original production from Netflix, and the reviews were overwhelmingly positive. Emmy nominations in all the major categories helped create a ton of word of mouth, and within a few years, Netflix’s long-term strategy shifted from a focus on acquiring content to a focus on producing content. 

Downton Abbey (ITV/ PBS)

Every awards voter knows period piece family dramas set among the aristocracy can be major contenders for awards, but Downton Abbey proved just how popular they can be with a broad audience too. The sprawling historical drama found huge popularity in both Britain and The United States, ultimately producing six seasons and multiple movies, and yes, of course, it won plenty of awards too.

The Americans (FX)

One of my personal favorite shows on this entire list, The Americans was a bit of a slow build. Its first season got very solid ratings and a few nominations, but within a few seasons, the spy drama about a Russian family pretending to be Americans was attracting huge Metacritic scores and picking up Emmy nominations in all the major categories for both the show itself and its brilliant lead actors Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys. 

Breaking Bad (AMC)

Widely considered to be one of the greatest shows of all-time, Breaking Bad may not have been on premium cable, but its subject matter was every bit as uncomfortable and morally complicated as anything found elsewhere. By the end of its incredible five-season run, the show had won two Emmys for Outstanding Drama, as well as acting Emmys for three of its primary actors and nominations for two more. 

The Good Wife (CBS)

Prestige TV shows typically have shorter seasons. Maintaining the highest quality over ten episodes is a lot easier than doing it over the twenty-plus network TV typically requires, but The Good Wife was able to maintain high quality thanks to really tight scripts that perfectly blended courtroom case-of-the-week style procedural elements with real character development. Great acting performances also helped, as its actors were collectively nominated an astounding thirty times at The Emmys over just six seasons.

Justified (FX)

Prestige TV shows are most often classified by the number of awards they won, but sometimes it’s about elevating a genre and having an original vision. That’s the case with Justified. It had eight Emmy nominations (and two wins for Margo Martindale and Jeremy Davies), but it’s here mostly because of how much life and originality it brought to the crime genre. It slowly evolved past being a procedural and into a carefully plotted linear story featuring a holler of fascinating backwoods personalities.

Orange Is The New Black (Netflix)

Whether awards voters were asked to call it a comedy or a drama, Orange Is The New Black found a very large and very passionate fanbase with its unique blend of prison shenanigans and societal commentary. It also helped prove Netflix was going to be a long-term threat for prestige television awards long after House Of Cards was gone.

The Great (Hulu)

The Great is maybe the most outlandish show I have ever watched and this comes from someone that’s watched Twin Peaks multiple times. There was no line this show wouldn’t cross, but with a filthy wit, it was able to ride the line between stupid and clever and rewrite the history of Catherine The Great And Peter III’s relationship in a really fascinating way. Reviews were great, and by the end, the lead actors were getting recognized for huge awards.

Lost (ABC)

I’m not sure there will be a single entry on this list that’s more divisive than Lost. The show, which Wikipedia calls a science fiction adventure drama, lost the patience of a percentage of its audience by the end, but it’s impossible to deny just how hooked millions were there for awhile. And with good reason. It got fifty-four Emmy nominations during its run and many are still discovering its joys on streaming.

30 Rock (NBC)

The bar is a lot higher for a comedy to be considered Prestige television, but there are few comedies in the history of television more praised and widely respected than 30 Rock. The hysterical take on the backstage politics behind making a TV show won Outstanding Comedy at the Emmys three times and in later seasons, attracted some of the biggest stars in the world for multi-episode guest spots.

Mad Men (AMC)

Apart from the fact that it’s utterly fantastic, Mad Men is one of the most important TV shows of the last few decades because it conclusively proved literally any network had the ability to create one of the buzziest, most acclaimed series on television, including AMC which launched Mad Men as its first original program. It also turned Jon Hamm into a huge star, and shined a light on many members of its talented supporting cast.

Dexter (Showtime)

Yeah, I know Dexter was inconsistent during its run, but man, was that Dark Passenger fun to ride around with when it was good. Showtime’s drama about a serial killer who tried to live by a moral code netted its primary actor, Michael C Hall, five well-earned Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead and netted terrific vet John Lithgow a guest star Emmy win for his terrifying work in Season 4. 

Homeland (Showtime)

Homeland didn’t have quite the universal acclaim in its later seasons, but there aren’t many shows in TV history that could match the universal acclaim of its early seasons. Its terrific first season won Outstanding Drama at The Emmys, as well as statues for its two lead actors Claire Danes and Damian Lewis. Altogether, it’s probably the most talked about and acclaimed series in Showtime history, and that’s huge praise given what else has been on that network.

The West Wing (NBC)

The West Wing is perhaps a little more inside the box and network TV-ish than a lot of other entries on this list, but to me, that’s part of its appeal. It’s well put together enough to consistently provide payoff moments, but it’s good enough at what it’s doing that the formula rarely gets in the way. Voters agreed, as it nominated the show for an astounding ninety-eight Emmys.

Ted Lasso (Apple+)

At its absolute best, Ted Lasso, the show but also, the person, has a way of making you feel so unreservedly happy. Before you realize it, you’re rooting for these characters more passionately and with more love in your heart than you ever knew was possible for a TV show. Critics, fans and awards voters all agreed too, as for awhile there, Ted Lasso became the most talked about thing on streaming.

Weeds (Showtime)

Given it ran for eight seasons, Weeds is far from the most nominated show on this list. Some of its actors did well at The Emmys, but what’s really important long-term about the drug dealing dramedy is how it turned what could have been a goofy, throwaway premise of suburban mom turned drug dealer into sharply written material that explored many different emotions and tones. It was never content to remain the same, which is the opposite of what many comedies want.

Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

This choice for sure is picking up some eyerolls, but people forget how freakin’ good Grey’s Anatomy was during its first handful of seasons. It earned multiple Outstanding Drama nominations, and many of its actors, most prominently Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson, were nominated for their performances. Its third season premiere was also watched live by more than twenty-five million people, which was a huge number at the time, especially for a critical darling.

24 (FOX)

24’s unconventional format of having episodes correspond to specific hours was a masterstroke, given the high pressure intensity of its subject matter. It was also able to really push the line with network television but more in the way of aggression and physical violence. It felt dangerous at the time, and decades later, that ever-present ferocity still comes through. It was consistently rewarded by critics and awards voters too in a way you almost never see for something this action-packed.

Modern Family (ABC)

Modern Family works so well because it’s really good at many different types of comedy. It has an overarching tone, sure, but because it brings together multiple generations, as well as many varied characters, it mines a lot of different subject matter for humor. That allows the show to feel fresh and keep from getting repetitive for longer than most comedies. Its wild range is probably best exemplified by the show somehow getting a combined six nominations in the Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress Emmy categories in the same year.

Better Call Saul (AMC)

There aren’t many spinoff shows in the history of television that pick right up where the original left off in terms of quality. Better Call Saul is a rare exception, which is positively insane given the original quality it needed to aspire to was maybe the greatest show ever in Breaking Bad. Fortunately, Bob Odenkirk is an absolute delight to watch, and Better Call Saul was able to give many of Breaking Bad’s greatest side characters more chances to shine.

Schitt's Creek (CBC)

If you want to know how beloved Schitt’s Creek was when it went off the air, especially among awards voters, look no further than the acting nominations it got during its last run at The Emmys. It somehow netted nine nominations just in the on-screen performance categories. It was a great final moment for a show that was often able to feel like both the best parts of a sitcom and the best parts of a linear dramedy at the same time.

Mr. Robot (USA)

Over the course of four critically acclaimed seasons, Mr. Robot built up a passionate fanbase who loved the dynamic between Rami Malek and Christian Slater, as well as the score and pace of the series. Starting mostly with its second season, it was also honored quite a bit by various award shows, including The Emmys, which gave Malek the Best Lead Actor award, along with nominating the show itself, guest actor BD Wong and more. 

Rescue Me (FX)

A show on FX about firefighters starring stand-up comedian Dennis Leary probably wouldn’t strike most people as a future Emmy winner and critical darling, but Rescue Me was never afraid of tackling more complicated material. That willingness to explore tougher subject matter attracted audiences, as well as high profile guest stars including Michael J Fox who picked up an Emmy for his contributions. 

This Is Us (NBC)

This is Us was so popular during its first few seasons that NBC gave it the post Super Bowl slot. The show took full advantage and aired a Super Bowl-themed episode that many consider to be one of the best of This Is Us’ entire run. It’s a perfect example of how the show, at its best, weaves together the type of complicated subject matter Emmy voters go for, while remaining broad enough to satisfy a massive audience. The actors in particularly were consistently hit with nominations, especially Sterling K Brown who was recognized by The Emmys five times.

The Crown (Netflix)

Typically when a show connects with a large audience, critics and awards voters, those behind the scenes do everything they can to keep the magic going with the original cast. Not The Crown. Rather than focus on a narrow window, the show hurtled forward, picking up new leads and new characters every few seasons, while somehow still maintaining enough quality to connect with Emmy voters and please its legion of fans.

The L Word (Showtime)

The L Word was never as enticing to awards voters as it should have been, though Ossie Davis did notably win an Emmy for Guest Actor, but its popularity and effect on prestige TV’s willingness to tackle LGBT+ subject matter cannot be overstated. Over the course of six seasons, the show tackled a wide variety of subjects and built a rich, complicated world of interconnected characters for its fanbase to root for and sometimes get mad at. 

Fargo (FX)

Taking spiritual inspiration from The Coen Brothers’ movie of the same name, no one was quite sure what to expect when Fargo premiered back in 2014, but the result was a fantastic crime narrative that was entirely different, yet oddly similar to the pace of the original film. Critics were overwhelmingly hot and loads of major nominations followed, especially for the actors. Subsequent seasons went in very different directions, but the basic spirit and popularity with awards voters remained. 

The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)

House Of Cards may have been the first streaming show to get significant critical acclaim and awards nominations, but The Handmaid’s Tale is actually the first one to win Best Drama at The Emmys. The unnerving and often disturbing adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel is a tough watch but can be so rewarding, as millions of viewers found out. Its first few seasons in particular were showered with praise and numerous nominations for both the show itself and its brilliant cast.

Arrested Development (FOX/ Netflix)

Has a comedy ever used a narrator better than Arrested Development? The well-written and often deeply weird comedy never attracted the biggest audience, but it was a huge hit with its fanbase and critics, who adored the complicated relationships between its characters and their ridiculous recurring jokes and plots. By the end of its short run, it won Best Comedy and Best Writing at The Emmys and saw four of its cast members nominated in acting categories.

Ozark (Netflix)

It took a little time for enough awards voters to give Ozark a chance, as the first season mainly only saw wide praise for Jason Bateman’s work, but once voters gave it a chance, the nominations started flying in. The show’s last three seasons were all nominated for Best Drama at The Emmys and Julia Garner won multiple times in the supporting category for her incredible work. New fans also keep discovering the show and taking to social media, where the hype train continues, despite not being on the air anymore.

Killing Eve (BBC Three/ BBC America)

There’s no shortage of fans and critics with opinions about Killing Eve's divisive final season, but the first two, in particular, remain beloved by pretty much everyone. Not surprisingly, perennial awards contender Sandra Oh got four Emmy noms for her work on the show, but voters also flipped for Jodie Comer, who got nominated three times and took home a win. Not bad for a spy thriller that wasn’t initially seen by some as a prestige project.

Pose (FX)

The loudest support for Pose came from those who couldn’t get enough of Billy Porter’s fantastic lead performance. He was repeatedly nominated and picked up an Emmy win during the show’s run, but there was also a lot of acclaim for individual seasons themselves too, as Ryan Murphy’s exploration of New York City’s LGBT+ subculture gave an opportunity for so many talented supporting actors to have their moment. 

There are few celebrities that can pull off one name recognition, like Madonna, Beyonce, and Zendaya; on the other end of that spectrum, though, are the maybe even rarer Hollywood icons that pull off that full name glory. That brings us to the one and only Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who has had some absolutely killer (literally) roles over the years, even the ones you may have forgotten about. 

The man has some wild range, from The Walking Dead’s post-apocalyptic juggernaut Negan to Grey’s Anatomy’s lovable and charming Denny. From roles from one end of the Good Guy/Bad Guy spectrum to the other, fans pretty much ever know where Jeffrey Dean Morgan is going to land in a project. We’ve compiled a list of his absolute best movies and TV shows, which makes for pretty much the perfect guide to an amazing Morgan marathon session.

Supernatural (2005 - 2019)

We’re starting off with a perfect example of Jeffrey Dean Morgan blurring the lines of good guy and bad guy as Daddy Winchester in Supernatural. On one hand, Morgan’s character is quite literally fighting to save both his family and the world throughout his time on the CW series. On the other hand, he has completely wrecked his kids in his search for vengeance. 

The whole Supernatural family is kind of a mess, but they all wormed their way into the hearts of a hardcore and loyal fan base. The love for the long-running series has no bounds, even though it concluded over a year ago. This, along with a potential prequel spin-off on the way, gives Supernatural a pretty concrete place on Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s top projects.

Stream Supernatural on Netflix.
Buy Supernatural Digitally on Amazon.

The Walking Dead (2016 - 2022)

Jeffrey Dean Morgan traded his demon hunter journal for his zombie killing bat named Lucille in AMC’s The Walking Dead. Morgan plays oddly lovable (he’s even getting his own spin-off) and obviously vicious villain Negan in the series, and became a mainstay in the long running series after his introduction in Season 6. 

Once pretty much universally hated for the brutal killing of two fan favorite characters, Negan has now become something new on the series. Fans now either still hate him or have a new outlook on the character, but you can’t really deny that Jeffrey Dean Morgan absolutely eats the character up. Negan is only one of the many strong and overall interesting characters in The Walking Dead, so it’s no real surprise it’s making this list. 

Stream The Walking Dead on Netflix.
Stream The Walking Dead Season 11 on AMC+.
Buy The Walking Dead Digitally on Amazon.

Grey’s Anatomy (2006 - 2009)

Like a lot of other Jeffrey Dean Morgan fans, the first time he really stole my (and Izzy’s) heart was as Denny Duquette in Grey’s Anatomy. His storyline was an emotional rollercoaster (and one that changed the actor’s life), which isn’t exactly out of the norm for the Shonda Rhimes series. The series has some serious tearjerker moments, and it’s almost an expectation that tears will fall when you watch it. However, nothing in the show gets me as teary-eyed as Denny Duquette.

Even though Jeffrey Dean Morgan was on the show back near the beginning, Grey’s Anatomy is still going strong on ABC with a Season 19 renewal. It’s one of the most recognizable medical dramas, and has a large viewership. If you haven’t seen it, it’s one you’ve got to check out when you’re up for a good cry.

Stream Grey's Anatomy on Netflix.
Buy/Rent Grey’s Anatomy Digitally on Amazon.

Watchmen (2009)

Before Wonder Woman, The Justice League, and The Army of the Dead, Zach Snyder made a gem of a superhero movie called Watchmen. Watchmen is kind of like if Amazon’s The Boys was made over a decade ago and took itself a lot more seriously. Both superhero projects take a closer look into the person that makes up the superhero and what it really is to be a superhero on a primal level. 

Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s portrayal of Edward Blake AKA Comedian is probably one of his most recognizable roles for any typical millennial who isn’t into The Walking Dead. He’s pretty awesome as the jokester antihero, and was one of the highlights of Watchmen. His performance is one that would do justice to a number of other comic book characters he’d be perfect for.

Buy/Rent Watchmen Digitally on Amazon.
Buy Watchmen on Blu-Ray on Amazon.

The Losers (2010)

Right after his role in Watchmen, Jeffrey Dean Morgan played in another comic book inspired film: The Losers. This film almost feels like another version of The Expendables franchise without all of the big-name action stars, as they have a similar premise. They actually came out the same year, if you don’t count the fact that The Expendables is actually a remake. 

There is loads of action, and a good amount of laughs in the film. Jeffrey Dean Morgan takes on a leadership role in The Losers, which is actually one of the first times we see this from him, and may have even set a precedent for some of the other leadership roles we know from him.

Stream The Losers on HBO Max.
Buy/Rent The Losers Digitally on Amazon.
Buy The Losers on DVD on Amazon.

P.S. I Love You (2007)

So, this is actually a pretty interesting role for Jeffrey Dean Morgan. At this point, he’s already proven that he can win over both his women and male audience, and P.S. I Love You definitely plays into women’s love for his tall, dark, and handsome persona he’s got going on. They also give him an Irish accent, if he isn’t already hunky enough. 

While Gerard Butler plays the main love interest (even though he is technically dead pretty much the whole film), Jeffrey Dean Morgan swoops in at the end and pretty much steals the show, and every woman’s heart, when Hilary Swank’s character lets go of her departed husband and becomes open to moving on. 

Buy/Rent P.S. I Love You Digitally on Amazon.
Buy P.S. I Love You on DVD on Amazon.

The Good Wife (2015 - 2016)

Jeffery Dean Morgan has quite the resume when it comes to long running series, and The Good Wife is another on that list. Morgan shows up in the series in the very last season, but he is a heavy presence throughout. He plays the central character’s love interest.

This role is particularly interesting for Jeffrey Dean Morgan, because he was playing Negan on The Walking Dead at the same time. The differences in the two characters are quite literally worlds apart. 

Stream The Good Wife on Paramount+.
Buy The Good Wife Digitally on Amazon.

Rampage (2018)

Alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan lays off the zombie killing as Negan and starts tracking down some seriously out of control animals in Rampage. Morgan does channel his inner Negan charm, though, and pretty much steals the spotlight from Johnson in the film. 

Rampage is a fun film, and it’s pretty much exactly what you would expect it to be, all with a stellar cast behind it.

Stream Rampage on HBO Max.
Buy/Rent Rampage Digitally on Amazon.
Buy Rampage on Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Heist (2015)

Everybody loves a good heist, and this Jeffrey Dean Morgan film is no different. Morgan is joined by Guardians of the Galaxy’s Dave Bautista and the iconic Robert De Niro in the robbing of a casino. While the film scored low on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie was otherwise received pretty well. It's action packed and just plain fun, a thriller that doesn't take itself too seriously, which makes for a feel-good viewing. 

Rent/Buy Heist Digitally on Amazon.
Buy Heist on DVD on Amazon.

Honorable Mention: Dead & Breakfast (2004)

I’m an absolute sucker for a bad horror flick, and Dead & Breakfast fits that bill. I love when I can spot big name actors in a B-Movie, it’s the most satisfying guilty pleasure ever. Dead & Breakfast fills the cult horror/comedy void, but it is also a musical. It may not be any Rocky Horror Picture Show, but it’s definitely putting out some serious Tim Curry in fishnets and heels vibes with that genre mash-up.

However, Dead & Breakfast isn’t your typical low budget horror film, as there are a number of recognizable faces in the movie, like Arrested Development’s Portia de Rossi and Kill Bill’s David Carradine. Also interesting, the writer/director is Super producer Matthew Leutwyler. If you’re into comedy horrors that double as a musical with some awesome talent, check out Dead & Breakfast. It can actually be a hard film to find, but you can stream it if you've got a Roku device. 

Whether he is the good guy, bad guy, or somewhere in the morally gray area, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is damn entertaining to watch. He puts out powerful performances with a great attitude and comedic personality, making his movies and TV shows not only emotional, but super fun to watch.

Lucky for us, some of Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s best films and shows are among some of the best things to watch on Netflix right now, so it’s a great time to have a JDM-filled night.

For many horror fans out there, prolific storytelling Stephen King is a one-stop shop for all of one's genre-specific needs, from his seemingly endless supply of original content (novels, short stories, Lisey's Story, etc.) to the many recommendations he's shared over the years, whether it be through social media platforms or magazine articles. But no one should have to survive solely on horror programming, as glorious as that does sound, and King took a step outside his central genre with his latest option for suggested TV viewing.

While I can only assume Stephen King will be an early-bird viewer for Netflix's Brand New Cherry Flavor and USA/Syfy's Chucky whenever those fright-filled shows debut later this year, the King of Horror appears to be quite content with watching the heightened legal drama The Good Fight, which is in the middle of its fifth season on the streaming service Paramount+. Check out the glowing praise King had for it as he quote-tweeted crime novelist Linwood Barclay:

It does make quite a bit of tangential sense that The Good Fight taps into Stephen King's interests, and not just because he shares a surname with the drama's co-creators Robert and Michelle King. Having also created the aforementioned spinoff's flagship series The Good Wife, which starred Julianna Margulies, the Kings were also responsible for CBS' offbeat sci-fi drama Brain Dead, Paramount+'s current horror drama Evil and the Spectrum Originals horror thriller The Bite. So they're definitely more wrapped up in genre love than a traditional TV drama creator like, say, the Law & Order and One Chicago franchise developer Dick Wolf.

As it usually goes when Stephen King puts a TV or film recommendation out there, fans were quick to comment on the post with appreciation and promises to check The Good Fight out. Quite a few commenters were completely unfamiliar with the show, which can often be the case when King is making non-horror suggestions. So if there's any kind of a sizeable uptick in viewers starting The Good Fight from the very beginning, perhaps King will get a nice "Thank You" card in the mail...signed in blood! Or just a regular pen.

To be fair, though, not everyone was in full agreement with Stephen King's assessment. One commenter, while not refuting his claims about The Good Fight's quality in and of itself, did take issue with King's claim that the drama was the first TV series to handle COVID storylines with aplomb, and pointed to Grey's Anatomy as the better example. Still, even if it wasn't necessarily first, the streaming drama still gets high marks for how it handled things.

Those waiting for more Stephen King adaptations don't have long to wait, and we probably won't be without such adaptations for the rest of our lives, considering how many are in development. The next one set for release is EPIX's Chapelwaite, an adaptation of King's short story "Jerusalem's Lot," with Adrien Brody in the worm-handling starring role.

The Good Fight Season 5 is currently streaming on Paramount+, with new episodes going live every Thursday. Be sure to stay current with the rest of the 2021 Summer TV schedule to see what other TV shows, horror and otherwise, are debuting soon.

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With every new streaming platform, there are several great dramas for people to turn to when they want to spice up their lives with the problems of fictional characters. Paramount+ is no stranger to that, even though it’s sort of new to the scene. Already, it sports awesome shows, with some of the best dramas out there. While you wait for your new shows to premiere from the 2021 TV schedule, streaming is the way to go.

We have shows that have been going on for what feels like forever, such as NCIS and Star Trek, and others that still have dedicated fans, like Blue Bloods and The Good Wife. No matter what you’re into, Paramount+ is sure to have some sort of drama for you to wrap your head around. These are some of the best that the streaming service has to offer.

NCIS Shows

If you haven’t heard of NCIS at this point, I don’t know what rock you’ve been hiding under.

NCIS is one of the quintessential cop dramas out there. The phrase stands for Naval Criminal Investigation Service, and the series has been going on for years, since 2003.

Because of the popularity of this military and police procedural show, there have been a couple of spinoffs in this franchise that have also been put onto Paramount+ for your viewing, including NCIS: New Orleans and NCIS: Los Angeles. For all you procedural fans, this is most certainly the one for you.

Stream the NCIS franchise on Paramount+ here.

All Rise

Moving onto a more recent entry in this list, All Rise follows the stories, cases, and personal lives of a judge, a persecutor, and a public defender in the beautiful world of Los Angeles, and all the crime that comes along with it.

Obviously, if you’re already a fan of legal shows like Your Honor and Better Call Saul, this drama will be right up your alley. Even if you’ve never given series like this a chance, I’d say keep an eye out for this show. It’s an intriguing look at the legal system, which does a great of of illuminating and entertaining.

Stream All Rise on Paramount+ here.

The Good Wife

Another legal and political drama, The Good Wife, kept a steady reputation as one of the best shows on TV for seven seasons. Produced by Ridley Scott, this show covers the story of Alicia Florrick, the wife of Cook County State’s Attorney, who returns to her career in law after her husband is found guilty of a public sex and political corruption scandal.

The show received critical acclaim and was nominated for multiple Primetime Emmy Awards for how fantastic it was. Sometimes shows like this need to be viewed to really grab you, and once you start that first episode, it’s like a drug. You’ll find yourself rooting for Alicia in ways that you never thought you would – truly worth the time to view.

Stream The Good Wife on Paramount+ here.

Clarice

Think of one of the best films you’ve ever seen – did you think of The Silence of the Lambs? Because I did, and that’s exactly what Clarice is based on. We return to the world of Clarice Starling a year after the events of Silence of the Lambs, as we dive deep into the personal, untold story of the detective.

This series has everything from the movie that you loved and more, with that same psychological aspect that made Silence of the Lambs so intriguing in the first place. Along with that, you’ll get some prime hunting down of other serial killers and sexual predators, in a high-stakes world all around Washington D.C. If you loved the original, you’re sure to love the show as well.

Stream Clarice on Paramount+ here.

Star Trek Shows

Alright, there are far too many to tell you the individual plot of each Star Trek show, but know that there are so many for you to explore. The Star Trek franchise – which has been around since the 1960’s – is all about going “boldly where no man has gone before,” through the channel of space and (sometimes) time. Trust me, there are several stories which have been told throughout the years.

From the Star Trek franchise, you could watch the original Star Trek, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Discovery and so much more. While the series is rooted in science-fiction, there is still plenty of drama for you to enjoy. With each of the new shows that this franchise has turned out over the years, you’ll have entertainment for months.

Stream the Star Trek franchise on Paramount+ here.

The Equalizer

Moving onto another show based on a movie, The Equalizer is a brand-new TV series inspired by the original series of the same name from the 1980s. The show, now starring the fabulous Queen Latifah, tells the story of a vigilante who wants to help with social justice and pursues cases where the people aren’t helped by the law – which is where the “equalizer” steps in to help them out.

After the success of the series (and films starring Denzel Washington), it was only a matter of time before they decided to reboot the idea, and Queen Latifah holds up in the main role, along with several other shining costars alongside her. The crime-drama has only has a few episodes so far, so it’s easy to catch up, and who doesn’t love a good vigilante story?

Stream The Equalizer on Paramount+ here.

Blue Bloods

Blue Bloods focuses on the Reagan family, a group of individuals who largely work in law enforcement. The father is the New York City Police Commissioner, followed by family members that play other pivotal roles in the daily ongoings of the NYC Police Department.

With eleven seasons to binge, there’s plenty of you to enjoy on this popular cop show. Whether you’re a city dweller or someone who’s really into the law, there are parts of this show that will satisfy any viewer. Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg, and several others star in this popular show, so there’s also plenty of talent to watch during the long-running series.

Stream Blue Bloods on Paramount+ here.

Twin Peaks

This is one of my all-time favorite dramas, and it's been popular for such a long time that it’s clear others feel the same way. Twin Peaks, while short-lived, has a cult following for a reason. The series tells the tale of a murder investigation of a homecoming queen, in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington.

While it sounds like just some normal everyday crime show, there are so many elements to Twin Peaks that stand out. For example, every episode is a standard day in the show, so each season only chronicles a month – therefore, as the viewer, you really get to dive deep into these investigations and see all of the horror, mystery, and killers that appear during these cases. It’s super interesting, extremely entertaining, and worth the watch for any crime fan, even if it's a short series.

Stream Twin Peaks on Paramount+ here.

Madam Secretary

Back to the political spectrum, we take a look at a role that isn’t usually covered that often from the White House in scripted TV – the secretary of the United States. Madam Secretary is the story of a secretary of state, and the internal struggles that she has while trying to drive diplomacy, and the politics of not just the country, but the office as well.

I know that there are so many political shows out there, but this was is super complex. It really digs deep into this position and the troubles that anyone in the White House can face. I feel like in the last couple of years, we’ve all had our fair share of politics, but for a show that was around for six seasons, it’s clear they must have been doing something right. The character development is great, the stories interesting, and the politics aren’t too hard to understand for someone who’s new to shows like this.

Stream Madam Secretary on Paramount+ here.

The Stand

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, The Stand is basically what we’re living right now – through a pandemic.

Nah, I’m just joking, but that is a main plot-point of this miniseries. In this show, we see the beginning of a pandemic that is a result of a mishap in a military biological research station – this, in turn, leads to the people who are left fighting a true battle of good against evil.

With this great show, we see awesome actors like James Marsden and Odessa Young take the lead, really providing us with a rich story – I mean, it’s Stephen King, the same guy who wrote The Shining. We all know that this story is going to be great. There’s no better time than now to watch it.

Stream The Stand on Paramount+ here.

The Twilight Zone

While the new Twilight Zone that Jordan Peele hosts is fun and all, there’s nothing that can quite compare to the original The Twilight Zone from the ’60s. The Twilight Zone is an anthology, often dealing with strange and unusual events and the people who get caught up in those events.

While the show can lean a little bit more into the horror and mystery aspect, the episodes always end with some sort of lesson being taught. Even though some of the issues can be a bit dated (this show did debut in 1959), many of the stories are still mysterious enough to be thoroughly entertaining.

Stream The Twilight Zone on Paramount+ here.

Under The Dome

Another Stephen King adaption here, Under The Dome, tells the story of a small town which is suddenly trapped under a glass dome. No one knows why, but it’s up to the townspeople to figure out exactly how to get out – and why it might have happened to them in the first place.

I know that this sounds a little bit like the plot of The Simpsons Movie, but I promise you that the story of Under The Dome is much more fleshed out and entertaining – and a lot less comical. This is the epitome of what a drama should be, with a nice science-fiction twist.

Stream Under the Dome on Paramount+ here.

Jeez. I’m already biting my nails imagining the stress I would feel watching all these dramas – but, I suppose that’s the fun part about it. You can sit on the couch and view it all on Paramount+, without having to deal with any of the consequences that the characters did.

A few times I have been curious how Pedro Pascal feels that his, arguably, most popular role to date requires him to hide his face most of the time. It kind of makes you wonder about all the fans of The Mandalorian who had never heard of him before he appeared on the Star Wars spin-off series as the titular, interplanetary bounty hunter.

Of course, I also have no doubt that the Chilean-born, 45-year-old actor has surely gained a following from playing Javier Peña on Netflix’s historical crime drama Narcos. Not to mention, I am certain he is especially well-known as fan-favorite Oberyn “The Red Viper” Martell on Game the Thrones, which he claims to be a life-changing moment for his career. That is not even counting the impressive film career he has since led - such as the whip-cracking Whiskey in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, a treasure-hunting former special operative in Triple Frontier, and, most recently, the power-hungry Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman 1984.

However, for now, I would like to focus on Pedro Pascal’s TV roles, and specifically the ones you may have forgotten he was in or never even knew about in the first place. From guest spots on crime procedurals to recurring characters on family dramas and even one starring role with a surprising connection to his more famous efforts, prepare to be shocked by how many times you may or may not have seen Mando before he put the helmet on with the following eight examples of his lesser-known small screen appearances, starting with a show has tended to be a lot of actors’ first tase of sci-fi/fantasy phenomena.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (Eddie)

When he was still using his second middle name (Balmaceda) for his stage persona, Pedro Pascal landed his first guest appearance on a major network TV show in the form of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. On the Season 4 premiere episode in 1999, he plays Eddie, whose sudden disappearance leads new college student Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) to suspect that vampires are hunting on campus. Her suspicions are confirmed when she later finds her classmate freshly fanged and ready to attack, only to fall prey to her stake.

Touched By An Angel (Ricky Hauk)

A year later, Pedro Pascal (once again billed as Pedro Balmaceda) was blessed with a more favorable “supernatural” encounter as the central focus of a Season 6 Touched by an Angel episode. He plays Ricky Hauk, who is devastated by news that the gas station he works for is closing, until the show’s heavenly heroines Monica (Roma Downey) and Tess (Della Reese) step in and inspire him to pursue his true passion: writing poetry.

Brothers & Sisters (Zach Wellison)

Speaking of hope and inspiration, Pedro Pascal’s character on Brothers & Sisters was definitely someone in need of such blessings. He guest starred on two episodes of the ABC hit in 2011 as Zach Wellison - a former military officer now at war with homelessness, but still initially reluctant to accept the help of fellow veteran Justin Walker (Dave Annable).

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Special Agent Greer)

Pedro Pascal can claim to have appeared on all three major iterations of Dick Wolf’s iconic crime procedural series, but the sole time he played a person with a badge was on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in Season 12. However, as it turns out, his ATF agent character, Greer, actually supplied a criminal with the gun used to kill a woman before she could testify against her rapist. His role in the murder later resulted in his own death at the hands of the woman’s daughter.

The Good Wife (Nathan Landry)

For one of his very first major recurring TV spots, Pedro Pascal played someone who had his heart in the right place and on the right side of the law, but at the cost of the audience’s sympathy. He appeared in six episodes of the first two seasons of The Good Wife, a hit legal drama which later inspired CBS All Access’ The Good Fight, as Nathan Landry - an attorney trying to keep Alicia Florrick’s (Julianna Margulies) corrupt husband Peter (Chris Noth) behind bars.

Lights Out (Omar Assarian)

Pedro Pascal engaged in a different kind of fight for the short-lived FX sports drama Lights Out, starring future Mindhunter star Holt McCallany in the title role of Patrick “Lights” Leary. After retiring from the ring, the aging Lights becomes a trainer to Pascal’s character Omar “The Armenian Avenger” Assarian - an up-and-coming boxer who may have the right moves to help finally bring his father’s gym to championship status.

Burn Notice: The Fall Of Sam Axe (Comandante Veracruz)

Long before becoming a member of one of the most worshipped fictional universes among geeks, Pedro Pascal acted alongside one of the most worshipped actors among geeks, Bruce Campbell, in this TV movie prequel to USA’s hit espionage series Burn Notice. Campbell reprises his character Sam Axe near the end of his Naval career when he discovers that his Columbian army liaison Comandante Veracruz (Pascal) is the one who framed him as a consort for a wanted terrorist group.

The Unaired Wonder Woman Pilot (Ed Indelicato)

Another big franchise that Pedro Pascal has joined more recently is the DCEU as one of the central protagonists of the aforementioned Wonder Woman 1984. Coincidentally, his role as Maxwell Lord is actually his second time sharing the screen with Diana Prince - the first being his role as an LA cop who, essentially, acts as a Jim Gordon type for the superheroine (Adrianne Palicki) in a planned TV series reboot from 2011. Of course, you may not have remembered Pascal’s appearance (the actor included) because NBC chose not to pick up, nor even air, this infamous pilot which has only been seen by the public through leaked footage online.

What do you think? Does Pedro Pascal shine brighter as Ed Indelicato in the failed Wonder Woman pilot, as Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman 1984, or do you believe that neither of these roles were up to par with his acting capabilities? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the star of The Mandalorian, as well as even more insight into your favorite celebrities’ lesser-known acting efforts, here on CinemaBlend.

CBS is finally giving The Good Wife spinoff The Good Fight a fighting chance on network TV. At least for one season.

This summer, CBS is airing a network-approved -- i.e. bleeped out swears -- version of The Good Fight Season 1, which streamed 10 episodes on CBS All Access. The broadcast will start Sunday, June 16, and the first four episodes will air within the 2019 Emmy nomination voting window that closes on June 24.

That should give the show a better chance at Emmy attention. In a just world, Christine Baranski would be a lock for a nod as Diane Lockhart, the character she reprised from The Good Wife, but Delroy Lindo would also be a frontrunner as attorney Adrian Boseman.

The Good Fight was the first original series to launch on CBS All Access and recently streamed all of Season 3. So this is a way for new fans to get hooked on the show and hopefully -- from the network's perspective -- get them to subscribe to CBS All Access to keep going.

The Good Wife was a huge hit for CBS for seven seasons, so if this network airing of The Good Fight Season 1 can capture some of the fans who loved that show and get them to consider at least a trial run of CBS All Access to watch the story continue, this will be a huge success. There's also the potential of Emmy wins. And it also fills a nice spot on the summer schedule for CBS.

Here's the start of The Good Fight Season 1 schedule, with episodes airing back-to-back on CBS for the first two weeks, before the timeslot changes:

The Good Fight will remain in that Sunday at 10 p.m. time period until the 10-episode season endson Sunday, August 4.

The Good Fight picks up one year after the slap-happy events of The Good Wife finale. Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey alum Rose Leslie plays young lawyer Maia Rindell, who is swept up in her parents' financial scam, which has also wiped out the savings of Maia's godmother, Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski). Forced out of Lockhart and Lee, Diane and Maia join The Good Wife alum Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo) at one of Chicago’s pre-eminent African American-owned law firms, Reddick, Boseman & Kolstad.

Several The Good Wife stars also joined The Good Fight, including Sarah Steele as the amazing assistant Marissa Gold, plus Gary Cole as Diane's estranged husband Kurt McVeigh, Carrie Preston as wonderfully quirky attorney Elsbeth Tascioni, Dylan Baker as psychotic Colin Sweeney, Zach Grenier as David Lee, Michael Boatman as Julius Cain, and more small crossover roles, including some judges.

New additions include the great Delroy Lindo as Adrian Boseman, plus Bernadette Peters as Maia's mother Lenore Rindell, Paul Guilfoyle as her father Henry Rindell, Justin Bartha as Lucca's rival/lover Colin Morrello, and Nyambi Nyambi as investigator Jay Dipersia.

I have to say, as a fan of The Good Wife, I was hopeful for The Good Fight but not sure if the streaming service show would keep my interest without characters like Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), Cary Agos (Matt Czuchry), Kalinda Sharma (Archie Panjabi), Eli Gold (Alan Cumming), or the dearly departed Will Gardner (Josh Charles). But I quickly got hooked on The Good Fight, which used its non-network status to make very bold story decisions. It'll be interesting to see how that plays on network TV, and see how many viewers tune in for the, um, more sanitized version.

The first episode of The Good Fight got an over-the-air launch on CBS on February 19, 2017 and drew 7.17 million viewers. CBS All Access did something similar with Star Trek: Discovery, premiering on CBS before moving the show to the subscription streaming service.

The Good Fight tried to get Julianna Margulies back for an arc in Season 3, but that fell apart. I'm a little disappointed CBS didn't invest some money in her return for CBS All Access, and then advertise it as a big event, The Return of Alicia Florrick. They could've aired an ad for her Season 3 return during this Season 1 run on CBS.

CBS All Access is upping its profile to compete with Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and -- very soon -- Disney+. Check out the streamer's options and sign up for a free trial, if you care to.

Julianna Margulies was basically slapped all over again when she tried to bring Alicia Florrick back on The Good Wife spinoff The Good Fight. CBS wouldn't show her the money. From her perspective, she was due her regular fee -- no more, no less -- which was in line with what she had made on The Good Wife.

Apparently it turned into a thing, and plans for Alicia to return for a three-episode arc in The Good Fight Season 3 went down the drain. As Julianna Margulies put it:

CBS offered Julianna Margulies The Good Fight's usual guest star rate, Deadline reports. That was not OK to the star who led The Good Wife for seven seasons from 2009 to 2016 before the spinoff was launched:

It's hard to know exactly how much money we're talking about for this three-episode arc, but ... I can see both sides of this. She's right that if Jon Hamm or Kiefer Sutherland came back for an arc on a spinoff to their shows, networks would back up a money truck for them.

However, The Good Fight airs on CBS All Access, not CBS. That still ticks me off, since fans of The Good Wife now have to pay a whole separate subscription to watch many of their favorite characters return on this other show. But the reality is, CBS All Access is not CBS. It's not a broadcast network show, it doesn't get the same viewership -- as far as anyone can tell, without CBS All Access releasing specific numbers. So the budget isn't going to be the same. You can't give a huge chunk of your budget to a returning star, even if that star is Julianna Margulies, who is absolutely right that she started this whole thing and there would be no spinoff without her.

Still, if CBS All Access wanted to bring in more numbers, they could've turned The Return Of Alicia Florrick into an event, as promoted on CBS. CBS could've invested some money in that.

The Good Fight premiered its first episode on CBS in February 2017 and averaged 7.17 million viewers, with a 0.7 rating, according to TV By the Numbers. After that, it moved to CBS All Access as the streamer's first original scripted series.

Julianna Margulies led The Good Wife through all seven seasons but turned down a chance to appear in Season 1 of the spinoff because she wanted to let the show establish its own voice. However, Alicia's name came up frequently in conversations, so she was definitely -- and still is -- part of the spinoff's world. Now that the CBS All Access show is in its third season, Margulies was ready to let Alicia make an on-screen appearance.

Apparently Julianna Margulies was recently at a festival in France and talked about showrunners Robert King, Michelle King, and Phil Alden Robinson having found a nice way to reintroduce Alicia Florrick across three episodes. But now? She reportedly told Deadline she she was "more surprised than hurt" by CBS' decision to just pay her a guest star rate.

She's now reportedly ruling out a return to The Good Fight, which is a shame because she regrets not being able to work again with co-stars/friends Christine Baranski (Diane Lockhart) and Cush Jumbo (Lucca Quinn). The Good Fight is packed with former Good Wife stars -- also including Sarah Steele as Marissa Gold, Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni, Gary Cole as Kurt McVeigh, Dylan Baker as Colin Sweeney, and Zach Grenier as David Lee.

The Good Fight Season 3 drops new episodes Wednesdays on CBS All Access, with Episode 5, "The One Where a Nazi Gets Punched," streaming April 10.

Some of the juiciest drama happens behind-the-scenes of TV shows. Offhand, you can probably think of any number of actors/actresses from Downton Abbey to Game of Thrones and beyond with shocking exits. Sometimes the actors leave under let's say cloudy conditions, and other times it's the showrunners who create controversy with the writing of the exit. It's kind of amazing to think that we've had so many such departures just in the past five years. This list only scratches the surface -- starting with the exit that should be coming up next...

George Eads, MacGyver

George Eads is leaving MacGyver, with the show setting up an exit for his character Jack Dalton in the Friday, February 1 episode. Eads reportedly had an on-set altercation of some kind back in October and subsequently stormed off the Atlanta set. When he returned, he asked to be released from his contract, reportedly due to a desire to spend time with his daughter in Los Angeles. Eads also left a different CBS show under similar circumstances. He left CSI after 15 seasons, one season after an on-set problem with one of the writers. It seemed like he might quit, but he took a leave of absence and came back for another season before being written off.

Clayne Crawford, Lethal Weapon

Clayne Crawford's departure from Lethal Weapon was ugly from every angle. He was cut from the show before Season 3 due to alleged misconduct. The show decided to kill off Martin Riggs and give Damon Wayans' Roger Murtaugh a new partner. Some of Crawford's bad behavior was caught on camera, including clashes with Wayans, who didn't come across so good himself. In one instance, Crawford had a meltdown over filming scenes at an L.A. area pool. After that, he agreed to undergo counseling. Ultimately, his character was killed off and -- after a time jump -- Seann William Scott stepped in as the new co-lead Season 3. In late 2018, Wayans said he planned to leave the show after Season 3, but that may not be the case anymore. Then again, Fox has yet to renew the show for a Season 4, so it may be a moot point.

Thomas Gibson, Criminal Minds

Thomas Gibson's character Aaron Hotchner was written off Criminal Minds after the actor had an on-set altercation during production on Season 12. Gibson was directing an episode and had a heated incident with the episode's writer, allegedly kicking at him. He was fired. Hotch, a main character of the show, was written to have taken a consulting job off screen. Later, that was said to be a ruse, and he went into witness protection to get away from Mr. Scratch. Hotch could've returned to the BAU later, but fans were told that he decided to retire and be a full-time parent to Jack. It's not clear if Hotch will return for the Criminal Minds finale. That wasn't the first time something like that had happened; in 2010, Gibson allegedly pushed an assistant director, and had to take anger management counseling.

Danny Masterson, The Ranch

Danny Masterson was fired from Netflix's The Ranch during filming for Season 3, after five women came forward with rape allegations. His character, Rooster, appeared to leave town at the end of Part 5. But that wasn't the end of his story. When Part 6 premiered, Beau Bennett (Sam Elliott) got a call that Rooster's motorcycle was found at the bottom of a cliff. Apparently he went into a curve too fast, his brakes locked up, and he went over the guardrail. Rooster's body wasn't found, but he was presumed dead, and the family held a memorial for him. So they killed Rooster off, but also left the door open for the character. Danny Masterson asked fans to keep supporting The Ranch, even with Rooster "MIA."

Roseanne Barr, Roseanne

Roseanne had a hugely popular revival Season 10 when it returned in 2018. But Roseanne Barr has never been shy with her opinions, and she took a tweet a step too far for ABC. Since it was Roseanne's show, with her name on it, when ABC wanted to fire Barr after a racist tweet, the network decided to cancel the entire show. ABC boss Channing Dungey called Roseanne's tweet about Valerie Jarrett "abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values." The rest of the Roseanne cast, who were basically collateral damage in the drama, returned for a spinoff called The Conners.

Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Kevin Spacey's personal house of cards came crashing down after Star Trek: Discovery and Rent star Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of trying to have sex with him when Rapp was just 14 years old. After that, several members of the House of Cards also came forward with stories about Spacey's alleged misconduct. Netflix decide to cut ties with Spacey, and cut him out of the final Season 6 entirely. Robin Wright's President Claire Underwood was instead the lead of the shortened final season. The show killed off Frank Underwood, and also buried the character somewhere he would never want to be. Spacey later revived his character for a bizarre holiday video called "Let Me Be Frank."

Erinn Hayes, Kevin Can Wait

This casting drama started when it was announced that Kevin James' former King of Queens co-star Leah Remini would be joining Kevin Can Wait full-time in Season 2. That news was followed by reports that Erinn Hayes was fired after Season 1. The show decided to kill off her character, Donna, wife of Kevin's lead character. That allowed Season 2 to focus on Kevin's relationship with Remini's Vanessa Cellucci. The change didn't sit well with fans, and Hayes didn't seem to be happy with it either. CBS decided to cancel the whole show after Season 2 anyway.

Connie Britton, Nashville

It was a huge shock to Nashville fans when Rayna James died due to injuries from a car crash. It seemed like Rayna was going to be fine ... until she wasn't. Fans were devastated. What was Nashville without Rayna James? Connie Britton said leaving was her decision. She felt it was time to exit Nashville after it found a new home at CMT for Season 5. But the show continued for another season on CMT, and Britton even brought back Rayna back in the finale for two scenes -- a flashback and the big musical number at the end.

Sophia Bush, Chicago P.D.

Sophia Bush left Chicago P.D. after playing Det. Erin Lindsay for four seasons. She was tight-lipped about her reasons at first, and only opened up more over time, talking about her unhappiness on the set. Bush said (via TVLine) that she experienced "a consistent onslaught barrage of abusive behavior." She said producers initially dismissed her complaints, and they even seemed irritated that she was asking them to investigate negative conditions on set. She gave them notice that if things didn't change by the end of Season 4, she'd quit. She threatened to sue the network and write an op-ed on why she was unhappy, but NBC ultimately allowed her an early exit from her seven-season contract.

T.J. Miller, Silicon Valley

T.J. Miller's Erlich Bachman was one of the main characters of HBO's Silicon Valley. When Miller announced he'd be leaving the show after Season 4 wrapped, plenty of reasons flew around as to why. Initially, Miller said he wanted to do more things like The Emoji Movie and have time to develop animated features. After that, more stories started coming out about his allegedly unprofessional behavior on set. He also reportedly didn't get along with star Thomas Middleditch. The more that came out, the more toxic and mutual the departure sounded.

Stana Katic, Castle

Stana Katic played co-lead Kate Beckett on Castle, so it was baffling to fans to hear she'd be leaving after Season 8 -- and not by her own choice. Nathan Fillion's contract was renewed, and he and some of the other stars were ready to return for Season 9. But how could Castle continue without Beckett? Rumors flew as to what happened, from recycled talk of tension between Katic and Fillion to discussion of various contracts. There was huge fan outcry, and ABC ultimately decided just to end the show with Season 8. Two different endings were filmed -- one with a cliffhanger if Season 9 had happened, and the happy ending that fans got to see. But the behind-the-scenes drama toward the end of the show's run was still fresh to fans, and soured the happy ending a bit.

Josh Charles, The Good Wife

So much of The Good Wife was the love story between Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) and Will Gardner (Josh Charles). So it was a massive shock to see Will gunned down inside a courtroom in Season 5, Episode 15. Will was dead. Josh Charles had wanted to leave the show, and the creators wrote an open letter to fans to try and justify the end of Will's story. Charles' exit wasn't even the only dramatic one for the legal show. You may have heard about the rumored tension between Margulies and Archie Panjabi, who played Kalinda Sharma. When Panjabi left in Season 6, the show filmed a final scene for best friends Alicia and Kalinda. But there was speculation that the stars filmed their respective sides of the scene separately.

Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy

Grey's Anatomy is now in Season 15 but fans are still pissed about Derek's death. There was already behind-the-scenes drama suggesting Patrick Dempsey would be leaving the show, but the way they wrote out his character in Season 11 was just brutal. Derek had stopped to help some people in a car accident, and ended up hit himself. He was rushed to a hospital, but not Grey Sloan, and his doctor made a mistake that ended up in Derek's death. Shonda Rhimes defended the decision to kill off Derek, saying it was better than having him just disappear on Meredith Grey. At least this preserved their love story. Some fans said they would stop watching after Derek's death. Even some current viewers still don't want Mer to be with anyone else.

Columbus Short, Scandal

Columbus Short brought his own scandal to Scandal. He played Harrison Wright on the first three seasons, but confirmed he wouldn't return for Season 4. Harrison was ultimately killed in the Season 3 finale. Short opened up later about the personal drama that led to his departure, saying, "I'll be candid. I was struggling with drugs. I had a lot on my plate, and you know, I was using unhealthy ways to kind of self-medicate and deal with a lot of heavy duty stuff in my life." He was jailed after getting into a fight in a restaurant, and his wife filed for divorce following a misdemeanor spousal battery charge. Short said Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes and the cast knew about his drug and alcohol problems and tried to protect him and hold him down. "And that was one of the real reasons – they just wanted me to get my stuff together."

Chandler Riggs, The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead loves a shocking exit, but if there was any character that seemed safe, it was Carl Grimes. Chandler Riggs apparently though he'd be safe for a while too, so it was shocking for him as well as fans when Carl was killed off halfway through Season 8. Riggs said it was "devastating" for him and his family, especially since he had just bought a house in the Atlanta area where Walking Dead films. Riggs' father also spoke out on social media, slamming showrunner Scott M. Gimple for firing Chandler two weeks before the actor's 18th birthday, despite telling him they wanted him on the show for the next three years. The very next season, the show's main star, Andrew Lincoln, also exited the show -- although this time it was by choice, and AMC didn't kill off Rick Grimes, the network is giving him his own set of films.

Those are just a few of the controversial departures from the past few years. There are more -- and many more if we went back even further in time. At this point, we've just started the second month of 2019, but it will surely add more names to the list. That's the way of the TV biz. For now, keep up on everything airing with our handy midseason 2019 schedule.

Actor Matt Czuchry just scored a possible lead role on television, and it sounds pretty cool for fans of medical dramas. The actor has found fans through his portrayals on shows like Gilmore Girls, and now he will get that opportunity again with a starring role in a medical drama pilot. Fox has tapped Czuchry, as well as others for a pilot drama by the name of The Resident.

The Resident focuses on a young doctor named Devon Pravesh, who is played by Manish Dayal, and their brilliant but brash and cocky senior resident Conrad Hawkins (Matt Czuchry). The pilot is said to pull back the curtain on the realities of modern medicine and focus on lives saved and lost on the job. Czuchry will co-lead the series alongside Dayal and Bruce Greenwood, whose role has not been announced at this time. The Resident appears to feature the idealistic Devon Pravesh having idealistic expectations of entering the field of medicine, only to have those expectations shattered or met.

Deadline tells us the pilot is being co-written by well-known screenwriter Amy Holden. Holden has acting credits for films such as Mystic Pizza and Indecent Proposal, and developed the short running ABC medical drama Black Box. As for Matt Czuchry, he is no stranger to a dramatic role. The actor recently concluded playing Cary Agos on CBS's The Good Wife and fans of Gilmore Girls recently saw him reprise his role as Logan Huntzberger on the Netflix revival. Czuchry also had a short stint on Friday Night Lights where he played Chris Kennedy, who briefly dated Lyla in Season 2 of the show.

With both The Good Wife and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life concluded, Matt Czuchry has a clear schedule should The Resident's pilot do well and get a full series order. Production has not started yet on the series, so it's hard to say one way or another what FOX is planning. The network recently greenlit another medical pilot by the name of The Beast from executive producer of ER Neal Baer, so it would seem that they are looking to jump into primetime medical dramas. The network is currently running a medical drama, Rosewood, and has had success with past series like House previously.

Will The Resident end up becoming more than a pilot? It's hard to say right now, but getting a drama veteran like Matt Czuchry on board is certainly a step in the right direction. Of course, you can count on us to keep you updated as the pilot comes closer to airing if any decisions have been made one way or another. In the meantime, check out if any medical dramas are on the horizon with our midseason premiere guide and pick one out to tune into!

The Good Wife did a lot of things very well over the course of its seven seasons. All the awards and outstanding reviews were a testament to that, but there was perhaps nothing more impressive than the large, realistic and slowly shifting world it built around Chicago courtrooms. Between opposing lawyers, quirky judges and random side characters, The Good Wife was able to create a universe which felt very familiar. Characters that weren't on a particular week weren't gone, they were just doing other things, much like real life. It all worked really well, which is perhaps why The Good Fight, which exists in that same world with a few of the same characters, feels so comfortable so quickly. The Good Wife never ended. Its perspective just changed.

Unlike Robert And Michelle King's The Good Wife, their new show does not follow Alicia Florrick. Instead, the spinoff follows Maia Rindell (Rose Leslie), a young, nervous lawyer whose father was just arrested for running a Ponzi Scheme. The whole world hates her, or at least most of the world hates her, which is perhaps why she's so eager to do something productive---to make a difference and to find her place. In the pilot, that good is done through a class action lawsuit involving employers garnishing wages, but ultimately, that doesn't really matter.

Well, it matters to the people involved, but it doesn't matter to the larger arc of the show. The Good Wife and now The Good Fight has always been about the lawyers in question growing as people and as litigators. Sometimes you win cases and sometimes you lose them, but always, you move forward as human beings who are just trying to figure it out. That's why including Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) in the spinoff makes so much sense. She lost all of her money in the Ponzi Scheme run by Maia's father. Without a firm, without Alicia and without options, she is back at it again---just growing alongside the characters one case at a time. The same could be said for returning players Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo) and Marissa Gold (Sarah Steele), as well, though the specifics of their challenges and desires are obviously unique to them.

The Good Fight is airing on CBS All Access. More cynical fans will likely take that as a slight against its quality, but fortunately, the opposite seems to be true. The Good Fight is not a perfect show yet, but it's good enough that I expect many fans to actually follow through and stream it. Even if they don't, it won't change the fact that this show deserves to be seen.

The writing is crisp and very organized. The acting is understated and careful. The characters are both new and familiar. All together, it's a really polished show (maybe because of the rewrites), and if it's able to keep making forward progress, it could turn into one of the best streaming shows available.

The Good Fight's debut episode will air on regular CBS on February 19th at 8 PM ET. The subsequent episodes will stream on CBS All Access.

I didn't know how much I missed seeing Alan Cumming on my television each week until my only fix happened during the occasional intro for a PBS Masterpiece series. Luckily, it looks as if I may not have to wait too long to see the former Good Wife actor back on TV in a regular capacity. CBS has started sending out its first rounds of pilot orders for the 2017-2018 TV season, and one of them is a crime drama that would be star Alan Cumming.

The potential crime drama would be called Killer Instinct and would follow a gifted professor and former CIA employee who teams up with the NYPD to solve cases in a time of need. Apparently, a serial killer will be on the loose and it will be up to the professor to stop him. No word yet on whether this will be a case-of-the-week or serialized drama or if the serial killer will be sort-of like The Mentalist's Red John. However, it's safe to say that CBS has had good luck with this sort of case-solving drama in the past and will probably do so again, whether or not Killer Instinct becomes the next pick-up.

Currently, CBS has only ordered a pilot for Killer Instinct, which doesn't guarantee it will move forward to series but does guarantee the network is giving the potential show a good chance to shine. Alan Cumming will be executive producing as well as starring in the drama, which is actually based on a James Patterson book (a favorite author for CBS). Per Deadline, Michael Rauch is writing the TV project and Rauch, Cumming, Patterson, Alex Kurtzman, Bill Robinson and Heather Kadin are all executive producing the pilot.

As far as Alan Cumming goes, the Scottish actor spent the last seven seasons playing Eli Gold on The Good Wife. The character landed him critical acclaim and even some awards nominations, but so far it doesn't look as if Eli Gold will be a part of CBS' big Good Wife spinoff The Good Fight. Other series originals, including Cush Jumbo, Sarah Steele, Gary Cole, Zach Grenier, Jerry Adler and Carrie Preston will be back for the CBS All Access series. If all goes well, though, it looks like Cumming will not need The Good Fight. Cumming has new movies Battle of the Sexes and Show Dogs lined up, as well as Killer Instinct.

It should be some time before we learn whether or not the CIA man will team up with the NYPD in a new series. Pilot season is really just picking up steam, and usually the major networks make the final decision in May in terms of what will be moving forward. Hopefully, by the time CBS makes a decision the network will move on from the title Killer Instinct, although we daresay it's a bit more palatable than the original header, Dr. Death. We'll let you know as soon as we know, though.

For now, check out what CBS and other network and streaming stations have coming up with our midseason TV premiere schedule.

It was somewhat surprising when the mildly controversial series finale for CBS' The Good Wife was almost immediately followed up with news of an impending spinoff, not that anybody was complaining about getting more from Christine Baranski's Diane Lockhart. But had creators Robert and Michelle King had allowed for a proper resting period before going into action on The Good Fight, they might not have had to go through emergency rewrites while the pilot was already in production. It turns out their confidence in Hillary Clinton's presidency really showed in The Good Wife's writing.

According to Robert and Michelle King, there was originally a scene in the pilot that had Christine Baranski acting quite happy and content with Hillary Clinton on the road to becoming our next President, and that was definitely an example of something that got excised with the quickness. With the pilot more than a week into shooting, one doesn't eagerly anticipate alterations like that, but the Kings didn't seem to be too put out in describing the situation to EW in this month's print issue (via TheWrap).

The Good Fight will center on Diane Lockhart getting shooed away from the legal career fans watched her excel at for years, and then teaming up with her goddaughter Maia, played by Game of Thrones' Rose Leslie, in joining a Chicago law firm that also includes Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo). Though the pilot was supposed to recognize and celebrate female power through Clinton's run as POTUS, gears had to be changed, and the Kings were then given the chance to have Diane's reactions sit front and center.

Donald Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton caused a wide variety of reactions from people all over the planet, and as can be seen here, certain people within the entertainment industry were affected in quite different ways. Beyond The Good Wife, Trump's win and the preceding campaign caused Veep's creative team to cut out a running gag about female genitalia, and TNT's population-splitting drama project Civil had to get scrapped entirely after its pilot was filmed, as it was a little too reflective of the country at large. One can almost always count on real life getting in the way of one's goals, and 2016 has been particularly pervasive in this area. For what it's worth, Robert King is now confident that Donald Trump's inauguration will happen.

Hopefully without any more delays for rewriting coming in the future, The Good Fight will make its highly anticipated debut on CBS All Access, the network's exclusive streaming service, with several familiar faces also there. Head to our midseason premiere schedule to see what else is hitting the small screen in the new year.

The beauty of spin-offs is the fact that they afford a network newfound opportunities to explore characters who previously spent their time exclusively on the sidelines. We've seen this happen in the Arrow-verse, as well as AMC's Breaking Bad universe with the advent of Better Call Saul. Now it seems that the upcoming spin-off of The Good Wife (aptly titled The Good Fight) will explore one of the original series' most popular characters, as the legal drama will bring Carrie Preston's Elsbeth Tascioni back into the fray.

A new report from TVLine confirms that Carrie Preston is currently slated to return as Elsbeth Tascioni in the upcoming spin-off of The Good Wife. Although the details regarding the exact nature of her involvement remain somewhat vague at this point, the report indicates that the quirky lawyer will definitely return for a multi-episode arc during the upcoming offshoot of the popular series. The character was actually supposed to appear during the final season of The Good Wife, but her obligations to another series prevented that from panning out.

Carrie Preston's portrayal of the character has become absolutely iconic in the years since she debuted on The Good Wife. Fans flocked to the lovable Elsbeth, and the Emmys even recognized her in 2013 by awarding her with an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.

Check out a clip from The Good Wife below for an awesome reminder of how much you love Elsbeth Tascioni:

If The Good Fight can deliver more scenes like that, then I think it's safe to say that we will definitely watch the upcoming spin-off.

Fans of The Good Wife will undoubtedly be pleased to learn that Ms. Tascioni is going to make a return to the small screen. As one of the more bizarre individuals on the CBS legal drama, the character made herself instantly endearing with her socially stunted personality and oddball quirks. During the course of The Good Wife's run, The Huffington Post even called her "the most brilliantly complex lawyer on television." With such high praise from the overall fan base, it will be an absolute treat to watch her arc play out on The Good Fight.

CinemaBlend will bring you more information related to the upcoming debut of The Good Fight as new details become available. The Good Wife spin-off will premiere on Sunday, February 19 at 8 p.m. EST on CBS and CBS All Access. For more information related to all of the most highly anticipated spring television debuts, make sure to check out our comprehensive midseason premiere guide and fill out your TV viewing schedules accordingly!

For several years, The Good Wife was one of the most creative and well-written programs on television. Then, last spring it went out with more of a whimper than a bang. Well, more accurately, it went out on the slap heard 'round the world, leading to dissenting opinions on the show's ending. However, this week, The Good Wife creators Robert and Michelle King actually revealed that the ending we got was not the original ending to the series. In fact, it's The Walking Dead's fault that The Good Wife ended the way it did. Inadvertently, of course.

At a Q&A in New York this week, showrunner Robert King revealed that originally The Good Wife was not supposed to end with Diane Lockheart slapping Alicia Florrick in the face. Instead, Alicia Florrick was supposed to get her happy ending, an ending that was supposed to come thanks to Jason Crouse, who just so happened to be played by Walking Dead actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan. However, by the time the team had crafted the preferred Good Wife ending, Jeffrey Dean Morgan was already contracted by and filming on The Walking Dead. Since The Walking Dead films in Atlanta and is a long process, he was unable to make it back to shoot a happy ending for the character. So, the show pivoted.

Honestly, Alicia had a revolving door of suitors following Will Gardner's death on The Good Wife. If one of those had stuck around for a few seasons, perhaps we could have bought into the love affair as deeply as we bought into the one between Alicia and Will through its ups and downs... and there were definitely downs, considering Alicia's frequent choice to reunite with Peter, etc. But Josh Charles opted to leave the series, and when that happened, even guest stints from major names Matthew Goode, Steven Pasquale and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who all acted as potential suitors or actual suitors for Alicia, never stuck quite as well.

Because of this, Robert King said (via Variety) that having Alicia officially end up with Jason at the end could have been "too much of a cop-out," so maybe it's actually a blessing that Alicia didn't go out that way.

Still, the final row between Alicia and Diane was unexpected, as Diane is not a woman who frequently lets her emotions show. Previously Robert and Michelle King had explained why they ended the show the way they chose to noting:

That's a nice quote, but now it also looks that scheduling may have come into play. If you didn't like the ending, you may get some sort of closure soon. CBS has a Good Wife spinoff called Good Fight currently in the works at CBS All Access that is set to heavily follow Diane Lockhart and other characters from the original series. As for Alicia, maybe we'll hear about what the character is up to in another way? To find out more about Good Fight, head here. To find out more about what TV has coming up, check out our midseason TV premiere schedule.

Back in May, CBS' hit lawyer drama The Good Wife finally ended after seven seasons. But fans of the series don't have to wait long though to get their Good Wife fix. The show will be getting its own spin-off that will hit CBS All Access in February 2017, and the spin-off has been filling its cast with plenty of characters from the original show. Now a fan favorite will be joining the spin-off as a series regular: the sarcastic Marissa Gold.

According to TVLine, Sarah Steele is set to reprise her role as Marissa Gold, the sardonic daughter of Eli Gold, on the new Good Wife spin-off. She's also getting a promotion, as Stelle will be a full-on series regular and appear in all 10 episodes of the digital series. Marissa will begin the series as a secretary at a Chicago law firm, before realizing she has a knack for research and becomes an investigator. Snooping and sarcasm: a winning combination.

Sarah Steele will join previously announced Good Wife veterans Christine Baranski and Cush Jumbo as Diane Lockhart and Lucca Quinn respectively in the new series. In addition to Steele's casting, we've also recently learned the first plot details for the spin-off, courtesy of Deadline. The series will pick up one year after the final episode of The Good Wife and will center around "an enormous financial scam that has destroyed the reputation of a young lawyer, while simultaneously wiping out her mentor Diane Lockhart's savings." Forced out of her law firm Lockhart and Lee, Diane and her protege move to Chicago and join Lucca at a pre-eminent law firm. Marissa will start off as Diane's secretary before discovering her talents as an investigator.

The announcement of Sarah Steele's casting comes right on the heels that Robert and Michelle King, the creators of The Good Wife, will serve as both executive producers and showrunners. The Kings previously worked on CBS' political satire BrainDead, which finished its run this summer. The Good Wife spin-off is a digital-only series that will be available to stream on CBS All Access, which also serves as the home of Star Trek: Discovery.

Fans of The Good Wife will no doubt be happy that Sarah Steele is reprising her role as Marissa. The actress' credits include appearances on shows such as Gilmore Girls and Nurse Jackie as well as feature roles in Spanglish and The To Do List. She can most recently be seen in an upcoming episode of CBS' procedural Bull, wherein she will play the host of a popular podcast.

The Good Wife spin-off will premiere on CBS All Acces in February 2017.

When you picture Michael J. Fox, you probably see him freaking out with Doc Brown in Back to the Future or waxing conservative on Family Ties or keeping New York afloat on Spin City. And those predisposed automations are part of the reason why the actor was so intrigued by his far different role of Louis Canning in CBS' The Good Wife. If you thought he was uncomfortable playing such a douchebag, you'd be wrong, and here's why Fox rather enjoyed Louis' bitter personality.

In the scheme of things, Louis Canning is just about the most genuine character to ever hit TV by that description. He isn't necessarily purely evil in nature, but rather so affixed to his dedication that he'll do whatever it takes to come out ahead. That's how most people live their life, for better or worse, though TV shows often make that a one-note trait for villainous characters without offering up the chance to feel empathy.

But one does want to sympathize with Louis, largely because of his disability. He suffers from tardive dyskinesia, which shares similar traits with dyskinesia, the body-shaking side effect of Parkinson's disease, which Michael J. Fox has lived with for decades. But Louis doesn't use it as a crutch, and he'd sooner grab a real crutch and push someone out of the way with it. And I love that Fox was so interested in portraying that asshole side of a disabled character, which is so rarely seen in fiction. And it's obviously worked for him, seeing as how he has nabbed five Emmy nominations for the recurring role.

Fox, who also talked with THR about how Louis' condition came to be following his acclaimed performance on Rescue Me, also got to show off his more thorny side when he guest-starred on Curb Your Enthusiasm in Season 8. Of course, in that episode he played a more agitated version of himself up against Larry David, the king and prince of being a rude prick, so even when Fox was being a dick, he still looked better off.

Here's hoping we won't have to wait too long to see Michael J. Fox back on the small screen in whatever capacity works for him. We're not going to be jerks about it.

As we head into the summer TV season, where it’s required to maintain a marked effort to find quality programming to spend one’s time with, there remains a thick sheen of disappointment from all of the lackluster season (and series) finales that are still fresh on our memories from the 2015-2016 season. We’re hoping that the June sun will allow us to sweat out those same memories so that we can learn to appreciate the simple things again.

Here are 9 recent TV finales that were pale representations of their respective series as a whole. Perhaps reliving the head-shaking moments – the deaths, the possible deaths, the characters who sadly didn’t die, etc. – all at once will allow us to forget that any of it happened. Spoilers will be shared.

The Flash

While The Flash remained fun throughout Season 2, doubling down on its bonkers comic book science fiction, it was obvious the huge problems with Zoom’s storyline probably weren’t going to be all fixed up by the time the finale aired. Indeed, this season’s big bad was at the center of both a dispiriting reveal about the masked man as well as an anticlimactic non-death, and the episode ended with Barry apparently retconning everything we’ve watched over the past two years. That final decision could lead to amazing things, sure, but it felt like a big narrative sucker-punch meant to shock rather than support what came before it.

Nashville

Nashville almost got it right for its Season 4 finale. So many characters found happy endings, such as Scarlett and Gunnar, and it seemed like the showrunners got the cancellation news early enough to craft the perfect exit. But instead of offering up the cheerful all-tied-up ending that was already filmed, Nashville put Juliette on a plane that went missing, delivering a huge cliffhanger anchored by the blind optimism that some other network or streaming service would step in to fund Season 5. Even if that works, though, the shrewd move to keep things unresolved can’t take back how pissed off fans have been since the episode aired.

Sleepy Hollow

Despite kicking things off with a fun and inventive first season, it didn’t take very long for Sleepy Hollow to drift off the rails before rocketing into space and leaving a burning pile of ashes behind it. Things reached an unpredictably infuriating apex in the Season 3 finale, during which Nicole Beharie’s Abbie Mills, one-half of the show’s core duo, sacrificed herself so that The Hidden One could be defeated. WTF, Sleepy Hollow? And then Fox inexplicably renewed the show for Season 4. But Abbie isn’t coming back, and there’s not much the show can do at this point that will reclaim the viewer interest lost over the past two uneven seasons.

The Good Wife

The Good Wife is one of those shows that managed to maintain its core audience without doing anything too out of character to ruin its reputation among fans. That is, until the Season 7 finale, which also served as the series’ last installment. The episode, “End,” was strapped with the arguably unnecessary choice to mirror the series premiere for certain plot points, essentially taking everything away from Alicia (except for her own slap across the face) in a manner that felt far more mechanized than natural. It was a conscious choice, so it’s hard to knock creators Michelle and Robert King for sticking to their guns and not making the finale feel like a Very Special Episode as some veteran series opt to go with. But…that had to be the guns they stuck with?

Arrow

Get a group of Arrow viewers together, and some are guaranteed to insist the past two seasons have tumbled downhill in quality; the Season 4 finale, “Schism,” only managed to get more people joining that side. (Here’s one great example of that backlash.) Damien Darhk couldn’t have conceivably nuked the entire planet – minus The Flash’s reset button, anyway – so that threat carried no high stakes, and his lame-o death was coupled with the haphazard dismantling of Team Arrow. Mayor Oliver Queen does indeed have a nice ring to it in terms of where Arrow’s narrative paths can be paved, but some kind of a memory-loss arrow will need to be utilized to knock enough dust onto the Season 4 climax to keep it out of sight and out of mind.

The Walking Dead

The mack daddy of all the complaint-producing finales this season, The Walking Dead’s Season 6 capper did a huge service to the series by introducing Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s highly anticipated tyrannical antagonist Negan, but it was done in such a way that the character’s iconic comic book scene ended in a cliffhanger that left it completely up in the air who Negan killed. I’m pretty sure the moments after that episode ended saw a rise in viewers digging holes in their backyard on the vaguest off-chance they ever found themselves in a situation where they could bury showrunner Scott Gimple and creator Robert Kirkman alive. It didn’t seem likely that The Walking Dead could top the backlash from Glenn’s fakeout death, but it happened a dozen times over.

Castle

For seven-ish seasons, Castle dependably delivered twisty stories and romantic sparks that fans ate up. Season 8, however, got new showrunners and the ho-hum LokSat storyline became its live-in albatross. Season 9’s mysterious fate first fueled rage over Stana Kasic’s forced exit, and then made things calmer by signing on cast members for another year. But then the cancellation dropped, and the now-series finale was spent not-shocking anyone in wrapping up a plotline that kept the main characters apart for extended periods, and it ended by putting bullets in both of them and then offering fans an shoehorned olive branch of a seven-years-later coda that had Rick and Beckett married with kids. (Nobody wanted to run that one, either.)

The X-Files

As one of modern television’s most popular dramas, The X-Files understandably had a lot of eyes on it when it returned to Fox at the beginning of this year. The shortened season was pretty polarizing, serving largely as a six-episode medley of familiar series elements, but even the revival’s biggest flag-wavers haven’t all been able to defend the baffling finale. The hour’s overstuffed story rapidly brought in a possible global pandemic that could kill everyone, since all humans have some alien DNA, as well as the secret-cloaked return of the thought-dead Cigarette Smoking Man and that beam-of-light cliffhanger teasing Scully getting re-abducted. The complaints have not been eased by the fact that Fox and Chris Carter haven’t yet agreed on details for the show’s future.

Downton Abbey

On both sides of the pond, Downton Abbey’s sixth season was more criticized than others, with both its “season finale” angering some viewers over misguided treatment of particular characters, and its Christmas Special/series finale angering others by too-neatly tying bows on everyone’s stories. Yes, these specials are known for their cheeriness, and yes, it was great that Edith finally got her day in the sun. But Mary also got her day in Edith’s sun, and the rest of the episode was largely a revolving door of mild and often predictable post-scripts for most everyone else. It wasn’t the riot-starting ending that others on this list put forth, but it also didn’t hold a candle to the flames that lit up the show’s best years.

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The Good Wife just ended on CBS last weekend. While it wasn’t the best finale for a lot of the characters, it did have a few solid moments for one character, and we aren’t talking about Alicia Florrick. We are, however, talking about Diane Lockhart, who was a prominent figure on the series in her own right. The finale ended with her slapping Alicia after her friend and co-worker exposed her husband’s affair to the public. It was an emotional moment for the character, but as it turns out, it may not be the end of her story. This week, we learned that a Good Wife spinoff may be in the works. If it moves forward, Diane Lockhart would be at the center.

Currently, CBS is still in the process of figuring out what its lineup will look like next year. However, the potential Good Wife spinoff would not need to fit into CBS’ primetime lineup. That’s because CBS is looking to launch the potential series on CBS All Access, the streaming service the network offers for $5.99 a month. If it moves forward, it would join the upcoming Star Trek TV series that is also in the works at the subscription streaming service. Both properties have proven valuable to the network in the past and could help the streaming service to expand its user base.

The proposed spinoff would follow Diane Lockhart and newer Good Wife character Quinn, who were working at the same firm at the end of the original series. No other former Good Wife characters are currently confirmed, and we have no idea how Diane’s marriage to Kurt will end up panning out following that moment when his affair became public. Robert and Michelle King, who created The Good Wife, would write the pilot for the spinoff but would not be showrunners. The two are moving to new CBS summer drama BrainDead, which looks totally wild.

A report over at THR mentions that CBS is looking to move forward with The Good Wife spinoff right away. Rather than going through the standard script, pilot and series order process, the channel is looking to sign a straight-for-series order for the spinoff. Currently, the network is only in talks to make this happen, so there’s still no guarantee we’ll get more from some of The Good Wife side characters in the future. Regardless, this could be a good fit for the streaming service, should the details be worked out.

The Good Wife is one of a few shows that are ending or have ended on CBS this season. Mike & Molly, Person of Interest and CSI: Cyber are also on their way out. Angel From Hell was cancelled earlier this season. To find out what CBS has coming up this summer, check out our TV premiere schedule.

Spoilers from The Good Wife finale can be found throughout this article

Like a lot of major finales, last night’s final episode of The Good Wife was a mixed bag of long-awaited moments and odd endings that ended on a bit of a cliffhanger as Alicia struggled to figure out whether or not Peter or Jason was the person she wanted to spend time with in the future. Her spiritual guide as she tried to figure out the future was none other than Will Gardner, and Josh Charles’ rapport with Julianna Margulies during these key scenes was a fitting tribute to his character's importance on the series, as well as reminded us what we’ve been missing as Alicia grew colder and colder over the last several seasons. It ended without a resolution regarding Alicia’s ultimate choice, and showrunners Robert and Michelle King wrote an open letter after the episode explaining why The Good Wife chose that ending. Here’s what they had to say. 

Cliffhanger endings have become trendier on television. Both The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones have used them over the last year, but in the case of both of those shows, they didn’t happen during a series finale. A series finale cliffhanger is less common, although The Sopranos memorably used that sort of format in its final episode. In the case of CBS’ The Good Wife, it was even odder, as no one’s life was on the line. Instead, Alicia was set to make a romantic choice, but didn’t really get the opportunity. 

What happened instead was that Alicia asked Jason to wait for her. She then told Peter she would accompany him as he stepped down as the Governor of Illinois. They held hands when they walked in in a show of support, but when Peter reached her hand at the end of the press conference, Alicia had already run off to chase after Jason, giving us a hint about her ultimate choice. Regardless, Alicia never reached Jason. Instead she encountered Diane in a hallway. Diane was upset because earlier in the episode Alicia made public evidence of an affair her husband Kurt had had while he was doing a routine bullet analysis, hoping that it would discredit Kurt and help Peter. Diane was pissed. She slapped Alicia, mirroring a scene early on in the series when Alicia had done the same to Peter. As it turns out, it was a carefully orchestrated callback. 

All in all, it was a very decisive episode of The Good Wife and a very strange way to end a series overall. Julianna Margulies even noted that fans may not like the series ender before the episode aired, so it’s no surprise that the creators felt like they needed to address what happened. Personally, I feel The Good Wife has been a mixed bag since shortly after Josh Charles left and the firms split. So, a mixed bag finale was probably fitting, as well. If you'd like to learn more about the ending, you can read the full letter, here.

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After seven seasons, CBS’ The Good Wife is finally wrapping things up at the end of this season. Well, “wrapping up” might not be the right phrase to use, as series star Julianna Margulies says things won’t quite be so tidy when the show ends.

Julianna Margulies spoke with Variety Thursday night during the party that was held to celebrate the long-running drama and its final season. And, it sounds like the end of The Good Wife will mostly serve as a continuation for the storylines and characters that fans of the show have come to know and love, a sentiment that show co-creator Robert King echoed during the event.

Originally, The Good Wife focused on Alicia Florrick, the wife of a prominent Illinois politician, Peter Florrick (Chris Noth), who has to return to her career as a lawyer after her husband is put in prison during the fallout of his political corruption and sex scandal. Needing to provide for her two children, Alicia goes back to work as a defense attorney after 13 years as a stay at home mother. The series dealt with both her cases at her new law firm, and her personal life in dealing with the scandal, family, feelings for her husband and her growing feelings for another lawyer at work, Will Gardner (Josh Charles).

Season 7 of the hit political and legal drama has seen Alicia make new allies as she continues her high pressure career while dealing with the added pressure of having her husband, who she decided to stay with years ago, run for Vice President alongside Hillary Clinton. She’s also dealing with the fallout from a friend’s confession that he deleted a voicemail she had received from Will before his death, that might have made her change her mind about which man to choose.

Well, I’d say it takes some guts to end a series after seven season and not wrap everything up neatly. Julianna Margulies is correct that fans of The Good Wife will likely either be in love with the final episode or hate it with a passion that lives on for months to come. Hopefully, the show’s creators have found a way to balance giving the audience some answers with giving them a definite feeling that Alicia and the other characters are entering a new chapter in their lives. We can all judge for ourselves when The Good Wife airs its series finale on CBS May 8.

Have you ever watched C-SPAN for more than five minutes and thought to yourself, “Are these people brain-dead?” Well, that’s exactly the sort of thing that Robert and Michelle King of CBS’ The Good Wife seem to think, and following the end of their hit legal drama, they will be bringing a new sort of thriller to CBS later this summer. A brand new trailer for the series, titled BrainDead, has just hit the web, and it looks like an absolutely insane ride. Check out the trailer below to see for yourself.

I know, it’s nothing if not odd. Set in an alternate version of our own reality, BrainDead is a political thriller series revolving around a woman who slowly uncovers an insane conspiracy: bugs are eating the brains of American politicians from the inside. The series has an absurd, humorous tone, but it also carries some frightening implications with it. Essentially, the tone of the trailer lends the sense that BrainDead will feel like equal parts Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The West Wing, with just a dash of the Yeerks from Animorphs thrown into the equation for good measure. Honestly, just writing that got me even more excited for the series to air this summer.

If BrainDead looks like one of the more bizarre network TV trailers in recent memory, that’s because it is. All things considered, BrainDead actually looks like it will provide audiences with some razor sharp satire of the American political system. We live in an age defined by growing disillusionment with the political establishment – on both sides of the aisle – and a show that rationalizes bugs are eating the brains of our politicians will be something that resonates with a large portion of the audience. While the show seems to have an overall humorous tone, it also seems to preach a frighteningly realistic and biting message that lies just beneath the surface of the satire. One that doesn't actually involve brain-bugs, but you get it.

It also doesn’t hurt that there’s a fair degree of prestige working on BrainDead. Behind the scenes, the show has been developed by the creators and executive producers of The Good Wife, who obviously now have time for passion project due the CBS legal drama’s imminent series finale. Additionally, the series has enlisted talented actors like Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Tony Shalhoub into its ensemble cast, so we know for certain that it will feature plenty of highly commendable performances.

BrainDead is set to premiere on CBS on Monday, June 13. We will bring you any and all information related to the infinitely weird BrainDead as it becomes available to us. Or will it be the bugs bringing you that information?

The Good Wife has only been cancelled for two days and showrunners Michelle and Robert King are already looking into a spinoff. The two showrunners spoke out at a press conference this week to talk about the ending of the critically acclaimed CBS drama when a possible spinoff came up. Here’s what Robert King had to say about the possibility:

Despite being Alicia-centric, The Good Wife has an amazing ensemble cast which often gets its own plotlines within plotlines on the show. Because of this, there are a ton of possibilities for a spinoff. While fan-favorite character Kalinda is probably out, I wouldn’t mind watching Eli Gold work his magic on a political campaign or Elsbeth Tascioni work her own brand of lawyer magic. Louis Canning is a pretty damn interesting character, as well. The recurring cast list on this series is one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen on TV, so if CBS wanted to work some magic and come up with a pleasing spinoff idea, I’m sure the network could.

Despite the fact there are a ton of possibilities for a spinoff, time might be the potential project's worst enemy. TV Line is noting that the two showrunners don’t believe that anything is “off the table.” However, if a spinoff were to come together soon, it likely wouldn't be able to involve Robert and Michelle King, at all. Last month, we learned that the two showrunners were leaving The Good Wife at the end of this season to work on other projects. (At the time we didn’t know The Good Wife was cancelled.) That project includes Amazon’s upcoming project Vatican City and Tony Shalhoub’s new comedy/thriller BrainDead, which is expected to air this summer. I’m sure there are other people involved with The Good Wife that could bring a spinoff to life, but I just don’t see it happening, at least not soon.

Still, on the bright side, because the creative team knows The Good Wife will be ending this spring, the show will have ample time to craft an ending that will be satisfying for audiences. And even if The Good Wife doesn’t end on a high note for the characters, it should at least end on a compelling note.

Tune in to find out when new episodes of The Good Wife air on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET, only on CBS.

You know what the upside of getting the Super Bowl is? A network can slip in dozens of mini-commercials for its new and upcoming shows to try and improve ratings and get fans excited. Tonight, CBS has taken full advantage of that marketing scheme, and in the midst of all those promotions, one of them dropped a bombshell. Apparently, The Good Wife is ending after this season.

The potential conclusion to the much-heralded series has been rumored for weeks. In fact, it’s been rumored for years. Thanks to a slew of awards nominations every season and lots of positive buzz among critics, The Good Wife has continually dodged the cancellation axe, despite mediocre ratings. Unfortunately, it seems the impending loss of the creators and showrunners, Robert and Michelle King, was just too much to overcome. It will officially end this season, as per a serious voiceover and graphic aired during tonight’s Super Bowl.

You can check out the graphic yourself below…

Long considered one of network TV’s best dramas, The Good Wife was able to compete for both nominations and accolades against grittier, higher budget efforts like Game Of Thrones, and for a long time, it deserved every single piece of praise lobbed its way. Thanks to dynamite performances by lead Julianna Margulies and damn near every supporting player, The Good Wife was long able to weave a complicated, yet oddly approachable web of legal drama that fused together both a case of the week and a long-term story arc. The result was frequently a perfect balance of fun and emotion.

With the loss of Josh Charles and Archie Panjabi, behind the scenes drama and an overall plot that got a little complicated and windy, however, the show has been losing steam for the past year or so. Now really is probably the right time to say goodbye, and if everyone involved in the show has 9 more episodes to end it how they want, there’s no reason to think The Good Wife won’t go out with a bang.

The Good Wife airs on Sunday nights on CBS at 9 EST. Even if you’ve drifted away from the show over the years, I’d highly recommend you tuning in to the last 9 episodes. It should be absolutely wonderful.

With ratings that have dipped to series-low averages, CBS’ The Good Wife was already theoretically in danger of cancellation even before the drama’s creators and showrunners Robert and Michelle King recently announced they were leaving. And now lead actress Julianna Margulies, who plays the titular spouse, has publically come out and said she won’t be with the show anymore after April. But how serious was she?

Margulies showed up at the Casting Society of America’s Artios Awards, where the Kings were being honored, and here’s what she said.

Seems like a strange place to make such an important declaration, whether it would be in reference to Margulies choosing to leave the show or CBS privately making the decision to not renew it for Season 8. Without any kind of tonal justification to know how serious she was, it’s entirely possible that Margulies was just being a goof.

According to EW, that’s exactly what was happening. Their insider sources are saying that Margulies was just joking when she said that, and that no concrete decisions about the future of Alicia Florrick or The Good Wife have been made. I mean, the actress did say that there were no problems between her and former star Archie Panjabi, despite there being reports saying otherwise, with some of them from Panjabi herself. So maybe she’s not always so trustworthy.

Perhaps just as telling as anything else is that Margulies making that comment extracted zero surprise from me, and probably many others. In the past couple of years, the show has hemorrhaged main characters, losing Panjabi and Matthew Goode most recently. Sure, Jeffrey Dean Morgan signed on for the current season, which automatically makes things better, but that’s probably not enough to secure a future season if everything else is still in flux.

Talks about The Good Wife’s potentially limited future were definitely kicked into high gear when Robert and Michelle King backed out of the drama. (They’re still sticking with CBS in developing a comical drama about aliens taking over Washington D.C. citizens and government workers.) Producers and CBS execs downplayed everyone’s worry, saying that there are still more than enough original members of the creative team to keep things going without the Kings. So we’ll presumably be waiting just a little longer to hear about whether or not The Good Wife will return to CBS in the fall, and if there will be someone besides Margulies front and center.

The Good Wife returned for the second batch of Season 7 episodes earlier this month, and you can find it next on Sunday, January 31, on CBS.

The Good Wife is currently still bringing in alright numbers over at CBS on Sunday nights. Even if it wasn’t, the series has been a critically acclaimed drama for the network, and even earned a Golden Globes nod this winter. Unfortunately, today it was announced that The Good Wife showrunners Robert and Michelle King have decided to bow out of the series at the end of Season 7. This seems like a terrible sign, for a couple of reasons.

First and foremost, The Good Wife’s ratings have been better than CSI: Cyber and even with Madame Secretary on Sunday nights, but it isn’t wowing CBS with its 1.6 rating average even if the show isn’t doing dismally. Factor in the idea that The Good Wife has mostly stuck around over the years thanks to its writing and the actors it has been able to bring in with Robert and Michelle King’s guidance, and the network has a bit of a problem. Once the Kings leave, we’d absolutely expect the quality to decline. (Especially as it’s already declined some with the losses of Archie Panjabi and Josh Charles.)

Still despite the problems that could come with the creative team leaving, Robert King did tell TV Line that CBS is not cancelling the drama just yet. Deals are currently being worked out and the network may choose to continue to Season 8, even if Robert and Michelle King are leaving to work on new projects, such as Amazon’s Vatican City.

So, the good news is, even if The Good Wife doesn’t hold steady during the second half of Season 7 and even if the show’s creators and longtime showrunners are leaving, The Good Wife is working toward a workable series ending at the end of Season 7. That way, even if the show does return for Season 8, the showrunners are still guaranteeing that the show will go out with a bang and not a whimper before they leave.

CBS has already made the early decision to cancel Mike & Molly, but the network said at TCA that it wants to check out how pilot season does before it makes any big cancellation decisions, including regarding The Good Wife.

The Good Wife just returned from winter hiatus this past weekend. You can catch new episodes on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET, only on CBS. To find out what else the networks have coming up at midseason, check out our winter TV premiere schedule.

Photo courtesy of CBS.

Pretty much everyone enjoys a little bit of television. This staple of entertainment rarely leaves anyone untouched by its potential brilliance, and even the busiest people find time to get addicted to one show or another. And now we know which shows presidential candidate Hillary Clinton likes to watch in her spare time.

Hillary Clinton relayed this tidbit while on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night. The most interesting thing about the shows she prefers is how completely in line with her life they are. You’d think that someone who’s constantly embroiled in the tricky politics of American life would want to get away from all that when they watch TV, but not Clinton, apparently. She just throws herself right back in the deep end when she sits in front of her television set.

The two-time presidential candidate has developed quite a "love her or leave her" reputation in political circles and with voters. Hillary Clinton’s time in various offices haven’t been completely filled with controversy, but the occasional hullabaloo has made her, like many a politician before and (I’m sure) after her, a favorite among political gossipers.

Her favorite shows are just perfect for someone with this kind of life. There is something to be said for enjoying the kind of TV you can really pick apart and get into because you know the world of those shows so well. It’s the same reason a lot of nerdy guys like The Big Bang Theory and comic book aficionados dig shows like Gotham and Arrow.

Of course, there’s also the fact that Hillary Clinton’s favorite shows are popular with tons of other people, even those who don’t know nearly as much about the inner working of Washington, or politics in general, as she does. House of Cards is a Netflix hit that focuses on a ruthless political schemer and the people who aid him or stand in his way. This was one of the shows that set off the era of original TV shows for streaming networks.

The Good Wife is another critical success that’s also widely loved by viewers. The series, which just entered it’s seventh season, is a legal and political drama that follows the life of a woman who returns to her career after enduring a very public political scandal with her husband. Hmmm, what does that sound like?

While it’s no great surprise that Hillary Clinton is a fan of these shows, perhaps the most obvious one is Madame Secretary. Since Clinton was herself Secretary of State from early 2009 until early 2013, she certainly gets all the ins and outs of a show like this.

You can hear Hillary Clinton talk about TV below.

I can imagine that all her favorites feed her in a way few of us can relate to. And if that’s not something to look for in a TV show, I don’t know what is.

The TV landscape is constantly changing. However, while streaming services like Netflix and Amazon and subscription cable channels like HBO and Starz don’t rely on Nielsen ratings to determine what programming moves forward and what gets the axe, traditional cable and network TV outlets still very much rely on ratings to nab advertising dollars. So, we’ve decided to take a look at what shows are already faltering in those ratings this fall, looking only at programs that very well could be cancelled by the end of the season.

It’s true that some of this fall’s shows have yet to premiere at this point, but despite this, we feel it’s never too early to talk about the shows that are doing well over at the networks and cable stations, along with the show’s that aren’t doing so hot. And if the first few weeks of these shows are any indication, there are a few new programs and older programs that may see themselves get the axe over the next few months.

Minority Report, FOX

Fox’s Minority Report is based on a famous movie, which theoretically should have given it a fanbase boost. In addition, it boasts a great cast, headed up by Stark Sands, Meagan Good and Wilmer Valderrama. Despite this, the show’s numbers have been dismal. The drama was a flop during its premiere, only pulling in 3.1 million total viewers and a 1.1 rating. This week, that number slipped to a .7 rating and we don't see how it could rise from there.

Our Verdict: We wouldn’t be shocked if this was the first cancellation of the season.

The Player, NBC

NBC launched an all-new drama lineup this fall, and while Heroes Reborn is doing decently and The Blacklist is still a ratings draw for NBC, the same can’t be said of The Player, the high-octane drama starring Wesley Snipes and Phillip Winchester. Unfortunately, few people are watching the drama, as it pulled in barely a 1.0 rating during its first couple of tries at bat. Those numbers will slip more, and when that happens, NBC will be forced to cancel.

Our Verdict: This show might’ve worked in a different timeslot, but it’s barely scraping by on Thursday nights.

Sleepy Hollow, FOX

Damn, Fox spent a lot of time and effort revamping Sleepy Hollow for a third season. So far, the direction has been good in terms of creativity and rebooting the storyline. However, Hollow's numbers have not been looking good, at all. Last season, the show premiered at a 2.0 rating and this season, the supernatural drama only earned a 1.0 rating during its premiere. That’s even lower than the 1.4 rating the show nabbed in the Season 2 finale. Some fans just look to have given up.

Our Verdict: That Thursday timeslot is tough, but I’m not sure if even a different timeslot could fix these numbers.

CSI: Cyber, CBS

It’s rare for a CBS show to have lower numbers, but that’s exactly what Sunday nights look like on the network right now. The CSI: Cyber premiere boasted only 6.7 million total viewers, and most were not in the 18-49 demographic. Because of this, those numbers only equated to a 1.0 rating. In comparison, ABC’s Quantico aired at the same time with nearly the same number of viewers and did a 1.9 ratings. So, the Cyber rating is really poor.

Our Verdict: It’s probable the wrong CSI property was cancelled last spring.

Blood & Oil, ABC

Unlike a lot of other networks, ABC doesn’t have any new shows that are clear disasters, which is quite the feat. However, the modestly rated Blood & Oil ended up falling from a 1.4 to a 1.2 rating in its second outing on the network. That makes it ABC’s lowest-rated drama on Sunday night and means a lot of people are already wondering if the show’s numbers will further erode in the coming weeks.

Our Verdict: If those ratings are able to even out, we could see it on the schedule next year. Or it could follow Revenge into the cancellation bin.

Scream Queens, FOX

Expectations for Scream Queens were high when Ryan Murphy’s latest dramedy premiered. The first episode didn’t reach such great heights as were expected, but it didn’t do poorly, either. However, subsequent episodes of Scream Queens have shown a further erosion in the ratings and during Monday’s episode, only 2.9 million total viewers tuned in. More people are watching John Stamos’ Grandfathered at this point.

Our Verdict: Clearly Ryan Murphy has plenty of hits, but it absolutely looks like Scream Queens is not going to be one of them, despite the high-end cast.

The Good Wife, CBS

The Good Wife premiere did a 1.2 rating this fall. It did do a whopping 9.25 million total viewers, but to CBS that’s actually small potatoes. In addition to having a lower 18-49 rating than most CBS programs, the show is now doing less viewers than Madam Secretary, which premiered to a 1.4 rating and 11.79 million total viewers on Sunday night.

Our Verdict: The Good Wife is a critical darling, but with key players gone and ratings so far down, this could be the year the show wraps up.(Also, let's not forget that Kalinda drama.)

Castle, ABC

It looks like Caskett fans are not digging this whole Beckett leaving to find herself storyline. The veteran ABC drama has seen poor ratings for its first several outings in Season 8. Ratings are the lowest they’ve ever been, but on the bright side, they don’t seem to be getting any lower. Still, no one is calling a 1.2 rating “good.”

Our Verdict: Castle fans have stuck with this show forever, and a good storyline could still turn this ship around.

Bones, Fox

Even the Bones staff thought the drama was getting cancelled last year. Now, here it is back for Season 11 and the show is at least doing better than Sleepy Hollow in the ratings. So, why is it on this list? The ratings aren’t great, and David Boreanaz has flat-out said he won’t be back.

Our Verdict: This one may get an ending from Fox instead of a cancellation, but there’s a mighty good chance this is the last season for Bones.

Nashville, ABC

Nashville has a strong fanbase, but the drama’s numbers have never been the best over at ABC. Now that the show is in its fourth season—a great number for syndication value—ABC might say goodbye to its musical-oriented program. On the bright side, the show did hop from a 1.1 rating to a healthy 1.8 after DVR ratings kicked in three days later, so maybe that healthy DVR 64% uptick will be enough to keep it around for another year.

Our Verdict: This show is obviously going to be around all season, but the future looks less rosy.

Hawaii Five-0, CBS

This show has been hanging on by a thread for several seasons now, and I’m literally shocked it’s still in the schedule (this has less to do with quality than with the numbers the drama is bringing in). Problematically, Hawaii Five-0 just doesn’t have a lot of younger viewers, which is how the 9.2 million viewers who tuned in could top Dateline’s 5.6 million, but still tie the news show with a 1.1 rating. That is not good.

Our Verdict:If I had to bet, Hawaii Five-0 is reaching the end of its line this season.

This poll is no longer available.

Last spring, Archie Panjabi ended a lengthy run on CBS’ critically acclaimed drama The Good Wife. In the Season 6 finale, a scene brought Panjabi and Julianna Margulies’ character for one last time, but savvy Internet users helped to reveal the scene was a hoax and the two actresses shot it separately, thanks to some drama between the two women. Now, Margulies has spoken out, noting that it was simply scheduling conflicts that led to the scene. According to Panjabi, however, she’s full of it.

Recently, Margulies spoke to Vulture, where she alleged the feud between herself and Panjabi was made up, calling it “gossip.” Instead, she says there were scheduling conflicts leading to the scene getting shot separately.

It sounds like a reasonable explanation and perhaps Margulies would have gotten away with it, but it seems that Archie Panjabi is no longer willing to pretend the problems on set didn’t happen. The actress took to social media to dispute Margulies’ claims, saying she was happy to shoot the final scene with Margulies but that the actress did not seem so keen.

For a long time, scenes between Kalinda and Alicia Florrick on The Good Wife had been nonexistent, with the two women only speaking via phone calls that could be shot separately. The move from friendship to barely speaking was explained on the show due to the fact Alicia had determined that Kalinda had slept with her husband before the two women had met. However, in real life, the rumor mill was stating that the two women did not really like one another and that Margulies had gone out of her way to avoid Panjabi on the set. Since she’s an executive producer and the lead of the show, this led to Panjabi’s roll further eroding on the series until she eventually left The Good Wife at the end of Season 6, but not before filming this ridiculous scene.

In the time since the news broke, some people behind-the-scenes have claimed the problems stemmed from Margulies, while others have alleged Panjabi is the one that was difficult to deal with. There’s one thing that’s for certain, at least. Panjabi is willing to admit there was a problem while Margulies lives in the land of rainbows and bullshit. Maybe if they had been willing to get on the same page about the fact they don’t like one another, that scene could have been shot without looking completely shoddy. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened.

For years, The Good Wife has tightly crafted a series that cross-pollinates politics and the courtroom. While the Chicago setting and political spectrum has worked for the last six seasons, for Season 7, The Good Wife has decided to go bigger and bolder. On Wednesday, we learned that The Good Wife is going to take things to a national stage when Peter Florrick attempts to run against real-life politician Hillary Clinton to secure the Democratic nomination for President.

First and foremost, we’d like to point out that this doesn’t necessarily mean that Hillary Clinton will actually pop up in the critically-acclaimed CBS drama. (Although, if the show did manage to land her, it would be quite the coup.) But it does mean The Good Wife is preparing to shoot a tricky seventh season that will keep storylines on the show happening at the same pace as the actual political primaries that will be playing out over the next season.

Creator Robert King—who runs the ship along with his wife Michelle—told TV Line that trying to parallel what is actually happening in the Democratic primary with what is happening on their fictional TV show should be a challenge, considering the show will shoot episodes well ahead of the time they will actually air.

In addition, King also says that the Iowa caucus will definitely play a part in Season 7. If Peter really makes it into the full swing of the Presidential race, it could open the show up to some more prime guest stars if all works out. After all, some political-oriented guest stars have appeared in the past.

Honestly, the addition of a Presidential race sounds pretty stressful, but if anyone is the master of handling stressful plots, it’s the writing staff of The Good Wife. Week in and week out, the drama tackles one plotline after another that keeps audiences at the edge of their seats; in the past this has included tragic court cases, episodes with people attempting to extort politicians, law office takeovers, and in one memorable instance, lead Alicia Florrick having to deal with her son facing drug charges. I do, however, like the idea of giving Peter Florrick more to do. Despite the fact that Peter has a lot of power in the government, he’s always taken second chair to the Alicia storylines (the show is called The Good Wife), and while I hate when Alicia has to pseudo smile while in a room with her sometimes-estranged husband, their relationship is one of the more interesting on TV and the show could use more of Alicia interacting with Peter.

The Good Wife will be jumping in soon enough. Season 7 will premiere on Sunday, October 4 at 9 p.m. ET, followed by a new episode of CSI: Cyber. To find out what else is coming up on CBS and the other networks, check out our fall TV premiere schedule.

The Good Wife is heading into Season 7 without popular character Kalinda Sharma, and as such, has some pretty big shoes to fill. Today, it looks as if the series has done just that. On Monday, we learned that the critically-acclaimed CBS drama has added none other than Magic City actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan in a regular role. That’s right, the new Kalinda is a grizzled-looking, middle-aged dreamboat with sparkling eyes. Something tells me Julianna Margulies will have an easier time dealing with the new actor on set.

The casting news comes just a couple of months after The Good Wife ended its Season 6 run, a season that was pretty tumultuous, even for The Good Wife. Lawyers switched firms, Alicia Florrick ran for State’s Attorney, and Kalinda got caught up with a gangster—all in 22 episodes. And while some plots were tied up by the end of the season, there’s still a lot to unravel when The Good Wife returns to the schedule. What we do know is who Jeffrey Dean Morgan will be playing. Deadline indicates the actor will play Alex, a “calm” and “experienced” investigator who is actually hired by Alicia. What we don’t know is where he will be working.

After Alicia stepped down as State’s Attorney, she had approached her old firm regarding taking her back. However, there was misunderstanding that led to Alicia attempting to start a new firm with Finn. Unfortunately, actor Matthew Goode has also left the series, so that new partnership didn’t exactly work out. Last we saw Alicia, she had been approached by Louis Canning to start a new firm and conquer Cary, Diane, David Lee and her other former co-workers. If that ends up going down, it may mean we won’t get to see Morgan's character really interact with the likes of Diane.

Then, there’s that whole wrinkle where Peter wants to run for Vice President, so goodness knows where Season 7 will take us. What we do know is that Kalinda and Finn are out, Alex is in, and the firms may be split once more next season. On the bright side, if Alex is working for a separate firm, there should be plenty of room for the writers to give us more Erin, who was frequently missing in action during the latter episodes this past TV season. I know she’s less experienced, but she’s amusing, and she has spunk!

If you are wondering why actress Archie Panjabi left the series and is being replaced by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, it's actually kind of a crazy story. The rumor mill caught whiff of problems between Panjabi and Margulies a few months ago, and those rumors were seemingly confirmed after the final scene between the two characters was shot separately and then digitally reworked to make them seem as if they were in the same space. Reportedly, Julianna Margulies even refused to shoot scenes with the other actress, making the writers’ jobs a lot harder than they needed to be. Hopefully, the very capable Panjabi will find a new gig soon, and the very experienced Morgan will be able to capably fill her shoes.

The Good Wife has lost a lot of key players over the last couple of seasons. Chief among these is the smart-as-a-whip character Kalinda Sharma, played by Archie Panjabi, who left the show during Season 6. In recent weeks, an odd scene that was shot between Kalinda and the show’s lead Alicia Florrick, played by Julianna Margulies, has attracted questions about whether the women filmed it separately. As it turns out, behind-the-scenes drama between the two actresses is probably the culprit for that and perhaps for her exit from the show.

Here’s what happened. While Kalinda left the show earlier in Season 6, she did return for a brief scene during the finale, as pictured above. The only problem was that the conversation between Kalinda and Alicia made it seem as if they had not even shot the scene together. In fact, if you’ve been watching, the two characters haven’t really spent time in the same room at the same time since Season 4—around the time when Kalinda’s role became a little spottier on the series (she even missed out on the “Thicky Trick” video). All of this could be blown out of proportion, of course, but unfortunately, if the rumors are to be believed, Julianna Margulies did have a feud on set with Panjabi and may have refused to shoot scenes with the actress.

The rumor mill is indirectly stating that the two actresses have avoided one another on set for years, and it may have been Margulies' choice as producer to keep herself away from Panjabi on set. In an interview with US Weekly, Panjabi indirectly confirmed the two had problems on set, noting that she was not the one to make the decisions regarding her character on the series:

What’s interesting about this rumor is how different it is from the spin surrounding Kalinda’s exit early after it was announced. At the time, Panjabi had signed a development deal with Twentieth Century Fox and was fielding offers for pilot season. Honestly, the actress is a fan-favorite on The Good Wife and is skilled enough that she could headline another series. However, leaving to pursue other opportunities might only be one part of the truth relating to Kalinda’s big exit.

It would be incredibly difficult to write scenes for a character who couldn’t interact with the series lead, other than by phone. Although no one is expressly admitting that the Kalinda and Alicia friendship was dampened after on-set problems, it is clear the two characters hadn’t shared a scene for years until the Season 6 finale, and they couldn’t even be bothered to fake it for the short time it would have taken to shoot the scene in the same room, leading to the wonky cut.

There’s one thing for certain. The crew on The Good Wife is extremely tight-lipped. First, they kept Josh Charles’ startling exit a secret and now this. Kudos to them.

We already knew about one major character that would not be back next season on The Good Wife. Now, it turns out another series regular is heading for the door. It appears that Matthew Goode will also be missing from the halls of justice this fall.

According to TV Line, they have learned that after only one season as a regular cast member, Matthew Goode, who portrayed attorney Finn Polmer, is leaving the show. This on the heels of Archie Panjabi’s departure in the season 6 finale earlier this month. While Panjabi’s exit was potentially acrimonious, it does not appear that there is any such bad blood regarding Goode, as he may return for guest spots in the future.

Fans of The Good Wife were both thrilled and horrified when Panjabi filmed her last scene with star Julianna Margulies. The two actresses hadn’t been in the same scene together in over two years, allegedly due to bad blood between the two. Then it turns out they may not have been in the same room to film their last scene together sitting at a bar, as it's been reported there were body doubles and split screens involved. What do you think? Awkward much?

While The Good Wife is no stranger to shocking ends to characters, Goode’s exit from the show was significantly anti-climactic. (Can something be signifcant and anti-climactic at the same time? Nevermind) While his character Finn did decline a job at the law firm of Margulies’s character Alicia, it was not obvious that this would mean he would be exiting the series. Rather, the fact that this news is coming out now implies it may not have been part of the plan. Matthew Goode has plenty of work ahead of him though. Word is Goode will be reprising his role from the Downton Abby Christmas episode, Henry Talbot, during the show’s upcoming final season.

These two major departures leave some interesting opportunities for The Good Wife’s upcoming Season 7. Are we getting ready for some all new characters to arrive, or will existing characters be taking on more important roles? Will Matthew Goode be missed, or was he doomed from the start for simply not being Josh Charles? Where do you see the show heading this fall?

It is finally the time of year when we learn whether or not our favorites will get axed, but luckily, CBS has just announced a slew of renewals for the 2015-2016 season. Go ahead and breath a sigh of relief, as this list is which is way friendlier than when the network cancelled newbies Stalker, Battle Creek and The McCarthys. Most of today’s big renewals have been expected, including programs like Survivor, NCIS: Los Angeles and more, but there are a few bubble shows on the list that are a pleasant surprise. Here’s the full list of 15 programs that will be coming back for 2015-2016:

As noted prior, the list includes some shows that were a lock to come back next year, and some shows that saw waning ratings during the 2014-2015 TV season. We weren’t sure if, for instance, dramas Hawaii Five-0 or Elementary would be back, as their ratings were down this season. CSI: Cyber saw decently large audiences tune in after the drama premiered this winter, but the freshman drama wasn’t necessarily going to come back next season. Luckily for fans, it did get a pickup, ensuring the CSI franchise will live on.

Speaking of CSI, the one program that CBS is currently staying mum about right now is the procedural starring Ted Danson. A few days ago, reports indicated that CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is probably ending. Instead of just straight-up canceling the veteran program, CBS is looking into possibly giving the series a TV movie to wrap things up, or potentially filming a short episode order to give fans the ending the network feels the drama has deserved. It looks like CBS hasn’t decided or isn’t ready to reveal CSI’s fate quite yet.

If your favorite CBS shows are not mentioned on the above list or in the intro, that’s probably good news. CBS actually called a few renewals early this season for a few of the network’s big dramas and comedies. In addition to the 15 shows listed above, these programs will be back, as well.

You can take a look at everything that has been cancelled and renewed so far, here.

Keep in mind there are some spoilers from Sunday’s episode of The Good Wife in the following paragraphs!

TV shows have been losing a lot of major characters this season, and no, we’re not just talking about those killed off on Game of Thrones. Last week, Dr. Derek Shepherd saw his exit on Grey’s Anatomy, and this Sunday, The Good Wife’s Kalinda Sharma also made her long-anticipated exit on the series. Or did she? Today, showrunners Michelle King and Robert King confirmed that Kalinda will return to the show during the Season 6 finale.

The two showrunners are pretty good about keeping this Kalinda reappearance stuff underwraps, and we’d expect nothing less from the duo that kept the death of a major character a secret a little over a year ago. However, Robert King did tell EW that the finale will answer “a lot of questions” related to Kalinda.

What that quote doesn’t say is whether or not Kalinda will actually appear in the present in the episode. The Good Wife has been known for its fair share of flashbacks, and that could be exactly where the CBS drama is headed at the end of Season 6. After all, last night’s episode seemed to feature a pretty definitive escape for the competent but often mysterious character.

Here’s how Kalinda’s big exit went down. If you’ve been following the falsified evidence plotline this season, you should already know that Kalinda got Diane into a bind when Diane used falsified evidence that Kalinda had put together when Cary was in jail earlier this season. The cat came out of the bag in recent episodes and Diane was facing jail time. However, Kalinda has been spending time with Lemond Bishop lately, and figured out a genius way of nabbing evidence from Bishop while framing one of his other cronies. Of course, she couldn’t stick around after putting herself into such a dangerous position with Bishop. So, she left, simple as that. She gave Cary a kiss, she got emotional with Diane, and she even tried to make amends with Alicia—but Alicia wasn’t home, so she left her a card instead.

By the time Cary showed up at her apartment the next morning, Kalinda’s cell phone had been disconnected and she was gone. We’ve known for a while that Archie Panjabi would be leaving The Good Wife, so it wasn't a huge surprise. Back in October, the actress signed an overall deal with Twentieth Century Fox that has her attached to a new drama pilot. With the endgame in mind, The Good Wife has been working to write out the character all season, and we’re just hopeful Kalinda made her big escape.

We’ll have to wait to find out what the Season 6 finale has in store. In the meantime, you can catch new episodes of CBS’ The Good Wife on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.

In this day and age of television, character deaths are a strong form of currency, and one that inflation has affected many times over. We usually see them during season finales (or midseason finales), which gives fans long hiatuses to consider how the writers will resolve the ramifications of the deaths. But some characters don’t require major episodes for their demises, and they just need to get off of the show as quickly as possible, for any number of reasons.

As such, we’ve put on our most morbid thinking caps and have come up with 10 characters who absolutely need to meet their makers in the very near future. Or at least by the time 2015 comes to a close, for shows that are caught between seasons at the moment. May they all rest in pieces. (Also, be wary of some plot spoilers for some of the shows discussed.)

Laurel Lance (Arrow)

I’m fairly certain that if Arrow found a way to kill off Katie Cassidy’s Laurel, she would die with the most emotionally fraught look on her face, and the writers would figure out a way to show her in the afterlife, whining and complaining about her own death. Beyond her overall annoying presence – which isn’t a knock on the actress, Internet jerks who like to troll performers – Laurel’s problems can generally be sourced back to her own actions, which isn’t the best way to keep one’s narrative importance very high. Kill her off and let the more interesting characters get more story time.

Fish Mooney (Gotham)

By being one of the few characters in Gotham who didn’t come from the DC Comics universe, Jada Pinkett Smith’s Fish Mooney wasn’t destined to be long for this world. She hasn’t exactly been a fan favorite while caught up in the Penguin/Falcone/Maroni battle for supremacy in the criminal underground, and when you take into account that Smith isn’t signed up for Season 2, she definitely seems destined to face a one-eyed death by the time the finale rolls around. Kill her off and leave Gotham to the characters fans have been enjoying for decades.

Louis Canning (The Good Wife)

Far be it for us to wish death upon a character who is already dying…Wait, no, that’s exactly what we’re doing. Louis Canning, a character who has earned Michael J. Fox three Emmy nominations over the years, suffers from tardive dyskinesia, and he has had no problem using this to his advantage over the years, ruthlessly yanking sympathy from everyone in his court-appointed path. It’s no shock that a lawyer would be guilty of stretching the truth to his advantage, but Louis has been doing it for too long and hasn’t suffered enough for his actions. Kill him off and let the firm move on to new battles.

Joe Carroll (The Following)

The Following has gotten increasingly more ridiculous since its uneven first season, and a lot of that has to do with Joe Carroll still living and breathing. While it’s fine that The Following doesn’t go all procedural by giving Kevin Bacon’s Ryan Hardy an endless line of cult leaders to track down, James Purefoy’s Joe Carroll not only faked his death in a should-have-killed-him explosion in Season 1, but he survives Season 2 by having Ryan’s conscience (and general cop nature) stop him from shooting Joe in the head. And then Joe goes to jail again. Yawn. Kill him off and let Ryan find another interesting maniac to hunt.

Ramsay Bolton (Game of Thrones)

Call him Ramsay Snow or the more proper Ramsey Bolton if you want, but we’re calling him a wrecklessly sadistic son of a bitch. Played with wide-eyed mania by Iwan Rheon, Ramsay has basically one redeeming value in the Game of Thrones universe: that he is just as killable as anyone else. Many viewers enjoyed wishing for Joffrey’s demise, but he was just a petulant child in comparison to the hyper-violent Ramsay, who spent Season 3 torturing Theon Greyjoy – and lopping his penis off – until he’s a loyal, brainwashed pet called Reek. Kill him off and let Theon return to the life he once knew.

Boyd Crowder (Justified)

Few characters on TV have been as verbally graceful in their villainy as Walton Goggins’ Boyd Crowder, and his absence from my TV will be missed when Justified ends next week. But after six years of giving Raylan Givens and Ava Crowder all the hell that they could handle – not to mention putting bullets in plenty of other characters – Boyd doesn’t just get to end the series in a jail cell with a fat stack of money waiting for him in an undisclosed place in the outside world. Kill him off and let Raylan ride off in Elmore Leonard’s sunset.

Teddy Conrad (Nashville)

Good characters come full circle in their own story arcs, learning something along the way. Terrible characters, like Eric Close’s Teddy Conrad on Nashville, only go half-circle and become the very things that they stood against when the series started. Teddy is now just like his late ex-father-in-law Lamar Wyatt, going down a dark path of blackmail, bribery and prostitute-dating that the mayor of a city should have nothing to do with. Now that he’s lost basically everyone in his family, it’s time for him to go. Kill him off and have Rayna write an amazing song about it.

Fitz Grant (Scandal)

Tony Goldwyn’s President Fitz Grant rigged his first path to the White House on Scandal, and only made it to a second term because his son Jerry was killed. Fitz’s decision-making skills are awful at best and downright moronic at worst, using his infatuation with Olivia Pope as motivation to free terrorists and a reason to attempt to divorce his wife. Not to mention his fling with Olivia is what caused her father to have Jerry killed. Oh yeah, and Fitz is also a cold-blooded murderer. Kill him off and let Susan Ross cause some of her own havoc in the Oval Office.

Barbara Kean (Gotham)

I know it seems like cheating to add two characters from the same show on here, but Erin Richards’ Barbara Kean is a blight on the comic character and is easily one of Gotham’s most one-dimensional characters, offering viewers little more than the jealousy that comes with visiting her amazing apartment. She and James Gordon have zero chemistry, especially now that he’s with Dr. Leslie Thompkins. Her weird potential friendship with Selina Kyle and Lil’ Poison Ivy went nowhere. And I’m not sure I want to live in a world where the future Batgirl is birthed from this empty soul. (Assuming they go with the original version of the character.) Kill her off and give audiences a shock while giving Gordon further reason to become a more vindictive cop.

Carl Grimes (The Walking Dead)

I have rarely wished death upon a character the way that I’ve wished death upon Chandler Riggs’ Carl Grimes on The Walking Dead. Though his death right now would just cause Rick to go through yet another “my grief has made me insanely crazy” phase, Rick’s probably due for that anyway. Carl has added nothing to this series in five seasons, other than being the person who killed his own mother, and someone else could have done that. If anything, he’s become even more of a background character now that they’ve hit Alexandria, where other teenagers are there to make him look ultra-dull in comparison. (Is “ultra-dull” hip slang yet?) Kill him off and let Baby Judith be the heir to the Grimes throne.