Kathy Bates has been having a very successful year on the small screen thanks to Matlock becoming a smash hit for CBS, and the legal drama is just weeks away from arriving for Season 2 in the 2025 TV schedule. The success of Matlock doesn't mean that the cancellation of another one of her shows years ago doesn't still sting, and she opened up with a NSFW reaction years later about Harry's Law getting the axe after just two seasons on NBC.
Harry's Law was a legal dramedy that hailed from Boston Legal's David E. Kelley, and did well in the ratings for NBC but was cancelled anyway after two seasons from 2011-2012. Bates had been nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress for both seasons for her performance as Harriet "Harry" Korn opposite costars including Nate Corddry, Brittany Snow, and Aml Ameen.
Per Variety, she was asked about the cancellation a couple of years later during the TCA press tour while promoting American Horror Story: Coven (for which she'd win the Outstanding Supporting Actress Emmy), and she said at the time:
I think they treated us like shit. They kicked us to the curb. They disrespected us. They disrespected our seven to 11 million viewers a week. And I think they’re getting what they deserve.
Tell us how you really felt, Kathy Bates! NBC certainly didn't do Harry's Law any favors when it comes to scheduling after the successful first season, which aired all twelve episodes on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET. In Season 2, the time slot switched to Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET, and then switched again to Sundays at 8 p.m. ET, potentially affecting audience size. In addition to impressive ratings and those two Emmy nominations for Bates, ER's Paul McCrane won the trophy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama in 2011, and Jean Law was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in 2012.
Can anybody blame the Misery actress for being bitter about the cancellation back when the wound was still fresh? Kathy Bates addressed the cancellation to Variety recently, and was able to laugh this time before saying:
They said, ’We can’t monetize on old people.’ And I felt like, ’Fuck you!’ Success is the best revenge.
Considering that Matlock relies on Kathy Bates' age to sell so much of Matty's story, I would definitely say that she definitely proved older actors can indeed lead incredibly successful shows! The star won a Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama before Season 1 had even finished airing, and was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama for Matlock at the 2025 Primetime Emmys. She made history has the oldest nominee for Best Actress at the age of 77, but the trophy ultimately went to Britt Lower for Severance.
Kathy Bates' days on Harry's Law may be over, but Matlock is certainly going strong, and I don't see CBS cancelling it any time soon. Season 2 will return to its 9 p.m. ET time slot on Thursday nights ahead of Elsbeth, which has proved to be a strong pairing. The Season 2 premiere will air in a special broadcast on a different night, however, with the episode releasing on Sunday, October 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET. You can revisit the full first season now streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.
