After NBC canceled Harry’s Law after two seasons in 2012, Kathy Bates raked the network across the coals in heated remarks one year later. Fast-forward to 2025, and Bates still has no regrets about what she said during that 2013 Television Critics Association interview. And she sees Matlock‘s success as a cherry on top of the cake.
Bates starred as lawyer Harry Korn in Harry’s Law, which followed three down-on-their-luck people who started a law firm in a rundown shoe store. The series raked in around 10 million viewers weekly for NBC, but it failed to perform well with the younger age demos that NBC wanted. The network canceled it in 2012 after two seasons despite its noteworthy weekly viewership.
“I think they treated us like sh*t,” she told TCA reporters about NBC in 2013. “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.”
In a Matlock Emmys interview with Variety, Bates laughed at the outburst and said that Matlock‘s success proves that stories starring and made for older people is worth the investment.
“They said, ’We can’t monetize on old people.’ And I felt like, ’F**k you!’” Bates said. “Success is the best revenge,” she added, dusting her shoulders while she was at it.
At 77, Bates is the oldest-ever nominee for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the Emmys. She’s considered a frontrunner for the win. (See our 2025 Emmys predictions for the drama categories here.)
“I love that,” she said of her record-setting nomination age. Matlock‘s success “feels totally different” from her past accolades, she added, and those accolades are many; she already has an Oscar, two Emmys, and a Golden Globe.
“It’s true, first of all,” she said of her age stat, “and it’s a badge of honor. It’s just the serendipity of all of it. I’ve never had any of this stuff happen before, where I’ve got five different designers sending dresses!”
Matlock, Season 2 Premiere, Sunday, October 12, 8:30/7:30c, Regular Time Period Premiere, Thursday, October 16, 9/8c, CBS
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