Kathy Bates' Matlock Isn't a Misery to Watch - The Writings of AjTony Perkins

I usually dislike remakes and reboots, but Kathy Bates’ reboot of Matlock isn’t a Misery like most.

When I heard that Kathy Bates would star in a Matlock reboot, I knew it wouldn’t be only a gender swap with the original Andy Griffith show. It had to be something more.

I’ve been a fan of Bates ever since I watched her Oscar-winning performance in Misery.

A favorite guest star role of Bates is her portrayal of Amy’s mother in The Big Bang Theory.

Her character was so amazing that she made Teller, half of the magician duo Penn & Teller, speak for the first time on television.

It was evident that Bates agreed to this role only because of the excellent writing of her strong character, which transformed another character and even its portrayer, the well-known Teller. This event made TV history.

Two words that made television history.

The New Matlock

I knew if Bates signed on to the show, the writing had to be good. No, better than good. A star with her power can pick and choose the best projects.

The Hollywood writers’ strike delayed production on the Matlock reboot a year. Fortunately, scab writers were not used while the strike loomed. That would have been a disaster.

Matlock isn’t Bates’ first role as a TV lawyer. In Harry’s Law, Bates starred as an out-of-work lawyer setting up practice in a shoe store.

I was a big fan of this show and actually anything that Bates does.

Unfortunately, it only lasted two seasons on NBC. Bates was unhappy with the show’s cancellation. Hopefully, her new gig as a lawyer will last longer this time.

At this writing, Bates’ Matlock has been renewed for a second season.

Good and Poor Writing in a TV Series

I dislike poor writing in TV shows.

The original Star Trek was well written. It often commented on current issues and modern society in a different setting, which is an excellent tool for gaining the audience’s acceptance. When the setting is the same as where and when the audience lives, acceptance of commentary is often difficult.

The Next Generation Star Trek was poorly written, and I couldn’t watch it. First, they never explained the bumps on the foreheads of the Klingons, other than that the Klingons don’t want to talk about it. Second, the Vulcans were changed too much. They could no longer do mind melts and the Vulcan death grips.

I could not tolerate such negligence in writing.

All the following Star Trek series turned out to be nothing more than soap operas in space. However, they are successful because Trekkies easily forgive mistakes in their Holy Grail. They appear to be obsessed with quantity and not quality in the Star Trek franchise.

Poor Reboots and Remakes

Reboots and remakes come often, but they are usually poor in quality due to inadequate writing. I have no patience for poor writing. Finding a good reboot of a TV show is rare, and finding a good remake of a film is next to impossible.

The Psycho remake in color:

Why? Why? Why?

Swapping out a male judge with a female judge can’t carry a show. Unfortunately, despite its great potential and possibilities, the Night Court reboot doesn’t work. Even a revolving door of guest stars, including two of the lead, Melissa Rauch’s Big Bang Theory alumni, hasn’t saved this letdown.

Another lackluster reboot is Frasier.

Having Frasier move from Seattle back to Boston can’t carry a show. Frasier’s father is also reborn in a younger version as his son. This isn’t a new character, just a different face. New and interesting characters that bring new plot twists are needed to make a reboot successful. Watching the main character that the audience knows well deal with new conflicts is what makes a show interesting.

This incarnation of Frasier is disappointing.

Great Reboots

The Roseanne reboot was excellent. A new plot line carried the show: Trump conservatives dealing with staunch liberals in the same family. Too bad the show didn’t last longer. The Conners rebranding didn’t work and should have been cancelled, but ABC/Disney pushed it along, not admitting they made a mistake.

Around the same time, they also made a mistake when they canceled the top-rated Last Man Standing, which was picked up by Fox.

The Rookie is a 2018 reboot of the 1970s series The Rookies. In this version, the focus is on John Nolan, who is the oldest rookie on the police force at age 45. Being twice the age of his rookie classmates brings Nolan unique challenges and perspectives that his peers don’t encounter. This new premise adds fresh avenues of conflict that the original series lacked. I enjoyed the first several seasons of this show, but then the writing became predictable and stale, and I quit watching. Perhaps I’ll give it another try and see if it has improved.

Kathy Bates’ New Spin on Matlock

Matlock is a fantastic reboot and not just a gender swap. Its new underlying plot arc brings a surprising twist, which adds exciting drama and conflict to the show.

I will not spoil the details here, but only say it is incredible. It actually surprised me, which is unusual, since I can usually predict the stale plots of almost all TV shows.