Why Matlock is not on TV tonight, March 20

Skye P. Marshall and Kathy Bates in Matlock (Image credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS)

Kathy Bates’ return to TV continues to be a hit among Matlock viewers. Unfortunately, for those who were hoping to see what antics the savvy attorney would get into next, we have some bad news: Matlock isn’t airing a new episode tonight, March 20. Not only that, but Matlock isn’t scheduled to debut the next new episode until April 3.

If you’re wondering who or what to blame for this interruption in schedule, look no further than the 2025 March Madness tournament. Every year, men's college basketball is flung into the spotlight as NCAA Division One teams fortunate enough to be selected go head-to-head to see who will walk away with a championship title. As in years past, CBS is one of the networks providing game coverage, and tonight’s coverage knocks off CBS’s regular primetime lineup, meaning Ghosts season 4, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage and Elsbeth season 2 are also not airing new episodes.

By the way, if you're a Matlock fan with a March Madness bracket, the games airing on CBS this evening are as follows:

(7) Kansas vs (10) Arkansas, 7:10 pm ET/4:10 pm PT
(2) St. John's vs (15) Omaha, 9:45 pm ET/6:45 pm PT

When Matlock does return with new episodes on April 3, it will do so with the episode titled “The Johnson Case.” Here is a brief synopsis of what’s to come:

“Olympia tries to impress the partnership board by taking on a complicated murder case.”

While you wait for new episodes to air, now would be a great time to catch up with anything you’ve missed this season over on Paramount Plus. The streaming service offers a few options for would-be subscribers. Given things are really heating up with Matlock tracking down who hid vital information that could tie the big pharma company to her daughter’s death and Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) planning ahead if she loses her partner race with Julian (Jason Ritter), you’ll want to make sure you’re fully caught up so you’re ready for the new episodes to drop.

Episodes of Matlock air on Thursdays on CBS before becoming available to stream the following day on Paramount Plus.

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Terrell Smith has a diverse writing background having penned material for a wide array of clients including the federal government and Bravo television personalities. When he’s not writing as Terrell, he’s writing under his pseudonym Tavion Scott, creating scripts for his audio drama podcasts. Terrell is a huge fan of great storytelling when it comes to television and film. Some of his favorite shows include Abbot Elementary, Matlock, The Lincoln Lawyer, Survival of the Thickest, The Pitt and Godfather of Harlem. And a fun fact is he's completely dialed into Bravo Universe and The Young and the Restless (thanks to his grandmother).