When you turn on CBS tonight, don't expect to see our favorite legal team at Jacobson Moore scrambling to win their next case or outrun Senior's Wellbrexa misdeeds. Matlock season 2 won't air a new episode on Thursday, March 19, 2026, but there's even more bad news.
Following the airing of Matlock season 2 episode 11 on Thursday, March 12, CBS isn't following up the shocking episode with a new one. Due to the network's airing of the 2026 NCAA March Madness basketball games, Matlock isn't airing a new episode. In fact, the series isn't airing at all due to the basketball games airing during its timeslot. CBS' entire Thursday night lineup is on break.
On Thursday, March 19, CBS airs two March Madness tournament games. Beginning at 7 p.m. ET, the network begins its back-to-back basketball evening with the Howard vs. Michigan game, which rolls right into the Saint Louis vs. Georgia game at 9:30 p.m. ET. Of course, the timing of the events can likely shift, but the important part is, Matlock won't be airing at all, and it won't be next week either.
Matlock doesn't return with new episodes until April 2026
If you don't keep up with NCAA March Madness, basketball, or sports in general, then you might not particuarly know how long certain events run for. Well, CBS' Thursday night lineup will once again be preempted on March 26 for another back-to-back airing of basketball games. Currently, the match ups haven't been announced since they are dependent on who wins this week's games.
Matlock season 2 picks back up with new episodes on Thursday, April 2 in its usual timeslot of 9/8c. CBS returns to normal with its Thursday night programming on April 2 with the entire three-hour block, which also includes Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, Ghosts, and Elsbeth also expected to be back with new episodes. A two-week break isn't ideal, but we shouldn't have anymore breaks.
The fact that we're this close to the season finale and have to endure another hiatus, even if it's minor, is frustrating. Matlock season 2 was previously off the air from mid-December to late February due to both the holidays and the Winter Olympics. Only three new episodes aired before another break arrived, but at least these episodes were some of the best of the season so far.
In last week's episode, Matty and Julian continued to work on building their trust now that they are on the same side and now the full truth. But the Jacobson Moore team was also thrown an unexpected fork in the road when Shae ended up getting arrested for tampering with the jury in order to secure a win in Olympia's challenging case and save her job at the firm.
Matlock season 2 episode 12, airing on Thursday, April 2, begins the build-up to the season finale as there are only five episodes left until the season finale. CBS hasn't announced the finale date just yet, but stay tune for even more news and updates in the coming weeks!