CBS’s Lincoln Lawyer Replacement Proved Network TV Isn’t Dead Yet

Cupertino Finds Its Audience

Cupertino is the new CBS series taking the place of The Lincoln Lawyer. Its pilot reached 10.58 million viewers, and the show has doubled its viewership, offering a fresh sign of network television’s continuing appeal.

The series has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. Fellow CBS legal drama Matlock has a 93% score, and its Season 2 premiere drew 11.9 million viewers.

Writing And Casting Work Together

Robert and Michelle King, whose previous projects include The Good Wife and Elsbeth, created Cupertino. The series pairs brisk dialogue and engaging legal maneuvers with an appetite for eccentricity.

Mike Colter plays Michael Price, a lawyer who opens his own practice after being expelled from a Silicon Valley start-up. He takes on cases for people who say technology giants have wronged them.

Rachel Keller plays Price’s young partner, Olivia Siffre. Ella Stiller appears as his assistant, Christy, and Busy Philipps joins the cast.

Network Television Still Competes

Cupertino’s viewership suggests that audiences will watch network shows when the writing and performances connect with them. The article presents the series as evidence that broadcast television can still draw a substantial audience despite streaming’s dominance.

The show’s appeal rests on a combination of smart writing, a distinctive cast and a legal story rooted in technology. Its ratings and critical score give CBS another example of a network drama finding viewers.