Matlock parents guide: Kathy Bates is the lead you want your teens to watch

Fall TV is here, and you’ll want to check which shows are suitable for your kids and which ones aren’t. What about Matlock?

The new series starring Kathy Bates certainly isn’t your typical reboot. Bates’s character isn’t trying to be a gender-flipped version of the 1980s character we came to know and love. Instead, there’s a great inspiration behind the titular character’s motivation. You’ll want to check out that pilot to see what we mean!

This is a TV-14-rated series, but is it suitable for the teens? It seems like it should be, right?

Matlock is a great look at using your superpower

Bates’ character makes it clear that her superpower is being unassuming. People ignore her because of her age, and she uses that to her advantage. There’s an important lesson in the series for teens. Don’t underestimate your elders!

But what about the factors that make up the age rating? Let’s take a look based on the pilot episode and what we know about broadcast TV.

Sex & nudity: Broadcast TV doesn’t allow for graphic nudity, and we’re not expecting it in Matlock. There may be some “sex scenes,” but they usually leave a lot up to the imagination, just inferring that the characters have hooked up. There are a lot of sexual innuendos and jokes, though. Matty certainly loves to make people uncomfortable, and she does that in the pilot episode numerous times.

Language: This is a CBS series, so the most you’ll hear within the series is the B-word. This is sometimes in the phrase “son of a B,” but it’s the harshest of the swear words that are allowed on broadcast shows. While the series premiered in the 8 p.m. ET/PT timeslot, it will move to the 9 p.m. ET/PT timeslot, which does allow for a little more cursing but still doesn’t change the rules on the F-bombs.

Violence & Gore: The original Matlock had murders to solve, but nothing was ever shown clearly on the screen. If there are murders in this crime drama, then we’re not expecting to see anything graphic. Broadcast rules don’t allow for it, and there’s no need for it in a series like this.

There are likely to be fights breaking out now and then. That tends to happen with shows like this, but while there will be bruises and the odd gash mark or slice that needs stitches, there probably won’t be anything that makes you queasy.

Drugs & Alcohol: As we saw in the first episode, the characters will drink now and again. This is just part of life for a lot of people. It’s not shown in a gratuitous way on the screen, though. We’ll just see characters enjoying a drink with dinner or a nightcap.

There is mention of drugs. A character has died of an opioid overdose, and there is a focus on the opioid crisis toward the end of the first episode. We’re sure to see this come up more, which could mean more mention of drugs and we may even see characters who are high.

Overall verdict: Who is Matlock appropriate for?

This series certainly earns its TV-14 rating, and that means it is suitable for teenagers. Think of it as a PG-13 movie. What I will say is that I’d encourage you to watch this with your teens. Show them that getting old, especially as a woman, doesn’t mean you can’t do anything else. You can use that as a superpower!