‘I Think They Treated Us Like S—.’ Kathy Bates Was No-Holds-Barred About TV Show Getting Cancelled (And Her NSFW Reaction Years Later Is The Best)

by

Kathy Bates is enjoying a fantastic year on television with the huge success of *Matlock* on CBS, and the show’s second season will be back in 2025. Despite this current success, she still feels hurt about the cancellation of her previous show, *Harry’s Law*, and recently shared a surprisingly candid reaction to it being cut after only two seasons on NBC.

Created by the same mind behind *Boston Legal*, *Harry’s Law* was a funny and dramatic legal show that performed well for NBC but was cancelled after just two seasons (2011-2012). Kelsey Bates received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress for her role as Harriet “Harry” Korn in both seasons, alongside costars like Nate Corddry, Brittany Snow, and Aml Ameen.

According to Variety, she addressed the cancellation years later at a press event for American Horror Story: Coven (where she would later win an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress), stating at the time:

I believe they treated us terribly, completely dismissing us and showing a lack of respect. This also disrespected our audience of seven to eleven million weekly viewers, and frankly, I think they’re now facing the consequences of their actions.

Kathy Bates, how did you feel about the way NBC handled *Harry’s Law*? After a strong first season airing on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET, the show’s schedule was changed multiple times – first to Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET, and then to Sundays at 8 p.m. ET – which likely impacted viewership. Beyond impressive ratings and two Emmy nominations for Bates, the show also earned awards recognition: Paul McCrane from *ER* won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in 2011, and Jean Law was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in 2012.

I can’t really fault Kathy Bates for feeling upset when *Misery* was initially cancelled – it must have been incredibly disappointing! She recently spoke to Variety about it, and it was lovely to hear her laugh about it this time, but you could still sense the old hurt. It’s understandable, really.

Someone told them they didn’t think they could make money from older customers, and I was incredibly offended. I believe proving them wrong through success is the ultimate response.

Given how central Kathy Bates’ age was to the appeal of *Matlock*, she really demonstrated that older actors can absolutely carry a hit show. Before the first season even finished, she won a Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama and received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama in 2025. At 77, she became the oldest actress ever nominated for Best Actress, though the award ultimately went to Britt Lower for *Severance*.

Though Kathy Bates has finished her work on *Harry’s Law*, *Matlock* remains popular and CBS is likely to keep it on the air for a while. Season 2 will be back on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. Eastern, before *Elsbeth*, a pairing that’s been working well. The first episode of the new season will premiere on a special night – Sunday, October 12th at 8:30 p.m. Eastern. If you want to catch up, the entire first season is currently available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.

Read More

2025-09-16 13:08