The classic TV show “Matlock” is coming back to screens next year – but with a twist. Kathy Bates will take on the lead role as a lady lawyer named Madeline “Matty” Matlock in CBS’s reimagined version of the legal drama.

Matty is joining a prestigious law firm later in life, looking to prove that experience counts just as much as youth. As a woman in her 70s, she’ll show viewers that older people still have a lot to offer. “I wanted to write a character who challenges ageism,” says producer Jennie Snyder Urman.

Bates, who is 76 herself, thinks Matty’s role is long overdue. “You never see women my age as the lead on TV,” she points out. Her character will have depth, taking on complex cases and corrupt bosses week after week.

Helping Matty in the courtroom is Olympia, played by Skye P. Marshall. Olympia is a senior attorney,...