The Network Procedural Is Back—and Telling Stories That Matter

Can you remember the last time when TV felt like TV? When you could reliably flip to a certain channel and know there will be a great set of shows airing every day of the week, providing water cooler fodder for at least half the year? When we think about TV now, we get visions of the endless scroll through streaming options. We’ve gotten used to two or three years of waiting for an eight-episode binge of expensively-produced, often-forgettable installments, which we finish in a day or two before returning to the infinite browsing. Thankfully, TV feels like TV again in fall 2024, as the tried-and-true network procedural is having a moment.

While network TV has largely taken a backseat to streaming in recent years, save for breakout hits like Abbott Elementary, a slate of new criminal and legal procedurals this fall has invigorated the weeknight lineup. Following in the footsteps of brilliant women from Jessica Fletcher and Cagney and Lacey, to Diane Lockhart and Olivia Benson, the latest everyday heroes to satisfyingly investigate and solve a mystery in the span of one episode are the leads of High Potential, Matlock, and Elsbeth. These series continue the legacy of shows like SVU and its contemporaries by showcasing complex female leads and centering timely conversations. It’s fun, escapist primetime TV that shows millions of viewers some of the complicated issues women face daily.

The most fun of the new class of procedurals is Elsbeth, CBS’s The Good Wife spinoff which premiered in February 2024 to stellar ratings before getting fast-tracked for a second season. Fans of the Robert and Michelle King universe know that Elsbeth Tascioni (played by Emmy winner Carrie Preston) is kooky with a capital K and the new series leans into her cheerful, shrewd absurdity as she relocates from Chicago to the Big Apple to oversee the NYPD’s most high-profile, convoluted cases.

The series is a meal of delicious, camp maximalism, which rips its premises from current pop culture and adds on an outlandish murder. Its inverted spin on the crime-procedural formula is designed to play to its strength—with the intentionally ridiculous cases ranging from a deadly Real Housewives spoof to murder on a Fashion Week runway to an opera lover killing over horrible theater etiquette. It’s become common knowledge that the most famous guest star on a police procedural is probably the killer, so each episode begins by showing the crime itself, and the viewer can have fun following along to see how Broadway legends and TV icons like Jane Krakowski, Nathan Lane, or Vanessa Williams will get caught. Elsbeth is usually the only detective team member to zero in on the correct perp and figure out their motive or means by befriending them, turning each episode into a condensed battle of wits ending in an epic stand down. She’s also the perfect character to hold down such an off-the-wall concept together, as she approaches each crime from a place of wholesome fascination and genuine care. When she hosts a housewarming party halfway through episode 1, Elsbeth observes that most of the friends she’s made in New York have committed murders. Imagine a quirky yet kind-hearted crimefighter who makes genuine friends with their marks: That’s Elsbeth.

ABC’s High Potential is the most true-to-genre of the new slate of shows and has become the network's most-watched new series in six years. Morgan Gillory (Kaitlin Olson of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame) is a single mom of three who has a 160 IQ and natural cognitive gifts, which make it hard for her to hold down a job until she’s hired as a civil consultant for the LAPD. She recalls esoteric facts related to cases, like L.A.’s seasonal wind patterns, the east-facing orientation of Catholic churches, and the specific burn time of cheap candles. However, she isn’t the stereotypical eccentric genius; she’s also excellent at relating to victims, suspects, and witnesses, getting them to trust her more than the cops around her. Morgan’s magnetic charm keeps fans running back week after week, as she reminds by-the-book Detective Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) that when people have to deal with the police, they need compassion and care more than strict criminal procedure.

Then there’s CBS’s new legal procedural Matlock, perhaps the buzziest new show of the season, thanks to its Oscar-winning lead actress, Kathy Bates, and the series’ brilliant spin on some legendary IP. Created by Jane the Virgin alum Jennie Snyder Urman, Matlock stars Bates as Madeline Matlock, a septuagenarian who hustles her way into an elite corporate law firm. Reasoning society overlooks older women, Matty uses her age to her advantage. While she pretends to be a widow who has unretired to raise her grandson, in reality, she’s a millionaire going undercover at the firm to investigate its involvement in the opioid crisis, in honor of her late daughter.

Elsbeth, High Potential, and Matlock all share traits that have helped them find millions of loyal weekly viewers. They all have hooks that would entice even the most passive armchair detective and balance weekly cases with season-long mysteries set up to spur more character growth. They dedicate the same level of characterization to their excellent supporting characters as their leads, from Matlock’s no-nonsense yet surprisingly compassionate boss Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) to Elsbeth’s down-to-earth, aspiring detective bestie Kaya (Carra Patterson) to Morgan’s relationship with her teen daughter Ava (Amirah J). The character dynamics keep viewers coming back when the novelty of the premise fades and set up for many future seasons of evolving characterization.

Then there’s how Elsbeth, Matty, and Morgan are all underdogs in their own ways. Being underestimated is something nearly every woman knows to be true, often especially in their professional life. All three of these women have traits that make them the odd ones out in their workplaces; they’re all in some way seen as less serious, less disciplined, or less skilled than the average person in their position. Their outward appearance also contributes to this, from Matty’s age to Elsbeth and Morgan’s irreverent fashion choices. All three of these women know that people will judge them upon their first impression—before they can reveal that they’re really the smartest people in the room—so the trio uses people’s preconceptions against them. They all get people to let their guard down and show a form of honesty. Even more than when they’re playing spy or lie detector, their ability to disarm becomes their greatest strength not when facing a subject but when empathizing with a victim.

In their short runs so far, Elsbeth, Matlock, and High Potential have all released at least one standout episode that deals with feminist issues in a nuanced way. Matlock’s third episode, “A Guy Named Greg,” centers on a sexual harassment case where Matty has to reckon with a generational divide in how women respond to such situations while defending a woman who is nowhere near a perfect victim. High Potential’s “Dirty Rotten Scoundrel” initially seems like a femme-fatale case before it shines a light on romance scams, a topic that’s only occasionally represented in even the unscripted realm. Even Elsbeth has found time within its zany crimes to highlight women’s issues; its season premiere centers on a predatory acting professor who ends up killing one of his students. Even the most lighthearted television helps steer the cultural conversation, and primetime shows can reach a new audience who could recognize themselves or their loved ones in these issues.

It’s become all too familiar that most streaming series, no matter how popular or promising, get the axe after one or two seasons unless they become an instant viral hit or get dozens of awards. At least when the streamers disappoint us, or as we wait two years for an acclaimed hit’s next season, we can rely on networks to air our weekly dose of smart and compassionate crime-solving. We'll be looking forward to tuning in every Tuesday or Thursday at 9 p.m. ET, excited to see how they move the needle of comfort TV, telling stories about issues that matter.