Cupertino review roundup: the Kings' Big Tech legal drama is fall TV's best new show
Cupertino, the new CBS legal drama from Robert and Michelle King, follows two fired lawyers who start a small firm to take on Silicon Valley's tech giants. Critics have embraced it as sharp, funny and timely, with a perfect Tomatometer and a Metascore of 85.
The story (no spoilers)
Michael Price (Mike Colter) is a staff lawyer at S-Talk, one of Silicon Valley's biggest tech companies, until he is suddenly fired and denied the stock options he was promised. The company also dismisses Olivia Siffre (Rachel Keller), a young attorney who was harassed by its chief executive.
With every big firm in the valley working for the tech giants, the two start a small firm of their own to represent the people those companies harm. As they take on a new case each week, a whistleblowing client named Bo brings them a secret that could be far bigger than any single lawsuit.
Where to watch or download
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The verdict
Highly recommended if you enjoyed The Good Wife, The Good Fight or Evil, or just like clever case-of-the-week dramas. New episodes air weekly on CBS and stream on Paramount+, which suits its mix of weekly cases and a slow-building mystery.
- 100%Rotten TomatoesTomatometer, Certified Fresh, 27 reviews, 18 Oct 2026
- 85MetacriticMetascore, 20 critic reviews, 18 Oct 2026
What critics say
“It's funny. It's clever. It's amazingly current. And from the moment it arrives, it establishes itself as the best drama series on broadcast TV.”
“Colter and Keller are terrific anchors throughout, each giving a lived-in performance.”
“as a broad tech-based legal dramedy, it's sharply written and clever, exuding the confidence of talented people working in a collective sweet spot”
What works
- Sharp, funny writing from the creators of The Good Wife and Evil.
- Mike Colter and Rachel Keller make a warm, easy-to-root-for team.
- Weekly cases ripped from real debates about AI and Big Tech.
- It takes on complicated topics without preaching.
What doesn't
- The Hollywood Reporter found it lighter and less angry than the Kings' best work.
- The serialised whistleblower storyline is less gripping than the weekly cases.
- Some critics felt it occasionally strays too far into science fiction.
Cupertino premiered on CBS on 8 October 2026 and airs on Thursday nights, with episodes streaming on Paramount+. It comes from Robert and Michelle King, the husband-and-wife team behind The Good Wife, The Good Fight, Evil and Elsbeth, and it reunites them with Evil's Mike Colter.
What critics liked
Reviews have been glowing. NPR's David Bianculli, who saw the whole season, called it the best drama series on broadcast TV and one of the best shows on television anywhere. The A.V. Club's Saloni Gajjar praised how it tells topical stories with nuance and tests its characters' moral compasses without being preachy, and The Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Fienberg called it sharply written and clever.
The performances
Colter and Keller are the show's anchors, and critics love their easy, sibling-like rapport. The Hollywood Reporter enjoyed Colter's swagger and bursts of goofiness, and the A.V. Club found Keller especially effective as a shy, religious lawyer who comes into her own. Ella Stiller, Busy Philipps and Renée Elise Goldsberry fill out the cast, alongside a parade of quirky judges.
Where it falls short
The few reservations are about tone. Fienberg felt it lacks the darkness and rage that fuelled The Good Wife and The Good Fight, partly because the serialised storyline about the whistleblower Bo is less engaging so far than the weekly cases. Collider thought it sometimes goes too far into science fiction with its plots about artificial general intelligence.
Should you watch?
With a 100% Tomatometer from 27 reviews and a Metascore of 85, Cupertino is one of the best-reviewed new shows of the autumn. It is easy to start now, with new episodes each week.
Quick answers
- Is Cupertino worth watching?
- Highly recommended if you enjoyed The Good Wife, The Good Fight or Evil, or just like clever case-of-the-week dramas. New episodes air weekly on CBS and stream on Paramount+, which suits its mix of weekly cases and a slow-building mystery.
- What are the review scores for Cupertino?
- Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (Tomatometer, Certified Fresh, 27 reviews, 18 Oct 2026). Metacritic: 85 (Metascore, 20 critic reviews, 18 Oct 2026).
- Where can I watch Cupertino?
- Official options: Paramount+ (stream and download in the app; US). Availability varies by country and changes over time.
- How many episodes does Cupertino have?
- Cupertino has 10 episodes.
- When was Cupertino released?
- Cupertino premiered on CBS on 8 October 2026.
- Who is in Cupertino?
- It was created by Robert King and Michelle King and stars Mike Colter, Rachel Keller, Ella Stiller, Nik Dodani, Busy Philipps and Renée Elise Goldsberry.
Sources
This roundup summarises the reviews and reporting below. Follow the links for the full pieces.
- 'Cupertino' bursts out of the gate as one of the best shows on TV right now · NPR
- 'Cupertino' Review: Robert and Michelle King's Latest Broadcast Winner · The Hollywood Reporter
- Cupertino review: An entertaining, anti-AI legal drama · The A.V. Club
- 'Matlock' Meets 'Mr. Robot' in CBS' New Sci-Fi Procedural From the Creators of 'Evil' · Collider
- Cupertino: Season 1 · Rotten Tomatoes
- Cupertino · Metacritic
- Cupertino: everything you need to know about the new drama series · Paramount+
ElysiumHub Screen Desk roundups summarise published reviews and reporting, and are written with AI assistance. Scores belong to the sites that publish them. Read our editorial standards. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.