Christine Baranski on her new spinoff, "The Good Fight"
For all TV fans who were sad to see “The Good Wife” wrap after seven successful seasons, here’s something to celebrate: the show is picking up one year after the events of its final episode with a new series called “The Good Fight.”
While she had been offered another major gig, when Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Christine Baranski was offered a chance to reprise her role as attorney Diane Lockhart, her response was, “Bring it on!” That’s because, she said, “it’s as good as it gets to play a woman like Diane Lockhart.”
“Seven great seasons, so many of us did not want it to end because so many people… the viewing audience thought it’s such intelligent writing, how wonderful to see female characters who are in authority positions educated, articulate in the workspace,” Baranski told “CBS This Morning” Wednesday.
In the spinoff, Lockhart will be putting on a “good fight” herself after what Baranski describes as a “180” spin in her character’s life. The show starts off with Lockhart announcing her plans to retire and purchasing a new home in France, but that all crumbles when she loses her savings in a Ponzi scheme.
“That’s when you hear Diane Lockhart drop the ‘F’ word,” Baranski said.
The un-bleeped expression is possible because the show is no longer limited by the strictures of network television. “The Good Fight” will run on the the digital streaming service, CBS All Access.
Baranski said the transitioning from “the grind” of doing 22 episodes per season to doing just 10 on the new platform was liberating.
“This new way of television... liberates you to maybe do plays or maybe do other things with your career or just enjoy life. That was very appealing,” Baranski said. “And also, a 10-episode arc is possibly more succinct dramatically. ... You can stay within a certain narrative... whereas 22, you have to really almost keep generating storylines and crises. So I’m really excited about the venue. ... And they will watch it like they do a Netflix show? And that really is kind of the future, isn’t it? People stay home and they binge-watch.”
Ultimately, Lockhart ends up as a “minority hire” at an all-African American law firm, after being rejected from other firms — something she said “many women will relate” to.
“So that’s also a rather brilliant jumping point because you’ll recognize ‘The Good Wife’ but then by halfway in, it’s a whole new thing,” Baranski said.
“The Good Fight” will premiere on CBS All Access Sunday, February 19th.
