Everything you need to know about The Good Wife
The Good Wife follows wife and mother Alicia Florrick, whose life in Chicago seems picture-perfect.
That is until her world is turned upside down when her husband, Peter – a former State’s Attorney – is jailed following a sex scandal and uncovering of political corruption.
Now, after spending 13 years as a stay-at-home mother to her two kids, Alicia finds herself dealing with public scrutiny and returning to work as a litigator.
The series was partly inspired by a series of high-profile political scandals, including President Bill Clinton’s affair, with writer Robert King citing the image of the wives standing by their husbands during public statements.
He added that he became aware that a lot of the women involved in such public scandals were often lawyers, who put their own careers on hold for the sake of their husband’s ambitions.
The Good Wife launched in 2009 and immediately drew critical acclaim for its dramatic themes, becoming a must-watch for fans around the globe.
The show won five Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe during its run, including awards for lead actress Julianna Margulies, supporting star Archie Panjabi, and guest stars Carrie Preston and Martha Plimpton.
The show ran for seven seasons, totalling 156 episodes, before ending in 2016.
Who stars in The Good Wife?
The main cast for The Good Wife are:
- Julianna Margulies (E.R., The Morning Show) as Alicia Florrick
- Chris Noth (Sex and The City, Law and Order) as Peter Florrick
- Josh Charles (Dead Poets Society, Away) as Will Gardner
- Matt Czuchry (The Resident, Gilmore Girls) as Cary Agos
- Christine Baranski (Mamma Mia!, Chicago) as Diane Lockhart
- Archie Panjabi (Bend It Like Beckham, Blindspot) as Kalinda Sharma
- Alan Cumming (GoldenEye, Schmigadoon!) as Eli Gold
- Makenzie Vega (13 Reasons Why, Sin City) as Grace Florrick
- Graham Phillips (Riverdale, Atypical) as Zack Florrick
- Michael J. Fox (Back to the Future, Teen Wolf) as Louis Canning
- Jerry Adler (Mad About You, Transparent) as Howard Lyman
- Mary Beth Peil (Dawson’s Creek, The Stepford Wives) as Jackie Florrick
- Cush Jumbo (Criminal Record, The Beast Must Die) as Lucca Quinn
- Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton, Girls5Eva) as Geneva Pine
- Carrie Preston (Claws, True Blood) as Elsbeth Tascioni
What other shows is The Good Wife connected to?
The Good Wife has spawned two spin-off shows to date.
These are:
The Good Fight (2017-2022)
A huge financial scam leaves young lawyer Maia Rindell’s reputation in tatters, as well as that of her mentor, Diane Lockhart.
Forced out of their law firm, they join a new team at Reddick, Boseman, & Lockhart, a prestigious firm that focuses on police brutality cases in Illinois.
The show deals with office politics as well as touching on current political issues, including police brutality, the MeToo movement, and the rise of Trump’s administration in America.
The show ran for six seasons, totaling 60 episodes.
Elsbeth (2024)
Fan favorite Elsbeth Tascioni is going out on her own in this new series.
The police procedural comedy-drama follows bright lawyer/detective Elsbeth as she leaves Chicago and works alongside the NYPD.
Giving her unique perspective each week on a new murder case, Elsbeth follows a ‘case of the week’, dissecting who committed each crime, how they did it, and why.
Find out more about Elsbeth by clicking here.
What is the age rating of The Good Wife?
The Good Wife’s official rating in the UK, as certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), is 15 for the overall series.
This means it is not suitable for children or younger teens.
Reasons for this rating are due to the show containing:
- Scenes of a sexual nature
- Discussions of sexual assault
- Sexually suggestive conversations
- Some graphic depictions of dead bodies, sometimes nude
- Acts of violence and discussions of violence
- Use of guns and gun violence
- Scenes of blood and gore
- Profane language
How many episodes of The Good Wife are there?
The main series of The Good Wife ran for seven seasons, totalling 156 episodes.
Each episode runs for 45 minutes to an hour in length.
There are currently no plans for a reboot.
How to watch The Good Wife in the UK
The Good Wife is available in full exclusively on Paramount+.
Because we strive to bring you the best, Paramount+ is available for Sky customers with Sky Cinema at absolutely no extra cost.
If you already have Paramount+, you can connect it to your Sky account.
You can find out how to do so here.
