Christine Baranski was hard to miss on Wednesday evening at the premiere screening and party for “The Good Fight,” the spinoff of CBS’ beloved “The Good Wife” that is set to bow Feb. 19 on CBS All Access.
The star of “Good Fight” sparkled in a shimmery silver and black minidress that accentuated her long and lean frame and turned her into a walking spotlight at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall. The extra glow was fitting for the occasion because Baranski commands the stage in the spinoff that revolves around her Diane Lockhart character from “The Good Wife,” rebuilding her life after a series of unfortunate events befall the rock-ribbed legal eagle.
The first episode was well received by a roomful of “Good Wife” lovers. There was almost an audible sigh of relief when “Good Fight” quickly settled into the distinctive blend of drama and comedy that enlivened its predecessor for seven seasons.
“We are so relieved,” said “Good Fight” co-creator and exec producer Michelle King, who runs the series with her husband, Robert King. The Kings were holding their breath too at the screening as it marked the first time they’d gotten any feedback outside of the show’s core team. But partygoers raved about Baranski’s performance, the strength of the ensemble cast and the witty touches in the script — the kind of superlatives the Kings grew accustomed to hearing about “The Good Wife.”
Baranski’s co-stars — including Cush Jumbo, Rose Leslie, Delroy Lindo, Bernadette Peters, Justin Bartha and Erica Tazel — all made the rounds at the Ascent Lounge after the screening. As guests munched on grilled cheese bites, meatballs, sushi and sliders, the actors all promised that the show only gets richer and juicier.
A number of CBS’ top brass flew in from the West Coast for the premiere — including CBS TV Studios president David Stapf, CBS Interactive president Jim Lanzone and CBS Entertainment communications chief Chris Ender — and wound up stranded for at least an extra day in New York by the snowstorm that put the brakes on Thursday’s returning flights.
