CBS’ Leading Man Mike Colter Is Not Ruling Out a ‘Cupertino’ and ‘Elsbeth’ Crossover Episode
If you keep up with what’s on this fall, CBS is adding another courtroom drama to the mix. Cupertino, starring Mike Colter and Rachel Keller, premieres October 8, and the cast is already floating the idea of a crossover with one of the network’s biggest hits.
The buzz kicked up at CBS Fest 2026 in April, when Colter, Keller and Elsbeth star Carrie Preston all told Us they see a path for the two shows to eventually collide. What would a potential crossover between the shows actually look like?
What ‘Cupertino‘ Is About
The series follows lawyers Michael Price and Olivia Siffre, played by Colter and Keller, who take on Silicon Valley’s biggest names after they are wrongfully terminated from a tech start-up. In the series premiere, titled “Michael & Olivia,” the pair join forces to open their own firm.
Per the official logline, the duo will “represent those taken advantage of by the tech elite and fight back in a high-stakes battle against the Goliaths of Silicon Valley.” Michael’s former assistant, Christy Palladino, played by Ella Stiller, uses her close-knit family connections to help the firm get off the ground.
Filming on location matters to the cast. Colter said shooting outside traditional sound stages helps the city itself become part of the story.
“I want people to feel like they’re in Cupertino, because most people don’t know where Cupertino is, so I really love that about it,” Colter told Us. “I feel like it’s nice for us to get outside of the stages and just see what it’s like.”
Why a Crossover With ‘Elsbeth‘ Is on the Table
The Cupertino and Elsbeth conversation isn’t idle speculation. Both shows share executive producers Robert and Michelle King, the pair also behind The Good Wife and The Good Fight, the same universe that spawned Elsbeth as a spinoff.
Colter starred in both of those earlier shows as Chicago drug dealer Lemond Bishop. His character, portrayed as calm, intelligent and intimidating, became a recurring client whose criminal ties complicated his lawyers’ work.
“Sure, there could be,” Colter teased when asked about a crossover. “I played Lemond Bishop, and he’s still alive the last time I checked.”
Keller agreed. “I think it’s possible,” she told Us.
Preston, who plays the title character on Elsbeth, also sees an opening. “Cupertino is a legal show. Elsbeth is a lawyer. I mean, she’s a detective on our show, but first and foremost, she’s a lawyer,” Preston told Us. “So I could definitely see how she might wanna slide on over to the West Coast and save the day over there somehow.”
She was less sure about what role Colter would fill if the two shows met. “Well, I don’t know what Mike Colter’s character is [on Cupertino], but I do know that our show has broken the mold, and we’re bringing actors back from those earlier King-produced legal dramas in different roles,” Preston said. “So maybe Mike could come on as a totally different role.”
Why ‘Elsbeth‘ Is a Hot Crossover Partner
Elsbeth has quickly become a CBS heavyweight. The series landed in the top 25 of Nielsen’s 35-day multiplatform viewing data for the full 2025-2026 broadcast season. It has also proven willing to reach back into its own family tree, bringing on Christian Borle to reprise his role as Carter Schmidt in season 2 and Sarah Steele to return as Marissa Gold in season 3.
That flexibility is exactly what makes a Cupertino visit plausible.
When and Where to Watch
Cupertino joins a fall CBS slate that already includes Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Fire Country, and Boston Blue. It airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT on CBS and streams on Paramount+.
