The new CBS legal drama Cupertino places its narrative squarely in Northern California's Silicon Valley, yet its physical production operates across the country in New Jersey. Created by television veterans Robert and Michelle King, the series premiered on October 8, 2026, following two attorneys who take on major technology corporations. Headlined by Mike Colter alongside Carnegie Mellon University alumni Rachel Keller and Renée Elise Goldsberry, the show serves as a prominent example of New Jersey's rapidly expanding television and film production industry, even as CBS adjusts its broadcast schedule to capture a wider linear audience.

Inside 'Cupertino' and Its Carnegie Mellon Cast

Developed by the married showrunning team of Robert and Michelle King—known for critically acclaimed network and streaming titles including The Good Wife, The Good Fight, and Elsbeth—Cupertino centers on legal battles involving modern technology.

Colter stars as veteran attorney Michael Price, who partners with young Midwestern lawyer Olivia Siffre, played by Keller, to represent clients wronged by massive Silicon Valley firms. "We wanna entertain them, but we wanna sort of raise their eyebrows and their attention to something that's pretty important," Colter told CBS News New York.

The series features multiple graduates from Carnegie Mellon University in key roles, according to TribLIVE. Keller, a 2014 CMU graduate who previously starred in cable dramas such as FX's Legion, noted that the showrunners' reputation drew her to broadcast television. "Playing a lawyer on one of their television shows is an actor’s dream," Keller said.

"Particularly because I had come from FX and HBO (series), the Kings would be the only way I would do some sort of a 20-episode, procedural format because their writing is witty and clever and honestly this show has a lot of comedy in it."

Joining Keller as a series regular after the pilot is 1993 CMU graduate Renée Elise Goldsberry, who previously worked with the Kings on The Good Wife and Evil. Goldsberry portrays Nichole Ferebee, a legal adversary defending the tech companies who also happens to be Price's former love interest. Fellow CMU alum Kyra Klonoski also appears in the series. The broader supporting cast includes Nik Dodani, Ella Stiller as legal assistant Christy Palladino, and Busy Philipps, who filmed her role after coordinating surgery and treatment for a brain tumor, according to reports from NPR and People.

New Jersey's Expanding Production Footprint

While scripts require the cast to litigate disputes in California, cameras roll primarily in the Garden State. According to CBS News New York, the series shoots on location and inside a 90,000-square-foot studio facility in Kearny, New Jersey, though an article from CBR describes the production as filming across both New York and New Jersey.

"We have these beautiful stages because we're trying to make beautiful New Jersey look like Cupertino," Keller explained.

For East Coast performers, the proximity to New York's theatrical hub is a major draw. Stiller noted that working in New Jersey gives the production access to top theater talent while allowing actors to sleep in their own beds at night. Goldsberry added that the bustling set signals steady employment for industry workers, while David Schoner, senior advisor for the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, emphasized the ripple effect on local mom-and-pop vendors.

The series is part of a broader statewide economic push. Emory Edwards, president and CEO of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, told CBS News New York that the state is seeing roughly $1 billion annually in film revenue alongside $900 million in infrastructure investments.

Looking at prior state data, NJBIZ reports that New Jersey productions spent an estimated $834 million in 2024—a 41% increase over 2023—across 555 film and television projects that generated 2,422 filming days and more than 30,000 crew hires.

This growth is largely driven by aggressive state tax incentives. According to NJBIZ, New Jersey offers tax credits of up to 40% for qualifying film and digital-media expenses under a program that state legislation extended through 2049. Major studio developments are also underway across the state. NJ.com reports that Netflix is developing a $1 billion studio complex at Fort Monmouth, expected to be completed in 2028 and projected to create more than 3,500 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent production roles. Additionally, NJBIZ notes a proposed $450 million film-studio district at a former Sony site in Pitman, which developers estimate could generate over 400 permanent jobs and 400 temporary construction positions.

Ratings Performance and Broadcast Strategy

Despite strong critical reception, Cupertino has faced the typical hurdles of modern linear television ratings before finding its audience on delayed platforms. According to TribLIVE, the October 8 premiere won its Thursday 10 p.m.

time slot on CBS with a modest 3.19 million live viewers. However, within seven days, that premiere audience more than doubled to 7.17 million viewers through a combination of DVR playback and streaming on Paramount+.

To boost live tune-in, CBS scheduled a special Sunday broadcast on November 8, 2026, at 8 p.m., capitalizing on the lead-in from NFL football coverage and 60 Minutes, according to NJ.com and Paramount Press Express. The special Sunday lineup features the show's sixth original episode—which involves an artificial intelligence algorithm altering an organ transplant list and a virtual court session conducted while the characters are stuck in traffic—followed by encore broadcasts of the first two episodes at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Other storylines this season include an AI training company accused of wage and overtime abuse.

While Keller referred to a 20-episode format and outlets including People and the Charlotte Observer (citing IMDb) have pointed to a 20-episode first season, official CBS press materials have thus far confirmed individual broadcast dates rather than a full season episode order.

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