SCARPETTA

Nicole Kidman — the Australian actress who has won an Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe — is the perfect choice for Dr. Kay Scarpetta. With a career spanning over four decades and unforgettable roles in The Hours, Big Little Lies, Eyes Wide Shut, and Moulin Rouge!, Kidman brings a rare combination of sharp intellect and emotional depth that the Scarpetta character demands. This is also her first major television project with CBS, marking a collaboration between one of Hollywood's biggest stars and America's leading broadcast network.

CBS has officially ordered the first season of Scarpetta, marking one of the most anticipated television projects of 2026. The show will air in primetime on CBS and simultaneously stream on Paramount+. This represents CBS's biggest effort to compete with hit forensic series on rival streaming platforms.

For over three decades, Kay Scarpetta has been an icon of strong women in crime fiction. She is not just a brilliant scientist but a deeply humane person fighting for justice in an often unjust world. Bringing this character to the small screen with Nicole Kidman — an actress who shares the same combination of intellect and inner strength — is something fans have waited decades for. The series arrives in an exciting entertainment season alongside films like Sinners and award ceremonies such as the Oscars 2026.

Scarpetta also represents an important step forward for the forensic TV genre — focusing on real science rather than mere sensationalism, and placing a complex female character at the center of the story.