How to watch Elsbeth online and on TV

Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston), poses in a novelty Statue of Liberty hat behind NYPD officers while looking to camera in a promo image for CBS' Elsbeth
Carrie Preston in Elsbeth (Image credit: CBS)

Carrie Preston's quirky attorney Elsbeth Tascioni breaks away from The Good Wife and The Good Fight with her own spin-off, Elsbeth, which premiered on February 29 as part of CBS new Thursday night lineup alongside Ghosts season 3 and Young Sheldon season 7. But don't worry if you’re out of the States when it airs, because here's how to watch Elsbeth from anywhere.

Elsbeth's debut episode bought the titular character from her successful Chicago legal career to the Big Apple where she began putting her unique talents to use alongside the NYPD to catch similarly brilliant and unique criminals. The pilot saw Elsbeth pit her wits against theatre director Alex Modarian (Stephen Moyer), who she suspected of murdering a promising theatre student, while bickering with NYPD Captain C.W. Wagner (Wendell Pierce) and getting to know her police partner Officer Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson).

Elsbeth was a stand out character in The Good Wife/Fight, so it wasn't surprising to see her receive her own show and while the spin off was in development for a while (the first teaser trailer dropped over a year before the premiere), it's finally with us although more delays mean episodes won't resume until April 4. 

Ready to head to make the trip from Chicago to NYC? Here's how to watch Elsbeth season 1 online. Keep reading for all you need to know to tune in, no matter where you are in the world right now.

How to watch Elsbeth in the US

The Elsbeth pilot premiered on Thursday, February 29, at 10 pm ET/PT on CBS, however has been pulled from air for various reasons ever since. Fear not though, because the show is set to resume with a double bill on Thursday, April 4 and maintain that slot thereafter. 

If you don't have access to CBS though, as there are several online alternatives.

One is to use a live TV streaming service to stream CBS, along with plenty of other cable channels. Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, DirecTV Stream and YouTube TV all offer CBS, which of course includes streaming access to Elsbeth.

Your other option is to sign up for Paramount Plus, the CBS streaming service that lets you watch CBS content online (depending on where you are). 

Paramount Plus will let you watch your local CBS station online, but you'll need the Paramount Plus with Showtime plan, which costs $11.99 per month. 

The cheaper Essential plan, which costs $5.99 per month, lets you watch episodes the day after they air.

Can you watch Elsbeth in the UK?

At the time of writing, there's no confirmed air date for Elsbeth season 1 in the UK.

It's tricky to know where it might land when it does arrive, with The Good Wife airing on Channel 4 and The Good Fight streaming on Prime Video, but if we were to guess, we'd say Paramount Plus

If you're a US viewer traveling in the UK and keen to watch Elsbeth as it airs, you may want to look at a VPN. More below.

Can you watch Elsbeth in Australia?

It's the same story Down Under, but again, CBS shows usually find a home on Paramount Plus in Australia, but also air for FREE on Channel 9 and it's streamer 9Now.

Americans traveling in Oz can use a VPN to watch Elsbeth the way they usually would back home, as we explain here

How to watch Elsbeth from anywhere with a VPN

If you're going to be away from your normal TV setup but still want to watch Elsbeth S1 online, you might run into some problems. Thankfully, you can solve this exact issue with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 

A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to your favorite shows like Elsbeth even if you're not there. Our favorite is NordVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.

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NordVPN is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to watch what you want, from wherever you want to watch it.

It's straightforward and easy to use, has great security, is available on loads of streaming devices and, best of all, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out 100% risk-free. Give it a go.

Elsbeth trailer

Elsbeth S1 episode guide

  • Episode 1: "Pilot" – Thursday, February 29
  • Episode 2: "A Classic New York Character" – Thursday, April 4
  • Episode 3: "Reality Shock" – Thursday, April 4
  • Episode 4: "Love Knocked Off" – Thursday, April 11
  • Episode 5: TBC – Thursday, April 18
  • Episode 6: TBC – Thursday, April 25
  • Episode 7: TBC – Thursday, May 2
  • Episode 8: TBC – Thursday, May 9
  • Episode 9: TBC – Thursday, May 16
  • Episode 10: TBC – Thursday, May 23

All you need to know about Elsbeth

Who is in the cast of Elsbeth?

  • Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni
  • Wendell Pierce as C. W. Wagner
  • Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke
  • Gloria Reuben as Claudia Payne
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Skip Mason
  • Jane Krakowski as Joann
  • Linda Lavin as Gloria
  • Retta as Margo
  • Blair Underwood 

What can we expect from Elsbeth?

The official synopsis from Paramount Plus reads: "Elsbeth stars Emmy Award winner Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute but unconventional attorney who uses her singular point of view to make unique observations and corner brilliant criminals alongside the NYPD.  After leaving her legal career for a new investigative role, Elsbeth finds herself jockeying with NYPD Captain C.W. Wagner (Wendell Pierce). Working alongside Elsbeth is Officer Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson). Based on the character featured in The Good Wife and The Good Fight."

Is Elsbeth a spin-off?

Elsbeth is a spin-off from The Good Wife and The Good Fight with Carrie Preston's "astute but unconventional attorney" Elsbeth Tascioni leaving her life in Chicago to work as a special advisor to the NYPD. Elsbeth featured in 14 episodes of the original show and 5 episodes of the first spin-off.

The Good Wife is available on Paramount Plus globally and also for FREE on Freevee in the US, Channel 4 in the UK and 9Now in Australia. You'll find The Good Fight on Paramount Plus in the States and Down Under, but UK viewers can only stream the first few seasons via Prime Video

Tom Wardley

Tom is a freelance writer, predominantly focusing on film and TV. A graduate of Film Studies at University of South Wales, if he's not diving in to the Collector's Edition Blu Ray of an obscure 80s horror, you'll find him getting lost with his dog or mucking about in the water with his board.