Matt Lopez has gone country…

The Latino television writer and producer has joined CBS’ recently picked up drama series Sheriff County as executive producer and showrunner.

The Fire Country spinoff, headlined by Morena Baccarin, is slated to debut during the 2025-26 season, with a writers room expected to open in late summer.

Sheriff Country was introduced when Baccarin guest starred in an April episode of the mothership series. 

Like the Fire Country pilot, the planted spinoff was written by Joan Rater and Tony Phelan from a story the duo co-wrote with series’ star Max Thieriot, whose real-life experiences inspired Fire Country.

Thieriot also directed the backdoor pilot episode.

The offshoot also is following Fire Country‘s leadership pattern.

While Grey’s Anatomy alums Rater and Phelan are executive producers and a writers room fixtures on the mothership series, Tia Napolitano was brought in as day-to-day showrunner. Lopez is taking on the duties for Sheriff Country. He was already in negotiations when CBS in May announced a series pickup for the spinoff.

Sheriff Country stars Baccarin as straight-shooting sheriff Mickey Fox, the stepsister of Cal Fire’s division chief Sharon Leone (Diane Farr of Fire Country), who investigates criminal activity as she patrols the streets of small-town Edgewater.

The series, from CBS Studios, is executive produced by Thieriot, Phelan, Rater, Lopez as well as Jerry Bruckheimer and KristieAnne Reed for Jerry Bruckheimer Television.

Lopez created, executive produced and served as showrunner of ABC’s 2022 family drama series Promised Land.

His feature writing credits include Max’s top-rated original Father of the Bride, from Warner Bros., and several Disney movies, including The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

Lopez is a former entertainment lawyer and DreamWorks business affairs executive.