Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick in The Good Wife.

Julianna Margulies admits she had legal concerns about The Good Wife.

The new series -- which debuts tonight on CBS and Global -- centres on a woman whose husband has been brought down by a political sex scandal. But in some ways The Good Wife is yet another legal drama, and Margulies starred in a failed legal drama last year, Canterbury's Law.

"One of my main concerns was, 'I don't want to do a legal show,' " Margulies said. "I kept saying, 'We have great legal shows on the air. Why would we put another one on? That's not going to interest me or the audience, I don't think.' "

But Margulies was won over by the script of The Good Wife. Even though her character goes back to work as a lawyer, the public and personal issues surrounding her jailed husband -- played by Chris Noth -- are at the heart of the show.

"What interests me is finding out who these characters are," Margulies said. "So (the legal side) is a great backdrop for her development. That's how I see it."