Matlock (1986 TV Series)
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''Matlock'' is an American
mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' *Mystery, a seahorse that SpongeBob SquarePants adopts in the episode " My Pre ...
legal drama Legal drama, also called courtroom drama, is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in wh ...
television series created by
Dean Hargrove Dean Hargrove (born July 27, 1938) is an American television producer, writer, and director. His background includes graduating from the St. John's Military School, Wichita State University, and attending the UCLA Film School as a graduate studen ...
and starring
Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, singer, and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characters with a folksy ...
in the title role of
criminal defense In the field of criminal law, there are a variety of conditions that will tend to negate elements of a crime (particularly the ''intent'' element), known as defenses. The label may be apt in jurisdictions where the ''accused'' may be assigned some ...
attorney
Ben Matlock Benjamin Leighton Matlock is a fictional character from the television series, '' Matlock'', played by Andy Griffith. Matlock is a renowned, folksy yet cantankerous defense attorney who is worth every penny of his $100,000 fee. Known for visitin ...
. Debuting on March 3, 1986, the series aired on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
until the sixth season finale on May 8, 1992; it was moved to
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
on November 5, 1992, continuing there for the remainder of its run until the series finale aired on May 7, 1995. The series was produced by The
Fred Silverman Fred Silverman (September 13, 1937 – January 30, 2020) was an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at all of the Big Three television networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as '' ...
Company (formerly Intermedia Entertainment Company until 1986) and
Dean Hargrove Dean Hargrove (born July 27, 1938) is an American television producer, writer, and director. His background includes graduating from the St. John's Military School, Wichita State University, and attending the UCLA Film School as a graduate studen ...
Productions (formerly Strathmore Productions until 1988) in association with
Viacom Productions Viacom Productions (formerly Viacom Enterprises) was a television production arm of Viacom. Viacom Enterprises was also a movie producer, and a sports producer. The division was active from 1971 until 2004, when the company was folded into Par ...
. The show's format is similar to that of
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
' ''
Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and four short stories, all of which involve a ...
'' (both ''Matlock'' and the 1980s ''Perry Mason'' television films were created by Dean Hargrove), with Matlock identifying the perpetrators and then confronting them in dramatic courtroom scenes. One difference, however, was that whereas Mason usually exculpated his clients at a pretrial hearing, Matlock usually secured an acquittal at trial from the jury. A gender flipping, unrelated series of the same name, starring
Kathy Bates Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actress. Kathy Bates filmography, Her work spans over five decades, and List of awards and nominations received by Kathy Bates, her accolades include an Academy Awards, Academy Award, t ...
, premiered on CBS on September 22, 2024.


Premise

The show is about widower
Ben Matlock Benjamin Leighton Matlock is a fictional character from the television series, '' Matlock'', played by Andy Griffith. Matlock is a renowned, folksy yet cantankerous defense attorney who is worth every penny of his $100,000 fee. Known for visitin ...
(
Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, singer, and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characters with a folksy ...
), a renowned, folksy and popular though cantankerous attorney. Usually, at the end of the case, the person who is on the stand being questioned by Matlock is the actual perpetrator and Matlock will expose them, despite making clear that his one goal is to prove
reasonable doubt Beyond (a) reasonable doubt is a legal standard of proof required to validate a criminal conviction in most adversarial legal systems. It is a higher standard of proof than the standard of balance of probabilities (US English: preponderance of ...
in the case of his client's
guilt Guilt most commonly refers to: *Guilt (emotion), an emotion that occurs when a person feels that they have violated a moral standard *Culpability, a legal term *Guilt (law), a legal term Music * ''Guilt'' (album), a 2009 album by Mims * "Guilt" ( ...
or to prove his client's innocence. Matlock studied law at
Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...
and, after several years as a public defender, established his law practice in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, living in a modest farmhouse in a neighboring suburb. He is known to visit crime scenes to discover clues otherwise overlooked and then come up with viable alternative theories of the crime in question (usually murder). Matlock also has conspicuously finicky fashion sense; he generally appears in court wearing a trademark light gray suit and, over the series' entire run, owned three generations of the
Ford Crown Victoria The Ford Crown Victoria ("Crown Vic") is a full-size sedan that was marketed and manufactured by Ford. The successor to the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, two generations of the model line were produced from the 1992 until the 2012 model years. T ...
—always an all-gray model (Griffith's characters had always driven Ford products since his series, ''
The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American sitcom television series that was aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The series ...
''). Matlock is noted for his thrift and a fondness for hot dogs. In "The Diner" (season eight, episode four), hot dogs are revealed to have been his favorite dish since he was a young man. In contrast, after the series ended, his penchant for hot dogs was explained in the '' Diagnosis: Murder'' two-part season four episode "Murder Two" (episodes 15–16). In that episode, Matlock blames Dr. Mark Sloan (
Dick Van Dyke Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. Dick Van Dyke on screen and stage, His work spans screen and stage, and List of awards and nominations received by Dick Van Dyke, his awards includ ...
) for recommending a disastrous investment in
8-track tape The 8-track tape (formally Stereo 8; commonly called eight-track cartridge, eight-track tape, and eight-track) is a magnetic-tape sound recording technology that was popular from the mid-1960s until the early 1980s, when the compact cassette, ...
s, in which he lost his savings of $5,000 in 1969 (), forcing him into wearing cheap suits and living on hot dogs. Despite his thrift, Matlock's standard fee is $100,000 (), usually paid up front, but if he or his staff believe strongly enough in the innocence of a client or if the client is unable to pay immediately (if at all), he has them pay over time or reduces the fee significantly or waives it entirely, albeit reluctantly in some cases. He also reluctantly takes a ''
pro bono ( English: 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. The term traditionally referred to provision of legal services by legal professionals for people who a ...
'' case occasionally. These traits, and the demands he placed upon his investigators, are often points of comic relief in the series.


Cast


Main

*
Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, singer, and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characters with a folksy ...
as
Ben Matlock Benjamin Leighton Matlock is a fictional character from the television series, '' Matlock'', played by Andy Griffith. Matlock is a renowned, folksy yet cantankerous defense attorney who is worth every penny of his $100,000 fee. Known for visitin ...
*
Linda Purl Linda Purl (born September 2, 1955) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ashley Pfister (Fonzie's girlfriend) on ''Happy Days'' (she originally played Gloria as Richie’s date in season 2 episodes 1, 2, 6 and 7), Sheila Munroe in ...
(
Lori Lethin Lori Ann Lethin (born August 4, 1955) is an American retired actress, known for her appearances on television and in several horror films in the 1980s. Early life Lethin was born August 4, 1955 in Los Angeles to Paul Lethin. Career She made he ...
in pilot) as Charlene Matlock (season 1), Ben's younger daughter who became a partner to her father before she moved to
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
to set up her own law practice *
Alice Hirson Alice Corinne Hirson (née Thorsell; March 10, 1929 – February 14, 2025) was an American actress best known for her roles on television. She began her career on stage, before roles on daytime soap operas. She was best known for her roles as Mav ...
as Hazel (pilot), Matlock's secretary *
Kene Holliday Kenneth Earl Holliday (born June 25, 1949) is an American actor of stage, film, and television. He is known for his role as Ben Matlock's original private investigator, Tyler Hudson, on '' Matlock'', and as Sgt. Curtis Baker on ''Carter Countr ...
as Tyler Hudson (seasons 1–3; guest season 4), Ben's first private investigator *
Kari Lizer Kari Lizer (born August 26, 1961) is an American actress, writer, and producer. Life and career Lizer was born in San Diego, California. She was the creator and executive producer of the CBS sitcom '' The New Adventures of Old Christine''. In M ...
as Cassie Phillips (season 2; recurring season 1), Ben's young file clerk who desired to become his partner after Charlene's departure *
Nancy Stafford Nancy Elizabeth Stafford (born June 5, 1954) is an American actress, speaker and author, known for her roles on television. She came to prominence in the 1980s as Michelle Thomas, law partner, on five seasons of '' Matlock''. She later hosted a ...
as Michelle Thomas (seasons 2–6), an American lawyer living in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
who becomes an equal partner to Matlock. She first appeared as a guest in season 1 (episode 6: The Seduction) *
Julie Sommars Julie Sommars (born April 15, 1940) is an American actress. She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her role in '' The Governor & J.J.'' in 1970, and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for ...
as Julie March (seasons 3–6; recurring seasons 1–2; guest season 9), a district attorney who becomes a good friend to Ben Matlock * Clarence Gilyard Jr. as Conrad McMasters (seasons 4–7; guest season 8), Ben's second private investigator who is a former deputy sheriff and a rodeo rider *
Brynn Thayer Brynn Thayer is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Jenny Wolek on the television soap opera ''One Life to Live'' from 1978 to 1986, which earned her a Daytime Emmy Award nomination. Career Thayer is well known for her w ...
as Leanne MacIntyre (seasons 7–8; guest season 6), Ben's older daughter who works for her father after Michelle's departure *
Daniel Roebuck Daniel James Roebuck (born March 4, 1963) is an American actor and writer. In film, he is known for his roles as Deputy Marshal Robert Biggs in ''The Fugitive'' (1993) and its spin-off ''U.S. Marshals'' (1998), as well as Mr. Banks in '' Agent ...
as Cliff Lewis (seasons 7–9), Ben's last partner and private investigator who graduated from law school and is the son of Ben's childhood friend, Billy Lewis *
Carol Huston Carol Huston is an American actress and singer. Early life Carol Huston was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and grew up in Des Plaines, Illinois. Huston attended Forest View High School in nearby Arlington Heights, where she participated in its ...
as Jerri Stone (season 9), Ben's last assistant and private investigator with a talent for singing lullabies


Recurring

*
James McEachin James McEachin (May 20, 1930 – January 11, 2025) was an American actor, author and veteran of the Korean War. He appeared in various films and television shows. Early life and military career James McEachin was born in Rennert, North Carolin ...
as Lieutenant Frank Daniels (season 1), Ben's contact on the
Atlanta Police Department The Atlanta Police Department (APD) is a law enforcement agency in the city of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The city shifted from its rural-based Marshal and Deputy Marshal model at the end of the 19th century. In 1873, ...
*
Michael Durrell Michael Durrell (born Sylvester Salvatore Ciraulo) is an American actor. Career Durrell began his career in the role of attorney Peter Wexler on the CBS soap opera '' The Guiding Light''. In 1969, he appeared on Broadway in ''Cock-A-Doodle-D ...
as District Attorney Lloyd Burgess (seasons 1–6), chief district attorney for
Fulton County, Georgia Fulton County is a county in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,066,710, making it the state's most populous county. Its county seat and most ...
*
David Froman David Wesley Froman (December 31, 1938 – February 8, 2010) was an American actor, born in Miami, Oklahoma. His parents were Guy and Gertrude (Helm) Froman. He taught for many years at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO), where he was profe ...
as Lieutenant Bob Brooks (seasons 1–6), Ben's contact on the
Atlanta Police Department The Atlanta Police Department (APD) is a law enforcement agency in the city of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The city shifted from its rural-based Marshal and Deputy Marshal model at the end of the 19th century. In 1873, ...
*
Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'', for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He als ...
as Les "Ace" Calhoun (seasons 3–6), Ben's next-door neighbor who was once a client in season three *
Warren Frost Warren Frost (June 5, 1925 – February 17, 2017) was an American actor. His work was mainly in theater, but he worked in films and television sporadically from 1958. He is known for television roles on '' Matlock'' and ''Seinfeld'', and p ...
as Billy Lewis (seasons 6–9), Ben's childhood friend and Cliff's father


Changes

The series premiered with Ben Matlock (played by
Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, singer, and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characters with a folksy ...
) having a law practice with his daughter, Charlene (played by
Lori Lethin Lori Ann Lethin (born August 4, 1955) is an American retired actress, known for her appearances on television and in several horror films in the 1980s. Early life Lethin was born August 4, 1955 in Los Angeles to Paul Lethin. Career She made he ...
in the pilot movie;
Linda Purl Linda Purl (born September 2, 1955) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ashley Pfister (Fonzie's girlfriend) on ''Happy Days'' (she originally played Gloria as Richie’s date in season 2 episodes 1, 2, 6 and 7), Sheila Munroe in ...
took over the role when the series went to air). Matlock also employed stock market whiz Tyler Hudson (
Kene Holliday Kenneth Earl Holliday (born June 25, 1949) is an American actor of stage, film, and television. He is known for his role as Ben Matlock's original private investigator, Tyler Hudson, on '' Matlock'', and as Sgt. Curtis Baker on ''Carter Countr ...
) as a
private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI; also known as a private detective, an inquiry agent or informally a wikt:private eye, private eye) is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. ...
. Tyler would often go undercover for Matlock in various guises to gather information. Matlock's most frequent legal adversary was Julie March (
Julie Sommars Julie Sommars (born April 15, 1940) is an American actress. She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her role in '' The Governor & J.J.'' in 1970, and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for ...
), a Nebraska native. Although their jobs as prosecutor and defense attorney made them professional rivals, their relationship outside of court was very cordial and they often spent time together outside of court with occasional flirtations. Toward the end of the first season, Matlock took on cocky law student Cassie Phillips (played by
Kari Lizer Kari Lizer (born August 26, 1961) is an American actress, writer, and producer. Life and career Lizer was born in San Diego, California. She was the creator and executive producer of the CBS sitcom '' The New Adventures of Old Christine''. In M ...
) as an office worker. After the first season ended, Purl departed from the series and her character, Charlene, moved to
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
to start her own law practice. To begin the second season, Matlock went to London to try a case where he met Michelle Thomas (played by
Nancy Stafford Nancy Elizabeth Stafford (born June 5, 1954) is an American actress, speaker and author, known for her roles on television. She came to prominence in the 1980s as Michelle Thomas, law partner, on five seasons of '' Matlock''. She later hosted a ...
), a young American lawyer. After the case was over, Michelle followed Matlock to the U.S. and became his new law partner. Cassie stayed on as a file clerk until the end of the season, when she disappeared for reasons never made clear. With Lizer's departure,
Julie Sommars Julie Sommars (born April 15, 1940) is an American actress. She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her role in '' The Governor & J.J.'' in 1970, and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for ...
became a regular cast member. Several actors/actresses appeared in the series as different characters prior to becoming regular cast members. In season one's "The Seduction", Stafford played Caryn Nelson/Carole Nathan, a high-class prostitute who was paid off to commit
perjury Perjury (also known as forswearing) is the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to an official proceeding."Perjury The act or an insta ...
against Matlock's client. In "The Angel", Lizer appeared as Matlock's client, Margaret Danello, a pop star called "Angel". Roebuck played a young physician, Dr. Bobby Shaw, in "The Doctors"; lawyer Alex Winthrop in season three's two-part episode, "The Ambassador"/"The Priest"; and a prosecutor in a two-part episode, "The Assassination", before becoming a cast regular in season seven. Some actors/actresses appeared as a different character in each appearance on the show. For example,
Carolyn Seymour Carolyn Seymour is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Abby Grant in the BBC series ''Survivors (1975 TV series), Survivors'' (1975) and Queen Myrrah in the ''Gears of War (series), Gears of War'' franchise. Career She wa ...
played Christina Harrison Ward in season one ("The Affair", episode 4), Dr. Vanessa Sedgwick in season two ("The Genius", episode 20) and Iris Vogel in season three ("The Psychic", episode 13).
Nana Visitor Nana Visitor ( ; born Nana Tucker; July 26, 1957), is an American actress, best known for playing Kira Nerys in the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' and Jean Ritter in the television series ''Wildfire''. Early life Nana Tucker ...
and
Roddy McDowall Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (17 September 1928 – 3 October 1998) was a British-American actor whose career spanned over 270 screen and stage roles across over 60 years. Born in London, he began his acting career as a child in his n ...
made several guest appearances as well. Holliday was fired after the third season for drug and alcohol abuse, but had a recurring role in season four ("The Best Seller", episode 4 and "The Witness", episode 14). Matlock hired Conrad McMasters ( Clarence Gilyard Jr.), a young, former
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
deputy sheriff, to be his new
detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...
. Like Tyler, Conrad would also go undercover to gather information about cases. However, the two characters were different in their personalities and approach to the job. Matlock and McMasters became good friends and were alike in many ways.
Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'', for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He als ...
, who co-starred with Griffith on ''
The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American sitcom television series that was aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The series ...
'', began making frequent appearances as Les "Ace" Calhoun, Matlock's next-door neighbor. Before replacing Stafford at the start of season seven,
Brynn Thayer Brynn Thayer is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Jenny Wolek on the television soap opera ''One Life to Live'' from 1978 to 1986, which earned her a Daytime Emmy Award nomination. Career Thayer is well known for her w ...
appeared in two season six episodes ("The Suspect", episodes 7–8) as Roxanne Windemere, a rich widow charged with murder with whom Ben became smitten. In the season finale ("The Assassination", episodes 21–22) she appeared as Leanne MacIntyre, Ben's previously unmentioned daughter who takes on the case of a murdered mayor. She joined the cast full-time in season seven.
Daniel Roebuck Daniel James Roebuck (born March 4, 1963) is an American actor and writer. In film, he is known for his roles as Deputy Marshal Robert Biggs in ''The Fugitive'' (1993) and its spin-off ''U.S. Marshals'' (1998), as well as Mr. Banks in '' Agent ...
joined Thayer as a new regular for season seven as Cliff Lewis, a naive young lawyer and associate.
Warren Frost Warren Frost (June 5, 1925 – February 17, 2017) was an American actor. His work was mainly in theater, but he worked in films and television sporadically from 1958. He is known for television roles on '' Matlock'' and ''Seinfeld'', and p ...
joined the cast in a recurring role as Billy Lewis, Cliff's father and a personal nemesis from Matlock's past: Ben had abandoned a romance with Billy's sister to pursue his law degree. The move in 1992 to
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
for the remainder of the series caused some cast turnover. Stafford left the series to spend more time with her husband, Larry Myers. Sommars followed, although she would play a recurring role in several later episodes. Knotts followed. With Roebuck joining the cast, Gilyard's role was diminished. After season seven ended, Gilyard left the series to join the new CBS series ''
Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action fiction, action Crime drama, crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both the film and the series starring Chuck Norr ...
'', although he appeared once in season eight ("The View", episode five). Like Silverman and Hargrove's ''
Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and four short stories, all of which involve a ...
'' series revival, ''Matlock'' had largely become a series of movies-of-the-week by season nine. Part of the reason for this was Griffith's advancing age; he was 66 and also wanted to spend more time with his family. At the end of season 8, Thayer departed from the series. In the first episode of season nine ("The Accused") Ben tells Billy that Leanne moved to Los Angeles, seems to like her job, and "has a fella." In the final season,
Carol Huston Carol Huston is an American actress and singer. Early life Carol Huston was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and grew up in Des Plaines, Illinois. Huston attended Forest View High School in nearby Arlington Heights, where she participated in its ...
joined the series as Jerri Stone, a private investigator helping Cliff in his duties. Like Conrad, Jerri and Ben had shared hobbies including singing. The move also saw a change in filming venue. Shooting in
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
for its entire run on NBC (which required Griffith to commute from his home in
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
to the West Coast), ABC moved production to the EUE/Screen Gems Studios in
Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, eighth-most populous city in the st ...
to ease the travel burden on Griffith. The "
whodunit A ''whodunit'' (less commonly spelled as ''whodunnit''; a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an criminal ...
" format was also adjusted to an "
inverted detective story An inverted detective story, occasionally known as a "howcatchem", is a murder mystery fiction structure in which the commission of the crime is shown or described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator. The story then ...
" format.


Episodes

''Matlock'' aired a total of 193 episodes across nine seasons and began with a TV-movie. 12 two-hour and 15 two-part episodes of the program were aired. Six of the episodes were clip shows with mostly minor plots that paved the way for scenes from previous stories. Although Griffith appeared in more episodes portraying Sheriff Andy Taylor in ''
The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American sitcom television series that was aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The series ...
'' than Ben Matlock in ''Matlock'' (the former has 249 episodes, and the latter has 193), he logged more on-screen time as Ben Matlock than he did as Sheriff Andy Taylor due to the length of each show (''Matlock'' ran for 45–48 minutes, while ''The Andy Griffith Show'' ran for 25–26 minutes).


Program format

A few changes were made in the format of the introduction of the episodes. The introduction of characters was essentially the same, with the only changes being the actors for each season. Griffith, Purl, Holliday, Stafford, Gilyard Jr., Thayer, Sommars, Lizer, Roebuck and Huston were all featured in the intros for their respective seasons. The ''Matlock'' commercial screen also changed. The early episodes had a scene of Ben Matlock in front of a brown screen; around 1987, this was changed to gray. In 1992, this was changed once again to the same gray, but with a blue square around the "M" in "Matlock." Later in the 1993–1994 season, the commercial screen was removed entirely. Nancy Stafford began appearing in a
dual role A dual role (also known as a double role) refers to one actor playing two roles in a single production. Dual roles (or a larger number of roles for an actor) may be deliberately written into a script, or may instead be a choice made during produc ...
in many opening credits from season three onwards, both as her main character Michelle Thomas, and the high-class call girl she played in the first season (seen on the witness stand, though her face is obscured).


Spin-offs

''
Jake and the Fatman ''Jake and the Fatman'' is an American crime drama television series starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. (Jason Lochinvar) "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. Created by Dean Hargrove and Joel Steiger, the ser ...
'' was a spin-off on CBS based on a character who originated in "The Don" (1986), a two-part ''Matlock'' episode from season one.
William Conrad William Conrad (born John William Cann Jr., September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994) was an American actor, producer, and director whose entertainment career spanned five decades in radio, film, and television, peaking in popularity when he s ...
played prosecutor James L. McShane and
Joe Penny Joseph Edward Penny Jr. (born June 24, 1956) is a retired American actor best known for his roles as Nick Ryder on the detective series '' Riptide'' from 1984 to 1986, and as Jake Styles in the CBS television series ''Jake and the Fatman'' from ...
played Paul Baron, the son of Matlock's client, Mafia don Nicholas Baron. Executive producers
Fred Silverman Fred Silverman (September 13, 1937 – January 30, 2020) was an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at all of the Big Three television networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as '' ...
and
Dean Hargrove Dean Hargrove (born July 27, 1938) is an American television producer, writer, and director. His background includes graduating from the St. John's Military School, Wichita State University, and attending the UCLA Film School as a graduate studen ...
were responsible for both ''Matlock'' and ''Jake and the Fatman,'' as well as '' Diagnosis: Murder,'' created by Joyce Burditt (which itself was a spin-off of ''Jake and the Fatman'') in 1993, also on CBS; ''
Father Dowling Mysteries ''Father Dowling Mysteries'', known as ''Father Dowling Investigates'' in the United Kingdom, is an American mystery television series first aired from January 20, 1989, to May 2, 1991. The series was preceded by the 1987 television movie ''Fat ...
'' in 1988 on NBC and ABC; and the 30 ''
Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and four short stories, all of which involve a ...
'' made-for-TV movies from 1985 until 1995 on NBC.


Home media


DVD releases

CBS Home Entertainment CBS Home Entertainment (formerly CBS Video Enterprises, Inc., MGM/CBS Home Video, CBS/Fox Video and CBS Video, currently branded as CBS DVD for DVD releases and CBS Blu-ray for Blu-ray releases) is an American home video company that distribut ...
(distributed by
Paramount Home Entertainment Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, originally Paramount Home Video, and operating as the namesake film studio since 2022) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures. The division oversees Para ...
) has released all nine seasons of ''Matlock'' on DVD in Region 1. On April 7, 2015, CBS released ''Matlock: The Complete Series'' on DVD in Region 1.


Streaming

Season one of the series was made available for purchase through
Amazon Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
. The series is available on demand through
Pluto TV Pluto TV is an American free ad-supported streaming television service owned and operated by the Paramount Streaming division of Paramount Global. Founded by Tom Ryan (business executive), Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin and Nick Grouf in 2013 and based in ...
, and as of January 15, 2025, all 9 seasons are made available to stream on
Paramount+ Paramount+ (formerly known as CBS All Access in the United States and 10 All Access in Australia) is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, stream ...
.


2024 series

In January 2023, CBS announced development of a new series starring
Kathy Bates Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actress. Kathy Bates filmography, Her work spans over five decades, and List of awards and nominations received by Kathy Bates, her accolades include an Academy Awards, Academy Award, t ...
and Skye P. Marshall, with
David Del Rio David Del Rio (born September 29, 1987) is an American actor, director and producer who has appeared in films and live productions such as '' Pitch Perfect'' and '' Grease Live!'', and has previously directed several short films. Early life an ...
,
Leah Lewis Leah Lewis (born December 9, 1996) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Georgia "George" Fan in The CW series adaptation of ''Nancy Drew'' (2019–2023) and Ellie Chu in the Netflix comedy-drama film '' The Half of It'' ( ...
and
Jason Ritter Jason Morgan Ritter (born February 17, 1980) is an American actor. The son of actors John Ritter and Nancy Morgan, he is known for his work in television series such as ''Joan of Arcadia'' (2003–2005), ''Gravity Falls'' (2012–2016), '' Anot ...
supporting and gave a pilot order in February. In May, it was announced that the show had been officially greenlit with a series order. In February 2024, it was announced that
Beau Bridges Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III (born December 9, 1941) is an American actor. He is a three-time Emmy Award, Emmy, two-time Golden Globe Award, Golden Globe and one-time Grammy Award winner, as well as a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award nomine ...
also join the cast in the recurring role of Senior. The series was delayed to the 2024–25 television season amidst the
2023 Hollywood labor disputes From May 2 to November 9, 2023, a series of long labor disputes within the Cinema of the United States, film and Television in the United States, television industries of the United States took place, mainly focused on the strikes of the 2023 W ...
. The show is set to premiere on September 22, 2024, on CBS and streaming on
Paramount+ Paramount+ (formerly known as CBS All Access in the United States and 10 All Access in Australia) is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, stream ...
, then start airing in its regular timeslot (Thursday 9pm) on October 17, 2024. In the new series, the original TV show exists as an in-universe TV series with Bates' Matlock using the same surname as the TV show character as an alias.


See also

* * * * * * ''Hawkins''—A TV series about a small town Southern defense attorney * ''
Matlock Police ''Matlock Police'' is an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for The 0-10 Network (now known as Network 10) between 1971 and 1976. The series focused on the police station and crime in the Victorian town of Ma ...
''—Australian TV series from 1971 to 1976


Notes


References


External links

* * {{epguides, Matlock, Matlock
Andy Griffith as Ben Matlock
An unofficial ''Matlock'' website

A page dedicated to Ben Matlock, including notable case synopses and list of ''
Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson ...
'' quotes
Matlock (2024)
a
IMDb
1980s American legal drama television series 1986 American television series debuts 1990s American legal drama television series 1995 American television series endings American television series revived after cancellation American English-language television shows Television series about lawyers Television series by CBS Studios Television shows set in Atlanta Television shows filmed in North Carolina Television shows filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina NBC television dramas American Broadcasting Company television dramas