Starting into series 8, I have been more or less enjoying this production (though admittedly Ms ideology was, I think, creeping in). Sometimes plot holes appeared, and alternate explanations seemed unconsidered. Still, it had some good plot twists, and a sweet father-daughter connection is a wholesome base. So with some cringes aside, a passable hourly watch, until Leanne Matlock fornicates (S8.11)-the ideological base of the show is shown to be that the act is not wrong, only that one's choice of sexual partner might be somewhat misguided. There endeth my following of Matlock, a sad takeaway.

He was the best person you would know in the city of Atlanta,Georgia, his Ben Matlock the lawyer that saves lives. This begins for him when he was in his late teens and was in law school and was even helping with father who was a detective. After finishing law school Ben felt it was his time to help solve cases for the Atlanta Police. Things started off slow for him but as Ben got more involved with solving crimes he needs help so first its his daughter Michelle Thomas, then Conrad McMasters, and also a secretary that helps keep Ben stay on top of his piling work in everyday life plus his cases which he solves. After many years of solving cases Ben falls in love with the D.A and they start being friends sometimes is hard when you sit across from each other in a courtroom and he's defending his clients. He also becomes friends with his neighbor who doesn't always make life easy for him but eventually he hires the neighbor's son to help solve cases with him. This show was a real great when comparing Andy Griffin and Perry Mason solving different crimes and saving lives. I rate Matlock a 10. This T.V series was real great and still shows on T.V today.

I Love this show I can watch reruns over & over again & never get tired of watching it. It is far most the best television series to ever air on t.v. I just wish It was still being Made. It is Wholesome & Entertaining.I hope to see all of the episodes & I hope It continues to be around for many years to come so that my children would be able to enjoy it. The Cast is awesome there are so many wonderful faces that gives you the sense that it is a real hometown portrait. I love the smart way Ben always seems to be able to solve every mystery. We really could use more shows like this today I really wish that it was still being produced, But I'm sure that the way things are left is the only way it should be Because no one could replace the cast members.

This is one of the all-time popular mystery dramas, starring Andy Griffith as defense attorney Ben Matlock, whom, and his associates, defend his clients by finding the real perpetrator of the crime. As Ben Matlock, Griffith displays much wit and intellect while defending his clients, while at the same time trying to track down the real criminal. This plot device gave the series a unique twist and kept the show surprising from start to finish. The show also got intense at times with all the back and forth proceedings and finger-pointing during the courtroom scenes. The episodes were written with much intrigue and suspense, with a well-acted cast of characters and guest stars to boot. The opening theme music is very catchy and well-suited for the show's atmosphere, and I especially enjoyed seeing the many co-stars that have starred along side Griffith during the show's run, including Linda Purl, Brynn Thayer, Clarence Gilyard Jr. and Daniel Roebuck. Definitely one of the best shows of the 80s and 90s! Grade A

Here it is, almost 1200 minutes of the mystery series "Matlock", 24 episodes (including the pilot) that were broadcast during NBC's 1986-1987 season. So let's forget all we know about the long run of this series and just talk about its premiere season. Years after his run as Sheriff Andy Taylor, Andy Griffith finally got another regular job. This time he is playing Ben Matlock, an Atlanta lawyer who talks like Sheriff Andy. It's a comfortable role in a tried and true format; a mix of "Perry Mason" and "Columbo". "Columbo" veteran Dean Hargrove dreamed up the series and shared executive producer duties with Fred Silverman. The focus is on the title character and Griffith is great fun to watch. He charms and sweet talks his way through each case, getting everyone to let down their guard because they underestimate this good old boy as much as they did the seemingly scatterbrained "Columbo". Both series revolved around the main character's ability discern something incriminating in seemingly innocent little things and to pick up on a guilty party's casual slip of the tongue. In the "Perry Mason" tradition Matlock is not bound by the conventional rules of evidence or procedural requirements once he gets into a courtroom. He can say anything and introduce any sort of evidence simply by reassuring the judge that his line or questioning will eventually become relevant. Be prepared for the obligatory breakdowns and confessions on the witness stand. The prosecutors can only shake their heads and bluster helplessly in the face of Matlock's cunning strategy. Matlock is assisted by the show's version of Perry Mason's Paul and Della. In season one these are his daughter and partner Charlene Matlock (Lori Lethin in the pilot-Linda Purl in the regular episodes) and his investigator Tyler Hudson (Kene Holliday). His junior partner Michele Thomas (Nancy Stafford) would not join the team as a regular until the nest season and it wasn't until 1988 that Don Knotts reprises his Barney role as Ben's neighbor Les "Ace" Calhoun. Season One's episodes #6 and #7 (a two part story titled "The Don") featured William Conrad as District Attorney James "Fatman" McShane. The next year the producers took this character, changed his name slightly to Jason Lochinvar 'Fatman' McCabe, and with Conrad created the long-running series "Jake and the Fatman". Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Ben Matlock (Andy Griffith) an old-fashioned Atlanta lawyer who always wear a grey seersucker suit, a white buttondown collar shirt, and a necktie with his partner & daughter Charlene Matlock (played by Lori Lethlin on "Diary of a Perfect Murder" and later played by Linda Purl on the weekly prime-time series on NBC) and was later replaced by left-handed associate Michelle Thomas (Nancy Stafford) and she left the show in 1992 the same year when the show moved to ABC and Michelle was replaced by Charlene's sister Leanne MacIntyre (played by Brynn Thayer) and left the show in 1994 and replaced by Jeri Stone (played by Carol Houston). Also Tyler Hudson (played by Kene Holliday) is the P.I. and later replaced by Conrad McMasters (played by Clarence Gilyard,Jr. who left the show in 1993 to join the cast on a then "new" CBS series "Walker,Texas Ranger") and was replaced by Cliffton Lewis (played by Daniel Roebuck, who earlier played some different characters durning the NBC run), and ADA Julie March (played by Julie Sommars who left the show in 1993 and came back for a guest appearance in a 1994 episode titled "The Confession". Matlock never looses a murder case and he's a greatist Television lawyer of all time. I give it 10 out of 10.

Matlock was a great show still is to me.Matlock reminds me of Columbo a little.Big difference being Colombo you know who the killer is & Matlock being a who done it? I like both.Matlock was cool to because he had P.I's Tyler Hudson & Conrad are great & the women lawyers Michealle,Leane there are a few others.All the seasons are great but seasons 1-6 are my favorites the ones with Conrad and Tyler mostly. The stories are very well written and will keep you guessing who the killer might be? His show can also be funny at times & I love how when he gets mad at someone he'll call them a jack ass. The Blues singer is my favorite episode season 3.

The scenario for the original format script to Matlock was supposed to be this..... Andy Taylor leaves Mayberry and goes into practice as a lawyer who takes on clients whom always never loses a case. That changed when the show premiered on NBC-TV in 1986. That show was "Matlock". The series ran for an impressive nine seasons on two major networks: One,it was originally on NBC from 1986-1992 and made the switch over to ABC from 1992-1995. Ben Matlock was a old-fashioned,Harvard Law School educated Southern lawyer from Atlanta,Georgia who always wore a grey seeksucker suit,a white buttondown collar shirt,and necktie with his partner and daughter Charlene Matlock(who was played by three different actresses during the shows' intital run) who takes in clients and rights the wrongs in their defense and if they were gulity of the crime Ben knew who the culprit was--in court. What made this show stand out was something viewers haven't seen since Raymond Burr's Perry Mason and Peter Falk's Columbo---blackmail,murder,corruption and unexpected twists and surprises all within a hour. Usually,Matlock always represents innocent clients,but he knew who the murderers were. Anyway,he always had backup help from Tyler Hudson(played by Kene Holliday)who was the P.I. and later on replaced by Conrad McMasters(played by Clarence Gilyard,Jr.,who left the show in 1993 to do a nine year stint on "Walker:Texas Ranger"),and also was replaced by Clifton Lewis(played by Daniel Roebuck) who was not only the P.I.,but Ben's grandson. The episode I will never forget consisted of a two parter where Conrad was kidnapped,drugged,placed in a coffin that was to send him to a watery grave,but it was Ben who saved him from a deadly and certain fate. As for the actresses who played the character of Charlene,in the pilot episode was played by a different actress and during the first three seasons by Linda Purl,and then in 1992 by Nancy Stafford when the show switched networks from NBC to ABC. Later was changed again,by Charlene's sister Leanne McIntyre,played by Brynn Thayer. What made Matlock stand out? The guest stars and the music that played.. Guest stars like country artists Randy Travis and even special appearances by Don Knotts made it shined out. Not to even mention some of the great writing that this show had since the same people that were behind "Columbo" and later on for "In The Heat Of The Night",and "Jake and the Fatman" wrote some of the astounding scripts. The location of the show changed too in 1992 when the show went to ABC for its final three seasons. The location shots were filmed in North Carolina instead of California near Andy Griffith's estate which was on the coast---near the city of Manteo,NC and also other locations throughout. This was a great show and it is not to be missed since it is shown five times a day in some markets around the country(they put it on the same timeslot as "The Andy Griffith Show" here in North Carolina where I'm at)and is seen daily on Superstation TBS and Chicago's WGN. Well worth it.

It is not too often that an actor can find a second signature role in his or her career, but Andy Griffith certainly did with his portrayal of Atlanta based attorney Ben Matlock. I still watch the reruns on WGN every weekday morning, before going to work. It's neat to watch how he can piece a mystery together. Some people have complained, because Matlock always seems to win. I say what is wrong with that? I guess I'm old school in watching TV, but I don't want the good guys to lose. That is one of the reasons I stopped watching The Practice, which had gotten to the point where their guilty clients were going free, and their innocent clients were going to jail. For the record, I do recall Matlock losing a couple of cases. (However, he did set it up so that his guilty clients would confess in order to keep their loved ones from going to prison.) The show lasted nine years, which actually surpassed The Andy Griffith Show. Someone get that man a hot-dog!

This show is one of the best shows that ever aired on national television. Andy Griffith is superb and Clearence Gilyard also did a wonderful job. With great casting, guest stars (such as Milton Berle) this show is somewhat of a treasure. It was on for almost a decade and I wish it was on now. I hope another movie will air so I get to see my favorite actor, Andy Griffith in my favorite charecter, Ben Matlock. (Watch it on TBS and WGN both airing at noon, it will be worth it).