Matlock (1986)
TVPG
Drama
Mystery
A folksy yet astute criminal defense attorney solves complex cases with his sharp wit and unassuming intelligence, often uncovering the truth in dramatic courtroom reveals.
Cast & Crew
Andy Griffith Benjamin L. Matlock
Julie Sommars Asst. D.A. Julie March
Linda Purl Charlene Matlock
Nancy Stafford Michelle Thomas
Brynn Thayer Leanne McIntyre
Carol Huston Jerri Stone
Kene Holliday Tyler Hudson
Clarence Gilyard Conrad McMaster
Daniel Roebuck Cliff Lewis
Kari Lizer Cassie Phillips
David Froman Lt. Bob Brooks
Fred Silverman Executive Producer
Dean Hargrove Executive Producer
Dean Hargrove Creator
⨁Full Cast & Crew
Upcoming TV Airings
The airings below are based on a generic national schedule. Times and dates can vary by TV provider.
Monday, September 29
The Secret
Season 5 • Episode 7
Ben defends a gambling blues singer (Ron Taylor) accused of killing his bookmaker.
Monday, September 29
The Prisoner
Season 4 • Episode 9
Ben goes inside a violence-torn prison to participate in a murder trial run by inmates.
Monday, September 29
The Prisoner
Season 4 • Episode 10
Ben goes inside a violence-torn prison to participate in a murder trial run by inmates.
Monday, September 29
The Fugitive
Season 4 • Episode 11
Ben tries to clear the name of his unlikable client, framed for murder.
Monday, September 29
The Buddies
Season 4 • Episode 12
Ben is surprised to discover that a reopened, 35-year-old murder case reveals familiar suspects.
Monday, September 29
The Scrooge
Season 4 • Episode 13
Ben spends Christmas defending a miserly neighbor accused of murdering his business partner.
Monday, September 29
The Witness
Season 4 • Episode 14
Michelle must break down the testimony of a former law classmate.
Tuesday, September 30
The Secret
Season 5 • Episode 8
Defending a gambler, Ben uncovers art theft, murder and blackmail.
Tuesday, September 30
The Student
Season 4 • Episode 15
Ben gets involved in the case of a coed (Debbie Barker) accused of murdering her professor lover.
Tuesday, September 30
The Talk Show
Season 4 • Episode 16
A television producer is accused of murdering a "trash TV" talk show host.
Tuesday, September 30
The Victim
Season 4 • Episode 17
Ben defends an old friend framed for the murder of a business partner's adulterous wife.
Tuesday, September 30
The Kidnapper
Season 4 • Episode 18
Michelle and Conrad search for Ben, who may have been kidnapped by vengeful ex-convicts.
Tuesday, September 30
The Pro
Season 4 • Episode 19
Ben defends a belligerent tennis champion (Vince Van Patten) framed for murder.
Tuesday, September 30
The D.A.
Season 4 • Episode 22
Conrad swings into action to determine who is harassing District Attorney March.
Wednesday, October 1
The Cover Girl
Season 5 • Episode 10
Ben defends a fashion photographer accused of murdering the head of a modeling agency.
Wednesday, October 1
The Informer
Season 4 • Episode 20
Ben considers dropping a manipulative client (Richard Masur) accused of murdering a mobster.
Wednesday, October 1
The Informer
Season 4 • Episode 21
Ben finds his life in jeopardy defending an attorney framed for a mobster's murder.
Wednesday, October 1
The Blackmailer
Season 4 • Episode 23
Ben is drawn into the case of a murdered newspaper cartoonist.
Wednesday, October 1
The Cookie Monster
Season 4 • Episode 24
A baker friend (John Hancock) of Ben's is framed for the poisoning death of a rival bakery owner.
Wednesday, October 1
The Mother
Season 5 • Episode 1
A secretary is accused of killing her boss.
Wednesday, October 1
The Madam
Season 5 • Episode 4
Ben defends a madam accused of killing a blackmailing former employee.
Thursday, October 2
The Biker
Season 5 • Episode 11
A militant biker is accused of murdering a movie star, for whom he worked as a bodyguard.
Thursday, October 2
Nowhere to Turn
Season 5 • Episode 2
When the judge presiding over Ben's latest case is found murdered, Ben is accused of the crime.
Thursday, October 2
Nowhere to Turn
Season 5 • Episode 3
When the judge presiding over Ben's latest case is found murdered, Ben is accused of the crime.
Thursday, October 2
The Personal Trainer
Season 5 • Episode 5
Ben defends a roofer against charges he murdered his wife's amorous personal trainer.
Thursday, October 2
The Narc
Season 5 • Episode 6
Ben defends a narcotics officer accused of murdering a fellow cop.
Thursday, October 2
The Secret
Season 5 • Episode 7
Ben defends a gambling blues singer (Ron Taylor) accused of killing his bookmaker.
Thursday, October 2
The Secret
Season 5 • Episode 8
Defending a gambler, Ben uncovers art theft, murder and blackmail.
Friday, October 3
The Broker
Season 5 • Episode 12
Julie suspects suicide in the death of a broker client accused of killing his partner.
Sunday, October 5
The Brothers
Season 5 • Episode 9
Evidence indicates the twin brother of a doctor killed the latter's partner.
Sunday, October 5
The Cover Girl
Season 5 • Episode 10
Ben defends a fashion photographer accused of murdering the head of a modeling agency.
Sunday, October 5
The Biker
Season 5 • Episode 11
A militant biker is accused of murdering a movie star, for whom he worked as a bodyguard.
Sunday, October 5
The Broker
Season 5 • Episode 12
Julie suspects suicide in the death of a broker client accused of killing his partner.
Sunday, October 5
The Fighter
Season 5 • Episode 13
A boxer is accused of murdering a journalist who wrote a damaging article about him.
Sunday, October 5
The Critic
Season 5 • Episode 14
The creator of a Broadway-bound musical is accused of murdering its powerful critic.
Sunday, October 5
The Parents
Season 5 • Episode 15
A couple are accused of murdering the surrogate who promised them her baby, then reneged.
Monday, October 6
The Fighter
Season 5 • Episode 13
A boxer is accused of murdering a journalist who wrote a damaging article about him.
Monday, October 6
The Man of the Year
Season 5 • Episode 16
Ben encounters obstacles on his way to a luncheon honoring him as "Man of the Year."
Monday, October 6
The Arsonist
Season 5 • Episode 17
Ben's haberdasher faces charges of murdering his partner during an argument.
Monday, October 6
The Formula
Season 5 • Episode 18
A company protecting a formula to cure baldness manipulates a young man.
Monday, October 6
The Billionaire
Season 2 • Episode 1
Matlock goes to London to defend a man convicted of killing his tycoon father.
Monday, October 6
The Trial
Season 5 • Episode 20
Ben's investigation pits him against one of the nation's top defense attorneys.
Monday, October 6
The Accident
Season 5 • Episode 21
A man is accused of killing a shyster who specialized in accident victims at a water-slide park.
Tuesday, October 7
The Critic
Season 5 • Episode 14
The creator of a Broadway-bound musical is accused of murdering its powerful critic.
Tuesday, October 7
The Celebrity
Season 5 • Episode 22
Ben defends an actress accused of killing her ex-lover to keep racy photos from getting into print.
Tuesday, October 7
The Witness Killings
Season 6 • Episode 1
Ben attends his hometown's bicentennial and defends a local man for two murders.
Tuesday, October 7
The Witness Killings
Season 6 • Episode 2
Ben attends his hometown's bicentennial and defends a local man for two murders.
Tuesday, October 7
The Strangler
Season 6 • Episode 3
A serial killer sabotages Ben's investigation by leaving false clues.
Tuesday, October 7
The Nightmare
Season 6 • Episode 4
Ben dreams of himself as a frontier lawyer with Conrad as a gunslinging client.
Tuesday, October 7
The Marriage Counselor
Season 6 • Episode 5
Ben's insurance agent is arrested for the murder of a marriage counselor.
Wednesday, October 8
The Parents
Season 5 • Episode 15
A couple are accused of murdering the surrogate who promised them her baby, then reneged.
Wednesday, October 8
The Dame
Season 6 • Episode 6
Ben tells Julie of a case he and his father investigated while Ben was a student.
Wednesday, October 8
The Suspect
Season 6 • Episode 7
Michelle believes Matlock's objectivity is being compromised by the young widow he is defending.
Wednesday, October 8
The Suspect
Season 6 • Episode 8
Evidence in the case Michelle is working on may incriminate Ben's client.
Wednesday, October 8
The Defense
Season 6 • Episode 9
A teenager shoots his abusive father to save his mother's life.
Wednesday, October 8
The Game Show
Season 6 • Episode 10
Game-show host is accused of killing producer.
Wednesday, October 8
The Foursome
Season 6 • Episode 11
Defending a client framed for murder, Ben accuses the prosecuting counsel of misconduct.
Thursday, October 9
The Man of the Year
Season 5 • Episode 16
Ben encounters obstacles on his way to a luncheon honoring him as "Man of the Year."
Thursday, October 9
The Picture
Season 6 • Episode 12
Ben comes upon an altered photo that provides a needed clue in an unsolved murder.
Thursday, October 9
The Picture
Season 6 • Episode 13
Evidence uncovers plot to conceal counterfeiting.
Thursday, October 9
The Outcast
Season 6 • Episode 14
Ben's decision to retire is shelved in the aftermath of a farmhand's mysterious death.
Thursday, October 9
The Outcast
Season 6 • Episode 15
Ben's decision to retire is shelved in the aftermath of a farmhand's mysterious death.
Thursday, October 9
The Big Payoff
Season 6 • Episode 16
Ben hires a singer to paint his house; Michelle investigates a murder.
Thursday, October 9
The Abduction
Season 6 • Episode 17
Michelle is held for ransom for information Ben was given by a slain mob attorney.
Friday, October 10
The Arsonist
Season 5 • Episode 17
Ben's haberdasher faces charges of murdering his partner during an argument.
Sunday, October 12
Mr. Awesome
Season 6 • Episode 18
Ben defends a young mother who is accused of killing her estranged boyfriend.
Sunday, October 12
The Evening News
Season 6 • Episode 19
Ben defends a TV news reporter accused of murdering his producer.
Sunday, October 12
The Evening News
Season 6 • Episode 20
Conrad learns a producer, a murder victim, is really alive and in a real-estate scam.
Sunday, October 12
The Assassination
Season 6 • Episode 21
Ben and Leanne link the mayor's assassination to a judge charged with sexual assault.
Sunday, October 12
The Assassination
Season 6 • Episode 22
Ben and Leanne link the mayor's assassination to a judge charged with sexual assault.
Sunday, October 12
The Vacation
Season 7 • Episode 1
Ben and Leanne run into his nemesis (Warren Frost) and murder on the North Carolina coast.
Sunday, October 12
The Vacation
Season 7 • Episode 2
Ben and Leanne run into his nemesis (Warren Frost) and murder on the North Carolina coast.
Monday, October 13
The Formula
Season 5 • Episode 18
A company protecting a formula to cure baldness manipulates a young man.
Monday, October 13
The Legacy
Season 7 • Episode 3
Ben ponders a 40-year-old link between his own father and a playwright's murder.
Monday, October 13
The Legacy
Season 7 • Episode 4
Ben ponders a 40-year-old link between his own father and a playwright's murder.
Monday, October 13
The Ghost
Season 7 • Episode 5
A ghost convinces Ben to look into the mysterious circumstances surrounding his untimely demise.
Monday, October 13
The Class
Season 7 • Episode 6
Ben and Leanne enlist the help of a criminal law class after a student disappears.
Monday, October 13
The Singer
Season 7 • Episode 7
Ben has too many suspects when he investigates the murder of a country singer.
Monday, October 13
The Mark
Season 7 • Episode 8
A country singer (Randy Travis) is accused of murdering his cheating partner in a nightclub.
Tuesday, October 14
The Trial
Season 5 • Episode 19
Appointed state prosecutor, Ben investigates his predecessor's murder.
Tuesday, October 14
The Juror
Season 7 • Episode 9
During a murder trial, the strong emotions of his cohorts amaze juror Ben.
Tuesday, October 14
The Fortune
Season 7 • Episode 10
Matlock defends a murdered millionaire's disinherited nephew.
Tuesday, October 14
The Fortune
Season 7 • Episode 11
Matlock defends a murdered millionaire's disinherited nephew.
Tuesday, October 14
The Debt
Season 7 • Episode 12
Leanne defends her ex-husband against charges he murdered his ex-boss.
Tuesday, October 14
The Revenge
Season 7 • Episode 13
Witness Ben finds his professional reputation jeopardized during a robbery trial.
Tuesday, October 14
The Obsession
Season 7 • Episode 14
Nightmares give Ben clues to the murderer of a celebrity doctor.
Wednesday, October 15
The Trial
Season 5 • Episode 20
Ben's investigation pits him against one of the nation's top defense attorneys.
Wednesday, October 15
The Divorce
Season 7 • Episode 15
Ben agrees to handle the divorce of his friends Clara and Duncan Farmington.
Wednesday, October 15
The Final Affair
Season 7 • Episode 16
The murders of a football coach and his wife have Matlock looking to a church for clues.
Wednesday, October 15
The Final Affair
Season 7 • Episode 17
The murders of a football coach and his wife have Matlock looking to a church for clues.
Wednesday, October 15
The Competition
Season 7 • Episode 18
Ben investigates the apparent suicide of an accomplished young pianist.
Wednesday, October 15
The Play
Season 8 • Episode 1
Ben defends a community play's director, accused of murdering the leading lady.
Wednesday, October 15
The Diner
Season 8 • Episode 4
In an extended flashback, Ben remembers his first case as a defense lawyer.
Thursday, October 16
The Accident
Season 5 • Episode 21
A man is accused of killing a shyster who specialized in accident victims at a water-slide park.
Thursday, October 16
The Fatal Seduction
Season 8 • Episode 2
Mystery follows when Ben travels to the funeral of his high-school sweetheart.
Thursday, October 16
The Fatal Seduction
Season 8 • Episode 3
Ben defends a man against murder charges stemming from a date-rape shakedown scheme.
Thursday, October 16
The View
Season 8 • Episode 5
Ben becomes involved in a murder case when he witnesses a heated argument from his hotel window.
Thursday, October 16
The Last Laugh
Season 8 • Episode 6
An old-time comedian (Milton Berle) is accused of killing his young replacement at a comedy club.
Thursday, October 16
The Capital Offense
Season 8 • Episode 7
A con artist facing execution for murder exasperates Ben while having his case appealed.
Thursday, October 16
The Conspiracy
Season 8 • Episode 10
Ben defends a young lawyer involved in blackmail, jury tampering and murder.
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