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.
Friday, January 2
The Defendant
Season 8 • Episode 12
Leanne falls for a client, a philanthropist (Richard Gilliland) accused of murdering his partner.
Sunday, January 4
Diary of a Perfect Murder
Season 1 • Episode 1
Ben and his daughter Charlene (Lori Lethin) defend a TV journalist charged with murder.
Sunday, January 4
Diary of a Perfect Murder
Season 1 • Episode 2
An Atlanta lawyer and his daughter defend a TV journalist accused of killing his ex-wife.
Sunday, January 4
The Judge
Season 1 • Episode 3
A repugnant judge murders his lover and then presides over the murder trial.
Sunday, January 4
The Stripper
Season 1 • Episode 4
Matlock defends a stripper accused of murdering her ex-husband.
Sunday, January 4
The Affair
Season 1 • Episode 5
A socialite hires Matlock to defend a maid who is charged with murdering the master of the house.
Sunday, January 4
The Seduction
Season 1 • Episode 6
A veteran football star is accused of murdering his girlfriend -- the team's owner.
Sunday, January 4
The Sisters
Season 1 • Episode 9
Two murder-mystery buffs frame their doltish uncle in the slaying of their wealthy aunt.
Monday, January 5
The Kidnapping
Season 8 • Episode 13
An FBI agent investigating the kidnapping of Ben's friend is accused of killing a colleague.
Monday, January 5
The Don
Season 1 • Episode 7
Matlock defends a dying crime boss, who is being framed for murder.
Monday, January 5
The Don
Season 1 • Episode 8
Matlock faces harassment for his defense of dying crime boss Nicholas Baron.
Monday, January 5
The Cop
Season 1 • Episode 10
Matlock defends a hard-nosed cop accused of murdering an elusive mobster.
Monday, January 5
The Angel
Season 1 • Episode 11
Matlock defends a rock star (Kari Lizer) implicated in the murder of her manager.
Monday, January 5
The Professor
Season 1 • Episode 12
Matlock defends his former law professor who is being framed for a homicide.
Monday, January 5
Santa Claus
Season 1 • Episode 13
Matlock takes on the case of a street corner Santa accused of murdering his landlord.
Tuesday, January 6
The Kidnapping
Season 8 • Episode 14
Ben must prove the innocence of an FBI agent set up for another agent's murder.
Tuesday, January 6
The Chef
Season 1 • Episode 14
The host of a TV cooking show is accused of murdering her ex-husband on the air.
Tuesday, January 6
The Author
Season 1 • Episode 15
The author of a racy novel is believed to have been the target of a bullet that killed a clergyman.
Tuesday, January 6
The Rat Pack
Season 1 • Episode 16
Matlock defends a popular Beverly Hills man accused of murdering a starlet.
Tuesday, January 6
The Nurse
Season 1 • Episode 17
Ben defends a live-in nurse accused of killing her affluent patient to expedite her inheritance.
Tuesday, January 6
The Convict
Season 1 • Episode 18
Matlock gets a second chance to clear the name of a man who was unjustly jailed.
Tuesday, January 6
The Therapist
Season 1 • Episode 21
A Hollywood sex symbol is accused of murdering his indiscreet therapist.
Wednesday, January 7
The Temptation
Season 8 • Episode 15
Leanne falls for a guy who robbed her house and stole her diary.
Wednesday, January 7
The Court Martial
Season 1 • Episode 19
Ben defends a rebellious young soldier framed in the murder of his sadistic lieutenant.
Wednesday, January 7
The Court Martial
Season 1 • Episode 20
Ben's defense of Pvt. Hughes hinges on a scandal that could ruin four officers.
Wednesday, January 7
The People vs. Matlock
Season 1 • Episode 22
Ben stands trial after a juror accuses him of offering a $100,000 bribe.
Wednesday, January 7
The Photographer
Season 1 • Episode 23
Matlock defends a photographer's assistant wrongfully accused of the murder of her boss.
Wednesday, January 7
The Reporter
Season 1 • Episode 24
A bride (Caryn Richman) returns home to find her house afire and her groom slain.
Wednesday, January 7
The Doctors
Season 1 • Episode 25
Matlock defends a medical resident charged with the murder of his vindictive supervising physician.
Thursday, January 8
The Crook
Season 8 • Episode 16
Ben discovers a fellow church parishioner is accused of murder.
Thursday, January 8
The Billionaire
Season 2 • Episode 1
Matlock goes to London to defend a man convicted of killing his tycoon father.
Thursday, January 8
The Billionaire
Season 2 • Episode 2
Matlock goes to London to defend a man convicted of killing his tycoon father.
Thursday, January 8
Blind Justice
Season 2 • Episode 3
A blind sculptor murders the playboy responsible for his disability.
Thursday, January 8
The Husband
Season 2 • Episode 5
Ben tackles a case in which a murdered man's three wives are suspects in the killing.
Thursday, January 8
The Annihilator
Season 2 • Episode 4
Ben defends a professional wrestler (Dick Butkus) charged with murder.
Thursday, January 8
The Network
Season 2 • Episode 8
A TV producer is accused of murdering the programming chief at the top-rated network.
Friday, January 9
The Murder Game
Season 8 • Episode 17
Ben's murder mystery weekend becomes all too real when the host is found dead.
Sunday, January 11
The Power Brokers
Season 2 • Episode 6
Matlock defends a columnist implicated in the murder of a source.
Sunday, January 11
The Power Brokers
Season 2 • Episode 7
Matlock's client confesses to a murder and then recants, claiming federal agents coerced it.
Sunday, January 11
The Best Friend
Season 2 • Episode 9
Ben learns some upsetting news about a client.
Sunday, January 11
The Country Boy
Season 2 • Episode 10
Ben defends a hard-drinking country singer accused of murdering his wife's sister.
Sunday, January 11
The Gift
Season 2 • Episode 11
Ben defends a man accused of killing his vindictive wife at a Christmas party full of Santa Clauses.
Sunday, January 11
The Gambler
Season 2 • Episode 12
Ben travels to Las Vegas to defend a friend accused of murdering his girlfriend.
Sunday, January 11
The Body
Season 2 • Episode 13
Woman is accused of killing an exercise instructor who was her husband's mistress.
Monday, January 12
Brennan
Season 8 • Episode 18
Matlock vies against a powerful district attorney in a murder case.
Monday, January 12
The Reunion
Season 2 • Episode 14
When a classmate dies at their law-school reunion, Ben takes up the defense of the man's partner.
Monday, January 12
The Gigolo
Season 2 • Episode 15
Ben defends a dance instructor accused of murdering his benefactress.
Monday, January 12
The Umpire
Season 2 • Episode 16
Ben defends his boss, accused of killing umpire.
Monday, January 12
The Investigation
Season 2 • Episode 17
Matlock discovers that a friend and lifelong client is the son of a mob boss.
Monday, January 12
The Investigation
Season 2 • Episode 18
Matlock must defend his client while trying to prevent a mob war.
Monday, January 12
The Hucksters
Season 2 • Episode 19
Ben defends an irate investor accused of murdering the promoter of a pyramid scheme.
Tuesday, January 13
P.I.
Season 8 • Episode 19
Ben's friend and his estranged daughter try to re-establish their relationship.
Tuesday, January 13
The Lovelorn
Season 2 • Episode 20
Matlock encounters a family full of suspects when an advice-to-the-lovelorn columnist is murdered.
Tuesday, January 13
The Genius
Season 2 • Episode 21
Ben's nephew must outwit a master computer to clear himself of a murder charge.
Tuesday, January 13
The Magician
Season 2 • Episode 22
Ben (Andy Griffith) defends a magician (Michael E. Knight) accused of murder. Kim Ulrich also stars.
Tuesday, January 13
The Fisherman
Season 2 • Episode 23
Ben defends a Vietnamese fisherman accused of murdering the town bully.
Tuesday, January 13
The Heiress
Season 2 • Episode 24
A mentally unstable heiress is charged with the murder of an accountant.
Tuesday, January 13
The Lemon
Season 3 • Episode 1
Ben's neighbor (Don Knotts) tries to return a defective car, and is framed for the dealer's murder.
Wednesday, January 14
The Godfather
Season 8 • Episode 20
Ben throws a prenuptial party for his goddaughter at his house, resulting in murder.
Wednesday, January 14
The Ambassador
Season 3 • Episode 2
A British ambassador charged with murder refuses to hide behind his diplomatic immunity.
Wednesday, January 14
The Ambassador
Season 3 • Episode 3
Matlock realizes his client's lover holds the key to the killer's true identity.
Wednesday, January 14
The Mistress
Season 3 • Episode 4
Ben searches for a witness capable of clearing his client in her unfaithful husband's murder.
Wednesday, January 14
The DJ
Season 3 • Episode 5
Ben dislikes his client, an obnoxious radio personality accused of killing a rival disc jockey.
Wednesday, January 14
The Captain
Season 3 • Episode 6
When a patrolman is framed for murder, Ben must investigate an old friend as a prime suspect.
Wednesday, January 14
The Vendetta
Season 3 • Episode 7
Convinced his brother was framed for murder, a psychopath takes Matlock's associates hostage.
Thursday, January 15
The Idol
Season 8 • Episode 21
A young lawyer (Scott Stevens) who apes Ben's style is involved in blackmail and murder.
Thursday, January 15
The Mayor
Season 3 • Episode 8
Ben's defense of a '60s activist accused of assassination uncovers a mayor's unsavory past.
Thursday, January 15
The Mayor
Season 3 • Episode 9
Ben suspects the presiding judge (Georg Stanford Brown) is in on a land fraud related to the case.
Thursday, January 15
The Black Widow
Season 3 • Episode 10
Ben tries to clear the name of a client who unjustly served time for his wife's murder.
Thursday, January 15
The Other Woman
Season 3 • Episode 11
Suspect's dual personality hurts Ben's defense.
Thursday, January 15
The Starlet
Season 3 • Episode 12
Ben reunites with a former girlfriend whose daughter is accused of murder.
Thursday, January 15
The Psychic
Season 3 • Episode 13
A psychic who foresaw her boyfriend's stabbing death hires Ben when she becomes a suspect.
Friday, January 16
The Idol
Season 8 • Episode 22
A young lawyer (Scott Stevens) who apes Ben's style is involved in blackmail and murder.
Sunday, January 18
The Thief
Season 3 • Episode 14
Ben defends a rare-coin dealer accused of killing an employee who was stealing inventory.
Sunday, January 18
The Thief
Season 3 • Episode 15
Matlock suspects killers are blackmailing his private investigator (Cindy Morgan).
Sunday, January 18
The Thoroughbred
Season 3 • Episode 16
Mentally impaired farmhand accused of murder.
Sunday, January 18
The Model
Season 3 • Episode 17
Ben defends a famous journalist who is accused of murdering an internationally known model.
Sunday, January 18
The Cult
Season 3 • Episode 18
A man tries to rescue his son from a cult and faces charges of murdering the group's leader.
Sunday, January 18
The Blues Singer
Season 3 • Episode 19
Matlock attempts to clear a blues musician (Joe Seneca) framed for the murder of a rock star.
Sunday, January 18
The Priest
Season 3 • Episode 20
Defending a construction contractor, Ben learns one priest (Michael Spound) may have killed another.
Monday, January 19
The Hunting Party
Season 4 • Episode 1
Matlock and a deputy sheriff help a veteran framed for murder on Roanoke Island, N.C.
Monday, January 19
The Hunting Party
Season 4 • Episode 2
Matlock and a deputy sheriff help a veteran framed for murder on Roanoke Island, N.C.
Monday, January 19
The Good Boy
Season 4 • Episode 3
Ben suspects widow's son of killing her mate.
Monday, January 19
The Bestseller
Season 4 • Episode 4
A district attorney matches wits with a much-despised author after the writer's best friend dies.
Monday, January 19
The Ex
Season 4 • Episode 5
Ben helps Julie defend an old friend framed for the murder of a newspaper publisher.
Monday, January 19
The Clown
Season 4 • Episode 6
Ben defends a circus clown accused of killing his partner; Conrad gets trapped in a tiger's cage.
Monday, January 19
The Star
Season 4 • Episode 7
A movie director is accused of plotting a real death scene when an actress is killed on camera.
Monday, January 19
The Con Man
Season 4 • Episode 8
Ben defends an old friend accused of murdering a stock-market swindler (David Birney).
Monday, January 19
The Prisoner
Season 4 • Episode 9
Ben goes inside a violence-torn prison to participate in a murder trial run by inmates.
Monday, January 19
The Prisoner
Season 4 • Episode 10
Ben goes inside a violence-torn prison to participate in a murder trial run by inmates.
Monday, January 19
The Fugitive
Season 4 • Episode 11
Ben tries to clear the name of his unlikable client, framed for murder.
Monday, January 19
The Buddies
Season 4 • Episode 12
Ben is surprised to discover that a reopened, 35-year-old murder case reveals familiar suspects.
Monday, January 19
The Scrooge
Season 4 • Episode 13
Ben spends Christmas defending a miserly neighbor accused of murdering his business partner.
News aboutMatlock
The Real Reason the Original ‘Matlock’ Was Canceled After Nine Seasons
Here’s Why Andy Griffith Fired Betty Lynn From ‘Matlock’
What Were Andy Griffith’s Last Words to Don Knotts?
What Happened on the Final Episode of the Original ‘Matlock’?
‘Matlock’ Star Kathy Bates Reveals She Hasn’t Seen Andy Griffith Version
Who Were Andy Griffith’s Wives?
6 Facts About the Original ‘Matlock,’ May They Please the Court
Dick Van Dyke, Randy Travis, Milton Berle and 17 Other Stars Who You Forgot Appeared on ‘Matlock’
How & Where to Watch the Original ‘Matlock’
13 Best Courtroom Dramas, Ranked
Joan Collins on ‘Star Trek’ & More Classic TV Episodes With Big-Name Guest Stars on Pluto TV
Jason Ritter Joins ‘Matlock’ Reboot on CBS
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services