48 Fun Facts About Matlock

What is Ben Matlock's profession?

Most episodes end with him cross-examining a witness on the stand until the real culprit cracks.

In which city does Ben Matlock practise law?

He lives in a modest farmhouse in the suburbs and likes to visit crime scenes himself.

Matlock debuted on which network in March 1986?

It moved to ABC in November 1992 and ran there until the finale in May 1995.

Who created Matlock?

Hargrove also created the 1980s Perry Mason TV films, which explains the family resemblance.

What colour suit does Ben Matlock almost always wear?

Ben Matlock's light grey suit appears in nearly every episode across all nine seasons, a trademark as fixed as his Southern drawl.

What is Ben Matlock's favourite food?

The season eight episode "The Diner" plays the obsession for laughs.

What retainer does the famously frugal Matlock usually charge his clients?

Ben Matlock charges a $100,000 retainer, though he waives it often enough when he believes a client is innocent or broke.

Which car does Ben Matlock drive throughout the series?

Ben Matlock drives a grey Ford Crown Victoria as drab as his suit, replaced by newer Crown Victorias as the series goes on.

From which law school did Ben Matlock graduate?

Ben Matlock graduated from Harvard Law School and worked as a public defender before opening his own practice.

Matlock's first private investigator, Tyler Hudson, had what other talent?

Tyler Hudson, played by Kene Holliday, was a stock market whiz who traded on the side and often went undercover in disguise; Holliday was let go after season three.

Matlock's most frequent courtroom opponent, district attorney Julie March, comes from which state?

Julie Sommars played her; the two become good friends despite facing off in court.

Where does Matlock meet his second law partner, Michelle Thomas, at the start of season two?

Ben meets Michelle Thomas, an American lawyer practising in London, while visiting England in the season-two opener; she follows him back to Atlanta.

Investigator Conrad McMasters, played by Clarence Gilyard Jr., had which two former careers?

Conrad McMasters was a former deputy sheriff and rodeo rider; Clarence Gilyard Jr. played him from season four until leaving after season seven.

Which series did Clarence Gilyard leave Matlock to join in 1993?

Clarence Gilyard joined Walker, Texas Ranger as Chuck Norris's partner Jimmy Trivette when it premiered on CBS in April 1993.

Which Andy Griffith Show co-star turned up on Matlock as neighbour Les "Ace" Calhoun?

Don Knotts played Ben's neighbour Les 'Ace' Calhoun from 1988 to 1992, two decades after his five Emmy-winning seasons as Barney Fife.

Brynn Thayer joined the regular cast in season seven as Leanne MacIntyre, who is what to Ben?

Leanne MacIntyre is Ben's older daughter and Charlene's sister, a lawyer who joins his Atlanta practice in season seven; Brynn Thayer played her.

Who played Jerri Stone, the private investigator of Matlock's final season?

Carol Huston played private investigator Jerri Stone in the ninth and final season, 1994-95, working alongside Ben and Cliff Lewis.

In which year did Andy Griffith receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom?

George W. Bush presented Andy Griffith with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 2005, honouring four decades of television work.

Where was Matlock filmed for its NBC seasons?

The NBC seasons were shot in California at studios in Los Angeles, a long way from Andy Griffith's home in Manteo, North Carolina.

When Matlock moved to ABC, production shifted to studios in which North Carolina city?

Production moved to Wilmington for the ABC seasons so that Andy Griffith could work near his home in Manteo, on the North Carolina coast.

Which CBS series was spun off from a two-part season-one Matlock episode called "The Don"?

William Conrad's prosecutor J. L. McShane debuted there; Diagnosis: Murder was in turn spun off from Jake and the Fatman.

In a Diagnosis: Murder crossover, what 1969 investment does Matlock blame on Dr. Mark Sloan?

Matlock claims Mark Sloan talked him into sinking $5,000 into 8-track tapes in 1969, which, the story goes, is why he lives on hot dogs.

Which production outfit, named for a former network president, produced Matlock with Viacom?

The Fred Silverman Company, founded by the former ABC and NBC chief, produced Matlock with Viacom and Dean Hargrove Productions.

Matlock's format is closest to which earlier legal series, whose 1980s TV films came from the same creator?

Perry Mason, revived by Dean Hargrove in TV films from 1985, usually cleared his client at a preliminary hearing; Matlock won acquittals from juries.

Which Matlock cast member later created the sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine?

Kari Lizer, who played Cassie Phillips on Matlock, created The New Adventures of Old Christine, the CBS sitcom starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus from 2006 to 2010.

Which actor played Dr. Mark Sloan opposite Matlock in the Diagnosis: Murder crossover?

Dick Van Dyke played Dr. Mark Sloan throughout Diagnosis: Murder's 1993-2001 run; Andy Griffith guested as Ben Matlock in a crossover episode.

Kari Lizer's Cassie Phillips held what job in Matlock's office?

Cassie Phillips was the file clerk in Ben's office, an aspiring lawyer who later vanished from the show without explanation.

Who played Lieutenant Bob Brooks, Ben's police contact in the early seasons?

David Froman played Lieutenant Bob Brooks of the Atlanta police; James McEachin's Lieutenant Frank Daniels had been Ben's contact in season one.

Andy Griffith was born in 1926 in which North Carolina town?

Andy Griffith was born in Mount Airy, the model for Mayberry, on June 1, 1926; as a baby he slept in dresser drawers because his parents could not afford a crib.

Andy Griffith's 1953 comic monologue has a country parson trying to make sense of what?

"What It Was, Was Football" was picked up by Capitol Records and became a hit.

Griffith debuted in 1957 as a manipulative drifter-turned-TV star in which Elia Kazan film?

A Face in the Crowd, written by Budd Schulberg, cast Griffith as Lonesome Rhodes alongside Patricia Neal, Walter Matthau and Lee Remick.

Griffith's Broadway breakthrough was as a country boy in the Air Force in which play?

No Time for Sergeants opened on Broadway in October 1955 with Griffith as draftee Will Stockdale, a role he repeated in the 1958 film.

Griffith lost the 1960 Tony for Distinguished Musical Actor, for Destry Rides Again, to whom?

Jackie Gleason won the 1960 Tony for Take Me Along, beating Griffith, whose Destry Rides Again had a score by Harold Rome.

Andy Griffith died on July 3 of which year?

Andy Griffith died at his home in Manteo, North Carolina on July 3, 2012, aged 86, after a career spanning seven decades.

The 2024 Matlock reboot on CBS stars which actress as Madeline "Matty" Matlock?

Kathy Bates plays Madeline 'Matty' Matlock, a wealthy retired lawyer posing as a hard-up widow; the role earned her a 2025 Golden Globe nomination.

In the 2024 Matlock, why does Madeline Kingston go undercover at Jacobson Moore?

Within the show, the original Andy Griffith series exists, and her late daughter's love of it inspires the alias.

Who developed the 2024 Matlock reboot?

Jennie Snyder Urman, creator of Jane the Virgin, developed the reboot, which premiered on CBS with a sneak peek on September 22, 2024.

In the reboot, Matty's boss Olympia Lawrence is played by whom?

Skye P. Marshall plays Olympia Lawrence, the ambitious partner who hires Matty and is divorcing fellow partner Julian Markston.

In which year did the original Matlock's series finale air on ABC?

The finale aired on ABC on May 7, 1995, ending a nine-season run that had begun on NBC in 1986.

After season one, Ben's daughter Charlene left to start her own law practice in which city?

Charlene left to open her own practice in Philadelphia after season one; Linda Purl's exit made room for Nancy Stafford's Michelle Thomas.

Which actor, son of a Three's Company star, plays senior partner Julian Markston in the reboot?

Jason Ritter, son of John Ritter, plays Julian Markston, who is divorcing Olympia while handling the pharmaceutical settlement at the heart of Matty's mission.

Which veteran actor plays Howard 'Senior' Markston, the firm's managing partner, in the reboot?

Beau Bridges plays Howard 'Senior' Markston, the firm's managing partner and Julian's father; the three-time Emmy winner is Jeff Bridges's older brother.

In which 1979 series did Griffith play Harry Broderick, a junk dealer who builds a rocket?

Salvage 1 ran on ABC in 1979 with Griffith as junkman Harry Broderick, who builds the rocket Vulture to recover hardware left on the Moon.

In the reboot, what is the name of Matty's genius grandson who runs the family's tech operation?

Alfie, played by Aaron Harris, is Matty and Edwin's grandson; the son of their late daughter Ellie, he runs the family's surveillance tech.

Which 1996 hymn album won Andy Griffith a Grammy Award?

I Love to Tell the Story: 25 Timeless Hymns, released in 1996, won Andy Griffith the 1997 Grammy for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album.

Who played Cliff Lewis, the inexperienced young lawyer who became Ben's last partner?

Daniel Roebuck played Cliff Lewis, Ben's last partner, in the ABC seasons; Roebuck later became familiar as Dr. Leslie Arzt on Lost.

Which Lost and ER actor plays Edwin Kingston, Matty's husband, in the 2024 series?

Sam Anderson, Bernard on Lost and Dr. Jack Kayson on ER, plays Edwin Kingston, the husband who helps run Matty's undercover scheme.

Who played Charlene Matlock in the 1986 pilot movie before Linda Purl took over the role?

Lori Lethin played Charlene in the pilot Diary of a Perfect Murder; Linda Purl took over when the weekly series began.