List of Matlock episodes

Matlock is an American television legal drama that ran from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, then from November 5, 1992 to May 7, 1995 on ABC. A total of 194 episodes were produced.

Seasons

Season 1: 1986-1987

Linda Purl who portrayed Charlene Matlock departed the cast at the end of the first season.

No. in season	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
1	1	"Diary of a Perfect Murder"	Robert Day	Dean Hargrove	March 3, 1986 (1986-03-03)	8600
Ben Matlock and his daughter Charlene defend a TV journalist accused of killing his ex-wife. Note: Originally aired as a two-hour series premiere during the Spring of the 1986-1987 Network TV season, subsequent airings air in two parts.
2	2	"The Judge"	Christopher Hibler	Robert Hamilton	September 23, 1986 (1986-09-23)	8601
The episode starts out with Kevin Meredith (played by Brian Lane Green) and Joanne Leigh (played by Bobbie Eakes) kissing in a room with Carter Addison (played by Dick Van Dyke) watching them through the window with a pair of binoculars. He finally comes to the conclusion that his lover is cheating on him. He walks over to their apartment room, lets himself in, and waits for Kevin to go take a shower, before entering the bedroom, covering Joanne's mouth and then stabbing her to death in her bed. He leaves the knife on the floor, goes back out into the hall and calls the front desk, saying, "There is a woman screaming for help. Something terrible has happened". Then he takes his bag with the bloody clothes in it. Kevin comes out of the shower and finds a knife with blood all over it. He picks up the knife, looks over at the bed and sees Joanne dead, and then someone at the apartment comes in and sees him holding the murder weapon. It turns out Carter Addison is the judge presiding over the trial. Matlock becomes very suspicious when Carter asks him to step and have the son of another lawyer they are both familiar with take his place. Later in the episode Carter goes back and burns the bag with all of his bloody clothes in it. Matlock, however, beat him to it. He had replacements put there by Tyler Hudson and is able to present the real clothes in court. The prosecution then moves for dismissal.
3	3	"The Stripper"	Daniel Haller	Teleplay by: Michael Petryni Story by: Rick Mittleman	September 30, 1986 (1986-09-30)	8602
After being fired from one job after another because of her ex-husband, Jason Hardiman (John Carter), Carla Evans (Kerrie Keane) has had to resort to stripping at a local club. She takes her son there and has him read a book in another room while she performs. Then, her ex-husband shows up, and threatens to take her son away by going to court. She threatens him in front of witnesses, saying, "I'm not going to stand still for this. I'm warning you". So when Jason Hardiman ends in the hospital after being shot, she is the prime suspect. Matlock, who represented her ex-husband in the divorce hearings five years ago, offers to defend her on the house after he found out what a liar her ex-husband was. When Carla Evans is released from jail, Jason Hardiman is murdered in the hospital, and once again, Carla is the suspect in a murder case after the night nurse, Ms. Jackson (Anne Haney), identified her from the hallway and from a security camera video. Charlene tackles that by bringing up the point that she wasn't wearing her glasses when she identified the defendant from the hallway. Matlock notices in another video that the woman that killed Jason Hardiman buttoned their trenchcoat like a man, left over right. When Helen Shelly (Gary Frank) is called to the stand, she says she was with Doug Templitt (also played by Gary Frank) on the night Jason Hardiman was shot and when someone entered the hospital room and killed Jason Hardiman. Because they spend so much time together, Matlock assumes that she grabbed Doug's trenchcoat by accident. Matlock then thinks they have a case of confused identity, so he tells a joke he heard Doug tell while going undercover at the club - "One time a woman went into a barroom with a duck under her arm. The bartender walks over and says, 'Where did you get the pig?' and the woman says, 'It's a duck,' and the bartender says, 'I was talking to the pig.' " Helen says, "Duck, I was talking to the duck" in Doug's voice. It turns out that Helen Shelly and Doug Templitt are one and the same person, but two personalities. When Matlock asks Doug who killed Jason Hardiman, he says it was Helen. In Doug's words, Carla "was everything Helen wanted to be but couldn't". Jason wanted to humiliate, degrade, and take her child away from Carla. Doug wouldn't let Helen kill Carla because he loved Carla.
4	4	"The Affair"	John Llewellyn Moxey	Paul Savage	October 7, 1986 (1986-10-07)	8603
5	5	"The Seduction"	Nicholas Sgarro	Anne Collins	October 14, 1986 (1986-10-14)	8604
6	6	"The Don: Part 1"	Nicholas Sgarro	Teleplay by: Anne Collins Story by: Dean Hargrove & Joel Steiger	October 28, 1986 (1986-10-28)	8606
Ben and Charlene take the controversial case of a Mafia don accused of murdering a business rival; Charlene is attracted to the man's son.
7	7	"The Don: Part 2"	Leo Penn	Teleplay by: Anne Collins Story by: Dean Hargrove & Joel Steiger	November 4, 1986 (1986-11-04)	8607
8	8	"The Sisters"	Alan Cooke	Doc Barnett	November 11, 1986 (1986-11-11)	8609
Sisters Julia and Emily execute a clever and cold-hearted plan to murder their wealthy aunt and frame her husband Harold Scully. Ben reluctantly agrees to defend the annoying Scully and is faced with the challenge of breaking the seemingly airtight alibi of the sisters, and the strong bond between them.
9	9	"The Cop"	Daniel Haller	Teleplay by: Robert Schlitt Story by: Joel Steiger, Robert Schlitt, & Dean Hargrove	November 15, 1986 (1986-11-15)	8610
10	10	"The Angel"	Larry Elikann	Robin Bernheim	November 25, 1986 (1986-11-25)	8605
11	11	"The Professor"	Bill Duke	Donald Ross	December 2, 1986 (1986-12-02)	8608
Ben's law professor is arrested on charges of committing vehicular homicide. The man claims to have no recollection of what happened. Ben defends him. Ben suspects the man's assistant and two of his students of being behind the whole thing. He has to figure out why.
12	12	"Santa Claus"	Daniel Haller	Teleplay by: Robert Schlitt Story by: Joel Steiger & Dean Hargrove	December 9, 1986 (1986-12-09)	8612
At Christmas time, a heartless businessman wants to evict the residents of an apartment building he owns, he tangles with a resident who just happens to be working as a street Santa. Later a man wearing a Santa suit enters the businessman's office building and kills him. Later someone enters the Santa's apartment and tangles with him. Later three of the businessman's people find him dead. Ben offers to defend the Santa. He suspects that one of the associates is the killer cause a piece of evidence against the Santa was found near the body and he believes who ever broke into the Santa's apartment took it and planted it.
13	13	"The Chef"	Bob Sweeney	Teleplay by: Anne Collins Story by: David R. Toddman, Joel Steiger, & Dean Hargrove	January 6, 1987 (1987-01-06)	8611
Matlock defends TV cooking-show hostess Victoria Edwards (Cathryn Damon) who is charged with murder in the on-camera death of a guest chef, who happens to be her ex-husband, Michael Edwards (portrayed by NY Times food writer Craig Claiborne), whose success came in no small measure from appropriating her recipes and expertise during their 12-year marriage.
14	14	"The Author"	Michael O'Herlihy	Gerald Sanoff	January 13, 1987 (1987-01-13)	8613
When a woman in a small town writes a book whose characters are actual people in the town and it becomes a best seller, the press converge on the town to interview them. And some of them threaten the woman. When the local reverend goes to visit her, someone takes a shot at her killing the reverend. The police investigate and it leads them to one of the town's doctors who was depicted in the book as being a druggie who denies it and threatened the woman. Ben comes to defend him and he starts by checking some of the other people depicted in the book but learns none of them have reason to kill her. Later Ben discovers a different motive and suspect for the killing.
15	15	"The Rat Pack"	Nicholas Sgarro	Teleplay by: Anne Collins Story by: Joel Steiger & Dean Hargrove	January 20, 1987 (1987-01-20)	8614
16	16	"The Nurse"	Charles S. Dubin	Robert Hamilton	February 3, 1987 (1987-02-03)	8615
17	17	"The Convict"	Daniel Haller	Marvin Kupfer	February 10, 1987 (1987-02-10)	8616
A man Ben defended 7 years ago for killing his friend and business associate but lost the case, was granted parole. Shortly after some men try to kill him but he defends himself and kills one of the men. The others claim he attacked the man he killed and would be charged with murder. Ben offers to defend him and eventually learns the attempt on his life and the murder he was convicted of may be linked.
18	18	"The Court-Martial: Part 1"	Charles S. Dubin	Teleplay by: Anne Collins Story by: Joel Steiger & Dean Hargrove	February 17, 1987 (1987-02-17)	8617
19	19	"The Court-Martial: Part 2"	Charles S. Dubin	Teleplay by: Anne Collins Story by: Joel Steiger & Dean Hargrove	February 24, 1987 (1987-02-24)	8618
20	20	"The Therapist"	Christopher Hibler	Robert Hamilton	March 3, 1987 (1987-03-03)	8619
21	21	"The People vs. Matlock"	Charles S. Dubin	Robert Hamilton	March 24, 1987 (1987-03-24)	8620
Matlock's daughter Charlene decides to move to Philadelphia to set up her own law practice. Note: Linda Purl's final episode, she is replaced by Kari Lizer.
22	22	"The Photographer"	Bob Sweeney	Robin Bernheim	March 31, 1987 (1987-03-31)	8621
23	23	"The Reporter"	Charles S. Dubin	Robert Hamilton	May 5, 1987 (1987-05-05)	8622
When a house blows up and a body is found which appears to be that of the owner. The police investigate and think that the man's wife is a suspect. When she is arrested, a reporter tells Ben about her and when he offers to defend her, the reporter hopes to get a story. When they look into the man's background, they discover a lot of irregularities. And even the neighbor saw some peculiar things on the night of the explosion.
24	24	"The Doctors"	Tony Mordente	Robin Bernheim & Joel Steiger	May 12, 1987 (1987-05-12)	8623
When a house blows up and a body is found which appears to be that of the owner. The police investigate and think that the man's wife is a suspect. When she is arrested, a reporter tells Ben about her and when he offers to defend her, the reporter hopes to get a story. When they look into the man's background, they discover a lot of irregularities. And even the neighbor saw some peculiar things on the night of the explosion.

This section requires expansion. (June 2012)

Season 2: 1987-1988

No. in season	No. in series	Title
1	25	"The Billionaire: Part 1"
Note: First appearance of Michelle Thomas.
2	26	"The Billionaire: Part 2"
3	27	"Blind Justice"
4	28	"The Annihilator"
5	29	"The Husband"
6	30	"The Power Brokers: Part 1"
7	31	"The Power Brokers: Part 2"
8	32	"The Network"
Matlock defends a television executive accused of murdering his boss. Guest appearance of ALF.
9	33	"The Best Friend"
10	34	"The Country Boy"
11	35	"The Gift"
Matlock defends a Santa accused of murder - Brian Emerson. Maggie Crowley, Brian's ex-wife, was murdered at 5 minutes past 10:00. She was hosting a Christmas party populated by Santa Clauses. Matlock also plays father Christmas to Wendy Crowley, Maggie and Brian's daughter, and spreads some Christmas Cheer on a judge who has lost his Christmas spirit.
12	36	"The Gambler"
Matlock defends a police Lieutenant against a murder charge in Las Vegas. Laura Norwood, the victim, was killed on the evening of the 19th, between 10:30 and 11:30. She was staying on the 6th floor of a hotel run by Lewis Devlin, in the Princess Suite.
13	37	"The Body"
14	38	"The Reunion"
15	39	"The Gigolo"
16	40	"The Umpire"
Matlock defends an Insurance Salesman (Richard Kline) accused of killing his boss after a disputed play during a softball game in which the boss was the umpire.
17	41	"The Investigation: Part 1"
18	42	"The Investigation: Part 2"
19	43	"The Hucksters"
20	44	"The Lovelorn"
21	45	"The Genius"
22	46	"The Magician"
23	47	"The Fisherman"
24	48	"The Heiress"

Season 3: 1988-1989

No. in season	No. in series	Title
1	49	"The Lemon"
Note: First appearance of Les Calhoun.
2	50	"The Ambassador: Part 1"
3	51	"The Ambassador: Part 2"
4	52	"The Mistress"
5	53	"The D.J."
6	54	"The Captain"
7	55	"The Vendetta"
8	56	"The Mayor: Part 1"
9	57	"The Mayor: Part 2"
10	58	"The Black Widow"
11	59	"The Other Woman"
12	60	"The Starlet"
13	61	"The Psychic"
14	62	"The Thief: Part 1"
15	63	"The Thief: Part 2"
16	64	"The Thoroughbred"
17	65	"The Model"
18	66	"The Cult"
19	67	"The Blues Singer"
20	68	"The Priest"

Season 4: 1989-1990

No. in season	No. in series	Title
1	69	"The Hunting Party: Part 1"
Note: First appearance of Conrad McMasters. Clarence Gilyard, Jr. also takes the place of Kene Holliday in the opening credits.
2	70	"The Hunting Party: Part 2"
3	71	"The Good Boy"
4	72	"The Best Seller"
Note: Although being fired after the third season, Kene Holliday appears in this episode as Tyler Hudson. The opening credits for this episode are also the same as in the whole third season.
5	73	"The Ex"
6	74	"The Clown"
7	75	"The Star"
8	76	"The Con Man"
9	77	"The Prisoner: Part 1"
10	78	"The Prisoner: Part 2"
11	79	"The Fugitive"
12	80	"The Buddies"
13	81	"The Scrooge"
14	82	"The Witness"
15	83	"The Student"
16	84	"The Talk Show"
17	85	"The Victim"
18	86	"The Kidnapper"
Note: This episode is featured in an anthology-style reviewing the Season 1 episodes "The Judge", the 2-part "The Don" then concluding with "The Sisters" all within the context of trying to find out who kidnapped Ben.
19	87	"The Pro"
20	88	"The Informer: Part 1"
21	89	"The Informer: Part 2"
22	90	"The D.A."
23	91	"The Blackmailer"
24	92	"The Cookie Monster"

Season 5: 1990-1991

No. in season	No. in series	Title
1	93	"The Mother"
2	94	"No Where To Turn: Part 1"
3	95	"No Where To Turn: Part 2"
4	96	"The Madam"
5	97	"The Personal Trainer"
6	98	"The Narc"
7	99	"The Secret: Part 1"
8	100	"The Secret: Part 2"
9	101	"The Brothers"
10	102	"The Cover Girl"
11	103	"The Biker"
12	104	"The Broker"
13	105	"The Fighter"
14	106	"The Critic"
15	107	"The Parents"
16	108	"The Man Of The Year"
17	109	"The Arsonist"
18	110	"The Formula"
19	111	"The Trial: Part 1"
20	112	"The Trial: Part 2"
21	113	"The Accident"
22	114	"The Celebrity"

Season 6: 1991-1992

No. in season	No. in series	Title	Original air date
1	115	"The Witness Killings: Part 1"
2	116	"The Witness Killings: Part 2"
3	117	"The Strangler"
4	118	"The Nightmare"
5	119	"The Marriage Counselor"
6	120	"The Dame"
7	121	"The Suspect: Part 1"
8	122	"The Suspect: Part 2"
9	123	"The Defense"
10	124	"The Game Show"
11	125	"The Foursome"
12	126	"The Picture: Part 1"
13	127	"The Picture: Part 2"
14	128	"The Outcast: Part 1"
15	129	"The Outcast: Part 2"
16	130	"The Big Payoff"
17	131	"The Abduction"
18	132	"Mr. Awesome"
19	133	"The Evening News: Part 1"
20	134	"The Evening News: Part 2"
21	135	"The Assassination: Part 1"
Note: First appearance of Leanne MacIntyre.
22	136	"The Assassination: Part 2"	May 8, 1992
Note: Final episode to air on NBC.

Season 7: 1992-1993

No. in season	No. in series	Title	Original air date
1	137	"The Vacation: Part 1"	November 5, 1992
Note: First appearance of Cliff Lewis. First episode to air on ABC.
2	138	"The Vacation: Part 2"
3	139	"The Legacy: Part 1"
4	140	"The Legacy: Part 2"
5	141	"The Ghost"
A murder victim returns from the dead as a ghost and asks Matlock to defend his wife, who is charged with his death.
6	142	"The Class"
7	143	"The Singer"
8	144	"The Mark"
9	145	"The Juror"
10	146	"The Fortune: Part 1"
11	147	"The Fortune: Part 2"
12	148	"The Debt"
13	149	"The Revenge"
14	150	"The Obsession"
15	151	"The Divorce"
16	152	"The Final Affair: Part 1"
17	153	"The Final Affair: Part 2"
18	154	"The Competition"

Season 8: 1993-1994

No. in season	No. in series	Title
1	155	"The Play"
2	156	"The Fatal Seduction: Part 1"
3	157	"The Fatal Seduction: Part 2"
4	158	"The Diner"
5	159	"The View"
6	160	"The Last Laugh"
7	161	"The Capital Offense"
8	162	"The Haunted: Part 1"
9	163	"The Haunted: Part 2"
10	164	"The Conspiracy"
11	165	"Matlock's Bad, Bad, Bad, Dream"
12	166	"The Defendant"
13	167	"The Kidnapping: Part 1"
14	168	"The Kidnapping: Part 2"
15	169	"The Temptation"
16	170	"The Crook"
17	171	"The Murder Game"
18	172	"Brennen"
19	173	"The P.I."
In a backdoor pilot, after Ben briefly meets Jesse Morgan (Tracy Nelson) in the teaser, the remainder is set in Los Angeles and centered entirely on Jesse and her father (George Peppard) with no Matlock characters even mentioned.
20	174	"The Godfather"
21	175	"The Idol: Part 1"
22	176	"The Idol: Part 2"

Season 9: 1994-1995

No. in season	No. in series	Title	Original air date
1	177	"The Accused: Part 1"
Note: First appearance of Jerri Stone.
2	178	"The Accused: Part 2"
3	179	"The Scandal"
4	180	"The Dare"
A millionaire bent on revenge murders one of Matlock's closest friends and dares the lawyer to prove he did it.
5	181	"The Scandal"
Matlock defends a senatorial candidate accused of murdering a tabloid paper editor. Senatorial candidate Carol Davis has a photo taken of her which embarrasses her, and when she confronts Ross Buckley, the editor-in-chief of the National Informer, she finds him dead. The murder weapon turns up at her house, and she is accused of his murder. The real killer was Chet Sellers, a photographer at the paper and a high school dropout, who discovered that Ross and Reverend Wesley Masters were conspiring together concerning a picture he had taken, and he killed him.
6	182	"The Coach"
7	183	"The Dating Game"
8	184	"The Confession"
9	185	"Dead Air"
10	186	"The Getaway"
11	187	"The Verdict"
12	188	"The Deadly Dose"
13	189	"The Target"
14	190	"The Assault"
15	191	"The Heist: Part 1"
16	192	"The Heist: Part 2"
17	193	"The Scam: Part 1"
18	194	"The Scam: Part 2"	May 7, 1995

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