Original Series (1986-1995)Recommended
0 / 10 watchedThe Andy Griffith run: pilot movie first, then nine seasons in air order.
- 1 Diary of a Perfect Murder Two-hour pilot film, first aired March 3, 1986.
NBC run
- 2 Matlock Season 1 First aired September 23, 1986.
- 3 Matlock Season 2 1987 to 1988 season.
- 4 Matlock Season 3 1988 to 1989 season.
- 5 Matlock Season 4 1989 to 1990 season.
- 6 Matlock Season 5 1990 to 1991 season.
- 7 Matlock Season 6 22 episodes, October 18, 1991 to May 8, 1992. Last season on NBC.
ABC run
- 8 Matlock Season 7 18 episodes, November 5, 1992 to May 6, 1993.
- 9 Matlock Season 8 22 episodes, September 23, 1993 to May 19, 1994.
- 10 Matlock Season 9 18 episodes, October 13, 1994 to May 4, 1995. Final season.
Reboot Series (2024-)
0 / 3 watchedThe Kathy Bates series stands alone, so start here if you only want the new show.
- 1 Matlock Season 1 19 episodes. Premiered September 22, 2024, then moved to its regular Thursday slot on October 17, 2024.
- 2 Matlock Season 2 Premiered October 12, 2025 and closed with a two-hour finale on April 23, 2026.
- 3 Matlock Season 3 Renewed January 22, 2026. CBS plans a midseason premiere in early 2027.
About Matlock
The original Matlock stars Andy Griffith as Atlanta defense attorney Ben Matlock across nine seasons, six on NBC and three on ABC. The 2024 CBS reboot stars Kathy Bates as Madeline Matlock, a retired lawyer using the name as an alias while working at a New York firm, and the original series exists as a TV show inside her world.
Good to know
The two series stand alone, so you can start with either one. CBS renewed the reboot for season 3 on January 22, 2026 and plans a midseason premiere in early 2027, after the April 23, 2026 season 2 finale closed the Wellbrexa storyline.
