Andy Griffith played a prosecuting attorney in the miniseries Fatal Vision (1984), a performance which so impressed NBC's Brandon Tartikoff that a series was proposed utilizing an attorney as the main character. A pilot film for the show, Diary of a Perfect Murder, aired on NBC on 3 March 1986, and Matlock began airing in September 1986. Griffith played Ben Matlock in the hour crime drama, a criminal defense lawyer whose folksy demeanor belies his considerable investigative and courtroom abilities. Many of the regulars from The Andy Griffith Show made appearances on Matlock, continuing a Mayberry legacy spanning over thirty years.

-Jerry Haggins

Thumbnail of Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith on the character of "Ben Matlock" on Matlock, and on the show moving to ABC

03:39
Thumbnail of Don Knotts

Don Knotts on his appearance as a recurring character on Matlock, without the comedy he could play off of, as he did with Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show

00:33
Thumbnail of Fred Silverman

Fred Silverman on Matlock

01:24
Thumbnail of Aaron Ruben

Aaron Ruben on writing for Matlock

00:59
Thumbnail of Dean Hargrove

Dean Hargrove on the legacy of Matlock

01:26
Thumbnail of Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith on the end of Matlock

00:27

Charles S. Dubin

Charles S. Dubin on directing Matlock, Starman, Square One, and Father Dowling Mysteries

03:22

Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith on being cast in MatIock, and how television had changed since his first series

03:42

Andy Griffith on improving upon MatIock scripts

02:19

Andy Griffith on the character of "Ben Matlock" on Matlock, and on the show moving to ABC

03:39

Andy Griffith on the end of Matlock

00:27

Dean Hargrove

Dean Hargrove on producing Matlock, starring Andy Griffith, with Fred Silverman

02:18

Dean Hargrove on his team of writers on Matlock

02:03

Dean Hargrove on the popularity of mystery shows like Matlock

01:38

Dean Hargrove on Matlock starting on NBC and switching networks to ABC

01:30

Dean Hargrove on the legacy of Matlock

01:26

Dean Hargrove on Jack and the Fatman spinning off from Matlock

01:39

Don Knotts

Don Knotts on his appearance as a recurring character on Matlock, without the comedy he could play off of, as he did with Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show

00:33

Piper Laurie

Piper Laurie on guest-starring on Murder, She Wrote  and Matlock

01:11

Aaron Ruben

Aaron Ruben on writing for Matlock

00:59

Fred Silverman

Fred Silverman on Matlock

01:24

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