Matlock (season 1)

The first season of Matlock originally aired in the United States on NBC from September 23, 1986 through May 12, 1987. Two-part episode "The Don" served as a back-door pilot for Jake and the Fatman.

Matlock
Season 1
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	23
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 23, 1986 (1986-09-23) – May 12, 1987 (1987-05-12)
Season chronology

Cast

Main

• Andy Griffith as Ben Matlock
• Linda Purl as Charlene Matlock
• Kene Holliday as Tyler Hudson

Recurring

• Kari Lizer as Cassie Phillips
• Julie Sommars as ADA Julie March

Cast notes

• Lori Lethin was replaced by Linda Purl
• Linda Purl departed at the end of the season
• Linda Purl was absent for six episodes
• Kene Holiday was absent for one episode

Episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"The Judge"	Christopher Hibler	Robert Hamilton	September 23, 1986 (1986-09-23)
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 aside 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. Other guest stars: Richard Newton as Judge Richard Cooksey, Richard McKenzie as Lt. Rupert Davis, and Toni Sawyer as Mrs. Meredith, Richard Wright as Harry Hobson, Brian Lane Green as Kevin Meredith, Piper Laurie as Claire Leigh, Bobbie Eakes as Joanne Leigh, Michael Durrell as D.A. Lloyd Burgess Note: This is the premiere episode. Linda Purl replaced Lori Lethin in the role of Charlene Matlock.
2	2	"The Stripper"	Daniel Haller	Story by : Rick Mittleman Teleplay by : Michael Petryni	September 30, 1986 (1986-09-30)
After being fired from one job after another because of her ex-husband Jason Hardiman, Carla Evans resorts to stripping at a local club and keeping her son reading books in another room while she performs. When her ex-husband shows up and threatens to take her son away by going to court, she threatens him in front of witnesses: "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 discovering what a liar Hardiman was. When Carla is released from jail, Jason is murdered in the hospital, and once again Carla is the suspect in a murder case after the night nurse, Ms. Jackson, identifies her from the hallway and from a security camera video. Charlene tackles that by bringing up the point that she was not wearing her glasses when she identified the defendant from the hallway. Matlock notices in another video that the woman that killed Jason Hardiman buttoned her trench coat like a man: left over right. When Helen Shelly is called to the stand, she says she was with Doug Templitt on the night Jason Hardiman was shot and when someone entered the hospital room and killed Jason Hardiman; because they spent so much time together, Matlock assumes that she accidentally grabbed Doug's trench coat. 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 person with 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 and degrade Carla and take her son from her. Doug would not let Helen kill Carla because he loved Carla. Guest stars: David Froman as Lt. Bob Brooks, Robin Thomas Grossman as Prosecutor Burton Hawkins, Kerrie Keane as Carla Evans, Anne Hanes as Nurse Jackson, John Carter as Jason Hardiman, Gary Frank as Doug Templitt\Helen Shelly, Jennifer Rhoades as Gracie Fielder, Wayne Heffles as Wayne Cornell, Michael Faustino as Jimmy Hardiman, Richard Newton as Judge Richard Cooksey
3	3	"The Affair"	John Llewellyn Moxey	Paul Savage	October 7, 1986 (1986-10-07)
With the encouragement of Charlene, who used to go out with her son, A woman asks both Matlock and Charlene to take the case of the Spanish maid Sonia Cardenas who was accused of killing her husband Richard Ward, leaving Ben worried. Christina says her husband was a womanizer, the woman was another one of his dalliances, and that she wants to make it public. Tyler also follows the man who was once Sonia's boyfriend, who was later hospitalized with broken bones and a concussion. Matlock wants to know who killed the patriarch as Matlock primarily focused on the family, which includes the woman who hired him and his son. Guest Stars: Kevin Conroy as Clark Harrison, Ron Ulstad as Sgt. Maguire, Ivan Bonar as a Judge, Phillip Sterling as a Prosecutor, Jeff Conaway as Daniel Ward, Carolyn Seymour as Christina Harrison Ward, Marsha Hunt as Aunt Harriet, John Christy Ewing as Richard Ward, Alina Cenal as Mrs. Rodriquez, Jenny Beck as Lila Harrison, Max Segar as Forbes The Butler
4	4	"The Seduction"	Nicholas Sgarro	Anne Collins	October 14, 1986 (1986-10-14)
Matlock defends Brad Bingham (John Beck), an aging football star with a reputation as a womanizer, for the murder of his girlfriend, the team's owner, who was about to eliminate him from the team. Ben's daughter, Charlene, is opposed to her father taking his case, as she believes everything the tabloids have to say about Brad. In addition, years ago, he had a short relationship with her friend, Ellen Hawley, who nearly committed suicide after they broke up. Brad asks Tyler to talk to Johnny Mack (Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr.), a bouncer in a bar. After Tyler gets jumped by him, flung onto a table, pushed right through the hall and into a room where he falls onto a box, Johnny finally reveals everything he knows to Tyler when they are in private. As the case proceeds, Charlene realizes that not everything that's printed in the papers is true, and maybe Ellen wasn't being honest with her. Caryn Nelson (Nancy Stafford, who plays Ben's assistant Michelle Thomas from 1987–1992), is a call girl who was hired to frame Brad for the murder by providing him with an alibi that she later denied. Other guest stars: Richard McKenzie as Lt. Rupert Davis, Betty Lynn as Sarah (Ben's secretary), Robin Thomas Grossman as Prosecutor Burton Hawkins, Joshua Bryant as Dave Edwards, Alex Hyde-White as Vincient Hyland, Shannon Wilcox as Marsha Barnes, and David Froman as Lt. Bob Brooks
5	5	"The Don: Part 1"	Nicholas Sgarro	Anne Collins	October 28, 1986 (1986-10-28)
Ben and Charlene take the controversial case of a Mafia don Nicholas Baron (José Ferrer) accused of murdering a business rival, Donald Kovack (Charles Howerton); Charlene is attracted to the man's son, Paul Baron (Joe Penny). Other guest stars: Betty Lynn as Sarah (Ben's secretary), Johnny Silver as Eddie Alonzo, Joe Penny as Paul Baron, José Ferrer as Nicholas Baron, Doran Clark as Cathy Baron, Mark La Mura as Dr. Daniel Baron, William Conrad as D.A. James L. McShane (precursor to Jake and The Fatman), Alan Campbell as Palmer (James L. McShane's assistant), James McEachin as Lt. Frank Daniels, Joseph Hacker as Phillip Kovack, Claude Earl Jones as Mr. Henderson, Ron Karabatsos as Dave Christopher, Sheree North as Alice Jenkins, Dominic Oliver as Roy Vincient, Joan Roberts as Mrs. Kovack, Tom McCleister as a Metro Cop, Lucille Meredith as Judge Irene Sawyer
6	6	"The Don: Part 2"	Leo Penn	Story by : Dean Hargrove & Joel Steiger Teleplay by : Anne Collins	November 4, 1986 (1986-11-04)
Matlock continues to defend a mafia don (who investigates a suspect closer to home than the baron would want), while Charlene blows her chance at a relationship with Paul when she is unable to separate the man from the legend. Guest Stars: Joe Penny, José Ferrer, Doran Clark, Mark La Mura, William Conrad, Alan Campbell, James McEachin, Ron Karabatsos, Joan Roberts, Sheree North, and Arthur Adams as Mr. Johnson
7	7	"The Sisters"	Alan Cooke	Doc Barnett	November 11, 1986 (1986-11-11)
Sisters Julia (Gail O'Grady) and Emily (Diane Behrens) execute a clever and cold-hearted plan to murder their wealthy aunt Esther and frame her husband, Harold Scully. Ben reluctantly agrees to defend the annoying Scully, who's also a friend of Tyler's, and is faced with the challenge of breaking the seemingly airtight alibi of the sisters, as well as the strong bond between them. Other guest stars: James McEachin as Lt. Frank Daniels, Gene Ross as Harold Scully, Oceana Marr as Esther Scully, Bruno Alexander as a Detective, Lee Paul as Caretaker James Henderson, Michael Durrell as D.A. Lloyd Burgess, Conchata Ferrell as Mrs. Reece
8	8	"The Cop"	Daniel Haller	Story by : Joel Steiger, Robert Schlitt & Dean Hargrove Teleplay by : Robert Schlitt	November 18, 1986 (1986-11-18)
Police detective Joe Peters (Héctor Elizondo) has been framed of taking bribes and murdering a fence, and was to be believed in the death of another cop, Harry Landers (Asher Brauner). When the subject came about, it is revealed that one of the other police officers of Atlanta was more involved than they should have been. Other guest stars: James Handy as a Prosecutor, James McEachin as Lt. Frank Daniels, Robert Donner as a Truck Driver, John Lehne as Captain Braddock, Lucille Meredith as Judge Irene Sawyer, John Mariano as Eddie Leeds, Charles Cypher as Tom Coyle, Andrew Bloch as Michael Danello, Justin Williams as Donnie Styles
9	9	"The Angel"	Larry Elikann	Robin Bernheim	November 25, 1986 (1986-11-25)
After Charlene tells Matlock that she is already working for other people, he reluctantly represents the free-spirited popular rocker Margaret "Angel" Danello (Kari Lizer), a young lady who has been accused of killing her manager Lou Pearson (Stewart Moss). Because of her alcohol-induced black-out, she is unable to present an alibi. That evening, Matlock gets very furious when Angel continues to ignore his orders at keeping her temper. Fortunately, she learns to take his advice to heart before she gets convicted of the murder. Other guest stars: Kari Lizer as Angel (and who would star as Cassie Phillips later in this season), Jonathan Frakes as D.A. Park, Kip Gilman as Sonny Hutton, Richard McKenzie as Lt. Rueben Davis, Julia Cobb as Janice Pearson, John Chappell as Rupert, Betty McGuire as Mrs. Hoffman, Gary Werntz as Trashcan Reed, Charles Hoyes as Snake Barker
10	10	"The Professor"	Bill Duke	Donald Ross	December 2, 1986 (1986-12-02)
Ben's old law professor, Erskine Tate (Don Porter), is arrested on charges of committing vehicular homicide, but 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, and has to figure out the reason why. Other guest stars: James McEachin as Lt. Frank Daniels, Michael Durrell as D.A. Lloyd Burgess, Christopher McDonald as Eric Lane, Daniel Davis as James Billings, and Henry G. Sanders as Pat Gaines, Nicholas Cascone as Wesley Wallace, and Richard Newton as Judge Richard Cooksey
11	11	"Santa Claus"	Daniel Haller	Story by : Joel Steiger & Dean Hargrove Teleplay by : Robert Schlitt	December 9, 1986 (1986-12-09)
At Christmas time, a heartless businessman wants to evict the residents of an apartment building he owns. He tangles with a resident named Tom McCabe (Pat Hingle), 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, and suspects that one of the associates is the killer because a piece of evidence against the Santa was found near the body, and he believes that whoever broke into the Santa's apartment took it and planted it there. Guest stars: David Froman as Lt. Bob Brooks, Michael Durrell as D.A. Lloyd Burgess, Pat Hingle as Tom McCabe, Barry Jenner as Mark Harris, Betty Lynn as Sarah (Ben's secretary), Andrew Masset as Dan Paulson, Grainger Hines as Carl Lang, Linden Chiles as Alan Rollins, Charlotte Stewart as Mrs. Pellmen, Terri Treas as Annie Harris, Richard Newton as Judge Richard Cooksey, Sean McGuirk as a Detective, Gary Bergher as Duke Mitchell
12	12	"The Chef"	Bob Sweeney	Story by : David R. Toddman, Joel Steiger & Dean Hargrove Teleplay by : Anne Collins	January 6, 1987 (1987-01-06)
Matlock defends TV cooking-show hostess Victoria Edwards, who is charged with murder in the on-camera death of a guest chef, who happens to be her ex-husband, Michael Edwards, whose success came in no small measure from appropriating her recipes and expertise during their 12-year marriage. Guest stars: James McEachin as Lt. Frank Daniels, Roddy McDowall as Christopher Hoyt, Allan Arbus as Peter Leonie, Ray Reinhardt as Stefan Lichtman, Lee Garlington as Paula, Nancy Lane as Leslie, Craig Claiborne as Michael Edwards, Michael Durrell as D.A. Lloyd Burgess, Cathryn Damon as Victoria Edwards, Jeff Austin as a Police Officer, Joseph Burke as a Bakery Manager, Richard Newton as Judge Richard Cooksey
13	13	"The Author"	Michael O'Herlihy	Gerald Sanoff	January 13, 1987 (1987-01-13)
A woman (Audra Lindley) in a small town writes a book whose characters are actual people in the town. When 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 Deluca (John O'Leary) goes to visit her, someone takes a shot at her, but kills the reverend. The police investigate and it leads them to one of the town's doctors, Dr. Phillip Eagen, who was depicted in the book as being a druggie, which he denies, and threatened the woman. Ben comes to defend him, and 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. Other guest stars: Michael Durrell as D.A. Lloyd Burgess, Parker Stevenson as Dr. Phillip Eagen, Guy Stockwell as Chief Johnson, Stanley Kamel as Jeweler Mark Douglas, Brion James as Mr. Grock, John Schuck as Reporter Carl Burke, Kay Freeman as Majorie Sawyer, Eddie Quillan as David Sears, Richard Newton as Judge Richard Crooksey, Audrey Lindley as Mary Ann Newton, Elizabeth Savage as Barbara Gleason, Louise Claire Clark as Jessie Peters
14	14	"The Rat Pack"	Nicholas Sgarro	Anne Collins	January 20, 1987 (1987-01-20)
After a night out in town, Debra O'Keefe (Shawn Weatherly) was found dead in a bathtub. The case against her boyfriend, Adam Gardner (Timothy Busfield), looks weak, especially when an eyewitness points the finger at him. After corporate lawyers ask him to plead guilty, Matlock and Tyler travel to Beverly Hills to defend Adam. The more Matlock believes in Adam's innocence, and the more he learns about the victim, the greater the motive his client has — especially when it comes to the love letters that were alternated between the victim and John Sinclair (Greg Evigan), Adam's assumed best friend. Other guest stars: Erwin Fuller as Judge Sean Black, William Bogert as Mr. Wallingford, Jimmy Baio as Mark Williams, Gregory Itzin as Carl Richardson, Jack Rader as L.A. Lawyer, James A. Watson Jr. as Prosecutor, Rex Ryon as Buster, James V. Christy as Jimmy, and Herb Edelman as Arthur Rydell. Note: Linda Purl does not appear in this episode. Purl's ex-husband, Desi Arnaz Jr., guest stars.
15	15	"The Nurse"	Charles S. Dubin	Robert Hamilton	February 3, 1987 (1987-02-03)
While Kathy Warren (Lise Cutter), a private nurse for the St. John family, is on duty, a man she was taking care of had died. When it was murder, Nurse Warren is the prime suspect. Matlock and the woman get into an elevator, at the courthouse, where it has a malfunction. He plans to hire this woman, offering her $250,000 engagement ring for a fee. Matlock also goes to an arraignment hearing with Kathy, and finds out the woman he was stuck in the elevator with is the new A.D.A., Julie March. Later, Lacey St. John tells Julie that the ring was stolen from their house, that something is not right in the home of St. John's and that somebody is lying. Other guest stars: Christine Rose as Lacey ST. John, Billy Zane as Eric Dawson, Laurie O'Brien as Barbara Warren, Jo De Winter as Ruth Delamey, Jason Wingreen as Judge Arthur Beaumont, Robert Broyles as Mark, Ed Quinlan as Peter St. John, Paul Reid Roman as Marcus Scott Note: Julie Sommars makes her first appearance as Julie March.
16	16	"The Convict"	Daniel Haller	Marvin Kupfer	February 10, 1987 (1987-02-10)
Lester Matthews, a man Matlock defended seven years ago for killing his friend and business associate, but was convicted, has been granted parole. Shortly after, a fellow inmate tries to try to stab him in the prison library, but he defends himself and kills the other man. The other inmates claim he attacked the man he killed and Matthews is 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. Tyler goes undercover in the prison and places himself with a cellmate of the man who was murdered. Tyler also delivers evidence to Matlock that not only proves Matthews really is being honest, but also who was really behind the murder Matthews was convicted of seven years ago. Guest stars: David Froman as Lt. Bob Brooks, Lucille Meredith as Judge Irene Sawyer, Arnold F. Turner as Officer Green, Robert Walden as Roger Bundy, Robert Pine as Sam Dolen, Nick Cassavetes as Foley, Robin Thomas Grossman as Prosecutor Burton Hawkins, Erik Stern as Wayne Lashley, David L. Lander as Eli Walsh, Larry Wilcox as Lester Matthews, Joe Prami as John Colter, Lee Purcell as Andrea Colter
17	17	"The Court-Martial: Part 1"	Charles S. Dubin	Story by : Joel Steiger & Dean Hargrove Teleplay by : Anne Collins	February 17, 1987 (1987-02-17)
A sinister Army officer (Richard Green) pushes his guys too hard, especially one of the private's friends, Lt. Bobby Thomas (Philip Bailey), who died of a ruptured appendix; the officer then died alone, afterwards. Matlock's friend (Dana Elcar) was hired by him to defend his own son (Tony Becker) with the charge of the Army officer's murder. Charlene also helps, but Matlock also begs Tyler to join the Army, because Chris' father and Gen. Connors (Robert Mandan) both had to go all the way to the Pentagon to get Tyler's & Chris' platoon. In the midst of the hearing, the defendant is gone.
18	18	"The Court-Martial: Part 2"	Charles S. Dubin	Story by : Joel Steiger & Dean Hargrove Teleplay by : Anne Collins	February 24, 1987 (1987-02-24)
As Matlock brings back the defendant (Tony Becker), the only important witness vanishes. Matlock also discovers a lieutenant (Cliff De Young), along with four other officers, dealing in illegal situations. Tyler finds out about the drug scheme, while Charlene investigates to narrow down one of the officers, and Matlock finally put the pieces together in solving a military case (while also having learned a lot about the Army).
19	19	"The Therapist"	Christopher Hibler	Robert Hamilton	March 3, 1987 (1987-03-03)
A popular actor (Steve Bond) is accused of killing the man who headed the sex therapy clinic (Kevin Hagen) where Brett was residing, and Matlock takes on the case. Ben's temporary thorn in his side is Cassie Phillips, a law student he once made an off-hand comment to about finding a job as a lawyer's assistant; she took him very seriously than he thought, while taking advantage of him in not doing the job he asked her to do. Tyler told Matlock that Cassie was kidnapped at the clinic, pretending Kimberly Bradshaw (Deborah Wakeham) was not there. Note: Though Linda Purl does not appear in this episode, her voice is heard. Charlene tells her father that she is handling a case in Philadelphia. Kari Lizer makes her first appearance as Cassie Phillips.
20	20	"The People vs. Matlock"	Charles S. Dubin	Robert Hamilton	March 24, 1987 (1987-03-24)
Matlock's daughter Charlene decides to move to Philadelphia to set up her own law practice. While defending the city's union boss (Richard Kuss), who has been accused of murdering his head rival, Matlock is disgusted when juror #7 (Alan Blumenfeld) comes forward to announce he was paid off by Matlock to vote in an unusual matter. Fortunately for Matlock, he gets some help from Julie (Julie Sommars) — while being accused for jury tampering, she understood he would never take on a bribe when she helps him become innocent (as his client was being railroaded by the same man who tried to put him away). Note: This is Linda Purl's final episode (who left the show due to dispute over the role of her character).[1] The following season, she is replaced by Nancy Stafford.
21	21	"The Photographer"	Bob Sweeney	Robin Bernheim	March 31, 1987 (1987-03-31)
Amy Adler (Julie Ronnie), a young lady with a juvenile record, was fired for not showing up to work on time, and was being charged for the murder of her photographer's boss (Jack Heller). When that happened, she persisted for Matlock to represent her. Despite not having an interest in pro bono cases, a case about her catches his interest, and he is glad to help her out. After heading back to the studio and picking up some supplies, Amy is beaten up by a man (Scott Burkholder), causing her best dress to get ruined. Tyler comes to rescue her and heard she took the man's picture. Note: Though departed from the cast one episode before, Linda Purl is still featured in the opening credits.
22	22	"The Widow" "The Reporter"	Charles S. Dubin	Robert Hamilton	May 5, 1987 (1987-05-05)
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 (Caryn Richman) is a suspect. When she is arrested, a reporter (David Carpenter) tells Ben about her and when he offers to defend her, the reporter is hopeful about getting 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. Note: Andy Griffith is the only main cast member to appear in this episode. Though departed from the cast two episodes before this one, Linda Purl is still featured in the opening credits.
23	23	"The Doctors"	Tony Mordente	Dean Hargrove, Robin Bernheim & Joel Steiger	May 12, 1987 (1987-05-12)
An evil head physician, Dr. David Westlake (Ben Piazza) caused a lot of trouble towards his medical students. One of his students had planned to kill him. When Dr. Westlake's body is found by Dr. Bruce Jacobs (Jay Avocone), who fled at the scene of the crime, all the questioning falls on him. Matlock, who has a pain in his hip, decides to take the case on a busy yet explanatory handsome physician. Note: Daniel Roebuck guest stars as Dr. Shaw (and would play various roles before playing Cliff Lewis on the ABC version). Though departed from the cast three episodes before, Linda Purl is still featured in the opening credits.

References

1. Stark, John (18 May 1987). "Since the World of Matlock Isn't Her Oyster, Linda Purl Is Shucking the Show". People. Retrieved 22 August 2018.

External links

• Matlock – list of episodes on IMDb