7.2/10335 votes#1 - Diary of a Perfect Murder
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 3/3/1986
Atlanta lawyer Ben Matlock takes on the high profile case of a television reporter accused of murdering his former wife. The case is complicated when his daughter Charlene develops feelings for the accused killer.
Director: Robert Day
Writer: Dean Hargrove
8.0/10320 votes#2 - The Judge
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/23/1986
Ben Matlock accepts the pro bono case of Kevin Meredith, a young man accused of murdering his lover, whom Ben soon realises had a much more powerful lover.
Director: Christopher Hibler
Writer: Robert Hamilton
7.0/10213 votes#3 - The Stripper
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 9/30/1986
Years ago, Ben represented Jason Hardiman in his divorce proceedings, and upon his instructions, offered Carla a small fortune to relinquish custody of their son. She refused, and eventually won. Now Carla can only find work as a stripper. Jason goes to her work and again threatens to take their son Jimmy from her. When he is found at the edge of death, Carla is the immediate suspect. He is murdered while in the hospital, and Carla is the prime suspect. Ben's suspicions soon turn to a woman named Helen Shelly, but unfortunately, it's hard to find her. Doug Templitt seems to be the only one who knows where she is.
Director: Daniel Haller
Writer: N/A
7.2/10186 votes#4 - The Affair
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/7/1986
Matlock represents the a maid accused of killing her employer, at the request of the man's widow. The request is a little odd, but it seems Christina Ward wants people to know exactly what kind of man her husband was. Matlock is more than a little uncomfortable when it seems Charlene is developing a tendre for the woman's son Clark, an old college chum of Charlene's.
Director: John Llewellyn Moxey
Writer: Paul Savage
7.4/10190 votes#5 - The Seduction
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/14/1986
Matlock is hired to defend Brad Bingham, an aging football star with a reputation as a womanizer who was about to be cut from the team. Charlene is resistant to Ben's choice, as she believes everything the tabloids have to say about Brad...not only that, but years earlier, he'd had a brief relationship with her friend Ellen Hawley, who had tried to kill herself after they broke up. As the case continues, Charlene realises that not everything that's printed in the papers is true and that maybe Ellen wasn't quite honest with her, even though a call girl (Caryn Nelson) hired to make Brad look guilty almost convinces her that he is.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.4/10201 votes#6 - The Don (1)
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/28/1986
When Nicholas Baron, a well known mobster, is accused of murdering one of his rivals, he asks Ben Matlock to represent him. Ben initially refuses, but agrees to represent Baron despite threats on his own life. He soon meets the entire family, and realises that despite what Baron has always done for a living, at heart he's a worried father who wants to clear his name.
Director: Leo Penn
Writer: N/A
7.3/10184 votes#7 - The Don (2)
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/4/1986
Even though they've lost a key witness, Matlock keeps defending Nicholas Baron. Daniel tries to convince Matlock that his father just can't handle any stress due to his heart condition, but Nicholas continues to beg Matlock to clear his name. While Matlock investigates a suspect closer to home than Baron would want, Charlene blows her chance at a relationship with Paul when she can't separate the man from the legend.
Director: Leo Penn
Writer: N/A
7.9/10244 votes#8 - The Sisters
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/11/1986
Harold Scully is a boring man. But at least he knows that. When he begs old acquaintance Ben Matlock to defend him on charges of murdering his wealthy wife Esther, Matlock reluctantly agrees. The more investigating he does, the more he realises that there is something seriously wrong with Harold's two nieces, sisters Julia and Emily.
Director: Alan Cooke
Writer: N/A
7.3/10176 votes#9 - The Cop
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/18/1986
Detective Joe Peters has been accused of taking bribes and murdering a fence, and also suspected in the death of a fellow cop. When it comes right down to it, one of the other cops on the force was more involved than they should have been.
Director: Daniel Haller
Writer: Robert Schlitt
6.9/10193 votes#10 - The Angel
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 11/25/1986
Matlock reluctantly agrees to hire free-spirited rock star Angel after Charlene reveals she's already taken the job for them. Angel has been accused of killing her manager, and due to an alcohol induced black-out, can't even offer herself an alibi for the night. Matlock gets more and more angry when Angel continues to ignore his suggestions at toning down her life-style, but luckily he's able to get through to her before her attitude gets her convicted of murder.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.4/10194 votes#11 - The Professor
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 12/2/1986
Professor Erskine Tate wakes from a drunken stupor behind the wheel of his car. He doesn't know how he got there or what happened. When he's accused of having hit a mailman during his drunken joyride, he goes to a former student, Ben Matlock, for help, and Ben investigates two students and a teaching assistant.
Director: Bill Duke
Writer: Donald Ross
7.2/10184 votes#12 - Santa Claus
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 12/9/1986
When a down-on-his luck Santa Claus (Tom McCabe) is accused of killing the landlord who was about to evict not only him but everyone else in the apartment complex, the people in his building take up a collection and come to Matlock to ask him to defend him. They may not like Tom, but none of them believe him guilty of murder. Matlock ignores his own misgivings about a man he can't help but dislike and agrees to defend Tom.
Director: Daniel Haller
Writer: Robert Schlitt
7.4/10184 votes#13 - The Chef
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 1/6/1987
Michael and Victoria Edwards may be divorced, but unfortunately, she couldn't keep him from being a guest on her show. When Michael dies after testing out the dish they were cooking, Victoria is immediately charged with his murder. Matlock agrees to defend her, and gets some good home cooking in the bargain.
Director: Bob Sweeney
Writer: N/A
7.5/10177 votes#14 - The Author
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 1/13/1987
Mary Ann Newton has written a book (Secret Confessions) that purports to be fiction, but upon a deeper look, it seems to be an expose on the citizens of a small town. When an attempt made on her life gets a local reverend instead, Matlock is called in to defend the suspected killer. As the case goes on, Matlock realises that Ms. Newton may not be the right target for the would-be killer.
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
Writer: N/A
7.3/10181 votes#15 - The Rat Pack
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 1/20/1987
When Beverly Hills cookie entrepreneur Adam Gardner's girlfriend is found dead in his hot tub, the case against him looks bleak, especially when an eye witness points the finger at him. After his corporate lawyers advise him to plead guilty, Gardner hires Ben Matlock to defend him. While Matlock believes in his client's innocence, the more he learns about the victim, the greater the motive his client has, especially once love letters turn up that were exchanged between the victim and Josh Sinclair, Adam's supposed best friend.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.3/10169 votes#16 - The Nurse
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 2/3/1987
Kathy Warren was a private nurse working for the St. Johns. One night while she was out, Peter St. John died, and when it was determined to be murder, she was the prime suspect. She hired Matlock to defend her, offering her engagement ring as a fee. After Lacey St. John told A.D.A. Julie March that the ring had been stolen from their home, Matlock realised that something wasn't right in the St. John house, and that someone was lying to him.
Director: Charles S. Dubin
Writer: Robert Hamilton
7.6/10168 votes#17 - The Convict
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 2/10/1987
Seven years ago Ben defended Les Matthews, who was accused of killing his friend and business partner and Ben lost. Today Matthews has been granted parole. While working in the library, Wayne Lashley enters with his two goons, Lipton and Foley. While Lipton and Foley keep watch, Lashley tries to kill Les, but in the struggle, it's Lashley who ends up dead, and Les who ends up looking guilty. Matthews is charged with Lashley's murder and Ben wants to defend him. He sends Tyler undercover in the prison and places him with the cellmate of the man who was killed. He gives Ben evidence that not only proves Matthews is telling the truth but also who was responsible for the murder that Matthews was convicted of seven years ago.
Director: Daniel Haller
Writer: N/A
7.4/10157 votes#18 - The Court Martial (1)
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 2/17/1987
Ben is hired by a friend to defend his son, who is in the army, who's been charged with killing the sadistic lieutenant, whose mistreatment of his men led to the death of his friend.
Director: Charles S. Dubin
Writer: N/A
7.5/10149 votes#19 - The Court Martial (2)
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 2/24/1987
As the case progresses, Ben discovers that the lieutenant and four other officers may have been involved in some kind of illegal activities. Charlene who has been working undercover and gets close to one of those officers, examines him on the stand and he reveals that they have been smuggling drugs. Ben then examines one of the officers and has him reveal to the court the scar that the lieutenant left on him after he killed him. He then reveals that he and the other two officers drew straws on who would kill him cause, an investigation might reveal their activities.
Director: Charles S. Dubin
Writer: N/A
6.9/10163 votes#20 - The Therapist
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 3/3/1987
Matlock is hired to defend a popular actor when he's accused of killing the man who ran the sex-therapy clinic where he was staying, ostensibly for releasing his name to the press. He's got a temporary thorn in his side, though, in the form of Cassie Phillips, a law student he once made an off-hand comment to about looking him up for a job...she took him a lot more seriously than he had intended.
Director: Christopher Hibler
Writer: N/A
7.5/10153 votes#21 - The People vs. Matlock
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 3/24/1987
While defending union boss Gerald O'Hara, who has been accused of murdering his chief rival for his seat (Dan Keaton), Matlock is furious when juror number seven (Harry Craven) comes forward to announce that he was paid off by Matlock to vote a certain way. Luckily for Matlock, Julie knows him well enough to know he would never take a bribe, and she helps him prove that he's innocent, and that his client was railroaded by the same man who tried to bring down Ben.
Director: Charles S. Dubin
Writer: N/A
7.2/10147 votes#22 - The Photographer
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 3/31/1987
Amy Adler had a juvenile record before becoming a photographer's assistant. When the photographer she works for is murdered, she begs Matlock to help her out. While pro bono cases aren't usually his style, something about the feisty young woman catches his interest, and he agrees to help her out.
Director: Bob Sweeney
Writer: N/A
7.6/10155 votes#23 - The Reporter
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 5/5/1987
When Laurie Palmer is arrested for killing her husband, the reporter covering the case is convinced of her innocence, and goes to Ben Matlock looking for help.
Director: Charles S. Dubin
Writer: N/A
7.4/10162 votes#24 - The Doctors
Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 5/12/1987
Dr. David Westlake was a nasty piece of work who had a reputation for making trouble for his medical students. Any one of four men had a motive to kill Westlake, but suspicion lands on Dr. Jacobs, who was seen fleeing the scene of the crime.
Director: Tony Mordente
Writer: Joel Steiger, Dean Hargrove
The Best Episodes of Matlock Season 1
Every episode of Matlock Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Matlock Season 1!
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock. The show, produced by The...
Genres:CrimeDrama
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"Diary of a Perfect Murder" is the best rated episode of "Matlock" season 1. It scored 7.2/10 based on 335 votes. Directed by Robert Day and written by Dean Hargrove, it aired on 3/3/1986. This episode is rated 0.8 points higher than the second-best, "The Judge".