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The Best Episodes of Matlock Season 8

Every episode of Matlock Season 8 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Matlock Season 8!

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 Fred Silverman Company, Dean Hargrove Productions, Viacom Productions and Paramount Television originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC; and from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC. The show's format is similar to that of CBS's Perry Mason, with Matlock identifying the perpetrators and then confronting them in dramatic courtroom scenes. One difference, however, was that whereas Mason usually exculpated his clients at a pretrial hearing, Matlock usually secured an acquittal at trial, from the jury.

Genres:CrimeDrama
Networks:NBCABC

Season 8 Ratings Summary

The best episode of "Matlock" season 8 is "The Play", rated 7.5/10 from 107 user votes. It was directed by Christopher Hibler and written by N/A. "The Play" aired on 9/23/1993 and is rated 0.1 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "The Fatal Seduction (1)".

  • The Play
    7.5/10 107 votes

    #1 - The Play

    Season 8 Episode 1 - Aired 9/23/1993

    After an actress in The Last Cry of the Hounds is murdered, Matlock agrees to represent the director of a local community play...on the condition that the director not cut him from the play.

    Director: Christopher Hibler

    Writer: N/A

  • The Fatal Seduction (1)
    7.4/10 119 votes

    #2 - The Fatal Seduction (1)

    Season 8 Episode 2 - Aired 9/30/1993

    Matlock, Leanne and Cliff go to North Carolina to attend Billy's sister's funeral. While there, they end up getting involved in a pair of murders connected to two young women. As a way to catch them, Leanne sets up a trap using Cliff as bait.

    Director: Christopher Hibler

    Writer: N/A

  • The Fatal Seduction (2)
    7.3/10 154 votes

    #3 - The Fatal Seduction (2)

    Season 8 Episode 3 - Aired 10/7/1993

    No description available

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Diner
    8.0/10 116 votes

    #4 - The Diner

    Season 8 Episode 4 - Aired 10/14/1993

    Matlock takes Leanne to meet Martha Jordan, the wife of his very first client back in 1962. Stan Shaw was the cook at the local diner when he was accused of killing the local sheriff after a disagreement in the diner. Charlie Matlock pushed Ben, who had recently quit his job as a district attorney to take the case, but not everyone in town was happy with the Matlocks siding with the black cook accused of killing the white sheriff. Despite Cyrus Jordan's attempts to get the Matlocks to drop his case for their own safety, father and son were determined to prove that Cyrus never killed anyone.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The View
    7.9/10 102 votes

    #5 - The View

    Season 8 Episode 5 - Aired 10/28/1993

    Matlock realizes he has become a witness in a murder case involving two theater actors and an unhappy husband.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Last Laugh
    7.7/10 104 votes

    #6 - The Last Laugh

    Season 8 Episode 6 - Aired 11/4/1993

    A comedian becomes accused of murdering another comic who had insulted him on stage.

    Director: Russ Mayberry

    Writer: Stephen Lord

  • The Capital Offense
    8.1/10 107 votes

    #7 - The Capital Offense

    Season 8 Episode 7 - Aired 11/11/1993

    Matlock continues his five-year struggle to save a con artist from the electric chair.

    Director: Robert Scheerer

    Writer: N/A

  • The Haunted (1)
    7.8/10 114 votes

    #8 - The Haunted (1)

    Season 8 Episode 8 - Aired 11/18/1993

    While Cliff investigates a suit of medical malpractice and ends up getting more involved than he should with his client, Matlock investigates the case of the mysterious Rod Greenwood, who happens to bear an eerie resemblance to a dead businessman. Soon Cliff and Matlock realise that their cases are tied together.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Haunted (2)
    7.8/10 89 votes

    #9 - The Haunted (2)

    Season 8 Episode 9 - Aired 11/18/1993

    No description available

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Conspiracy
    6.2/10 106 votes

    #10 - The Conspiracy

    Season 8 Episode 10 - Aired 11/25/1993

    Matlock defends a lawyer accused of murdering an associate who'd accused him of botching a lawsuit involving toxic waster polluters.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Matlock's Bad, Bad, Bad Dream
    7.5/10 113 votes

    #11 - Matlock's Bad, Bad, Bad Dream

    Season 8 Episode 11 - Aired 12/2/1993

    Matlock dreams that he, Leanne, Billy and Cliff are in 1932 and are involved with the murder of a sax player.

    Director: Russ Mayberry

    Writer: N/A

  • The Defendant
    7.5/10 147 votes

    #12 - The Defendant

    Season 8 Episode 12 - Aired 12/16/1993

    Leanne falls for Matlock's new client, a philanthropist accused of murdering his business partner.

    Director: Leo Penn

    Writer: N/A

  • The Kidnapping (1)
    8.2/10 96 votes

    #13 - The Kidnapping (1)

    Season 8 Episode 13 - Aired 1/13/1994

    Abductors tries to kidnap Leanne but takes Billy instead and hold him for ransom.

    Director: Christopher Hibler

    Writer: N/A

  • The Kidnapping (2)
    7.2/10 113 votes

    #14 - The Kidnapping (2)

    Season 8 Episode 14 - Aired 1/20/1994

    The FBI agent who was in charge of Billy's kidnapping case is now accused of killing another agent.

    Director: Christopher Hibler

    Writer: N/A

  • The Temptation
    7.5/10 88 votes

    #15 - The Temptation

    Season 8 Episode 15 - Aired 1/27/1994

    A thug tries to make Leanne fall in love with him by using her journal that he stole from her house.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Crook
    6.5/10 102 votes

    #16 - The Crook

    Season 8 Episode 16 - Aired 2/3/1994

    A stealer is accused of murdering the man who closed the book on his thefts.

    Director: Leo Penn

    Writer: Joel Steiger

  • The Murder Game
    7.7/10 91 votes

    #17 - The Murder Game

    Season 8 Episode 17 - Aired 2/10/1994

    Matlock reluctantly agrees to spend the weekend as part of a murder mystery with Cliff, Leanne, and three people who each paid $10,000 for the privilege of matching wits with Ben Matlock. When the pretend victim turns up really dead, they know that one of the three paying visitors killed him. Leanne has her father keep the three suspects occupied with stories of previous cases while she and Cliff investigate.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Robert Schlitt

  • Brennen
    7.3/10 132 votes

    #18 - Brennen

    Season 8 Episode 18 - Aired 2/17/1994

    Ben vies with a formidable D.A. while defending a client accused of killing a city councilwoman, and discovers a secret hiding in the D.A.'s past that is affecting his judgment in this case.

    Director: Robert Scheerer

    Writer: N/A

  • The P.I.
    7.1/10 95 votes

    #19 - The P.I.

    Season 8 Episode 19 - Aired 3/3/1994

    A P.I.'s daughter shoots some photos that get the wrong man accused of murder.

    Director: Christopher Hibler

    Writer: N/A

  • The Godfather
    7.6/10 161 votes

    #20 - The Godfather

    Season 8 Episode 20 - Aired 4/28/1994

    Matlock reluctantly agrees to host a reception for his goddaughter's wedding at Leanne's prompting, but when one of the best men is murdered after the bachelor party, Matlock agrees to defend the brother of the bride when he is accused of murder. The case is hindered by cheating lovers, a bad history between the victim and the accused, and an increasing number of houseguests at Matlock's home, none of which were invited.

    Director: Christopher Hibler

    Writer: N/A

  • The Idol (1)
    NaN/10 0 votes

    #21 - The Idol (1)

    Season 8 Episode 21 - Aired 5/19/1994

    A lawyer who is a fan of Matlock's is accused of murdering a blackmailing P.I.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Idol (2)
    NaN/10 0 votes

    #22 - The Idol (2)

    Season 8 Episode 22 - Aired 5/19/1994

    No description available

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A