Matlock is an
American television legal drama, starring
Andy Griffith in the title role of
Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986, to May 8, 1992 on
NBC, where it replaced
The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on
ABC.
The format of the show was similar to that of
Perry Mason, with Matlock identifying the murderer and then confronting him or her in a dramatic courtroom scene near the end. 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.