Don’t call it a comeback if it’s only a reboot by name alone. Even if it’s a name as well-known as Matlock.
Having recently glimpsed the newest iteration in the franchise about a sharp-as-a-tack, wily, aged lawyer, I’m ready to tell viewers a little about what they have in store this fall.
First of all, let me go ahead and get this out of the way now: this is not your grandpa’s Matlock. Now, there are certainly some similarities.
However, if fans of the original are looking for a gender-swapped faithful reimagining, they might find themselves mildly disappointed.
But that shouldn’t discourage you. The other thing I have to say about the upcoming series is that the first episode was AMAZING!
Seriously, you guys will love this show, and TV Fanatic is here to give you a little insight into how it compares to its parent series.
The His To Her’s Story
Depending on your age, your experience with Matlock may differ wildly from another person’s. However, regardless of generation, a large chunk of the country, at least, would easily recognize the name “Matlock.”
The show’s original run drew heavily on one of Hollywood’s first-ever hour-long series filmed for television, Perry Mason.
That’s not all that surprising when you consider that Perry Mason and Matlock were both created by Dean Hargrove.
The multi-hyphenated industry vet sure loves suit-and-tie-wearing protagonists, having also worked on Columbo and The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Sadly, Hargrove will not be involved with the Kathy Bates reboot. It’s likely because the man is almost ninety years old and fully retired from Hollywood. He is likely more than ready to pass the torch.
It’s been over twenty years since we saw the last installment in the Matlock franchise and believe it or not, it’s possible we still technically haven’t.
The Show Within A Show
As I said at the start of this article, don’t call it a comeback. Monk and the original run of Matlock may share a universe through a Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon sort of way but don’t expect that from the Kathy Bates version.
Viewers have more connection to this new character than she does to Andy Griffith. In the 2024 version, Madeline Matlock is not in any way related to the original attorney. She can’t be because, like in the real world, Matlock is an old TV show.
That’s right. In the new series, the old one is just something to reference from TV Land.
Like most of you, I assumed Kathy Bates’s character would have been descended from Andy Griffith’s. However, I take it as a good sign that the series is already avoiding viewers’ expectations.
Having seen the series’ first episode, I can say that it really helps move the story along.
Matlock is established as a TV show very early in the pilot, which is brilliant because it made me immediately stop trying to look for Easter eggs or connections to the parent series.
Don’t get me wrong, though! There are still plenty of hints and clues to Andy Griffith’s Matlock through the premiere episode.
