TAKE 5: 'Matlock' did justice to Atlanta
Father-daughter law team Ben and Charlene Matlock (Andy Griffith and Linda Purl) and private investigator Tyler Hudson (Kene Holliday) join forces to defend clients in the most sensational, headline-making murder cases in the country on "Matlock." Credit: NBC
With Bravo's "Real Housewives of Atlanta" premiering its new season on Monday, we've decided to take a look at another series that was set in that Georgia city: "Matlock," starring Andy Griffith as folksy (but Harvard-educated) defense lawyer Ben Matlock. Here are five things to know about the popular legal drama:
1. Griffith's old Mayberry buddy Don Knotts had a recurring role from 1988-90 as Matlock's annoying neighbor Les Calhoun.
2. During the first season, Linda Purl played Matlock's daughter and partner, Charlene. In the second season, Charlene left Atlanta to start her own practice in Philadelphia. But what really happened was that Purl had left the show because she didn't get along with her castmates.
3. "Matlock" was one of a handful of shows to air on two networks, NBC (1986-92) and ABC (1993-95).
4. Technically speaking, "Matlock" appeared on three networks: In 1997, two years after the end of the series, Griffith reprised the role on a two-part episode of CBS' "Diagnosis Murder."
5. When the show moved to ABC in 1992, production was moved from Hollywood to Wilmington, N.C.'s EUE Screen Gems Studios, closer to Griffith's home.
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