As of July 2026, Matlock Season 3 aired in 1988 with 20 episodes — streaming now on Amazon Prime Video. Full episode guide and where to watch below.
Matlock Season 3 poster
← Back to Matlock

Matlock Season 3

1988 20 Episodes Drama · Crime ⭐ 7/10

Matlock Season 3 has quietly become one of the more dependable crime dramas currently available on and . A compact run that never overstays its welcome. 137 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Andy Griffith leads a cast that carries the story without ever feeling mechanical. Available now — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

There is a reason Matlock Season 3 keeps coming up in conversation. The plotting in Matlock Season 3 is tight enough that the twists feel earned rather than assembled. Season 3 of Matlock includes 20 episodes. It aired from November 1988 to May 1989. This season stars Andy Griffith, Kene Holliday and Nancy Stafford. Andy Griffith and Kene Holliday lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 1988. Matlock Season 3 is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

If you cannot walk away from a good mystery, Matlock Season 3 will keep you hooked. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single week. Andy Griffith carries scenes that would sink a lesser production. The resolution feels inevitable rather than arbitrary, which is rarer than it sounds.

📡 Where to Watch Matlock Season 3

🇺🇸 United States
TV Butler Pro app
🎩 TV Butler Pro
You find it. Your history remembers it.

🎬 Matlock Season 3 — Episode Guide

E1
The Lemon
1988-11-29
When Matlock's new neighbor, Les 'Ace' Calhoun, is charged with murdering the used car salesman who sold him a lemon, Matlock takes the case to prove that more than one person had a motive, and that Les is not the guilty party.
E2
The Ambassador (1)
1988-12-06
Anthony Stewart is charged with murdering Michael Russell, the husband of the woman he was sleeping with. Although Stewart, a visiting British ambassador, has diplomatic immunity, he refuses to use it, and wants to clean his name. Matlcok agrees to defend the young ambassador, but his case is almost...
E3
The Ambassador (2)
1988-12-13
After Anthony Stewart is nearly killed in a hit and run, Matlock realises that the only way to clear him is to find Shelby Russell, the supposed witness whose claim put Stewart in the hot seat in the first place. He tracks her down via her mother, and tells her that if she doesn't take the stand, he...
E4
The Mistress
1988-12-20
Matlock agrees to defend Laura McCord after she's charged with murdering her husband David in a jealous rage. He and Julie soon realise that David's lover is the key in all this, but she seems to have disappeared! Ben and Julie head to the mountains to find her, and realise that the young woman is c...
E5
The D.J.
1989-01-03
When radio disk jockey Arthur Saxon is accused of murdering rival D.J. Robby Moore, Michelle asks Ben to defend him. Ben agrees because Michelle swears he's the kindest, most gentlest man she's ever known, but Ben soon realises that Michelle's new boyfriend is anything but.
E6
The Captain
1989-01-10
Captain Edward Hanna was once a fine, fine cop. Unfortunately, his actions over the years have netted him with the nickname 'The Mad Hatter'. When police officer Jim Shanley is found dead after spouting off about Hanna, sergeant Jerry Reese is charged with the crime. Everyone thinks he's guilty, esp...
E7
The Vendetta
1989-01-17
Michelle is taken hostage by Ned Billings, who blames Matlock for his brother (James Billings, The Professor) committing suicide after being convicted of murder, thanks to Ben. Tyler and Julie also show up and end up as Ned's hostages, and they try to use the tactics they've seen Matlock use in cour...
E8
The Mayor (1)
1989-01-31
When Chris Reardon, a man determined to bring the sixties back into the late eighties, is charged with murdering mayor Brian Barelli, reporter Paul O'Neill brings Matlock to Chicago to defend him, convinced of his innocence. Matlock reluctantly agrees to follow through with the case after realising ...
E9
The Mayor (2)
1989-02-07
Paul O'Neill heads to Texas to get his hands on Eddie Lomax, whom he believes to be the real killer. Matlock realises that a land scam is behind everything, and enlists an unlikely ally...the dead man's wife.
E10
The Black Widow
1989-02-14
Seven years earlier Ken Wilson was sent to prison, convicted of murdering his wife, Ann. After he's released, he runs into his wife in Los Angeles, only now she's going by the name Kelly Manning. When she turns up dead, Ken Wilson is again arrested and charged with her murder. Ben is determined to p...
E11
The Other Woman
1989-02-21
Matlock agrees to defend psychiatrist Lucas Forbes when he's arrested for killing Adam Whitley, the husband of one of his patients whom Lucas was reportedly having an affair with, according to the woman's diary. Matlock soon realises that Erin Whitley has a host of deep-rooted psychiatric problems. ...
E12
The Starlet
1989-02-28
An old friend comes to Matlock to beg him to prove that her daughter Lauren didn't murder her rival Morgan Girard after a beauty contest.
E13
The Psychic
1989-03-07
Matlock agrees to defend a psychic, Jennifer Holtz, who claims to have seen the murder before it ever took place.
E14
The Thief (1)
1989-03-28
When a rare coin dealer is charged with murdering a thieving employee, he hires Matlock to defend him. Tyler is less than thrilled when Matlock temporarily hires a female investigator, and has his own suspicions of her motives.
E15
The Thief (2)
1989-04-04
Matlock and Tyler realise that part of Linda's deception is routed in the recent kidnapping of her son. While Tyler helps her locate the child, Matlock finds the rare coin he needs to put the finish on the case.
E16
The Thoroughbred
1989-04-18
When the manager of a thoroughbred farm is murdered, her father begs Matlock to represent the mentally handicapped man accused of the crime.
E17
The Model
1989-04-25
Matlock has finally had the breakthrough in the case he was struggling with, but after being hit by a car, he needs to put the case together from scratch. Unfortunately, his nurse isn't too pleased to see him trying to work, and does her best to make sure he gets the rest he needs.
E18
The Cult
1989-05-02
When William Austin comes to Atlanta from Chicago and heads to the cult that has ensnared his son Dennis, Dennis tells him to leave him alone, the cult is his home now, and that he is no longer his father. The leader of the cult, Joshua Bradbury, tells Austin that he needs to accept Dennis' decisio...
E19
The Blues Singer
1989-05-09
When legendary blues singer Eddie Haynes is charged with murder, Matlock agrees to defend a man he once idolized. Haynes swears that the young rock star he's accused of killing was going to write him a hit song, and Matlock soon realises that there is no shortage of people who wanted the charismatic...
E20
The Priest
1989-05-16
After a local mobster is accused of murdering a priest, Alex Winthrop goes to Matlock for help with the case because he knows that he can't do it on his own. It doesn't take long before Matlock realises that the Church is covering something up.

🎭 Cast of Matlock Season 3

Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith
Ben Matlock
Kene Holliday
Kene Holliday
Tyler Hudson
Nancy Stafford
Nancy Stafford
Michelle Thomas
Julie Sommars
Julie Sommars
Julie March

📋 All Seasons of Matlock

Season 1Season 2Season 4Season 5Season 6Season 7Season 8Season 9

Never Lose Track of Matlock

TV Butler Pro lets you search every streaming service in seconds, tracks what you've watched, and works completely free. No app download needed.

🎩 Try TV Butler Pro Free