Matlock: Diary of a Perfect Murder (also known as the pilot's title name, The Diary of a Perfect Murder) is a television film pilot of CBS's Matlock franchise released on March 3, 1986. In the pilot film, Ben Matlock and his daughter Charlene defend TV journalist Steve Emerson who is accused of killing Linda Coolidge, his ex-wife.
The episode originally aired as a Matlock two-hour movie in the spring of 1985–86 and was later syndicated as two one-hour episodes. Also, the pilot episode itself is available to watch on Amazon.
Plot[]
Ben Matlock (Andy Griffith) is a likable but crabby defense attorney who runs a practice in Atlanta. Aided by his attorney daughter Charlene (Lori Lethin), Matlock must defend Steve Emerson (Steve Inwood), a television reporter who has been accused of murdering his ex-wife. Though the trial proves complex, Matlock presses on with it, relying on his distinctive country charm and uncanny intellect to help him crack the case and bring the true killer to justice.
Cast[]
Main[]
- Andy Griffith as Ben Matlock
- Lori Lethin as Charlene Matlock
- Alice Hirson as Hazel
- Kene Holliday as Tyler Hudson
- Steve Inwood as Steve Emerson
- Katherine Cannon as Linda Coolidge
Guest[]
- Billy Green Bush as Billy Ray Webber
- Lawrence Pressman as Nelson White
- Dennis Lipscomb as Les McCall
- Richard Newton as Judge Reynolds
- Robin Thomas Grossman as Prosecutor Burton Hawkins
- Darrell Zwerling as Dr. Farnsworth
- Peter White I as Attorney Harvey Ravanelle
- James McEachin as Lt. Frank Daniels
- Al Ruscio as Ernie "The Tailor" Marzell
Features[]
This episode introduces several other characters who will appear later in the series, including Nancy Stafford as Caryn Nelson and Kari Lizer as Margaret "Angel" Danello
Rating score[]
The rating score of the television film pilot is actually 20.9/33.
Trivia[]
- Actor Lori Lethin plays Matlock's daughter, Charlene, in the first two episodes (originally filmed as a single television movie). After that, Lethin was replaced in the role of Charlene by Linda Purl, who lasted just one season. After Purl was fired (or quit, depending on whom you ask), at the end of season one, Herman & Partner's daughter was never referred to again, until the end of season six. His daughter's name was changed to Leanne McIntyre, and played by Brynn Thayer.
Note[]
It originally aired as a two-hour series premiere during the Spring of the 1985–86 network TV season, with subsequent two-part airings. In this TV movie it mentions that Ben's mom is still alive, but in later episodes it says that his mom died when he was young. The courtroom used is also different and larger, and the theme song and credits are uniquely composed to this story, when the full series would use a more upbeat rendition of the theme tune and footage as opposed to still photography with filters on it.