Some unsurprising news about Matlock‘s future also sets up its biggest story challenge. The Kathy Bates-led quasi-reboot of the classic Andy Griffith cozy mystery series is already one of CBS’ most successful shows of the fall 2024 season. The pilot episode of Matlock season 1 scored an impressive 7.74 million viewers and the series did not lose any momentum despite a month-long hiatus before it settled on its official Thursday timeslot. There are several reasons why Matlock is so successful, but one of the strongest is the way it differs from the show that inspired it.