In a couple of flashback episodes that looked at Ben's early career, Andy Griffith played Ben's father.
Daniel Roebuck played three different roles on Matlock before finally getting cast as Cliff Lewis in season seven.
Nancy Stafford chose to leave the series after season six. She had just gotten married, and with the filming being moved to North Carolina, she did not wish to relocate.
Although Charlene and Leanne were supposed to be sisters, no mention is ever made of their connection during the series.
Clarence Gilyard Jr. appeared in almost every episode of the NBC edition of the show, after he joined the cast, before production moved to North Carolina for the series seventh year. He was about to co-star in Walker, Texas Ranger, which made Gilyard's scheduling more difficult.
Kene Holliday was fired after the third season, due to his ongoing battle with drugs and alcohol.
Clarence Gilyard Jr. and Daniel Roebuck were series regulars together for all of season 7 and a few episodes of season 8 (when Gilyard left), but due to one or both not making an appearance in a given episode, they were only in two together.
In 1997, two years after the end of the series, Andy Griffith reprised the role of Matlock on a two part episode of Diagnosis Murder. This would mark his final appearance in the role, and the only time the Matlock character was seen on CBS. In the episode, it is explained that Dr. Mark Sloan, played by Dick Van Dyke, advised Ben in 1969 to invest his life savings, $5000, in the 8-Track Tape industry. When Ben lost all his money, he began buying cheap suits off the rack and eating hot dogs because they were all he could afford. By the time he had money again, it was a habit.
During the third season of Matlock, Kene Holliday had missed a total of 7 episodes, because he was sent to a rehabilitation clinic for his drug and alcohol abuse, where he stayed on an outpatient basis. By the time he became 3 months sober, he was already fired from the show.
Ben Matlock is based on a High Point North Carolina attorney.
This episode includes Nancy Stafford as a character - well before her becoming Ben's associate.
This episode has been aired alternately under the title "The Widow".
This was Daniel Roebuck's first appearance on the show. He would appear several more times over the course of the series' run before he would become a permanent cast member as Cliff Lewis.
Ben Matlock tells Michelle Thomas that his daughter, Charlene, left Atlanta and joined a law firm in Philadelphia, thus explaining the character's exodus from the series.
When talking to Tony, Matlock mentions that he knew someone who pronounced kleptomaniac as kleptomenerac. That person was Don Knotts as Andy Griffith's deputy on The Andy Griffith Show. Don Knotts also appeared in 'Matlock'.
The original title of this episode was "A Matlock Murder Mystery." It was given its current title for syndication purposes.
This was the last original episode broadcast on NBC.
This was the first episode broadcast on ABC.
George Peppard made his last TV-appearance on this show. He appeared as Max Morgan in the 8th season, in the episode "The P.I.", first broadcasted on 3 March 1994. Peppard died on 8 May 1994.
This was a pilot for a proposed spin-off, which would have followed the further adventures of Max and Jesse. Unfortunately, George Peppard died before the planned series was filmed.
Matlock only makes a brief appearance at the beginning of this episode, apparently so the producers could say he was in the episode.
According to this episode's closing credits, the members of the barbershop quartet, The Choral Roberts, with whom Andy Griffith sang as character Ben Matlock were: Robert "Robert" Cox (bass), Robert "Jim" Benson (baritone), Robert "Robbie" Benson (tenor), and 'Robert 'Bob Appleton (lead).
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