Shows Like Matlock

Looking for shows like Matlock? Here are 10 legal dramas with the same sharp writing and courtroom tension. We picked each title based on shared tone, themes, and emotional feel.

1. 

   1. The Good Wife

   2009Drama

   The Good Wife follows Alicia Florrick, a lawyer who returns to work at a Chicago firm after her politician husband's public scandal and jailing. It connects to Matlock through its clever weekly cases and a lead whom rivals tend to underestimate. The Good Wife is far more serialized, weaving office politics, campaigns and Alicia's marriage into every episode. It is a sharper, more complex drama, while still delivering plenty of satisfying courtroom wins.

   Where to watch The Good Wife
2. 

   2. Better Call Saul

   2015Drama

   Better Call Saul follows Jimmy McGill, a scrappy small-time lawyer in Albuquerque, years before he becomes the criminal lawyer Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad. Like Matlock, it features a lawyer whose charm and showmanship help him win over judges and juries. That is where the similarity ends. This is a slow-burning character tragedy about ethics and family rivalry, with crime plots in the background, rather than a cozy case-of-the-week series.

   Where to watch Better Call Saul
3. 

   3. Suits

   2011Drama

   Suits follows Mike Ross, a brilliant college dropout with a photographic memory who talks his way into a job at a top Manhattan law firm under star attorney Harvey Specter, despite never attending law school. It shares Matlock's pleasure in watching clever lawyers outmaneuver opponents. Suits is set mostly in corporate deal-making and boardrooms rather than criminal trials, and its glossy, fast-talking style is far flashier, with a big secret driving much of the drama.

   Where to watch Suits
4. 

   4. The Lincoln Lawyer

   2022Drama

   The Lincoln Lawyer follows Mickey Haller, a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who runs his practice from the back seat of a Lincoln as he takes on complicated cases. Of everything here, it is closest to Matlock's core: a defense lawyer digging into the facts until the truth comes out in court. It is more modern and serialized, with each case unfolding over many episodes, and Mickey's personal life and past mistakes add a grittier edge.

   Where to watch The Lincoln Lawyer
5. 

   5. Perry Mason

   2020Drama

   Perry Mason reimagines the classic lawyer as a struggling private investigator in 1930s Los Angeles, played by Matthew Rhys, who is drawn into a disturbing case that pushes him toward the courtroom. Fans of Matlock will recognize the defense-attorney roots, since the original Perry Mason helped define the courtroom genre that Matlock belongs to. This version is dark, moody period noir, though, with a slow, serialized story and none of the cheerful case-of-the-week rhythm.

   Where to watch Perry Mason
6. 

   6. How to Get Away with Murder

   2014Drama

   How to Get Away with Murder follows Annalise Keating, a formidable defense attorney and law professor played by Viola Davis, and a group of her students who become entangled in a murder. Like Matlock, it features a commanding lawyer who wins cases with sharp courtroom tactics. It is a twisty, soapy thriller, though, told through flash-forwards and shocking reveals, with the lawyers themselves hiding crimes. Expect intensity rather than comfort.

   Where to watch How to Get Away with Murder
7. 

   7. The Practice

   1997Drama

   The Practice follows a small, struggling Boston defense firm whose lawyers take on difficult criminal cases and often wrestle with defending clients they suspect are guilty. It shares Matlock's focus on defense work and memorable courtroom moments. The Practice is much more morally conflicted, frequently ending without a clean victory, and it treats the justice system with skepticism. It is a serious, grown-up legal drama for viewers who want the courtroom with fewer easy answers.

   Where to watch The Practice
8. 

   8. Boston Legal

   2004Comedy

   Boston Legal follows a group of eccentric attorneys at a high-powered firm, led by James Spader's Alan Shore and William Shatner's Denny Crane. Like Matlock, it gives the spotlight to colorful, veteran lawyers with distinctive personalities and winning closing arguments. It is far more comedic and outspoken, though, mixing absurd humor with pointed speeches on current issues. The friendship between Alan and Denny is as much the heart of the show as any case.

   Where to watch Boston Legal
9. 

   9. Bull

   2016Drama

   Bull follows Dr. Jason Bull, a trial consultant who uses psychology and data to understand jurors and help shape the outcome of cases. It connects to Matlock through its procedural, case-of-the-week format, where each episode builds toward a courtroom verdict. Bull is not a lawyer, so the focus shifts to jury selection and behind-the-scenes strategy. The tone is slick and fast-paced, with a team-based approach in place of one lawyer's courtroom magic.

   Where to watch Bull
10. 

    10. Ally McBeal

    1997Comedy

    Ally McBeal follows a young lawyer at a quirky Boston firm, played by Calista Flockhart, as she juggles odd cases, office romances and vivid daydreams. It shares Matlock's light touch with legal stories, offering plenty of courtroom scenes without grim darkness. The emphasis, though, is on Ally's personal life, fantasy sequences and the firm's eccentric staff, so it plays as a romantic comedy-drama. Choose it when you want legal cases with a surreal, playful twist.

    Where to watch Ally McBeal