Is Matlock safe for children?

Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock. The show, produced by The Fred Silverman Company, Dean Hargrove Productions, Viacom Productions and Paramount Television originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC; and from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC. The show's format is similar to that of CBS's Perry Mason, with Matlock identifying the perpetrators and then confronting them in dramatic courtroom scenes. One difference, however, was that whereas Mason usually exculpated his clients at a pretrial hearing, Matlock usually secured an acquittal at trial, from the jury.

This is a 1980s legal drama with dialogue-driven courtroom scenes and a measured pace typical of that era, making it quite calm by modern standards, though it's designed for adult audiences rather than young children.

Stimulus rating reflects pacing, visual complexity, and sensory intensity — factors associated with attention development in children under 3. Learn more

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