Andy Griffith returns to television screens everywhere as Benjamin L. Matlock, via CBS DVD. The third season of the long running series’ DVD release features all 20 episodes of the crime drama on five DVDs.
Notorious for being beloved by the elderly, my experiences with the show stem from time spent with my grandfather whom, stereotypically, adored the series. When I reviewed Season Two a few months ago though, I realized how great this show actually was, conveying smart, family friendly mysteries that actually took some intellect to solve. Season Three may be the quintessential season of this series. Right from the start, where Don Knotts joins the cast briefly as Ban’s crazy neighbor (or “Benj” as Knotts would refer to him in homage of the Andy Griffith show in which Knotts refereed to Griffith as “Anj”) this season is at the top of its game with great performances all around- from the writers to the actors and actresses.These are well-written mysteries that will surely appeal to any fan of Perry Mason, Diagnosis Murder, or Law & Order.
It’s hard to highlight episodes here as they are all similar in structure but vastly different in content. My favorites certainly include the season opener “The Lemon” for its brilliant inclusion of Don Knotts, “The Other Woman” in which a psychiatrist is charged with the murder of his client (I never did figure that one out in time), and “The Captain” for its edgy take on police misconduct.
This is just a wonderful, family friendly, thought-provoking series that any fans of crime drama will likely enjoy and season three, so I would recommend starting with this season and working your way back to Season One.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
