39 Years Later, Ben Matlock’s Best Line Is Still The Coldest In Any Courtroom Drama

Published Oct 25, 2026, 3:30 PM EDT Faith Roswell is a Senior Writer on Screen Rant's Classic TV team. Since earning her degree in Creative Writing over a decade ago, Faith has written articles on film and TV from a variety of different angles. Faith now combines her knowledge of psychology with her love of monster movies to give more insight into what makes the best ones. You may have read her Screen Rant lists and features covering horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, or read her Amazon Top 10 book, "Movie Monsters of the Deep." Faith has had an extensive career as a writer, appearing on BBC live radio, researching true crime for Rotten Mango podcast, and writing for publications including Mental Floss, Atlas Obscura, and The Daily Jaws before beginning here at Screen Rant. The best legal dramas ever written are never short of memorable takedowns and witty one-liners, with the intense courtroom setting bringing out the best and worst in their main characters, often within the same scene. A well-chosen line can turn a case upside-down, and Matlock's devastating remarks made Ben Matlock into one of TV's best lawyers, with a legacy that still lives on in more modern courtroom dramas. Being a defense attorney, Ben met a range of characters, from the mischievous to the outright evil, and his ability to skewer each is the highlight viewers waited for. In the episode "Santa Claus," a landlord planning to evict his tenants over Christmas is murdered by a man wearing a Santa suit, and when bitter war veteran Tom McCabe is accused of the crime, Matlock takes on the case. McCabe is an unpleasant person, but he is innocent, so when Matlock rebukes him for his attitude, it is one of his coldest lines yet. McCabe accuses him of taking on his case for personal gains, to which Matlock cheerfully responds, "Every year I look for the nastiest, hatefulest, meanest man to represent and this year you're it." The Original Matlock’s Best Quote Is A Wicked One-Liner Matlock's Christmas tradition of representing people who could not otherwise find a good lawyer was a recurring seasonal storyline for the show. These episodes were often a little different, centering on Christmas-themed crimes, but Andy Griffith's performance ensured that Matlock's signature wit was still intact, even faced with people dressed as Santa. While always known for his takedowns, Matlock's response to McCabe was especially cutting. With McCabe being falsely accused of murder and suffering an array of issues stemming from his time at war, this would likely have felt like another act of cruelty for the character. However, there is more to the line. McCabe's neighbors had offered Matlock some of their pensions and social security income if he would defend him. Knowing this, Matlock's observation is accurate from his point of view, with his client being deeply unpleasant and unwilling to see the kindness of those around him. Wicked lines like this are part of what makes Matlock a perfect legal drama, as they prove that the titular character does not need a courtroom setting to put somebody on the witness stand and find them lacking. Matlock’s Reboot Lacks Ben’s Classic Courtroom Zingers Credit: MovieStillsDB Rebooting a classic TV series with an iconic main character is always a risk, as simply copying the original character brings nothing new to the table, while longtime fans may not enjoy a new take. Matlock was one of TV's riskiest reboots, but it paid off, putting Kathy Bates in the central role as Madeline "Matty" Matlock, a brilliant lawyer returning to the profession. Bates had a different approach, and the 2024 revival show lacks Ben Matlock's classic courtroom savagery. That said, this is not necessarily a bad thing, as Bates brings a different kind of wit to the show. Both Matlock series have their comedic moments, but while the original series made viewers laugh through Ben's lines, the humor in the Matlock revival comes from Matty outwitting the less pleasant characters. As a formerly-retired woman, Matty is constantly underestimated and often patronized, while her patience gives her the gift of timing. When she finally reveals her intelligence and observations, we are already on the same side, knowing something that her opponent does not, and seeing her put a prejudiced character in their place after some agism and sexism feels like personal satisfaction on her behalf. Matlock's revival series has a 92% positive critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Kathy Bates' Matlock is successful as it references the original show through funny references like a ringtone playing the original Matlock theme, while allowing the show to take a slightly different direction, giving the main character a skill all her own. Ben Matlock could make his charity legal work sound like a damning personal judgment, while Matty could turn an entire room's prejudice upside down with one well-chosen remark, making both versions of Matlock equally formidable in a courtroom. Matlock TV Show(s) Matlock, Matlock First TV Show Matlock Cast Andy Griffith, Linda Purl, Kene Holliday, Nancy Stafford, Clarence Gilyard Jr., Brynn Thayer, Daniel Roebuck, Don Knotts, Kathy Bates, Skye P. Marshall, Jason Ritter, David Del Rio, Leah Lewis, Beau Bridges Created by Dean Hargrove