Matlock marathons on the Hallmark Channel have provided a significant boost in longevity to the series. It has been a common occurrence for Matlock reruns to appear on television in blocks of 4 or more episodes at a time, enabling true fans to immerse themselves for hours. This trend of playing reruns in blocks appears to have started years ago with Matlock and spread to other networks and series’ who are now commonly doing the same thing. It makes good sense for an old show to reach a new, younger audience through concentrated, repetitive bombardment. New viewers become familiar with the cast of a show in a matter of a few hours and they never look back.
Let’s hope continued blocks of Matlock episodes remain on television for years and scores of new viewers to come. As of the time of this entry, Matlock is on at 5, 6, 7 and 8am every weekday, and the 2-part episodes or “Matlock Movies” often appear in groups on weekends. For the past several years this deluge of Matlock gold has come to us courtesy of the Hallmark Channel. May that network live long and prosper!