by Kate Matthews

Here, Matlock Police makes the most of its country setting and the presence of a city-cop newcomer. As well as having shot a horse before, country man Gary demonstrates his local knowledge to newcomer Curtis when he tells him about a shortcut.

At the station, the country style is also on display in the interactions between Sergeant Kennedy, Gary and Les Baker. Kennedy continues to treat Les as a member of the community, seeming unconcerned that he is a criminal suspect.

Kennedy’s grey-haired chief of the uniformed police is a cop show archetype – other examples are Cop Shop’s Sergeant Eric O’Reilly (Terry Norris) and Tom Croydon (John Woods) from Blue Heelers. Like many police shows, Matlock Police contrasts a uniformed front desk with a plain-clothes detective office, the uniform section often the source of some lighter scenes.