Kathy Bates has said " At my age, I didn't know that I would have an opportunity to do something like this, and I sort of had one foot out the door because I've played a lot of supporting roles over the years."
The show does not have direct connections to the original Andy Griffith series, other than the name and similar execution. However, the original Andy Griffith series exists as a "TV show" in this series' universe.
Jane the Virgin boss Jennie Snyder Urman is the showrunner of the new Matlock. Her producing partner Joanna Klein is also an executive producer, and Kat Coiro (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) is a director and executive producer. NCIS: LA alum Eric Christian Olsen is also an executive producer alongside John Will.