' s ▁real - life ▁wife ▁Susan ▁Bl anch ard ▁played ▁his ▁girl friend ▁Nell , ▁while ▁John ▁De hner ▁( who ▁guest - star red ▁as ▁the ▁cro oked ▁bank er ▁in ▁Ma ver ick ''' s ▁" Sh ady ▁De al ▁at ▁Sun ny ▁Ac res ") ▁appeared ▁as ▁a ▁front ier ▁mar shal ▁who ▁had ▁arrested ▁Ben ' s ▁father ▁Beau ▁dec ades ▁before . ▁The ▁series ▁was ▁cancel led ▁by ▁CBS ▁after ▁six ▁hour - long ▁episodes ▁had ▁been ▁shown , ▁leaving ▁two ▁which ▁were ▁never ▁a ired ▁on ▁the ▁network . ▁All ▁eight ▁episodes ▁were ▁screen ed ▁later ▁that ▁year ▁on ▁BBC 1 ▁in ▁the ▁UK . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁TV - movie ▁The ▁New ▁Ma ver ick , ▁featuring ▁Gar ner ▁as ▁Bret , ▁Frank ▁as ▁Ben , ▁Jack ▁Kelly ▁as ▁Bret ' s ▁brother ▁Bart ▁Ma ver ick , ▁and ▁Bl anch ard ▁as ▁Nell , ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁pilot ▁for ▁the ▁series . ▁( G ar ner ▁appeared ▁briefly ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁regular ▁episode ▁of ▁Young ▁Ma ver ick , ▁" C lan cy ," ▁making ▁him ▁the ▁only ▁person ▁to ▁appear ▁in ▁all ▁three ▁series .) ▁Among ▁the ▁actors ▁appearing ▁on ▁the ▁series ▁were ▁Howard ▁D uff , ▁John ▁Mc Int ire , ▁James ▁Wood s , ▁Don na ▁M ills ▁( all ▁in ▁" D ead ▁Man ' s ▁Hand ," ▁parts ▁ 1 ▁and ▁ 2 ), ▁J . ▁Pat ▁O ' Mal ley ▁(" A ▁F ist