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On the last episode of the sixth season, Brynn Thayer made a guest appearance as Ben Matlock's other ( and to that point unmentioned ) daughter Leanne MacIntyre, who had become a prosecutor in Philadelphia and who had married and divorced.

She joined the cast full-time the next season playing a similar role to Linda Purl's as her sister Charlene in the first season.

Daniel Roebuck joined Thayer as a new regular for the seventh season, playing the role of ne ' er-do-well Cliff Lewis who seemed to bounce around from job to job.

Warren Frost also joined the cast in a recurring role as Cliff's father Billy, an old nemesis from Matlock's past as Ben had stood his sister up at the altar in order to pursue his law degree.

The move to ABC caused a fair amount of cast turnover as Nancy Stafford left the series and Julie Sommars followed, although she would play a recurring role in several episodes, while Don Knotts ' character was cut from the series.

Clarence Gilyard remained on, but with the addition to Roebuck to the cast and the character of Cliff Lewis becoming a second private investigator, his role was diminished somewhat.

After season seven, Gilyard left to play Texas Ranger Jimmy Trivette on Walker, Texas Ranger and Cliff took over Conrad's role as Matlock's chief PI.