The Real McCoys

This was indeed the grandfather of all shows and it set the standard for its precessdors,"The Andy Griffith Show"(CBS,1960-68),"The Beverly Hillbillies"(CBS,1962-71),"Petticoat Junction"(CBS,1963-69),"Green Acres"(CBS,1965-71),"Mayberry RFD"(CBS,1968-71),"The Waltons"(CBS,1972-81),and not to mention on the same category "Hee Haw"(CBS,1969-71),and "The Dukes of Hazzard"(CBS,1979-85)as the foundation for the successful "rural" comedy show. The Real McCoys was just that,a mountain family who moved from the hills of West Virginia to the countryside of California. It format was the first to feature a "real star" as the understanding Grandfather Amos McCoy(played by Oscar winning actor Walter Brennan),his faithful son Luke(played by Richard Crenna),and his lovely wife Kate(played by Kathleen Nolan)and their two wonderful children. And their was the next door neighbor(played by Andy Clyde),and the hired handyman Papito who manages to work around the farm and to keep things in order. However his son Luke and the rest always had their hands full and they share some of the sorrows and joys during the family's up and downs.

The show ran on two different networks---first it was on ABC-TV for four seasons,and then it went to CBS-TV for its last two and during its six year run the show went on to win Emmys for actors Walter Brennan and Richard Crenna. The last time this show was ever seen was recently on TNN(formerly The Nashville Network before it changes the logo to The National Network)and for those who like some down home spun country humor with a message in between,well "The Real McCoys" was the show to watch and set the standard for other country sitcoms to follow.

Any show with Walter Brennan is a winner! I was very little when this show aired. Walter Brennan was the epitome of a grandfather to me. I loved the way he walked, arms slightly bent, elbows back and kind of cocking them in the rhythm of his step.

Favorite episodes include Grandpa's games of checkers with George (Andy Clyde).

Brennan's Grandfatherly persona was showcased in this series. He disappeared for several years after the show's cancellation from television and resurfaced as a tough old hombre in The Guns of Will Sonnet, which was another great series.

The show declined over the years with cast members falling off like over-ripe cherries from a cherry tree. It finally died and made way for its successor, The Beverly Hillbillies.

When it aired on TNN a few years ago, it made for some wonderful memories of retro-t.v.

A pleasant thirty-minute bit of family values. Like all successful TV shows of the era, it included a "real star" in the cast - in this case, Walter Brennan. The show stressed family solidarity and doing the right thing. Each episode contained an understated lesson in life and living.

Re: the other comments. But although Walter Brennan was great as grandpa DO NOT forget the rest of the cast. Richard Crenna was wonderful as Luke, and Kathy Nolan (as she was called in the first years of the show, not Kathleen) was fine too, among others. She eventually left the show in a bitter contract dispute for a short-running series (check her credits) and her career went the route of DAvid Caruso from NYPD BLUE. This show had a wonderful theme song: "Want you to meet the family known as the real McCoys. That's grandpappy Amos, they head of the clan, he roars like a lion but he's gentle as a lamb. And now here's Luke who beams with joy since he may take Mrs Kate McCoy". A good show that never recovered from Nolan leaving - Luke as a widow didn't cut it.

I had seen episodes of The Real McCoys as a very small child during the original airings in the early 1960's. Many years had passed before I had the chance to see it again. Except for the ill-advised sixth and final season, without the lovely and talented Kathy Nolan as Kate, it is a heart-warming and wonderful family show that all too sadly is of the kind that is no longer made anymore. It is just great that the entire series is being released on DVD. I will certainly add the first five seasons to my collection. As for the sixth season, the show had lost it's heart with the departure of Kathy Nolan. Not until Don Knotts left The Andy Griffith Show did such a loss cripple a show again. Yes, The Real McCoys was basically a comedy show, but it often had touches of realism and drama you never saw on the later classic The Beverly Hillbillies. It had solid acting throughout, even down to the supporting cast. It also had a heart.