The Real McCoys

I watched this show fairly frequently as a child but now that I am an adult I appreciate it much more. I am so impressed with the acting and stamina of Walter Brennan. For a man in his late 60's, he had to memorize tons of dialogue and work so hard it must have been a strain on him, however it never showed in his performance. His wonderful love/hate friendship with George MacMichael (Andy Clyde) was a highlight of the show. I was very sorry when Kate left the show, though it wasn't the same, I still enjoyed it because I loved watching Walter. I am so glad that TNN is showing reruns of this show.

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.

I always loved this show, except for the final season. It was bad enough that Kathy Nolan left, but the kids (Hassie and Little Luke) were also phased out within a handful of episodes. Then, even Grandpa Amos McCoy was gone by the spring of 1963, leaving only Luke and Pepino for the final 13 episodes or so. The show was such a heart-warming sitcom until then, but the final season we had to witness the family disintegrate. Very depressing.

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.