McCloud

Although I think that the original inspiration for the McCloud series came from Clint Eastwood's film Coogan's Bluff which involved a New Mexico sheriff in New York, Dennis Weaver certainly made Marshal Sam McCloud his own character and certainly was a lot less stiff than Eastwood's Joe Coogan.

The premise had Sam McCloud of Taos, New Mexico in New York to take some training in new law enforcement techniques. But it seemed that in every show he was teaching those New York City slickers a thing or two about criminal apprehension.

He was the bane of the existence of Chief Clifford who was played by J.D. Cannon. Cannon looked like he was about to let an ulcer get the better of him in each show. A bit more patient was the NYPD babysitter Terry Carter who played Sergeant Joe Broadhurst. Weaver even got a little romance going with reporter Diana Muldaur. Weaver was good for scoops at least.

And there was McCloud's eternal catchphrase. Whenever the New Yorkers finally got whatever he was doing it was always "There Ya Go". Weaver was always springing country aphorisms which he had to translate.

Weaver really made this show click. He hated playing Chester in Gunsmoke, always thought he should have been the marshal.

I'd say he proved it with McCloud.

This has to be one of the funnest detective shows in the history of television. Dennis Weaver went from being the country bumpkin deputy Chester on "Gunsmoke" to what became his defining role as Marshall Sam McCloud. I especially loved the fact that it never took itself seriously as most shows of this type did. I'm just sorry that it never was spun off onto its own separate series as this show was definitely a classic.

I miss the NBC Mystery Movie, which gave us Columbo, McMillan and Wife, McCloud, and several shows that didn't make it. McCloud deservedly was a show that lasted. It starred Dennis Weaver who, after his big success as Chester on "Gunsmoke" proved that he wasn't one to be typecast. He was terrific as McCloud, a westerner assigned to work in New York City under Chief Clifford (the ever-irate J.D. Cannon). Though his ways were often criticized, McCloud always got the job done. "You said yourself I'm funky," he once told Clifford. Terry Carter provided able support.

Diana Muldaur was McCloud's sophisticated Manhattan girlfriend, and you could really see how she'd fall for him - it's obvious she saw him as a real man in a world of dull types.

At the time of this writing, Dennis Weaver is 81 and still working occasionally, though not enough for his many fans. He has given us some wonderful characters over the years. McCloud is one, a funky cowboy riding the Manhattan streets.

Sam McCloud is one of the more entertaining characters ever created for television, and possibly the most natural "fish out of water" creation.

In the pilot, McCloud escorts a witness in an important murder case to New York, and winds up solving a complicated case virtually single-handedly. The premise then becomes that he is "assigned" by the Taos, NM Sheriff's Office to stay in New York as learn their police techniques and procedures.

Each episode becomes a study of how McCloud's stubborn, but common sense, demeanor trumps his big city colleagues to find the truth where more common methods fail.

While the cases presented are serious -- most often murders -- the series has a comical edge the will cause you to chuckle out loud at least a few times per episode.

The only failing is that some of the plots have a few holes in them, and today, it's hard to not only find the episodes, but to find uncut versions that don't leave out important scenes.

Dennis Weaver is brilliant in the show.

"There ya go."

Why do we only have McCloud available in seasons 1 & 2?? If those people are only going to release one batch, they should have selected some shows from the whole series.

I remember watching these in the '70's. Forget playing outside, let me know when Sam rides his horse in NYC. I made sure homework was done before he came on. you betcha! What about the guest stars? Jackie Cooper fights Sam on top of a stagecoach in NYC. John Denver is a Deputy Sheriff in Colorado(of course), and I believe he sings his song "I Guess He'd Rather Be In Colorado". Shirley Winters went a round or two with him, also. What about the episode where Sam and Sgt. Broadhurst are handcuffed together out in Oklahoma so Sam's whereabouts are always known? It is amazing how seeing our past shows us how little many things have changed. Let's look and see that less PC time. We were really like that. You Betcha.