|
|
|
|
The Real McCoys
|
| |
|
| |
The Real McCoys is a television situation comedy from Danny Thomas Productions. The program aired on the ABC network from 1957 through 1962. It aired for one more season on CBS before its end in 1963.
series revolved around the lives of a mountain family who originally hailed from the fictional community of Smoky Corners, West Virginia. The McCoys moved to California where they became dirt farmers. The family consisted of Grandpa Amos McCoy (the head of the family; Walter Brennan), his grandson Luke (Richard Crenna), Luke's new bride Kate (Kathleen Nolan), teenage sister Hassie (Lydia Reed), and 11-year-old brother Little Luke (Michael Winkelman).
Discussion
Ask a question about 'The Real McCoys' Start a new discussion about 'The Real McCoys' Answer questions from other users |
Encyclopedia
The Real McCoys is a television situation comedy from Danny Thomas Productions. The program aired on the ABC network from 1957 through 1962. It aired for one more season on CBS before its end in 1963.
Synopsis
The series revolved around the lives of a mountain family who originally hailed from the fictional community of Smoky Corners, West Virginia. The McCoys moved to California where they became dirt farmers. The family consisted of Grandpa Amos McCoy (the head of the family; Walter Brennan), his grandson Luke (Richard Crenna), Luke's new bride Kate (Kathleen Nolan), teenage sister Hassie (Lydia Reed), and 11-year-old brother Little Luke (Michael Winkelman). The double-naming of the brothers was explained in the first episode by the elder Luke as due to their parents being so excited over the birth of the younger boy, "they forgot all about me!"
When they arrived on the new ranch, that had been in the family (it was originally owned by an uncle, Ben McCoy, who had died); they also gained an Hispanic ranch hand named Pepino (Tony Martinez) who worked with them, and eventually became part of the family. The McMichaels, a brother and sister family lived on the hill not far from the McCoys, and Amos and George would sometimes spat. Kate was friendly with Flora McMichael, George's sister; and she got involved with a lot of the life in the community. She also served as a mother figure for Luke's younger siblings, Hassie and Little Luke.
Just before the show ended its run on ABC, Nolan decided to leave the show due to a contract dispute, so her character was killed off for the final season. The beginning of the final season also saw Hassie leaving home to attend college and Little Luke joining the Army. Luke became a widower and many of the stories revolved around Grandpa trying to match him up with a new wife. This nearly worked when Luke met Louise Howard, played by Janet De Gore, a widow with a young son, Greg, played by Butch Patrick.
Cancellation
Although the series had rated in the Top 10 the entire time it was on ABC, it fell into disfavor after being sold to CBS and was cancelled in the summer of 1963. Factors in the cancellation were the changes in the series (the death of the character Kate), its new time slot opposite NBC's Bonanza, and CBS's concentration on another rural show The Beverly Hillbillies, which had become the Number 1 entry on television.
A year after The Real McCoys ended production, Brennan starred in the short-lived ABC series The Tycoon as eccentric and sometimes cantankerous businessman Walter Andrews. The program, another Danny Thomas production, ceased after thirty-two episodes.
DVD Releases
On July 24, 2007, Infinity Entertainment released the first season of The Real McCoys on Region 1 DVD. The second season was released on October 30, 2007.
External links
|
| |
|
|
