The Real McCoys
The Real McCoys
TV-14 | 03 October 1957 (USA)
SEASON & EPISODES
  • 6
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • Reviews
    SincereFinest disgusting, overrated, pointless
    filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
    Bea Swanson This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.
    Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.
    John T. Ryan AS DEFINITIVE PROOF that the upstart medium of Television was winning its uphill struggle with the big Hollywood Movie Moguls & their Studios, with the decade of the 1950's progressing, we had many series that featured those who had been designated "Movie Stars" taking starring roles in series TV.EVEN A ROUTINE inspection of the TV Guide listings of the day prove this. There were: FATHERE KNOWS BEST (Robert Young), THE DEPUTY (Henry Fonda), WICHITA TOWN (Joel McCrea) and THE DETECTIVES (Robert Taylor).AS A FURTHRER indication of this trend, we had a change of the Big Studio Bosses in their sanctimonious attitude toward Television. Perhaps in taking a cue from Walt Disney, whose success in an entertainment/promotional hybrid in his DISNEYLAND success was proving such isolationist policy to be futile, the Moguls reversed their course of action. Soon program titles followed, such as: WARNER BROTHERS PRESENTS, MGM PARADE and THE 20th CENTURY-FOX HOUR.SO IT SHOULD have been no surprise that we saw Academy Award winner, Walter Brennan taking the main character role in THE REAL McCOYS (1957-63). Once it debuted, it was an overwhelming success on the ABC Television and forever defined Mr. Brennan as "Grand Pappy Amos" for the Babby Boomer Generation.CREATING HUMOROUS SITUATIONS by chronicling interaction between "City Slickers" and their Rustic cousins is nothing new. We need only look to Old Time Radio for a clue. On the airwaves of the 1930's & '40's were host to such shows as THE JUDY CANOVA SHOW, HILLBILLY HEART THROBS and LUM & ABNER, etc.THE REAL McCOYS, however, opted for less farcical of a treatment and instead gave us a far more civil story of an agrarian family's relocation and adjustment to what looked to be a veritable "Promised Land." Much like the later of the later series, THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES, the McCoys emigrated from West Virginia to California; albeit for far different reasons. The Clampett family struck oil and lived the "Good Life"; whereas the McCoys sought greener fields.CAST IN SUPPORT of Walter Brennan's Grand Pappy Amos was a company of experienced supporting players. Radio/TV Richard Crenna (grandson Luke McCoy) had grown up on Radio. Specializing in portraying Juvies (typecasting?), he had been Madison High School Student on OUR MISS BROOKS, both Radio & TV versions.ROUNDING OUT THE cast were: Kathleen Nolan (Kate, Mrs. Luke McCoy), Tony Martinez (Farm Hand, Pepino)and Michael Winkelman (Little Luke). Sennett Veteran comedian, Andy Clyde (George MacMichael)was a Farmer Neighbor and, Madge Blake (Flora MacMichael) in a role before being "Aunt Harriet Cooper" on BATMAN (1966-68).IN SUMMING UP our recollections of THE FREAL McCOYS, we can only say that its strength lied in its believability; rather than the outrageous, cartoon-like humor of so many other successful series of its day.
    jec1957 I remember watching this show a a young boy and I remember how it made me laugh. In fact, Walter was the greatest of all time 2nd bananas and was loved by Americans all over. He has won Academy Awards and Emmy Awards for his work. He really touched us with his down home drawl which was the best ever delivered by a New England native.I believe that he had only one movie roll where he played the heavy. Unfortunately the more I learned about Walter Brennan the hard it got for me to truly enjoy his work. He was an unapologetic racist and had true hate in his blood for all minorities. Every time I see one of his movies all I can think of is his hate. He supported Wallace in 1964 and didn't support Nixon because he believed Nixon was too liberal.
    pooh-24 This show is incredulous.I mean it being premiered in 1957 and all,gee Buddy Holly was still alive,Cuba was not communist,but a free nation,the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn,the baseball Giants still in New York,the Lakers in Minneapolis,and the President Of The United States (Ike) was someone you could believe in. Yes those were good times and this was a good show that had a good run.The Real McCoys had a great cast with Walter Brennan doing his best as the lead as Granpa,and doing well as usual.A young Richard Crenna starting out what would be a fantastic acting career who would have thought of it him being on this show.Madge Blake was on this show,Aunt Harriet from Batman.And a young Kathleen Nolan,yes this was a fine show with some good humor and some good lessons learned about life sprinkled in. You don't get TV like this anymore,of course we don't.Dawson's Creek and other shows like it have meant the end of televison with a sense of humor and with some heart to it.Now shows are filled with self pity,characters that are selfish,and with tons of sarcasm to them.Shows like the new "Get Real and Freeks and Geeks" reflect what we have become to our regret.When people look back at the 1990's they are sure to remember it as an age of anger and disillusionment. We can look back at the 1950's though.Not a perfect age.But a great time for Americans and shows like "The Real McCoys" with a happy and stable family living on a farm enjoying life rather than cursing it,give us an example of who we were.A good show with some good humor, and thanks to TNN now not to be forgotten.
    Kirasjeri 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.