Kate was the heart, soul and conscience of The Real McCoys - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

mikefromgeorgia · 10-06-2008, 08:55 AM

Kate McCoy, as wonderfully portrayed by the lovely and talented Kathleen ("Kathy") Nolan, was the heart, soul and conscience of The Real McCoys. Kate and Pepino frequently were the sensible ones, always there to moderate and temper Grandpa and Luke's schemes and to help steer them clear of trouble. I think most people like myself sorely missed Kate when Kathy Nolan left the show. To me personally, the show would have been better off being cancelled after the Fifth Season. The Sixth Season was terrible and was very wisely the last one. It was mortally wounded with Kate's departure. The departures of Hassie and Little Luke also helped to finish the show off. Along with new network home CBS putting the severely weakened series up against NBC's powerhouse show Bonanza in the same time slot.

honeybea · 10-06-2008, 08:22 PM

I agree with you, the last season was't like The Real McCoys at all. It was bad enough with Kate gone, but Hassie and Little Luke gone, just wasn't the same show. The few shows without Kate in earlier seasons weren't as good either.

mikefromgeorgia · 10-07-2008, 08:32 AM

I know exactly what you mean about the earlier shows without Kate. It was like when Barney was out of town on The Andy Griffith Show or when Matt Dillon was out of town on Gunsmoke. I am aware of at least a few episodes in Seasons Four and Five of The Real McCoys where Kate was conspicuously absent although she did not actually leave the show until after the end of Season Five. Maybe Kathy Nolan wanted some time off or a break during these times. The chemistry just didn't work and the show was not at all the same warm, wonderful and vastly underrated show without her. I have not had the opportunity to see a lot of episodes of the show so far, so I look forward to seeing many wonderful episodes with Kate as the DVD releases of the series continues. I know I am in for a real treat.

mikefromgeorgia · 10-07-2008, 08:48 AM

Apparently even Walter Brennan did not even appear in the last thirteen episodes of the sixth and final season. It seemed that many of the last season plots involved Grandpa trying to find a new wife for Luke and these last thirteen episodes featured Luke and Pepino. Also it seems that Hassie was written off the show, going off to college and Little Luke had joined the Army. It was such a letdown after the first five terrific seasons. Before the sixth season The Real McCoys was a classic show. The sixth season it was only a lifeless remnant of what it had been before. Walter Brennan was always great and reliable. Richard Crenna was also a very good actor. The pity was that they just could not carry the show without the wonderful Kathy Nolan as Kate. They should have given her the raise she wanted and improved the scripts if they hoped to survive on CBS, especially up against Bonanza on NBC in the same time slot. It was also a shame that they never had Grandpa and Flora McMichael get married, at least. Madge Blake was delightful as Flora and Andy Clyde equally great as her brother George, Grandpa's best friend.

mikefromgeorgia · 10-07-2008, 08:57 AM

With every episode I see of The Real McCoys I am more and more convinced that it was the very finest rural or country oriented series ever on television. It had depth and heart and warmth. It had real substance and believeability. The Beverly Hillbillies is a classic in it's own right but it could also be very silly. The Andy Griffith Show was superb and capable of more depth and delivered on more than one occasion. Green Acres and Petticoat Junction were lighter weight more like The Beverly Hillbillies. The Real McCoys was the first and was also the best in my own humble opinion.

10-06-2008, 08:55 AM	#1
mikefromgeorgia Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 06, 2008 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire, England originally from Georgia, U.S.A. Posts: 10	Kate was the heart, soul and conscience of The Real McCoys Kate McCoy, as wonderfully portrayed by the lovely and talented Kathleen ("Kathy") Nolan, was the heart, soul and conscience of The Real McCoys. Kate and Pepino frequently were the sensible ones, always there to moderate and temper Grandpa and Luke's schemes and to help steer them clear of trouble. I think most people like myself sorely missed Kate when Kathy Nolan left the show. To me personally, the show would have been better off being cancelled after the Fifth Season. The Sixth Season was terrible and was very wisely the last one. It was mortally wounded with Kate's departure. The departures of Hassie and Little Luke also helped to finish the show off. Along with new network home CBS putting the severely weakened series up against NBC's powerhouse show Bonanza in the same time slot.

10-06-2008, 08:22 PM	#2
honeybea Member Forum Regular Join Date: Nov 06, 2005 Location: SC Posts: 503	I agree with you, the last season was't like The Real McCoys at all. It was bad enough with Kate gone, but Hassie and Little Luke gone, just wasn't the same show. The few shows without Kate in earlier seasons weren't as good either.

10-07-2008, 08:32 AM	#3
mikefromgeorgia Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 06, 2008 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire, England originally from Georgia, U.S.A. Posts: 10	I know exactly what you mean about the earlier shows without Kate. It was like when Barney was out of town on The Andy Griffith Show or when Matt Dillon was out of town on Gunsmoke. I am aware of at least a few episodes in Seasons Four and Five of The Real McCoys where Kate was conspicuously absent although she did not actually leave the show until after the end of Season Five. Maybe Kathy Nolan wanted some time off or a break during these times. The chemistry just didn't work and the show was not at all the same warm, wonderful and vastly underrated show without her. I have not had the opportunity to see a lot of episodes of the show so far, so I look forward to seeing many wonderful episodes with Kate as the DVD releases of the series continues. I know I am in for a real treat.

10-07-2008, 08:48 AM	#4
mikefromgeorgia Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 06, 2008 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire, England originally from Georgia, U.S.A. Posts: 10	Apparently even Walter Brennan did not even appear in the last thirteen episodes of the sixth and final season. It seemed that many of the last season plots involved Grandpa trying to find a new wife for Luke and these last thirteen episodes featured Luke and Pepino. Also it seems that Hassie was written off the show, going off to college and Little Luke had joined the Army. It was such a letdown after the first five terrific seasons. Before the sixth season The Real McCoys was a classic show. The sixth season it was only a lifeless remnant of what it had been before. Walter Brennan was always great and reliable. Richard Crenna was also a very good actor. The pity was that they just could not carry the show without the wonderful Kathy Nolan as Kate. They should have given her the raise she wanted and improved the scripts if they hoped to survive on CBS, especially up against Bonanza on NBC in the same time slot. It was also a shame that they never had Grandpa and Flora McMichael get married, at least. Madge Blake was delightful as Flora and Andy Clyde equally great as her brother George, Grandpa's best friend.

10-07-2008, 08:57 AM	#5
mikefromgeorgia Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 06, 2008 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire, England originally from Georgia, U.S.A. Posts: 10	With every episode I see of The Real McCoys I am more and more convinced that it was the very finest rural or country oriented series ever on television. It had depth and heart and warmth. It had real substance and believeability. The Beverly Hillbillies is a classic in it's own right but it could also be very silly. The Andy Griffith Show was superb and capable of more depth and delivered on more than one occasion. Green Acres and Petticoat Junction were lighter weight more like The Beverly Hillbillies. The Real McCoys was the first and was also the best in my own humble opinion.