alexanderdavies-99382 "McCloud" seemed like a fairly promising show from what I had read about it. Dennis Weaver did very well in that suspense television movie, "Duel." The studio behind that film,"Universal" studios, decided to produce a show about a New Mexico sheriff who is based in New York. Sadly, the above show failed to meet my expectations. The episodes that I have seen feel drawn out and quite boring in places. Dennis Weaver makes the whole thing watchable but I don't really like this series. I think the actors could have been given better material. What doesn't help "McCloud," is that the British DVD release has edited about the first 4 episodes, so as to pass them off as being 2 feature length pilot episodes. This is not the case and I have no idea why this editing was done.

louiepatti When the Mystery Movies started on NBC, the viewer was treated to a set of rotating series, including the great Columbo, the fresh MacMillan & Wife, the unusual Hec Ramsey, the very 70s Banacek, to name a few. And then there was this fish-out-of-water series about a New Mexican lawman working in the Big Apple, and it was cool, very fun and enjoyable.Having never seen Coogan's Bluff, I had no comparison points and so took the program on its own merits. The cast was excellent. Lanky, likable Dennis Weaver wore Marshall Sam McCloud like a second skin, and because he'd been in Westerns, was believable as the cowboy cop; his riding and gun-handling skills appeared very natural, and he was also good at fight scenes. Short-fused police Chief Peter B. Clifford was his foil, adeptly portrayed by veteran actor J. D. Cannon. These two formed the main dynamic conflict for the programs. They were supported by a good cast of characters that included long-suffering Sergeant Joe Broadhurst(Terry Carter), a lovely reporter in love with Sam named Chris Coughlin(Diana Muldaur), and a changing roster of cops(including a delightful turn by Teri Garr as Sergeant Phyllis Norton).The writing was decent, and the episodes where McCloud went even further afield to places like Australia, Paris and Hawaii were great. The chemistry of the cast was never flat, and there did slowly build in the cranky Chief Clifford a grudging respect for McCloud's unconventional approach to police investigation. When stuck in Hawaii on a trumped-up murder charge, Clifford is almost even glad that McCloud is there with him...almost.Unlike some of the other shows that aired in the NBC Mystery Movies, this one has not grown stale or appears too dated, much like Columbo. Yes, it was at times formulaic, but the formula was appealing and easy to enjoy, and the main character less grating than some from that same time period. It wasn't as dated as Banacek or as silly as the Snoop Sisters, but like Columbo and McMillan & Wife, has aged gracefully and is still a fun ride, you betcha.

blanche-2 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.

ridgerunner773 McCloud was one of my favorite detective series of the 70's. I guess the best thing about it was the way Sam McCloud not only caught the bad guys, but the way he usually was able to make fools of the uptight holier than thou New York cops who considered him a southern country bumpkin. The police chief, Peter Clifford, always looked like he was on the verge of having a stroke whenever McCloud was around. If only he had let McCloud do his job without making such a fuss, the bad guys would still have been caught, and with a lot less trouble.