McKeever and the Colonel

I was very small when this show was on, and only remember bits and pieces of plots. I do remember that McKeever was in military school-- he was not a bad kid. However, the boy stayed in trouble because of plans he made that went wrong. One of the military personnel who worked at the school was sympathetic to McKeever. The other old soldier who ran the school was not, and that's where the comedy came out of. It was a pleasant show.

I was surprised to read Scott's review, because it echoes my feelings, and life, exactly. I remembered the show fondly, but vaguely, but it formed my first impression of the Military Schools that I saw advertised in Boys Life. I asked my parents if we could investigate them, and coupled with my impressions of Westfield from the TV show, I ultimately attended New York Military Academy. This led to ROTC (with a full scholarship) and 20 years in the US Army Reserve. The effects of this short lived show made a major change in my life. I have to admit that I turned into the personification of McKeever and his antics and learned a great many life lessons as a result.

I was 10 years old in 1962 and remember watching many episodes. I wanted to be at a military school. When my mother, who must have noted my delight with the show, a few years later asked if I'd like to go to high school at one in Tennessee, I was certainly eager! My years at Sewanee Military Academy were certainly life-changing for me. Coaches and teachers who became "father figures" helped me grow up. I still draw from my experiences during that time. About 20 years ago I used to live in Long Beach, California and I can see in some of the outdoor footage of the show what appear to be hills in the background that remind me of Signal Hill. There used to be a military school located in that area and I wonder if the producers used it. Was it "Southern California Military Academy"?

*McKeever and the Colonel* almost certainly got greenlighted in 1961 as the result of a favorable reception for the television broadcast of Charlton Heston's *The Private War of Major Benson* (1955).

The antics of McKeever, his allies and his enemies among the military school student body, made for harmless entertainment even by the standards of the early '60s. I came to think of it as a boys' version of *The Phil Silvers Show* (1955-1959), made memorable by the rapscallion character of MSgt. Earnie Bilco, then pounding away in re-runs on NBC.

Those who are only familiar with the absolutely godawful 1995 Damon Wayans knock-off of Heston's movie (*Major Payne*) owe themselves a look at the much, much better original, and would certainly enjoy seeing *McKeever* if someone had the sense to issue the series in re-runs or on DVD. --

I was 10 years old when I saw this show. We were stationed in Pensacola, Florida at the time. I remembered bits and pieces of it. It was like Dennis The Mennace in a military school. McKeever had 2 fellow students with him. One was named "Monk" and the other was the chubby kid who played the bugle. I remember that the sergeant was good old "Uncle Fester" from the Adam's Family, Jackie Coogan. There was a lady in the show as well. I think she was a nurse for the boys at the academy. Of course the antagonist "Mr. Wilson" if you will, was the colonel. All the kids watched the program. Soon I would be off to Iceland at a new duty station with the family and we didn't have much TV there. I still remembered this show. It made an impact on me and I really liked it. Wow, that was 43 years ago! It didn't seem like only 1 season!