Un shérif à New York

This has to be one of the funnest detective shows in the history of television. Dennis Weaver went from being the country bumpkin deputy Chester on "Gunsmoke" to what became his defining role as Marshall Sam McCloud. I especially loved the fact that it never took itself seriously as most shows of this type did. I'm just sorry that it never was spun off onto its own separate series as this show was definitely a classic.

Why do we only have McCloud available in seasons 1 & 2?? If those people are only going to release one batch, they should have selected some shows from the whole series.

I remember watching these in the '70's. Forget playing outside, let me know when Sam rides his horse in NYC. I made sure homework was done before he came on. you betcha! What about the guest stars? Jackie Cooper fights Sam on top of a stagecoach in NYC. John Denver is a Deputy Sheriff in Colorado(of course), and I believe he sings his song "I Guess He'd Rather Be In Colorado". Shirley Winters went a round or two with him, also. What about the episode where Sam and Sgt. Broadhurst are handcuffed together out in Oklahoma so Sam's whereabouts are always known? It is amazing how seeing our past shows us how little many things have changed. Let's look and see that less PC time. We were really like that. You Betcha.

Although I think that the original inspiration for the McCloud series came from Clint Eastwood's film Coogan's Bluff which involved a New Mexico sheriff in New York, Dennis Weaver certainly made Marshal Sam McCloud his own character and certainly was a lot less stiff than Eastwood's Joe Coogan.

The premise had Sam McCloud of Taos, New Mexico in New York to take some training in new law enforcement techniques. But it seemed that in every show he was teaching those New York City slickers a thing or two about criminal apprehension.

He was the bane of the existence of Chief Clifford who was played by J.D. Cannon. Cannon looked like he was about to let an ulcer get the better of him in each show. A bit more patient was the NYPD babysitter Terry Carter who played Sergeant Joe Broadhurst. Weaver even got a little romance going with reporter Diana Muldaur. Weaver was good for scoops at least.

And there was McCloud's eternal catchphrase. Whenever the New Yorkers finally got whatever he was doing it was always "There Ya Go". Weaver was always springing country aphorisms which he had to translate.

Weaver really made this show click. He hated playing Chester in Gunsmoke, always thought he should have been the marshal.

I'd say he proved it with McCloud.

I remember watching McCloud all those years ago. It was comfort TV, and had an aw shucks to it with McCloud's persona. Like a fish out of water in the Big Apple. I sometimes wondered how he covered rental costs but never mind, the episodes were entertaining and was kind of an antidote to The French Connection.

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.