Line #16 Series/McCloud


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mccloud_tv_series.jpg]]
2
3	''[=McCloud=]'' is an American television police drama that aired on Creator/{{NBC}} from 1970 to 1977.
4
5	Creator/DennisWeaver stars as Marshal Sam [=McCloud=], a law officer from Taos, UsefulNotes/NewMexico who gets placed on semi-permanent "special assignment" with the [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkCityCops New York City Police Department]], to their ''eternal'' consternation (particularly that of Chief of Detectives Peter B. Clifford, played by Creator/JDCannon).
6
7	Should not be confused with the film ''Film/BrewsterMcCloud'', the cartoonist Creator/ScottMcCloud, or a certain [[Franchise/StarFox space fox]].
8
9	----
10	!!''[=McCloud=]'' contains examples of:
11	* ArsonMurderAndLifesaving: This trope was [[Administrivia/RenamedTropes originally named]] the [=McCloud=] Speech.
12	* TheCameo: At the end of "The Concrete Corral", the TV Western star who [=McCloud=] is told to keep an eye on is played by a disguised and uncredited Doug [=McClure=] (from such series as ''Series/TheVirginian'' and ''The Man from Shiloh'').
13	* {{Catfight}}: Season 4's "Butch Cassidy Rides Again" had an incident inolving characters played by guest stars Creator/LindaEvans[[note]]who later suggested that this fight inspired the more famous catfight on ''Series/Dynasty1981'' between Evans' Krystle Carrington character and Alexis Carrington Colby (played by Creator/JoanCollins)[[/note]] and Creator/StefaniePowers where Powers' character, Samantha Johnson – following an argument with Evans' character, Geri March – spritzes March with seltzer water; with the ensuing fight resulting in the apartment being wrecked, ClothingDamage that included part of Samantha's bra being visible (which was quite daring by [[UsefulNotes/TheSeventies mid-1970s]] network broadcast standards) and Geri holding Samantha's face down in an aquarium when [=McCloud=] arrives.
14	* ChristmasEpisode: Season 7's "'Twas the Fight Before Christmas...".
15	* ClearMyName: Chief Clifford in "Cowboy in Paradise", Sgt. Broadhurst in "Shivaree on Delancey Street", and [=McCloud=] himself in "The Great Taxicab Stampede".[[note]]Broadhurst is suspected of being on the take, while the other two are accused of killing someone.[[/note]]
16	* CowboyCop: A literal example, though ''definitely'' otherwise {{downplayed\|trope}}. He may be a loose cannon sometimes, but he is definitely no rogue. He'll bend the rules if he has to, rather than break them outright, but he still drives his superiors bonkers (which is where the "[=McCloud=] Speech" comes in).
17	* CurseCutShort: In the episode "Butch Cassidy Rides Again", a passenger on a train curses as the train whistle blows.
18	* DaChief: Chief of Detectives Peter B. Clifford.
19	* FishOutOfWater: New Mexico to New York? Yeah, he's a StrangeCopInAStrangeLand.
20	* HandCannon: [=McCloud=] uses a Colt .45. In "The Great Taxicab Stampede," a nighttime shootout results in the death of a cab driver, and upon seeing the very large hole in the young man, everyone concludes [=McCloud=] must have shot him.
21	* HeatWave: "This Must Be the Alamo" has the precinct dealing with this as well as a BigBlackout.
22	* HealthcareMotivation: [[spoiler: Simms in "The Great Taxicab Stampede" has betrayed the department to a drug kingpin to pay for his wife's medical bills.]]
23	* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: A good number of episodes, though definitely not all of them, contained a term that applied to the classic Western genre.
24	* McGuffin: The "Saracen Horse" in "The Million Dollar Roundup".
25	* NewOldWest: Although [=McCloud=]'s not a time-traveler, the show's high concept could easily be defined as "What if a TheWildWest lawman went to New York City?"
26	* PilotMovie: "Portrait of a Dead Girl" (aka "Who Killed Miss U.S.A.?"), which has [=McCloud=] traveling from Taos to NYC to deliver a subpoenaed witness for a murder trail, only to have said witness get kidnapped from him.
27	* ReplacedTheThemeTune: Twice.
28	* ReunionShow: 1989's ''The Return of Sam [=McCloud=]''. [=McCloud=], now senator of New Mexico, investigates the murder of his niece. The guest cast included Creator/PatrickMacnee, Creator/DavidMcCallum and Creator/RogerRees. Unlike ''Series/{{Columbo}}'', this went no further.
29	* SayMyName: Chief Peter B. Clifford whenever New Mexico lawman Sam [=McCloud=] gets on his nerves, which is all the time.
30	* SceneryPorn: The show definitely took advantage of the New York setting, with recognizable landmarks (such as the Bow Bridge in Central Park) popping up frequently.
31	* TitleDrop: "Horse Stealing on Fifth Avenue" and "The Man with the Golden Hat."
32	* WheelProgram: The show was part of two of these, ''Four in One'' (1970) and ''Series/TheNBCMysteryMovie'' (1971–77).

Context Series / McCloud