# McCloud (1970)

> A Taos, New Mexico deputy marshal brings his western style of policing to the streets of New York City as a special NYPD investigator.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/9577

## Facts

- Seasons: 7
- Episodes: 46
- Episode runtime: 120 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama
- Created by: Herman Miller
- Network: NBC
- Cast: Dennis Weaver, J.D. Cannon, Terry Carter, Diana Muldaur, Clete Roberts, Joshua Shelley, Lanna Saunders, Patricia Quinn
- TMDB rating: 6.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065317/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: warm, unhurried, nostalgic, wry

## What critics say

Audiences rate McCloud as a mixed but watchable mid-1970s police series, valued mainly for Dennis Weaver's easygoing lead and its fish-out-of-water premise.

## Synopsis

McCloud (1970-1977) is an American crime drama series created by Herman Miller for NBC. Dennis Weaver stars as Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud, a laconic lawman from the small western town of Taos, New Mexico, who is assigned to the New York City Police Department as a special investigator. Alongside his skeptical NYPD colleague Peter Clifford (J.D. Cannon) and his superior Joe Broadhurst (Terry Carter), McCloud pursues criminals through the city's streets, relying on patient observation, folksy common sense, and a stubborn sense of justice rather than brute force. Each feature-length episode runs about two hours and typically centers on a self-contained case, giving the stories room to unfold at a measured pace. The seven-season run follows a case-of-the-week format rather than one continuing arc. The tone is warm and unhurried, with the clash between rural manners and urban cynicism providing much of the gentle humor. Set in 1970s New York, the series offers a nostalgic look at the era's police drama. Fans of Columbo, Ironside and Kojak will find resonance in its lone investigator, seventies crime atmosphere and mystery-driven storytelling.

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