Kate McShane

*Kate McShane*
Kate McShane
Genre	Legal drama
Created by	Robert C. Peters; Howard Rayfiel
Starring	Anne Meara
Composer	John Cacavas
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	11 (2 unaired)
Production
Executive producer	E. Jack Neuman
Producers	Howard Rayfiel; Robert Foster; Robert Stambler
Running time	60 minutes
Production company	Paramount Television
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	September 10 –; November 12, 1975

Kate McShane is an American legal drama television series that aired from September 10 until November 12, 1975. Kate McShane was the first series to feature a female lawyer in the lead role. A two-hour pilot film aired April 11, 1975.

Premise

Kate McShane is an Irish American lawyer working in Los Angeles who is fiercely dedicated to her clients, pushing the letter of the law to attain satisfaction for them and herself. She also gets help from her dad, an ex-cop, and her brother, a priest and a law professor.

Cast

Anne Meara as Kate McShane. Despite a shortened run, Meara was nominated for an Emmy Award.
Charles Haid as Ed McShane
Sean McClory as Pat McShane
Benjamin Stiller, Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller's son, then almost 10, is listed on an 8/14/1975 Call Sheet in the role of Nickie in the “Little Bit of Knowledge" episode (episode 11).

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	"The Best Possible Defense (a.k.a. A Roar of Silence)"	Robert Scheerer	Milt Rosen	September 10, 1975 (1975-09-10)
Kate and her crew defends a former anti-war militant.
2	"Terror on Sycamore Street"	Robert Scheerer	Michael Butler	September 17, 1975 (1975-09-17)
A homeowner is charged with killing a narcotics agent, but he claims it was self-defense.
3	"World vs. Ackerman"	Jack Shea	David Karp	September 24, 1975 (1975-09-24)
An old man is accused of killing a robber in his own house.
4	"Murder Comes in Little Pills (a.k.a. First and Ten)"	Robert Scheerer	Milt Rosen and Robert Foster	October 1, 1975 (1975-10-01)
A professional football player might have killed his girlfriend while on drugs.
5	"Accounts Receivable"	David Friedkin	Michael Butler	October 8, 1975 (1975-10-08)
A federal agent wants Kate to drop an investigation of a murder.
6	"Publish or Perish"	Corey Allen	Paul Lichtman and Leon Tokatyan	October 22, 1975 (1975-10-22)
A scientist admits to killing a Nobel Prize winner.
7	"Conspiracy of Silence"	John Peyser	Peter Lefcourt	October 29, 1975 (1975-10-29)
Kate defends a female magazine editor (Susan Strasberg), against a libel suit after she accuses a firm of paying off corrupt politicians to keep unsafe toys on the market.
8	"Midnight Lady, Pretty Lady"	Bill Bixby	David Friedkin, Milt Rosen and Robert Foster	November 5, 1975 (1975-11-05)
A former rock star is accused of contributing to his girlfriend's drug overdose.
9	"God at $15,732 a Year"	Unknown	Unknown	November 12, 1975 (1975-11-12)
Kate defends a detective who shot a suspect.
10	"The Not So Small Claims Court Case"	N/A	N/A	Unaired
A con man disappears before he gets taken in to the small claims court.
11	"A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing"	N/A	N/A	Unaired

References

↑ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). "Kate McShane (Law Drama)". The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (9 ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. p. 728. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
↑ Terrace, Vincent (January 10, 2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 557. ISBN 978-0-7864-8641-0.
↑ TV Guide. "Kate McShane Cast and Details". TV Guide. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
↑ Erickson, Hal (October 21, 2009). Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows: Factual and Fictional Series About Judges, Lawyers and the Courtroom, 1948-2008. McFarland. pp. 156–157. ISBN 978-0-7864-5452-5.

Bibliography

Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present, Ninth edition (New York: Ballantine Books, 2007) ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4

External links

[Brooks/Marsh-1] Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). "Kate McShane (Law Drama)". The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (9 ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. p. 728. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved July 3, 2026.

[2] Terrace, Vincent (January 10, 2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 557. ISBN 978-0-7864-8641-0.

[3] TV Guide. "Kate McShane Cast and Details". TV Guide. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2013.

[4] Erickson, Hal (October 21, 2009). Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows: Factual and Fictional Series About Judges, Lawyers and the Courtroom, 1948-2008. McFarland. pp. 156–157. ISBN 978-0-7864-5452-5.