Kate McNeil in the first episode of Bodies of Evidence

Bodies of Evidence premiered on television in the summer of 1992. For several years prior, Kate McNeil had been attempting to make her mark in the TV realm, meeting only with occasional success. Her guest appearances on a variety of shows had always been well received but her efforts to become part of the regular cast of a successful show had not gone over too well. In 1990, she appeared in a pilot movie for a TV series called The Bakery, but the show was not picked up. Things seemed promising when she joined the cast of WIOU later on in 1990, but the show ended up getting low ratings and generally negative reviews from critics. WIOU was cancelled before all of it's taped episodes were aired.

In 1992, Kate McNeil took another shot at TV, this time with the cop drama Bodies of Evidence. The show was not very high profile, but at least it got two seasons, even if they were only 8 episodes apiece. So, for 16 episodes between 1992 and 1993, Kate McNeil played Detective Nora Houghton. She played the role well and generally looked good doing it. After the show ended in 1993, Kate McNeil went back to doing television guest appearances and movies, never to return to the full-time cast of a TV show.

---

The following are some images of Kate McNeil in 'Afternoon Delights', the premiere episode of Bodies of Evidence. Please note that all pictures on this page can be clicked on to be enlarged.

Kate McNeil and Lee Horsley

Kate McNeil with Lee Horsley and George Clooney

Kate McNeil on Simon & Simon

In 1988, Kate McNeil guest starred on Simon & Simon in an episode titled 'The Richer They Are the Harder They Fall'. The episode concerned an old friend of A.J. Simon's named Tommy Van Alder (played by Paul Tuerpe) who is from a wealthy family and is married to Trish Van Alder (Kate McNeil). Tommy Van Alder mysteriously dies shortly after the episode begins during a wedding vow renewal ceremony. Rick and A.J. Simon are then hired by the dead man's family to investigate the death.

1988 was a good year for Kate McNeil. She began the year with the first of two appearances she would do on Murder, She Wrote. That summer her second horror film, Monkey Shines, was released to theaters in the USA and that role has become one of her most popular. She closed out 1988 with a nice guest role on Simon & Simon.

In 'The Richer They Are the Harder They Fall', Kate McNeil doesn't have all that much screen time, but nonetheless is central to the story. She looks great throughout and this is, of course, about two years before she would cut off most of her hair in favor of a shorter hairstyle she would display during 1990-91. An yes, in case you were wondering, she does have the requisite kissing scene with Simon & Simon star Jameson Parker!

---

Here are some images of Kate McNeil on Simon & Simon:

Kate McNeil on Designing Women

In 1989, Kate McNeil made a brief but memorable guest appearance on the sitcom Designing Women. In the episode called 'The Junies', Kate McNeil plays Libby Coker, a member of the Lady June sales company, of which Charlene (played by Jean Smart) has just become a member. When Libby comes over to the house and is ultra-perky and very high pressure, Charlene's friends begin to consider the Lady June organization as rather cult-like. Kate McNeil's character appears again briefly near the end of the episode, when the other women come to rescue Charlene from a Lady June meeting.

Kate McNeil had obvious comedic skills but she never really focused on straight comedy throughout her career. During 1989 to 1991, she appeared on a handful of sitcoms, such as Anything But Love and Dear John. Her small role on Designing Women showed off her funny side to great effect and also gave her yet another opportunity to show off her Southern accent and persona that she originally displayed in North and South Book II (and would later use to great effect again in an episode of Quantum Leap).

Kate McNeil chats with Jean Smart on Designing Women

Kate McNeil and Delta Burke on Designing Women

Kate McNeil on Anything But Love

In 1989, Kate McNeil appeared in the first of two episodes she would do of the sitcom Anything But Love. The show, which starred Jamie Lee Curtis and Richard Lewis, ran from 1989 to 1992 on the ABC network. Kate McNeil guest starred in two second season episodes playing Gail, the girlfriend of Richard Lewis' character. Earlier in 1989, Kate McNeil had done the first sitcom appearance of her career on the CBS sitcom Designing Women.

In her first episode of Anything But Love, titled 'Hearts and Bones', Kate McNeil goes out to dinner with boyfriend Richard Lewis and his co-worker Jamie Lee Curtis. Jamie Lee Curtis ends up prematurely performing the Heimlich maneuver on Kate McNeil, breaking one of her ribs in the process. Later, at the hospital, she again injures Kate McNeil's character when she accidentally slams a door in her face. Richard Lewis begins to wonder whether she is subconsciously hurting his girlfriend.

Here are some images of Kate McNeil in her first appearance on Anything But Love:

Several episodes later, Kate McNeil reprised her Gail character on Anything But Love. In the episode 'Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow', Kate McNeil's character plans a surprise birthday party for her boyfriend Richard Lewis. Richard Lewis, however, decides to end their relationship right as the party begins, leading to some awkward moments.

After appearing on Anything But Love, Kate McNeil would only ever do one other sitcom, an episode of Dear John in 1991. After that she would abandon the half hour situation comedy format altogether.


Here are some pictures of Kate McNeil in her second appearance on Anything But Love:

Kate McNeil in Kane & Abel

In 1985, only having done a soap opera, a low-budget comedy and a horror film, Kate McNeil was cast in a featured role in the television miniseries Kane & Abel. Based on a novel by Jeffrey Archer, the miniseries deals with the intertwining stories of two men: Abel Rosnovski (played by Peter Strauss) and William Lowell Kane (played by Sam Neill).Kate McNeil portrays Florentyna Rosnovski, the daughter of Peter Strauss's character.

Kate McNeil's character in Kane & Abel shows up near the end of the second segment of the three part miniseries. She is then featured heavily throughout the final section. Though the miniseries begins in 1901, Florentyna Rosnovski does not appear until the 1950s and she continues on through the 1960s. Her plotline concerns her falling in love with the son of her father's rival, something that her father cannot accept.

All in all, Kane & Abel offered Kate McNeil some very good exposure and I'm sure it helped to raise her profile. The following year she co-starred in a TV movie called Vital Signs and took part in another popular miniseries, North & South Book II.


Here are some images of Kate McNeil in Kane & Abel: