Trampas/McClure is looking tired and shaggy at the end of 1969. He's been doing this series on a grueling production schedule for seven years plus more than four movies over the same period; he's seen some great western tv shows cancelled- even those with high ratings- and it's likely he's just waiting for it to end so he can go home and spend time with friends and family. Holocaust would have made a stellar final episode, and was likely filmed for that purpose; however...
The Virginian/Drury could have gone on for ten more years. Everyone had worked so hard for so long and got to know each other so well, it was impossible to think of it ending, so they looked around for a way to keep it going...
Enter Stewart Granger. He was a big deal for decades but fell into a bog of a career later in life and was trying to find solid ground in any country. Likely his reputation as a difficult personality kept him from many projects, but in this case that didn't matter, the Virginian had nothing to lose by trying.
Subsequently, the studio finished out the season- kind of awkward after such a perfect ending- but tv stations didn't now have to fill their time slot with another variety show and plans were made to use the shell of the Virginian (just Drury and McClure, plus a frequent supporting character actor, John McLiam) to put Stewart Granger somewhere near the top of his game again.
The result was the ninth season of the Virginian being renamed The Men of Shiloh with Granger taking the "Grainger" spot at the ranch.
Trampas/McClure stayed through the end of the fiscal year 1970- he isn't seen after Spencer Flats, which aired a year after Holocaust- while the Virginian/Drury rode his horse to the bitter end- just as we would have expected from the titular champion of our hearts.
None of us wanted the show to end, or the genre as we knew it. It's violent, it's expensive, the industry has changed- that's what they say. We all watched westerns in our youth: we got hats and boots and guns for Christmas, and as far as ive kept in touch with others, none of us grew up to be bigoted killers. It's important and worth the money, imo, to have role models like Trampas and the Virginian. If we cant yet, then let's enjoy these cowboys for as long as we can.
Ten Stars on Many Levels.