In 1978, McNichol recorded an album with his sister, Kristy, also a former actress, and the two went on to host a youth-oriented variety show for ABC. McNichol subsequently had lead roles in "Smokey Bites the Dust" (1981), and opposite Susan Tyrrell in the horror film "Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker" (1981). After retiring from acting in the 1990s, McNichol relocated with his family to Colorado, and has been active in environmentalist causes, and working as a real estate investor and home renovator.