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series won four Emmy Awards, including a 1980 Outstanding Lead Actress
in a Drama Series win for Bel Geddes.
With its 357 episodes, Dallas remains one of the longest lasting fullhour primetime dramas in American TV history, behind Bonanza(430
episodes), Law & Order (456 episodes), and Gunsmoke (635 episodes). In
2007 Dallas was included in TIME magazine's list of "100 Best TV Shows of
All-TIME".[3]
Dallas also spawned the spin-off series Knots Landing in 1979 which
also lasted 14 seasons. In 2010, TNT announced it had ordered a new,
updated continuation of Dallas.[4] The revival series, continuing the story
of the Ewing family, premiered on TNT on June 13, 2012.
Original premise[edit]
In 1978, MGM released the film Comes a Horseman, starring James
Caan, Jane Fonda, and Jason Robards, who played the character Jacob
Ewing. One of Jacob Ewing's ranch hands is played by Jim Davis, who also
is playing Jock Ewing in Dallas, a part he received after the film was
finished. Part of the plot in Comes a Horseman is the attempted take over
of cattle ranches by oilinterest groups, and how they fail to do so.
Dallas debuted on April 2, 1978, as a five-part miniseries on the CBS
network. Producers initially had no plans for expansion; however, due to
the show's popularity, it was subsequently turned into a regular series and
broadcast for 13 full seasons, from September 23, 1978, to May 3, 1991.
The first five episodes, originally considered a miniseries, are now referred
to as season one[5]leaving fourteen seasons in total.
The show is known for its portrayal of wealth, sex, intrigue, and
power struggles. Throughout the series, the main premise is the longtime
rivalry between the Ewings and the Barneses which came to head when
the Barnes daughter, Pamela (Victoria Principal) eloped with a Ewing
son, Bobby (Patrick Duffy) in the first episode.
The back story was that, back in the 1930s, wildcatter John Ross
"Jock" Ewing, Sr.(Jim Davis) had allegedly cheated his one-time
partner, Willard "Digger" Barnes(David Wayne and later Keenan Wynn),
out of his share of their company Ewing Oil, and married Digger's only
love, Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Southworth (Barbara Bel Geddes). Ellie's family
werein contrast to Jockranchers, with great love for the land and the
cattle. Following the marriage of Ellie and Jock, the Southworth family
ranch, Southfork, became the Ewings' home, where Jock and Miss Ellie
raised three sons: J.R. (Larry Hagman), Gary (Ted Shackelford) and Bobby.
J.R., the eldest Ewing son, unscrupulous and unhappily married to a
former Miss Texas, Sue Ellen Shepard (Linda Gray), was frequently at odds
with his youngest brother, Bobby, who had the morals and integrity that
J.R. lacked. Middle son Gary was Ellie's favorite as he displayed
Southworth traits; however, Gary had been in conflict with both Jock and
J.R. since childhood and was dismissed as a weak link. While still young,
Gary had married waitress Valene Clements (guest star Joan Van Ark), who
produced the first heir, the petite and saucy Lucy (Charlene Tilton). Years
prior to the series beginning, J.R. had driven Gary and Valene off
Southfork, leaving Lucy to be raised by her grandparents.
During the first episodes of the series, the teenaged Lucy is seen
sleeping with ranch foreman Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly). Later, in season
four, Ray would be revealed as a half-sibling, an illegitimate Ewing son
through an extramarital affair Jock had during World War II. Unhappy with
his small, one-dimensional role, Kanaly had considered leaving the show;
to add depth to the Ray character, Hagman suggested that the writers
create a plot wherein Ray becomes half-brother to J.R., Gary, and Bobby,
noting his resemblance to Davis. The episodes where Ray and niece Lucy
had a fling is, as Kanaly told Dinah Shore in an appearance on her show,
"prayerfully forgotten, I hope".
Ray had previously engaged in a short fling with Pamela Barnes, the
daughter (or rather, as it revealed in season three, stepdaughter) of
Digger Barnes. However, Pam fell deeply in love with Bobby, and the pilot
episode begins with the two of them arriving at Southfork Ranch as
newlyweds, shocking the entire family. J.R., who loathed the Barnes family,
was not happy with Pam's living at Southfork, and constantly tried to
undermine her marriage to Bobby. Meanwhile, Pam's brother Cliff (Ken
Kercheval), who had inherited Digger's hatred towards the Ewings, shared
J.R.'s objections to the marriage, and continued his father's quest to get
revenge.
Most of the seasons ended with ratings-grabbing cliffhangers,[6] the
most notable being the season three finale "A House Divided", which
launched the landmark "Who shot J.R.?" storyline and was ranked #69
on TV Guide's list of "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time".[7] Other season
finale cliffhangers include the finding of an unidentified floating female
corpse in the Southfork swimming pool (season four); a blazing house fire
(season six); and Bobby's death (season eight) and subsequent return
(season nine).
Cast and characters[edit]
Main articles: List of Dallas characters and List of Dallas (1978) cast
members
See also: Ewing family and Barnes family
Main cast[edit]
For the original five-episodes miniseries season one six actors
received the star billing: Barbara Bel Geddes as Ewing matriarch Miss Ellie
Ewing, whose family was the original owners of Southfork; Jim Davis as
her husband Jock Ewing, the founder of Ewing Oil and head of the Ewing
family; Patrick Duffy as their youngest son, heartthrob Bobby
Ewing; Victoria Principal as Pamela Barnes Ewing, the daughter of the
rivaling Barnes family, whom Bobby brings home as his wife in the pilot
episode; Larry Hagman as J. R. Ewing, the oldest son, who strongly objects
to his new sister-in-law; and Charlene Tilton as Lucy Ewing, Bobby's and
J.R.'s saucy teenage niece, whose parents had been driven off the ranch
by J.R.
Not receiving top billing during the miniseries, although appearing in
the majority of the episodes wereLinda Gray as J.R.'s long-suffering,
alcoholic wife Sue Ellen Ewing; Steve Kanaly as ranch hand Ray Krebbs,
Pam's ex, who eventually turned out to be Jock's illegitimate son; and Ken
Kercheval as Pam's brother Cliff Barnes, J.R.'s archrival. Gray and Kanaly
were promoted to the regular cast as of the first episode of the fall of
1978, and Kercheval a year later.
Further on in the series, several new characters were added, as the
original actors departed the series:
For season five, after guest starring since the second season, Susan
Howard joined the main cast asDonna Culver Krebbs, politician and widow
of a former Texas governor, who becomes Ray's first wife and mother to
his daughter Margaret.
Season eight saw the addition of musical actor Howard Keel as
wealthy, and sometimes hot-tempered rancher Clayton Farlow, Miss Ellie's
husband following Jock's death, to the star cast after having appeared on
the show since season 3, and Priscilla Presley as Bobby's teenage
sweetheart Jenna Wade, who gives birth to Bobby's only biological child,
Lucas, and eventually becomes Ray's second wife. Keel had recurred on
the show since the fourth season, and Presley since season seven (the
character of Jenna had however been played by Morgan Fairchild for
a season two episode, and Francine Tacker for two episodes in season
three). Temporarily replacing Barbara Bel Geddes in the role as Miss
Ellie, Donna Reed also joined the main cast during the eighth season, until
Bel Geddes returned in the following year.
Dack Rambo, portraying wandering cousin Jack Ewing, was
promoted to regular status for season ten, after having appeared as a
guest star since the end of the eighth season. He was, however, written
out of the show midway through the tenth season. Jack's ex-wife April
Stevens Ewing, played by Sheree J. Wilson, first appeared as a guest star
Supporting cast[edit]
During its fourteen-year run, Dallas saw several actors appearing in
supporting roles. Among the most notable are Mary Crosby (seasons 34
and 14) as Sue Ellen's scheming sister Kristin Shepard (also portrayed
by Colleen Camp for two season 2 episodes), who has an affair with J.R.
and is revealed to be the one who shot J.R. in the "Who shot J. R.?"
storyline; Jared Martin (seasons 36, 89, and 14) as Sue Ellen's cowboy
lover, and Clayton's foster son, Steven "Dusty" Farlow; Leigh
McCloskey (seasons 45, 8 and 12) as medical student Mitch Cooper,
Lucy's husband; Audrey Landers (seasons 48 and 1213) as Mitch's
sister Afton Cooper, an aspiring singer and Cliff's longtime fiance; stage
actress Priscilla Pointer (seasons 46) as Rebecca Barnes Wentworth,
Pam's and Cliff's estranged mother;Morgan Brittany (seasons 58 and 11)
as Rebecca's daughter, Katherine Wentworth, Cliff's and Pam's crazy halfsister who falls madly in love with Bobby; John Beck (seasons 67 and 9)
as Mark Graison, Pam's beau after her first divorce from Bobby; William
Smithers(seasons 313) as Rival Oil Baron and CEO of WestStar Oil,
Jeremy Wendell; Miss USA winner Deborah Shelton (seasons 810) as
model Mandy Winger, longtime mistress of J.R.; Jenilee Harrison (seasons
810) as Jack's sister and Cliff's wife Jamie Ewing Barnes; and Andrew
Stevens (seasons 1112) as Casey Denault, a young hustler who works for
J.R., romancing Lucy in order to get to her money.
Long-time child characters include J.R.'s and Sue Ellen's son John
Ross Ewing III (portrayed for seasons 46 by Tyler Banks, and for seasons
714 by Omri Katz); Bobby's and Pam's adopted son Christopher
Ewing (portrayed by Eric Farlow for seasons 68, and byJoshua Harris for
seasons 914), and Jenna's daughter Charlotte "Charlie" Wade (Shalane
McCall, seasons 711, also played as a toddler by Laurie Lynn Myers for
a season 2 episode).
Among the most frequently appearing business associates of the
Ewing family are oil cartel members Jordan Lee (Don Starr, seasons 214),
Marilee Stone (Fern Fitzgerald, seasons 213) and Andy Bradley (Paul
Sorensen, seasons 210); Jock's good friend Marvin "Punk" Anderson
(Morgan Woodward, seasons 411); Shady investment banker Vaughn
Leland (Dennis Patrick seasons 36) and original WestStar Oil frontman
Jeremy Wendell (William Smithers, seasons 45, 812). Other long-time
Ewing acquaintances include Dallas PD detective Harry McSween, serving
as J.R.'s source within police force (James Brown, seasons 212); family
attorney Harv Smithfield (George O. Petrie, seasons 314); and Donna's
stepson, U.S. Senator Dave Culver (Tom Fuccello, seasons 36, 8, 1011
and 1314).
Also appearing in many episodes are several background
characters, including Bobby's secretaries Connie Brasher (portrayed by
Donna Bullock in season 1, Ann Ford and Nancy Bleier in season 2,
and Jeanna Michaels in season 24) and Phyllis Wapner (Deborah Tranelli,
seasons 414); J.R.'s secretaries Louella Caraway Lee (Meg Gallagher,
seasons 24) and Sly Lovegren (Deborah Rennard, seasons 514); Cliff's
secretary Jackie Dugan (Sherill Lynn Rettino, seasons 25 and 714);
Ewing Oil receptionist Kendall Chapman (Danone Simpson, seasons 614);
Southfork maid Teresa (Roseanna Christiansen, seasons 614); and Oil
Baron's Club staff Dora Mae (Pat Colbert, seasons 714), Cassie (Anne C.
Lucas, seasons 510) and Debbie (Deborah Marie Taylor, seasons 1114).
Main cast departures[edit]
By the end of the series, only three of the series' original characters
(J.R., Bobby, and Cliff) were left in Dallas, the others having either died or
left town.
Jock Ewing was the first main character to depart the series, as he
died offscreen in a mysterious plane-accident in South-America, early
in season five. Actor Jim Davis had died mid-season in 1981, but remained
credited throughout season four.
Bobby Ewing's death in the season eight finale, alongside his
subsequent absence during the following season, was explained away at
the beginning of season ten as a dream ofPamela Barnes Ewing, thus
effectively erasing everything that had happened during season nine.
Actor Patrick Duffy had left the series to pursue other opportunities, but
due to declining ratings, he was convinced to return to the series by
production company Lorimar as well as series star Larry Hagman.[8]
Jack Ewing left Dallas to continue his travels and get away from J.R.,
midway through season ten, and returned a final time for two episodes
towards the end of the season. While there has been no official reason
why actor Dack Rambo was written out of the series, Rambo himself later
stated the reasons to be his sexual orientation and/or conflicts with Larry
Hagman.[9][10] Hagman has since denied any involvement in Rambo's
dismissal.[11]
Pamela Barnes Ewing was severely injured in a car accident in
the tenth season finale, and left Bobby and Christopher due to her
apparent inability to let them see her in such a physically disfigured
fashion. Nevertheless, while Victoria Principal never returned again to the
series, Margaret Michaels, a Principal look-alike, played the character in
a season 12episode. Having undergone plastic surgery which explained
the difference in her appearance, it was revealed that Pam was dying of a
disease, though only she and her doctor knew. After this, Pam is never
seen in Dallas again. It was Principal's own decision to not renew
her Dallas contract[12][13]
Donna Culver Krebbs and Ray Krebbs divorced at the end of season
ten, and the former moved to Washington, D.C. where she married
Senator Andrew Dowling (guest star Jim McMullan), with whom she raised
Ray's daughter Margaret. A year later Ray sold his ranch to Carter McKay
and left Dallas with his new wife Jenna Wade and Jenna's children Charlie
and Lucas (the latter fathered by Bobby), bound for Switzerland. Ray
returned for five episodes in the beginning of the 12th season.
While Priscilla Presley opted to leave the show to spend more time with
her family, including her, at the time, 1-year old son,[14] and Susan
Howard decided to leave due to creative differences with the writers, as
well as her disapproval of the firing of longtime executive producer Philip
Capice in 1986,[13][15] Steve Kanaly was let go due to budget cuts.[14]
Lucy Ewing, who had left with husband Mitch at the end of the
eighth season, returned to Southfork in the final episodes of season
eleven, only to leave again two years later, heading for Europe. At both
times, the let go of actress Charlene Tilton was a decision made by the
creative team, which had difficulties creating story lines for her.[11]
Sue Ellen Ewing left in the season twelve finale, to move
to London with her new husband, film director Don Lockwood (guest
star Ian McShane). While actress Linda Gray was let go by the same
budget costs that ended Steve Kanaly's run on the show,[11] Sue Ellen's
exit has since been described by Gray as a mutual decision by her
and Leonard Katzman, agreeing that the character "had come more than
full circle".[16]
Stephanie Rogers was let go as Cliff's PR representative at the end
of season 13 and subsequently left Dallas, making actress Lesley-Anne
Down the most short-lived member of the regular cast, lasting only 13
episodes.
Barbara Bel Geddes' health had caused her to miss half of the
seventh season, and after the season finale, she left the series entirely,
with the role of Miss Ellie recast with Donna Reed for season eight.[17] Bel
Geddes opted to return the following year in a high-profile public relations
debacle that left Reed infuriated and in litigation with the series
producers, who made her a $1 million out-of-court settlement.[18] Miss Ellie
remained on the show until season thirteen when she and Clayton left
Dallas, traveling and eventually settling in Europe, near Ray and Jenna.
Following her exit from Dallas, Bel Geddes retired from acting.[19]
When the final, fourteenth season of the series commenced, ten
actors received regular cast status. Although half of them would leave the
show prior to the series finale, all of them remained billed in the series'
opening sequence throughout the year. Clayton Farlow made four
appearances, clearing up business that included deeding Southfork to
Bobby; April Stevens Ewing tragically died early on in the season, while
kidnapped on her honeymoon by the psychotic Hilary Taylor (guest
star Susan Lucci); Cally Harper Ewing left Dallas midway through the
season to build a new life, away from the Ewings, with a new boyfriend,
and her and J.R.'s newborn boy; Liz Adams broke her engagement to Cliff
and left Dallas near the end of the season, and James Beaumont left the
show a couple of episodes prior to the series finale, to start a new life on
the east coast with his newly discovered toddler son Jimmy, and Jimmy's
mother Debra Lynn (guest star Deborah Tucker).
As the series concluded, Carter McKay stayed put at WestStar, as
powerful as ever; Michelle Stevens was left heartbroken and humiliated,
all alone in the ranch she had bought from McKay hoping to live there with
James; Cliff Barnes was once and for all the sole owner of Ewing Oil;
and Bobby Ewing, now owner of Southfork, was finally able to find closure
after April's death. J. R. Ewing, however, having lost both Ewing Oil and
Southfork, as well as being abandoned by his sons, was at the end of his
rope; the series ended with the unanswered question whether or not he
had killed himself.
Production[edit]
See also: Crew of Dallas (1978)
Seasons 18[edit]
Series creator David Jacobs wrote the first and the final episode of
the original five-part miniseries (season 1), with the other three episodes
being written by Arthur Bernard Lewis,Camille Marchetta and Virginia
Aldrige. While Aldrige didn't return to the series again and Marchetta left
during season 4, Lewis grew to be one of Dallas' most influential writers.
Leonard Katzman had been a part of the miniseries as a producer,
and during season two his influence increased, as he was given both
directing and writing responsibilities. Half way through the second season,
Jacobs left the day-to-day duties of the series to focus on the production of
while Capice and most of the season nine staff had left the production.
Alongside Katzman, David Paulsen was brought back as writer and the
show's new producer, while the position as supervising producer was
offered newcomer Calvin Clements, Jr. Cliff Fenneman remained associate
producer. A new set of writers was hired to work alongside the producers,
including Katzman's son Mitchell Wayne Katzman as story editor, Leah
Markus as story consultant, and Louella Lee Caraway. Markus left after
two years, while the others remained until the show's end.
Scriptwise, Patrick Duffy's return was explained by having the
entire ninth season being a dream of Victoria Principal's character Pam,
effectively sweeping away the events occurring during the period which
Katzman involvement with the show had been minimized.
Even the cast was affected by the production. While Larry
Hagman (J.R.) reportedly supported Katzman, and had played a great part
in bringing Duffy back, Susan Howard (Donna), who also had written the
script for one of the season 9 episodes, had sided with Philip Capice, and
was strongly opposed the idea of annulling an entire season. While she
returned to write another episode for season 10, she left the show, both as
a writer and as a cast member, at the end of the season.[15][20]
Seasons 1114[edit]
During the final four years of the show, Leonard Katzman remained
showrunner, with series star Larry Hagman joining him as executive
producer (beginning with season 12) andKen Horton as co-executive
producer (as of season 13).
Supervising producer Calvin Clements, Jr. left the show after the
tenth season, and was replaced for seasons 11 and 12 by the returning
Arthur Bernard Lewis, who remained a writer on the show until its end.
Lewis was thus reuniting with Leonard Katzman and David Paulsen.
Paulsen did however leave Dallas at the end of the 11th season, and was
replaced as the show's producer first by newly recruited writer Howard
Lakin for season 12, and then by longtime associate producer Cliff
Fenneman for the final two years. Laking spent seasons 13 and 14 as
supervising producer.
Mitchell Wayne Katzman was promoted to co-producer as of season
12, while Frank Katzman (the other son of Leonard Katzman) and John
4/24/1998 War of the Ewings (1998) CBS 7.8 14 (lead in: Candid
Camera drew a 6.8 rating)
unborn child. Later, Sue Ellen questions J.R. as to whether it was really an
accident or did he mean for Pam to fall on purpose. J.R. says, "I did not."
When Sue Ellen asks J.R. if he cares that Pam lost the baby, J.R. does not
answer her, leaving it up to the viewer to decide.
Season Two cliffhanger: Sue Ellen's drinking problem has landed
her in a sanitarium, where she is pregnant with a child she believes is Cliff
Barnes'. She escapes from the sanitarium, gets drunk, and then gets into
a severe car accident, putting her life and the baby's life in danger. The
doctors deliver the baby, named John Ross Ewing III, but he is very small
on delivery and is not out of the woods yet; nor is Sue Ellen, who, as the
episode ends, is clinging to life. A very distraught J.R. is watching his wife
at the end of the episode in tears, saying that she's "just gotta live."
Season Three cliffhanger: To cap off a season where J.R. has
angered nearly everyone in the state of Texas, someone comes into his
office late at night and shoots him twice. This episode sets off the now
infamous "Who shot J. R.?" scenario which has been recreated numerous
times.
Season Four cliffhanger: While heading to a late-night business
meeting with Bobby, Cliff finds a woman's body floating in the Southfork
pool. He jumps into the pool to see who it is, and when he looks back up,
J.R. is standing on the balcony over the pool. Believing J.R. is responsible,
Cliff says to his rival, "She's dead. You bastard."
Season Five cliffhanger: Cliff Barnes' year had not been a good
one. Sue Ellen, with whom he'd had an off-and-on relationship, decided to
return to J.R. and plans to marry him again (which J.R. manipulated solely
so he can benefit from his father's will). In addition, J.R. helped to nearly
drive Cliff's mother's company into bankruptcy, which cost Cliff his job.
Cliff attempts suicide with an overdose of pills, and a guilt-ridden Sue
Ellen rushes to his bedside as Cliff lies in a coma. J.R. tries to convince Sue
Ellen that it was not anybody's fault but Cliff's for what happened, but Sue
Ellen disagrees and says she does not know if she can remarry J.R. if Cliff
dies, thus potentially jeopardising J.R.'s inheritance.
Season Six cliffhanger: A drunk Sue Ellen and Ray Krebbs' cousin
Mickey Trotter are involved in an accident, in a car belonging to J.R., just
outside Southfork. Sue Ellen emerges unhurt, but Mickey is paralyzed and
in a coma. Ray finds out that the driver of the other car was Walt Driscoll,
J.R.'s rival. He also learns that Driscoll deliberately caused the accident,
thinking that J.R. was driving, as a means of revenge for being put in jail
by J.R. earlier in the year. An angered Ray comes to Southfork late at night
demanding answers from J.R., who was not expecting to see him. J.R. asks
him what is going on and Ray says he's going to kill J.R. for what
happened. J.R. throws a candle holder at Ray, which misses him and
knocks over another candle holder with lit candles in it. As the two brawl,
the candles ignite a fire and the smoke starts to creep into both John Ross
and Sue Ellen's bedrooms as they sleep. J.R. notices the fire and tries to
break free of Ray, finally knocking him out with a telephone, and runs
upstairs to try to save his wife and son. Ray recovers and runs after J.R.
but is consumed by smoke and falls. J.R. is hit with a falling beam as he
gets upstairs and both men are unconscious as Southfork burns.
death and all of Season Nine would be revealed as a dream that Pam was
having).
Season Ten cliffhanger: The Ewings suffer a devastating loss as
Ewing Oil is closed down by the US State Department as punishment for
J.R.'s shady dealings which caused an international incident. Pam, on her
way home to Bobby from the doctor's office after finding out she can
finally conceive a baby, crashes into a fuel tanker which then explodes.
Season Eleven cliffhanger: J.R. and Sue Ellen's new beau Nicholas
Pearce fight in J.R.'s penthouse hotel suite, and during the course of the
fight Pearce goes over the balcony and falls to his death. Shocked by what
she has just seen and believing that J.R. has killed her lover, Sue Ellen
then picks up a gun from the floor and shoots J.R. three times. She then
picks up the phone and tells the police she would like to report a double
murder.
Season Twelve cliffhanger: Sue Ellen prepares to leave Dallas for
good, but before she does she has one last surprise for her ex-husband
J.R. Sue Ellen has made a biographical motion picture about her marriage
to him (with actors portraying them and the other Ewings) and previews
the film to J.R. who is shocked by what he has just seen. Sue Ellen tells J.R.
that she is leaving Dallas, but if he ever crosses her again in the future
or even if she wakes up on the wrong side of bed one morning she will
release the film and J.R. will be made "the laughing stock of Texas" and
ruined forever. She then leaves Dallas, triumphant at last.
Season Thirteen cliffhanger: After deliberately committing
himself into a sanitarium in order to persuade a patient (Clayton's sister
Jessica) to sign over her voting majority in Weststar Oil, J.R.'s plan
backfires when Cally Harper, his latest scorned woman, and his
illegitimate son James Beaumont coerce him into signing a property
waiver before they will allow him to be released. Once he does, James
tears up J.R.'s release papers anyway leaving him trapped in the
sanitarium with no means of escape.
Season Fourteen cliffhanger: After finally losing Ewing Oil to Cliff
Barnes, control of Southfork to Bobby, and being abandoned by his wife
and children, a drunk and despondent J.R. begins walking around the
ranch alone with a loaded gun wishing he had never been born. A gunshot
is later fired in J.R.'s bedroom as Bobby returns to Southfork, and he
rushes up to J.R.'s room and gasps, saying "Oh, my God!" as the series
ends.
Spinoffs, sequels and adaptions[edit]
Knots Landing[edit]
Main article: Knots Landing
Prior to Dallas' premiere, series creator David Jacobs originated the
idea for a drama series about four married couples in different stages of
marriage, inspired by Ingmar Bergman'sScenes from a Marriage. However,
CBS wanted a glitzy "saga-like" show, resulting in Jacobs creating Dallas.
[28]
idea, which evolved into Dallas spin-off series Knots Landing, premiering
during the mother series' third season, in late 1979.
Knots Landing followed the lives of Lucy's parents, Gary (Ted
Shackelford) and Valene (Joan Van Ark), as they move to California to start
seasons: "The Ewings of Dallas", "The Men of Dallas" and "The Women of
Dallas", all written by Burt Hirschfeld. Also, in 1985, "Dallas: The Complete
Ewing Family Saga" written by Laura Van Wormer, was published, detailing
the Dallas characters, the Ewing family, and the origin of the Southfork
ranch.
In 2004 and 2005, 2 documentary novels written by Barbara A.
Curran named "25 Years of Dallas: The Complete Story of the World's
Favorite Prime Time Soap" and "Dallas: The Complete Story of the World's
Favorite Prime-Time Soap" were released, published by Cumberland House
Publishing. Both of the novels contains extensive research and interviews
from most of original cast. The latter book contains a foreword by Victoria
Principal and an Introduction by David Jacobs.
In 1984 Datasoft released the video game Dallas Quest, and during
the 1980s the LA Times Syndicate produced a Dallas comic strip for
newspapers, written by Jim Lawrence. Illustrating the strip were Ron
Harris, Thomas Warkentin, Padraic Shigetani, Deryl Skelton, and others.
Legacy[edit]
Main article: Dallas (TV series) in popular culture
Dallas and the Cold War[edit]
Dallas is alleged to have helped partially hasten the downfall of
the Eastern Bloc country of Romania during the final years of the Cold
War.
Romanian President Nicolae Ceauescu allowed airings of Dallas,
one of the few Western shows allowed to be aired in the Communist state
during the 1980s. The belief that the show would be seen as anti-
Jump up^ Jacobs, David (April 15, 1990). "TV VIEW; When the
Rich And the Powerful Were Riding High". The New York Times. Retrieved
August 31, 2010.
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6.
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Jump up^ "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time". TV Guide. June
15, 2009. pp. 3449.
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http://www.ultimatedallas.com/episodeguide/dreamzonefaq.htm
Jump up^ "Actors Pay Price Of Aids Stigma" Orlando Sentinel;
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b c
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up^ http://www.ultimatedallas.com/dallasinterviews/lindainterview2.htm
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Jump up^ "21 As Dallas' New Miss Ellie, Donna Reed Trades
the Kitchen for a Home on the Range" People Magazine; November 19,
1984
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Jump up^ "How 'Dallas' Won the Cold War". Washington Post.
32.
Knots Landing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap
opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. A spinoff of Dallas, it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles, and
centered on the lives of four married couples living in acul-de-sac,
Seaview Circle. By the time of its conclusion, Knots Landing had become
one of the longest-running primetime dramas on U.S. television
after Gunsmoke and Bonanza.[1]
Knots Landing was created by David Jacobs (one-time writer
of Family and later producer of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of
Superman) in conjunction with producer Michael Filerman (who would also
later co-produce Falcon Crest). Although it became a spin-off of Dallas, the
concept predates that series, and was initially rebuffed by CBS in 1977, as
the network wanted something more "saga-like." Jacobs then
created Dallas, which the network accepted and premiered in 1978.
After Dallas became a hit, Jacobs was then able to adapt Knots Landing as
a spin-off series by way of incorporating characters originally introduced
in the parent series. The series was largely inspired by a 1957 movie No
Down Payment but also by the 1973 Ingmar Bergman television
miniseries Scenes from a Marriage. Storylines also included rape, murder,
kidnapping, assassinations, drug smuggling, corporate intrigue and
criminal investigations. Though initially not as popular as Dallas, Knots
Landing eventually outlasted it and garnered much critical acclaim. The
series peaked during the 198384 season with a 20.8 rating (finishing in
11th place) and a 20.0 rating for the 198485 season (when it finished
9th). This can be attributed, in part, to more dramatic storylines as the
series became more soap-opera like, and the gradual inclusion of newer
characters to interact with the original cast. By the 198889 season, Knots
Landing was ahead of Dallas in the ratings, though audiences for both
shows by this time were less than their earlier years.
In 1997, much of the cast reunited for a two-part mini-series
entitled Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac. In 2005, they reunited
again for the non-fiction special Knots Landing Reunion: Together Again in
which the cast reminisced about their time on the show.Dallas itself
was revived in 2012, with characters from Knots Landing appearing in its
second season.
Background[edit]
Gary Ewing was the middle son and the black sheep of the Ewing
family from Dallas. Gary was an alcoholic, whose father Jock and older
brother J.R. had never treated as an equal. The insecure Gary
met Valene when they were aged 17 and 15 years old respectively. They
were married briefly and had a daughter, Lucy, but Gary left Southfork
Ranch and later divorced Valene. With Gary gone from Southfork Ranch,
J.R. had Valene followed and 'run out of town' as he took her daughter and
manipulated Gary away from her. Years later, Valene and Lucy
reconnected, causing Valene and Gary to reunite. They remarried and
Gary's mother, Miss Ellie, bought the couple a house in California. Knots
Landing is officially spun-off from Dallas in the third season episode
entitled "Return Engagement".
Credited cast[edit]
See also: List of Knots Landing cast members
Michele Lee (Original cast) as Karen Cooper Fairgate
MacKenzie (344 episodes)
First married to Sid Fairgate, and later to Mack McKenzie, and the
mother of Diana, Eric and Michael Fairgate. She and Mack later adopted
Meg, (Laura's daughter with Greg Sumner). Karen worked as a community
activist and later proved herself to be a good businesswoman by running
Knots Landing Motors and Lotus Point, of which she was a joint-owner with
Gary and Abby. (Michele Lee would also become the only cast member to
appear in all 344 episodes.)
Don Murray (Original cast) as William Sidney Fairgate (1979
1981; 33 episodes)
Karen's first husband, and the owner of Knots Landing Motors. Hard
working, fair and at times stubborn, Sid was killed when his car was
sabotaged.
Ted Shackelford (Original cast) as Garrison Arthur "Gary"
Ewing (342 episodes)
The son of Jock and Ellie Ewing, first introduced in the TV
series Dallas. Gary, the middle Ewing son between J.R. and Bobby, was the
family blacksheep and a recovering alcoholic. The true love of Valene's life
and father of their daughter Lucy (from Dallas) and twins Bobby & Betsy
Ewing. After his arrival in California, he began working for Sid Fairgate at
Knots Landing Motors, where he was eventually promoted to vice
president. He was later fired by Karen after Sid's death, and his marriage
to Val was wrecked by his affair with Abby. After his father (Jock Ewing)
died, he inherited $10 million and later married Abby, though the
marriage ended after a couple of years. After a relationship with the
scheming Jill Bennett, he later remarried Valene. (Ted Shackleford is the
only castmember along with Michele Lee to remain in the series
throughout its entire run, but he did not appear in every episode)
Joan Van Ark (Original cast) as Valene "Val" Clements Ewing
Ewing Gibson Waleska Ewing (19791992, 1993; 327 episodes).
The true love of Gary's life, she is the mother of his three children,
including Lucy Ewing (Charlene Tilton) of Dallas, and twins Bobby & Betsy
Ewing, born in 1984. Valene originally came from Tennessee, and married
Gary in the 1960s while they were still in their teens, but she was outcast
from the Ewing family by J.R.. After she and Gary remarried in 1979, they
moved to Knots Landing where she became Karen's neighbor and best
friend. After their marriage failed again, she later married journalist Ben
Gibson, and then psychotic Danny Waleska, before finally marrying Gary
for the third time. (Joan Van Ark appears in all but six of the episodes for
her thirteen seasons, and returned for the series two-part finale in 1993)
Constance McCashin (Original cast) as Laura Avery
Sumner (19791987; 198 episodes).
The wife of Richard Avery, and later, Greg Sumner. Initially an
oppressed housewife, she later became a successful real estate agent.
Laura died in 1987 of a brain tumor.
John Pleshette (Original cast) as Richard Avery (19791983,
1987; 77 episodes).
(whom she also worked for), police detective Tom Ryan, and also Pierce
Lawton who tried to kill her.
Michelle Phillips as Anne Matheson (1987, 1989, 19901993;
88 episodes).
Paige's mother and Mack's first love. She initially tried to split up
Mack and Karen, but after failing she turned her attentions to Greg and
also attempted to cheat Paige out of her inheritance from her grandfather.
Larry Riley as Frank Williams (19881992; 99 episodes)
Frank moved to Knots Landing with his wife Pat and daughter Julie
as part of the witness protection program. He eventually took a job in
Mack's law firm.
Stacy Galina as Kate Whittaker (19901993; 71 episodes)
Claudia's daughter who resembled Greg's late daughter MaryFrances. She was a semi-professional tennis player, but broke her arm
which ended her budding career. She later became romantically involved
with Gary Ewing.
Kathleen Noone as Claudia Sumner Whittaker (19901993;
67 episodes)
Greg Sumner's sister, who moved to town under the guise of
accompanying her daughter for college; in reality, she wanted to meddle
in Greg's affairs.
Other recurring characters[edit]
Karen and Sid's eldest son who had a brief romantic relationship
with Greg Sumner's daughter Mary-Frances before later marrying Linda,
who would have an affair with his brother Michael.
Abby's son.
Diana (Claudia Lonow), Eric (Steve Shaw), and Michael (Patrick Petersen).
Also living in the cul-de-sac were corporate lawyer Richard Avery and his
wife Laura (John Pleshette and Constance McCashin), parents of a young
son, Jason, and young newlyweds Kenny Ward (a record producer) and his
wife Ginger (James Houghton and Kim Lankford).
Gary and Val's daughter Lucy (Charlene Tilton) came to visit them
from Dallas, but opted not to stay in California. Gary took a job at Knots
Landing Motors, a Ford-Lincoln-Mercury car dealership (hence, the show's
early sponsors) owned by Sid. He was soon promoted but, although a
recovering alcoholic, he got drunk at his promotion party and then
went binge drinking in the two-part season finale, Bottom of the Bottle.
Ginger caught her record producer husband, Kenny, cheating on her with
a singer, Sylvie (Louise Vallance), and broke up with him. Meanwhile,
unhappily married Richard and Laura Avery were having problems of their
own. When Richard wanted to borrow money from Laura's father, Laura
only agreed on the condition that Richard let her go to work instead of
being a full-time housewife. Richard was forced to relent, and Laura saw
that she did not have to live by her husband's rules all the time. During
the season, Laura was also raped by a man she'd met in a bar.
Season Two (198081)[edit]
18 episodes (1431)
Produced by: Joseph B. Wallenstein
Following her divorce, Sid Fairgates sister Abby Cunningham (Donna
Mills) moves to Knots Landing with her two young children, Olivia and
Brian. Abby was 14 years Sid's junior, and hed always been oblivious to
her scheming ways, but Karen was suspicious of almost everything Abby
did. When Abby took a job at Knots Landing Motors as a bookkeeper, she
helped Gary out of a bind with mobsters by going to his brother J.R. Ewing
(Larry Hagman), with whom she slept. Abby went out of her way to make
sure Val found out Gary was cheating on her with Judy Trent (Jane Elliott),
the attractive wife of Earl Trent, a man he was sponsoring in Alcoholics
Anonymous. Even though Abby set her sights on Gary, she settled for
Richard, taking no great effort to conceal the affair from Laura, who took
on a career in real estate and began a flirtation with her boss, Scooter
Warren (Allan Miller). Abby dumped Richard when her ex-husband Jeff
Cunningham (Barry Jenner) threatened to take her children away. During
an episode where the women of Knots Landing held a baby shower for
Ginger which was interrupted by intruders who held them all hostage,
Abby seduced one of the thugs in order to get out of the situation.
Ginger began dating the father of one of her students while
separated from Kenny, but took Kenny back upon discovering that she
was pregnant. Meanwhile, Richard's career as a lawyer took a turn for the
worse. Sid and Abby's nephew Paul Fairgate (Kale Browne) made his only
appearance on the show in the episode "Players". At the end of the
season, Abby's ex-husband Jeff succeeded in taking their two children
away without Abby's permission, leaving her frantic. When Sid discovered
some car parts that Gary and Abby had been buying were actually stolen,
his brakes were tampered with in order to keep him from testifying to this
in court. Sids car went off a cliff, with Sid and his FBI agent bodyguard
Salmaggio inside.
Valene returns to her house in Seaview Circle and throws Gary out.
She later becomes a best-selling author with "Capricorn Crude", her thinly
veiled expose of the Ewings of Dallas. Gary moves into a beach house
with Abby and her two children, and inherits millions from his father's will.
Investing money in several ways, he decides to go into the record
business and teams up with Kenny who produces the record of a beautiful
young singer Ciji Dunne (Lisa Hartman).
With the charges dropped against Sid Fairgates killers, an angry
Karen marches into the office of federal prosecutor M. Patrick Mack
McKenzie (played by Kevin Dobson). Mack was as upset as Karen, and so
they worked together to bring the men to justice. They fell in love, and
married half-way through the season.
Upon finding a suicide note at the house, a guilty Laura decided to
reconcile with Richard. Richard then proceeded to open a restaurant
called Daniel (named after their newborn son). Abby financed the
restaurant using Gary's money, and in a cross-promotion, demanded that
Ciji sing there every night. Ginger resented Ciji, as Kenny spent a lot of
time worrying about Cijis career and almost no time at all on Ginger's.
Laura and Ciji became best friends, which prompted the insecure Richard
to fear the women were having a lesbianrelationship.
Valenes publicist Chip Roberts (Michael Sabatino) convinced Lilimae
to let him live with them. Chip dated Karens daughter Diana and Ciji at
the same time, and panicked when he found out Ciji was carrying his
child and that Ciji had discovered he was actually a criminal called Tony
Fenice. Shortly afterwards, Ciji's dead body washed up on the beach. Gary,
who had again started drinking, was arrested for her murder.
Realizing Laura no longer loved him, Richard left Knots Landing,
which made Laura believe he was Ciji's murderer. Kenny and Ginger also
left Knots Landing, with Kenny being offered a job in Nashville. In the
season finale, Gary languished in a prison cell awaiting trial for Ciji's
murder, while Lilimae discovered Chips real identity. By this time, Chip
had left town with Diana, leaving Karen horrified that her daughter was in
the hands of a killer.
Season Five (198384)[edit]
25 episodes (76100)
Produced by: Peter Dunne
Gary was acquitted of Cijis murder due to a lack of evidence. Chip
(now revealed to be murder suspect Tony Fenice) and Diana fled town as
Chip became the primary suspect. Although Chip confessed to Diana that
he'd killed Ciji, they married while on the run so that she would not have
to testify against him in court. When it looked as though Chip would get
away with the murder, Lilimae took matters into her own hands by
running him down with her car. However, Chip was merely bruised by the
impact.
Meanwhile, Abby and Sid's uncle died, leaving Abby and (by default)
Karen land inheritance at Lotus Point, California. Abby then formed
Apolune Corp., a secret subsidiary of Garys company, with which to build
her power base. Abby convinced Gary to marry her in order to get half of
his inheritance. Valene began a relationship with journalist Ben Gibson
(Douglas Sheehan). Before marrying Abby, Gary slept with Valene one
more time. Valene discovered she was pregnant with Gary's children
(twins), Valene opted not to tell him as he was now married to Abby and
she herself was in love with Ben. However, Ben could not come to terms
with the fact she was pregnant with another mans babies and they broke
up.
Abby hired a Ciji look-alike, Cathy Geary (Lisa Hartman), to keep
Gary distracted so he would not learn about her crooked business
practices. Gary hired Cathy to work at his ranch, but when Chip (who had
been hiding out at the ranch with Diana) saw Cathy, he accidentally fell
backward onto a pitchfork and was killed. The ordeal with Diana caused
Karen to become more depressed, and she became addicted to
prescription painkillers. Abby inherited some land from her dead uncle,
but discovered Karen had inherited half of it as she was Sid's widow.
Without Karen's knowledge, Abby schemed to build a resort on the land
called Lotus Point while cutting Karen out of her plans. Politician Greg
Sumner (William Devane), an old college friend of Mack's who was running
for US Senator, received the endorsements of Mack and Karen, as well as
Abby, who wanted to buy herself a senator. Greg hired Mack to lead his
Senate Crime Commission investigating the sinister Wolfbridge Group, but
when Abby convinced Greg to get her an illegal land variance to build on
Lotus Point, Greg pinned it on Mack, thus ending their friendship.
After Karen's recovery from drug addiction, she and Diana
reconciled. Wolfbridge forced Abby to let them become her partners in the
development of Lotus Point. When Mack discovered that Apolune owned
all the land in Lotus Point, except Karen and Abbys inheritances, he
thought Apolune was a division of Wolfbridge. Laura confessed that
Apolune was Abbys company and Gary decided to divorce Abby. When
Mack faked Gary's death to get Wolfbridge, Karen left him, believing his
obsession with Wolfbridge had cost her everything. In the season finale,
Mack tried to trick Mark St. Claire (Joseph Chapman), the head of the
Wolfbridge Group, into trying to shoot Gary, but St. Claires assassin hit
Karen instead. Abby was kidnapped by the Wolfbridge Group when they
realized they had failed.
Season Six (198485)[edit]
30 episodes (101130)
Produced by: Peter Dunne (ep. 101-119) /Lawrence Kasha (ep. 120130)
Greg Sumner kills Mark St. Claire, who was holding Abby hostage on
a boat. After being shot, Karen was given only months to live after
declining to have risky surgery due to her fear that she would die on the
operating table like Sid had. Meanwhile, Gary and Abby reconciled and the
couple, along with Karen, agreed to become partners in Lotus Point.
Lilimae's secret son Joshua (Alec Baldwin), whom she'd abandoned as a
baby, came to live with her and Valene. He began dating Cathy, who'd
moved in with Laura.
Abby also began running the television station, World Pacific Cable,
that Ben worked at after Gary bought it. She was shocked to learn that
Gary was the father of Valenes babies. Abby told Scott Easton (Jack
Bannon), an influential lobbyist with shady connections, about her
Abby confided to Greg that she had inadvertently caused Valene's babies
to be stolen from her and asked for his help in recovering them as not
even she would knowingly steal another woman's children, however Greg
attempted to blackmail her with the information instead. With Ruth
Galveston's help, Abby manages to get the address of the couple who
have Val's babies. She goes to Val and tells her she knows where her
babies are, in the hopes of reuniting them and therefore covering her
involvement in their kidnapping. They drive to the home of Harry and
Sheila Fisher, the couple who adopted the babies on the black market, but
find Mack, Ben, Gary and Karen are already there. Sheila Fisher talks to
Karen and Mack at the front door, holding one of Valene's twins in her
arms. Sheila disbelieves their claims that the children were stolen and
illegally adopted. At that moment, Harry Fisher passes in front of the
house in his car with Valene's other baby. His wife shouts and warns him,
"They want to take the babies..." at which point Harry drives off with
Valene's other baby before anyone can stop him.
This season finale, entitled "The Long and Winding Road", ranked as
the #1 program for the week in the Nielsen ratings. It is the only episode
to rank #1 for the week during the series' 14 seasons.
Season Seven (198586)[edit]
30 episodes (131160)
Supervising producer: David Paulsen
Produced by: Lawrence Kasha
After a frantic battle to expose the black market adoption, Valene's
babies were returned to her in the second episode of the season. Abby
successfully covered her tracks in the matter by simply telling Gary that
she had received a phone call for "Mrs Ewing" telling her that the babies
were still alive and where they could be found, and assumed the phone
call was meant for Valene. Valene and Ben agreed to raise the babies
together, and they married. Also married this year were Laura and Greg,
whose estrangement ended when he convinced her that his interfering
mother was out of their lives for good. Gary received news about his
brother Bobby's death, and headed back to Dallas for the funeral (in the
1986-87 season premiere of Dallas, Bobby Ewing's death was revealed to
be part of a dream, however this was never acknowledged on Knots
Landing.)
Empire Valley went awry when Gary discovered that Galveston
Industries and its partners were secretly building an
underground espionage operation there. Gary blew up Empire Valley to
stop this. Gary blamed Abby, who had helped Greg and gone behind his
back. Gary informed Abby at the end of the season that he would divorce
her.
Gary bequeathed part of Empire Valley to Val's kids Betsy and Bobby
(named after his recently deceased brother), who were being raised as
Ben's children. Peter Hollister (Hunt Block) went to work for Greg, and Jill
Bennett (Teri Austin) became Macks new colleague. It was later revealed
that Peter and Jill were brother and sister, whose family had been swindled
by Paul Galveston and wanted revenge. Jill abandoned her side of the plan
when she fell in love with the now-single Gary, while Peter, in going
through Gregs files, discovered a woman named Sylvia Lean (Ruth
up her stash of drugs to Abby. Olivia then became friends with Peter
Hollister, but developed a crush on him. Peter, however, was only
interested in Paige. At the end of the season, Abby found Olivia standing
over Peter's dead body. They both assumed the other had killed him. Abby
frantically buried Peters corpse under the soil at Lotus Point where
cement was to be poured the next day. Some weeks later, believing she
had successfully hidden all the evidence, Abby was informed by Karen
that there was a crack in the cement and it would have to be dug up and
redone.
Season Nine (198788)[edit]
29 episodes (191219)
Produced by: Lawrence Kasha/Mary-Catherine Harold
When Peter's body is discovered, Olivia is threatened with
prosecution for his murder. However, Abby steps in and pretends that she
did it in order to save her daughter, but it is then revealed that Paige had
accidentally caused Peter's death. No charges were brought against her,
but Abby swore that she would make Paige pay for nearly letting Olivia
take the blame for the crime. A melancholy Laura made up with Valene
after a talk with Karen. Laura told Greg that she was dying of a brain
tumor. Greg refused to accept it, and Laura left him to go to a clinic where
she died. Laura's funeral brought the return of Richard, who moved his
and Lauras sons back to the east coast with him and his new wife. Greg
was left to raise Meg, his and Laura's infant daughter. Overcome with grief
and feeling unable to raise the child by himself, Greg asked Karen and
Mack to adopt her, which they did. Meanwhile, Lilimae left Knots Landing
with a new man in her life. Abby rekindled an old romance with her first
love, wealthy business executive Charles Scott (Michael York). The two
married briefly, but Abby ended the relationship after discovering his
ulterior motives about plans for the Lotus Point Marina.
Frank and Pat Williams (Larry Riley and Lynne Moody) and their
daughter Julie (Kent Masters-King) moved into Laura's old house on the
cul-de-sac. Mack and Karen were suspicious of them at first, but became
their friends upon discovering they were in the Witness Protection
Program. Business at Lotus Point began to slow down, and Karen, Gary,
and Abby agreed to expand the marina to accommodate the business of
Manny Vasquez (John Aprea).
Paige began to work for Greg, and found herself attracted to him.
Paige and Michael went on an archaeological dig in Mexico. When it
became apparent that Manny Vasquez (John Aprea) was selling drugs
through Lotus Point, its owners tried to stop him. He told them that Paige
and Michael would not re-enter the United States until he was allowed to
conduct business at Lotus Point.
Gary took an increased interest in Valene's twins, initially at Valenes
resistance. His attention to Val and the children was an annoyance to Jill,
who was now living with Gary and became jealous. Jill made an elaborate
plan where she edited audio recordings of Bens voice to make Valene
think Ben was trying to contact her, and forged letters from him. In an
attempt to make Valene look unstable, Jill then stole the tapes of Bens
messages and the letters, leaving Valene with no proof when she tried
telling people. In the season finale, Jill broke into Valene's house at night
A con artist tried to extort money from Frank and Pat by threatening
to reveal their location to the men who had threatened Pat's life when she
testified against them. Mack halted the con artist, and used dental records
from a deceased family to make the men believe that the Sollars family
(the original identity of the Williamses) were dead. Paige and Michael were
able to get out of Mexico, and Manny Vasquezs nephew Harold Dyer (Paul
Carafotes) (who was also dating Abbys daughter Olivia) killed his uncle
when Manny tried to kill Mack. Paige seduced Greg and the two began
dating. Unfortunately, Greg wanted to become mayor of Los Angeles and
he realized the much-younger Paige would not make a good political wife.
He asked Abby to marry him instead, and Abby got her revenge against
the broken-hearted Paige, who still kept her job at Gregs company
nonetheless. To assist in his election campaign, Greg then tried to tried to
regain custody of Meg from Karen and Mack, her adoptive parents, which
led to a highly charged legal battle.
Mack had a mid-life crisis and quit his job, opening a private law
practice. Following a health and safety report, the Lotus Point resort has to
be sold. However, it was revealed that Abby had falsified the report after
she discovered that there was oil underneath Lotus Point, and created a
company to conceal who was buying the resort from her partners. Paige
discovered that the whole thing was a scam initiated by Abby and her
cohort Ted Melcher which infuriated Karen who was now intent on sending
Abby to jail for fraud. Abby narrowly avoided prosecution and agreed to
donate Lotus Point to the city as a public park. She then left Greg (and
Knots Landing) for a Trade Envoy job in Japan (a job Greg himself had
planned to get after his failed attempt to become mayor of Los Angeles).
Paige, meanwhile, finds herself caught between Greg and Ted Melcher,
one of whom is a murderer.
Season Eleven (198990)[edit]
29 episodes (248276)
Co-executive producer: Lawrence Kasha
Produced by: Mary-Catherine Harold/Lynn Marie Latham/Bernard
Lechowick
Valene and Gary became separately involved with another divorced
couple, Danny and Amanda Waleska. Gary learns that Danny (Sam
Behrens) had beaten and raped Amanda (Penny Peyser), but when he tells
Valene she refuses to believe him and ends up marrying Danny. However,
when she finally realizes the truth, Valene tries to kick him out of her
house. However, Danny becomes increasingly violent and refuses to leave
so Val takes the twins and goes to stay with Gary at his ranch. While
drunk, Danny hits Pat with his car, and she is left on life support at the
hospital. When told she is brain dead, Frank makes the difficult decision to
have her life support switched off.
Olivia marries Harold, but they have monetary woes due to his
gambling and Abby's decision to cut Olivia off financially. They eventually
decide to leave Knots Landing and move to Miami. Eric's wife Linda stays
at the Mackenzie household and has an affair with Erics brother Michael.
Linda then divorces Eric and goes to work at the Sumner Group where she
competes with Paige. Gregs daughter Mary Frances (Stacy Galina) visits
him after a six-year estrangement and is shot dead in Greg's office,
making Greg believe he was the intended target. Greg himself is then shot
by Mary Frances' activist boyfriend Robert, though he survives. Robert
blames Greg for manufacturing poisonous agricultural chemicals that are
banned in the US because they cause liver cancer and confesses that he's
the one who shot Mary Frances because she was already dying of the
disease and he wanted to publicize their cause. Robert then injects Greg
with the chemicals so that he'll suffer like his victims have.
Now broke, Paige's mother Anne returns to Knots Landing in an
attempt to cheat Paige out of an inheritance that her grandfather left her.
By pretending to be Paige using her ID, she sets up a bank account to
fraudulently claim the money, but her plan goes awry.
Paige falls in love with dirty cop Tom Ryan (Joseph Gian) and the two
plan to marry, but on the day of their wedding, Tom jilts her after Greg
blackmails him. Gary proposes to Valene, who accepts. Karen starts
presenting a television talk show, but becomes the target of an obsessive
fan who starts terrorizing her from afar. When she believes that the stalker
has finally been caught, it is then revealed that the real stalker is actually
Jeff Cameron (Chris Lemmon), one of her show's producers. Jeff then starts
a page for Karen in a scrapbook he keeps of television personalities that
have been murdered.
Season Twelve (199091)[edit]
27 episodes (277303)
Co-executive producer: Lawrence Kasha
Produced by: Mary-Catherine Harold/Lynn Marie Latham/Bernard
Lechowick
streets, Anne meets shady Benny Appleman and they scheme to make
money together. She agrees to pose nude for a magazine and then starts
hosting an advice show on night-time radio which becomes a smash hit.
After getting herself involved in dangerous schemes, Linda is
murdered by the crazy Brian Johnston, who then holds the Mackenzies
hostage at gunpoint in their home for an entire episode. Jason leaves the
Mackenzie household to visit Sweden for a year, while Julie also leaves
Knots Landing to move back east to live with relatives. Frank dates
schoolteacher Debbie Porter (played by Halle Berry), though he too later
leaves town.
Gary invested in a project that turned energy from the ocean's tides
into usable electric energy. The man behind it, Joseph Barringer (Mark
Soper), became Kates boyfriend. Paige joined Gary, along with her new
boyfriend Pierce (Bruce Greenwood). A former flame of Pierce's, Victoria
Broyelard (played by Marcia Cross), revealed that Pierce had killed his
previous girlfriend, but Paige did not believe it. Paige was shot by Pierce
(aiming for Greg, whom he hated) and temporarily paralyzed, giving a
delusional Pierce (who thought she was the previous, pregnant girlfriend
he'd already killed) a chance to kidnap her. He takes off with her on a
yacht, but is followed by Mack and Greg. They rescue Paige after Greg and
Pierce fight and fall into the water, but Pierce's body is never found and he
is presumed to have drowned.
Alex Barth (Boyd Kestner), the nephew of the Galveston's
housekeeper, blackmailed Claudia for refusing to help her ailing mother
Ruth Galveston with her medication and thus allowed her to die. Claudia
said that she wanted to end her mother's pain. Meanwhile, Claudia took a
dislike to Joseph Barringer and asked Greg to get him a job in order to get
him away from Kate. Gary, who had tied up all his money in Tidal Energy,
was left bankrupt. Valene attempted to console him, and the two of them
spent the rest of the season enjoying a happy marriage back at their
house in Seaview Circle. Valene was asked by her publisher to write a
biography on Greg Sumner. Mary Robeson (Maree Cheatham) told Valene
that she was Megs grandmother, as she was Lauras biological mother.
Valene refused to believe it, and when she investigated Mary Robeson
further, she was kidnapped in Florida. Meanwhile, as Paige got into her
car, she looked into the rear-view mirror mirror and was horrified to see
the psychotic Pierce waiting for her in the back seat.
Season Fourteen (199293)[edit]
19 episodes (326344)
Co-executive producer: Barbara Corday
Supervising producer: Ann Marcus
Produced by: Mary-Catherine Harold
While trying to find Valene, Gary sees a car she is in explode. Greg
decides to retire from the Sumner Group, and leaves one-third of the
company to Claudia, one-third to Paige, and one-third to Mack and Karen
(in a trust for Meg). Anne's pregnancy prompts him to return to Knots
Landing to marry her, but Anne then finds out that she has suffered
fromhysterical pregnancy. Anne old flame Nick returns to Knots Landing.
Mack sought $1,000,000 to bribe Mary Robeson to stop her seeking
custody of Meg. Claudia gives him $500,000 from the Sumner Group
are also leaving town. Back at Seaview Circle, Gary, Val, Mack and Karen
prepare to have a barbecue as a new couple begin moving into Franks old
house on the cul-de-sac. At that moment, another car pulls up and Abby
emerges. She informs everyone that she is buying Claudias house (the
house which had originally been hers when she lived on the cul-de-sac).
Valene simply smiles and welcomes Abby back to the cul-de-sac before
rushing Gary away. Abby is left face to face with Karen, to whom she
proclaims "Just like old times, isn't it?"
The series finale, "Just Like Old Times", garnered a 19.6 rating and
at the time was one of the Top 20 most watched TV finales in American
television history.
Knots Landing/Dallas crossover episodes[edit]
Between Seasons one and four, there were nine episodes
where Dallas characters appeared, played by their respective actors.
Season 1
[2]
nixed, and Michelle Phillips, who had been signed to a contract, was
written out for a few seasons before returning in 1990. When she did
return, Anne did not pursue Mack. William Devane, who played Greg
Sumner, re-wrote most of his character's dialogue, to the point where, in
co-star Michele Lee's words, "most people (on set) were (probably)
frightened of him."
[3]
throughout the mid-1980s was suggested by Ted Shackelford and Joan Van
Ark in 1980, and the producers hesitated for a year and a half before
going through with it in 1982.[2] The famous 1984 storyline where Valene's
babies got kidnapped was originally envisioned as one of scheming Abby's
plots. Donna Mills, who played Abby, acknowledged that her character
was evil but did not think she was that evil. Fearing the audience would
never forgive her character for kidnapping another woman's babies, she
asked the writers to make the kidnappings a result of Abby's actions, but
only by accident, and the writers complied.
The writing team of Bernard Lechowick and Lynn Marie
Latham (the head writers from 1986 to 1991) was controversial among
both fans and actors. Their humor-imbued style of writing made them the
favorites of Michele Lee, while John Pleshette felt they were "awful
people". Pleshette, however, was not a cast member during their tenure
and harbored resentment because the writing team, who had been
represented by his wife, moved to a different agency.[4] Joan van Ark,
whose character was struck by a brain illness in season 12 and proceeded
to thereafter go crazy, felt that Latham and Lechowick had turned her
character into the "village idiot." Joan Van Ark and Donna Mills'
favorite Knots Landing writer was Peter Dunne,[2] who was responsible for
making Knots Landing a top ten show in 1984.
In 1987, CBS demanded that production costs be cut. This meant
the firing of two regulars, Constance McCashin and Julie Harris. Season 13
saw a large ratings drop for the show after writer/producers Bernard
Lechowick and Lynn Marie Latham left to create Homefront and creator
David Jacobs had a health crisis and pulled back his involvement in
production. Jacobs has publicly stated that the way he knew the show was
in trouble was when waitresses at his favorite diner, whom he had heard
gossiping about Knots Landingevery Friday during past seasons, suddenly
stopped discussing the show in late 1991. He attempted to save face by
shutting down production on November 20, 1991,[5] firing head writer John
Romano, and replacing him with Ann Marcus. Cost cutting again plagued
the series in its final season, when only 19 episodes were produced, and
regular characters did not appear in each episode. In one episode in the
final season ("My Kingdom for a Horse"), only three of the fourteen
regulars cast for season 8 appeared (Devane, Phillips, and Lee.) Not
wanting to compromise what he felt had been a good run, series creator
David Jacobs described its end as a "mutual decision" between Knots
Landing's producers and the CBS Network, saying, "We don't know if they
would have picked us up anyway...but even if they had, we would have
had to pare away more to survive."
Music[edit]
The theme song, which lasted all 14 seasons was composed
by Jerrold Immel. Immel, along with Craig Huxley composed the
background music for the pilot. The original background music cues by
Immel and Huxley were never fully abandoned by the show, and were
heard as late as the final season. The early Knots Landing background
music cues heavily emphasized the brass section, and were often played
with a very sparse bass line accompaniment. It was, in fact,
the only aspect of the series ever to win an Emmy award, for the music
orchestration during its 197980 season.
By season 4 of Knots Landing, the lushness of the 1980s was in full
swing and Knots Landing's background cues reflected that style. The new
dramatic cues emphasized full orchestral arrangements as formerly
middle class Knots Landing became upwardly mobile. The background
de-sac. In the pilot, however, it had the photo credits of the main actors
shown superimposed over the house the roles live in.
(November 12, 1981 May 14, 1987) Knots Landing unveiled a new
opening at the start of season 3. In what is probably the best-remembered
introduction, the sequence designed by Gene Kraft begins with a fast
moving aerial shot of the ocean which then tilts up as it approaches the
coastline and the series title appears. The picture, except for the title,
fades to black and the title scrolls from right to left followed by a montage
of clips of the show playing in small boxes. Each cast member is credited
below a larger box showcasing a close-up of their character, accompanied
by three or four smaller boxes showing that character in scenes with other
characters.
(September 24, 1987 May 18, 1989) At the beginning of the ninth
season, Knots Landing's producers decided to break tradition with the
opening. The intro designed by Sandy Dvore now features a slow panning
shot over a painting similar to the splattered style of Jackson Pollock. As
the zig-zag panning continues, the cast montage appears, featuring black
and white shots of the actors inside of small ovular cameos. The posed
cameos were dropped in the 198889 season in favour of color close-ups
taken from the show.
(September 28, 1989 May 16, 1990) The eleventh season of Knots
Landing saw the show unveil its fourth title sequence. The new opening
designed by Castle/Bryant/Johnsennow showcases sandcastle structures
of the cul-de-sac houses as well as some skyscrapers representing Los
Angeles on a beautiful beach. It is the only version of the opening without
pictures of the cast. The camera twists through this sandcastle community
with only the actors' names appearing. Another and never-seen
particularity appears right from the second episode of this season: the
opening splits in two. The cutting takes place during the staff credits. The
main theme is adapted as well. Between the two parts of the opening is
presented a summary of what happened in the past episodes.
(September 13, 1990 May 13, 1993) To redefine the show for the
1990s, Knots Landing made one final change to the opening credits by
returning to its famous across-the-screen style of scrolling clips though
with faster moving, color-framed boxes. This version was designed
by Castle/Bryant/Johnsen to be "safe" for the 1990s. Eventually it would
bring Knots Landing through its final three seasons on the air.
Reruns[edit]
Reruns of Knots Landing were first packaged into syndication for offnetwork broadcast in local markets by Lorimar in 1984. Before the show
opening, each episode was preceded by a "Lorimar Presents" logo,
followed by a narrated recap of the previous episode with the theme
music played under. The first 190 episodes were packaged in this manner,
but only the first 160 episodes were syndicated to local stations.
Knots Landing later appeared on the cable channel TNT in
September 1992 and ran through May 1993; as with the syndicated run,
only the first 160 episodes were broadcast. TNT would later become the
first network to broadcast all 344 episodes of Knots Landing during its
second syndication run of the series beginning in 1995.
Soapnet later acquired the rights to the series when it first went on
the air in January 2000. Knots Landing has not been seen in United States
syndication since Soapnet quit broadcasting it.[when?]
Foreign markets[edit]
The UK satellite channel CBS Drama began airing the series in its
entirety starting from April 1, 2013. This was the first time the show had
been rerun in the UK since the 1990s. RT television in Ireland[which?] had
broadcast the first seven seasons in an early morning weekend slot during
2011.
International broadcasts[edit]
In Sweden, the show was called "JRs bror Gary Ewing" (JR's brother
Gary Ewing). The series premiered in 1988 on TV3.
14 seasons had aired by April 1994, making it the most popular foreign
drama series at this run. From late 1995, the show was rerun in its entirety
again in the afternoons (15:50) and the last five seasons at night
(01:30). Back To The Cul-De-Sac aired as a holiday special in Autumn
1997.
In Spain, the series was aired by the regional channels under the
FORTA umbrella. The series did not arrive in Spain until at least 1992, and
initially was only aired in various regions, normally in a weekday afternoon
slot accompanying Dallas which also arrived late in Spain. Neither series
completed their run in Spain and neither have been rescreened there in
full or in part.
Legacy[edit]
1.
2.
^ Jump up
to:a
3.
b c
http://www.knotslandingonline.com/joan_van_ark_interview.html
Jump
up^ http://www.knotslandingonline.com/michele_lee_interview.html
4.
Jump
up^ http://www.knotslandingonline.com/john_pleshette_interview.html
5.
Jump
up^ http://www.knotslandingonline.com/ted_shackelford_interview.html
6.
Falcon Crest
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Falcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which
aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May
17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced.
The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy
Gioberti/Channing family in the Californian wine industry. Jane
Wymanstarred as Angela Channing, the tyrannical matriarch of the Falcon
Crest Winery, alongside Robert Foxworth as Chase Gioberti, Angela's
nephew who returns to Falcon Crest following the death of his father. The
series was set in the fictitious Tuscany Valley (modeled after the Napa
Valley) northeast of San Francisco.
Concept[edit]
The show was created by Earl Hamner, who had previously
created The Waltons, which had just finished its final season in 1981.
Hamner wanted to create a family drama involving the wine industry, but
CBS requested he make the show more along the lines ofDallas which was
the network's biggest hit at that time.[1] CBS then scheduled Falcon
Crest at 10 p.m. on Friday nights, right afterDallas. The Dallas-Falcon
Crest one-two punch proved lucrative for the network and Falcon
Crest was a Top 20 show in the Nielsen Ratings for several years. Both
shows (like The Waltons) were produced for CBS by the same
company, Lorimar Productions.
The show revolved around Angela Channing (Jane Wyman), a
corrupt, tyrannical matriarch who ruled the Falcon Crest vineyards with an
anytime soon, Angela hoped to enlarge her empire by forcing Lance into
an arranged marriage with winery heiress Melissa Agretti (briefly played
by Delores Cant, later by Ana Alicia), the daughter of Carlo Agretti who
owned the much-coveted Agretti Vineyards. However, much like Angela,
Melissa was also a selfish schemer and would cause trouble for many
residents of the Tuscany Valley. Cole was also romantically interested in
Melissa and the two had a brief affair before Melissa spurned him for
Lance, even though she was carrying Cole's child when they got married.
But none could truly rival Angela until the conniving Richard
Channing (David Selby) arrived in the show's second season. He was
believed to be the illegitimate son of Angela's ex-husband Douglas
Channing, and inherited most of his father's shares in the family
newspaper after Douglas died, which placed him in a position of
considerable power. Bent on retribution for the way he had been outcast,
Richard later got into the wine business and made several attempts to
wrest control of Falcon Crest from both Angela and Chase.
Plot[edit]
Early seasons[edit]
Despite its reputation as merely being "Dallas with grapes, Falcon
Crest soon found its own niche amongst the prime-time dramas of the
1980s, occupying the middle ground between the two extremes of the
genre being more glamorous than Dallas yet not quite as outrageous
as Dynasty. The distinctive location filming in the Napa Valley and the dry,
wryly humorous tone of the scripts gave the series a personality of its
own.
The rivalry among Angela, Chase and Richard stayed at the core of
the show for several years, as more romantic entanglements spun around
them. Lance and Cole found themselves not only caught up in their family
battles for control of Falcon Crest, but were also competing for Melissa's
affections.
Like Dallas and Dynasty, Falcon Crest employed the use of
memorable end-of-season cliffhangers to boost ratings. The 198283
season climaxed with the culmination of a murder mystery "whodunit"
plot (surrounding the death of Melissa's father, Carlo Agretti) that had
spanned most of the season. The killer was confronted in front of the
entire cast, only to produce a handgun. Shots were fired (and heard from
outside as the camera panned away from the mansion), which then faded
into the final scene of a coffin being lowered into the ground, leaving the
audience to wonder who had been killed.
The third season cliffhanger in 1984 involved a plane crash carrying
most of the major characters, resulting in the deaths of three of them. A
bomb explosion which ended the fourth season left Richard and Maggie in
peril, and an earthquake that rippled through the valley ended the fifth
season. The cliffhanger of the sixth season put Chase, Melissa, Richard,
newcomer Dan Fixx and Maggie's baby in danger of drowning in the San
Francisco bay area. At the end of the seventh season, Melissa had finally
wrested complete control of Falcon Crest away from Angela, while Richard
was apparently murdered by "The Thirteen", a powerful group of shady
businessmen whom he had turned against.
Later seasons[edit]
With the departures of many of the core cast, coupled with the
shifting tastes of the public in the mid 1980s, ratings began to drop (as
had ratings for all of the primetime soaps of that era). In the late
1980s, Soap Opera Digest named eighth season on Falcon Crest as "Most
Ruined Show". In the spring of 1988, the series placed 52nd in the ratings.
The series attempted to revitalize itself, much in the way that rival
soap Knots Landing had successfully done, but by the beginning of the
ninth (and final) season in 1989, Angela, Lance, and Emma were the only
three characters from the original first season cast remaining on the
series. During the 198990 Jane Wyman was absent for most of that
season due to her health problems.[2] The final season then revolved
the Tuscany Valley. He dies only a short time after their wedding in the
plane crash that also killed Dr. Michael Ranson and Linda Caproni.
marrying Terry Hartford (Maggie's sister), and later marries Maggie herself.
Following Maggie's death, he marries Maggie's second cousin, Lauren
Daniels. After he joined the series in 1982, actor David Selby appeared in
all the episodes until the series concluded in 1990.
Terry Hartford Laura Johnson (19831986)
Maggie Gioberti's younger sister. Beautiful but devious, she is a
former call girl who creates scandal in Tuscany Valley with her attempts to
move up the society ladder. After marrying Chase's cousin Michael
Ranson, she inherits his wealth following his death in the plane crash at
the end of Season 3, and later blackmails Richard Channing into marrying
her. However she was killed a short time later in an earthquake that shook
the valley.
Pamela Lynch Sarah Douglas (19831985), Martine
Beswick (1985)
Personal assistant and brief love-interest to Richard Channing and a
former employee of the deadly mafia-type organisation, the Cartel.
Capable of being ruthless and scheming, she also had a softer side and
was especially fond of Richard Channing's stepdaughter Lorraine Prescott.
After finding out Richard had been recording every conversation in his
office, even hers, she betrays him by giving Maggie taped evidence that
clears Lance of trying to kill Angela. She also gains control of a winery
needed by Angela, Richard and Chase and earns a $10 million dollar profit
by selling it them at a higher price. In revenge, Richard turns her file over
to Interpol and she then tries to kill Richard by blowing up his house,
injuring him and Maggie. In order to evade capture, she then had plastic
surgery to alter her appearance.
Greg Reardon Simon MacCorkindale (19841986)
A sharp British lawyer who works for Angela, though he rarely
approves of her methods. He first pursues Melissa Agretti, then later
becomes involved with Terry Hartford. After he discovers she was working
for Richard Channing, he later becomes involved with lawyer Jordan
Roberts whom he eventually leaves the Tuscany Valley with.
Gustav Riebmann Paul Freeman (1984)
The son of a Nazi war criminal, he becomes the head of the sinister
Cartel after he assassinated his own father. He moves to the Tuscany
Valley in an attempt to gain control of Falcon Crest, knowing that there
was a priceless art treasure buried under the estate decades earlier.
Gustav along with his assistant Renee are both perish in a cave in.
Father Christopher Rossini Ken Olin (19851986)
Priest and illegitimate son of Julia Cumson and the late Dominic
Rossini. Julia became pregnant with Christopher when she was only a
teenager, at which point Angela ran Dominic Rossini out of the valley.
After he was born, Angela told Julia that the baby had died and allowed
him to be raised in a Catholic orphanage in Marysville, Connecticut. When
Dominic's wife Anna and daughter Cassandra returned to the Tuscany
Valley years later to wreak revenge for what Angela allegedly did to their
family, Angela was forced to tell Christopher he was her grandson.
Peter Stavros Cesar Romero (19851987, 1988)
Hope), she leaves the valley with the child, determined that Melissa will
never raise her. Robin's father Phillip dies sometime before Frank Agretti
returns to the Tuscany Valley.
Apollonia Apollonia Kotero (19851986)
A singer who becomes romantically involved with Lance. When her
career eventually takes off, she leaves San Francisco.
Dwayne Cooley Daniel Greene (19851986)
A dashing truck driver who falls for Emma Channing. He later goes
into the wine distribution business with Chase. Dwayne and Emma intend
to marry (much against Angela's wishes) but he is killed in the earthquake
that devastated the valley in 1986.
Jeff Wainwright Edward Albert (1986)
A press agent for a book written by Maggie Gioberti, but whose
interest in Maggie takes on a disturbing nature. He begins stalking Maggie
and later kidnaps and rapes her.
Li-Ying Chi Rosalind Chao (1986)
Chao-Li's daughter who comes to the Tuscany Valley to visit her
father. Li-Ying works as a seismologist and she predicted the deadly
earthquake that occurred in the Tuscany Valley.
Erin Jones Jill Jacobson (19851986)
An unscrupulous woman who performs underhanded work for
Angela (such as infecting Chase's vineyards with a parasite). She later
works for Richard Channing, tries to doublecross him, but her plan
backfires. Responsible for shooting Chase Gioberti.
Meredith Braxton Jane Badler (19861987)
Erin Jones' sister, and later assistant to Richard Channing after her
sister's death. After being spurned by him, she later turns on Richard and
provides Angela with information that will ruin him.
Guy Stafford Jeff Kober (1986)
Hired killer sent to kill Kit Marlowe.
Vince Karlotti Marjoe Gortner (19861987)
A charlatan posing as a psychic medium who has Emma Channing
under his spell. When he marries her, it is revealed that he is a
polygamist.
Francine Hope Melba Moore (1987)
An adoption attorney who tries to help Maggie Gioberti trace her
baby.
Gabrielle Short Cindy Morgan (19871988)
Love interest for Chase following the end of his marriage to Maggie.
Dina Wells Robin Greer (19861987)
Love interest for Lance who is crippled after a racing car accident
and is killed by a psychotic nurse. Greer and Lamas were also briefly
engaged in real life, but split up in 1987. Their onscreen relationship
followed suit.
Garth Carl Held (19861989)
Personal assistant and head of security for Richard Channing.
John Remick Ed Marinaro (1987)
Vietnam veteran and an old friend of Chase's who visits Maggie
following Chase's death.
Carly Fixx Mariska Hargitay (19871988)
Dan Fixx's alleged half-sister who has romantic feelings for him.
When they discover they are not actually related, they become involved
and leave the Tuscany Valley. During her stay, Carly becomes a close
friend of Angela's.
Ben Agretti Brandon Douglas (19881989)
Son of Nick Agretti and Anna Cellini.
Anna Cellini Assumpta Serna (19881989)
An old flame of Nick Agretti's and the mother of his son, Ben. Her
relationship with Nick was thwarted by her powerful, tyranical father. Anna
comes to the Tuscany Valley to re-establish contact with Nick and Ben
when she discovers she is terminally ill.
Cesar Ortega Castulo Guerra (19881989)
Pilar Ortega's father who works as the foreman at Falcon Crest.Cesar
left the valley with his two sons to live near his sister Mercedes.
Mercedes Vargas Martha Velez (1988)
Aunt to Pilar Ortega who is secretly raising Pilar's daughter Lisa.
Tommy Ortega Dan Ferro (19881989)
Pilar Ortega's brother who goes to work at the Tuscany Herald
newspaper and becomes attracted to Maggie.Tommy leaves town with his
father Cesar and his brother Gabriel to live near his Aunt Mercedes.
Gabriel Ortega Danny Nucci (19881989)
Pilar Ortega's younger brother who befriends Ben Agretti.
Chris Agretti - Chris Young (1989)
but in denial of the affair her husband had with Julia Cumson, that led to
the birth of Christopher Rossini.
Jordan Roberts Morgan Fairchild (19851986)
A glamorous attorney who works for Richard Channing and helps
him rebuild his empire after he loses his share of Falcon Crest and goes
bankrupt. Although a sharp, intelligent woman, Jordan hides a dark secret
as she suffers from multiple personality disorder following years of abuse
at the hands of her father who molested her as a child. She later becomes
involved with Greg Reardon and, after receiving treatment for her
condition, the two of them leave the Tuscany Valley.
Kit Marlowe Kim Novak (19861987)
A woman with a shady past who poses as Peter Stavros' dead stepdaughter. She causes mayhem when she arrives in Tuscany Valley, and is
pursued by a deadly gangster Roland Saunders, who is intent on killing
her. Kit eventually becomes involved with Lance's father Tony and the two
of them leave to go and live on Peter's private island, only to later part
ways.
Roland Saunders Robert Stack (1987)
Mafioso-type criminal who is out to kill Kit Marlowe. He is killed by
Peter Stavros.
Nicole Sauguet Leslie Caron (1987)
Wealthy French woman and old friend of Chase's who arrives in the
valley following his death claiming she loaned him 30 million dollars.
Liz McDowell Lauren Hutton (1987)
not seen but there was a subplot concerning a mysterious woman crying
for her mother while locked away in one of the upstairs rooms.[3]
Though never broadcast or released on DVD, The Vintage Years pilot
was made available for download on the AOL video-on-demand
service In2TV.
Behind the scenes[edit]
Lorimar producers searching for a location to use as the principal
backdrop for the show decided upon Spring Mountain Vineyard, a winery
located in St. Helena, in California's Napa Valley. This site contained the
1884 Victorian mansion "Villa Miravalle", the exterior for which was used
as the Falcon Crest mansion where Angela lived with her daughters Julia,
Emma and her grandson, Lance, as well as the winery building which had
just been constructed in the mid-1970s.[4] As a tie-in, the Spring Mountain
Winery also produced a "Falcon Crest" wine during the show's run.
Barbara Stanwyck had been considered for the role of Angela
Channing but turned it down. The role then went to Stanwyck's friend Jane
Wyman.
According to rumor, Jane Wyman had a running feud with Robert
Foxworth, to the point where they measured each other's dressing room
trailers just to make sure they were equal in size.[5] When Foxworth
became a director for the show, Wyman demanded CBS add a clause to
her contract also allowing her to be a director. Although she ultimately
never directed any episodes, Wyman was pleased that she had the same
designation as Foxworth.[citation needed]
It was reported that Wyman had had a long-running feud with fellow
movie star legend Lana Turner which dated back to their Hollywood years.
[6]
and the producers had to film their confrontational scenes separately and
then splice them together; Turner was written out of the show soon after.
[7]
noted that she believed Wyman was negative in demeanor due to the fact
that her ex-husband, Ronald Reagan, was elected President during the
1980s, something that Turner believed Wyman could not reconcile within
herself.[8] Lana Turner appeared on The Phil Donahue Show in 1982 and
emphatically denied the rumors of the reported feud. "It's a bunch of bull.
It's all publicity trying to drum up a feud between us. I adore Ms. Wyman. I
respect her as a lady and an artist, and there is no feud."[9]
Sophia Loren was set to star in the role of Francesca Gioberti,
Angela's secret half-sister who comes to the valley to threaten Angela's
control of Falcon Crest. Loren was to play thirteen episodes, and producers
promised a fabulous wardrobe and a dynamic character that would
rival Dynasty's Alexis Carrington. At the last minute, negotiations with
Loren fell through and Gina Lollobrigida was then cast in the role, but only
signed on for four episodes. Interestingly, Loren was also Aaron Spelling's
first choice for the role of Alexis Carrington in Dynasty, but was passed
over as she was requesting too much money, thus allowing the role to go
to Joan Collins.
According to Dallas creator David Jacobs, before auditioning
for Falcon Crest, Robert Foxworth turned down the role of J. R.
Music[edit]
Falcon Crest's theme tune was composed by Bill Conti, who also
composed the themes to Dynasty, The Colbys and Cagney & Lacey.
Several variations of the main theme were commissioned throughout the
series' run, though the most different of these was the theme for season 9
directly over the location footages, in a similar style to the opening credits
of Dynasty. The previous logo for the first four seasons was updated.
In seasons 6 and 7, rippling elliptical transitions between the title
card and cast credit screens were added. The logo was also redesigned
with new colors and typeface. In season 7, the falcon graphic was
animated to fly across the screen before freezing in the centre and
becoming the coat of arms. Season 8 had a more basic variation of this
style.
The final season utilized a completely different style. Each actor's
title card was immediately followed by footage depicting sex or violence in
order to cultivate the atmosphere of a crime drama.
DVD releases[edit]
The rights to the series are held by Warner Bros. (successor-ininterest to the original production company Lorimar). The first season was
released on DVD in various European countries in April and May 2009 and
the second season was released from October 2009 onwards, again in
various European countries.[12]
Warner Bros. has released the first three seasons on DVD in Region
1. Seasons 2 & 3 were released via the Warner Archive Collection as
Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) releases. Season 3 was released on May
28, 2013.[13]
See also[edit]
1.
2.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
12.
External links[edit]