I've been watching the FIRST season of Knots Landing on youtube. Someone has posted ALL of the first season on youtube. I like the opening and the middle classness of the characters in the first and seconds seasons before the show went UPSCALE. Sid Fairgate was a GOOD looking Daddy.
Knots Landing
by Anonymous | reply 355 | June 21, 2022 3:17 AM |
I don't get why everyone calls those people middle class. They lived in 3 to 4 bedroom houses on a cul-de-sac by the ocean in L.A. Even back in the 70s those houses must have cost mint. If they really wanted a show about middle-class Californians, it would have been set in Bakersfield.
by Anonymous | reply 1 | May 12, 2021 3:18 AM |
I used to watch this with my mom as a gayling!
by Anonymous | reply 2 | May 12, 2021 3:20 AM |
R2 they had television then?
by Anonymous | reply 3 | May 12, 2021 3:22 AM |
R3 You fucker, you.
I was prepubescent during the 80s.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | May 12, 2021 3:27 AM |
R1- They were MIDDLE CLASS. Even Upper middle class people in those days had maids which the people on Knots Landing did NOT.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | May 12, 2021 3:36 AM |
Was this the show with a character named Lance CUMSON?
by Anonymous | reply 6 | May 12, 2021 3:36 AM |
They were upper middle class .
The show is based on Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage, which each couple representing the stages of marriage-newlyweds Kenny and Ginger; happily married Karen and Sid; troubled Laura and Richard ; reunited Gary and Val.
Knots maintained its quality and actually improved over the years, dropping in quality briefly in season 13 but returning to form when Ann Marcus was hired by David Jacobs to write the last season and a half.
It might have continued for another season or two if Nicolette Sheridan hadn’t decided to leave; it was still one of the higher rated shows on troubled CBS during it’s last season.
Unfortunately we will probably not see it on DVD or streaming, because of all the pop music Lisa Hartman sang.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | May 12, 2021 3:39 AM |
R7 it also ended because the contracts of most involved got too expensive for the ratings returns.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | May 12, 2021 1:02 PM |
I have all 14 seasons on bootleg DVDs that I got from some Canadian bootlegger on Etsy. Currently finishing up season 9. Fun to revisit this series even though the plot becomes ridiculous at times. Husband and I are planning a road trip this year to Granada Hills to see the actual culdesac.
by Anonymous | reply 9 | May 12, 2021 1:10 PM |
Just watched the end of season five and started season six. One thing I’m rolling my eyes about — aside from Abby’s kidnappers giving her a fresh new short ‘do between seasons — is how Gary is running around all concerned about Abby and aggressively fighting people about “my wife, my wife!” Um, five seconds ago you hated her and were ready to divorce her, you big ol’ sexy lug of stupidity. They never explained why Gary falls back in love with her for no reason.
Even though certain things don’t make sense, it’s still one of the best shows of all time. I was actually not alive when it was on, I saw it in reruns on SoapNet as a teen, and it makes me sad that people my age and younger do not know this show. It has so much heart — it’s little moments like Valene dedicating her book to Lilimae and both of them getting teary eyed over it that 21st century shows just wouldn’t even bother with. I think the creators described it as “art meets trash” and I think it’s a very apt description.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | December 26, 2021 5:57 AM |
The first two seasons are my favorite. It's like a "Dallas"/'Family" smashup, and it's really quite fascinating. Season 3 falls apart without Don Murray, but season 4 is terrific. Kevin Dobson, Michael Sabatino, and Lisa Hartman really infused the show with terrific energy. The plot starts to get ridiculous by season 5, but it's still very well written and acted. I stopped watching the season they killed off Laura.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | December 26, 2021 6:36 AM |
The 18 month storyline ending with Valine getting her babies back has got to be the most emotional I've ever been watching a television show. It was truly in it's prime then.
by Anonymous | reply 12 | December 26, 2021 6:44 AM |
^^Just want to add....yeah, they dragged and dragged and dragged it out but - BAM - what a fucking payoff!!!
And it had emotional repercussions that led to at least two more seasons of storylines.
by Anonymous | reply 13 | December 26, 2021 6:46 AM |
I watched this sporadically way back when. Can someone fill me in on the Dallas spin-off plot? Gary was a black sheep/bastard of a Ewing? And is the premise that they gave him some cash to buy a tract house in California with his trashy wife Val and release claims from the oil wells and ranch or something like that?
by Anonymous | reply 14 | December 26, 2021 7:13 AM |
The original premise of Knots Landing owes a huge debt to the movie No Down Payment, a 1957 soaper about a number of married couples all living on the same street in a middle class development in southern California.
Sleazy Tony Randall and stalwart Sheree North are the prototype Richard and Laura; Cameron Mitchell and Joanne Woodward are Gary and Valene (they're from the south and they even conceived a child out of wedlock years ago and gave her up for adoption); newlyweds Jeffrey Hunter and his wife are Kenny and Ginger; and morally upright Pat Hingle and Barbara Rush are Sid and Karen.
It's so blatant that I recently saw the movie and as I watched, thought "this has to have inspired Knots Landing" then googled and yes indeed, David Jacobs has admitted that it did.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | December 26, 2021 7:18 AM |
They don't make them like that anymore. I LOVED KL so much!!
by Anonymous | reply 16 | December 26, 2021 7:21 AM |
Poor Val.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | December 26, 2021 7:55 AM |
R17, I can make the coffee as well as you can, and I can live my life as well as you can!
by Anonymous | reply 18 | December 26, 2021 8:00 AM |
R14...yes, Gary was the Ewing blacksheep but a favorite of the matriarch Miss Ellie. Their backstory in the pilot was that Miss Ellie bought them the house in KL so that Gary & Val, who had quietly re-married, would have a shot at making their marriage work this time away from interfering JR and Dallas. As the house was a personal gift from Miss Ellie, I don't believe Gary had to give up on any of his claims on Ewing Oil (whatever he had left). I guess if Jacobs needed a southern couple for this series, it was a good idea for him to use Gary/Val to give the show visibility and springboard off the popularity of Dallas, which CBS also wanted. Well it worked for me... I prob wouldnt have started watching this if it weren't for the Dallas connection. And I ended up being a bigger fan of this show and watching it longer than Dallas.
by Anonymous | reply 19 | December 26, 2021 10:55 AM |
[quote] I don't get why everyone calls those people middle class.
You're right. The lifestyle of the characters even in the early seasons was as out of reach to most people as that on Dallas and Dynasty. They're all relatively young homeowners in a coastal LA suburb. Easier back then, yes, but still beyond most people. And their jobs -- oil-heir, car dealership owner, lawyer, music producer -- make them pretty well-off. When Richard got fired from his job he even felt he could ask his neighbors for a 10k loan, as though they might have that kind of money lying around. No sooner does Laura get a job as a realtor (with no prior experience) than she's being gifted a Mercedes and making enough in commission to make Richard jealous she's out-earning him. All of the female characters are able to not work when the plot demands it.
by Anonymous | reply 20 | December 26, 2021 11:05 AM |
[quote]Unfortunately we will probably not see it on DVD or streaming, because of all the pop music Lisa Hartman sang.
They stopped releasing after season two. La Hartman didn't arrive until season four. They had the option to not use them (I believe BH90210 DVDs might've done that). I think they stopped releasing them due to poor sales.
I would only be interested in owning seasons 4 thru 10.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | December 26, 2021 11:08 AM |
Falcon Crest got its first four seasons released then they stopped.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | December 26, 2021 11:32 AM |
I'd think not having to hear Hartman's cringy singing would be a selling incentive.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | December 26, 2021 2:00 PM |
In quality, storylines, etc, it surpassed Dallas and Dynasty by far.... it could have continued for many more years, but CBS didn't want to continue paying packaging fees, or whatever, and they did all they could to kill the show in it's final two seasons. Even without Nicolette.
by Anonymous | reply 24 | December 26, 2021 7:29 PM |
Knots Landing is the crown jewel of 80s-90s prime time soap. It was the best written and best acted.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | December 26, 2021 7:41 PM |
Yep, really a notch above all the others.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | December 26, 2021 7:42 PM |
I liked the serious tone of the first 5 or 6 seasons, even if the storylines got more and more outrageous. The actors and writers took the storylines very seriously. Around the 7th season, probably coinciding with the ascension of Lynn Latham and Bernie Lechowick as show runners, the show became campier and more tongue in cheek, which I didn't care for. It was about that time, I switched to watching LA Law at 10pm on Thursdays.
by Anonymous | reply 27 | December 26, 2021 7:44 PM |
Season 7 was David Paulsen’s. That season went way off track, culminating in Gary finding that Batcave. Season 8 - 10 got back on track. Less plot-driven and as sensitive as the earlier seasons. It wasn’t until Season 11 that things quickly began to fall apart.
by Anonymous | reply 28 | December 26, 2021 7:57 PM |
The problem with Knots in the later seasons was after they discarded Lotus Point it became harder to bring the original cul de sac and Sumner Group storylines together.
Lotus Point brought everyone together. Gary, Abby and Karen owned it; Laura worked there and owned a part of it; Greg wanted it.
The writers needed to find a better way to connect Gary, Val and Karen to what was happening with Greg and Paige. Ironically that stupid tidal energy storyline was a way to do that, although it was a dud.
Maybe after Abby left Greg could have appointed Karen as head of the Sumner Foundation, or have Gary purchase so much stock in the company that he gained a couple of seats on the board.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | December 26, 2021 9:00 PM |
Knots worked because it never got too big and too outlandish like the others. It always remained somewhat grounded. I think Michele Lee was the only actor to appear in every episode. During the last season when actors would sit out episodes to help the budget, Michele would work for scale.
by Anonymous | reply 30 | December 26, 2021 9:09 PM |
R17 - The Perils of Valene.
by Anonymous | reply 31 | December 27, 2021 11:39 AM |
The first two seasons had the best opening and storylines.
by Anonymous | reply 32 | December 27, 2021 11:47 AM |
Disagree, R32. The first two seasons were episodic (so rushed and limited in scope) and they didn't really know the characters yet. The show didn't really take off until season 3.
I think part of the reason Knots was a failure on DVD was because those first two seasons were clunkers and fans were waiting for season three to come out in order to buy. It never did.
by Anonymous | reply 33 | December 27, 2021 1:53 PM |
Abby was a motherfucking QUEEN.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | December 27, 2021 1:56 PM |
Thanks for the tip, R15 - I watched NO DOWN PAYMENT and you are absolutely right. KNOTS is a pretty brazen steal from that film.
It's set in a newish So Cal suburb, and every other resident is a drunk or a cheat. Plus, there's a pretty direct line from Tony Randall's character to Richard Avery's, and from Joanne Woodward's to Valene Ewing. One character even owns a service station, just like Sid Fairgate!
I highly recommend the film as a time capsule. And the location shots of Pacific Palisades, with all its mid-century charm, long before it got McMansionized by studio douchebags, are revelatory. I would loved to have lived in that neighborhood, dysfunctional neighbors and all!
by Anonymous | reply 36 | December 29, 2021 8:49 PM |
[OP]. we need a link for the full episodes, they are not easily found on Le Tube
by Anonymous | reply 38 | December 29, 2021 9:53 PM |
I haven't gone through this entire thread, but Gary was never disinherited
When Jock died, he left Gary 10% of Ewing Oil in addition to millions of dollars in his inheritance. BUT that 10% plus all of the money would receive, would be held in trust - and Gary would only be able to access the interest off of the trust. NONE of the other Ewing siblings had that type of arrange. They all got their 10% and millions of dollars outright
This bugged Gary - but soon he got over it and later bought the ranch. Later on in "Dallas" in a complicated storyline, J.R. got in trouble with the law and in a plea deal was forced (along with all the other share holders) to sell Ewing Oil for BILLIONS of dollars.
So obviously Gary found himself sitting on tens of millions of dollars. BUT then in the Knots Landing season that David Jacobs called the worse - Gary LOST all his money in a bad investment. Which is ludicrous - Gay was worth BILLIONS. How can you lose all your money? Gary was even forced to sell the ranch, and then later work in construction.
Pretty sure Gary got money when Miss Ellie passed away - but the new reboot of Dallas never mentioned if Gary had any money problems. But the last two seasons had Gary struggle with money, now that he was broke.
by Anonymous | reply 39 | December 29, 2021 10:13 PM |
And one of Gary and Val’s twins named for the dead brother Bobby, who wasn’t actually dead!
by Anonymous | reply 40 | December 29, 2021 10:23 PM |
The best part of that Tidal Energy story was the still super-sexy Mark Soper who I've lusted after since I was pre-teen watching his 1980s prison dramas...
by Anonymous | reply 41 | December 29, 2021 10:31 PM |
I’m on season 6. This is my first season 6 rewatch since maybe 2005, which was the first time I ever saw Knots. This show holds up so damn well. Alec Baldwin was soooo fucking sexy and so good on this. I can see why he became a huge star after doing this show. His character, Joshua, started out so innocent. It’s a shame knowing where the storyline goes.
I love that Abby and Ben are interacting at the cable station now. I always thought Donna Mills had great chemistry with Doug Sheehan. The dynamic with her as his boss is underrated. Abby’s season 6 short ‘do is also probably my favorite Abby look. She looks so fab this season. I laughed my ass off at the face Donna Mills made at the end of the episode when she found out Gary is the father of Valene’s babies.
Why did they get rid of Jim Westmont, Abby’s lawyer from seasons 4 and 5? He was sexy and I always thought he was perfect in the role of Abby’s underling.
Val’s babies haven’t come yet. I’m in for such an intense ride and I can’t wait. I’m sure I’ll get through this whole season by Saturday.
by Anonymous | reply 42 | December 30, 2021 2:31 AM |
[quote] Why did they get rid of Jim Westmont,
Because Gary got sober and took control over his finances, there was nowhere to go with the character. Gary wasn't going to use Abby lawyer, and what use is a lawyer for Abby, who is running the TV station.
by Anonymous | reply 43 | December 30, 2021 2:47 AM |
R42, Abby was in a different storyline in season 6, running Lotus Point with Karen, Laura and Gary and trying to hunt down Val's babies so she wouldn't be accused of kidnapping them. The writers didn't need to have a "talk-to" character like Westmont to reveal her schemes to the audience.
by Anonymous | reply 44 | December 30, 2021 2:58 AM |
Writers wanted Abby to "steal" Val's babies
Donna Mills pitched a fit saying
"When the writers wanted me to steal Vals babies, I went in and protested violently. Abby would not have done that"
So it was changed to someone getting the wrong signal, that Abby wanted the babies stolen. Doing it without Abby knowing it
by Anonymous | reply 45 | December 30, 2021 3:00 AM |
I thought Abby had become pretty dull in her last season. A lot of air time went to her and Paige duking it out at the Sumner Group. That season stretched credibility quite a bit. Neither Abby nor Paige had any business being managers in the Sumner Group, let alone being senior leadership. When did they learn how to run this type of conglomerate?
And yet, letting Donna Mills go must have been considered a huge risk. She was THE villain. I was surprised that the show didn't tank. KL was more of an ensemble show than Dallas or Dynasty. Still, losing Mills must have caused them shit their pants.
by Anonymous | reply 46 | December 30, 2021 3:45 AM |
R44 that makes sense. I just saw an episode where he does make a brief appearance, though I don’t think we see him again.
R45 I think Donna Mills’ instinct was correct. It would have made Abby irredeemable.
by Anonymous | reply 47 | December 30, 2021 8:10 AM |
R38 it’s been posted on dl recently. We can’t go posting it all the time or the episodes will get pulled.
by Anonymous | reply 48 | December 30, 2021 8:12 AM |
[quote] And yet, letting Donna Mills go must have been considered a huge risk.
Donna Mills was the one who decided to leave - she felt Abby had been played out
by Anonymous | reply 49 | December 30, 2021 9:06 PM |
Knots wasn't the same after Abby left. Paige, Anne, Linda, Claudia -- all of them miserable failures on the Abby scale. Paige and Anne could have worked but it looked like the ever-changing writers didn't know what to do with them.
by Anonymous | reply 50 | December 31, 2021 1:21 AM |
I remember an interview with Michele Lee in TV Guide, probably around season 5, and they talked about Don Murray leaving, and how Michele had come into her own as sort of the “muscle” of the show, like Larry Hagman on Dallas.
She demurred, said that she didn’t have the power that Hagman had, but that she had learned how to negotiate for what she needed. Then she said something like “But I’ve always known just how far to push and when to stop. If I didn’t, Karen would have been walking on the beach underneath that car when Sid went over the cliff.”
by Anonymous | reply 51 | December 31, 2021 6:01 AM |
Abby was played out by her last season. Donna was right. The last interesting thing Abby had to do was the Peter Hollister one I think she saw the increasing airtime for Nicolette/Paige and seen the writing on the wall.
I though Anne and Claudia were good villainesses and were different enough from Abby. Kathleen Noone was a great actress, she sold her character well even though the writing for Claudia was all over the place. Michelle Phillips was pretty good at selling not so great storylines too, except for that Benny Appleman one. Ugh. But the writing was pretty bad all around for the first part of season 13.
Linda wasn't a bad villainesses either. But Vanessa Hunt was atrocious.
by Anonymous | reply 52 | December 31, 2021 12:16 PM |
Please post the other seasons 3 thru 9....The older seasons are posted...I am so bummed I cannot watch these.
by Anonymous | reply 53 | December 31, 2021 12:36 PM |
I really liked Michelle Phillips as Anne. She was winsome and just the right amount of snarky. The character was horribly written which is a shame since Phillips did have some acting chops (not great, but good enough) and personality and radiated fun.
Kathleen Noone was horrible in my opinion. She was not the least bit sexy or attractive so she just looked ludicrous whenever she had seduction scenes with hottie Boyd Kestner. She was like a character out of Night of the Iguana. Her stories did indeed suck, and she was saddled with that even worse Stacy Galina as her daughter. Boyd and Lance Guest (as her short-lived convict son) were the only high points in her years on that show.
I did like Linda, but she was like Paige-lite and really unnecessary. Paige needed a bigger and more dangerous foil. Plus when they made Paige the perpetual victim it really ruined her career. She was honestly the heir to the Abby throne and they threw it away.
by Anonymous | reply 54 | December 31, 2021 1:41 PM |
[quote] Donna Mills was the one who decided to leave
Excuse my scepticism on that. Too many stars have been let go with the concession to write their own exit story. I'm not saying you're lying. I'm just not sure what's PR and what's true. KL was Mill's only major gig. And she was excellent at playing Abby. It's hard to believe you throw that away for an unknown future. Granted, she may have gotten tired of the character. Maybe she was tired of the taxing working hours. But if I am the producer I would know my way around those problems. You can accommodate a lot outside salary increases. And it doesn't look like those accommodations were not offered or insufficient.
To me it sounded like they couldn't afford her anymore and didn't fight too hard since the show was an ensemble show and they thought they can get away with releasing her (which turned out to be true).
What I think really happened was a heart to heart talk of the parties involved, and it may have been a fairly mutual understanding not to renew her contract. After all she left on good terms, and came back for the Finale - which Victoria Principal could not do. (Dallas producers threw money at her and treated her like dirt at the same time when negotiating.)
by Anonymous | reply 55 | December 31, 2021 2:01 PM |
Knots' producers weren't as unpleasant as Dallas'.
Stories from the Knots set are all uniformly positive.
by Anonymous | reply 56 | December 31, 2021 4:58 PM |
Knots had some of the most horrific deaths for that time in prime time TV. Remember when Diane Fairgate’s (couldn’t stand that bitch) boyfriend Chip got pushed back on that rake and they actually show the rake’s prongs sticking through his chest. Oh and Linda Fairgate. Damn! She got her throat slashed. They didn’t show it happening but what they did was a lot of blood being splattered on her nice shoes. I can’t recall the guy who did it, but a few episodes later he holding Karen, Mack, and a couple of their kids hostage in Karen’s home.
by Anonymous | reply 57 | December 31, 2021 5:16 PM |
I wouldn't be surprised if Mills saw what happened to Julie Harris and CMcC and decided to follow Victoria Principal's lead and leave on her own terms rather than inevitably be canned in a season or two.
Generally, yes, actors are fired and allowed to say they're leaving, but the only reason I think that may not be the case if because I don't think there were any budget cuts coming for S11.
S10 actually ROSE in the ratings, something no other soap did at that point.
by Anonymous | reply 58 | December 31, 2021 5:20 PM |
My favorite thing about Knots was the friendship between Karen and Valene, one of the best friendships on TV.
A scene that stands out to me was Mack talking to the young man who was being abused by his dad his own experiences about being abused by his. That monologue by the late great Kevin Dobson was one of the best moments in the series. Mack and Karen ended up adopting that young man.
by Anonymous | reply 59 | December 31, 2021 5:23 PM |
It was Mills's choice to leave. She observed Nic Sheridan becoming the new "Abby" and saw the writing on the wall, plus she was tired of doing the show and wanted to produce.
by Anonymous | reply 60 | December 31, 2021 5:23 PM |
R53 it was posted on DL recently. Do some research. We can’t keep posting it or the episodes will get pulled, as they have been several times.
by Anonymous | reply 61 | December 31, 2021 5:25 PM |
R47 Abby became irredeemable in her last season when she planted drugs in Harold's locker. Where did she get them from, Olivia's stash? Ridiculous. Even Abby wouldn't do that after what her daughter went through with her drug use.
by Anonymous | reply 62 | December 31, 2021 5:25 PM |
Remember Charles Scott? Ugh, Michael York has zero chemistry with Donna.
by Anonymous | reply 63 | December 31, 2021 5:27 PM |
My gayling self couldn't get enough Knots. The spectacular "Peter Hollister" was one of my first crushes. I wanted to be Abby, but I ended up becoming Valene; what a disappointment.
by Anonymous | reply 65 | December 31, 2021 5:57 PM |
R7 "Unfortunately we will probably not see it on DVD or streaming, because of all the pop music Lisa Hartman sang."
No. Creator David Jacobs stated last year (in the 'Stars in the House' reunion with KL) music license rights are not the reason. The first two seasons of KL didn't sell well on DVD. Neither did the first three seasons of FALCON CREST compared to DALLAS and DYNASTY. So Warner Bros. stopped it. However since then you can stream them at Amazon and attracted much more viewers.
In some soap forums it's always speculated Lisa Hartman's music had something to do with it but that was only integral in Seasons 5-6 and she sang mostly covers by other artists. MIAMI VICE, CHINA BEACH and THE WONDER YEARS managed to get released on DVD and they had way more music rights issues to solve than KNOTS.
Last month someone wrote about some new development in the 'Telly Talk' forum. Thread can be found in their DALLAS sub forum: "DALLAS To Get Remastered In HD"
"After many years of speculation Warner Brothers are currently re-scanning Dallas from the original 35mm masters for a complete HD restoration. The project has been on going for several months. Seasons 10-13 are being reconstructed from the original elements as they only currently exist in one inch video SD master tape. The project will take quite some time to complete but the plans are to have Dallas stream on HBO Max and eventually stream globally with an eventual Blu Ray release (possibly in time for the 45th anniversary in 2023) . Warner are also looking at restorations for Knots Landing and Falcon Crest. It's just going to take time!"
It makes sense for WB not to think about DVD sales any longer and focusing instead on streaming. I don't think there will be a BR or DVD release for KL but if they restore everything for HD streaming it's an option to look for. Even if it's not released before 2023.
by Anonymous | reply 66 | December 31, 2021 5:58 PM |
[quote] Mack and Karen ended up adopting that young man.
Who disappeared six episodes later! The writing on the show was... inconsistent. But yes, that was a very nice scene: You don't have to go home.
by Anonymous | reply 67 | December 31, 2021 7:04 PM |
R63 - That story with Charles Scott was absolute trash. In my mind I kept imaging Michael York wondering aloud, "WTF am I doing here? I was a major movie star 20 years ago!"
by Anonymous | reply 68 | December 31, 2021 7:10 PM |
[quote] Who disappeared six episodes later!
This made me think about other characters who disappeared over time. They never mentioned Sid's daughter Annie again. And somehow Sid and Abby shared a nephew with no mention of a third Fairgate sibling, and he too disappeared. Karen had a brother who had never been mentioned before or after his short stint. Val and Gary totally forgot Lucy even existed after awhile. Karen forgot Diana existed until the last season. And no one seemed particularly interested in keeping Daniel, who had been living with Laura and Greg, and had a half-sister Meg; instead he got shipped off to his dad with a history of mental illness and domestic violence.
by Anonymous | reply 69 | December 31, 2021 7:16 PM |
Oh, and I forgot the most bizarre example. Greg forgot his daughter Marty-Frances for years, then gets reunited only to have her murdered a couple of episodes later, and THEN learn that the real Mary-Frances had died months earlier and this was just some random lookalike. WTF?
by Anonymous | reply 70 | December 31, 2021 7:19 PM |
Annie Fairgate was mentioned a few times after the pilot, most notably in the episode where Sid's ex-wife Susan comes for a visit. WEHT to Laura's father, Mr. Murphy? Was he even mentioned when they did that whole rewrite with Maree Cheatham's Mary Robeson late in the show's run?
by Anonymous | reply 71 | December 31, 2021 7:20 PM |
[quote] What I think really happened was a heart to heart talk of the parties involved, and it may have been a fairly mutual understanding not to renew her contract.
Donna Mills announced she would be leaving in the fall of that season. Whoever said she saw Nic Sheridan becoming Abby Light (very light) was probably right. Plus, she really wanted to produce. She did produce several TV movies in the 90s, but kept her hand in acting, and had a career resurgence in the 2000s. She’s 82 now.
by Anonymous | reply 72 | December 31, 2021 7:56 PM |
I'm not saying I left because of Nicolette and I'm not saying I didn't. What I am saying is that I could've left anytime I wanted.
by Anonymous | reply 73 | December 31, 2021 7:58 PM |
Lmao r73
by Anonymous | reply 74 | December 31, 2021 8:01 PM |
Principal and Mills were both quite successful in producing and starring in TV movies in the '90s.
And Joan Collins really took advantage of the increased stature Dynasty had given her to do a lot of other ventures in the '90s and beyond.
by Anonymous | reply 75 | December 31, 2021 8:02 PM |
I've heard bad things about how Donna Reed, Victorian Principal, Dack Rambo, and Susan Howard were treated on Dallas. But all the cast of Knots seemed to get along. Knots was the only '80s soap that seemed to work well behind the scenes. They weren't all going over to Larry Hagman or Linda Evans' places to write an episode like Knots did for Laura's funeral.
by Anonymous | reply 77 | December 31, 2021 8:05 PM |
R69 Karen Allen, straight out of Animal House, and right before Raiders of the Lost Ark, played 17 year old Annie. She was 28 at the time. That was episode one, the pilot.
by Anonymous | reply 78 | December 31, 2021 8:07 PM |
[quote] Annie Fairgate was mentioned a few times after the pilot
But did Karen tell Annie that nice Mr. Ewing next door got her daddy killed?
by Anonymous | reply 79 | December 31, 2021 8:08 PM |
R23 has a hole in her heart.
by Anonymous | reply 80 | December 31, 2021 8:11 PM |
Cathy Geary's mullets and double denim outfits inspired lesbians everywhere.
by Anonymous | reply 81 | December 31, 2021 8:12 PM |
It's held up better than all the other soaps.
by Anonymous | reply 82 | December 31, 2021 8:13 PM |
[quote] Karen had a brother who had never been mentioned before or after his short stint.
Yes he was. When Diana leaves in season 6, they say she’s going to live with her Uncle Joe in NYC.
[quote]Val and Gary totally forgot Lucy even existed after awhile.
I think this made sense though. When Karen’s having trouble with Diana, Valene mentions that she just talked to Lucy the other day. At the end of the scene, Karen says, “Val, when was the last time you really talked to Lucy?” and Val says a few months ago or something.
by Anonymous | reply 84 | December 31, 2021 8:25 PM |
Michelle Phillips said the only reason she was asked to come back was that Donna Mills left, and they needed someone to fill that void, which she was only too happy to fill
She said "Thanks for leaving Donna!"
by Anonymous | reply 85 | December 31, 2021 9:02 PM |
Abby to Paige "I'm So Flattered You Want To Be Like Me"
and one classic moment Abby to Paige "If I was to rank you on the Abby Scale, Abby being a 10, you would be a 6. Which is very good considering your youth and inexperience"
by Anonymous | reply 87 | December 31, 2021 9:07 PM |
Oops forgot to add the video
I'm So Flattered You Want To Be Like Me - Abby to Paige
by Anonymous | reply 88 | December 31, 2021 9:08 PM |
R88 that was a great scene.
by Anonymous | reply 89 | December 31, 2021 9:15 PM |
I just watched the one where Valene gives Lilimae a perm in her kitchen sink. This show is such a gem. They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore.
by Anonymous | reply 90 | December 31, 2021 9:32 PM |
[quote] Victorian Principal
There were several Victorian principals. Which one were you wanting to quote?
by Anonymous | reply 91 | December 31, 2021 9:32 PM |
R70, Mary Frances wasn't an imposter. She was killed after re-emerging (first played by Danielle Brisebois) and Greg later took a. shine to her lookalike cousin, Claudia's daughter, Kate.
That was really odd, though, to bring her back and kill her off within the span of two episodes!
Also, Mack and Karen fostered Jason, the abused kid, and he was actually on for a couple of seasons before he was written off, never to be referred to again.
It was very strange that the Mackenzie-Fairgates never once brought up Diana during the 8 years she was gone from the show!
by Anonymous | reply 92 | December 31, 2021 11:48 PM |
r73,*SLAP*
by Anonymous | reply 93 | December 31, 2021 11:49 PM |
I had such a crush on Michael when I was a kid....Did Pat Peterson ever marry?
by Anonymous | reply 94 | January 1, 2022 12:14 AM |
Pat Petersen starred in Little Dragons with his brother Chris...I can see why Chris quit the business, with all the predatory behaviour he was probably hounded endlessly..
by Anonymous | reply 95 | January 1, 2022 12:20 AM |
Steve Shaw, who played Karen’s oldest son Eric Fairgate, died in December 1990. He was driving down Silverlake Blvd in LA and crossed the double yellow line & crashed head-on into a garbage truck.
It’s weird but I don’t recall any comments from any of the Knots cast when he died.
by Anonymous | reply 96 | January 1, 2022 1:09 AM |
Reading through this thread so many fantastic memories cropped up - but help me here - why do I remember the edge of Jill’s skirt peeking out of the trunk of someone’s car?
by Anonymous | reply 97 | January 1, 2022 1:13 AM |
[quote] That was really odd, though, to bring her back and kill her off within the span of two episodes!
Stacy Galina was only suppose to appear for two episodes. But fan reaction to Stacy Galina was so strong, they brought her back as her look-a-like cousin
If Patty Duke could play identical cousins, why not Stacy Galina
by Anonymous | reply 98 | January 1, 2022 1:13 AM |
[quote] It was very strange that the Mackenzie-Fairgates never once brought up Diana during the 8 years she was gone from the show!
Michelle Lee said her character Karen called Diana every week - Thursday Night at 11PM
by Anonymous | reply 99 | January 1, 2022 1:15 AM |
R37, that was Jill's last scheme. Making it look like Gary beat, drugged, and gagged her, she locked herself in the trunk of his car. Unfortunately for her, she threw up in the gag and choked to death.
by Anonymous | reply 100 | January 1, 2022 1:53 AM |
I've always figured that somewhere in the 1982-83 season of Dallas and Knots Landing, Lucy and Valene became estranged, probably because of Gary and Val splitting up again. Maybe because of Val's book or maybe when Val's pages about Gary got published in the tabloid. Maybe Lucy had enough of the Gary and Val Show.
That would explain their estrangement for the rest of the series. Lucy is referenced by Gary in 1987-88 as 'his grown daughter' (not by name, though) and I don't think she is mentioned again until Val's presumed death in 1992.
by Anonymous | reply 101 | January 1, 2022 2:18 AM |
R101 - according to Joan Van Ark, CBS & Lorimar wanted BOTH series to be separate
and after Bobby "death" was addressed on Knots Landing, they didn't dare bring up the Dallas Ewing's ever again
by Anonymous | reply 102 | January 1, 2022 2:20 AM |
Knots made a big deal that Val and Gary named their son Bobby after Garys dead brother. Who turned out to not be dead....
by Anonymous | reply 103 | January 1, 2022 3:35 AM |
I remember on Knots Landing when Mac and Gary faked Gary's death Greg knew Gary was alive and asked Kathy (who was dating Gary) if she thought it was strange that Miss Ellie or the Dallas Ewings never showed up....I am pretty sure that was the last Dallas reference.
by Anonymous | reply 104 | January 1, 2022 3:48 AM |
I just finished season 6. It was so good. The storyline of Val/Verna was so compelling and JVA was clearly having a blast with it — it is probably her best work of the series. The cliffhanger of everyone showing up on the Fishers’ doorstep and the infamous cry of “Harry, go, they wanna take the babies” was absolutely perfect. I’m on to season 7!
by Anonymous | reply 105 | January 1, 2022 5:38 AM |
R100 Poor Jill.
by Anonymous | reply 106 | January 1, 2022 5:39 AM |
R105 Where are you watching it?!!
by Anonymous | reply 107 | January 1, 2022 5:44 AM |
I think he's the poster who purchased bootleg DVDs of the whole series, R107.
by Anonymous | reply 108 | January 1, 2022 6:48 AM |
R108....Thanx...
by Anonymous | reply 109 | January 1, 2022 6:58 AM |
[quote] Mary Frances wasn't an imposter. She was killed after re-emerging (first played by Danielle Brisebois) and Greg later took a. shine to her lookalike cousin, Claudia's daughter, Kate.
Are you sure? I could have sworn "Mary-Frances" returned, and was assassinated by her psycho-activist boyfriend. Then said boyfriend poisoned Sumner with the same industrial toxic by-product that gave Mary-Frances terminal cancer. IIRC, the real Mary-Frances (with the cancer) died of cancer before MF2 showed up to then get shot to death. But it has been 30 years and I could be misremembering.
In any case, it was bizarre that Sumner's daughter and his niece were identical twins. What, was Patty Duke too busy to play Claudia?
by Anonymous | reply 110 | January 1, 2022 3:42 PM |
[quote] Stacy Galina was only suppose to appear for two episodes. But fan reaction to Stacy Galina was so strong, they brought her back as her look-a-like cousin
Fan reaction? She had fans?! Galina was god-awful. Not only was she unattractive (by primetime soap standards), she was dull as dishwater and her character was paper-thin, insipid, and constantly whining. They really should have kept Olivia as the Abby heir-apparent and had her become an age-appropriate rival to Paige. The later "romance" between Galina and grandpa Gary was gross.
by Anonymous | reply 111 | January 1, 2022 3:48 PM |
[quote] Michelle Lee said her character Karen called Diana every week - Thursday Night at 11PM
And the bitch called collect-charge.
by Anonymous | reply 112 | January 1, 2022 3:49 PM |
[quote] the real Mary-Frances (with the cancer) died of cancer before MF2 showed up to then get shot to death.
No there was only ONE Mary-Frances, there was no imposter - according to the official Knots Landing synopsis
Greg's daughter, Mary Frances (Stacy Galina), visits him after a six-year estrangement and is shot dead in her father's office, making Greg believe that he had been the intended target. Greg himself had been shot by Mary Frances' activist boyfriend, Robert Scarrow (John David Bland), although he survives. Robert blames Greg for manufacturing poisonous chemicals that cause liver cancer, and he also admits to being the one that killed Mary Frances.
by Anonymous | reply 113 | January 1, 2022 3:53 PM |
[quote] Fan reaction? She had fans?!
According to Stacy she was brought back by series creator David Jacobs
“I went to do another show called ‘Paradise,’ ” Galina explains. “After ‘Paradise’, David Jacobs (Knots’ creator and executive producer) came to me and said, ‘I think I made a mistake killing you off Knots,’ and that is when I came back.”
by Anonymous | reply 114 | January 1, 2022 3:55 PM |
Someone must've liked her, because they brought her back for the 1997 reunion movie and gave her substantial airtime.
by Anonymous | reply 115 | January 1, 2022 3:57 PM |
Oh OK. I did remember the activity psycho killing Mary-Frances but I thought it was an imposter. I do also recall the BF telling a near-death Sumner that his corporation's environmental recklessness contaminated third-world water supplies and caused his daughter's fatal cancer. I guess this is why the BF didn't mind killing her since she basically dead already. I also recall the BF poisoned Sumner with the same toxins which then lead to Claudia's arrival so she could claim inheritance rights even though she also did a 180 and "stole" a donated liver to keep him alive.
by Anonymous | reply 116 | January 1, 2022 3:59 PM |
[quote] Someone must've liked her, because they brought her back for the 1997 reunion movie and gave her substantial airtime.
That was David Jacobs - the series creator of Knots Landing
by Anonymous | reply 117 | January 1, 2022 4:00 PM |
[quote] According to Stacy she was brought back by series creator David Jacobs: "I think I made a mistake killing you off Knots."
He was wrong.
by Anonymous | reply 118 | January 1, 2022 4:01 PM |
[quote] Someone must've liked her, because they brought her back for the 1997 reunion movie and gave her substantial airtime.
Like most of the later cast newbies, she was probably dirt cheap. Still, cheap doesn't have to mean awful.
by Anonymous | reply 119 | January 1, 2022 4:02 PM |
I liked how this show changed directions and evolved over the years. Unlike like the other primetime soaps, which focused usually on one family or business (oil company, winery, etc.), Knots changed its "hot spots" over the course of its run, while always keeping the cul-de-sac at least on the back burner. It could've lasted 20 years, but was too expensive to produce by the time it went off the air.
by Anonymous | reply 120 | January 2, 2022 1:14 AM |
The Travilla seasons are the best.
by Anonymous | reply 121 | January 2, 2022 1:48 AM |
R121 absolutely, he was the only one who ever knew how to dress Michele Lee. The glam factor of Travilla definitely adds something special.
by Anonymous | reply 122 | January 2, 2022 1:50 AM |
Someone, I forgot who, once described Knots as "if P&G decided to do a nighttime soap".
by Anonymous | reply 123 | January 2, 2022 3:58 AM |
[quote] Someone, I forgot who, once described Knots as "if P&G decided to do a nighttime soap".
Knots Landing, as we all know, was created before Dallas. Among the influences, clearly there was Peyton Place which is just about as close to daytime soap that primetime has ever come.
by Anonymous | reply 124 | January 2, 2022 3:21 PM |
The drop off in quality in season 7 is really jarring -- I don't remember it being so bad the first time I watched. But it is. I thought the drop off happened in season 8, but it's definitely in 7.
The Empire Valley storyline is just terribly dull -- it wasn't so bad in season 6, but now that the storyline is about [italic]building[/italic] Empire Valley... who gives a fuck? We never had to sit through Lotus Point getting built, it was just magically opened one day. The plus is that we get tanned chest hair showing stud daddy Elliott, who's a highlight of the new season.
The Joshua/Cathy storyline is really stale, but I'm where it's thankfully about to wrap up. The writing for the Joshua character was just not good. He's such a dick for no reason. It's a shame, because Alec Baldwin was truly a breath of fresh air when he first showed up.
Laura finally has a non-lesbian hairdo, so that's a plus. But she's stayed broken up with Greg for.... reasons, I guess? It's never really explained, and the show doesn't do very well at reminding us why we should give a shit about Laura when they barely do.
Olivia is starting to get feisty, so that's a highlight. Jill and Peter have both just showed up, and they're very appealing characters.
Donna Mills is always the most interesting part of any scene she is in. She just created such a unique character, and if it weren't for us gays, she wouldn't get nearly enough credit for it.
Even though it's not nearly as good as seasons 4-6 were, it's still better than anything on American TV today.
by Anonymous | reply 125 | January 3, 2022 1:47 AM |
I can’t remember exactly - didn’t one season ending cliffhanger show Lisa Hartman as Cathy Geary, lying dead on the beach? And was that another case of David Jacobs deciding he made a mistake when Hartman came back as Ciji (CG!)?
by Anonymous | reply 126 | January 3, 2022 2:34 AM |
It was so TABOO at the time to even suggest a "Lesbian" relationship between Ciji & Laura - how they got that past the censors
At one point Richard asks Ciji "When you and Laura are together, who gets to be the man?"
by Anonymous | reply 127 | January 3, 2022 2:36 AM |
R126 it wasn’t a season cliffhanger, but the end of an episode had Ciji wash up dead on the beach. One of the best KL storylines, and truly the moment KL lost its innocence.
by Anonymous | reply 128 | January 3, 2022 3:12 AM |
Lol I guess bright pink lipstick was really in style in fall 1985, because every female character is wearing it regardless of age. Of course, Donna Mills wears it best.
by Anonymous | reply 129 | January 3, 2022 3:35 AM |
Ginger's singing killed Ciji.
by Anonymous | reply 130 | January 3, 2022 4:45 AM |
Awww I thought Ginger did a great job! I found her version more memorable than Ciji’s. Maybe because Ciji sang a lot and Ginger rarely did.
by Anonymous | reply 131 | January 3, 2022 4:47 AM |
Richard was a really interesting character, but as John Pleshette has said, the show was becoming bigger and sexier and he would've stuck out like a sore thumb by season 5. The Wards were no loss by the end of season 4, as they never had much to do anyway and were never well integrated with the other three couples.
by Anonymous | reply 132 | January 3, 2022 5:08 AM |
Ginger became a bitter bitch in S4. They make her shrewish and unstable. It's refreshing.
by Anonymous | reply 133 | January 3, 2022 5:19 AM |
I really prefer seasons 1-3, when it was episodic with some continuing themes and everyone was middle class and relatable.
by Anonymous | reply 134 | January 3, 2022 5:23 AM |
Connie and Julie were dead weight and ate up too much budget. They were the Maureen Bauer of prime time soaps. It was smart to fire them.
by Anonymous | reply 135 | January 3, 2022 2:02 PM |
R125 is that the season with the utterly HORRIBLE conga version of the theme song that sounds like the entire season will take place in Jamaica?
It was also the season that Lorimar went from that cinematic film stock to that CHEAP AS FUCK looking film stock.
by Anonymous | reply 136 | January 3, 2022 6:17 PM |
The title card fonts also got cheaper and cheaper over time.
by Anonymous | reply 137 | January 3, 2022 11:16 PM |
I did appreciate the way the theme song would change every couple of season. I mean, be rearranged in a different style. I really liked when they slowed it down and made it sexy.
by Anonymous | reply 138 | January 4, 2022 1:22 AM |
R136 no, that’s season eight. I’m very curious to see how I react to that season. First time I watched it I was annoyed that the season 7 storylines were dropped. This time I think I’ll be thankful for that.
by Anonymous | reply 139 | January 4, 2022 2:30 AM |
The moment of Gary blowing up Empire Valley fell so ridiculously flat. David Paulsen really thought he was working on Dallas. That storyline and that kind of moment was completely out of place on Knots. Poor Donna Mills had to get all dirty and camouflaged for that scene— how did he not get that we watch Abby to see her always looking ever more glamorous?!
I agree with the way they summed up this ridiculous storyline in the recap they made for the 200th episode — “Gary blows up a top secret something or another that’s important for some reason or another.”
No wonder David Paulsen only lasted one season on this show.
by Anonymous | reply 140 | January 4, 2022 2:34 AM |
R135 this is a controversial opinion you’ve espoused, but I kind of agree with you. I think Lilimae adds color, but her storylines were pretty much over after Joshua died in season 7. Laura becomes completely irrelevant and superfluous in like season 6. She’s just kind of on her own little island with Greg and doesn’t really interact with the rest of the cast. It’s kind of amazing they both made it all the way to season 9.
by Anonymous | reply 141 | January 4, 2022 5:27 AM |
Connie/Laura never really fit with the larger than life quality and outrageousness that the show took on by season 5.
by Anonymous | reply 142 | January 4, 2022 5:54 AM |
When I first came to DL, probably fifteen years ago, there were two queens, one posting as Connie McCashin, and the other posting as Donna Mills. They would get into these Connie/Donna bitch fights that were hilarious.
by Anonymous | reply 143 | January 4, 2022 7:13 AM |
Beverly Hills 90210 followed the same trend that Knots Landing did
Season 1 of 90210 were self contained episodes dealing with twins Brenda and Brandon Walsh moving to California and the problems of their classmates and new friends
Season 1 of KL were self contained episodes of Gary and Val, new newlyweds, moving to California and dealing with the problems of their neighbors and new friends
Seasons 2 and 3 of 90210 and KL , still lots of self contained episodes but some serialized stories and more “soapy” type writing, also popularity of both shows spiked with big triangles in season 3, on KL it was Abby hooking up with Gary whose married to her friend Val on 90210 it’s Kelly sleeping with Dylan whose dating and even lived with Kelly’s best friend Brenda
Seasons 4 onward of both shows, full on serialized nighttime soaps but more relatable than the others and not as over the top
by Anonymous | reply 144 | January 4, 2022 10:41 AM |
How have we not discussed another high water mark for the show which was Jill Bennett’s gradual mental unraveling? The season finale where she forces Valene at gun point to overdose is one of the most riveting hours of episodic television ever. Both actresses are stellar. Joan Van Ark perfects the art of playing a woman in crisis, and Teri Austin just went balls to the wall in playing Jill’s sadism to the hilt.
by Anonymous | reply 145 | January 4, 2022 11:01 AM |
Or what about the following season as everyone slowly comes around to believe Val and turn on Jill.
So well-paced, so brilliantly done. No TV show today could do that. They just don't have those thirty episode seasons.
by Anonymous | reply 146 | January 4, 2022 11:06 AM |
Connie and Julie were dead weight?!
HERESY!!
Lilimae seldom had her own storylines, but was a great supporting character, and her relationship with Val was a cornerstone of the show. And Julie Harris was a phenomenal actress. KNOTS lost a lot of its heart with her gone.
The problem with Laura was that she was one heroine too many. She occupied the same space on the KL moral spectrum as Val and Karen, and Connie was not as powerful an actress, so the writers didn't know what to do with her.
However, Laura developed a great sardonic wit as the series progressed, and worked quite well as a Greek chorus. When she had her own storyline in season 5 - minus Richard or Greg - where the character channeled her own inner Abby, she absolutely shined. The writers could have easily taken her down that path again.
How Laura would have reacted if trollop Paige tried to steal Greg would have been an incredible story to watch.
by Anonymous | reply 147 | January 4, 2022 3:09 PM |
Connie had some good bitchy scenes with Ava Gardner too.
by Anonymous | reply 148 | January 4, 2022 3:14 PM |
After Laura got married to Greg - there was nowhere to go with the character. While the character was beloved, the writers wrote her in a corner after she married Greg
When TPTB wrote off Laura & Lillimae - and later Donna Mills quitting - a significant amount of money was saved to hire new characters and sustain the show for an additional five years.
by Anonymous | reply 149 | January 4, 2022 3:25 PM |
R145 and r146 it’s my favorite storyline. The Knots writers loved writing themselves into a corner and then finding their way out, and that was the most brilliant example of it. When you saw Teri Austin in the opening credits in season 10, it was like, “what the hell?” Jill was sticking around after doing the unthinkable?
But it was all so brilliantly executed.
by Anonymous | reply 150 | January 4, 2022 3:28 PM |
R144 I seem to recall there was even an episode where Brenda watched Knots Landing.
by Anonymous | reply 151 | January 4, 2022 3:31 PM |
R152 I hate that so fucking much.
by Anonymous | reply 153 | January 4, 2022 3:34 PM |
I loved Anne and Nick. Michelle Phillips was funny and still a beauty, but no one could ever take over Donna Mills' place as Bitch Goddess.
by Anonymous | reply 155 | January 4, 2022 3:36 PM |
Did Gary ever fuck Laura?
by Anonymous | reply 156 | January 4, 2022 3:43 PM |
The show was given a signifigant budget cut in early in 1987, so some actors had to go. Expensive vets McCashin and Harris were seen as the most expendable. They also cut Doug Sheehan (who was not happy about it either) and Hunt Block.
Laura's death drove storyline into the 1997 reunion movie. And they brought in Betsy Palmer a few years later as Val's aunt, conifidant and babysitter, but she didn't have same chemistry with Val that Harris did.
by Anonymous | reply 157 | January 4, 2022 3:55 PM |
The loss of Red Buttons as Al Baker that season was more devastating than Julie's and Connie's firings combined. He was a huge loss for the show.
by Anonymous | reply 158 | January 4, 2022 3:57 PM |
R158, that was a terrible sendoff for Lilimae and wildly out of character. In NO universe would she have ever have voluntarily left Val and the twins - Lilamie's whole raison d'etre was making up to her daughter for abandoning her as a child. And she never, ever would leave her family to behind to go off on a toot with homeless Red Buttons in a run-down RV.
A much better sendoff would have been Lillimae finally getting some kind of musical touring opportunity, like she'd always dreamed of, and Val encouraging her to follow her old dreams.
by Anonymous | reply 159 | January 4, 2022 4:16 PM |
^ They did that with Cathy already, didn't they?
by Anonymous | reply 160 | January 4, 2022 5:06 PM |
[quote] They also cut Doug Sheehan
He had the weirdest comeback. First they wrote him off the show by accompanying Cathy on her tour. That attraction to Cathy never felt real and was rather forced. He was the goody-two-shoes of the guys, always having Val's back. Until he shagged up with Cathy. That just didn't ring true. Then they decided to keep him for another year after all and had this odd Jean Hackney storyline. I understood the thrill of "undercover Ben" and getting his family in jeopardy. But all that after he returned from the affair with Cathy. The story line was just not that well executed. Val taking him back; Ben not able to shake off this spy simulant. It was odd.
by Anonymous | reply 161 | January 4, 2022 5:11 PM |
R151 yes Brenda watched Knots Landing bad in an early season 2 episode, new character, the future crazy Emily Valentine, who would stalk and drug Brandon after he broke up with her and then became an arsonist by trying to set the school float on fire, mentions that “This isn’t Beverly Hills, this is Knots Landing!” After finding out that Dylan is the boyfriend of Brenda, whose twin brother Brandon, Emily has been making the moves on after she broke up with Dylan who still loves Brenda….
by Anonymous | reply 162 | January 4, 2022 5:16 PM |
I hated Diana Fairgate. In my mind, I always called her Diana Deadweight.
by Anonymous | reply 163 | January 4, 2022 5:40 PM |
R163, that’s exactly what I called her, too!
by Anonymous | reply 164 | January 4, 2022 6:42 PM |
To think that two extremely attractive people like Michele Lee and Don Murray could produce Claudia Lonow was bizarre. Awful casting.
by Anonymous | reply 165 | January 4, 2022 6:53 PM |
To be be fair, teenaged Diana was written as an entitled, ungrateful brat, but Lonow's perpetually angry, petulant performance did nothing to obviate that.
Plus, she pushed the show's beloved heroine over the edge into madness and drug addiction, so redeeming that character would have been more trouble than it was worth.
So off to NYC to live with Uncle Joe!
by Anonymous | reply 166 | January 4, 2022 8:55 PM |
R167 she so had that coming.
by Anonymous | reply 168 | January 4, 2022 9:49 PM |
r167, I CHEERED when that happened. Long overdue!
by Anonymous | reply 169 | January 4, 2022 9:55 PM |
And then he died.
by Anonymous | reply 170 | January 4, 2022 10:32 PM |
Some queen with too much time on her hands created a Falcon Crest intro with the Knots theme and scrolling pictures. Disturbing, yet fascinating.
by Anonymous | reply 171 | January 4, 2022 10:47 PM |
R167 that was a great scene on so many levels. The confrontations between Diana/ Karen and Diana/ Eric, and of course, the rivalry and hostility between Karen and Abby, which was the spine of the show. Not to mention, it's really the first scene where Olivia sees just how manipulative her mother can be and starts her long slide into rebellion drug addiction.
Karen's monologue is pure over-the-top, scenery-chewing melodrama, and that smug look Abby gives Karen at the end is the icing on the cake. All in just a few minutes.
KNOTS at its finest.
by Anonymous | reply 172 | January 4, 2022 11:42 PM |
[quote] Did Gary ever fuck Laura?
Yes, by using Ciji as a proxy.
by Anonymous | reply 173 | January 4, 2022 11:48 PM |
[quote] A much better sendoff would have been Lillimae finally getting some kind of musical touring opportunity, like she'd always dreamed of, and Val encouraging her to follow her old dreams.
Yes. I always thought it would've been better if Red Buttons, or whomever, had played some older touring country music star who met and fell in love with Lillimae. Maybe she went up to Bakersfield to catch a show at Buck's place or something. She would've finally get to tour, and record, with him in a "Johnny and June" type situation.
by Anonymous | reply 174 | January 5, 2022 12:06 AM |
And here Lilimae always thought that performing with Mother Maybelle Carter was the highlight of her career!
by Anonymous | reply 175 | January 5, 2022 12:30 AM |
I was in a 12 steps meeting with Lonow once. She really worked to overcome her demons.
She’s the half sister of actor Michael Rapaport.
by Anonymous | reply 176 | January 5, 2022 6:39 AM |
Why do so many gay men identify with Abby?
by Anonymous | reply 177 | January 5, 2022 12:36 PM |
Way to keep her anonymity, R176.
by Anonymous | reply 178 | January 5, 2022 2:03 PM |
[quote] Why do so many gay men identify with Abby?
Because what self-respecting gay man would identity with Karen or Val?!
by Anonymous | reply 179 | January 5, 2022 10:47 PM |
I'm a Karen/Abby mixture. I can be Pollyannaish, until I'm crossed, then I will destroy you.
by Anonymous | reply 180 | January 5, 2022 10:52 PM |
R180 - You sound like a Val.
by Anonymous | reply 181 | January 5, 2022 10:53 PM |
R181 I could see that, but it depends on which Val. There were times, especially in the early seasons, when they wrote Val as almost intellectually deficient.
by Anonymous | reply 182 | January 5, 2022 10:55 PM |
R177- I’m not sure gay men “identified” with Abby as much as they got a vicarious thrill at watching this beautiful, scheming woman stop at nothing to get what she wanted, be it married man, power, or wealth. She always won. She was likely underestimated because of her beauty but was the smartest, shrewdest person in the room. She had a sharp wit and didn’t suffer fools like Poor Val. Gay men didn’t identify with her, they wanted to BE her!
by Anonymous | reply 183 | January 5, 2022 11:46 PM |
Abby was a home-wrecking slut. I liked her original rivalry with Laura. They were better matched as adversaries than she and Valene. They kept some of that tension bubbling between them throughout the seasons, but the writers obviously preferred Abby vs. Valene and Abby vs. Karen.
by Anonymous | reply 184 | January 6, 2022 12:13 AM |
R184- I remember in Abby’s later seasons, she and Valene had next to zero scenes together. They stayed connected through Olivia and Gary, but the writers seemed to go out of their way to minimize their interactions. I found it frustrating Abby didn’t have a final moment with Gary and Val when Donna Mills left the show. It did make Val and Abby’s rare scenes together rather electric.
by Anonymous | reply 185 | January 6, 2022 12:36 AM |
I always saw myself as a Laura.
by Anonymous | reply 186 | January 6, 2022 2:40 AM |
^You mean that you're dowdy, irrelevant, and not particularly interesting, but with a wicked sense of humor, and basically a supporting player in your friends' lives?
by Anonymous | reply 187 | January 6, 2022 2:42 AM |
R185, Yes. There was a touching moment between Val and Abby after Val's "suicide attempt" (aka Jill's botched murder plan), in Karen's kitchen, when Abby was trying to console "Poor Val." I wish they'd had more interactions in Abby's last years on the show.
by Anonymous | reply 188 | January 6, 2022 2:44 AM |
Young Ted Schakleford - God I wanted him to fuck me every night.
by Anonymous | reply 189 | January 6, 2022 2:46 AM |
Actually, R187... yes.
by Anonymous | reply 190 | January 6, 2022 2:48 AM |
I was a teen when Knots was at its peak in seasons 4-6 and the sight of Ted Shackelford drove me nuts. He really started putting on the muscle by season 4, and they showed him shirtless at every opportunity. He drove me wild with lust. I can still remember the JO fantasies I would have about him. Gorgeous gorgeous man in his prime.
by Anonymous | reply 191 | January 6, 2022 4:46 AM |
Could someone please post KL Episodes Season 5 thru 10 online?....Someone posted The Colbys and every episode is still up on YT!!....please post online!!
by Anonymous | reply 192 | January 6, 2022 4:51 AM |
[quote] I liked her original rivalry with Laura.
Can anyone tell me why the hell Abby ever even slept with that gargoyle Richard Avery? I could see Kenny, Gary, hell even brother Sid... but Richard?? Also her first ex-husband wasn't that much of a prize either.
by Anonymous | reply 193 | January 6, 2022 12:11 PM |
[quote] in Abby’s later seasons, she and Valene had next to zero scenes together
There must be an explanation from a drama aspect. I remember Ken Kercheval making a similar remark about J.R. and Cliff. Half of Dallas' drama was about those two being at each others' throats. Just not literally, because those two had rarely any scenes together. It's like they met three or four times a season and that shot more drama into orbit for another ten episodes. I guess in a way limiting those scenes ensured that they stayed a highlight.
by Anonymous | reply 194 | January 6, 2022 12:55 PM |
Gary made me moist - down there.
by Anonymous | reply 195 | January 6, 2022 1:21 PM |
"Kathleen Noone was horrible in my opinion. She was not the least bit sexy or attractive so she just looked ludicrous whenever she had seduction scenes with hottie Boyd Kestner. She was like a character out of Night of the Iguana. Her stories did indeed suck, and she was saddled with that even worse Stacy Galina as her daughter. Boyd and Lance Guest (as her short-lived convict son) were the only high points in her years on that show."
I'm glad someone posted this. I hated Noone and Galina.
by Anonymous | reply 196 | January 6, 2022 2:06 PM |
R193 I think Abby got a thrill just from sleeping with other women's husbands to prove she could do it. Notice she dropped Richard like a hot potato once she had him. He was very low-hanging fruit, so she moved on immediately.
I think Abby was much more into power and mind games than sex.
by Anonymous | reply 197 | January 6, 2022 2:07 PM |
I liked the games between Claudia and Anne. There was a fine line that was easily crossed though, and they had to tone it down at some point. But their scenes were always bitch-juicy.
by Anonymous | reply 198 | January 6, 2022 2:12 PM |
I never understood the big whoop over Laura's death and how important it was to have the other characters relate to her death. I mean, she and Val had barely shared scenes since season 3, so Val's being upset seemed a bit misplaced. And why the fuck was Abby there? They hated each other.
by Anonymous | reply 199 | January 6, 2022 2:24 PM |
R199- not really true about Laura and Val. There was a great storyline where Ben was blackmailed into essentially taking a hit out on Greg, and when it all came out, Laura was furious with Val and they were estranged for a period of time. When Val went ham on Karen (I CAN make the coffee as well as you can!!!), it was because they had unresolved issues that Val wished she’d been able to resolve. Regarding Abby..yeah, that was a stretch having Laura include her in the videotaped farewell, but I would accept the strained credulity for the brilliant line… “Abby. Just so you know I haven’t lost my sense of humor…. I have nothing to say.” Great moment.
by Anonymous | reply 200 | January 6, 2022 7:10 PM |
Connie McCashin taking a gander at Joan’s latest botched face work.
by Anonymous | reply 201 | January 6, 2022 7:15 PM |
Connie and Joan are still good friends, but you never hear Connie's name mentioned. It's always Joan, Donna, and Michele.
by Anonymous | reply 202 | January 6, 2022 7:29 PM |
R187 wins 10 on the Abby Scale
by Anonymous | reply 203 | January 6, 2022 8:18 PM |
Why was Donna Mills never even nominated for an Emmy? Hell ever Michele Lee got a nom for the season when Sid died.
by Anonymous | reply 204 | January 6, 2022 8:49 PM |
Poor Donna. It must be humbling to win a stupid, embarrassing SOD award after years of trying to run away from her daytime soap career. I believe that's even John Conboy she's sitting with. I'm actually shocked all the actors showed up for this silliness, and probably even more shocked that Larry Bryggman, who badmouthed the genre and used ATWT as an atm to finance his theater career the entire time he was on ATWT, agreed to present an award.
by Anonymous | reply 205 | January 6, 2022 9:26 PM |
[quote] Gary made me moist - down there.
Oh dear. Did you take Imodium D for it?
by Anonymous | reply 206 | January 6, 2022 10:17 PM |
[quote] I always saw myself as a Laura.
A passive-aggressive, closeted lesbian?
by Anonymous | reply 207 | January 6, 2022 10:17 PM |
Ted was rumored to have a third leg. He was the total package.
by Anonymous | reply 208 | January 6, 2022 10:18 PM |
[quote] I think Abby got a thrill just from sleeping with other women's husbands to prove she could do it. Notice she dropped Richard like a hot potato once she had him. He was very low-hanging fruit, so she moved on immediately.
Possibly. Initially I thought it was because she wanted free legal help fighting her ex for custody of the kids -- but most of that heated up AFTER their affair ended. Poor Richard, even Karen kicked his ass to the curb when Sid wanted to hire him for that fake-rape charge scam. Sid was an impossible fool.
by Anonymous | reply 209 | January 6, 2022 10:23 PM |
I have two male friends who swear that they hooked up with Ted Shackelford during KNOTS, and I believe them.
by Anonymous | reply 210 | January 7, 2022 12:17 AM |
R199 not true about Val and Laura not having that many scenes together since season 3
Laura was ALWAYS over Val’s house especially when Cathy was living there and Laura was hanging with Lillmae too in seasons 5 ,6 and 7
There were a number of episodes where Val would be out with Ben and she’d come home and Lillmae, Laura and Cathy would be there watching TV and Val would ask Laura to stay for dinner etc.
Laura was also heavily involved in Val’s disappearance storyline and was going over to her house to check on Lillmae and Laura even spent the night a few times as Lillimae didn’t want to be alone
by Anonymous | reply 211 | January 7, 2022 12:25 AM |
I always lust after Gary Ewings but end up going out with Chief Kaniskys.
by Anonymous | reply 212 | January 7, 2022 12:26 AM |
[quote] I found it frustrating Abby didn’t have a final moment with Gary and Val when Donna Mills left the show.
They made up for it in the final scene of Knots Landing
by Anonymous | reply 213 | January 7, 2022 12:26 AM |
4 elements are Wind, Earth, Water & Fire
Abby was Fire
Karen was Earth
Val was Water (all that crying)
Which leaves AIR for Laura
by Anonymous | reply 214 | January 7, 2022 12:28 AM |
[quote] Why was Donna Mills never even nominated for an Emmy?
She wound up winning an Emmy for her short-term role on General Hospital
by Anonymous | reply 215 | January 7, 2022 12:30 AM |
It's Thursday night. I wish we could all make snacks and watch Knots Landing together. My family would tape Knots Landing on Thursday nights and then we'd watch it on Friday night, usually with dinner. It was an excellent gateway to the weekend show and it had a little bit of everything and something for everyone.
by Anonymous | reply 216 | January 7, 2022 12:34 AM |
I'll bring the Cheez Whiz!
by Anonymous | reply 217 | January 7, 2022 1:00 AM |
I love that R16 :)
by Anonymous | reply 218 | January 7, 2022 1:22 AM |
Sorry I meant R216
by Anonymous | reply 219 | January 7, 2022 1:22 AM |
[quote] I have two male friends who swear that they hooked up with Ted Shackelford during KNOTS, and I believe them.
And I know one guy who did in the early-mid 80s. I believe him too. And yes, surprisingly impressive and a top.
by Anonymous | reply 220 | January 7, 2022 1:32 AM |
I did not catch many of the early seasons, but I thought I saw enough to know all of the characters. I do not remember Kenny and Ginger at all.
Dallas had some good seasons and good cliffhangers, but even in its prime, I thought it had episodes that dragged. Knots was better paced throughout the season when it was good.
by Anonymous | reply 221 | January 7, 2022 1:50 AM |
When I was 15, my birthday cake was a Knots Landing cake. The cake decorating woman happened to watch the show and knew what the hell my mom was asking for, so the frosted cake sort of looked like the ending credits with the ocean and then sort of a coastline.
I am also the person who got a Dynasty book for my eighth birthday.
Yeah, I know.
by Anonymous | reply 222 | January 7, 2022 5:00 AM |
"When I was 15, my birthday cake was a Knots Landing cake. The cake decorating woman happened to watch the show and knew what the hell my mom was asking for, so the frosted cake sort of looked like the ending credits with the ocean and then sort of a coastline."
R216, I don't know who you are, what you look like or where you live, but as long as you've got a dick, we are DESTINED to be together.
by Anonymous | reply 223 | January 7, 2022 5:24 AM |
R216 and R223, can I be a part of your throuple? ;)
by Anonymous | reply 224 | January 7, 2022 5:37 AM |
You got it, R223!
Of course, I also had Laura Van Wormer's Knots Landing: The Saga of Seaview Circle, which I recommend. It was out of print by the time I found out about it, so I was always on the hunt for it at used bookstores which, at 14, I visited often. This was all before the internet, so one day I finally found it at Goodwill. Full color photos, detailed biographies and backstories for the characters, even the Wards. You also get a better sense of how old/young these people are written to be versus the actor ages.
I did end up watching Knots tonight, since it's Thursday: the selection was, from season 3, 'Silver Shadows,' in which Abby is trying to get an old geezer director (RIP Lew Ayres) to leave her all his money because she looks like his dead actress wife. It's one of the few times Abby got outmaneuvered.
by Anonymous | reply 225 | January 7, 2022 5:39 AM |
I vaguely recall that episode R225; just as well Abby got outsmarted. that's no way to get money.
Abby's smarter than that.
by Anonymous | reply 226 | January 7, 2022 5:44 AM |
R225 - That was one of the goofier stand-alone episodes this show did in the first few seasons. Other outliers were the haunted house ("China Dolls"), the town being invaded by a motorcycle gang, and Ginger's bridal shower turning into a home-invasion hostage crisis. All of those smelled of "spec" scripts.
by Anonymous | reply 227 | January 7, 2022 12:18 PM |
Those episodes are the reason why I couldn't get myself rewatching the first couple seasons. There are so many episodes, stories, that just don't align with what KL ended up to be. The trial and error phase was pretty long, imo. I am much more engaged with the story lines after Ciji was killed off.
by Anonymous | reply 228 | January 7, 2022 1:44 PM |
R228 China Dolls isn’t the haunted house episode, it’s the “I can have him any time I want him” episode. I think the haunted house is “The Three Sisters.”
by Anonymous | reply 229 | January 7, 2022 1:49 PM |
The first few seasons were hit and miss for me. There was some good character driven development there though.
Kenny and Ginger were afterthoughts most of the time. It was pretty telling that after the pilot they weren't seen again until episode 4 even though they were main cast members. And there were a number of other episodes without them entirely or minimally used. Their leaving was no loss at all really.
by Anonymous | reply 230 | January 7, 2022 2:12 PM |
Wasn't there talk about spinning Ginger and Kenny off into their own series that would center on the country music scene in Nashville? Also, I could swear that Lankford said in an interview years later that David Jacobs wanted to keep her and dump Houghton but that it was ultimately decided to write them both out together. Lankford's acting was mostly horrid IMO, but Houghton was serviceable.
by Anonymous | reply 231 | January 7, 2022 2:19 PM |
[quote] Houghton was serviceable.
He had what Lankford couldn't provide: A lusciously hairy chest
by Anonymous | reply 232 | January 7, 2022 2:23 PM |
I actually liked the motorcycle gang and Ginger’s baby shower hostage situation episodes.
by Anonymous | reply 233 | January 7, 2022 2:32 PM |
What role did John Pleshette play behind the scenes? He wasn't just a regular cast member whose character was written out at some point like so many others. He is also credited for writing some episodes, and he directed - even years after 'Richard' had left Knots Landing. I think the last episode he directed was in 1989.
This sounds like a very unusual role within a show. Usually they don't let actors do anything else than act unless they have some real clout and they need to be kept happy. Pleshette didn't need to be kept happy. And the credits aren't just vanity credits either I suppose. After all, he wrote more than just two or three episodes and stayed in touch with the show for so much longer after Richard left. Was he friends with David Jacobs?
by Anonymous | reply 234 | January 7, 2022 2:33 PM |
I would love a streaming channel that has all these old day and night soaps on them. Disney used to own Soapnet - with Disney+ they should add a “Soapnet” channel. I’d love to stream Knots, Dallas, Dynasty, Falcon’s Crest, etc.
by Anonymous | reply 235 | January 7, 2022 2:37 PM |
^ I second that.
And as a bonus I want one of those streaming channels develop a half hour daily soap. I am surprised they don't do that already (or do they?). They want subscribers to stay on the subscription? Isn't a daily or weekly soap the best way to accomplish that?
by Anonymous | reply 236 | January 7, 2022 2:42 PM |
Pleshette's ex-wife was married to Jacobs, but they were all friends. He claims it was his idea to include the car dealership, since it would give the characters a place to go/gather outside of the cul-de-sac and would make the show seem less claustrophobic. He wrote/directed a few episodes, even after Richard was written out. He didn't get along with Lynn Latham and Bernie Lechowick when they later became show runners, so they no longer used him behind the scenes. He has said that he and James Houghton did not get along, and that Constance was standoffish to him at first, as she was hoping they'd case her husband, Sam Weisman, as Richard. He said she eventually warmed up to him and established a great working relationship.
by Anonymous | reply 237 | January 7, 2022 2:47 PM |
I would kill to have a streaming version of Soapnet. There's so much good material out there languishing!
by Anonymous | reply 238 | January 7, 2022 3:24 PM |
The Soapnet channel really wasn't successful. I remember how they promoted running Another World. They had cast reunions and really hyped it. It wound up getting a 0.0 rating in the 18-49 demo and was just a miserable failure. Basically, target audiences have no interest in watching these dinosaurs.
by Anonymous | reply 239 | January 7, 2022 3:32 PM |
R239 Demos don't matter, though, in streaming. In streaming it is just how many subscribers/eyeballs you can capture. Which is the way it should be. Demographics have killed too many good shows and led us down the garden path to a world dominated by Superhero retreads.
by Anonymous | reply 240 | January 7, 2022 4:09 PM |
Demos seemed to make a difference for Soapnet. They removed AW from the schedule because of the zero demo.
by Anonymous | reply 241 | January 7, 2022 4:11 PM |
R241 Yes, because AW was a television channel. I was saying that would not matter for streaming.
by Anonymous | reply 242 | January 7, 2022 4:14 PM |
Sorry I meant Soapnet not AW. ^^
by Anonymous | reply 243 | January 7, 2022 4:15 PM |
Actually, the motorcycle gang episode has some great character moments that established classic KNOTS fault lines.
For instance, when the thugs demand the ladies' jewelry, Karen hides her wedding ring - which spoke volumes about who she was.
Also, we saw Abby use her feminine wiles to outsmart their captors, which was great. And the coup d'grace was the infamous confrontation between Laura and Abby in the kitchen, resulting in a massive and overdue slap across the face.
by Anonymous | reply 244 | January 7, 2022 4:18 PM |
I loved the early episodes. There were very atmospheric (late '70s lazy southern California vibe), and there was an authentic sense of community and friendship that was lost as the seasons progressed.
by Anonymous | reply 245 | January 7, 2022 4:29 PM |
The early seasons of Knots bum me out. A lot of the action took place at a car dealership and garage. I mean!!!! Seasons 4-10 are the sweet spot for me. Give me shoulder pads, big hair, pastels, and lots of makeup.
by Anonymous | reply 246 | January 7, 2022 8:37 PM |
[quote] China Dolls isn’t the haunted house episode, it’s the “I can have him any time I want him” episode. I think the haunted house is “The Three Sisters.”
That sounds right.
by Anonymous | reply 247 | January 7, 2022 9:53 PM |
[quote] Wasn't there talk about spinning Ginger and Kenny off into their own series that would center on the country music scene in Nashville?
Yes, but then they recast Lankford with Connie Britton.
by Anonymous | reply 248 | January 7, 2022 9:55 PM |
[quote] Constance was standoffish to him at first, as she was hoping they'd case her husband, Sam Weisman
Well, Weisman was at least better looking than Pleshette.
by Anonymous | reply 249 | January 7, 2022 10:01 PM |
If someone posts KL online I will post Falcon Crest. Season for Season...
by Anonymous | reply 250 | January 9, 2022 12:13 PM |
I love the S9 opening where Connie pivoted like Susan Sullivan, Joan had a mullet, and the men all looked embarrassed.
by Anonymous | reply 251 | January 9, 2022 12:41 PM |
Fuck Connie and Susan! That was MY fucking pivot!
by Anonymous | reply 252 | January 9, 2022 1:19 PM |
A fun factoid: Patty Duke was considered for the role of Laura Avery.
by Anonymous | reply 253 | January 9, 2022 1:30 PM |
I'm glad Patty didn't book Knots. They drummed her out of starring roles, so she came crawling back to Knots Landing. Well Knots Landing doesn't go for dames who played twins or pill-popping cunts. Oh wait!
by Anonymous | reply 254 | January 9, 2022 2:28 PM |
You'd think they already blew whatever budget there was on Don Murray and B-star Michele Lee. I doubt they could afford Duke, who was still consistently working in the 70s. On the plus, Patty could have given Joan lessons on how to play crazy.
by Anonymous | reply 255 | January 9, 2022 2:34 PM |
I can see Patty and Pleshette having tons of chemistry. And she would've been a stronger actress than McCashin to up against Donna Mills.
by Anonymous | reply 256 | January 9, 2022 2:43 PM |
R255 the money was a factor and also they felt that she would draw all the attention to her and not the ensemble cast.
by Anonymous | reply 257 | January 9, 2022 3:07 PM |
R257 - Sounds like Don and Michele would have been less than thrilled by that prospect.
by Anonymous | reply 258 | January 9, 2022 3:27 PM |
McCashin was perfect casting. If not, Knots fans wouldn't still be lamenting Laura's death decades later.
by Anonymous | reply 259 | January 9, 2022 4:55 PM |
Who's lamenting her death, besides a few sad elderqueens who identlfy with her because she was marginalized and considered the ugly duckling amid her beautiful costars, and because she used sarcasm as a defense mechanism? Nobody else, believe me.
by Anonymous | reply 260 | January 9, 2022 5:19 PM |
McCashin was perfect casting. If not, Knots fans wouldn't still be lamenting Laura's death decades later.
by Anonymous | reply 261 | January 9, 2022 9:45 PM |
McCashin was always David Jacobs first choice for Laura - as Jacobs had previously cast her in his series "Married: The First Year"
At the time Knots was casting, McCashin wasn't sure she wanted to continue acting - which is why Patty Duke name was suggested. Finally she signed on to the part.
by Anonymous | reply 262 | January 9, 2022 9:56 PM |
McCashin was not a strong actress. At times, she just seemed to be reciting her lines to get them out, rather than feeling or understanding what she was saying.
However, as the show progressed, the writers made Laura's wit dryer and dryer, which McCashin handled well.
McCashin must have been aware of her limitations as a performer, as she never worked much after KL and then left the business altogether. She's now a Boston-based therapist who claims to be a "recovering actress" in her bio.
by Anonymous | reply 263 | January 9, 2022 11:05 PM |
[quote] McCashin must have been aware of her limitations as a performer, as she never worked much after KL
95% of all of McCashin acting jobs after Knots Landing, where on productions her husband was producing or directing
by Anonymous | reply 264 | January 9, 2022 11:06 PM |
[quote]And yes, surprisingly impressive and a top
I don't find it surprising at all that Ted Shackelford has a big dick and is a top. It's exactly what one would expect/hope for.
by Anonymous | reply 265 | January 9, 2022 11:11 PM |
Ted is married. I know - Rock Hudson was, too. Hunt Block's brother is the CEO of (what's left of) Miramax.
by Anonymous | reply 266 | January 9, 2022 11:40 PM |
I’ve finished more seasons recently in my rewatch. It’s not super fresh on my mind anymore, but here are my thoughts;
Cathy was such a whore putting the moves on Ben after how nice Val was to her. But I wish Ben had left with her. His season 8 storyline with Jean Hackney is awful and drags on and on forever. We get a few decent moments once it finally gets where it’s going, but mostly everyone (and especially Val) comes off looking like an idiot. The best part of season 8 is definitely the excellent storyline of Olivia on drugs. Donna Mills plays it for everything it’s worth, and she’s so incredibly fabulous. Nicolette actually was very green her first year. The writing for Paige is pretty lousy and her acting was definitely not there yet.
I’m glad they dropped all the Empire Valley shit after season 7. They mention it a few times in season 8, then we thankfully move on. It just never fit Knots. Season 8 tries to refocus on more family/cul-de-sac drama, but it’s all pretty sophomoric.
I couldn’t take season 9 and skipped directly to season 10 and that season is just excellent. Best season since season 6. By then, Nicolette was good and the Jill trying to kill Val storyline is my favorite. Everything works this season.
by Anonymous | reply 267 | January 18, 2022 11:57 PM |
R267 - You skipped season 9???? That is an awesome season, if for no other reason for the two parter when everyone convenes in the aftermath of Laura’s death. There’s great stuff that season with Gary and Val and it all leads to Jill’s unraveling. The season finale is epic!!!! Go back.
by Anonymous | reply 268 | January 19, 2022 12:58 AM |
R268 I did watch the two-parter, but quite honestly, I’ve never been as big a fan of it as everyone else seems to be, and I’m still not. Everyone is so damn over the top in that episode making Laura’s death all about themselves, and it just doesn’t do it for me.
The Abby/Charles storyline is a real bore. How the hell do you make Abby boring?!
I did watch the season 9 finale, because the Jill/Val scenes are mandatory, but I fastforwarded thru all the Mexico stuff.
I stand by my decision to mostly skip season 9. I was more anxious to get to season 10 because I remembered loving it (still do) and season 11 because that’s where I remember starting to lose interest on my first watch, and I want to see if that’s still true…
by Anonymous | reply 269 | January 19, 2022 5:07 AM |
R269- I stand corrected. Well argued. The Abby/Charles arc was a dud. I think Michael York was miscast. I just didn’t buy that this effete man would be her Kryptonite. They should’ve cast a more strapping man of the times, perhaps a Perry King type. And yes- the Mexico storyline was torture. It killed whatever momentum was happening elsewhere. I’ll also throw in the bungled intro of The Williams family. Overnight we were meant to care deeply about this mysterious couple and there was so little payoff to their story.
Standing down.
by Anonymous | reply 270 | January 19, 2022 11:10 AM |
Connie with real life husband and tv husband.
by Anonymous | reply 271 | January 19, 2022 12:04 PM |
No, you really need to watch Season 9. It also has Lillimae's departure, Gary and Val's custody battle, Eric's quickie marriage (and Karen's instant, primal dislike of Linda, her obnoxious daughter-in-law) and the fascinating unraveling of Jill as she descends into madness.
There are some lovely gems that year, particularly early on (though I'm in agreement with you about the Mexico storyline). And the episode where Laura leaves to die alone is one of the most effective tear-jerkers ever produced for television.
by Anonymous | reply 272 | January 19, 2022 4:52 PM |
Knots, as opposed to Dynasty, Dallas, and Falcon Crest, really wasn't about anything. First it was about a bunch of married people on a dead end street. Then the focal point was restaurant with a really bad singer with a mullet. Then is became about big business with spy melodrama thrown in. Some people were middle class, then they became rich. It was like a really poorly conceived daytime soap that someone mistakenly placed in prime time.
by Anonymous | reply 273 | January 19, 2022 8:31 PM |
Oh shoot, I’m where the “Sally’s Friend” bs started. Yeah, still got like 8 episodes left in 10, but I’m definitely gonna still hate 11.
by Anonymous | reply 274 | January 19, 2022 9:23 PM |
R272 you actually did make me want to go back, but ill probably fastforward anything that isn’t related to the Linda and Jill storylines. I’ll do that once I finish 10 because now that I remembered the Sally’s Friend thing I’m dreading 11.
by Anonymous | reply 275 | January 19, 2022 9:24 PM |
Scrolling through Connie's twitter, she sadly seems incredibly woke.
by Anonymous | reply 276 | January 19, 2022 9:56 PM |
I love that Connie and Bill still hang out and don't invite the others. I mean, would you?
1987-88 season was sort of a letdown. It started strong but immediately after Laura's funeral it just slows to a crawl and everyone's out of character (especially Val but Abby and others). Val's accent is gone and so is her momma, draining the show of its particular flavor.
That was some bad wig on Jill in the finale. Was that an Italian-style wig, ala I Love Lucy?
by Anonymous | reply 277 | January 19, 2022 10:44 PM |
Constance McCashin has just given a RARE interview to the Knots Landing website
Calling herself the "Greta Garbo" of soaps, she said that was her cache to be so elusive
by Anonymous | reply 278 | January 19, 2022 10:46 PM |
Knot's trivia: Sally's friend was in fact Lar Park Lincoln, aka "Linda Fairgate." Killing her off was the stupidest thing Knots did in the later years.
by Anonymous | reply 279 | January 19, 2022 11:34 PM |
The last hour of season 10 without Abby is absolutely awful. Painfully so. And the premiere of season 11 is even worse. The storylines in the last third of season 10 after the Jill storyline wraps up are really bad, but it’s obscured because the stuff going on with Abby, Paige, and Greg is still interesting enough to obscure how awful the Sally’s Friend and Mack/Paula nonsense is.
So I’ve gone back to season 9, which I originally skipped, and I’m actually liking it. I will definitely fastforward certain things (Charles/Abby and Mexico) but so far, I’m finding it to be surprisingly good.
Controversial opinion: Season 11 is worse than season 13. Idk how I’m gonna make it thru 11. That may be the one I really need to skip once I finish 9.
by Anonymous | reply 280 | January 21, 2022 4:44 PM |
Also, Donna Mills’ timing in leaving really was perfect. There was nothing left for Abby to do that she hadn’t already done. She didn’t leave a minute too soon or stay a second too long.
I really liked her exit too, only problem is she didn’t get one last scene with Val.
by Anonymous | reply 281 | January 21, 2022 4:53 PM |
Knots really began to circle the shark by season 10. It flirted with the shark before, but rebounded. Its downward trajectory really started by season 10. A lot of the flavor/quirkiness of the show was lost with the firing of McCashin and Harris. They added a lot to show, even though they were supporting players.
by Anonymous | reply 282 | January 21, 2022 5:16 PM |
R282 watching the season 11 premiere, I can’t believe this show lasts another 4 seasons. It’s absolutely awful. Knots must have had an incredibly loyal fanbase.
by Anonymous | reply 283 | January 21, 2022 5:20 PM |
Even when its household numbers dropped out of the top 30 and were so-so, Knots still had a very loyal and rabid 18-49 female demo, which enabled it to survive against big guns like LA Law. The show would've kept on going, but it became too expensive to produce. That's what killed it, not its ratings.
by Anonymous | reply 284 | January 21, 2022 5:43 PM |
I remember when shit went south in the early 90's on this show. I was 14 or so and used to read magazines.
It was the 2nd or 3rd to last season where it was absolute SHIT. There was some hot guy on the show who was a villain involved with Lar Park Lincoln. This also may have been the "Anne is Homeless" for an episode season...
Anyway, they did try to save the show- I actually think it was SHUT DOWN- they shut the show down for a month or so...and possibly hired a new writer and scrapped a lot of things. SPOILER- That season ended with the SPOILER------ the pretty gruesome murder of Linda by that hot villain...
That was by the "new regime".. If I recall, the last 1/3 of that season was the new regime and them trying to make the show better..
I do wonder if my memory is fucked, I may google some of this later for clues..
For some reason this little gay boy's favorite shows were Knots Landing, Thirtysomething, and Growing Pains.
by Anonymous | reply 285 | January 21, 2022 5:59 PM |
HOLY SHIT!!!! THAT WAS EASY- I googled "Knots Landing Production Shut Down".
SHIT!
Some good stuff here-
by Anonymous | reply 286 | January 21, 2022 6:02 PM |
The one I posted at R287 is EXTREMELY detailed and highly recommended if you have 3 hours. lol Very cool behind the scenes info and then a critical review..
Snippet- (In this article Jacobs says the show was AWFUL- he was much kinder in the other article...
At the time David Jacobs shut down production, in November of 1991, seven episodes had aired, which he described as "uniformly awful." They are. He then went on to characterize the following seven, which had been filmed but not yet aired, as "uniformly inconsistent." At the time, it seemed disingenuous -- he could hardly call the next set of episodes "lousy" and expect us to tune in, so they had to be "inconsistent." It turns out that "inconsistent" is pretty close to the truth. Episode 8, Magnuson's "House of Cards," is a bottle episode in which Mack, Karen, Jason and Meg are held hostage in their home by Linda's killer, Brian Johnson; it's the first episode of the season that's even marginally successful. It temporarily liberates us from the mischaracterizatons of Claudia, Kate, Anne and Paige, and the tedium of Gary and Sumner's "fight for control of tidal energy" -- and because Magnuson can focus on a handful of characters whose personalities he understands, he gets to show what he can do. (Giving credit where it's due, the transformation of Brian Johnston from sexual adventurer to dangerous fugitive -- and the acting showcase it provides Philip Brown -- is one of the team's few success stories, and Lar Park-Lincoln does desperate and defenseless quite well. Linda was not a character I was fond of, and I was not sorry to see her go, but I quite like her during her three-episode stint in Season 13.)
And from there, Donald Marcus takes the reins for two episodes and launches into a flurry of course-correcting. Magnuson recalls that it's around that time that Jacobs realized his franchise was failing, and started demanding changes. And the writers themselves were aware that certain story-lines -- Tidal Energy, in particular -- were floundering. (Magnuson concedes that they knew instantly that the chemistry between Greenwood and Sheridan wasn't there -- which begs the question, how did he get cast?) So in episodes 9 and 10, there's a clear attempt to weed out what's not working and to up the ante: first and foremost, by having Tidal Energy's first test run be a disaster, and a potential ruin to Gary. And when that happens, Pierce turns out to be unstable, and Joseph a flake. (Basically, they're revealed to be exactly how they'd unintentionally come across in the first seven episodes.) The writers start to ease off the ill-conceived new arrivals, to make room for the core characters. In episode 9, Val gets a note from Lynette, a new character whom she'd been teaching to read (that's how they'd managed to both compartmentalize and waste Valene and do a turgid look at a social issue: adult illiteracy), and that plotline is put to bed. In episode 10, they write off Benny and Debbie. In episode 11, Jason leaves town, and two episodes later, Joseph follows. Although the newfound focus on the core characters results in only a half-dozen good scenes, that's a handful more than we've had to date. As Gary considers taking out a mortgage on his ranch (to pay the additional expenses on Tidal Energy), we get some lively exchanges: between Mack and Gary, then Gary and Val, and finally Val and Karen. They discuss issues of urgency and weight, with some semblance of a backstory.
by Anonymous | reply 288 | January 21, 2022 6:09 PM |
R287 I have been obsessively reading this blog over the past few days. He posts about every season and it’s great.
by Anonymous | reply 289 | January 21, 2022 6:10 PM |
R289- Its SO detailed- Its pretty cool!!!!!!
It takes guts and class to shut down production on an already long in the tooth show to make sure it goes out with dignity.
I have a lot of respect for that.
And that HOTTIE was Philip Brown. Oh man. DAMN!
by Anonymous | reply 290 | January 21, 2022 6:12 PM |
And I have no idea where you are seeing these episodes.
But I clearly remember a line of Linda's that killed me then. It may have been her last episode.
(Linda) I left him at a motel (Sun Up Motel?) outside Pear Blossom an hour ago.
(Philip's wife) Were you sleeping with him?
(Linda) YES!
by Anonymous | reply 291 | January 21, 2022 6:14 PM |
I hated the "Sally's friend" storyline. Penny Peyser really stunk it up as Amanda. Knots usually did a good job with casting, but that was one of the big misses they made. They made Danny a totally over the top villain, but Sam Behrens gave it his all.
The first part of Season 13 really sucked. It was the only time I really didn't enjoy the show. They even managed to squander Marcia Cross and Halle Berry. The second half of the season did improve quite a bit. Ann Marcus did a good job turning things around.
by Anonymous | reply 292 | January 21, 2022 6:16 PM |
R291 it was posted on DL recently. Put knots landing into the search bar up top.
by Anonymous | reply 293 | January 21, 2022 6:39 PM |
I know Penny Peyser and she's a lovely lady, but KL in those years really was casting some plain-looking actors, like Melinda Culea. Who on earth envisioned her as a temptress who could steal Mack from Karen? Clearly not the audience, as that storyline was bagged pretty fast.
Linda Fairgate's murder was pretty graphic by KL standards and the character was foolishly killed off long before she had reached her potential. Karen having to do business with the vixen who had broken her son's heart by sleeping with her other son, nearly destroying Karen's family, was great soapy stuff.
Linda: "I have standards." Karen: "LOW standards."
by Anonymous | reply 294 | January 21, 2022 7:57 PM |
I think the idea behind Melinda Culea was to fill the gap felt by Laura's departure (smart, sarcastic, quick witted, etc.), but with more story potential than McCashin and at a fraction of her salary.
by Anonymous | reply 295 | January 21, 2022 8:01 PM |
R295 the blog linked in r287 says she was originally just supposed to be in that one episode (“Birds Do It, Bees Do It”) and they liked her so they kept her around.
She definitely had a certain west coast indie chick/early 90s appeal a la Emily Valentine, perhaps a few years ahead of her time.
by Anonymous | reply 296 | January 21, 2022 8:04 PM |
I've always thought Sally's Friend was supposed to be Teri Austin, who stayed in the credits that whole season, and whose voice sounded like SF. I've never seen any confirmation or speculation about that, but then we suddenly get Penny Peyser (wow was that a bad character) and the horrific Danny Waleska (great acting from Sam Behrens, but that whole story required Val to get so much more stupid than she'd ever been).
by Anonymous | reply 297 | January 22, 2022 2:29 AM |
You have to give credit to Knots Landing for adding a Black family to the cul-de-sac - terrible they killed off Pat Williams
by Anonymous | reply 298 | January 22, 2022 2:34 AM |
Larry Riley died if AIDS.
by Anonymous | reply 299 | January 22, 2022 2:37 AM |
[quote] The first part of Season 13 really sucked.
You have to remember Lynn-Marie Latham and Bernie Lechowich who had been long-time story editors had left (to create Homefront) and new producers who had no soap background took over
They tried to do social issues like illiteracy, homelessness and the environment - which audiences found boring
So they shut the show down and did 180 - It must of been weird for Bruce Greenwood. He was hired to be Nicolette Sheridan leading man, and overnight they turn him into a psycho!
by Anonymous | reply 300 | January 22, 2022 2:39 AM |
I’m enjoying season 9 way more than I thought I would. I’m fast forwarding Abby/Charles, but everything else about this season is great.
The way they introduced the Williamses was really well done. They don’t take over the show, they’re gradually integrated into the cast, and the mystery of what’s going on with them is handled in a way that you actually care and it doesn’t feel like a stunt (unlike season 8’s many perils of Paige.)
The Val/Gary custody storyline is awesome. This has been building since season 6. Instead of bringing in external conflicts that nobody cares about like Empire Valley or Jean Hackney, let the drama come from how Val and Gary deal with each other.
I have always hated that Mack and Karen adopt Meg. I still think Mack’s immediate adoration for her is heavy handed, but this time the storyline is not bothering me as much as it has in the past. William Devane’s performances during and after Laura’s death are the best of his time on Knots.
It pains me to fastforward Donna Mills, but luckily this storyline will be over in a few more episodes. She did have one great moment this season where she needles Jill about Gary and Val going to bed together (of course, the irony is that we as the audience know she’s right.) I can’t wait until Jill starts going crazy.
Johnny Rourke showed up. I just don’t really like Peter Reckell period. Robert Kelker Kelly was a better Bo, and PR sucks on this too. The Mexico stuff will be fastforwarded once it starts.
by Anonymous | reply 301 | January 24, 2022 4:13 PM |
R301 I want Peter Reckell’s cum in my mouth!
by Anonymous | reply 302 | January 24, 2022 4:26 PM |
Told ya so, R301!
It really is the last season where the show still feels like classic KL. Losing McCashin and Harris simultaneously truly altered its DNA and not for the better.
And I really have a fondness for "Birds Do it, Bees Do It", a frothy, funny episode.
by Anonymous | reply 303 | January 24, 2022 4:30 PM |
R272/r303 you were right boo, tho Birds Do It is season 10 😉
by Anonymous | reply 304 | January 24, 2022 9:07 PM |
How many seasons did it have ? 14?
by Anonymous | reply 305 | January 24, 2022 11:27 PM |
R305 Yes, from 1979 to 1993.
by Anonymous | reply 306 | January 25, 2022 12:02 AM |
Only the old folks and suburban fraus watched Knots. The hip young urban kids watched Berrengers and Emerald Point N.A.S.
by Anonymous | reply 307 | January 25, 2022 3:14 PM |
You're either delusional or trolling, R307.
by Anonymous | reply 308 | January 25, 2022 4:06 PM |
The cool kids were watching One Man's Family or Ma Perkins!
by Anonymous | reply 309 | January 25, 2022 9:42 PM |
R309- That sounds about right for this site.
And they were listening to their Victrolas.
by Anonymous | reply 310 | January 25, 2022 11:17 PM |
I remember when THE Guiding Light moved its location from uniquely named Selby Flats to the generic Springfield. I have never gotten over that or forgiven P&G. NEVER!
by Anonymous | reply 311 | January 25, 2022 11:33 PM |
307=Peter Reckell, still bitter about being written off Knots Landing in 1989
by Anonymous | reply 312 | January 26, 2022 12:03 AM |
R311 So you got over the move from Five Points to Selby Flats?
by Anonymous | reply 313 | January 26, 2022 12:27 AM |
R313 this is not the P&G thread. There’s no reason why you should be talking about Selby Flats or dropping the “the” or Scoche Marin or Eileen Fulton clogging the toilet here.
I finished season 9. Absolutely loved it, though i skipped the Charles/Abby stuff (until his last episode when she turned the tables on him) and most of the Santa Tecla stuff. Harold is such a hunk and I can see why Olivia was so head over heels in love with him. They are so cute together.
And of course there are no words to express how wonderful the storyline of Jill turning heel is. Now I wish I had watched 9 and 10 in order… oh well.
I’ve watched seasons 4 through 10 in the past 3-4 years and I can’t bear to watch season 11, so I think I’m gonna go back to season 3 next.
by Anonymous | reply 314 | January 26, 2022 2:22 PM |
R314 Then go after R311. I was just being bitchy to them.
by Anonymous | reply 315 | January 26, 2022 2:30 PM |
Did Michelle Lee plug the shitter at KL?
by Anonymous | reply 316 | January 26, 2022 8:47 PM |
The shitter was our nickname for Joan Van Ark.
by Anonymous | reply 317 | January 26, 2022 10:16 PM |
Is consensus that Kim Lankford was the was the weakest among all the actresses ever to have a main role on the show? I mean, even worse than Nicolette and that Vanessa person.
by Anonymous | reply 318 | January 26, 2022 10:39 PM |
I’m 5 episodes into season 3 and it’s sublime. I love the middle class vibe of the early seasons. I bawled my eyes out in the Sid’s death and funeral episodes. Michele Lee was absolutely terrific.
Ted Shackelford looks so good in all these tight early 80s pants he’s wearing. His ass and dick are constantly on display and it’s just heavenly.
by Anonymous | reply 319 | January 27, 2022 4:06 AM |
Ted Shackelford definitely dressed left. I might have to post some highlights here once I finish this season.
I’m watching The Three Sisters right now and it’s actually pretty good. I debated just skipping it, but now I’m glad I didn’t. They did a good job making this episode super creepy.
by Anonymous | reply 320 | January 28, 2022 4:40 AM |
Karen’s station wagon is absolutely gigantic 😭 I wasn’t alive in the 80s but it’s making me miss when not everything was so cheap and temporary.
by Anonymous | reply 321 | January 28, 2022 5:02 AM |
It's a shame they didn't continue the Richard/Laura story beyond season 4. IMO, they were the most interesting of the four couples. I found their relationship complex and intriguing.
by Anonymous | reply 322 | January 28, 2022 5:36 AM |
Why didn’t Laura and Ciji bump pussies?
by Anonymous | reply 323 | January 28, 2022 11:13 AM |
Why would Laura want Ciji when she had a hot stud like Richard in her bed every night?
by Anonymous | reply 324 | January 28, 2022 1:40 PM |
Where else was there to go with Laura and Richard? They'd already both cheated on each other. They'd already split up, only to reunite. And Laura clearly despised her husband, so that marriage was done unless we wanted to see more years if seething resentment.
I did enjoy Richard's return years later after Laura's death. I would like to have seen more of his dynamic with Greg Sumner, a rich power-player who was everything Richard had wanted and failed to be. Had Laura not died, Richard might have been a natural troublemaker in her marriage to Greg.
by Anonymous | reply 325 | January 28, 2022 4:53 PM |
Sad to say but Richard/Laura had the most realistic marriage of the four original couples. I know more married couples whose relationship resembled Richard/Laura than Sid/Karen.
by Anonymous | reply 326 | January 28, 2022 8:41 PM |
The writers clearly had no idea what to do with Kenny and Ginger and had problems connecting them with the other couples. That's probably why they would disappear for episodes at a time. When the show became more serialized by season 4, and the writers began doing plot-driven, umbrella-type stories, rather than the more character-driven, islanded story format from the first three seasons, they really stuck out like a sore thumb. They were pretty much shoe-horned into the Ciji storyline in season 4, and their character motivations made no sense.
by Anonymous | reply 327 | January 28, 2022 10:57 PM |
I think the lead actress's acting styles were very different, but complemented each other very well. I find Joan to be the best actress on the show, just in terms of acting technique. She was very actressy/methody, without a "LOOK AT ME ACT" approach. You could tell she was dedicated to Valene and totally embodied that character. Michelle was very good too, but could be OTT in a way that sometimes made me cringe. Donna was good, but could be very one dimensional. Constance was good, but she tended to blend with the furniture. She was heartbreaking in "The Lie" in season 1, but Joan absolutely steals that climactic scene where Laura has a breakdown on her staircase. Val's reaction is more memorable than Laura's breakdown.
by Anonymous | reply 328 | January 29, 2022 2:04 AM |
Joan Van Ark really cared about the little details — she was the one who insisted upon Valene’s ridiculous white gloves in the pilot for example. I think my favorite moment for her comes in “Distant Locations” where Val becomes Verna in front of the mirror. It’s eerie that you can tell by the look on her face exactly when the change takes place.
by Anonymous | reply 329 | January 29, 2022 2:49 AM |
R328 I agree Michele could be OTT, but when she’s good, she’s good. I’m watching “Letting Go” right now (the one where she takes off her wedding band) and she’s absolutely phenomenal.
by Anonymous | reply 330 | January 29, 2022 3:36 AM |
It’s amazing that they never did an episode where Karen sang.
by Anonymous | reply 331 | January 29, 2022 3:40 AM |
R331 they did, but we don’t speak of it.
by Anonymous | reply 332 | January 29, 2022 3:42 AM |
She isn't a bad singer. Michelle Lee's Dottie West biopic is very good.
by Anonymous | reply 333 | January 29, 2022 4:00 AM |
I remember Michele sang "Look at that face" for a montage tribute to Steve Shaw that aired later in season 12. It was quite touching. Sadly, I think they edited the segment out of all syndicated airing other than when Knots reruns aired in TNT in the mid 90s.
Michelle posted the segment on her social media accounts.
by Anonymous | reply 334 | January 29, 2022 4:15 AM |
I had no idea that Knots had taken note of Steve Shawn’s death in an official way. I wonder how I missed that?
Michelle’s little tribute was lovely.
by Anonymous | reply 335 | January 29, 2022 4:31 AM |
Michele Lee started as a singer. She starred in a Broadway musical when she was 19, took over the female lead in “How to Succeed” a year later, did the movie, then starred on Broadway again in Seesaw. She has a terrific voice.
by Anonymous | reply 336 | January 29, 2022 4:37 AM |
In case anyone is interested Michele Lee's "Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story" is on youtube. To me it is one of the better tv biopics. In my family we used to watch it over like Sweet Dreams and Coal Miner's Daughter.
by Anonymous | reply 337 | January 29, 2022 5:19 AM |
Let's face it, Michele Lee and Claudia Lonow doing a mother/daughter act to a Broadway show tune at a high school talent show was a total rip-off of me and Florence on "The Brady Bunch."
by Anonymous | reply 338 | January 29, 2022 5:42 AM |
R338 That was painful. And we had to see a shot of Michele in the face paint in the Season 3 opening credits. Ugh.
by Anonymous | reply 339 | January 29, 2022 5:49 AM |
Claudia Lonow was unfortunate looking.
by Anonymous | reply 340 | January 29, 2022 6:36 AM |
Poor Claudia sure was homely.
by Anonymous | reply 341 | January 29, 2022 10:36 AM |
I finished season 3. It’s really an underrated season. Some of the one-off episodes are kind of random, but none of them are a complete waste of time like some of the one-offs in seasons 1 and 2 are. The Gary/Abby affair is done so well that I wish we had gotten more of it — it’s really not as major a focus as I’d remembered it being. They don’t even have sex until 3 episodes before the end of the season. Abby expertly seduces him and we could all learn something from her.
The next seasons I needed to watch (11-14) got pulled from YouTube again, so I’m going to watch Falcon Crest for the first time ever instead.
by Anonymous | reply 342 | January 29, 2022 3:31 PM |
I'd love to hear your thought on Falcon Crest, too. I just watched it for the first time this past year, I'm all the way to the 1986-87 season right now.
Knots S3 is one of my favorites.
by Anonymous | reply 343 | January 29, 2022 3:52 PM |
R343 what do you think of FC? How does it compare to other shows like Kl, Dallas, and Dynasty?
by Anonymous | reply 344 | January 29, 2022 4:01 PM |
I'd say Falcon Crest fits better with Knots Landing than it does Dallas or Dynasty. FC has more humor, more of a sense of the gothic, and for the first few years a really distinctive look. Jane Wyman's bitch face and bitch voice are top-notch.
I've enjoyed the hell out of it, D-Facto. My only warning is that, unlike Knots, Falcon Crest only has a few consistently good seasons and then the rest is just decline and diminishing returns.
by Anonymous | reply 345 | January 29, 2022 4:09 PM |
I can’t figure out why Knots comes up and comes down so frequently on that YouTube channel. Assume the poster is periodically threatened with legal action and then the coast is clear and he can upload the 14 seasons again? I hate when they’re down.
by Anonymous | reply 346 | January 29, 2022 9:25 PM |
I think the uploader makes them private when they find out someone has posted a link to the channel somewhere. It's to avoid getting them taken down due to copyright claims. And youtube has a way to tell when a copyright claimed deletion is reuploaded and is quickly flagged and taken down again. They would have to alter every episode somehow and then reupload them - a huge hassle.
by Anonymous | reply 347 | January 29, 2022 9:36 PM |
R345- What are the best seasons of Falcons Crest?
I am guessing (based on the minimal I have read) Seasons 2-5?
by Anonymous | reply 348 | January 29, 2022 9:37 PM |
Sorry I meant Falcon Crest ^^. And what does the name signify? Is that the brand of wine or the name of Angela's house??
by Anonymous | reply 349 | January 29, 2022 9:38 PM |
Seasons 1-3 are the best of Falcon Crest. It's entertaining from 4-6, but then goes completely off the rails. The last season with Gregory Harrison in the lead is unwatchable.
by Anonymous | reply 350 | January 29, 2022 9:57 PM |
R348 If you watch Falcon Crest all the way thru, when you get to the final season watch the first three and the last three episodes and skip everything else. Falcon Crest was both the name of the wine and of the Estate.
by Anonymous | reply 351 | January 29, 2022 10:51 PM |
R347 I think this is accurate. People have to stop giving the link out like it’s candy. If you don’t have it and can’t find it, go to a soap message board and have someone DM it to you.
by Anonymous | reply 352 | January 30, 2022 1:49 PM |
R345 I’m 6 episodes in to FC and absolutely loving it. I don’t want to derail the KL thread so I’ll find or start an FC thread and post my thoughts once I finish season 1.
But glad I waited so many years to watch it. It’s fun to have a whole new show to discover that I know is going to be right up my alley.
by Anonymous | reply 353 | January 30, 2022 2:21 PM |
bump
by Anonymous | reply 354 | June 21, 2022 3:15 AM |
R339 The Christmas song she sang in season 13 was more painful. That was the real reason they shut down production.
by Anonymous | reply 355 | June 21, 2022 3:17 AM |