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Knots Landing

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File:Knotslanding.jpg
Knots Landing title card.

Knots Landing was an American primetime television soap opera that aired from 1979 to 1993. It was a spin-off of Dallas.

A related miniseries, Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac, aired in 1997.

The series, created by Michael Filerman and David Jacobs, had been pitched to the US network CBS prior to Dallas. When Dallas was picked up as a series, and became a hit, they asked for a spin-off, and Filerman and Jacobs returned to their original Scenes From a Marriage concept to create Knots Landing.

When the series opened, Gary Ewing (Ted Shackleford) and his wife Valene Ewing (Joan Van Ark) moved onto a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle, in the Los Angeles suburb of Knots Landing. Gary and Valene had been married 17 years earlier in a "shotgun wedding," but when Gary left Val, Gary's brother J.R. took Valene's daughter Lucy away. As a teenager, Lucy began forging a friendship with Valene, the mother she'd never known, and Valene and Gary reunited. Their neighbours on the cul-de-sac were: Sid Fairgate (Don Murray), his wife Karen (Michele Lee), Richard Avery (John Pleshette) and his wife Laura (Constance McCashin), and Kenny Ward (James Houghton) and his wife, Ginger (Kim Lankford). Sid and Karen, who had three children, were the self-described "neighborhood Brady Bunch." Richard Avery was a lawyer who quit his lawfirm when he thought he could get a better job. He failed at this, and when his wife Laura had to take a job in real estate to support Richard and their son Jason, Richard began treating her badly. Kenny and Ginger Ward were newlyweds, and while ditzy Ginger made plans to start a family, Kenny was having an affair behind her back with young singer Sylvie.

The first season of 13 episodes met with only moderate success. Critics, on the other hand, praised the series for its brave storytelling and first class performances. In one powerful episode, Valene exclaimed to her mother (guest star and future regular Julie Harris) that she blaimed her for losing Lucy and hated her for it, since she turned Valene down when Valene asked her for shelter while on the run from J.R. The praise from the media prompted the network to renew "Knots Landing," and from there it gathered momentum and became an eventual hit. In season 2, Donna Mills joined the cast as Sid Fairgate's sister. She had an affair with Richard Avery and later, broke up Gary and Val's second marriage. Season 2 ended and season 3 began with the shocking death of patriarch Sid Fairgate (Murray left due to money demands), with Karen's grieving realistically portrayed. Karen would ultimately marry police commissioner Mack Mackenzie (played by Kevin Dobson).

The series evolved more radically than most prime-time soaps, in that the emphasis on characters and situations changed in successive seasons. In the show's early years, it concentrated on the four marriages on the cul-de-sac, but in later years it was significantly glamorized, and told stories about espionage, crime and politics. The season 4 introduction of Lisa Hartman as Ciji Dunne, a chanteuse whose murder thoroughly shook the cast, is generally regarded as the turning point of the series.

Knots rarely relied on the flashy and disaster-laden cliffhangers of other primetime soaps such as parent show Dallas, Falcon Crest, or Dynasty. Knots Landing had growing pains, but managed to introduce new characters and phase out old characters with more success than similar primetime soaps. The season 9 episodes began with Julie Harris and original cast member Constance McCashin (Laura Avery) being fired due to budget constraints. New characters such as Paige and the Williams family (who had changed their names due to the Witness Protection Program) filled the gap. Lynn Marie Latham and Bernard Lechowick were the head writers of Knots Landing at this point in time. Latham and Lechowick divided the cast of Knots Landing, with some actors liking them (such as Michele Lee and William Devane) and other actors disliking them (such as Joan van Ark,) or at least preferring past writers (such as Donna Mills.)

Lechowick and Latham, along with a slew of other personnel, left the show in 1991 to create the ABC WW2 drama Homefront. The new head writer, John Romano, was told by network executives to make the show "darker and grittier." The Linda character, played by Lar Park Lincoln, was killed off (her throat was cut in a brutal scene uncharacteristic of earlier "Knots Landing.") Gary Ewing lost all of his money in the Tidal Energy project, which aimed to use the ocean tides as a source of electricity. The show closed production for 6 weeks at the end of 1991 and the final 7 episodes of the season were written by yet another new team of writers (headed by David Jacobs and Ann Marcus.) At the end of season 13, Joan Van Ark (Valene) left the show. Nicollette Sheridan (Paige) and William Devane (Greg) also resigned. David Jacobs, however, persuaded the latter two not to leave the show, promising them (and the network) that season 14 would be Knots Landing's last. Donna Mills, who had left the show at the end of its tenth season, and Joan Van Ark both returned to the show for its 1993 2-hour finale.

Cast an characters

  • Ted Shackelford as Gary Ewing. The son of Jock and Ellie Ewing, first introduced in the TV series Dallas. Gary, the middle Ewing son between JR and Bobby, was the family black sheep.
  • Joan Van Ark as Valene "Val" Clements Ewing (1979-1992). The love of Gary's life, and the mother, with Gary, of Lucy Ewing.
  • Michele Lee as Karen Fairgate Mackenzie. Valene's neighbour, and best friend. First married to Sid Fairgate, later to Mack McKenzie. The mother of Diana, Eric and Michael Fairgate.
  • Don Murray as Sid Fairgate (1979-1981). Karen's first husband, and the owner of Knots Landing Motors. Sid was killed when his car was sabotaged.
  • John Pleshette as Richard Avery (1979-1983). A lawyer, and a cruel, shallow man. Unhappily married to Laura, he struggled to assert himself after she launched a successful career in real-estate.
  • Constance McCashin as Laura Avery Sumner (1979-1987). The wife of Richard Avery, and later, Greg Sumner. She was a real estate agent. She died of cancer.
  • James Houghton as Kenny Ward (1979-1983). A record producer who at first cheated on his wife Ginger, but reformed upon the birth of their daughter Erin Molly.
  • Kim Lankford as Ginger Ward (1979-1983). A kindergarten teacher who wanted to be a singer, she was jealous of her husband's involvement in Ciji Dunne's career.
  • Claudia Lonow as Diana Fairgate (1979-1984, 1993). Karen's daughter who fell in love with the evil Chip(Michael Sabatino). She left Knots Landing to study in New York City.
  • Patrick Petersen as Michael Fairgate (1979-1991). Karen's son who would grow up to have an affair with his brother Eric's wife, Linda.
  • Donna Mills as Abby Cunningham Ewing Sumner (1980-1989). Sid Fairgate's sister, and the neighbourhood troublemaker. She destroyed Gary and Val's marriage, and married Gary herself.
  • Tonya Crowe as Olivia Cunningham Dyer (1980-1990). Abby's rebellious daughter who became addicted to cocaine.
  • Julie Harris as Lilimae Clements (1981-1987). Valene's mother who moved in with Valene and proceded thereafter to interfere with her daughter's life.
  • Kevin Dobson as Mack Mackenzie (1982-1993). Karen's second husband. He was an attorney who worked for the governor before opening his own private practice.
  • Lisa Hartman as Ciji Dunne (1982-1983)/Cathy Geary Rush (1983-1986). Ciji and Cathy were both singers. Almost everyone in Knots Landing was suspect for Ciji's murder. Next season, Ciji's look alike Cathy Geary showed up after being released from prison.
  • William Devane as Greg Sumner (1983-1993). Initially a politician, Greg became a businessman after inheriting the corporation of his father (Howard Duff). Greg schemed with or against Abby most of the time.
  • Alec Baldwin as Joshua Rush (1984-1985). Lilimae's son who was abandoned by her as a baby. He came on Knots Landing as a rather innocent young preacher. After marrying Cathy, he became extremely violent and eventually went crazy, dying after accidentally falling off a roof.
  • Teri Austin as Jill Bennett (1985-1989). Gary's mistress who died accidentally, stuffing herself in his trunk so it would seem like he'd tried kidnapping her.
  • Nicolette Sheridan as Paige Matheson (1986-1993). Karen's step-daughter, she engaged in a May/December romance with Greg Sumner.
  • Michelle Phillips as Anne Winston Matheson(1987, 1989, 1990-1993). Paige's mother and Mack's first love, she competed with her daughter for Greg's affections.
  • Larry Riley as Frank Williams (1988-1992) Frank moved to Knots Landing with his wife Pat and daughter Julie as part of the witness protection program. He eventually took a job in Mack's lawfirm.
  • Kathleen Noone as Claudia Whittaker (1990-1993)
  • Stacy Galina as Kate Whittaker (1990-1993) Claudia's daughter who resembled Greg's late daughter Mary Frances. She was a tennis player, but after Gary Ewing caused her arm to break (thus ruining her career) she set her sights on him.

Guest stars include:

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