ellisel
I enjoyed seeing "Knots Landing" at every available opportunity. The program was a spin-off from "Dallas" in the 1979-1980 Television Season. Entertainers Michelle Lee, Kevin Dobson, Ted Shackelford, William Devane, Joan Van Ark, and Julie Harris were the key cogs in the program's 14-year-run on CBS Television. The program did not air just to deal with the normal lives in everyday America. The program dealt with critical issues like greed, rape, prostitution, wife beatings, kidnapping, alcoholism, and cancer. I highly recommend this program for those that like to see reruns of the show. The show itself maintained high levels of documentation and suspense in describing the scene in the particular act of a particular episode. Even Entertainer Stacy Galina did a brilliant job in playing her role of Kate Whitaker in the show's final three years of its run. Way To Go!!
Reginald D. Garrard
Unlike other nighttime soaps of the 80's and 90's, "Knots Landing" never really ran out of steam. With a strong cast headed by Ted Shackelford, Joan Van Ark, Michelle Lee, Donna Mills, William Devane, and Broadway legend Julie Harris. the show was filled with all the soap opera trappings but mixed with a bit of realism. Though the show deviated somewhat from its middle class beginnings in season one, the opulence that some of the characters had never seemed out of reach or over the top as in "Dallas" or "Dynasty". Even when "black sheep" Ewing brother Gary (Shackelford) fell into his own financially, the character never stretched into unbelievability.Many of the story lines reflected the day-to-day trials of normal life: wayward children, drugs, spousal abuse, child abuse, alcoholism, strained marriages, divorce, and death. The latter was no better handled when cast member Constance McCashin's character "Laura" died of cancer and left her grieving husband Greg (Devane) a previously recorded videotape. This 200th-show episode was one of the highlights in the series's long run.Even the real death of cast member Larry Riley was worked into the story lines, as characters had to deal with a "death in the family." Also, the show had its share of big names joining the cast for pivotal episodes; both movie legends Ava Gardner and Howard Duff appeared as the separated parents of Greg Sumner.The show was also a "stepping stone" for up-and-comers like Alec Baldwin ("Joshua Rush"), Halle Berry, and character actor Bruce Greenwood.With over three hundred installments, "Knots Landing" remains one of the best dramas in television history.
samanthagiles2001
Knots Landing was the best TV show that was ever made. I've watched many soaps, comedies and dramas over the years but never from start to finish. Most usually start to tail off after the first few years. Even the biggest soaps here in the UK all ended up going bad or becoming contrived. The same happened with Dallas and Dynasty. After a few really exciting years, they both become full of nonsense. Knots Landing didn't though. After the first four years of average excitement, the show just got better and better. The best years were the fifth and sixth but even the years that followed saw great drama, excitement, great acting, great stories. The show just was great full stop.The stories were the best part because they were so exciting. In the earlier quieter years when the show was set on the cul-de-sac there were still exciting moments such as the time Sid's car was tampered with and went over a cliff into the ocean, then there was Gary and Abby's affair which led to the break up of the Ewing's marriage. A split that lasted for 9 years. That was the great thing about this show. It lasted so long and had such a loyal cast who stayed with it for years that the stories could unravel in a realistic timespan.I will never forget when Val's babies were stolen as part of an illegal adoption ring. Unlike the other TV shows that would've concentrated more on the actual kidnapping process, Knots Landing looked on the story from a different perspective - of the heartbroken mother who'd been told her babies were stillborn. My own mum lost a baby when I was a small girl so I could identify with this story myself and it was written so well, so sensitively and acted to perfection. Then after dealing with the emotional effect on Val, they dealt with the exciting part - starting the investigation into searching for the babies' whereabouts when Val's good friends Mack and Karen started to believe there was something more sinister going on.The finale that year was the best episode they ever produced and better than anything Dallas, Dynasty or even Eastenders over here has produced. Really gripping stuff.Things got a little quieter after that, but there were still many great stories to look forward to such as Olivia's drug addiction. Peter Hollister's murder, Laura's tearjerking death which showed the two finest individual acting performances on the show's history from Constance McCashin and William Devane.Even in the later years, the show was still brilliant. The best moment coming when Jill Bennett tried to kill Val. That was the second best cliffhanger that was produced - very exciting and very tense because of the way Jill planned everything out to a tee. Then they brought in the character of Linda Fairgate to help fill the void left by Donna Mills who had left by then. She was a brilliant TV bitch. The story with Mack and the foster kid who'd been abused by his real life father was just amazing and heart wrenching to watch.The 13th and 14th years weren't just as consistent but there were still some good stories like the time novelist Val had to write a book for Greg Sumner and the time Paige was shot. Then there was the psycho Grandmother who turned up trying to kidnap little Meg who had been adopted by the Mackenzies after Lauras death. The best story was the last big one though when the evil business tycoon tried to take over Greg Sumner's business and attempted to kill half the cast on the way to getting it. The final twist came in the final episode when it was revealed that his business partner was the character of Abby played by Donna Mills who returned for the final episode. Then Gary and Val reconciled after everybody thought Val had been killed in a car accident (because Joan Van Ark who played Val also returned for the final episode) and then Greg and Paige reunited.I think I have outlined some of the main stories that happened during the show's long run. I have forgotten about some other major stories like the Treadwell espionage storyline, the Jean Hackney trying to kill Greg story and Michael Fairgate having an affair with his brother's wife and the time Joshua Rush (played by the famous Alec Baldwin) fell off a roof of a skyscraper after beating up his wife. On top of all that, the show could be very funny at times and the characters were all best friends with each other just like real life. Hopefully I have given some inclination though to what this series was like that it will hopefully entice someone new into watching the show the next time it is repeated on UK Gold or some other UK or US network. It has already been run three times before but will probably be shown again in the future because it was very popular.My advice to anybody thinking about watching next time it is shown is to watch it because you will fall in love with it's stories, it's characters, it's theme tune (the best ever). It was marvelous and the best TV show ever made.
bob639
This was undoubtedly the best TV series EVER!!! Great characters, great stories, witty scripts, fantastic acting, fantastic theme tune, the list is endless.I watched all 344 episodes throughout the show's 14 year run (15 if you lived in the UK). I watched it grow from an average suburban series set in a Californian cul-de-sac to an international phenomenon that perhaps didn't reach the same heights as 'Dallas' or 'Dynasty', but make no mistake, this series had a devoted following all across the world - such was it's enduring appeal.Who could forget the night Sid was driven off a cliff? Talk about a Cliffhanger!!! Who could not feel sorry for "Poor Val" when her babies were kidnapped at birth or when the evil Jill Bennett (played convincingly by Teri Austin) attempted to kill her by forcing pills down her throat? Add to that those heartbreaking scenes when Laura (played by the wonderful Constance McCashin) died of a brain tumour and 'Greggy' was left all alone to raise their child.Then there were all those wonderfully complex stories involving all the cul-de-sac's residents united to fight against a common enemy. Wolfbridge? Treadwell? The list is endless. Knots had that unique ability to tell a good tale. It carried on telling such 'good tales' for 14 amazing years - never once really dipping in quality.In the finale, Kevin Dobson told how it was a quality series - the type of quality that television needs. How right he was! Television didn't see such quality prior to the series' launch in 1979, and sadly it hasn't seen it since.A fantastic production in a bygone era. The likes of which we will never see again...