Founders Day

[Chloe-Fusco]

It would have been nice if the Founders Day, which all the characters participated had become a yearly event. It only happened in season 1.

 

[Angela Channing]

I agree. It could have been a bit like the Tuscany Valley equivalent of The Oil Baron's Ball in Dallas but I imagine it cost a lot to stage it which would make it an expensive episode so hard to justify doing it regularly.

 

[Richard Denault]

I agree. It could have been a bit like the Tuscany Valley equivalent of The Oil Baron's Ball in Dallas but I imagine it cost a lot to stage it which would make it an expensive episode so hard to justify doing it regularly.

All the actors have the costumes. so it wasn't that expensive

 

[Angela Channing]

All the actors have the costumes. so it wasn't that expensive

Founders' Day was a location shoot which immediately increases the cost over studio based scenes. They wouldn't wear the same costumes every year as that would look cheap and out of character for rich vintners. Then there's the cost of all the market stalls, rides and background artists and soon you're making a very expensive episode.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Founder's Day was actually shot on the studio backlot. So it couldn't have been that expensive.

But I also have always thought it would make for a nice yearly event, like DALLAS' barbecue and Oil Barons' Ball -- but DALLAS got into this strong annual narrative structure during the early-to-mid-'80s that the other shows didn't have so much. And once that structure was abandoned by DALLAS in the late-'80s, the barbecues and balls likewise disappeared (a mistake, in my estimation).

DYNASTY should have an annual event, too, but I guess their blur of glamorously drab parties was supposed to suffice. Maybe KNOTS could have had a PTA apple-dunking soiree every twelve months, but I dunno.

 

[Arlene Halloran]

Chase in his top hat and tails. How do you do?

 

[Richard Denault]

Chase in his top hat and tails. How do you do?

You are all very handsome
You can see them with translated subtitles

 

[Jock Og]

Yeah Founders' Day should have been an annual occurrence for the viewer, at least in the earlier seasons. The participants scrubbed up very well, in their period regalia. My understanding is Angela held the event every year, up to season 2 (when it was first shown). As far as I can recall she mentioned, something to that effect. The day didn't end well, due to Richard's announcement about Jacqueline.

Chao-Li, Angela and Julia celebrating Founders' Day (season 2, episode 12)


Old rivals Angela and Jacqueline speak about Jason Gioberti (the Perrault woman's late ex husband and Mrs. Channing's troubled brother), (a scene from season 1, 1981 - '82):

Jacqueline: "You dominated everything and everyone you ever met. You live by taking the life of everyone around you, just like you tried to do to me. You constantly undermined Jason."

Angela: "Jason wasn't fit for the life here. Jason was weak. He just wasn't a vineyardist."

Jacqueline: "You never gave him a chance, did you?"

Angela: "I gave him every chance."

Jacqueline: "He was a man of culture, a man with style. He could have been a great man but you'd have killed him with your bare hands, before you'd have let him have any part of Falcon Crest."

 

[TJP]

I agree. It would have been great to have Founders Day as a regular annual event.

 

[Toni]

Yeah Founders' Day should have been an annual occurrence for the viewer, at least in the earlier seasons. The participants scrubbed up very well, in their period regalia. My understanding is Angela held the event every year, up to season 2 (when it was first shown). As far as I can recall she mentioned, something to that effect. The day didn't end well, due to Richard's announcement about Jacqueline.

Chao-Li, Angela and Julia celebrating Founders' Day (season 2, episode 12)


Old rivals Angela and Jacqueline speak about Jason Gioberti (the Perrault woman's late ex husband and Mrs. Channing's troubled brother), (a scene from season 1, 1981 - '82):

Jacqueline: "You dominated everything and everyone you ever met. You live by taking the life of everyone around you, just like you tried to do to me. You constantly undermined Jason."

Angela: "Jason wasn't fit for the life here. Jason was weak. He just wasn't a vineyardist."

Jacqueline: "You never gave him a chance, did you?"

Angela: "I gave him every chance."

Jacqueline: "He was a man of culture, a man with style. He could have been a great man but you'd have killed him with your bare hands, before you'd have let him have any part of Falcon Crest."

Maybe Angela tried to turn that tradition (and that specific evening) into a "dream event" of sorts. "That I called Jacqueline a b*tch? I´m too classy for that. Find the proof anyway!"

 

[Falcon Crest I]

Everyone looking so fine. I'd imagine Founders' Day would have been right up Dr. Ranson's street.

 

[TJP]

Founders' Day was a location shoot which immediately increases the cost over studio based scenes. They wouldn't wear the same costumes every year as that would look cheap and out of character for rich vintners. Then there's the cost of all the market stalls, rides and background artists and soon you're making a very expensive episode.

It was actually quite inexpensive since it the parade and the celebration were entirely filmed at Warner Bros. Studios (TBS back then) — the parade on the backlot (Midwest Street as the Town Square in Tuscany) and Angie's party on sound stage 1, which was the "Victorian Mansion" stage at the time.

Also, the costumes were basically reused wardrobe from Lorimar's and Warner Bros. wardrobe departments. WB has thousands of period costumes in storage, so Founders Day was definitely one of the less expensive aspects in producing "Falcon Crest".

Founders Day was Steve & Henry's idea, and I think since they left mid-season 3, nobody really cared about that event anymore. It would have been nice if they had revived it in season 8. It might have been at least something to make that could have made that tedious year more interesting.