What made you become a Fan of Knots Landing?

[Natalia Patterson]

:danc:I grew up in the 80's. There were a lot of great soap operas out back then. I used to watch Young and the Restless, Bold and the Beautiful, and As the World Turns. That was great for the day time. I watched Dallas, and Dynasty in the evening. Most of the shows that I mentioned basically talked about the same issues. Of course money, power and love, cheating and murder.

I became of Knots Landing back was 10. This was a show that I could relate to coming up in the 80's. There was Diana who was a young girl that was growing into a teenager. This show displayed real life issues that most people can relate to. It took you through good times and bad times.

It demonstrated real Friendships and how they were so solid. It also showed that life is full of disappointments but no matter what with the love and support you can persevere.

Now that I am 48. I finally got the opportunity to watch all of the seasons. Now I really appreciate it even more.

I love a lot of the quotes that were used.

I sometimes use them myself in my everyday life.

I don't think that there will ever be a show like Knots Landing that will be able to
be so versatile.

Love Knots Forever.

 

[Sarah]

It's close tie to Dallas. Simples.

 

[Natalia Patterson]

What I love most about Dallas and Knots Landing was the complexity in each story. Although, most were focused on lies, cheating and deception. Each story was very different. Dallas stayed focused on Ewing Oil and the on ongoing rivalry with the Barnes. Knots landing had so many different focus lines. Greg and Abby always trying to cheat and deceive others to get on top.

I will agree that in the end both shows demonstrated how Power and Money can destroy YOU.

 

[Werewillie Oleson]

I love spin-offs, and when they outdo the parent show, well that's magic. It was never shown on television in my country and I was (and still am) a big fan of the primetime soaps.
I have wanted to watch complete Knots for so many years (decades?) and then last year it finally happened, completely unexpected, thanks to a wonderful person I've met on this forum

 

[TaranofPrydain]

I was born after the original run ended,but I grew up hearing about it because my late great-grandmother (she passed at 81, two months before I was born) was an enormous fan of it. It was her favorite show.

I came to it personally, in recent times. I was on a real tear with a TV kick. I had seen the Falcon Crest DVD sets as a teenager, and I loved Dynasty later on. It was time to start in on Knots.I admit to buying the whole series, and I started in. And it really is the best of the 80s primetime soaps. I'm hooked on it.

 

[A Nightmare on Jimmy Todd Street]

I started watching it because of its connection to Dallas. I began my viewing at the very end of season 3. Season 4 really hooked me in, and I never looked back.
Layered characters, great (and underrated) acting, and awesome writing. Knots had it all

 

[Ewing4]

I started watching it because of its connection to Dallas. I began my viewing at the very end of season 3. Season 4 really hooked me in, and I never looked back.
Layered characters, great (and underrated) acting, and awesome writing. Knots had it all

The same for me. I caught the occasional episode during the first two seasons, but really started getting into in when Mack was added. Then Gregg Sumner came along it that was it I was hooked. This became the best core cast out of all because of the acting, writing and how the characters played off each other.

 

[Sea - Boo! - Er]

It's close tie to Dallas. Simples.

That's what started me watching, but the characters and situations were on another level. One incredible twist after another and I really cared what happened to them. I think the fact that the first five seasons were shown almost back to back here helped, too.

 

[Piggyrella Sanderson]

Originally, I became a fan of "Knots Landing" because of the surrealistic idea that there was a parallel show to "Dallas" that I couldn´t watch (living in Spain), so that made me realize that no other primetime soap had (then) done it and have the impression, every time that I watched a little scene of it, here and there, that it was a more realistic, better written drama than the mother-series.

Over time, some opinions changed, but I always had the feeling that US viewers were very lucky to have two shows every week devoted to the Ewings! When it was finally shown here, in 1989, I was a bit disappointed for the 70s look of the series, but everything else was top notch, so I didn´t mind.

Many years later, when I could watch the whole show in English, again some things changed (I didn´t idealize the idea of "Knots" anymore, just saw how many great virtues it had, and the mistakes they made in the latter years). Nowadays, I still put it in the second place, though I do think that the characters, with Val´s exception, were much better developed in "Knots" than in "Dallas". To each its own.

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[A Nightmare on Jimmy Todd Street]

Originally, I became a fan of "Knots Landing" because of the surrealistic idea that there was a parallel show to "Dallas" that I couldn´t watch (living in Spain), so that made me realize that no other primetime soap had (then) done it and have the impression, every time that I watched a little scene of it, here and there, that it was a more realistic, better written drama than the mother-series.

Over time, some opinions changed, but I always had the feeling that US viewers were very lucky to have two shows every week devoted to the Ewings! When it was finally shown here, in 1989, I was a bit disappointed for the 70s look of the series, but everything else was top notch, so I didn´t mind.

Many years later, when I could watch the whole show in English, again some things changed (I didn´t idealize the idea of "Knots" anymore, just saw how many great virtues it had, and the mistakes they made in the latter years). Nowadays, I still put it in the second place, though I do think that the characters, with Val´s exception, were much better developed in "Knots" than in "Dallas". To each its own.

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I'm curious. Did you think Val's character wasn't developed well throughout the series or in the latter part of it.

 

[Piggyrella Sanderson]

I'm curious. Did you think Val's character wasn't developed well throughout the series or in the latter part of it.

Actually not. IMHO, they often went back and forward with her. She did a lot of good things in the first 3 seasons, like supporting Gary, facing Abby or getting a degree, to dumber things, like writing exposés about her family (which she didn´t want them published but...), dating that big-eyebrow guy, opening up her home to such an unknown as Chip, or sleeping with Gary when she knew he still was with the Abster.

Of course, some of these things were needed for conflict, but turning her into the "village idiot" (to quot Van Ark) was a big mistake. From Season 8 on, they quite obviously not only didn´t write her well, but she acted out-of-character a lot of times (trying to stop Gary from seeing the kids, not searching for Ben through a detective or even Greg, not seeing through Cathy before she almost stole her husband).

Then there are the debacle years, with that unbelievable romance with psycho Danny, the brain virus thing, or teaching that waitress how to read. I really wanted to like all that, but I didn´t. We were so lucky to have Joan Van Ark playing her, but I think they somehow wasted her talent. In a way, I prefer Constance being sidelined in her two last seasons and written out with the cancer storyline, instead of destroying her character as they did with Val.

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Not to speak of Val´s coffee... Lol!

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[Monzo]

I initially watched Knots Landing because it was the Dallas spin-off. The first time I really got excited about the show was the Ciji Murder Mystery. From that point on, Knots Landing could do no wrong for many seasons.

 

[A Nightmare on Jimmy Todd Street]

Actually not. IMHO, they often went back and forward with her. She did a lot of good things in the first 3 seasons, like supporting Gary, facing Abby or getting a degree, to dumber things, like writing exposés about her family (which she didn´t want them published but...), dating that big-eyebrow guy, opening up her home to such an unknown as Chip, or sleeping with Gary when she knew he still was with the Abster.

Of course, some of these things were needed for conflict, but turning her into the "village idiot" (to quot Van Ark) was a big mistake. From Season 8 on, they quite obviously not only didn´t write her well, but she acted out-of-character a lot of times (trying to stop Gary from seeing the kids, not searching for Ben through a detective or even Greg, not seeing through Cathy before she almost stole her husband).

Then there are the debacle years, with that unbelievable romance with psycho Danny, the brain virus thing, or teaching that waitress how to read. I really wanted to like all that, but I didn´t. We were so lucky to have Joan Van Ark playing her, but I think they somehow wasted her talent. In a way, I prefer Constance being sidelined in her two last seasons and written out with the cancer storyline, instead of destroying her character as they did with Val.

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Not to speak of Val´s coffee... Lol!

View attachment 41058View attachment 41059​

Great post! Thank you for your response.
Imho, Joan was a great actress, and I loved her Valene up to season 10. After that I still loved her but mostly for sentimental reasons and out of loyalty. After that season, the writers didn't seem to understand the character nor know what to do with her. I despised her pairing with Danny and the brain virus story. That wasn't the Val from the early seasons or when she first appeared on Dallas,on which she shined.

 

[Werewillie Oleson]

I despised her pairing with Danny

Isn't this similar to the argument that Fallon Carrington couldn't fall in love with Peter De Vilbis? (I don't support that argument, btw).
Sure, the situation with Danny spiraled out of control, but when did it ever not spiral out of control with Gary? Different men, different results, but they're both "stand by your disappointing man" situations.
When she says that she's never loved a man as much as Danny I feel she thinks that her SoapLand days are finally behind her. This is going to be the real thing, free of drama and plot twists.
Well, not quite!

nd the brain virus story. That wasn't the Val from the early seasons

But the whole point of the brain virus was the change in personality.
In these long-running tv dramas, too much happens to the same characters and I think repetition is almost inevitable. I'm sure we can name various examples from the other prime time soaps.
I have no problem with the brain virus, it's just that the tone of season 12 undermines the drama significantly.
Having said that, if Pat Williams had survived the accident I think she would have been the better choice for the mother-from-hell-brain-virus.
After all the terror this family had endured, the terror now comes from within. Imagine if Julie had to shoot her mother in order to protect herself.

 

[A Nightmare on Jimmy Todd Street]

The problem with the Danny story is that it undermined a lot of personal growth that Val'scharacter had gone through in the previous seasons. The writers were falling back on the "woman as perpetual victim" trope for Val. Val was wiser and more experienced, and she would never have fallen so easily under Danny's spell.
I'll say the same for Fallon over in Denver. The most interesting thing about her was her wit and intelligence. It's hard to see her being bamboozled by a con man lime Devilbus. Maybe if a different actor had played the part it would have seemed less contrived.

 

[Werewillie Oleson]

Val was wiser and more experienced, and she would never have fallen so easily under Danny's spell.

And yet she went back to Gary again.

The most interesting thing about her was her wit and intelligence. It's hard to see her being bamboozled by a con man lime De Vibis

Romance and sensuality is not science, or at least that app had not been developed yet.
Fallon used to choose her men, why wouldn't she enjoy it to be chosen for once. A lot of her cynicism had worn off anyway.

 

[A Nightmare on Jimmy Todd Street]

And yet she went back to Gary again.

Romance and sensuality is not science, or at least that app had not been developed yet.
Fallon used to choose her men, why wouldn't she enjoy it to be chosen for once. A lot of her cynicism had worn off anyway.

Gary had grown from the early seasons as well as she had. It seemed a natural evolution when went back to each other since they always were in love. Val didn't have that history with Danny, and she married him way to quickly. The relationship seemed contrived.
Fallon might enjoy being chosen, but he also was using her, and he was behind that horse kidnapping scheme. It seemed out of character that she would be hoodwinked like that. If it was a different actor, maybe it would have worked.

 

[Mustard]

It started because of Knots Landing being a spin-off of Dallas, but it was a lot more earthly.

The problem with the Danny story is that it undermined a lot of personal growth that Val'scharacter had gone through in the previous seasons. The writers were falling back on the "woman as perpetual victim" trope for Val. Val was wiser and more experienced, and she would never have fallen so easily under Danny's spell.
I'll say the same for Fallon over in Denver. The most interesting thing about her was her wit and intelligence. It's hard to see her being bamboozled by a con man lime Devilbus. Maybe if a different actor had played the part it would have seemed less contrived.

Danny must have been good in bed. Val did mention that to Karen at one point. Danny wasn't too obviously a bad guy at the start.

Gary had grown from the early seasons as well as she had. It seemed a natural evolution when went back to each other since they always were in love. Val didn't have that history with Danny, and she married him way to quickly. The relationship seemed contrived.
Fallon might enjoy being chosen, but he also was using her, and he was behind that horse kidnapping scheme. It seemed out of character that she would be hoodwinked like that. If it was a different actor, maybe it would have worked.

It seems obvious to me that Pamela Sue Martin left Dynasty because she didn't like where the series was going and the dumbing down of Fallon in Season 4 especially. A different actress in Emma Samms saw Fallon made even more naive, at least before Season 9. It was just very different from the Fallon of the first 3 seasons, especially the first 2 seasons.