Flamingo Road

[cody_1990]

Anyone remember this campy primetime soap. Morgan Fairchild, Mark Harmon, Stella Stevens(My Favorite) and David Selby as voodoo king Michael Tyronne . Would love to see the whole series over again!

Edited July 30, 2008 by cody_1990

[REALTOR Rich]

Of course...Tuesday nights at 10:00...on NBC. The network with cancellation in mind (at least for dramas).

[MarkH]

This was can't miss for me.

But wasn't it on before or after St. Elsewhere? I seem to recall St. Elsewhere at 10...and Flamingo Road at 9. Did I get that wrong?

Morgan Fairchild was great, but I watched for David Selby, Mark Harmon, and OF COURSE Howard Duff.

I suspect I wouldn't like it now...but back then it was pure addiction for backstabbing and dirty tricks. I learned the word "Barrio" from that show!

[Paul Raven]

I enjoyed Flamingo Road but it didn't measure up to Dallas or Falcon Crest at their best.

Something about the writing/storylines/characters was missing the mark.

Perhaps it was the original concept from the 40's movie that dated the show.

I thought Titus Semple as the villian didn't work as the JR type character.

Things definitely improved in the 2nd season with the arriva lof David Selby and other changes.

NBC gave serious consideration to reworking it as a daytime soap.

Here's an overview for those interested

NBC: May 12, 1980 - May 4, 1982

Developed for television by Rita Lakin and Lorimar Productions (the producers of Dallas and Knots Landing), this one-hour prime-time serial was based on the best-selling novel by Robert Wilder and the 1949 movie starring Joan Crawford as Lane, a former carnival girl who becomes a powerful force in a politically corrupt Southern town.

Season 1: 1980-81

Pilot Episode (2 hours): May 12, 1980

Our story begins with Lane Ballou, a singer with Coyne's Traveling Circus, being left behind when the carnival is run out of the sleepy town of Truro, Florida. She attracts the eye of the deputy sheriff, Fielding "Field" Carlyle, who is engaged to Constance Weldon, the spoiled, adopted daughter of the town's wealthy paper mill owner, Claude Weldon, and his neglected wife, Eudora (they live on the prestigious Flamingo Road). Lane and Field embark on a secret affair, and she begins working at the Eagle Cafe as a waitress with Annabelle Troy, who is dating Claude and Eudora's son, Skipper. The idealistic young man wants to work for newspaper publisher, Elmo Tyson, whom he admires for his struggle to free the town of corruption. However, Claude refuses to allow this to happen since he stole Eudora away from Elmo long ago--and she is still in love with the man. After being falsely picked up for prostitution, Lane is then railroaded to prison by Field's ruthless boss, Sheriff Titus Semple, who wants his ambitious protege to marry Constance and become a politician. The corrupt sheriff rules the small town with his intimate knowledge of every skeleton hiding in every resident's cluttered closet.

Upon completion of her sentence, Lane defiantly returns to Truro, where Lute-Mae Sanders, a former madam and the owner of the local bar, befriends her and offers her a job as a singer. This, of course, infuriates Titus, who confronts Lute-Mae, but she knows a few secrets of his and Lane is able to stay. Although upset by Field's marriage to Constance, Lane now becomes friendly with regular bar patron Sam Curtis, a land developer who is the political power--and campaign manager--behind Field's candidacy for state senator. Falling in love with Lane, Sam is determined to win her affections, but she's torn between him and her lingering feelings for Field. Meanwhile, Eudora catches Claude comforting Lute-Mae, who is secretly Constance's biological mother (Claude has never told his wife that their daughter is really his own illegitimate child--the result of his affair with Lute-Mae). Claude lets Titus talk him into torching his financially-troubled mill in an insurance-arson scheme, but tragedy then strikes when Annabelle dies in the fire at the mill, where Skipper planned to meet her so they could elope. It turns out that the girl was secretly Titus's daughter.

Original Cast

Lane Ballou: Christina Raines

Fielding Carlyle: Mark Harmon

Sheriff Titus Semple: Howard Duff

Constance Weldon Carlyle: Morgan Fairchild

Claude Weldon: Kevin McCarthy

Eudora Weldon: Barbara Rush

Lute-Mae Sanders: Stella Stevens

Skipper Weldon: Woody Brown

Sam Curtis: John Beck

Elmo Tyson: Mason Adams

First Appearance

Michael Delano as Frank Coyne: He starred as Dr. Mark Dante on General Hospital (1976), Johnny Venture on Rhoda (1976-78) and Reverend Sung on Soap (1979)

Glenn Robards as Jasper, the Weldon family's butler

Special Guest Star

Dianne Kay as Annabelle Troy: She was starring on ABC's Eight Is Enough as Nancy Bradford (1977-81)

This TV movie aired as the pilot for the series and was repeated on December 29, 1980, a week before the show premiered.

1-2. "The Hostages" (2 hours): January 6, 1981

The regular series picks up where the TV movie left off: Field and Constance honeymoon in the Bahamas where she makes friends with another couple, Nick and Terry, who invite the newlyweds to sail home on their yacht. The Carlyles are then kidnapped by their new "friends", who work for a drug kingpin, Lorca, seeking revenge on Titus for doublecrossing him. Lorca orders the kidnappers to kill the hostages once the ransom is paid. Field ends up being shot, and Titus pays the ransom demand. After rescuing the couple, Sam realizes that Lane still loves a wounded Field and leaves. Meanwhile, Skipper has turned to drink since Annabelle's death.

First Appearance

Peter Donat as newspaper editor Elmo Tyson (replacing Mason Adams)

Special Guest Stars

Joe Penny as Nick Walker: His first TV role was as Sal DiVito on Forever Fernwood (1977); he later starred as Jake on Jake and the Fatman (1987-92) and Vic Musto on The Sopranos (2000) .Recently appeared on DOOL

Judith Chapman as Terry (Natalie ATWT,Charlotte RH.Ginny GH,Sandra OLTL,Gloria Y&R)

Alejandro Rey as Lorca: He starred as Carlos on The Flying Nun (1967-70) and Karl Duval on Days of Our Lives (1976-77)

3. "Illicit Weekend": January 13, 1981

Constance is disappointed when Field can't take her to Tallahassee where he's making a campaign speech. When he discovers that Field has invited Lane along instead, Titus flies Constance there to surprise her loving husband. She arrives at Field's hotel room just as Lane is leaving through another door. Ms. Ballou later tells Field that it's over between them. Meanwhile, Eudora is furious with Claude for selling her land to Sam.

First Appearance

John Shearin as Deputy Tyler (who replaces Field in this job) Mike TD,Evan Y&R,RogerLOV

4. "The Titus Tapes": January 20, 1981

Frank Coyne, who runs the carnival being held for Field's campaign, tells "old friend" Lane that a cop is after her. He wants $5000 to keep quiet about her unsavory past or he'll go to Titus. She then gives Lute-Mae's money to Coyne, who leaves town. However, when recording bugs are found in her bar, Lute-Mae accuses Titus of bugging her place to blackmail her. He later listens to a tape of Lane and Coyne's conversation, while Lane and Sam kiss and make up.

5. "A Mother's Revenge": January 27, 1981

The arsonist who set the Weldon mill on fire now wants money from Claude to ease his guilt from Annabelle's death. Her grieving mother, Mary Troy, arrives in town after leaving 20 years ago because of her pregnancy. She is determined to find out what happened to her daughter by Titus, who had forced himself on her while drunk. After Sheriff Semple threatens him, the arsonist reveals the truth to Mary, who tells Titus she won't reveal his secret before leaving Truro. Meanwhile, after learning her husband's political rival once might have been a Ku Klux Klan member, Constance reveals the damaging secret in front of the townspeople, which makes Field furious.

Special Guest Star

Alice Hirson as Mary Troy: She later played Lois Morgan, the mother of Ellen (1994-98) Eileen OLTL.Maevis DAL

6. "The Fish Fry": February 3, 1981

With his popularity at an all-time low and fed up with Constance's manipulation and interference, Field gets drunk before an election speech at a fish fry, but he does get through it on his own--and, surprisingly, the townspeople really, really like him.

First Appearance

Charlie Robinson as Phil, the main bartender at Lute-Mae's

7. "The Election": February 10, 1981

Titus has George, the son of Carl Turner (who's in charge of Sam's land project), arrested because his father wouldn't hire Cubans to work for him. Once Carl agrees to hire them, his son is released from jail. Meanwhile, Lane goes to the Weldons' victory party with Sam, who asks Elmo to endorse Field in the state senate race. After winning the election, Field meets Lane outside, where Constance later finds the couple kissing

8. "The Jealous Wife": February 17, 1981

After discovering Field and Lane locked in an embrace, a jealous Constance asks Titus to run the tramp out of town, but their efforts fail.

First Appearance

Michael Baseleon as Slade, a killer who's after Lane: He starred as Dr. Tony Perelli on General Hospital (1980)

9. "Trapped": March 3, 1981

As Skipper prepares to leave Truro behind to accept a job in New Orleans, his father is seriously injured in an accident that the boy blames on himself. Sam comforts Constance after she learns of Claude's accident. Skipper decides to take over the mill until his father is well. Eudora overhears Lute-Mae calling the hospital to learn about Claude's condition.

10. "Bad Girl": March 9, 1981

A seemingly innocent young girl, Christie Kovacs, sets her sights on Skipper and seduces him. Christie's boyfriend, Tony, doesn't like her sleeping around with Skipper, and her overbearing older sister, Alice, knows the truth about her sordid past. Meanwhile, Constance wants to close down Lute-Mae's, and Lane is terrified when an old acquaintance is killed in an "accident".

First Appearance

Denise Galik as Christie Kovacs (Rhonda GH)

Joel Bailey as Tony (Lindsay SB)

Marcia Rodd as Alice Kovacs

11. "Secrets": March 10, 1981

Constance is bent on destroying Skipper's new romance, and he tells Christie that they're through. She then beds down with Field. Eudora tells Skipper that she was to marry Elmo, who was poor, and that her marriage to Claude was one of convenience. Meanwhile, Slade is tracking down Lane, who learns from her carnival friend, Beth MacDonald, that three people with whom they shared a secret past recently died under strange circumstances. Lane and Sam go away together, and she learns that he and his ex-wife, Vanessa, are business partners.

First Appearance

Sandra Kerns as Beth MacDonald

Special Guest Star

Trisha Noble as Vanessa Curtis: She starred as Yvonne Holland on Executive Suite (1976)

12. "They Drive By Night": March 17, 1981

A mysterious killer, Slade, draws closer to Lane. Field is involved in an auto accident that could ruin his political career. This episode originally aired as a two-hour episode with episode 15.

13. "Hell Hath No Fury": March 17, 1981

Constance seeks revenge on her estranged husband by having a romantic tryst with Sam, who is angry when Lane rushes to comfort Field after he injures Christie in a car crash. After their afternoon delight in a hotel room, Constance and Sam thank one another and return to their lives

14. "Bad Chemistry": April 2, 1981

A chemical leak from the Weldon mill contaminates Sam's construction site, forcing both companies to close down. Field agrees to use his clout as head of the environmental committee to persuade the state senate to allow the mill to reopen--but only after Claude agrees to a quiet divorce for him and Constance. Meanwhile, with the help of Titus, Slade draws closer to Lane. Christie is paid to leave town forever, and Skipper says goodbye to the unforgiving girl. This episode originally aired as a two-hour episode with episode 15.

15. "Hurricane": April 2, 1981

After learning that Beth, the last of her friends who shares her secret about a killing that occurred several years ago, has been found dead, Lane confides in Lute-Mae that she has to leave Truro because of Harrison Brand, whom she once lived with. He kept her like a prisoner and has killed off all her friends. But it's too late for Lane, who is finally caught by Brand (Slade's boss). However, Hurricane Michelle forces them to take shelter at Lute-Mae's, along with Field, Constance, Sam and Claude. Meanwhile, Eudora is trapped with Elmo at The Clarion during the storm. Field and Sam stage a fight over Lane in order to get Slade's gun, resulting in Slade's arrest and Brand being shot to death during a struggle. Furious to discover Field comforting Lane, Constance reveals that the divorce papers she had drawn up are fakes and that she and Field are still married. In a rage, Field struggles with Constance, who falls from the second-floor landing at Lute-Mae's.

Special Guest Star

Charles Cioffi as Harrison Brand (Kirk AW)

Season 2: 1981-82

16. "The Arrangement": November 3, 1981

The second season picks up where the first left off: Constance Carlyle undergoes surgery and ends up paralyzed from the waist down. When Lute-Mae seeks out Claude for comfort in the hospital, a shocked Eudora overhears their candid conversation revealing a long-kept secret--that they are Constance's biological parents! A reporter for a national scandal newspaper attempts to decipher the unsavory facts surrounding Constance's fall, leaving Titus to inform Field that he must reconcile with her or jeopardize his political career. Claude threatens to press charges against Field for pushing his little girl, but Constance agrees to keep quiet if her husband will continue their farce of a marriage. He agrees to this blackmail.

17. "The Victim": November 10, 1981

Titus is reluctant to investigate when Lute-Mae is raped by Scott, an emotionally disturbed delivery boy--and the son of an influential Flamingo Road family. Even though the sheriff refuses to press charges, Lute-Mae and Lane eventually get justice for the crime.

Special Guest Star

Peter Horton as Scott: he is best known for his role as Gary Shepherd on thirtysomething (1987-91)

18. "The Substitute": November 17, 1981

Sam befriends a Cuban girl, Alicia Sanchez, and her fiery older brother, Julio Sanchez (who becomes Constance's physical therapist). Meanwhile, as he and Sam square off in a confrontation over Truro's Cuban barrio, Titus attempts to cover up a secret involving the barrio that could destroy the Weldon family. Field campaigns aggressively to renovate the barrio until he learns the identity of its slumlord: Claude!

First Appearance

Gina Gallego as Alicia Sanchez (Santans SD)

Fernando Allende as Julio Sanchez

Carmen Zapata as Lupe Sanchez, Julio and Alicia's mother: She also starred as Carmen Castillo on Santa Barbara (1985)

Julio Medina as Luis Sanchez, Julio and Alicia's father who works for Sam

19. "The Intruder": November 24, 1981

Wealthy Michael Tyrone arrives in Truro and uses his girlfriend, Vanessa, in a plot to get her ex-husband, Sam, out of the bidding for a valuable section of waterfront property where he wants to build a gambling mecca. Claude catches Field in a restaurant with another woman, reporter Sande Swanson. Tyrone wins the bidding war.

First Appearance

David Selby as Michael Tyrone

Cynthia Sikes as Sande Swanson -recently on Y&R as Sabrina's mother

Special Guest Star

Andra Akers as Vanessa Curtis (replacing Trisha Noble)

David Selby (of Dark Shadows fame) turns up the heat in Truro--and on the show--with his arrival. He's terrific as Michael Tyrone, who bears a striking resemblance to Mr. Selby's next role as Richard Channing on Falcon Crest--they could be brothers! Also, let's not forget the beautiful Cynthia Sikes as Field's future lover, who has a few sordid secrets of her own.

20. "The Stranger": December 8, 1981

Lane is distressed by the unexpected appearance of Charlie Banks, her long-lost piano-playing father, and she later reunites with Sam. Ruthless business tycoon, Michael Tyrone, turns to Titus for help with his plans to purchase--and then demolish--the Cuban barrio to build a casino resort. Eudora actually owns the barrio, not Claude, since the legal documents are signed in her name. She refuses to sell the barrio to Tyrone. And it is implied but never confirmed that Titus is Lane's father!

Special Guest Star

William Windom as Charlie Banks: He starred as Amos Krebbs on Dallas (1980), but he's best known for his roles on the sitcoms, The Farmer's Daughter (1963-66) and My World and Welcome To It (1969-70)

21. "The Powers That Be": December 15, 1981

Tyrone asks Constance to help him change Field's mind about opposing the building of his proposed gambling resort in Truro. He tries to gain Field's support by showing him how easily he can ruin his political career. To help her mother (whose addiction to painkillers causes her to collapse), Constance gets out of her wheelchair (she had regained the use of her legs but pretended to still be paralyzed to keep Field in line). Of course, who happens to come along just then--Fielding, who sees that his wife is able to walk again. He then re-evaluates their relationship, while Claude puts Eudora in a mental hospital and forges her signature to sign over the barrio property to Tyrone.

22. "Little Foxes": December 22, 1981

On Christmas Eve, Tyrone wants Titus to evict the Cubans from his newly acquired barrio property. Constance seeks the attention of Julio. Lane and Lute-Mae disagree over how to handle Lute-Mae's boyfriend--and the bar's handyman--Tony, who has borrowed money from the bar to finance his gambling losses (he was involved with Christie Kovacs during the first season). Eudora is discharged from the hospital after her bout with drugs. The battle over Tyrone's casino pits Eudora against Claude, and Tyrone loses the barrio when Eudora learns that her name was forged.

23. "Old Friends": January 5, 1982

Angry over losing the barrio, Tyrone buys the local bank and forecloses on Claude's paper mill, making Field the new owner. Sam and Lane pick up where they left off.

24. "Strange Bedfellows": January 12, 1982

Titus faces tough competition for re-election when Elmo throws his hat into the ring. Field becomes emotionally involved with a young reporter, Sande. Constance has a tryst with Julio.

25. "Heat Wave": January 19, 1982

Constance travels to Tallahassee to meet with prospective casino investors and rendezvous with Julio. Field has the mill's books audited. Learning that Lute-Mae is Constance's natural mother, Tyrone takes a sudden interest in Ms. Sanders, whose romance with Tony ends after he blackmails her. Alicia invites Skipper to dinner.

26. "To Catch a Thief": February 2, 1982

Julio is arrested for the theft of Constance's jewelry, and their affair is in danger of being exposed. Sam proposes marriage to Lane. Tyrone takes Lute-Mae to the race track, and she learns that he wants her to run his casino.

27. "The Explosion": February 9, 1982

Deciding to silence Elmo's newspaper before Skipper's editorials ruin his plans for legalized gambling in Truro, Titus plants a bomb in the Clarion's office. Skipper and Alicia are working late at the newspaper when the explosion occurs. They both survive, but Skipper is seriously injured and loses his sight. Tyrone seduces Lute-Mae, and they begin an affair. Sam and Lane almost elop

28. "Chance of a Lifetime": February 16, 1982

Titus announces his suspect in the Clarion bombing at Lane and Sam's lavish wedding and frames Elmo for the explosion. Skipper's blindness could be permanent

29. "Double Trouble": February 23, 1982

Constance uses Julio to spy on Field and his lover, Sande, and then uses Tyrone to get even with him. Sam and Lane's Caribbean honeymoon is interrupted by the presence of Michael Tyrone in Nassau. Eudora smothers Skipper with maternal care and prevents Alicia from seeing him.

30. "The Dedication": March 2, 1982

Michael Tyrone uses Constance and Field's lover, Sande, to force Field to use his political power to help him dominate Truro. Julio proclaims his love for Constance to Field. Alicia eludes Eudora's guard and sees Skipper. Titus and Tyrone secretly plot Truro's future in gambling.

31. "Sins of the Father": March 16, 1982

Field gets the upper hand on Titus when he is given a record of the sheriff's crooked dealings. Tyrone's real reason for being in Truro is revealed: he is intent on avenging the death over 20 years ago of his father, who was unjustly hung for a murder he didn't commit. Fielding's father, Judge Andrew Carlyle, and Titus, who was still the sheriff back then, had the man receive the death penalty, and now Tyrone wants everyone connected to these two men to suffer. Tyrone's secret relationship with Field's lover, Sande, is also revealed to us--she's his sister

32. "No Dice": March 23, 1982

Tyrone moves to secure Field's support as the gambling bill nears a Senate vote. Field realizes that his girlfriend, Sande, is in cahoots with Tyrone in a plot to blackmail him. Depressed about her role as Field's mistress, Sande pretends to attempt suicide. Sensing his parents' obvious disapproval of their romance, a blind Skipper elopes with Alicia and moves her into the Flamingo Road mansion.

33. "The High and the Mighty": March 30, 1982

A plane carrying Sam and Field crashes in the Everglades under suspicious circumstances--they were returning from a fact-finding mission concerning Tyrone's private dealings in Nassau. Lane learns she is pregnant.

First Appearance

Esther Rolle as Julia, Tyrone's mysterious voodoo high priestess: She starred as Florida Evans on Maude (1972-74) and Good Times (1974-79)

34. "The Bad and the Beautiful": April 13, 1982

Tyrone uses voodoo to begin his destruction of the people of Truro--starting with his sister, Sande Swanson, who has a serious accident (her car goes off a cliff) when she returns to Truro to tell Field and Sam the truth about her brother. When she later dies, Field vows vengeance upon Tyrone. Lute-Mae realizes that Tyrone's marriage proposal is a sham when she learns that he is having an affair with her daughter, Constance, who has fallen in love with him.

35. "An Eye for an Eye": April 20, 1982

A deranged Lute-Mae goes gunning for her ex-lover Tyrone. Rather than giving in to Tyrone's threats, Field resigns his senate seat to stop the bill that would legalize gambling in Florida and moves to divorce Constance.

36. "The Harder They Fall": April 27, 1982

Tyrone plots to drive Titus insane and, out of spite, he tells a devastated Constance that he slept with Lute-Mae--her real mother! This bit of shocking news sends the poor girl to confront a hospitalized Lute-Mae, who is in a sanitarium. Gangsters are gunning for Sam.

37. "Murder, They Said": May 4, 1982

There's a surfeit of suspects when someone takes a shot at Tyrone--the whole town of Truro hates him. Constance tries to get Julio to kill Michael. Eudora asks Claude for a divorce. Tyrone's death leads to the arrest of Lute-Mae, who confesses to shooting him to protect Constance (whom she suspected was guilty of the crime). However, Titus Semple is blamed for the crime--he was framed by Tyrone, who blamed the sheriff for his father's execution. And in the final scene in a mountaintop monastery, a hooded figure is revealed to be Michael Tyrone, who is alive and well after faking his own murder (we never discover how he is still alive, but it's alluded that he may have been resurrected through the occult/voodoo).

Behind the Scenes

A month after the show's cancellation, NBC briefly considered bringing it back as a half-hour daytime serial, mainly because of its large female following--and to help out the network's ailing daytime lineup. However, most of the regular cast had already moved on to other projects--including David Selby, who joined Falcon Crest the following fall--so the steamy saga of Flamingo Road sadly did not continue.

Scorecard

Marriages: (3) Constance & Fielding, Lane & Sam, Skipper & Alicia

Murders: (2) Sande Swanson (killer: her own brother!); Michael Tyrone (accused: Titus Semple, but it appears he was framed by the "deceased" Slade's murders during the first season

[All My Shadows]

Thanks, Paul, for that awesome episode guide. I'd never seen it before and I learned some little tidbits from it.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE "Flamingo Road." Goodlife TV (now AmericanLife) picked it up in June 2003 and aired it on Monday nights for a year and a half, and I watched it religiously.

I think that what did the show in was the introduction of the voodoo stuff midway through the second season, and it was also a very convoluted show. I had to watch the second season twice to truly understand all of the political goings-on. All of the domestic/relationship issues were great though, and I ate it all up. I loved the Lane/Lute-Mae friendship a lot, and I always wondered what Constance would have thought about her birth mother and her husband's mistress being so close. I loved Field and Constance's relationship in the second season, too, the way they would be snarky with each other but also still have feelings for each other. I loved Eudora's addiction to painkillers and how Constance's fake paralysis was revealed to Field when she was trying to calm Eudora down.

My little show should have lived on, damn it! NBC put it up against "Hart to Hart," which, by that time, was a hit, and being that "Hart to Hart" was an Aaron Spelling show, it took away lots of the audience that would normally tune in to FR, so I say it was bad scheduling on NBC's part (surprise!)

"St. Elsewhere" premiered several months after FR ended, so I think your memory is just playing a little trick on you.

[dc11786]

There is an excellent book called "Prime Time Network Serials", which I belive is the source of the information Paul Raven posted. I have the book. Usually it runs for a 80 to 90 dollars, but if you check Barnes & Nobles Used Book section there tends to be some that come up in 20 to 30 dollar range. Definitely a worthwhile book for PTS fans.

[All My Shadows]

Bumping this up because the movie on which the show was based is airing tonight on TCM at 1:45AM central time. I've never seen the whole thing, so I'm definitely taping it. I know that the show changed some things up, but I believe the general premise of the Lane/Field romance is there. I don't think Constance's character (her name isn't Constance) is as central.

[SteveFrame]

I absolutely loved both the movie and the show. The movie was another of those instances where the character that Joan Crawford played in the movie did not become the central figure of the series. That happened with both The Best of Everything and Flamingo Road. It wasn't much of a surprise as Joan was not the star of The Best of Everything but in Flamingo Road her character was the protagonist. The show just changed that.

For me Flamingo Road suffered a little from key characters in the movie not being able to star on the series. Not as many as it was in Bare Essence which really hurt, but one key role was Elmo Tyson which was played in the movie by Mason Adams. Mason Adams and Barbara Rush were minor players but their star crossed love was a central element of the show. For me Adams and Rush had great chemistry. But in the series the role was played by Peter Donat and he was a good actor but just no chemistry with Rush at all.

Also I really missed Dianne Kay's character that had been killed off in the movie. She and Woody Brown were a great young love pair and she had ties to Titus Semple too.

Of course both Kay and Adams were in series already so they couldn't have done the series. Kay was in the successful Eight is Enough and Adams was on Lou Grant.

I always loved Woody Brown on the show esp. from the movie, but his character just seemed to wander on the series, but had a lot to do in the movie. I was so shocked to see him years later as the main rapist of Jodie Foster in The Accused. He was still sexy as all get out.

As some said FR didn't measure up to the quality of Dallas or some others, but I loved FR. My mom and I both did and often enjoyed in a lot more than Dallas or the others.

[EricMontreal22]

I've seen 6 or so eps of the show--it was reaired a few years back on Hallmark Channel orsomething and I *loved* what I saw--it definetly had potential compared to some other shows that tried for Dallas' success.

And the old movie is a classic (although less soapy than I expected all things considered)

[All My Shadows]

I disagree, for the most part. Lane was definitely a central figure in the first season, at least. Her arrival in town pretty much set up the premise of the series, and for most of those 15 episodes, the bulk of the storyline dealt with the Lane/Fielding/Constance triangle, with Sam coming in every now and then to comfort Lane and Titus coming in to stir up some mess. She moved into the background a bit during the second season, but I think she still did a lot. Married Sam, got pregnant, had a falling out and reconciliation wit Lute-Mae because of Michael, etc.

ITA. I loved Peter Donat, but I liked Mason just a bit better. I also wanted Annabelle to stay around for a while, but I didn't have too many qualms about her dying in the pilot, especially when Denise Galik's Christie showed up. I loved the episode where Alice Hirson played Annabelle's mom and wanted to investigate the Weldon Mill fire.

Ahhh Woody....me likes Woody, a lot. Wish I could see him on "Love of Life." Between Woody's Skipper and of course the delicious Mark Harmon as Field, I don't know who was sexier. I could have never been a guest in the Weldon home...would have tried to seduce them both. I love all of the hunks from the early 80s era nighttime soaps...William R. Moses and Lorenzo Lamas from "Falcon Crest" get my motor running too.

It's been so many years since I was able to watch "Dallas" regularly, so it's hard for me to truly compare on a basis that isn't just based on the fact that it's "Dallas." Mom and I would watch the FR reruns together every week and she'd tell me stories about all of the shows from that time...those are like her favorite types of shows, ever. "Dynasty" and "Dallas" were probably the last first-run shows that she really watched. She liked those two, FC, and FR, and she also liked "The Colbys" and some of the other shorter-lived ones. Wasn't too crazy about "Knots" for some reason.

So of course I forgot to set my recorder and completely missed it. It may come on again this month, I'll have to check TCM's site. You probably watched the show's reruns on Goodlife TV.

[ClassicsSoapFan]

I loved this show! Thanks for the recaps,Paul.

I remember that final cliffhanger well.

I enjoyed seeing Esther Rolle again.

I enjoyed FR better then Dallas and Dynasty.

[Matt P.]

I absolutely love the theme song to this show!

[Paul Raven]

Re Flamingo Road,the movie.

I wonder why,out of all the suitable 40's/50's movies,this was chosen as the basis for a primetime soap?

The cast

Lane Bellamy Joan Crawford

Titus Semple Sydney Greenstreet

Fielding Carlisle Zachary Scott

Annabelle Weldon Virginia Huston

Lute Mae Sanders Gladys George

Dan Reynolds David Brian

The Dan Reynolds character was Sam Curtis,Lane's surname was changed to Ballou! and Annabelle became Constance.

The plot

Lane is a carnival dancer who gets stranded in a small town ruled bt Sheriff Titus.Field is attracted to her and gets her a waitress job.Titus,who has ambitions for Field,considers Lane inappropriate and gets her fired.She confronts him and he frames her on a prostitution rap.

He then pushes field into a marriage to Annabelle.

After a few months,Lane returns and gets a job in Lute-Mae's roadhouse.She meets Dan and they begin dating.Dan is locked in a power struggle with Titus.

Lane loves Field still,but marries Dan.Together they climb to the top and Lane realises she does love her husband.

Field ,after being fired by Titus, kills himself at Lane's house and scandal ensues.

Lane confronts Titus and accidentally kills him.The film ends with Lane awaiting a courts ruling and Dan indicating he will wait for her.

Like some other Crawford movies of the time,she was too old for the part.

[All My Shadows]

Do you want her to come back and kick your ass?

[EricMontreal22]

So Rita Lakin helped create Flamingo Road--the fairly well known mystery author? Who also wrote on the original 60s Peyton Place, and the Next Generation TV movie, Dynasty, etc?