Members BKuzak Posted March 20, 2011 Members Share Posted March 20, 2011 I think i know the answer but i'm not sure. Gary was on the show during that two episodes with Valene when he was played by the other actor but I thought maybe they were getting Knots Landing ready when he came on and then when they did finally get it all ready, he wasn't available so they asked Ted Shakelford. Bascially if there was no plans for a Knots Landing, would there have ever been a Gary Ewing? I know Knots was first on the creators minds but it was rejected by CBS, I'm saying if they didn't even revisit the thought, would there have been Gary at all? Or woudl Miss Ellie only have two sons and then Ray, Jock's son. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted March 20, 2011 Members Share Posted March 20, 2011 I think David Jacobs would have probably kept Gary in as part of his original plan, even if Knots hadn't been ordered, just in case they ever picked up the show, but I do think that casting him with Ted Shackleford probably happened more because they knew they were spinning off. I read somewhere that they asked the original actor and he was busy, but I kind of wonder about that, mostly because, while he was a good actor, he wasn't the hunky type, as Ted was then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members quartermainefan Posted March 20, 2011 Members Share Posted March 20, 2011 I believe they always said he had Knots in mind first, but they needed something splashier to sell so came up with Dallas. Then when that was a success they dusted off Knots. I med David Jacobs a couple of times, he seemed like a nice guy. He had sort of a soap opera family life in that he remained friendlyish with his ex-wife who went on to marry the actor who played Richard and then Richard went to work for David Jacons, his ex-husband in law (or whatever you would them) and they all were sophisticated about this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members All My Shadows Posted March 20, 2011 Members Share Posted March 20, 2011 I always figured the "Reunion" two-parter wasn't meant to be a set-up for Knots, that it was done to explore that part of the Ewing family dynamics and to give develop Lucy a bit more after just being the wild and crazy girl in the mini-series. Knots's birth probably came from David Jacobs realizing he could incorporate his original vision into the Dallas-verse through Gary/Val. I love stories like this. Kinda reminds me of how Jack Webb was divorced from Julie London but then hired her and her new husband Bobby Troup for Emergency! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SFK Posted March 20, 2011 Members Share Posted March 20, 2011 Right, he had the idea for Knots first which CBS didn't go with and with the success of Dallas he was approached for another series and just dusted off Knots... plugging Val and Gary in. I'm almost positive he did not have the plan for Val and Gary being spun off into Knots when they first appeared on Dallas, that it was more a calculated move to tie the new show to the hit Dallas and a happy accident as he had created this couple cast with good actors. I think Gary was also DJ's giving his original Brick Pollitt concept for Bobby another go: Mama's troubled favorite with the alcohol problem. That backstory plus Valene's decidedly down home vibe all made for good transition material for the more middle class couples drama of Knots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SFK Posted March 20, 2011 Members Share Posted March 20, 2011 Or Beverlee McKinsey marrying Susan Harris' ex, Berkeley Harris, and Susan wanting to cast Beverlee as one of the leads in Soap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted March 20, 2011 Members Share Posted March 20, 2011 The ties between Knots and Dallas were effortless in those early years - even the "big bad JR comes to town" episodes that I am not fond of get better on repeat viewing. I really wish that David Jacobs had decided not to cut the two shows after the dream season. I think fans would have gotten over it, and I really would have liked seeing some of the Dallas characters who weren't used in later years pop into Knots Landing, like Donna, or Ray, or Lucy. I also would have enjoyed scenes between Cliff and Sumner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soapfan770 Posted March 20, 2011 Members Share Posted March 20, 2011 I always have thought Lucy should have gone to Knots Landing in 1988 instead of returning to Dallas because the show never really used her at all during her return. Heck I guess I'm surprised Lucy didn't appear on Knots more often in the early Knots years. At least Gary and Val did appear in Dallas' finale. I don't know if cutting the two shows off was a good thing either, I'm sure it could have all been explained away on Knots by some simple, possibly humorous retcon. But then for the most part when I watch Knots Landing I don't always feel like it was a spinoff of Dallas because the two shows had two totally separate identities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SFK Posted March 20, 2011 Members Share Posted March 20, 2011 I don't know if she voiced this opinion back then and it had anything to do with it (doubt it), but Joan van Ark has said that she's very against the notion that Lucy should have been on Knots. She thought having grown Lucy around would really age Val, the twins creating a better illusion of her youth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members quartermainefan Posted March 20, 2011 Members Share Posted March 20, 2011 His daughter was pretty funny back in the day. She would admit in hushed whispers her father created Dallas and then hang her head in shame and laugh. It is such a bizarre job for a father to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alphanguy74 Posted March 20, 2011 Members Share Posted March 20, 2011 That woould be something she'd be against. But wasn't Val 16 when she had Lucy? If that was the case, then you could have had adult Lucy around, and Val STILL would not have been 40. Still well within child bearing years for those twins. One thing that always did bug me about early Knots, was Van Ark's God awful southern accent. Julie Harris did it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Khan Posted March 20, 2011 Members Share Posted March 20, 2011 Julie Harris did everything right. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SFK Posted March 20, 2011 Members Share Posted March 20, 2011 Right, she was just a kid when she had Lucy but I guess JVA was still wary of how it would look. Especially as they got older and Lucy's chances of becoming a mother (making Val a grandmother!) would have increased. I know Michele had a grandmother clause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members All My Shadows Posted March 20, 2011 Members Share Posted March 20, 2011 <Val>Ah...well, Ah was jus' a baybeh mahself when Ah had Lucih. 'N 'em oldboys came 'n took'er 'way from me.</Val> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BKuzak Posted March 21, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 21, 2011 I do not think there should have been a dream season. I thought Linda Grey should have gotten an emmy for her work during that season when Sue Ellen really got drunk and destroyed herself. That was my favorite Sue Ellen Season. They could have had Bobby come back in another way. It could have all been a plot by someone who was out to get JR. At the end of the season you could have seen Bobby in some room kidnapped or whatever and find out he's been there all season. As Sue Ellen said, (something like) "If you take all of the people JR's trampled on, they would make a line clear across Texas." Dallas/Dynasty cross/overs never worked because they were two different shows. Dallas was big in every way. Although i think Lucy moving to Knots landing could have worked. She would still be the crazy Lucy and she'd have Valene and Gary always trying to tame her. Although it's kind of interesting that Gary fell for Abby, someone very much like JR. It was like the JR and Sue Ellen relationship but in reverse with Gary being the weak drunk and Abby being the strong one who had affairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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