Knots Landing

[juppiter]

Ciji doesn't show up until season 4. And Ciji mainly sang cheesy pop songs they wrote for the show; it was more Cathy who sang mainstream pop songs.

Likely season 3 hasn't been released because 1 and 2 underperformed

Edited June 24, 2012 by juppiter

[antmunoz]

Ciji's songs were on Lisa's LETTEROCK album, not necessarily written for the show. The songwriters would doubtless require compensation. Even "non-hit" songs have rights issues. Cathy's Top 40 covers would be more expensive, although she too sang "Lisa" songs (DON'T YOU LOVE ME ANYMORE was an OLD Lisa song from the 70s).

But I don't think song rights have anything to do with future seasons of KNOTS not being released. The first two didn't sell. MANY series released on DVD were never completed, including THE NANNY, THE FACTS OF LIFE, etc.

[alphanguy74]

REally? For some reason I could have sworn she came on in season 3.

[DRW50]

Season 3 was Sid's death, Karen grieving, Abby getting Gary into bed, Richard having a mental breakdown and Laura taking him back only because she was pregnant.

Ciji and Karen started in season 4.

Season 3 is my favorite season. A lot of people don't like it, but Flo says it best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftbm8EZZDqI&feature=related

[juppiter]

Season 3 is hard to get through but there are so many gems in it. The Gary/Abby affair was done so well. Karen grieving over Sid was done well at times (Michele Lee's best acting was when she took the ring off) but at times it was too depressing a storyline and the show was grasping at straws looking for its soul with Don Murray gone.

Some of those one-off episodes are among the series' worst one-off episodes. Thank god they went to the serial format in season 4, because the one-off format was no longer shedding light on the characters as in the early episodes. Episodes like Cricket are just plot driven and bad.

That said, my favorite episode "China Dolls" is in season 3. The perfect Knots Landing episode, acting-wise, dialogue-wise, cinematically, just a breathtaking episode. Season 3 has some really great points and some cringeworthy points. It's a season of highest highs and lowest lows to me. I don't write it off but I can see why ratings were down that year. The show was definitely finding itself.

Edited June 25, 2012 by juppiter

[DRW50]

I don't remember any bad standalone episodes in that season, although it's been a while. One stand-alone, Silver Shadows, is one of my very favorite episodes. The only episode I remember disliking was when Gary and Val had to go rescue Lillimae when she was arrested for shoplifting or whatever.

Oh, I'd forgotten about Cricket. Not great, but I thought it was kind of sweet, and nice to see Val in protective mama mode, while ultimately trying to do her best to help the girl. She never really got to do that with her own kids.

For me the worst stand-alone episode, mostly because it was just too overwrought, not because it was a horrible piece of garbage, was the one where Val had cancer, and Gary went on a rampage.

[juppiter]

Richard said once in regards to not wanting to miss Daniel's childhood -- "1 through 4 are the best years."

He could have been describing Knots Landing when he said that. The problem with the early seasons is that while they do have the best individual episodes, there were enough misfire episodes that are completely pointless and painful on rewatch.

If I had to name a favorite season it would be season 5. How absolutely brilliant to see a show up the ante without completely losing its core, and there is not a single bad episode in the season. But if we are going for top 10 episodes, most of mine would come from 1 through 4.

Isn't Silver Shadows where Abby like whores herself out to the old man? I haven't seen it in a couple years; I do have it on VHS. But I don't remember particularly liking it or having it shed too much light on Abby.

[DRW50]

I didn't see the episode that way. I mostly saw it as Abby, on the surface, being very ruthless - becoming close to this old man, since she resembled his old love. This was heartless, but for me it was the definitive Abby episode, because underneath, she had a heart. The scene after she learns he had signed his love's name, not her name, and that she wouldn't be getting any money. Instead of kicking his corpse, or making a nasty remark, she went over to a mirror, put on one of the hats she'd worn for him, and just had a wistful smile on her face. The layering in that scene alone is something I've never forgotten.

[juppiter]

I clearly did... lol. Now that you describe it it sounds like a great scene. For me it registered as an episode where nothing meant anything. The events would never be mentioned again and who cares? Where is the drama? There are episodes like that that I find good because they foreshadow what's to come -- Abby to Gary after Judy Trent leaves, "Are you ready for me now, Gary?" is killer-- or offer insight on the characters that the mid-late seasons certainly do not provide. I still can't justify an episode based on one scene though I will have to rewatch that one. Never caught my eye before tho.

Edited June 25, 2012 by juppiter

[DRW50]

I see what you mean, but at times I think standalone episodes offer more insight because they are compressed into a shorter space of time. For instance, Ginger's abortion episode was probably the most insight we got into her character. I think this was a nice episode because it was a break from a season where Abby was probably at her hardest, starting with the killer revenge she got on her ex, ending with her stealing Gary from Val.

I think a good standalone episode can offer more than an arc whic is just plot and plot. I learned more about Abby in that episode than I did in that Nurekama arc, or whatever it was called. If not for the comedy moments they threw in with Abby I would call that the worst story Abby ever had (that honor goes to her affair with Michael York).

[juppiter]

Oh see Murakame I enjoyed. But yeah the Michael York thing was dreadful -- didn't she end up pulling one over on him in the end tho? iirc that story almost redeemed itself in the end.

[YRBB]

Holy cr*p! Dr. Ackerman shot himself in the head in front of Karen and Mac when they finally confronted him about stealing the babies! Well played, KNOTS LANDING, well played.

[DRW50]

That was one of the most shocking moments I can remember on any soap.

[YRBB]

It sure was. I had absolutely no idea it was coming. It's great when a soap can deliver such a genuine shocker.

[Soaplovers]

Off topic, but do you think if the show had stuck with the original concept of life on a cul-de-sace, do you think the show would have lasted 14 seasons? Personally, I can divide the show into three distinct eras: The cul-de-sac era, the Lotus Point era, and the Sumner Group era.

I think that the ;'Scenes from a Marriage' concept survived all 14 seasons, it just evolved over time.

Out of all of Karen's children, I think Diana had the most story potential and it is a shame that she left because I could have seen her with the Alec Baldwin character plus would have been interesting to see her go toe-to-toe with Paige later on.

I do think it is a shame that Olivia ended up leaving because I think she and her hubby could have easily moved onto the cul-de-sac and been the start of the next generation of 'Scenes of a Marriage". JMHO

It's interesting watching the first few seasons and noticing that Valene isnt quite so 'Poor Val'. She displays a quiet strength and I think it is interesting to note that she doesnt fall apart when Gary cheats on her but being told her babies are dead when she knows they are alive. For her, having her children stolen from her twice is too much for her to bear. I think for her, not fighting for her children is the biggest regret in her life.. not losing Gary. It's a shame that LML turned VAL into a campy victim. I did like in season 13, that Val is normal and thinking about her career (i.e. writing greg sumner's biography even though Gary and Karen disapprove).

Regarding the last season, there does seem to be a lack of truly Knots traits like the little moments though there is one memorable moment when Claudia/Nick are sleeping together and a towel-clad Nick answers the front door when Karen knocks. Karen's reaction at seeing him in a towel and his towel slipping down and seeing Karen's reaction was truly a classic Knots trait (the neighbors reactions to the latest going ons).. that it sticks out at me.. probably cause it's the only moment I can recall from that season!