Knots Landing

[BetterForgotten]

Sorry to continue the OT trend, but FC was never originally conceived as a soap, right? Wasn't it originally supposed to be more of a family drama, but Lorimar forced the soap angle on it? 

[Khan]

Right.  Earl Hamner's original vision for FC (or "The Vintage Years," as it was called back then) was more in line with his previous series, "The Waltons," with some added, Gothic touches.

Random thought: I think the team was NUTS to let Marcia Cross (ex-Victoria Broyard) go after such a brief run.  David Jacobs, or Ann Marcus, or SOMEone should have figured out a way to keep her.

Edited February 25, 2022 by Khan

[Soaplovers]

I think Marcia Cross was too tied to the Pierce Lawton story.  Was her character gone before Marcus took over?

I don't even recall if much info was divulged about her character or not. She would have been a better option for the stories given to Kate's roommate Vanessa..imho

[FrenchBug82]

I liked FC because there were some great characters and fantastic actors in there and the setting was compelling.
But if I am honest with myself, even at its heyday, the writing for it was always mediocre at best. Some great dialoguists but the plotting was always weak.
I realized thinking about this that if you ask me what my favorite FC story is, I can't think of any plot. I can think of scenes and guest stars that were memorable and I certainly liked the concept of a battle over vineyard/land but not any specific storyline.
Which is pretty telling. Even the most casual of KL watcher would be able to *at least* mention Val's babies.

[allmc2008]

Why is the bad guy on this show always stopped by some kind of collision? First, Lilly Mae ramming Ciji's boyfriend, then Josh falling off the building, and then Phil getting he by a car. Is it to avoid a trial?

[DemetriKane]

That's a good guess, I believe the writers think they're being clever by doing stuff like that. Bill bell did that too!

[allmc2008]

That's true.

Michael makes me so hot tbh. Him and Eric! I would have loved to power verse for them while adding Don Diamont (circa 1987) to have it so I'm also spit roasted at the same time.

[kalbir]

If they had, we might not have gotten Dr. Kimberly of Melrose.

[Khan]

Perhaps.  Of course, I wasn't a big MP fan, so it wouldn't have made much difference to me, lol.

[DemetriKane]

Damn!! I adored both of Karen boys. I can definitely understand why and how michael got you hit LOL! That kid walked around in pure heat all season. 

[j swift]

Whether it was a deliberate choice or not, I appreciated the consistency that Abby was always beholden to her role as a mother.  Unlike JR, who used John Ross as a tool to manipulate Sue Ellen, Abby had to deal with issues like custody and Olivia's drug habit throughout her entire run on the series.  The bottle episode with Olivia is iconic and well earned given both character's history.

It gave context to her motives and made her a more complex villain than guys like Chip, Joshua, or Paul Galveston.  Which is why the introduction of Wolfbridge and other consortium groups never seemed like a good fit for the drama.  The writers who introduced those elements sought to expand the Knots universe in ways that could only alienate long term viewers.

That being said, I think Linda was a excellent proto-Abby candidate and it was unfortunate that she exited so suddenly and without much fan fair.

[Khan]

I love that even David Jacobs can't tell us exactly what the Wolfbridge Group did, lol.

IA that Abby was someone who was, at least in part, motivated by her love and concern for her children.  She wasn't just out to get rich; she also wanted to secure Brian and Olivia's futures, so that they wouldn't have to make the same sacrifices she'd made when she was younger. 

DYNASTY tried to paint Alexis as having that same sense of self-sacrifice for Fallon, Steven, Adam and Amanda, but it never felt convincing.  No matter how much Alexis claimed to love her kids, you know that if Abby had been in her shoes, she wouldn't have left (or been forced out of) Denver or the Carrington mansion without them.

[allmc2008]

John Ross wasn't old enough to be in meaty stories.

The Wolfbridge story was iconic. It didn't alienate viewers. In fact, it quite successfully expanded that KL universe.

Proto means prototype.

[Soaplovers]

Agree.

Look at how Abby managed to convince her ex she was in love with him, and then filed a court order barring him from being around the kids.  All because he took her kids and hurt her.

You know she would done anything to get her kids back...and I think had she been in Alexis' shoes...she would have married someone with as much power and wealth as Blake in order to get her kids back.

[victoria foxton]

 

  

Edited March 1, 2022 by victoria foxton