KNOTS LANDING

[Vee]

I didn't know about this, do tell.

I stand by my comments on the only way to do a Dallas revival today in that thread a few days ago, but my take would be even darker and more polarizing IMO, and limited. I do agree with Jacobs about switching the boys.

[Chris B]

I just read what you posted and I don't think that is a far out idea at all. I was confused when the show came back and didn't take advantage of the current climate crisis considering they were in the oil business. The problem with Dallas as opposed to Knots is that the show just didn't know how to move with the times. As long as JR was there, they felt it was enough. The family and the stories never grew or evolved, it was just the same stuff in a repetitive cycle.

That's why with Knots I give them props, even when their changes didn't work. At least they tried and were mostly successful. When I recently did a re-watch, I was stunned at how strong that post shutdown season 13 through the finale run was. Even with losing Joan Van Ark!  They kept trying until the very end and if money weren't an issue, it would've been a show like Grey's Anatomy that went for 20+ years.

[Vee]

Devane has talked about wanting out by the end in one of the many in-depth and candid interviews on that big KL fansite, so I wonder how long they really had. I did get a glimpse of S14(?) when I peeked at one ep to see how Diana looked a good ten years later, and seeing both her and the impending Ewing twins as mid-size children in early '90s fashion and film stock or whatever was a big shift!

And yeah, repetitive is how I feel about Dallas. Whereas KL keeps giving for me and I (clearly) can't talk about it enough.

Edited July 20, 2022 by Vee

[Chris B]

As important as Devane was, I think the show could've continued had he left. I could see Nicollette wanting to bolt as well and the story was definitely set up in a way where that would make sense. The one thing I do hate is that due to JVA's early exit, a very interesting story with Val and Sumner was ended too soon. The few scenes we got between them (which was incredibly rare) were among the best in the series history. Had she stayed that story could've gone so many places, even potentially a romantic angle. They reminded me of how Val would've interacted with JR at that point in her life, without all of the hatred of course.

[DRW50]

The show had built up a decent younger and newer cast in seasons 10-12 which could have been a future for the show, but so much of that was dismantled by the end of that season/early season 13 that I don't think what was left was enough. 

There was a planned Knots spinoff in the late '80s which I wish they had picked up with some new blood and old favorites. I think characters like Harold, Olivia, Jason, Julie, Paige (if Nicolette was willing to stay around), Anne, Kate, etc. could have turned over, with some of the vets making guest appearances (and with Abby being away for a number of years there would be some story to explore).  

Edited July 20, 2022 by DRW50

[Vee]

What was this?

[Chris B]

There was a season where Paige, Michael and Peter Reckell's character went to Mexico and it was meant to lead to a summer spin-off starring those characters. The spin-off was canceled so they wrapped the story up on the main show.

[Vee]

Wild! I'd heard something about that storyline but not the spinoff, wonder why it got bagged.

[Chris 2]

Knots Jr! I wish they had done that.

Dallas 2.0 was a huge missed opportunity. It was poorly conceived and poorly cast. And it’s sad because it could have been great. But they cast a bunch of eye candy as the next generation instead of capable actors, and they gave them lousy material. It should have been about the family, and it really wasn’t.

David Jacobs offered his services as a consultant. But TPTB would only agree to it if he signed away his rights to the show. He basically told them to stuff it. And Warner wanted to credit Cynthia Cidre as the creator (“based upon the original series by David Jacobs”). Jacobs went to arbitration and won, so he was listed as the creator, with Cidre getting a Developed By credit.

[yrfan1983]

I remember Peter Reckell's character as a bust. It felt more like "let's grab this popular actor from Days and come up with a story for him". No chemistry with Nicolette. An irish accent that was eventually revealed as fake, I think??

Did anyone enjoy him on KL?

[Chris 2]

Not me. I never much liked Reckell or Kristian Alfonso in most of what they did outside DOOL. The exception is Alfonso on Melrose Place as a madam. She played against type very very well and they should have found a way to keep her around longer.

[Chris B]

After my recent rewatch, I have a newfound respect for Kristian’s work on Falcon Crest, but Peter’s character on Knots was a dud. I do think there was potential there though. They could’ve moved him from Paige to Olivia instead of Harold. I also liked how they included Michael. I feel like they could’ve built up a spin off but there wasn’t enough room for all those young characters on Knots. 

[DRW50]

I thought he was better once they toned down the "roguish" aspect of him but by  that point he barely appeared. Having him try to do that accent was a terrible idea. 

[DemetriKane]

No one asked about the spin off in those interviews from the fansite? I thought someone did, or maybe that's Kenny and Ginger show im thinking of.

[Chris 2]

I think the challenge with the spinoff was that they came up with it at a time when nighttime serials as a whole were declining. And they did not repeat well. CBS wanted to focus on coming up with hit sitcoms to compete with NBC, which was on top of the ratings at that point.