KNOTS LANDING

[Chris B]

I was sad to see Laura go, but I enjoyed how they wrote her off. The only thing I would've done differently is to let us see her go drop Daniel off with Richard so we could get a closure scene for them. I think if you look at the evolution of what Laura went through and how strong she had become, I do believe she would've wanted to go off and die alone. She finally found happiness and was having to leave a good husband and a newborn. I could see how that could be hard to face with them around her, like she failed in the end.

Overall I did love season 8. I thought it was a nice refresh. I know it's super controversial, but I loved Karen's kidnapping and how it tied into Mack and Greg's past. I also loved the Jean Hackney plot. It was different for Knots to do a spy story, but I found it believable for Ben and I loved how it brought us back to the Val/Laura friendship. 

When it comes to exits, the one that I really struggled with was Lilimae. Couldn't they have just dropped her to recurring? It was especially hard when they brought on Aunt Ginny who was clearly a carbon copy of Lilimae. I wish we had more of her, but I'm happy she got a happy send off.

Another missed opportunity I feel is in the final season. With Val "dead" and Dallas off the air, I think this would've been the perfect time to bring Lucy on. I would've slotted her into the Vanessa role instead of that horrendous actress they got. I think Lucy would've made sense as a schemer getting involved with the wrong man and not knowing. She could've also provided support and tension for Gary. 

[Vee]

On paper using Lucy is a good idea. In practice I think Charlene Tilton is televisual napalm and I can barely tolerate seconds of her.

[Chris 2]

LOL. Charlene is definitely an actress with a limited range; the weak link of the original Dallas cast. I thought they missed the boat there by not casting someone with more screen presence. I thought they softened the Lucy character because Charlene didn’t have the chops to pull it off. Think of what the character would have been like if someone like Pamela Sue Martin had played her.

The plan was for Julie Harris to recur as Lillimae and visit occasionally. But she apparently wasn’t willing to do that, so that’s why we eventually got Aunt Ginny.

[Khan]

I agree.  After all, KNOTS had CT cross over for one episode during S1 and look how well that turned out, lol.  Mary Crosby's post-"Who Shot J.R.?" crossover episode was marginally better, but still proof that KNOTS and DALLAS operated in two entirely different worlds.

As crazy as it sounds, I would've had Ana-Alicia join the cast after FC, either as the not-so-dead-after-all Melissa Agretti, or as a new troublemaker on the scene to go toe-to-toe with Nicollette Sheridan/Paige and help ease Donna Mills/Abby out the door.  The producers probably would've needed to trim some dead weight to pay for her, but I think it would've been worth it in the end.

I can't say that I blame Julie Harris for turning down that offer, although I *wish* KNOTS had had enough dough to bring her back in S14 after Val's "death."  To me, it would have made sense for Lilimae to come back for Gary and the twins' sake, while side-eying his blossoming relationship with Kate, lol.

[BetterForgotten]

I have a lot of respect for Donna Mills for knowing when it was time to call it a day for Abby when she did. So many actresses (especially at that age) would have just stayed for the consistent paycheck, but Donna knew that it was time to wrap things up and keep it moving. 

[SoapDope]

Yes. There were so many cringe worthy scenes with her. The episode where she runs out of the house and starts hitting Ray when he pulled the plug on Mickey is one that comes to mind. 

Pamela Sue Martin's early bitchy/catty Fallon is what Lucy should have been. Charlene tried it in the mini series and it fell flat. Jacobs and Katzman realized they had screwed up with casting her. I guess they were fond of her, so they rewrote the character to fit to keep her around. Heather Locklear is another that could have played Lucy.

David Jacobs said he envisioned Stepfanie Kramer as Lucy (which is interesting), but Katzman etc...said Lucy needed to be a nifty little blonde. 

 

[Khan]

Well, part of the problem, I think, was that the Lechowicks didn't understand that Abby was not a villain the way J.R. Ewing and Alexis Colby were villains.  Alexis and J.R. would have had no problem at all with planting drugs on their daughter's new boyfriend, or being in cahoots with a known killer (like Ted Melcher).  Abby, however, had lines that she wouldn't have crossed.

I look at the scene where Abby shows Ted the photos that incriminate him in Rick Hawkins' and Maeda's murders and I think, "The Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner of the past wouldn't have cavalierly shown him those photos or held them over his head as some form of leverage.  She would've been appalled by the lengths her partner-in-crime had gone to in order to secure Lotus Point, and she would've worked double-time to expose him to the authorities while still keeping herself out of trouble."

When it comes to the casting of Lucy Ewing, I'm more on Katzman's side than I am Jacobs'.  I think Stepfanie Kramer would have been all wrong.  Lucy NEEDED to be your typical Texas blonde, with big hair, big boobs and big attitude.  But she also needed to be played by someone who could ACT, and who could give her emotional layers (because, after all, Lucy was a girl who starved for her parents' affections) that CT simply could not.

And if not her, then the OTHER Heather (Thomas), whose sultriness definitely would have fit in well with the rest of the cast, if nothing else.

[Chris 2]

Donna Mills as Abby and Joan Van Ark as Valene make the show for me. They always give compelling, disciplined, thoughtful performances even when the scripts aren’t the best. I’m old enough to remember Donna Mills always playing these mousy little victims pre-Knots, so it was just fun to see her play against type.

I like Karen too, but I think Michele Lee goes into hysterical mode a bit too often.

[SoapDope]

Heather Thomas would have been interesting. Surprisingly Melody Thomas Scott said she was being considered for Lucy, but lost out to Charlene. 

[Chris B]

The scream I let out when I read this! I will say, I usually skip her episode of Knots, but I listened to it with the commentary from Ted and Joan and it made me appreciate it more. I do think she came back as a cooler Lucy during her second run of Dallas. Of course they still did nothing with her lol. I'm glad we got to see Gary, Val and Lucy back together again on the Dallas reboot.

[Maxim]

I'm so happy - I've managed to record last episodes of season 6, season 7, 8, 9 and now going into season 10. With captions and all! I even wake up during the night to check if the program is doing it's job. I am crossing my fingers in the coming weeks they re-air the first 6 seasons... 

[All My Shadows]

This is how I feel as well. I think a primetime drama trying to “revitalize” itself after 10+ seasons is just kinda desperate. At that point, you can say you had a good run but now it’s over. The risk of souring even more is just too great.

[DRW50]

For me it depends on the core of the show. It worked more with Knots than it would have with a show like Dallas because the core was the cul-de-sac and the businesses employing the residents, whereas Dallas was just so defined by JR and Bobby. 

Other than the bad camp Val story, I think season 12 set up a number of pieces that could have kept the show running...but the end of that season, and the fire choices made in early season 13, all put paid to any future.

[kalbir]

Come on now, the trifecta of suck at Lorimar (Leonard Katzman, Michael Filerman, Les Moonves) weren't going to salary dump any of the big male stars. It was a pattern across all three CBS primetime soaps that the long-time female cast members got salary dumped and replaced with sweet young things hired on the cheap.

In the grand scheme of things, Donna Mills was smart to walk away when she did.

[DRW50]

Second Chances, also by the Lechowicks, gives a glimpse of the approach that might have benefited Knots if it had gone on longer. They add a bit of populism (fighting against Ray Wise as an evil judge) but have female-centric narratives and still a suburban flavor. 

I think a reboot would have worked mostly if they just kept the original regulars to guest appearances. Maybe bring in Mack's daughter Annie (recast), or bring back Claudia (recast), or bring back Mack's adopted son Jason. 

I know a reboot is not likely today, but I still think it could work because of the cul-de-sac as the main focus, rather than any character. There are still a few who could return, for short runs. I might have Abby return because of some money or priceless item she might have left in her place when she last lived there. She could meddle and manipulate and then leave when she gets what she wants - and possibly leave a parting gift (like helping someone who needs an operation or a new car or whatever) to a resident (maybe someone who reminds of her of herself, or one of her kids, or even Karen).