Falcon Crest

[Chris 2]

It’s also a function of having a large number of showrunners (Earl Hamner for season 1, Bob McCullough for seasons 2 and 3, Rod Peterson and Claire Whittaker for seasons 4 and 5, Jeff Frielich for seasons 6 and 7, Michael FIlerman for season 8, and Jerry Thorpe for season 9). Each new showrunner wasn’t necessarily invested in the previous showrunner’s cast additions.

Edited March 26, 2022 by Chris 2

[te.]

Yes, I believe Angela had a throw-away mention that they got away.

IIRC, they wanted the actress to appear in a few episodes of season 6 but the actress said no thanks.

[Soapsuds]

Oh wow..I didn't know Laura Johnson was married to Harry Hamlin

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She should've stayed.

[FrenchBug82]

I think Margaret Ladd and Susan Sullivan also qualify. And Ana-Alicia last more than three-quarters of the way.

I looked at the people listed as main casts of all the shows and unfortunately my plan to do numbers is thwarted by the fact the lists provided don't compare the exact same things.
But still it gives a good indication.

I am not wrong that Falcon Crest had a high proportion of one or two seasoners - a high 17 out of 27 "main contract cast" were on contract for only one or two seasons (a handful of those were also recurring) and only 8 did more than 5 seasons.
However it does seem that Dynasty had a similarly small core cast and an enormous amount of one-season supporting contract players: 26 actors only did one year or two!!!!! And that's without counting the numerous recasts of main characters. 
Now I suspect that list is more complete and covers more characters than the ones I found for the other shows but it does seem that Dynasty had overall more turnover of supporting cast than FC.

Dallas had a more stable cast - 21 characters were "main cast", only 7 of whom only did one or two seasons and six of those were at the tail end of the last two years; so the heyday period of the show was pretty stable.
Finally Knots Landing had the benefit of running much longer than any of the above which boosts raw numbers but out of the 24 "main credits" cast members, only Lynne Moody lasted less than three seasons - and a cool half of that were there for at least half of the show's run. I would have bet it was the most stable cast so I am patting myself on the back there.
To be fair, I think the lists I am working from were comparing apples and pears: I think Christopher Atkins and Sam Behrens for instance would have qualified for that enormous supporting cast list if Dallas and KL credited the supporting cast in the main credits the way Dynasty and FC chose to.

But nevertheless interesting and I think it does fit the way each show was written - and cast. The latter two had a lot more stunt casting which explains why they were eager to credit people in the main cast more generously.

 

 

Edited March 26, 2022 by FrenchBug82

[Chris B]

I’ve reached the odd part of season four where they randomly wrapped everything up 20 episodes in and pivoted to a new story with new characters for the final episodes of the season. Such an odd choice when you consider how far into the season they were. I also felt like everything was so suspenseful and working well. 

[DRW50]

Was that the Nazi season? I remember reading that got a very negative response and the network stepped in.

[Paul Raven]

What characters do you think should have hung around longer or returned at some point?

I think Terry and Lorraine could have had more airtime.

[Khan]

For sure, I think Cole, Maggie and Melissa all should have made it to the end.  Chase should have been there, too, even if he would have "turned heel" at some point.  Conversely, I think Vickie was never going to work, no matter how many times they brought back, or how many different actresses played her, lol.

I remember reading that as well.  Viewers didn't like the Nazi treasure storyline, so the show's producers had to cut everything short (or shorter than planned) and bring on Anne Archer and Celeste Holm instead.  Personally, I think that storyline, and not the Nazi stuff, was the show's best, but I'm sure I'm in the minority on that one, lol.

Edited March 27, 2022 by Khan

[FrenchBug82]

Firing Maggie and Melissa were definitely misfires but in all fairness if Moses and Foxworth didn't want to stay there was nothing much they could do.

I think it would have been too weird not to have either of Maggie's grown children around but can't deny they needed to write Vickie a lot better. Can barely remember anything she did and yet she was on the show, in one incarnation or another, for three quarters of the run.
My criticism, which rejoins what I was talking about earlier about turnover, is that they should have less time on incidental characters that ended up not mattering - like Greg and Jordan despite the actors being wonderful - and spend more time writing characters like Julia and Vickie a lot better.
The DID storyline, cliche as it was, could have easily been given to either of them. Heck it would have been a great way to keep Julia around even after she was revealed as the killer.

[Chris B]

I agree with both. I think that reason I can overlook the nazi storyline is because I viewed it more like a McGruffin and enjoyed what it did for the characters. This is also the first season when they’ve brought on several viable supporting characters, which makes Lorraine’s exit even more disappointing. 
 

Even Anne Archer is another gem, but in typical Falcon Crest fashion, she’s in and out. 

[Khan]

I think most viewers found the premise (of Nazi treasure being buried on FC's grounds?) to be preposterous; and the casting of Paul Freeman, who played a similarly antagonistic role in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," didn't help matters either.

[FrenchBug82]

As a general rule there should be a Godwin's law for adding anything Nazi-related to any show not set during WW2.
It never works.
 

[Chris 2]

They had a pretty ugly divorce that I recall. The tabloids covered it closely. I recall he left her for Nicolette Sheridan.

[Khan]

I still recall how the notorious Nicollette/Harry/Michael Bolton triangle played out in the tabloids.  Lordy, that was a mess, lol.

[FrenchBug82]

I mean Kim wasn't wrong...