"Knots Landing" (1979) TV series 1979-1993

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Creator:

David Jacobs

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

Release Date:

27 December 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A popular night time soap opera, it followed the adventures of five families living in a small California community: Gary and Valene Ewing...

Plot Keywords:

California | Divorce | Soap | Marriage | Soap Opera

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 41 wins & 44 nominations

Cast

Michele Lee	...	Karen MacKenzie / ... (344 episodes, 1979-1993)
Ted Shackelford	...	Gary Ewing (333 episodes, 1979-1993)
Joan Van Ark	...	Valene Ewing / ... (319 episodes, 1979-1993)
Kevin Dobson	...	M. 'Mack' Patrick MacKenzie (287 episodes, 1982-1993)
William Devane	...	Gregory Sumner (259 episodes, 1983-1993)
Donna Mills	...	Abby Ewing / ... (233 episodes, 1980-1993)
Constance McCashin	...	Laura Avery / ... (190 episodes, 1979-1987)
Nicollette Sheridan	...	Paige Matheson (179 episodes, 1986-1993)
Pat Petersen	...	Michael Fairgate (163 episodes, 1979-1991)
Julie Harris	...	Lilimae Clements / ... (160 episodes, 1980-1987)

Runtime:

60 min (344 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-14 | Australia:PG | Iceland:12 (some episodes) | Iceland:L (some epiosodes) | Australia:M (some episodes)

Filming Locations:

Granada Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Trivia:

Lisa Hartman-Black and Stacy Galina both played characters that were killed off, only to re-appear as another character.

Quotes:

Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner: Give it to me!
Olivia Cunningham Dyer: Give you what?
[Abby pushes the cocaine on her nose and shoves it into her nostril]
Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner: Give me your car keys.
Olivia Cunningham Dyer: I have to have a car to go to school.
Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner: I told you I would not allow you to use drugs, you're not going to school. Give me your house keys.
Olivia Cunningham Dyer: What are you gonna do? Lock me out?
Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner: No, I'm not gonna lock you out. I'm gonna lock you in with me.
Brian Cunningham #2: [on a different show, Abby chops down the bathroom door, to stop Olivia from snuffing cocaine] Mom!
Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner: Go to bed, Brian.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Married with Children: God's Shoes (#6.8)" (1991)

Even Better Than the Show That Spawned It

When this show first premiered, many didn't give it a chance due to the fact that it was a spin off from the hugely popular Dallas. A lot of people didn't think that a show featuring the least known of the Ewing brothers, Gary, and his wife Val would last. However, it did last and boy did it ever. For fourteen years we saw the saga of the cul de sac and their various residents and the main reason that this show became great is the fact their was such great chemistry among the leads and that led to some great performances, especially from the woman who eventually became the lead, Michele Lee. Also, many of the stories, unlike most nighttime soaps, were based in reality. Subjects such as drug and alcohol addiction, colon cancer and rape were all covered in this show. But, perhaps the most dramatic change occurred several seasons after the show debuted when the Williamses, an African-American couple and their daughter, were introduced in 1987. This was at a time when many blacks were becoming upwardly mobile and this was just a reflection of that trend. This show definitely will always be fondly remembered by everyone.