International Broadcasts

[Julia's Gun]

I've just stumbled upon a couple of trailers which mention Knots Landing's return to UK TV in 1986 after an absence of almost three years...

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Thanks for posting. I thought I had a vague memory that when Knots returned, it was plugged together with old episodes of Dallas as part of the BBC's daytime schedule? But not according to this. Did they do that later?

I definitely remember season 10 and seeing Pam's car explode again in daytime, but that must have happened later on.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Thanks for posting. I thought I had a vague memory that when Knots returned, it was plugged together with old episodes of Dallas as part of the BBC's daytime schedule? But not according to this. Did they do that later?

Oh, interesting. I can't recall it being plugged with Knots or even airing at the same times, but I'm nowhere near certain of that.

I do remember Dallas getting summer daytime repeats between some seasons. I'm thinking around 10am for a couple of early Eighties seasons. And I'm fairly certain the post Southfork fire season was repeated on BBC2 at 3pm every weekday in anticipation of the new season. At the time Knots returned, the new TV season had just begun and Dallas was around three episodes into the brand new post-dream season, so I'd hazard a guess they wouldn't be airing repeats at the same time. But it's not impossible.

 

[Seaviewer]

When they brought Knots Landing back here after a long hiatus, they repeated seasons 1-5 during the day while season 6 was in first run on Saturday nights. The ads started with a line something like "Move over Dallas, stand aside Dynasty, here come Knots Landing and Falcon Crest!"
(FC was also being given a second chance; the Ds were on rival networks.)

 

[Billy Nolan]

In this recap at the end of the series, the host says from 2:02 pm that the series was broadcast worldwide. Unfortunately, I don't understand which countries he is listing exactly. I only understand "Denmark". LOL
And that makes me wonder: in Denmark the series was never a big hit and only a few seasons were broadcast. But at least the series was called "Glitter" there.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Unfortunately, I don't understand which countries he is listing exactly. I only understand "Denmark".

He says:

From Botswana to Denmark to Trinidad and Tobago.

in Denmark the series was never a big hit and only a few seasons were broadcast. But at least the series was called "Glitter" there.

Oh wow. That's an unusual title choice, I think.

Of the big four, I could imagine that name working as an international title for Dynasty, but for the others - especially Knots - it doesn't really give the right impression. Imagine tuning in for the sparkly glamour and finding yourself watching a series where the main business is a small car dealership and the characters attend barbecues. It seems like it's setting completely the wrong expectation for the audience.

 

[Billy Nolan]

Thank you for the translation.
It was very exciting that they chosed THESE countries ... In all of the countries mentioned, Knots Landing did not run with great success and not all seasons were broadcast. In Venezuela (Trinidad and Tobago) only the 1st and 2nd seasons were shown, in Denmark only 9 seasons and - as far as I know - the series ran in South Africa until 1985.

I have now researched again about the Danish title: The TV station TV3 did broadcast the series in Denmark from 1988. It is said that the title of the series was renamed "Glitter" from 1990 onwards. At the time, the series was probably on season 4 or 5 in Denmark. In this seasons Knots Landing broke away more and more from "Dallas" and became (in contrast to the previous seasons) more and more glamorous. I guess the show was also called "J.R.'s bror Gary Ewing" from 1988-1990 (until it was renamed). That was also the Swedish title that already dictated the Dallas connection. That connection became more and more irrelevant in the later seasons of the series.

A fan from Venezuela told me that KL in Puerto Rico only ran one or two seasons called "Vecinos y Amigos" (Neighbors and Friends). The series aired at 9:00 p.m. on Friday evening before it was canceled. CBS in the Virgin Islands then showed the remaining seasons of the series.

Overall, there were only a few countries in the world that showed KL completely with all 14 seasons. (e.g. France, Germany, UK, Ireland, Israel, ...)
So I think it is interesting that the TV report claims that KL was a successful series on the world market.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

It is said that the title of the series was renamed "Glitter" from 1990 onwards. At the time, the series was probably on season 4 or 5 in Denmark. In this seasons Knots Landing broke away more and more from "Dallas" and became (in contrast to the previous seasons) more and more glamorous. I guess the show was also called "J.R.'s bror Gary Ewing" from 1988-1990 (until it was renamed).

Thanks for the context, Billy. As the series cut ties with Dallas it makes sense that the title might become a little redundant. And I suppose the rebranding would also be used to attract some new viewers.

All the same, it does seem it could get a bit confusing for people following the series when it's renamed after a couple of years.

Overall, there were only a few countries in the world that showed KL completely with all 14 seasons. (e.g. France, Germany, UK, Ireland, Israel, ...)
So I think it is interesting that the TV report claims that KL was a successful series on the world market.

It could just be hyperbole on their part, but I suppose it also depends how they're measuring success.

While it never had a huge international audience like Dallas or Dynasty, Knots seems to be the kind of series that attracted a smaller but very loyal fanbase. I'd say most of the feedback coming their way from viewers would have been positive, even if ratings didn't reflect that.

 

[Billy Nolan]

Yes you are right. The naming of the countries in the article seems a bit "pulled by the hair" ... Especially when you have the inside knowledge of the "success" of Knots Landing in the named countries.

In addition, in my opinion, Knots Landing is "more sustainable" than the other, comparable soap operas and is still "timeless" today.
Whenever the soap operas of the 80s come up, "Dallas" and "Dynasty" are viewed like series in a time bubble. ... many people associate "Knots Landing" with "warmer" memories.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

In addition, in my opinion, Knots Landing is "more sustainable" than the other, comparable soap operas and is still "timeless" today.
Whenever the soap operas of the 80s come up, "Dallas" and "Dynasty" are viewed like series in a time bubble. ... many people associate "Knots Landing" with "warmer" memories.

Yes, I think this is true. Even within its own original lifetime Knots kept up with current times and changed its image. I'm not sure how it would be viewed by casual viewers (those that can even remember it), but I'd suspect the things that spring to mind are probably not entrenched in the Eighties as Dynasty or Dallas.

 

[Billy Nolan]

A report about Lisa Hartman from a Polish TV newspaper from 1988. In the Polish reports I found about the Knots Landing actors in my archive, "Knots Landing" is always called "Zachodniego Wybrzeza". That translation of this is "West Coast". However, acquaintances from Poland told me that they did not know about "Knots Landing" - and I did not find any other clues in any of the reports that it got a Polish broadcast. This current Lisa Hartman report mentions the series - and introduces Lisa Hartman as an actress who has helped drive ratings through her performance and has returned to the series as a doppelganger. I did not find "Knots landing" in the TV program of this magazine. But what surprises me: Why is Lisa Hartman's return to the series reported in autumn 1988 at all when the series was not shown in Poland? She originally came back to "Knots Landing" 5 years earlier as "Cathy". So that wasn't actually a current press release. I could have understood if the episodes had been broadcast at the time ... It was similar in France and Germany. When Lisa Hartman returned as a doppelganger for the French or German audience, it was reported in the summer of 1988 and 1989.
Does anyone know more about a probable Polish broadcast of KL?
The polish press has occasionally reported on some of the actors in the series - notably Joan Van Ark and Lisa Hartman at the time.

 

[Brian Kinney]

This was probably the only chance the Polish magazine had to print that photo of Lisa Hartman.

 

[Billy Nolan]

This was probably the only chance the Polish magazine had to print that photo of Lisa Hartman.

I thought the same!!! The article beside her was about the Pope!

 

[Billy Nolan]

I've now found out more about the airing of "Knots Landing" in Turkey - and found a few articles about it:

"Knots Landing" started in Turkey in October 1985 and was broadcast on Friday evenings ...
The Turkish title of Knots Landing was initially "Yeni Bir Hayat". That means "A New Life".
The series was later called "Aile Baglari ". That means "Family Ties".
When the Turkish press later reported on other projects of the actors, however, they wrote that they were known from the soap opera "Knots Landing". The Turkish titles were not named later in this context.

 

[Billy Nolan]

Three more episode ads (including "The Lie" and "Civil Wives") from Turkey from 1985. In the meantime, I have received more information about the broadcast in Turkey from a Turkish fan of the series:
The series ran in 1985 on the Turkish channel TRT 1. Only the first season (13 episodes) were shown. Although the series was well received by both TV viewers and the press, it was canceled due to the TV station's time slot.
In 1991 the first season was broadcast again. This time with the title: "Aile Bağları" on the TV channel "Star 1". That means "Family Ties". In the 1990s, the series won numerous fans in Turkey, who watched the unaired seasons in the original. Turkish productions became more and more subordinate and the western series became more popular with audiences. So there was also a large fan base for "Melrose Place".
With regard to Knots Landing, Donna Mills and Lisa Hartman were more frequently represented in the Turkish press with (pin-up) pictures - even though both actresses were never seen in the Turkish-dubbed version.

 

[Billy Nolan]

.... and another article from Poland from the magazine "Ekran" from 07/21/1988.
Interestingly enough, "Knots Landing" was always featured - and the series even had its own Polish title in Poland: "Zachodniego Wybrzeza". That means "West Coast". You already know the title from France: "Cote Ouest". In this article, Donna Mills is described as the "New Star of the West Coast". Reference is made to the fact that the series has gained a higher level of glamor and, most importantly, sex appeal since Donna Mills' involvement. There was a similar report in the magazine "Ekran" two months later, when Lisa Hartman appeared in the series as "Ciji".
But what surprises me: The series was never broadcast in Poland. Then why do they report on the "newcomers" to the series? And that although Donna Mills appeared in the series as early as 1980 and Lisa Hartman as early as 1982? The articles are from 1988. My only explanation: The articles refer to another European broadcast of "Knots Landing". Probably the French broadcast ... Nevertheless: French television did not exist in Poland at the time. A mystery. If anyone knows more about this, please let me know.

 

[Billy Nolan]

... and more information about the broadcast of the series in Turkey: From February 11th. The TV station "Teleon" started with a repetition of the episodes already broadcast and then showed all the episodes that had been filmed in the USA up to that point in a Turkish-synchronized version (294 episodes). The episodes of the 14th season probably were shown afterwards. The broadcaster also gave the series a good time slot with a broadcast at around 7:20 pm. The series was later also broadcast at lunchtime.
Unfortunately, today Turkey hardly shows any western film and television productions. The political unrest has also changed the country a lot in terms of culture.

 

[Billy Nolan]

Here´s the original press release of the Turkey TV archive about the re-broadcast of Knots Landing with the (new) title "Aile Baglari (Family Ties) from February 1992:

SAYFA CUMHURİYET 11ŞUBAT1992SALJ 12 TELEVIZYON İZİ 13.45 Dallas'm uzantısı Aile Bağları (Knots Landing) / Yapımcı-Yönetmen: David Jacobs / Oyuncular: Ted Shackleford, Joan Van Ark, William Devane, Kevin Dobson, Julie Harris, James Houghton, Kim Lankford, Michael Lee, Constance Mc Cashin, Don Murray, John Pleshette /1979 yapımı / 294 bölüm 50'şer dakika. TV Servisi - Televizyonun yeni kanah Teleon'da başlayan 294 bölümlük dev dizi "Aile Bağlan"nda Güney Kaliforniya'nın görkemli yaşantısı içindeki beş evli çiftin birbirleri arasında yaşadıklan entrıkalar ıle dolu komşuluk ilişkileri konu ediliyor. özgün adı "Knots Landing" olan ve yönetmenliğini David Jacobs'un yaptığı "Aile Bağlan" gösterimi Starl'de hâlâ süren bir dönem TV'nin çok izlenen yabancı dizisi" Dallas"ın da bir uzantısı. Dallas'ın kahramanlanndan petrol zengini Ewing'lerin ortanca oğullan Ceyar ve Babi'nin kardeşi Garry Evving ve 17 yıllık bir ayrılıktan sonra yeniden bir araya geldiği kansı Valene "Aile Bağlan" dizisinin beş evli çiftinden birini oluşturuyor. Alkolik olduğu için "Dallas" dizısinde ailesi ile bağlannı tümü ile koparmış olan ve pek az bölümde yer alan Garry'nin yaşantısı yıllar önce "Knots Landing"in kısa birkaç bölümü ile ekrana gelmiş ve sonra kesilmişti. Şimdi dizinin tümü yayımlanıyor. 'Aile Bağlan"nda Garry Ewing rolünü tiyatro kökenli Amerikalı oyuncu Ted Shackleford, kansı Valene rolünü ise bir başka tiyatro sanatçısı Joan Van Ark oynuyor. "Dallas"ı yaratan David Jacobs'un imzasını taşıyan "Aile Bağlan" da tıpkı o dizi gibi zengin ve görkemli çevrede seçkin insanlar arasında geçen olayları ve ilişkileri yansıtıyor.

 

[Billy Nolan]

KL in the UK in 1983 on BBC 1! Primetime!

 

[Billy Nolan]

KL rerun in Turkey in January 1992 with the new title "Aile Baglari". 12 Seasons were broadcast.

 

[Billy Nolan]

Here´s an older article from a UK TV magazine from September 1987 I found. What irritates me: why is Knots Landing called a "new series"? As far as I know, the series ran in the UK as early as July 1981? Were the episodes repeated in September 1987? But why did you start with the episode "Fatal Blow" and not from the beginning?