Had Jane Not Returned, How Would You Have Ended Falcon Crest?

[Angela Chilling]

On another thread, @Jock Og said "To end the series without Jane Wyman just wouldn't have felt right". I completely agree with him and I loved how the series ended. However, his comment got me thinking what if Jane's health had been too poorly that she couldn't return to the series, how would they have ended it?

My idea would be for a powerful businesswoman (I'll call her Jane Doe for now) to offer an attractive business deal to Michael Sharpe which he wants to be part of. Jane Doe would be played by a former Hollywood star such as Sophia Loren or Esther Williams. To fund the venture, Michael has to sell Falcon Crest and various people put in bids for the business. Depending on which cast members would agree to return for the finale, various people submit bids to buy Falcon Crest including Lance, who forms a partnership with Julia and Emma, Richard using his own funds and Cole and Vicki return to submit a bid using the money they inherit from Maggie, Chase and Jacqueline after their deaths. However, they are all outbid by a big international wine corporation (I'll call it Callo Family Wines for now) and Michael sells to them. After the sale goes through, the initial business deal with Jane Doe falls through.

The series ends with Jane Doe phoning a mystery person saying everything went to plan. It's then revealed that the person she is talking to is Peter Stavros. The camera pulls back and we see he's in the headquarters of Callo Family Wines. He makes a phone call and says "Angela, Falcon Crest is yours again" and the series ends.

 

[Richard Denault]

After all the tragedies of the ninth season that ending would not have been appropriate
Another ending Maggie has been in a coma and the whole novena has been a dream. A nightmare for fans
Lauren, Michael and Genele disappear. Richard and Maggie remarry
Angela says her speech and goes back into the room and all the family toast to Falcon Crest.
But Jane was too diva for that final toast all together
The frame is from 8.06 Liars anonymous Angela after recovering Falcon Crest toasts with everyone
Jane had an accident and that is why, as in many episodes of the eighth, she is sitting like everyone else.

 

[Count Jockula]

@Angela Channing your alternative would have been credible enough. As I have said many times before season 9 was the 'black and blue' season, loathed by most and even with the occasional flicker of highlights Jane's character was sorely missed.

How about the unthinkable just what if the all conquering matriarchal Mrs. Channing actually passed away. Instead of her making deals with Lance, Michael and Richard about the future of Falcon Crest, upon her return from the comatose state the family have a wake and then of course the funeral held in St. Timothy's RC chapel. '

'Home Again' would have been extended for one hour, to allow the family to come to terms with the massive void created by Angela going to the great vineyard, in the sky. Julia; Emma, Frank, Peter, Greg, Fr. Chris, Tony, Francesca and probably Cole would all have returned for the funeral, which would have been the very last scene. Flashback scenes from seasons 1 to 8 would have been shown, as each character remember the main character. Angela is of course buried in the Gioberti family cemetery alongside Jason; Jasper, Lily, Giuseppe and Tessa.

Angela and Chao-Li are enjoying their tea, in the Falcon Crest dining room. They talk about Angela being hospitalised in a coma, at the hands of blaggard Charley St. James, (a scene from season 9, 1989-'90):

Angela: "Oh it was like a dream but it was so real. Everybody was there; Maggie and Chase, Stavros and all the fighting and bickering was all gone. Everything was filled with laughter. Ah well, I'm back now and we have a lot of work to do!"

Richard arrives for a bit of a yarn.

 

[Richard Denault]

@Angela Channing your alternative would have been credible enough. As I have said many times before season 9 was the 'black and blue' season, loathed by most and even with the occasional flicker of highlights Jane's character was sorely missed.

How about the unthinkable just what if the all conquering matriarchal Mrs. Channing actually passed away. Instead of her making deals with Lance, Michael and Richard about the future of Falcon Crest, upon her return from the comatose state the family have a wake and then of course the funeral held in St. Timothy's RC chapel. '

'Home Again' would have been extended for one hour, to allow the family to come to terms with the massive void created by Angela going to the great vineyard, in the sky. Julia; Emma, Frank, Peter, Greg, Fr. Chris, Tony, Francesca and probably Cole would all have returned for the funeral, which would have been the very last scene. Flashback scenes from seasons 1 to 8 would have been shown, as each character remember the main character. Angela is of course buried in the Gioberti family cemetery alongside Jason; Jasper, Lily, Giuseppe and Tessa.

Angela and Chao-Li are enjoying their tea, in the Falcon Crest dining room. They talk about Angela being hospitalised in a coma, at the hands of blaggard Charley St. James, (a scene from season 9, 1989-'90):

Angela: "Oh it was like a dream but it was so real. Everybody was there; Maggie and Chase, Stavros and all the fighting and bickering was all gone. Everything was filled with laughter. Ah well, I'm back now and we have a lot of work to do!"

Richard arrives for a bit of a yarn.

After Pam's dream, and Fallon's UFO, everything could be admitted
The problem with Angela's dream is that Maggie would still be dead. That's why it would be better to wake up from Maggie's coma
Charly would not exist and Maggie would still be alive
By the way, the dream was not invented by soap writers but by the great Calderon Barca, playwright of the 16th century, who already said it
What is life? A madness. What is life? An illusion, a shadow, a story. And the greatest good is little enough; for all life is a dream, and dreams themselves are only dreams.

 

[Werewillie Oleson]

He makes a phone call and says "Angela, Falcon Crest is yours again" and the series ends.

But to give it a little bit of open ending I'd love to see a mystery man in jeans and boots, using a cane, walking through the gates of Falcon Crest.
It would suggest but not reveal that Chase Gioberti has returned to turn everything upside down - again.

 

[Angela Chilling]

@Angela Channing your alternative would have been credible enough. As I have said many times before season 9 was the 'black and blue' season, loathed by most and even with the occasional flicker of highlights Jane's character was sorely missed.

How about the unthinkable just what if the all conquering matriarchal Mrs. Channing actually passed away. Instead of her making deals with Lance, Michael and Richard about the future of Falcon Crest, upon her return from the comatose state the family have a wake and then of course the funeral held in St. Timothy's RC chapel. '

'Home Again' would have been extended for one hour, to allow the family to come to terms with the massive void created by Angela going to the great vineyard, in the sky. Julia; Emma, Frank, Peter, Greg, Fr. Chris, Tony, Francesca and probably Cole would all have returned for the funeral, which would have been the very last scene. Flashback scenes from seasons 1 to 8 would have been shown, as each character remember the main character. Angela is of course buried in the Gioberti family cemetery alongside Jason; Jasper, Lily, Giuseppe and Tessa.

Angela and Chao-Li are enjoying their tea, in the Falcon Crest dining room. They talk about Angela being hospitalised in a coma, at the hands of blaggard Charley St. James, (a scene from season 9, 1989-'90):

Angela: "Oh it was like a dream but it was so real. Everybody was there; Maggie and Chase, Stavros and all the fighting and bickering was all gone. Everything was filled with laughter. Ah well, I'm back now and we have a lot of work to do!"

Richard arrives for a bit of a yarn.

Killing Angela off would have been an option and a great way of ending the series however, I think I would have preferred something a bit more upbeat and positive. If they had to kill Angela off while Jane Wyman was still alive, my preference would have been for her to be there for Angela's demise. However, your idea would have provided a very good excuse to bring back some of the great characters from the past.

 

[Angela Chilling]

But to give it a little bit of open ending I'd love to see a mystery man in jeans and boots, using a cane, walking through the gates of Falcon Crest.
It would suggest but not reveal that Chase Gioberti has returned to turn everything upside down - again.

Oh yes, that would have been a great final scene after Peter gets Falcon Crest back for Angela.

 

[Richard Denault]

Oh yes, that would have been a great final scene after Peter gets Falcon Crest back for Angela.

Couldn't Angela even recover just Falcon Crest?
Angela married Douglas for money to save Falcon Crest and now she had to turn to someone else to get it back.

 

[Richard Denault]

Killing Angela off would have been an option and a great way of ending the series however, I think I would have preferred something a bit more upbeat and positive. If they had to kill Angela off while Jane Wyman was still alive, my preference would have been for her to be there for Angela's demise. However, your idea would have provided a very good excuse to bring back some of the great characters from the past.

As bad as Jane was, she could always have done the last scene in bed waking up from her coma. All you suggest would have been Angela's coma dreams.
Considering Jane's age and health, it would have been in very bad taste to kill her.
Although Jane after finishing Falcon Crest lived another thirteen years

 

[WarriorsFan]

Although Jane after finishing Falcon Crest lived another thirteen years

Jane Wyman passed away September 10, 2007 at age 90. Going by the timeline of the original CBS broadcast of the final episode (May 17, 1990), Jane lived another 17 years.

 

[Richard Denault]

It was always known that Jane would return at the end of the ninth season.
According to the bulletins of the German club, the bible of the ninth season planned for Sydney to arrive for the Bacchus festival in episode 211 <9.06> and to stay for the remainder of the whole season.
With their idea to make Sydney a new core character, Joel Surnow and Sheri Anderson wanted her to become "Angela's right arm" in the long run.
After coming out of the coma, “Angela sees herself as a young girl in the beautiful, but tenacious Sydney”, who, in turn, was supposed to see herself as the next Angela Channing.
The bible writers wanted to establish her as a new core character for the following year if the show had been renewed for a 10th season.
Falcon Crest was still supposed to belong to Michael Sharpe, who had plans to pave it over to turn it into an industrial park. Angela's attempts to get the property back with the help of her family de ella were supposed to be supported by Sydney. Angela and Sydney were to come up with a plan to publicly destroy Michael Sharpe — at the wedding of Sydney and Danny. While Danny was supposed to really love Sydney and have turned against Sharpe, Sydney was supposed to marry him out of convenience only. Although Danny was to know she is not in love with him, he was to agree to the wedding. The ceremony was to be Sharpe's final victory, however as Angela's plan was supposed to backfire. The writers' ideas called for final scenes in the style of "The Godfather" movie where Sharpe was to orchestrate the demise of all of his enemies from him during the sacred event of the wedding. He was supposed to destroy them all — to quote the season 9 bible, "whether financially, emotionally, or physically — leaving all of our 'Falcon Crest' characters to pick up the pieces of their lives next season."
And Richard, Lance and Pilar? They must have died in the slaughter at the wedding

 

[Richard Denault]

It was always known that Jane would return at the end of the ninth season.
According to the bulletins of the German club, the bible of the ninth season planned for Sydney to arrive for the Bacchus festival in episode 211 <9.06> and to stay for the remainder of the whole season.
With their idea to make Sydney a new core character, Joel Surnow and Sheri Anderson wanted her to become "Angela's right arm" in the long run.
After coming out of the coma, “Angela sees herself as a young girl in the beautiful, but tenacious Sydney”, who, in turn, was supposed to see herself as the next Angela Channing.
The bible writers wanted to establish her as a new core character for the following year if the show had been renewed for a 10th season.
Falcon Crest was still supposed to belong to Michael Sharpe, who had plans to pave it over to turn it into an industrial park. Angela's attempts to get the property back with the help of her family de ella were supposed to be supported by Sydney. Angela and Sydney were to come up with a plan to publicly destroy Michael Sharpe — at the wedding of Sydney and Danny. While Danny was supposed to really love Sydney and have turned against Sharpe, Sydney was supposed to marry him out of convenience only. Although Danny was to know she is not in love with him, he was to agree to the wedding. The ceremony was to be Sharpe's final victory, however as Angela's plan was supposed to backfire. The writers' ideas called for final scenes in the style of "The Godfather" movie where Sharpe was to orchestrate the demise of all of his enemies from him during the sacred event of the wedding. He was supposed to destroy them all — to quote the season 9 bible, "whether financially, emotionally, or physically — leaving all of our 'Falcon Crest' characters to pick up the pieces of their lives next season."
And Richard, Lance and Pilar? They must have died in the slaughter at the wedding

We know what the monitoring groups of the seventh and eighth season of Lorimar .Of the ninth thought

 

[Chloe-Fusco]

In my alternative Michael Sharpe orders his goons to kidnap Angela and Chao-Li, after Mrs. Channing awakens from her coma. The goons stage an accident between limos and have the FC pair hauled away. The family report them missing but soon receive a tipoff that both Angela and Chao-Li are dead. Are they really? End of the series.

 

[Richard Denault]

In January 1990, the French magazine Cine Tele Revue reported this news.
Jane Wyman revient pour mieux dire adieu aux fans de «FalconCrest». Victim of a serious crisis of diabetes, the star avait du abandonner le tournage du feuilleton, are her character tombant in a deep coma.
Angela Channing is going to be a reviewer for the six last episodes of the saga. Elle pourrait mémedéjá apparaítre au mois de mars sur le petit écran américain. At the same time, there is another femme de tete: Susan Blakely ("Le richeetle pauvre"), who incarnates the wife of Gregory Harrison.
That is to say that Jane was thought to return for episode 9-17 Vigil,
According to what they tell us in the newsletter of the German club, the script was rewrote. And for example, Sidney was eliminated, who was going to become Angela's right hand
The same magazine visited the Falcon Crest set where 9-13 Four Women was filmed, there was already a very bad atmosphere, The episode 9-06 God of the grape saw on November 11, 1989 was a disaster, it ranked 60 and lost 500.00 ' episodes
In the end Jane came back for the last three. And in the month of May
After episode 918 Dark streets schedule on March 16, 1990 the series paused and returned a month later on Thursdays before knots Landing
It is clear that it was always thought that Jane would return in the middle of the ninth season and even that she would be in the tenth season.

 

[Chris]

An idealistic end to keep everything wide open as it was with both Dallas and Dynast, it would have been to let Angela die offscreen in Greece, let Peter Stavros return and drop the bomb that Chase would return with Cole to challenge Richard and Lance for Falcon Crest. Maybe even let Samantha Ross return as either a brain-washed Melissa or a turning-out-to-be-twin of Melissa to explain her looking alike.

 

[Chris]

The killing of Maggie made it impossible to have her survive just like in some daytime soaps it´s always the case. It would also have been nice to make her the legitimate follower of Angela´s and maybe Chase and Cole return, but it´s only wishful thinking.

 

[Richard Denault]

Since Lee Rich and Lorimar was bought by another company. Falcon Crest was an orphan
Except the actors who loved their characters and fans.
The producers brought them without care. See the bungling way to finish the series.
Fortunately, most actors have continued together and remember with love the series like their fans

 

[Monzo]

After coming out of the coma, “Angela sees herself as a young girl in the beautiful, but tenacious Sydney”, who, in turn, was supposed to see herself as the next Angela Channing.
The bible writers wanted to establish her as a new core character for the following year if the show had been renewed for a 10th season.

Did Carla Gugino ever reveal if she left FC on her own or if she was fired? If produers had big plans with Sydney and she was gone in the middle of her new romance with Danny something must have happened behind the scenes.

 

[Richard Denault]

Did Carla Gugino ever reveal if she left FC on her own or if she was fired? If produers had big plans with Sydney and she was gone in the middle of her new romance with Danny something must have happened behind the scenes.

Apparently Jane was going to reappear for the last six episodes, that is, for Vigil 9-17, which was just produced on January 9, 1990.
It is when Danny is in the hospital but at the last minute the script was changed Sidney disappeared from the series and Angela appeared only in the last three.
It would be interesting to know the date of the final script that would indicate when it was decided to end the series,
But what was the cause? That the 906 God of the grape that was seen on 10-11-1989 ranked number 60.
Or that the Lorimar control groups were of the opinion that they did not like the new direction of the series at all?
What did Falcon Crest have to do with a serie located between
between “Un flic dans la mafia” et “Miami Vice’’,.. » As its producer Jerry Thorpe wanted
It would be interesting to know what TJP thinks

 

[TJP]

Unfortunately, we have never been able to interview Carla Gugino, and nobody from the staff and crew we are in touch with knows why Carla Gugino's character was written off so hastily.

From the disastrous ratings, it was pretty obvious during the run of the final season that it CBS would not renew it for a 10th season, so the references to a possible 10th season in the original season 9 bible lost any significance while season 9 was on the air. The show plummeted so much in the ratings that CBS even considered not to air the remainder of the season after # 223 <9.18> was aired although the whole season had been produced at that time. They stopped airing and were looking for a new day and timeslot for the last four episodes.

Production documents in our archives do not indicate that there were any plans for Jane to return earlier than for the last three episodes. She came back, and the last three episodes were filmed between January 29 and February 26, 1990, Jane having to be present on a total of nine shooting days within this time frame.