The Big Valley

[Snarky Oracle!]

Well, it seems Victoria (absent for this episode) had a sister in Denver (whom she's visiting).

Who should we cast??

^^
At about 14:00, Nick starts to remind you of Charlie Sheen...

 

[Toni]

Well, it seems Victoria (absent for this episode) had a sister in Denver (whom she's visiting).

Who should we cast??

^^
At about 14:00, Nick starts to remind you of Charlie Sheen...

Bo Derek.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Bo Derek.

Bo was 9. That just seems wrong.

 

[lbf522]

I have to laugh that Victoria spends a lot of time early in the series reassuring Heath that “you’re just as much of a Barkley as they are!” And yet when it comes to the credits, he’s listed as only “Heath” (as opposed everyone else: “Jarrod Barkley” “Victoria Barkley” etc.)

That always got me as well. That and in the opening credits, Nick is the only one who has his hat on. I read a couple of years ago, that they were thinking of doing a Big Valley movie with Lee Major portraying not Heath but Tom Barkley. I guess it was meant to be a prequel. Might have been interesting.

Lee Majors and Linda Evans (Heath and Audra) are the only ones left from the show still with us.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Barbara Stanwyck's Victoria Barkley is still the greatest western matriarch ever. Victoria Barkley was strong, intelligent, compassionate.
No one like her, never will be.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

When the idea came up that Heath was a wild oat sown by Tom Barkley years ago which floated back to Stockton -- pretty edgy for TV in 1965, Stanwyck thought it might be an even better idea if Heath had been her illegitimate child.

ABC was horrified, and so it never happened.

 

[Seaviewer]

I have to laugh that Victoria spends a lot of time early in the series reassuring Heath that “you’re just as much of a Barkley as they are!” And yet when it comes to the credits, he’s listed as only “Heath” (as opposed everyone else: “Jarrod Barkley” “Victoria Barkley” etc.)

As a matter of law, how would he be entitled to the name Barkley? Tom couldn't acknowledge him if he's dead. Could Victoria adopt him as a widow in those days? Did anything like that ever come up? I don't remember.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

And this is why Blake Carrington's father should never have been named "Tom" -- because Audra's father was named "Tom" and it just gets confusing.

Must all patriarchs be name "Tom"?

My vote is for something biblically ancient, like "Ezekial Carrington."

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I always wanted BIG VALLEY to have a name for the estate (like "the Ponderosa") just like I've always wanted DYNASTY's Carrington estate/mansion to have a name (like "Southfork").

Unfortunately, both "Ponderosa" and "Southfork" were already taken.

I just don't like the non-descript anonymity of "The Barkley Ranch" of "The Carrington Mansion."

Years ago, I came up with a name for both. I made a three-column list of nouns/adjectives that meant something snowy/wintry, something treelike endemic to Colorado, and something that described a religious edifice... Eventually, I had to eliminate the snowy/wintry column, so the title for the Carringtons' house and estate would be too lengthy... I settled on "Cedar Abbey" (well before DOWNTON ABBEY was a thing).

And I still like it. Imagine hearing denizens of Denver refer to "Cedar Abbey" nearly as often as the dudes 'n' dames of Dallas referred to "Southfork"?

Then I tried to think up a name for The Barkley Ranch, and I settled on "Cougar Hollow Ranch." I loved it and I still do... Then I googled the name -- and what to my surprise did I learn that there is a Cougar Hollow Ranch in Texas, establish as recently as 2010 (about the same time as my invention).

Who sues who??

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

As a matter of law, how would he be entitled to the name Barkley? Tom couldn't acknowledge him if he's dead. Could Victoria adopt him as a widow in those days? Did anything like that ever come up? I don't remember.

Good point. Maybe Jarrod Barkley, being a lawyer, figured out something

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I think it was just a way to remind the audience that Heath was "different" somehow.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I've come to the conclusion that the Season 2 opening theme has been replaced by the Season 1 opening theme, and the Season 4 opening theme has been replaced by the Season 3 opening theme. In most venues.

Perhaps even on DVD. (Perhaps @Screamboat Willie will verify).

In other words, the original opening themes for Seasons 2 and 4 may be lost forever.

 

[Seaviewer]

Barbara Stanwyck was the best actress who never won an Oscar

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Barbara Stanwyck was the best actress who never won an Oscar

I didn't realize that she never won an Oscar - a real injustice.

Barbara Stanwyck's Victoria Barkley remains the greatest matriarch of a TV series
No one is even a close second

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Although she did receive an honorary Oscar in 1982.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Interesting how some actors played multiple roles. including Dennis Patrick (Vaughn Leland) in 3 episodes

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058791/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cst_sm

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Interesting how some actors played multiple roles. including Dennis Patrick (Vaughn Leland) in 3 episodes

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058791/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cst_sm

Oh, that used to happen all the time in primetime dramas (I think Bruce Dern was in every season, playing a different role each time) and it sometimes confuses younger viewers watching the reruns of old shows. It wasn't until "soap" structure hit primetime with DALLAS when guest actors returned playing the same character.

One would think with all the actors available in Hollywood, these older shows wouldn't have to repeat actors for different parts -- sometimes only a year or two apart -- but producers and casting directors have their favorites.

GUNSMOKE was probably the king of this, if only because it ran so long. I mean, like, John Voight was in three different episodes playing three different roles in only three years.

It's just how series television was.

 

[Seaviewer]

Oh, that used to happen all the time in primetime dramas (I think Bruce Dern was in every season, playing a different role each time) and it sometimes confuses younger viewers watching the reruns of old shows. It wasn't until "soap" structure hit primetime with DALLAS when guest actors returned playing the same character.

One would think with all the actors available in Hollywood, these older shows wouldn't have to repeat actors for different parts -- sometimes only a year or two apart -- but producers and casting directors have their favorites.

GUNSMOKE was probably the king of this, if only because it ran so long. I mean, like, John Voight was in three different episodes playing three different roles in only three years.

It's just how series television was.

And of course they didn't foresee the development of home media and streaming so that fans could rewatch ad infinitum and analyse all the flaws.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Batman terrorizes the valley. And a leprechaun is his aide.

Why didn't Krystle ever play the piano? Or the spinet?

This is actually the first episode of Season 4 (with an original music score by Lalo Schifrin repeated ad nauseum all that year).

It appears that the Season 2 and 4 themes are gone with the wind.

 

[lbf522]

I loved that theme song. Its a shame they don't do that anymore. The opening theme music was memorable and the best part of the series.