A Dallas spin-off that premiered in 1979, Knots Landing enjoyed a similarly meteoric rise to the top of the ratings chart, ultimately surpassing its “inspiration” to become the second longest-running drama in TV history. Set in an upper-middle-class Southern California suburb, this primetime soap opera focused on a handful of families whose personal, professional, and romantic lives constantly intertwined. The main characters were Gary and Valene Ewing (played by Ted Shackelford and Joan Van Ark), relatives of the famously dysfunctional Texas clan. Before long, supporting players Michele Lee (cast as all-American housewife Karen Fairgate) and John Pleshette (as troubled, struggling husband Richard Avery) emerged as viewer favorites and their screen time was beefed up as a result. Not quite as flamboyant as Dallas—and therefore somewhat less prone to self-parody—Knots Landing regularly tackled issues that lent themselves to melodrama but also had “social significance,” including prescription drug abuse, abortion, homelessness, and illiteracy. The 13 episodes from the 1979-1980 first season don't necessarily find the series at its best—it took a year or two for the writers to find Knots Landing's true “voice”—but the soapish trappings are there from the start, and those who loved it back in the day are likely to welcome this initial boxed set, which includes two audio commentaries by Ark and Shackelford and a featurette. Recommended. (E. Hulse)
Knots Landing: The Complete First Season
Warner, 5 discs, 694 min., not rated, DVD: $39.98 Volume 21, Issue 4
Knots Landing: The Complete First Season
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