A Bit Boring Recently

Personally, I think Knots Landing has been a bit boring recently. Laura's death was really sad but the episodes 200 and 201 were so depressing. There was hardly any action and they all just sat around. Sort of good to see Richard back though. Also, the endings haven't been as exciting as what they usually are and I am really getting a bit fed up of this Abby-Charles storyline and also the Val-Gary one aswell. It has been the same everyday, at the start they are fighting, then the make up at the end. Now that Ben, Laura and Liliemae have all gone out of it, Knots Landing just isn't good anymore. Thank goodness for the Mack-Meg storyline, it puts a bit of joy back into the programme now that good old Liliemae is gone. Saying that, I'm sure it'll pick up again, eventually.

[Beverley]

The death of Laura was to me the end of an era but things move on. I like the Abby and Charles story because it gives depth and backgoroud to why Abby is how she is. I did think that the episode that I saw today was boring but I know there is more to come!

[Radio Mike]

Agreed, it is a bit dull just now. I also don't think there's any chemistry between Donna Mills and Michael York whatsoever.

But hang in there, because Charles will disappear in a couple of weeks, and then we get the Jill/"Poor Val" plot - which I still believe, even after all these years, ranks as one of the best tv cliffhangers of all time.

I agree with Radio Mike that the Jill/Val story line is one of the best cliff hangers that Knots had.

[George S]

I Knots on UK Gold at the moment is at its most brilliant - I always think of seasons 6 to season 10 as the shows finest years, and season 9 is certainly living up to that. Abby and Charles out of an argument shag at the end of the Christmas 1987 episode Weak Moment (Wednesday 2nd August on UK Gold) was a classic Donna Mills moment of hilarity; the cheesy song at the beginning when Gary leaves Vals after ... was fantastic. Its top quality with spanking new credits to boot, and we've got Val's "suicide" (the best TV cliffhanger ever - I agree) to come, followed by Jill's "murder". Brilliant!

[Ewings]

I agree with Gary148, the recent episodes seem to have gotten a bit dull, probably due to all the cast 'cuts'. Even though Laura didn't have that many big storylinesI think Knots definelty lacked something when she left. Also now that Ben has left, I feel that Val hasn't had to many storylines. That Charles/Abby storyline is really boring me also, it is the same thing day in day out

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Power is nothing without control

[Ben]

I agree, Knots has been a little boring this week, but it seemed to pick up a little today. I must say, Ted Shackelford and Joan Van Ark weren't even in it today. I know Michele Lee appears in every epiosde, is Ted Shackelford not far behind, or is this the stage when the cast don't appear for a few episodes.?.

[LouiseMatheson]

I definitely agree that the Val/Jill storyline was one of the best and I am so looking forward to seeing it again. But I also agree that the episodes following Laura's funeral have been a bit slow and repetitive, but it's the days like this that make the better storylines stand out all the more.

[Kayblac]

Did you hear Michael York on the Steve Wright in the afternoon show saying that working on K L was like working in a wallpaper shop?

[Ewings]

lol, Well if behind the scenes of KL was as boring as KL is at the minute, then I am not suprised.

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Power is nothing without control

[Daniel Avery]

I read a portion of Michael York's autobiography, and he made it quite clear that the only reason he took that gig was because he needed the money. They were willing to pay him large amounts of money for what was essentially a guest shot. He spoke of the show with such disdain and snobbishness that I had to wonder where he got off saying such things about people who for the most part were much more talented than he.

I think you all will find things "picking up" once the Williamses arrive. Frank's paranoia is unintentionally hilarious. Pity the poor couch. [spoiler]
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Frank to Pat: "Here we thought we were moving into a nice, quiet neighborhood like Lake Wobegon..."
---episode 236

The 87-88 season had to be more toned down because the writers needed to re-ground the show in reality. the 86-87 season was too over the top in many ways(the jean Hackney plot, all that stuff with paige,peter, and anne, karen's kidnapping). The show and the characters had been initially grounded in reality and plausability in 1979. By 1987, however, that was part of the distant past and the show was relying on more new viewers to improve the show's ratings. Therefore, the show needed to tone things down and make the charcaters and situations more plausable and realistic in order to ensure longtime viewership and allow more people to be attracted to the show.They did not want to go the path of Dallas,m Dynasty, or falcon Crest which were, by this time, losing viewers in droves. By the late 80's, realistic type shows like Thirtysomething and LA Law were becoming the newest thing in pop-culture. KL wanted to keep with the times and not get dragged down with the typical over the top soaps. I, for one, was first attracted to the show by the 87-88 season. The first ep. I saw was an 86-87 ep. but, because I had not seen the first few seasons, i was unattracted to this show that seemed to be a typical, cliched soap with cardboard characters. I tried again the next year and became instantly fascinated with this seemingly reality based show and it's relatable characters. The 87-88 season might have been dull to the longtime viewer but it helped to ensure the show's success throughout the late 80's and early 90's.

[Joshua Slow]

Good point, Galveston. After "re-grounding" the show in Season 9, Season 10 was a delightful surprise. It was great that year with heartfelt stories about Abby and Greg trying to adopt Meg from Mack and Karen, Paige and Greg FINALLY getting it on- much to Mack's horror-and a wonderful whodunit when Jill bites the dust in a peculiar way. Of course, the writers had just come back from a strike-and maybe they felt a new obligation to write scripts that were more believable, connected and centered on the central characters. (Parts of Season 9 that focused in on the younger, less developed characters were awful; Paige and Michael kidnapped in Mexico-who really cared?) I think Season 10 was the most consistently well-written season since Season 7. It was glad to see KNOTS getting "back to the future" with storylines with more heart.