Vals death! then return?

[Punk Anderson]

Can anyone tell me why that Val (Joan Van Ark) left the show during season 14 then returned for the next to last episode. What was the reason for her depature??

[George S]

Answer to this question is I have absolutely no idea. Perhaps David Jacobs thought a fitting final episode would be to get Donna and Joan back as the show's best female chracters - together! Either that, or Joan wanted a holiday.

[Daniel Avery]

At the end of season 13, it was not clear whether CBS would renew Knots. The ratings had sunk and production costs were very high. JVA had been contacted about playing a role in a pilot that could be picked up for a series in the fall, and she chose the pilot because KL might very well not be picked up, and because she had grown tired of playing the same role for more than a decade. The writers had a hard time coming up with new stuff for Val (in case you hadn't noticed), so a hasty (but not FINAL) exit was tossed together at season's end.

Well, as luck would have it, the pilot she starred in (a sitcom) was NOT picked up, and KL was renewed under severe budget restrictions and a limited number of episodes. They had to keep Val 'dead' because they couldn't afford her :-), but since most everyone knew this would be Knots's final year, Val would have to turn up near the end to create that happy ending everyone would demand for G&V. Joan actually directed a few episodes, so she wasn't too far from the set.
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Val: "My record in the husband-picking department is not that good."
Karen: "But this is Gary we're talking about, as in 'I hope Gary and Val get back together again'."
Val: "People still say that?"
Karen: "Only at the mention of your name or his!"
---episode 277

[George S]

That makes sense - I had noticed how they were having trouble coming up with stuff for Val in Season 13 - teaching Lynette the waitress to read for example. I didn't know about Joan having to choose between Knots and a pilot for something else. I'm glad the pilot didn't get picked up on. Van was one third of my three favourite characters, along with Abby and Greg. Her and Abby coming back at the end was the best possible ending for the whole show.