Season 11 intro

I love the new intro. It is brilliant. It is much better than the paint one and I was getting a bit fed up of it aswell. It is done all so cleverly and the music is much better. Also, the way they do what happened last time at the start is great. The way it zooms into the garage and then continues with the intro is really good. And I like it telling you what happens next time at the end. The beach at the end with the credits is good and I like the way you see the sea moving and the way they did the Sumner group buildings and the cul-de-sac.

[Radio Mike]

I agree, the new titles are excellent. You'll be pleased to know that the end credits stay pretty much like this right up to the very last episode (they just change the font on the lettering for the next 3 seasons), but the sandcastle opening is only used for 29 episodes!

Incidentally, have you noticed that there's a brief shot in the opening where the sea washes into a kind of ditch behind the sand model of Val's house... but when you see the wider shot of the entire model, there's no ditch!

[Ewings]

I agree, the sand castles are better than the painting, but the best opening credits were the boxes. I wish they had never got rid of them, when they decided to change the painting they should have changed back to the boxes.

I have to disagree with the recap on the last episode I think it is a waste of episode time, I understand that it was done because in the original run, people had to wait a whole week to see the next ep, so they may have forgotten all the went on, but I still find it annoying now.

Power is nothing without control

[Ben]

Congratulations To Knots Landing Producers for the major re-vamp they did for Season Eleven.(Just for curiosity, Dallas had a re-vamp the same Season)

The opening Titles and end Titles are brilliant, so are the Credits and the Music is much better. It is a shame we don't see the faces, but it is nice to see Sandcastles and those two birds that appear.

Has anyone else noticed that the above aren't the only changes made in Season Eleven.?.

Val's Front Room and Karen't Back Room have changed slightly. Scenes of Pattio Doors that look much different than before.

Also the picture quality seems different.

It is a pleasant change.

Please tell me, somebody mentioned the Sand Castles are only for 29 episodes. Does that mean we see a change for Season Twelve.?. Will we still have Previously and Next Time.?.

[Ben]

Congratulations To Knots Landing Producers for the major re-vamp they did for Season Eleven.(Just for curiosity, Dallas had a re-vamp the same Season)

The opening Titles and end Titles are brilliant, so are the Credits and the Music is much better. It is a shame we don't see the faces, but it is nice to see Sandcastles and those two birds that appear.

Has anyone else noticed that the above aren't the only changes made in Season Eleven.?.

Val's Front Room and Karen't Back Room have changed slightly. Scenes of Pattio Doors that look much different than before.

Also the picture quality seems different.

It is a pleasant change.

Please tell me, somebody mentioned the Sand Castles are only for 29 episodes. Does that mean we see a change for Season Twelve.?. Will we still have Previously and Next Time.?.

[Radio Mike]

Yes, the opening titles do indeed change for Season 12. They're a revised version of the scrolling panels, except the pictures move at different rates, and each one is in a brightly coloured border. Yes, it is as tacky as it sounds! The sequence ends with a picture of the seagulls flying away from the sandcastles, so I suppose they thought they could get away with keeping the existing sandcastles end credits.

The season 11 music remains, but it's a bit pacier. The "previously" segment is also there, but it comes before the titles (so it's anybody's guess as to whether UK Gold will keep it or edit it out).

Actually Season 12 is one of my favourites, the show's sense of humour returns, and Greg's sister Claudia arrives to stir things up a bit (she also has some great scenes with Anne Matheson)

The one big, BIG downer about this season is the plot involving Valene... but I won't spoil it for you!

[Daniel Avery]

I was relieved when they dumped the splattered paint intro, and I thought the sandcastle concept was unique to primetime at the time. Early in the series the producers wanted to have the ocean and the beach play an important role in the "flavor" of the series. In the middle years of KL that was lost; the events occurring could very well have been in any place. "Bringing back" the SoCal setting via the opening was a stroke of genius, just as they attempted to refocus more action in the cul-de-sac.

Integrating the "last seen on" segment into the opening rather than tacking it on the beginning was also unique to the soaps at the time. It irritated me back then because I wanted to tape the episodes minus the "last seen on" bit. Still, I've mellowed on that. :-) I guess you could say they took the best parts of the sandcastle motif (the beach, the birds) and integrated it into the revamped, revived picture panels-style opening of the final seasons. We got the best of both worlds.
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Laura enters the room with Michael, who is carrying Ben and Valene's wedding cake.
Laura: "Drop this thing and you're buried with it!"
---episode 138

[KnotsFanUK]

also, when we get back to the scrolly panels in Season 12, those of you who have not seen it before, will be pleased to know, that the opening shot of these credits, is that of the camera moving over the sea and up the cliff again. (But minus the big "O" this time)

[George S]

I thought the sandcastles credits were good but I preffered the painted seaside. The music was mellow and chill and the pictures of the actors were outstanding - Joan Van Ark's swallowed a hand granade hairdo was the best one. Her punk phase rocked. However, I have to ask Radio Mike: what was wrong with the plot about Val in Season 12 - I thought it was hilarious - just as you say, it brought back the show's sense of humour just like the rest of the season. Killer lines for Joanie - "never warn the enemy now step aside!!". Brilliant!

[Radio Mike]

Hi George, My problem with the Season 12 Val plot is that it is just plain silly! Maybe they were trying to give JVanA the chance to stretch her acting muscles, but it didn't really come off.

I don't think the plot sat well in the series, it was yet another lame reason to keep Gary and Val apart, the whole thing was totally unbelievable, it goes on forever, but then it just ends so abruptly - one minute she's bonkers, the next "I'm all fine 'n' dandy again, hurrah!"

Also, it had taken years to convince my family that Knots was actually really rather great, but all that good work was flushed down the toilet as I sat there watching Val do her thing, cringing at it all through my fingers...

But like I said, apart from the Val plot, I think Season 12 is great!