A look at Knots Landing & Melrose Place

[Sydney Andrews]

Knots Landing and Melrose Place, two television shows with No relation to one another, are actually more alike than one may thinm. Over a year before the first of 344 episodes premiered, Knots Landing creator David Jacobs, who wanted to do a show that represented "scenes from a marriage", was asked by CBS Network for a show more along the lines of a saga. Jacobs, forced to ditch his original concept, quickly wrote a script that told the story of a wealthy Texas family in the oil business, what would become known as Dallas. An immediate success, Jacobs was asked to do a spin-off series, and was able to incorporate Gary and Val, two minor characters from Dallas with major ties to the Ewing family. Gary was not only the black sheep of the Eqing family, but the middle son of Jock and Miss Ellie, and the father of teenage Lucy, the daughter that he shared with Val, who his older brother (J.R.) ran off years earlier. Given their tumultuous history, Jacobs eased the prexisting characters into the role of "the couple trying to start over", and moved them to California, far away from the pressures of life with the Ewings.

Beverly Hills 90210, an immediate hit for FOX Network, was the first of many, many teen soaps. Darren Star, 28 years old at the time, hoped to create a show that was an honest representation of teenagers, and approached Fox Network in early 1990. Barry Diller, the man in charge, liked the idea of a "teensomething", asked that the show take place in Beverly Hills, and convinced the legendary Aaron Spelling to produce the show. Beverly Hills 90210 was only into its second season when rumors of a spin-off surfaced. Star, anxious to write a show that dealt with people closer to his age, already had a concept when the Network approached him. Before the third season ended, a future character of 90210's spin-off, Jake Hanson was introduced, and a story line that would carry over into the pilot of the spin-off.

Melrose Place, a spin-off with little ties to its parent series, premiered the fall of 1992, and followed the ordinary lives of eight "twentysomethings" all living in the same apartment complex. However, Melrose Place lacked its own identity, an was developing a reputation of being "90210 for grown ups". Star, who had taken advantage of the opportunity he saw in a spin-off series, felt it should have been independant of Beverly Hills 90210 from the beginning, explaining it took a year to seperate the two. Not only were the episodes in standalone format, tension and conflict were nonexistant. The show, toward the end of its first season, introduced the first not so nice character that would spice up the stale show. Amanda Woodward, played by Heather Locklear, not only managed to save the show from cancellation, but turned it into a guilty pleasure that would last six more years.

Unlike Knots Landing, which took four years to become a SOAP, Melrose Place immediately ditched that squeaky clean, after school special for adults angle that nearly ran the show into the ground. The second season, while grounded in a reality later lost, picked up the pace, and changed everything. Michael, no different from his three good guy neighbors, had an affair (with Kimberly) that jumpstarted his declining conscience, and provided Melrose Place with a J.R. Ewing. Alison, once annoyingly perfect, was given enough problems to justify the drinking problem she eventually developed. Jo, the most down to Earth character, makes the mistake of reuniting with her high school sweetheart, which actually results in a pregnancy that ruins the next two years of her life in a very soap operatic way. However, the characters also have the shades of grey that made the characters of Knots Landing so great.

Amanda may be cruel, calculating, fierce, and relentless, but she was given a vulnerability that allowed the audience to sympathize with her. Abby Cunningham is the only other vixen written as a human, and not the cartoon character that Dynasty made Alexis into. Abby was responsible for a lot of pain those around her expirenced, and did a crazy amount of unforgivable things, but there is so much more to her than the role she provided Knots Landing with. Abby stopped at nothing to get Olivia off drugs, showed GENIUNE CONCERN for Val during the "death of her babies" and after her "suicide attempt", and TRULY mouned for Gary during the time he was "dead". She saved Diana's life, and loved Sid. Abby, no matter how heartless, still proved she had one.

Both Knots Landing and Melrose Place, both spin-offs with humble beginnings improved with the addition of characters like Abby and Amanda, and the fact that both evolved into something memorable. While Melrose Place slipped multiple times, the set up was actually very similar to Knots Landing. Whether it be the cul-de-sac or apartment complex, there was something to connect such a diverse group of people. Melrose Place, in all honesty, is what Knots Landing is most likely to look like had the characters never "settled down".


The characters of Knots Landing and Melrose Place were neighbors, and definitely friends in the beginning. But, drama has a way of weakening even the strongest of bonds, and its no suprise there were moments even the best of friends, Karen and Laura or Alison and Jo, turned against eachother. The setting is what connected the characters, no matter how different their lives were. Both struggled in the beginning, and proved both times the audience does NOT want eight characters that are all (overall) good people. Both improved with a blonde villainous that the ENTIRE show is remembered for, and eventually came into its own identity that was seperate from the show it spun-off from.

[Sydney Andrews]

Yes, this was the essay I just did in English that required an in-depth comparison of two separate things. So, what grade do you think I got? I did the best I could!

[Seaviewer]

Well argued and well written. I'd give it an A but then I'm biased.

[Pat Butcher]

I always thought that Dynasty and Melrose Place were more similar in terms of chronology. Maybe because Spelling was responsible for both he borrowed from Dynasty when he was stuck for a story on MP but the two were quite similar.

• Both had a rough first season until a superbitch character (Alexis on Dynasty & Amanda on Melrose Place) was brought in and ratings skyrocketed while storylines became more soapy.
• Mentally unstable Kimberly was Melrose's answer to Dynasty's mentally unstable Claudia.
• Both shows were doing well in the ratings until they jumped the shark by having an outrageous cliffhanger with a poor follow up and ratings went downhill from there - Dynasty's being the Moldavian massacre where nobody important actually died and Melrose Place's being the bombing of the building where nobody important actually died.
• Alexis married con man Sean Rowan who was out to swindle her and who was killed in a fight with her ex husband Dex who she then reunited with. Amanda married con man Rory Blake who was out to swindle her and who was killed in a fight with her ex husband Kyle who she then reunited with.
• The two seasons preceding the shows final season were really bad but both shows enjoyed a resurgence in quality in their final seasons. The main storyline in both shows final seasons were more or less the same as they both concerned murders from the past that had come back to haunt the main characters.
• Both shows spawned less successful spinoffs - The Colbys and Models Inc

[Benny JR]

Very good posts from you both!

Sydney, I hope you get an A. Is the essay for school or college?

I remember once looking for tapes of "Knots Landing" at home and finding LOADS of "Melrose Place" tapes that had been recorded. When I asked what that show was, my Dad told me (and I quote) that ""Melrose Place" was a copy of "Knots Landing" in reverse", whatever the heck that meant, LOL!

[Sydney Andrews]

I always thought that Dynasty and Melrose Place were more similar in terms of chronology. Maybe because Spelling was responsible for both he borrowed from Dynasty when he was stuck for a story on MP but the two were quite similar.

• Both had a rough first season until a superbitch character (Alexis on Dynasty & Amanda on Melrose Place) was brought in and ratings skyrocketed while storylines became more soapy.
• Mentally unstable Kimberly was Melrose's answer to Dynasty's mentally unstable Claudia.
• Both shows were doing well in the ratings until they jumped the shark by having an outrageous cliffhanger with a poor follow up and ratings went downhill from there - Dynasty's being the Moldavian massacre where nobody important actually died and Melrose Place's being the bombing of the building where nobody important actually died.
• Alexis married con man Sean Rowan who was out to swindle her and who was killed in a fight with her ex husband Dex who she then reunited with. Amanda married con man Rory Blake who was out to swindle her and who was killed in a fight with her ex husband Kyle who she then reunited with.
• The two seasons preceding the shows final season were really bad but both shows enjoyed a resurgence in quality in their final seasons. The main storyline in both shows final seasons were more or less the same as they both concerned murders from the past that had come back to haunt the main characters.
• Both shows spawned less successful spinoffs - The Colbys and Models Inc

I thought season 5 was outstanding, and definately than the one it followed. I agree that season 6 was weak, and a HUGE letdown to even hardcore fans like me. I think it suffered from the loss of Laura Leighton, whose character (Sydney) provided something similar to Laura (Knots). Her absence was noticed, and the show never recovered. When I think about quality, over the campy-ness Melrose was known for, seasons 2, 3, 5, and 7 (IMO) were the strongest. Season 4, though entertaining, was a total mess. And, dont get me started with season 6...

Very good posts from you both!

Sydney, I hope you get an A. Is the essay for school or college?

I remember once looking for tapes of "Knots Landing" at home and finding LOADS of "Melrose Place" tapes that had been recorded. When I asked what that show was, my Dad told me (and I quote) that ""Melrose Place" was a copy of "Knots Landing" in reverse", whatever the heck that meant, LOL!

Knots Landing in reverse... I like that! The essay is for high school.

[Pat Butcher]

I thought season 5 was outstanding, and definately than the one it followed. I agree that season 6 was weak, and a HUGE letdown to even hardcore fans like me. I think it suffered from the loss of Laura Leighton, whose character (Sydney) provided something similar to Laura (Knots). Her absence was noticed, and the show never recovered. When I think about quality, over the campy-ness Melrose was known for, seasons 2, 3, 5, and 7 (IMO) were the strongest. Season 4, though entertaining, was a total mess. And, dont get me started with season 6...



Knots Landing in reverse... I like that! The essay is for high school.

I'm probably being a bit harsh by including season 5 as being one of the really bad seasons. In hindsight, there were parts of it that I really enjoyed but it was probably because of the volume of original cast leaving between seasons 4 and 5 that I kind of see it as the beginning of the end. Some of my favourite characters like Megan, Kyle and Taylor were introduced that season so it had it's good points. But as you said, don't get started on season 6...

[Sydney Andrews]

I'm probably being a bit harsh by including season 5 as being one of the really bad seasons. In hindsight, there were parts of it that I really enjoyed but it was probably because of the volume of original cast leaving between seasons 4 and 5 that I kind of see it as the beginning of the end. Some of my favourite characters like Megan, Kyle and Taylor were introduced that season so it had it's good points. But as you said, don't get started on season 6...

It was definitely the beginning of the end, but all those goodbyes make it bittersweet in a way. Its actually my second favorite season, following the AMAZING season 2. I do agree the decline of quality in Melrose is similar to that of Dynasty, but what its about reminds me of Knots, more than anything. I guess it should be the other way around, though, since I was a fan of Melrose first.

[Sydney Andrews]

I'm probably being a bit harsh by including season 5 as being one of the really bad seasons. In hindsight, there were parts of it that I really enjoyed but it was probably because of the volume of original cast leaving between seasons 4 and 5 that I kind of see it as the beginning of the end. Some of my favourite characters like Megan, Kyle and Taylor were introduced that season so it had it's good points. But as you said, don't get started on season 6...

It was definitely the beginning of the end, but all those goodbyes make it bittersweet in a way. Its actually my second favorite season, following the AMAZING season 2. I do agree the decline of quality in Melrose is similar to that of Dynasty, but what its about reminds me of Knots, more than anything. I guess it should be the other way around, though, since I was a fan of Melrose first.

[Pat Butcher]

It was definitely the beginning of the end, but all those goodbyes make it bittersweet in a way. Its actually my second favorite season, following the AMAZING season 2. I do agree the decline of quality in Melrose is similar to that of Dynasty, but what its about reminds me of Knots, more than anything. I guess it should be the other way around, though, since I was a fan of Melrose first.

I'm similar to you there. I have vague recollections of Knots from when I was younger (my aunt used to watch it everyday and I remember finding one of Gary and Abby's sauna scenes very racy for afternoon viewing when I was a kid) but I was a Melrose fan first and then rediscovered Knots through reruns over the years. I think another thing that the two shows have in common is that they both feel very Californian. As well as all of the drama you get a real sense of where it is based - sunshine, beach scenes, a seemingly endless parade of blonde woman in tight jeans, plastic surgery I mentioned in another thread (possibly on here somewhere) that a sense of location was one of the main things that both Dynasty and The Colbys were lacking. We were told continually that they were set in Denver and Los Angeles but there was very little of this shown on screen. Not many beach scenes for Sable or ski trips to Aspen for Alexis. Visually, they could have been set in any big city. Knots and Melrose on the other hand made use of their locations and showed them regularly onscreen leaving us in no doubt that they were set on the sunny west coast.

[Donna Krebbs]

Great comparison, Sydney. I love Knots and Melrose, and agree with everything you said. Let us know what grade you got, though I expect it was an A.

I'm similar to you there. I have vague recollections of Knots from when I was younger (my aunt used to watch it everyday and I remember finding one of Gary and Abby's sauna scenes very racy for afternoon viewing when I was a kid) but I was a Melrose fan first and then rediscovered Knots through reruns over the years. I think another thing that the two shows have in common is that they both feel very Californian. As well as all of the drama you get a real sense of where it is based - sunshine, beach scenes, a seemingly endless parade of blonde woman in tight jeans, plastic surgery I mentioned in another thread (possibly on here somewhere) that a sense of location was one of the main things that both Dynasty and The Colbys were lacking. We were told continually that they were set in Denver and Los Angeles but there was very little of this shown on screen. Not many beach scenes for Sable or ski trips to Aspen for Alexis. Visually, they could have been set in any big city. Knots and Melrose on the other hand made use of their locations and showed them regularly onscreen leaving us in no doubt that they were set on the sunny west coast.

Falcon Crest was another that had a great sense of location, but I guess the premise (of a family in the wine busuness) gave it no other choice. Honestly, I think California is just very... recognizable. But, I also live there.