'The Fall Guy' and 'Falcon Crest' were 2 of the most notable television successes of the 1981-82 season (which started on October 5, 1981 and ended on April 18, 1982). Robert Foxworth confessed, "I must say I didn't think 'Falcon Crest' would be a hit. Other people told me it would be, but I didn't believe them. I guess it was a lack of faith on my part." Of 'The Fall Guy', Douglas Barr disclosed at the time, "The affiliates like it and the sponsors are pleased with it so I think we've got a good shot. The big difference is for the first time, (Lee) Majors is going to play comedy, and he's damned good at it. I think it's going to do great things for him." Lee acknowledged, "I never had a chance to do comedy before. In my other series I always had to play it serious. I was never allowed to have a sense of humor." However "that's a special feeling, knowing that people have actually named their kids after parts you've played. I don't know of any Colt Seavers out there, but there are several Heaths – and a whole lot of Steve Austins."
On 'The Big Valley', Lee played Barbara Stanwyck's on-screen stepson, "He was the illegitimate son who came back to the family looking for a name. Well, I was adopted, and there were a lot of parallels." Of her role, Barbara mentioned, "I wanted to resurrect the old broad we had before and not be born to the manor and the teacup. I even thought the illegitimate 4th son should have been mine, instead of my deceased husband's, but I was told this would spoil the mother image." Lee had said, "Barbara gave me my discipline...Barbara also taught me to learn your lines and everybody else's. I’ve tried to pass that on to other actors..." In 1980, "I had lunch with her the other day," Lee recounted, "Linda Evans invited her out. She looked great...." Back in 1965, Barbara declared, "Three times in my life I've worked with an unknown young actor that I knew had the quality to make it big. The first was a young kid in 'Golden Boy' (the 1939 movie) – Bill Holden. Then there was a young man just out of the Navy in '46 - Kirk Douglas. Now there's Lee Majors. I've worked with 3 newcomers for whom I could predict stardom." In 1984, Lee was honored with the 1,786th star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
On daytime television, one commentator observed, "There is a determined effort by the writers now to give the villainesses a good reason to act as they do." Ilene Kristen played Delia on 'Ryan's Hope' expressed, "I never bring home Delia's character, but I'm not able to switch on her kind of hysteria without a long warm-up. Delia is very sensitive, as I am, but I find it difficult to take on other people's problems because I care too deeply. Delia is from a Shanty Irish background, her father had TB, her mother worked in a subway. She needs to be protected. I, on the other hand, am very artistic and enjoyed a nuclear family that was very supportive of my efforts. What I've tried to do is give Delia more of a sense of humor so that the role is more interesting and varied for me. All that heaviness can take its toll, but I'm a basically happy person."
Tudi Wiggins played Meg on 'Love of Life' described her character, "She is a very lonely woman, self-involved and wants everything her own way. Her sister, Vanessa, got all the attention. Now, I've worked with disturbed children who try to achieve what is called 'illegitimate attention' by behaving badly, which often causes them to become bitter later on. I told the writers I didn't want to play a black-and-white witch...I used models for Meg, and I don’t know how much of myself there is in her. I am not aggressive, while she is. I admire that in her in a curious way because she acts on her impulses. She may be insensitive, but she's courageous. I had a strong family, but Meg didn't. Girls who don’t get attention from their parents try to get it from men."
Of acting, Doug made known, "I took a drama course at New York University one summer but I was thinking of a career with the diplomatic corps when I majored in philosophy and international affairs." He traveled to Europe but ended up broke on the Greek Island of Mykonos, "I used the modeling for walking around money but I managed to keep the 2 careers separate. Most people that knew me from one profession were unaware that I did the other." Before 'The Fall Guy', Lee noted, "I realized after being off television for the last few years that it's important to come back and do another series in a different light to change my image, because I got tired of walking down the street and having little kids asking to see my wires and asking me to lift a car."
On daytime television, one commentator observed, "There is a determined effort by the writers now to give the villainesses a good reason to act as they do." Ilene Kristen played Delia on 'Ryan's Hope' expressed, "I never bring home Delia's character, but I'm not able to switch on her kind of hysteria without a long warm-up. Delia is very sensitive, as I am, but I find it difficult to take on other people's problems because I care too deeply. Delia is from a Shanty Irish background, her father had TB, her mother worked in a subway. She needs to be protected. I, on the other hand, am very artistic and enjoyed a nuclear family that was very supportive of my efforts. What I've tried to do is give Delia more of a sense of humor so that the role is more interesting and varied for me. All that heaviness can take its toll, but I'm a basically happy person."
Tudi Wiggins played Meg on 'Love of Life' described her character, "She is a very lonely woman, self-involved and wants everything her own way. Her sister, Vanessa, got all the attention. Now, I've worked with disturbed children who try to achieve what is called 'illegitimate attention' by behaving badly, which often causes them to become bitter later on. I told the writers I didn't want to play a black-and-white witch...I used models for Meg, and I don’t know how much of myself there is in her. I am not aggressive, while she is. I admire that in her in a curious way because she acts on her impulses. She may be insensitive, but she's courageous. I had a strong family, but Meg didn't. Girls who don’t get attention from their parents try to get it from men."
Of acting, Doug made known, "I took a drama course at New York University one summer but I was thinking of a career with the diplomatic corps when I majored in philosophy and international affairs." He traveled to Europe but ended up broke on the Greek Island of Mykonos, "I used the modeling for walking around money but I managed to keep the 2 careers separate. Most people that knew me from one profession were unaware that I did the other." Before 'The Fall Guy', Lee noted, "I realized after being off television for the last few years that it's important to come back and do another series in a different light to change my image, because I got tired of walking down the street and having little kids asking to see my wires and asking me to lift a car."
