Michele Lee believed, "'Knots Landing' somehow in keeping their finger on the pulse of the time, change with the time and we were always the people over the back fence so they (the viewers) can always identify with us." David Jacobs recalled, "I thought 'Knots Landing' was going to be an American 'Scenes From A Marriage' (the 1973 Ingmar Bergman's Swedish drama)."
In the beginning, viewers were introduced to the four married couples. Sid and Karen, the solid couple, were the core of the show. Gary and Valene were the young married couple. Laura and Richard were a couple in turmoil. And Kenny and Ginger were the newlyweds. Don Murray maintained, "A lot of the content of our shows could be taken from the pages of any daily newspaper – crime, pregnancy, divorce, social disorders."
In the 1988 episode 'Lawfully Wedded', viewers were told, "Attorneys are frustrated actors. We just give our best performance and we sit back and wait for the review." In the episode, viewers learnt a $2 million engagement presence would attract gift taxes in the US totaling $780,800 unless the donor was married to the recipient. If not married, the donor could still be qualified for tax credit.
In the weeks leading up to the Memorial Day weekend in May 1987, the House and Senate commenced joint hearings into the Iran-Contra affair to learn more about the secret arms sales to Iran in which funds from those sales would go to support the Contra rebels fighting the left-wing Sandinista political party in Nicaragua. Some 55 million viewers were counted watching Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North appearing at the Congressional hearings into the Iran-Contra affair. At the time, his testimony attracted more than quadruple the number of viewers as daytime most popular soap opera, 'General Hospital'.
On 'Knots Landing', viewers were introduced to Charles Scott and Manny Vasquez who as viewers were told sat on the board of directors of at least half a dozen holding companies. After making his first appearance in November 1987, Michael York spoke to Jay Bobbin of 'Tribune TV log', "The 'Knots' producers were very kind because they accommodated my rather frantic schedule."
Michael also added, "I did manage to get back to Los Angeles for a couple of weeks, when we shot my introductory sequence, but I had to go back to Europe to work on a film. Basically, then, Charles standing up Abby came about by virtue of my not being there. When the phone call about 'Knots Landing' came, it appealed to me for a number of reasons. I thought it would be great fun to be involved in something like it, and also, it was something I hadn't done before ... and I like to do most things. Charles is suitably vague. He spent a lot of time in Europe, so you can make what you want of it. I think an aura of mystery is appropriate here."
As the story unfolded, viewers learnt Manny Vasquez was an arms dealer, who together with Charles Scott planned to expand the marina of Lotus Point to traffic drugs. Los Angeles, viewers were told, was the biggest cocaine market in the United States. Abby first met Charles in 1967 at the age of 19 in Philadelphia. He ended up married to Judith and moved in different circles. When Abby learnt of Charles' plan after their reunion 20 years later, she sought to annul the marriage otherwise Charles would have owned half of her tangible asset - namely Lotus Point.
In one scene of an episode, a Fed agent explained Manny Vasquez served the interest of the country and it was a "matter of national security."
Gary: Ah, the magic words that suppose to justify anything. The Russian invades Afghanistan. The French blows up a boat in New Zealand. We invade an island, pick an island in the Caribbean. Anything, anyone ever need to justify under the heading of national security.
Fed agent: You do believe in the security of your country don't you Mr Ewing?
Gary: Yeah, I believe in the security of my country. I also believe in every dishonest and incompetent bureaucrat who votes national security in order to cover up crime, stupidity and mistakes. You walk in and say national security, expect knee-jerk obedience as if this was some kind of loyalty test.
Fed agent: It's not going to help the situation for you to launch into some left-wing diatribe.
In another scene, Mack told Greg, "I think this whole story about national security is bogus." Greg replied, "But when was it ever legitimate? Every bozo dictator with a Swiss bank account or a chateau in France who tries out the old national security excuse whenever it suits its purpose. You've got to remember something, the phrase 'a matter of national security' has kept a lot of righteous guys out of the game."
Don Murray continued, "'Dallas' is escapism and fun. It attempts to get people to forget their own problems. I think we provide viewers with some realistic solutions to their problems. We show them ways to break through daily tensions and escape from what is holding them down … Personally, I think these nighttime soaps are better fare than cops and robbers shows or situation comedies.
"People can identify with the characters which gives them some insight into their own lives. It's almost impossible for a television show or movie to be totally realistic. The elements of drama and comedy must be applied. But we try to keep 'Knots Landing' as realistic as we can. I believe our show is adultly done. We provide realistic interrelationships among four middle class families."
David Jacobs reminded, "'Dallas' got lucky. It was the perfect show for the first Reagan administration as it was about the acquisition of money and power. 'Dynasty' became the perfect show for the second Reagan administration because it was about the things that money and power can get you. 'Knots Landing' is a very flexible show. Nothing killed 'Knots Landing' except economics. It could go on for another 10 years (or a 20-year life span).
"I'm convinced it could go on forever. At CBS, when they buy a show, they know they have an older more suburban, ex-urban and rural audience than the other two (NBC and ABC). We are the best written, the best acted and part of the reason for that is our competition, specifically 'Hill Street Blues' and 'L.A. Law'. They have kept us fresh and honest."
David Jacobs also told 'The New York Times', "'Dynasty' was a better expression of the second Reagan Administration values than 'Dallas' because, while 'Dallas' was about the quest for money, 'Dynasty' was about the things that money could buy. In 'Dallas' money was a tool, a way of keeping score. In 'Dynasty' money was an end, the grail that was the goal of every quest.
"During almost any other period, 'Dynasty' would have been regarded as more vulgar than 'Dallas'. In the mid-1980s, however, 'Dynasty' was widely viewed as the classier of the two shows. As it happened, both 'Dallas' and 'Dynasty' faded as the Reagan Presidency faded. Indeed, 'Dynasty' could not survive the changing of the guard.
"It was gone by the end of George Bush's first hundred days. The characters and format of 'Knots Landing', 'Thirtysomething' (1987-1991) and 'L.A. Law' are modern, but it's easy to imagine the same shows existing, updated, in other times. I don't think that 'Dallas' and 'Dynasty' would have had a prayer of succeeding in any other era, save perhaps the Harding or Coolidge Administrations."
Gary: Ah, the magic words that suppose to justify anything. The Russian invades Afghanistan. The French blows up a boat in New Zealand. We invade an island, pick an island in the Caribbean. Anything, anyone ever need to justify under the heading of national security.
Fed agent: You do believe in the security of your country don't you Mr Ewing?
Gary: Yeah, I believe in the security of my country. I also believe in every dishonest and incompetent bureaucrat who votes national security in order to cover up crime, stupidity and mistakes. You walk in and say national security, expect knee-jerk obedience as if this was some kind of loyalty test.
Fed agent: It's not going to help the situation for you to launch into some left-wing diatribe.
In another scene, Mack told Greg, "I think this whole story about national security is bogus." Greg replied, "But when was it ever legitimate? Every bozo dictator with a Swiss bank account or a chateau in France who tries out the old national security excuse whenever it suits its purpose. You've got to remember something, the phrase 'a matter of national security' has kept a lot of righteous guys out of the game."
Don Murray continued, "'Dallas' is escapism and fun. It attempts to get people to forget their own problems. I think we provide viewers with some realistic solutions to their problems. We show them ways to break through daily tensions and escape from what is holding them down … Personally, I think these nighttime soaps are better fare than cops and robbers shows or situation comedies.
"People can identify with the characters which gives them some insight into their own lives. It's almost impossible for a television show or movie to be totally realistic. The elements of drama and comedy must be applied. But we try to keep 'Knots Landing' as realistic as we can. I believe our show is adultly done. We provide realistic interrelationships among four middle class families."
David Jacobs reminded, "'Dallas' got lucky. It was the perfect show for the first Reagan administration as it was about the acquisition of money and power. 'Dynasty' became the perfect show for the second Reagan administration because it was about the things that money and power can get you. 'Knots Landing' is a very flexible show. Nothing killed 'Knots Landing' except economics. It could go on for another 10 years (or a 20-year life span).
"I'm convinced it could go on forever. At CBS, when they buy a show, they know they have an older more suburban, ex-urban and rural audience than the other two (NBC and ABC). We are the best written, the best acted and part of the reason for that is our competition, specifically 'Hill Street Blues' and 'L.A. Law'. They have kept us fresh and honest."
David Jacobs also told 'The New York Times', "'Dynasty' was a better expression of the second Reagan Administration values than 'Dallas' because, while 'Dallas' was about the quest for money, 'Dynasty' was about the things that money could buy. In 'Dallas' money was a tool, a way of keeping score. In 'Dynasty' money was an end, the grail that was the goal of every quest.
"During almost any other period, 'Dynasty' would have been regarded as more vulgar than 'Dallas'. In the mid-1980s, however, 'Dynasty' was widely viewed as the classier of the two shows. As it happened, both 'Dallas' and 'Dynasty' faded as the Reagan Presidency faded. Indeed, 'Dynasty' could not survive the changing of the guard.
"It was gone by the end of George Bush's first hundred days. The characters and format of 'Knots Landing', 'Thirtysomething' (1987-1991) and 'L.A. Law' are modern, but it's easy to imagine the same shows existing, updated, in other times. I don't think that 'Dallas' and 'Dynasty' would have had a prayer of succeeding in any other era, save perhaps the Harding or Coolidge Administrations."
