Speaking to the 'Chicago Tribune' in 1993, Michele Lee explained 'Knots Landing', "This has been essentially relationship drama. We tapped into the hearts of all people; you'd be surprised at the different demographics who watched our show. Even if it wasn't their exact dream, we represented some part of the American dream for our viewers. That is one of the reasons why they watched.
"People can poke fun at the melodrama, but it can excel at multi-levels of storytelling. We always had a sense of humor that was uncanny and I don't mean tongue in cheek. Our responsibility to the viewers was very, very heartfelt. I look back and am astounded at my absolute adoration and love for my character. I'll really miss her. Karen was a girlfriend (to me). She symbolized hope for marriage and love and good things to happen for justice to prevail.
"Our emotional stake in the show was one of the reasons it was on so long. It had a real soul and a heartbeat. I'm a 'Knots' fan. I always watch the show. As a female, the only way I can explain the longevity of the show is that there has been an innocence about it. Even though it sounds corny, it has shown where we were at as a society at that given time, with a gentleness and a hope."
David Jacobs told Deborah Wilker, "The most successful shows on TV all feature families at the core. We've never been timely; we've never been trendy. We never cared whether Reagan was president. We never tried to be 'Hill Street (Blues)'. 'Knots' will always be the kind of show you take to bed with a bucket of popcorn. Right now (in 1992) I think 'Knots' could run forever. This show wasn't ready to come to an end. If it had, it would have been like someone who was still healthy, but had a heart attack. Like when my grandfather died at 74. He wasn't ready."
Ted Shackelford added, "'Knots Landing' has been entertainment and escape. And society really needs it more than it has ever needed it, in an edifying way, not a violent one. Gary was basically a reactor not an initiator. He was part of the hysteria. All the women he was involved with were manipulators, except for Val, and that was part of the appeal."
Douglas Sheehan played Val's second husband offered, "We can't sit and wait for Gary and Val to find happiness. Life isn't like that. It’s not just 5 minutes in the sack, roses and flowers. It's living together – finding dirty clothes in the bathroom. Passion is but one ecstatic moment." Joan Van Ark observed, "I'd say it has a level. We take a borderline realistic situation, heighten it a bit, and react to it as realistically as possible. A realistic basis usually produces the better storyline."
Like all other traditional television shows on prime time then, each episode of 'Knots Landing' contained teasers and the opening credits. But unlike most other series at the time, 'Knots Landing' did not have the obligatory melodramatic final freeze-frame ending to keep viewers in suspense until the next episode. "In acting," Nicollette Sheridan believed, "everything has to come from some point in you, maybe pull some string that hasn't been pulled in a while. A lot of this business is being in the right place at the right time with the right thing."
Michele Lee maintained, "We've always been a service-oriented show. We're always giving subliminal messages to the audience … We use realistic acting, unlike the stylized approach on 'Dynasty' and 'Dallas.' What makes us different from 'Dynasty' or 'Dallas' is that we're not just dealing with people who have a lot of money, although we have gotten a little upscale in recent years (to 1987). But we exemplify middle-class values."
Ted Shackelford insisted, "If people watch 'Knots Landing' and are entertained by it than I’m happy. The main thing I have to remember is I'm providing entertainment for the masses, not creating art." Donna Mills said she watched 'Knots Landing' when it was on air because "that was the only time we got to see it. We didn't get to see our work except for when it was on the air because a lot of the time we were filming very close to our airdates so we were taping it and cutting it right away so we never got to see the 'dailies' or anything. We just have to see it on the air."
The final weekly episode went on air in May 1993. About 14% of the 93 million plus TV households at the time were counted watching (roughly 13 million homes with TV sets). It was the 13th most popular program that week, tied with 'The Wonder Years'. Michele Lee made known, "Originally, we didn't know. In year two or three, we were saying, 'Gee, this could last 7 years'. And in year ten, eleven and 12, I was saying, 'If they play their cards right, this could go 20' which I still maintain it probably could have … People who never watched our show will never know how delightful our show was on so many levels for so long."
In 1983-84, politics was introduced on 'Knots Landing' and in 1984-85, lobbying was explored. Lobbying was described as "a form of free speech and petition and these are constitutional rights … In its widest sense, it merely means getting people (legislators, lawmakers) to do what you want them to do." One commentator stated, "In a perfect world every individual would have equal influence on the government. But I don't know any democratic government that operates without lobbyists. So there’s no point, passing a law saying it can't be done."
In the 1988-89 season, the character of Greg married Abby for a political wife in order to run for elective office. Initially Greg announced his candidacy for mayor in the general election. After finishing his 6-month term, Greg planned to take a high cabinet post in Washington, "after all I do dump lots of dough in this party." However based on exit poll margin, Greg suffered a narrow defeat 52% to 46%.
It was reported in 1986, "In essence, former high-level public servants are cashing in on knowledge and expertise obtained at taxpayer expense. What has happened is that the American government has become a finishing school for highly paid lobbyists for foreign interests. People who have had the privilege to serve at the highest levels of government have chosen to use the status, insider's knowledge and special access they acquired in office on behalf of foreign interests."
However "they are 10-per-centers, the people who allegedly help people get contracts or things for which they are paid. If there is a place for abuse in the system, that is probably where it takes place." Hence "to restore the trust of the people in their government" Congress passed a bill on lobbing law in 1995. "For too long, Washington’s influence industry has operated out of the sunlight of public scrutiny. This new law will require professional lobbyists, for the first time, to fully disclose who they are working for and what legislation they are trying to pass or kill."
Douglas Sheehan played Val's second husband offered, "We can't sit and wait for Gary and Val to find happiness. Life isn't like that. It’s not just 5 minutes in the sack, roses and flowers. It's living together – finding dirty clothes in the bathroom. Passion is but one ecstatic moment." Joan Van Ark observed, "I'd say it has a level. We take a borderline realistic situation, heighten it a bit, and react to it as realistically as possible. A realistic basis usually produces the better storyline."
Like all other traditional television shows on prime time then, each episode of 'Knots Landing' contained teasers and the opening credits. But unlike most other series at the time, 'Knots Landing' did not have the obligatory melodramatic final freeze-frame ending to keep viewers in suspense until the next episode. "In acting," Nicollette Sheridan believed, "everything has to come from some point in you, maybe pull some string that hasn't been pulled in a while. A lot of this business is being in the right place at the right time with the right thing."
Michele Lee maintained, "We've always been a service-oriented show. We're always giving subliminal messages to the audience … We use realistic acting, unlike the stylized approach on 'Dynasty' and 'Dallas.' What makes us different from 'Dynasty' or 'Dallas' is that we're not just dealing with people who have a lot of money, although we have gotten a little upscale in recent years (to 1987). But we exemplify middle-class values."
Ted Shackelford insisted, "If people watch 'Knots Landing' and are entertained by it than I’m happy. The main thing I have to remember is I'm providing entertainment for the masses, not creating art." Donna Mills said she watched 'Knots Landing' when it was on air because "that was the only time we got to see it. We didn't get to see our work except for when it was on the air because a lot of the time we were filming very close to our airdates so we were taping it and cutting it right away so we never got to see the 'dailies' or anything. We just have to see it on the air."
The final weekly episode went on air in May 1993. About 14% of the 93 million plus TV households at the time were counted watching (roughly 13 million homes with TV sets). It was the 13th most popular program that week, tied with 'The Wonder Years'. Michele Lee made known, "Originally, we didn't know. In year two or three, we were saying, 'Gee, this could last 7 years'. And in year ten, eleven and 12, I was saying, 'If they play their cards right, this could go 20' which I still maintain it probably could have … People who never watched our show will never know how delightful our show was on so many levels for so long."
In 1983-84, politics was introduced on 'Knots Landing' and in 1984-85, lobbying was explored. Lobbying was described as "a form of free speech and petition and these are constitutional rights … In its widest sense, it merely means getting people (legislators, lawmakers) to do what you want them to do." One commentator stated, "In a perfect world every individual would have equal influence on the government. But I don't know any democratic government that operates without lobbyists. So there’s no point, passing a law saying it can't be done."
In the 1988-89 season, the character of Greg married Abby for a political wife in order to run for elective office. Initially Greg announced his candidacy for mayor in the general election. After finishing his 6-month term, Greg planned to take a high cabinet post in Washington, "after all I do dump lots of dough in this party." However based on exit poll margin, Greg suffered a narrow defeat 52% to 46%.
It was reported in 1986, "In essence, former high-level public servants are cashing in on knowledge and expertise obtained at taxpayer expense. What has happened is that the American government has become a finishing school for highly paid lobbyists for foreign interests. People who have had the privilege to serve at the highest levels of government have chosen to use the status, insider's knowledge and special access they acquired in office on behalf of foreign interests."
However "they are 10-per-centers, the people who allegedly help people get contracts or things for which they are paid. If there is a place for abuse in the system, that is probably where it takes place." Hence "to restore the trust of the people in their government" Congress passed a bill on lobbing law in 1995. "For too long, Washington’s influence industry has operated out of the sunlight of public scrutiny. This new law will require professional lobbyists, for the first time, to fully disclose who they are working for and what legislation they are trying to pass or kill."
