'Knots Landing' ran between 1979 and 1993. The final episode of Knots Landing, shown in May 1993, was watched by 20 million viewers. Donna Mills appeared on the show from 1980 to 1989. Of her character Donna described, "I think she had more depth than the average 'bad woman' on television. I tried to keep her real and the writers helped to make her unpredictable."
Donna also made the point, "In most series you can get away with bad acting because they are written and acted like caricatures. Sometimes that's the only way performers can play their role."
In 1972, Donna co-starred in the TV movie, 'Haunts Of The Very Rich', about a resort called the Portals of Eden.
"...I've been to many places in the world, but there are so many I haven't been to," Donna confessed. "I want to go to India, I want to go to China."
She explained, "I want to go there before it becomes too easy." "Now," she remarked in 1982, "you go there and you don't stay in a luxury hotel, you stay in a hotel that is a Chinese hotel. It's not very luxurious - that's the way it is there. I don't want to go when there is a big Hyatt or a big Holiday Inn that you can stay in. It would look just like the buildings do here. That isn't interesting."
Of the nighttime soap 'Knots Landing', Donna observed, "There are infinitely intricate human conflicts and relationships (on the show) and there is an infinite variety in those conflicts." However "we are the most ignored successful show in the industry. Even with great ratings it's as if we didn't exist."
"The most successful shows on TV all feature families at the core," producer David Jacobs pointed out. "We've never been timely; we've never been trendy. We never cared whether Reagan was President."
Although Donna maintained, "My greatest obligation is to the viewing audience and I'm concerned a great deal about the young women who watch our show. For this reason, I work very hard to see that Abby is vulnerable and not mean all the time."
In 1977, Donna could be seen in the Irwin Allen's movie, 'Fire'. Of the movie, Irwin insisted, "As long as in real life we have floods, storms, fires and other disasters, there's no end in sight. These kinds of pictures will be around as long as we're alive. Every poll we've taken says, 'Give us more.'"
Donna started out as a dancer; landed her first part in the Broadway play, 'Don't Drink The Water' by Woody Allen and made her acting debut in 1966 in the daytime drama, 'The Secret Storm'. She followed that role with an appearance in another soap, 'Love Is A Many Splendored Thing'.
On reflection, Donna said in 1986, "80% of the time women are over made-up in daytime because they use incandescent light rather than natural light. Incandescent is for night."
"A lot of actors just do whatever they do and wherever the camera is, it is. They don't pay much attention but I always did," Donna disclosed. "I was always very close to the camera crew. They were my best buddies, no matter what movie or show I was doing.
"The focus puller, the (camera) operator, the DP (director of photography), the lighting guys - they become part of the world you create in front of a camera. I always wanted to know what lens they were on, how close they were. I didn't do it with a plan in mind but I would instinctively gear what I was doing toward what lenses they were using."
In 1985-86, roughly 29% of the black households were counted watching 'Knots Landing'. The show ended that season ranked the 18th highest rated show on television.
"My mail is very positive toward Abby," Donna shared. "Women especially would like to take charge of their lives as she has. They can't, so they live vicariously through Abby who is anything but a victim."
Co-star Joan Van Ark added, "It can be strange when people start talking about Val like she's reality. It's flattering, though. She's obviously made an impression."
"I was very, very particular about the clothes that Abby wore," Donna revealed. "So I would go to Neiman Marcus or Saks and I would just throw whatever piece of clothing I wanted into the cart. I'd never have to look at a price tag. It was heaven."
Her hair at the time was styled by Allen Edwards. "As a hairdresser today it's very difficult to create new looks and hairstyles because it was all done before," Allen acknowledged. "I came from an era where we used to create new things."
Donna also made the point, "In most series you can get away with bad acting because they are written and acted like caricatures. Sometimes that's the only way performers can play their role."
In 1972, Donna co-starred in the TV movie, 'Haunts Of The Very Rich', about a resort called the Portals of Eden.
"...I've been to many places in the world, but there are so many I haven't been to," Donna confessed. "I want to go to India, I want to go to China."
She explained, "I want to go there before it becomes too easy." "Now," she remarked in 1982, "you go there and you don't stay in a luxury hotel, you stay in a hotel that is a Chinese hotel. It's not very luxurious - that's the way it is there. I don't want to go when there is a big Hyatt or a big Holiday Inn that you can stay in. It would look just like the buildings do here. That isn't interesting."
Of the nighttime soap 'Knots Landing', Donna observed, "There are infinitely intricate human conflicts and relationships (on the show) and there is an infinite variety in those conflicts." However "we are the most ignored successful show in the industry. Even with great ratings it's as if we didn't exist."
"The most successful shows on TV all feature families at the core," producer David Jacobs pointed out. "We've never been timely; we've never been trendy. We never cared whether Reagan was President."
Although Donna maintained, "My greatest obligation is to the viewing audience and I'm concerned a great deal about the young women who watch our show. For this reason, I work very hard to see that Abby is vulnerable and not mean all the time."
In 1977, Donna could be seen in the Irwin Allen's movie, 'Fire'. Of the movie, Irwin insisted, "As long as in real life we have floods, storms, fires and other disasters, there's no end in sight. These kinds of pictures will be around as long as we're alive. Every poll we've taken says, 'Give us more.'"
Donna started out as a dancer; landed her first part in the Broadway play, 'Don't Drink The Water' by Woody Allen and made her acting debut in 1966 in the daytime drama, 'The Secret Storm'. She followed that role with an appearance in another soap, 'Love Is A Many Splendored Thing'.
On reflection, Donna said in 1986, "80% of the time women are over made-up in daytime because they use incandescent light rather than natural light. Incandescent is for night."
"A lot of actors just do whatever they do and wherever the camera is, it is. They don't pay much attention but I always did," Donna disclosed. "I was always very close to the camera crew. They were my best buddies, no matter what movie or show I was doing.
"The focus puller, the (camera) operator, the DP (director of photography), the lighting guys - they become part of the world you create in front of a camera. I always wanted to know what lens they were on, how close they were. I didn't do it with a plan in mind but I would instinctively gear what I was doing toward what lenses they were using."
In 1985-86, roughly 29% of the black households were counted watching 'Knots Landing'. The show ended that season ranked the 18th highest rated show on television.
"My mail is very positive toward Abby," Donna shared. "Women especially would like to take charge of their lives as she has. They can't, so they live vicariously through Abby who is anything but a victim."
Co-star Joan Van Ark added, "It can be strange when people start talking about Val like she's reality. It's flattering, though. She's obviously made an impression."
"I was very, very particular about the clothes that Abby wore," Donna revealed. "So I would go to Neiman Marcus or Saks and I would just throw whatever piece of clothing I wanted into the cart. I'd never have to look at a price tag. It was heaven."
Her hair at the time was styled by Allen Edwards. "As a hairdresser today it's very difficult to create new looks and hairstyles because it was all done before," Allen acknowledged. "I came from an era where we used to create new things."
