I literally grew up while this series ran on CBS...it ended in my final year of high school. Obviously I never watched it much, or had an interest in it, but I remember hearing ads all the time during Price is Right (which I DID watch!).

Anyway what fun Warner's DVD box set is -- the DALLAS spin-off motifs are clearly in motion early, but you've got a young (and pissed) Karen Allen in the pilot, plenty of unintended laughs, decent writing for a soap, and of course Jerrod Immel's infectious, breezy theme (one of my favorite TV themes, in fact!).

It's funny -- even trash TV was a LOT better back in the '70s and '80s than it is today

AndyDursin wrote:It's funny -- even trash TV was a LOT better back in the '70s and '80s than it is today

The problem today is TV shows are all so self-important. Every show has an agenda. Writers and producers overestimate their importance (and intelligence) and use their shows as socio-political soap boxes, and delude themselves they are somehow bettering mankind.

If Gomer Pyle were made today it would take place in Iraq, and there would be episodes about Gomer's best friend being maimed, and Sergeant Carter trying to compensate for his own gender insecurities by bullying a gay marine.


Paul

Paul MacLean wrote:

AndyDursin wrote:It's funny -- even trash TV was a LOT better back in the '70s and '80s than it is today

The problem today is TV shows are all so self-important. Every show has an agenda. Writers and producers overestimate their importance (and intelligence) and use their shows as socio-political soap boxes, and delude themselves they are somehow bettering mankind.

If Gomer Pyle were made today it would take place in Iraq, and there would be episodes about Gomer's best friend being maimed, and Sergeant Carter trying to compensate for his own gender insecurities by bullying a gay marine.


Paul

Exactly. A show like DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES is so relentlessly self-aware, it doesn't have the naive, fun qualities that KNOTS LANDING provides. Back then junk-food TV had more style and class than what we've got today, no question.