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Knots Landing has got to be one of the best shows ever to grace our TV sets. The show that started out as a spin off of another good show Dallas turned into a guaranteed hour of enjoyable tv. Yes the show had its good and bad episodes but you always knew you could look foward to seeing your favorite neighbors on the Cul-Da-Sac Seaview Circle. By far the greatest female character on the show was Karen Fairgate Mackenzie(Michele Lee), she was married to the 2 greatest men ever Sid Fairgate(Don Murray) the owner of Knots Landing Motors and after his death she met and married Mack Mackenzie(Kevin Dobson)a lawyer. I enjoyed these two together most, they had such great chemistry together on screen they actually were believable as a married couple. When Abby(Donna Mills) arrived the show became even better, her character was always after someones husband and usually ended up with him. Sumner(Bill Devane) was another great addition to the show, his character brought a comic humor with the words he chose to use in tense drama situations. Then you had the Val(Joan Van Ark) and Gary(Ted Shackelford) the two childhood lovers who you just knew would always be together even if a few marriages got in between them. The show also had some other great characters like Laura(Constance McCashin), Richard (John Pleashette), Paige(Nicolette Sheridan), Lilimae(Julie Harris), Claudia(Kathleen Noone), Anne(Michelle Phillips), Frank(Lary Riely), Olivia(Tonya Crowe). Knots also had a ton of guest stars like Ava Gardner, Alec Baldwin, Lisa Hartman Black, Red Buttons,and Pam Grier just to name a few. Overall this show still holds up to todays standards and hopefully it will be put on DVD soon so everyone can enjoy it.

"Knots Landing", for 14 years, was the greatest television experience ever. From December 27, 1979, until May 13, 1993, we followed the sudsy lives of our favorite characters. From Val and Gary's initial movie into the neighborhood, to Abby's arrival and her nonstop manipulations, to Laura's terminal brain cancer and the impact it had on everyone's lives, to the ultimate psycho Jill, it was all terrific entertainment. Not overly-glossy and implausible like other night-time soaps, "Knots" had a realism all it's own. It will be missed and remembered fondly.

Knots Landing,the TV stalwart through the 80's and some of the 90's was one of TV's best dramas. The characters were so real,they became as well known as family members. The series excelled in complex characters. From the strong women like Karen, Laura,Paige and Abby to the utterly fascinating flawed men like Greg Sumner and Gary Ewing.The show was not without its mistakes- not all the serpentine,complicated plots worked, and the reliance of the plots in later episodes on insane stalkers, was predictable. Nevertheless, when Knots stories jelled,the effects were often breathtaking. Who can forget the great moments like Sid's death and Karen's coping, Abby's marrying Greg in the middle of his romance with Paige, Laura's funeral,the return of Val's twins, the body under the cement, Olivia's drug addiction and Abby's intervention, Jill's shocking villainy revealed to Val...the list of great Knots moments goes on.There hasn't been a show like it on TV since. It is sorely missed.

So back in the 80s I would have never ever given Knots Landing a chance. But I started dating someone new who loved this show so I was stuck watching it. I actually gave in and looked forward to watching it. I was never one for soap opera type television. One of my favorite characters was Mack. I always enjoyed when Mack was an integral part of that particular episode, and he was always one the significant characters. Kevin Dobson didn't do a whole lot of acting after Knots went off the air, not sure why, everything Kevin has been in he has excelled and has greatly improved the series or has brought his characters to life. I am only writing this review because I had heard Kevin had passed away recently. Rest In Peace Kevin Dobson, one of the great ones in Hollywood.

This was undoubtedly the best TV series EVER!!! Great characters, great stories, witty scripts, fantastic acting, fantastic theme tune, the list is endless.

I watched all 344 episodes throughout the show's 14 year run (15 if you lived in the UK). I watched it grow from an average suburban series set in a Californian cul-de-sac to an international phenomenon that perhaps didn't reach the same heights as 'Dallas' or 'Dynasty', but make no mistake, this series had a devoted following all across the world - such was it's enduring appeal.

Who could forget the night Sid was driven off a cliff? Talk about a Cliffhanger!!! Who could not feel sorry for "Poor Val" when her babies were kidnapped at birth or when the evil Jill Bennett (played convincingly by Teri Austin) attempted to kill her by forcing pills down her throat? Add to that those heartbreaking scenes when Laura (played by the wonderful Constance McCashin) died of a brain tumour and 'Greggy' was left all alone to raise their child.

Then there were all those wonderfully complex stories involving all the cul-de-sac's residents united to fight against a common enemy. Wolfbridge? Treadwell? The list is endless. Knots had that unique ability to tell a good tale. It carried on telling such 'good tales' for 14 amazing years - never once really dipping in quality.

In the finale, Kevin Dobson told how it was a quality series - the type of quality that television needs. How right he was! Television didn't see such quality prior to the series' launch in 1979, and sadly it hasn't seen it since.

A fantastic production in a bygone era. The likes of which we will never see again...