Post by RitaLittlewood on Aug 3, 2004 17:26:04 GMT
For those who missed it on Sunday:
Falcon Crest: Dallas in a bottle
Programme Falcon Crest
Channel ITV 1982-1991
Starring Robert Foxworth, Jane Wyman, Simon MacCorkindale, Paul Freeman (and many others)
What was it? A tale of love, intrigue and (more often than might seem entirely plausible) murder in the cut-throat world of the Californian wine-growing industry.
Murder? Oh yes. People got knocked off almost every week. It made The Sopranos look like The Magic Roundabout (well, sort of).
I never knew the wine-growing business was so dangerous. It probably isn't, but it made good TV.
So what was the basic premise? Hard-as-nails businesswoman Angela Channing (Jane Wyman) locks horns with good, honest Chase Gioberti (Robert Foxworth) over the future of Falcon Crest Wines. In fact, according to Foxworth, they more or less did the same scene every week...
What else happened? A surprising deal actually. Steamy romances, plane crashes, exploding buildings, organised crime, white slavery — one thing was for sure: it was rarely dull.
Who was it made by? Lorimar, who also produced Dallas and Dynasty. In fact, substitute wine for oil and transplant the action from Texas to sunny Northern California and you'll get the general idea.
Was there a JR equivalent? Not exactly — although ironically Robert Foxworth turned down the role of JR. Oops. The closest thing the series had came in the shapely form of Ana Alicia, who played man-eating superbitch Melissa Cumson.
Who else starred? Quite a few famous faces cropped up, including Casualty's Simon MacCorkindale (Greg Reardon) and When I'm 64 star Paul Freeman (Gustav Riebmann). Others included Jane Wyman, the former wife of late US president Ronald Reagan.
Just think: she could have been First Lady, rather than the boss of Falcon Crest Wines... Indeed. She claimed: "I've no regrets about missing out on the White House — it's definitely not my scene." If you say so sweetheart.
Was everyone friends off-set? Erm, not exactly. Jane Wyman and Hollywood legend Lana Turner (who played Jacqueline Perrault for a year) loathed each other so much their scenes had to be filmed separately. And Wyman and Robert Foxworth had a vicious feud after Foxworth discovered his co-star's trailer was slightly longer than his.
Catty. Speaking of which, Lorenzo Lamas, alias playboy Lance Cumson, once performed a circus stunt with 11 tigers. And fittingly, considering he starred in a soap about wine-growing, he developed a drink problem.
Sounds like there was a real-life soap opera going on behind the scenes. Indeed. Lorenzo Lamas also confessed to a £500-a-week cocaine habit and fell for Robin Greer, who played on-screen wife Dina Wells.
Steamy stuff. The arrival of Playboy centrefold Shannon Tweed as Diana Hunter spiced things up even more. Tweed arrived for her audition, threw down a stack of photos and simpered: "Sorry for the nudes, but that's all I have." She was hired on the spot.
So what scheming imagination cooked up this (ahem) heady cocktail of sex, violence and vineyards? Somewhat surprisingly, it was Earl Hamner Jr, the scriptwriter of wholesome family drama The Waltons.
Was there a happy ending? Yes — despite the murders, accidents and explosions over the years. The final episode, in 1991, saw Richard Channing (David Selby), having taken control of Falcon Crest, sell the vineyard back to Angela, and they lived happily ever after (possibly).
Appearance? Lots of bouffant hairstyles and gleaming white teeth (and that was just the men).
Do say? That's a lovely drop of claret, that.
Don't say? Actually I'm teetotal these days. Have you got any dandelion and burdock?
Not to be confused with? Dallas; Dynasty; Knots Landing; A Year In Provence.
Falcon Crest: Dallas in a bottle
Programme Falcon Crest
Channel ITV 1982-1991
Starring Robert Foxworth, Jane Wyman, Simon MacCorkindale, Paul Freeman (and many others)
What was it? A tale of love, intrigue and (more often than might seem entirely plausible) murder in the cut-throat world of the Californian wine-growing industry.
Murder? Oh yes. People got knocked off almost every week. It made The Sopranos look like The Magic Roundabout (well, sort of).
I never knew the wine-growing business was so dangerous. It probably isn't, but it made good TV.
So what was the basic premise? Hard-as-nails businesswoman Angela Channing (Jane Wyman) locks horns with good, honest Chase Gioberti (Robert Foxworth) over the future of Falcon Crest Wines. In fact, according to Foxworth, they more or less did the same scene every week...
What else happened? A surprising deal actually. Steamy romances, plane crashes, exploding buildings, organised crime, white slavery — one thing was for sure: it was rarely dull.
Who was it made by? Lorimar, who also produced Dallas and Dynasty. In fact, substitute wine for oil and transplant the action from Texas to sunny Northern California and you'll get the general idea.
Was there a JR equivalent? Not exactly — although ironically Robert Foxworth turned down the role of JR. Oops. The closest thing the series had came in the shapely form of Ana Alicia, who played man-eating superbitch Melissa Cumson.
Who else starred? Quite a few famous faces cropped up, including Casualty's Simon MacCorkindale (Greg Reardon) and When I'm 64 star Paul Freeman (Gustav Riebmann). Others included Jane Wyman, the former wife of late US president Ronald Reagan.
Just think: she could have been First Lady, rather than the boss of Falcon Crest Wines... Indeed. She claimed: "I've no regrets about missing out on the White House — it's definitely not my scene." If you say so sweetheart.
Was everyone friends off-set? Erm, not exactly. Jane Wyman and Hollywood legend Lana Turner (who played Jacqueline Perrault for a year) loathed each other so much their scenes had to be filmed separately. And Wyman and Robert Foxworth had a vicious feud after Foxworth discovered his co-star's trailer was slightly longer than his.
Catty. Speaking of which, Lorenzo Lamas, alias playboy Lance Cumson, once performed a circus stunt with 11 tigers. And fittingly, considering he starred in a soap about wine-growing, he developed a drink problem.
Sounds like there was a real-life soap opera going on behind the scenes. Indeed. Lorenzo Lamas also confessed to a £500-a-week cocaine habit and fell for Robin Greer, who played on-screen wife Dina Wells.
Steamy stuff. The arrival of Playboy centrefold Shannon Tweed as Diana Hunter spiced things up even more. Tweed arrived for her audition, threw down a stack of photos and simpered: "Sorry for the nudes, but that's all I have." She was hired on the spot.
So what scheming imagination cooked up this (ahem) heady cocktail of sex, violence and vineyards? Somewhat surprisingly, it was Earl Hamner Jr, the scriptwriter of wholesome family drama The Waltons.
Was there a happy ending? Yes — despite the murders, accidents and explosions over the years. The final episode, in 1991, saw Richard Channing (David Selby), having taken control of Falcon Crest, sell the vineyard back to Angela, and they lived happily ever after (possibly).
Appearance? Lots of bouffant hairstyles and gleaming white teeth (and that was just the men).
Do say? That's a lovely drop of claret, that.
Don't say? Actually I'm teetotal these days. Have you got any dandelion and burdock?
Not to be confused with? Dallas; Dynasty; Knots Landing; A Year In Provence.
