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{{short description|American Western drama television series (1965-1969)}}
{{Infobox television
{{Infobox television
| show_name = The Big Valley
| image = The Big Valley.jpg
| image =[[File:The Big Valley tv.jpg|240px]]
| image_size = 250
| image_size =
| genre = [[Western (genre)|Western]]
| creator = {{Plainlist|
| caption = The cast of ''The Big Valley''<br>From Top Left: Heath, Nick, Jarrod, Audra, Victoria
* [[A.I. Bezzerides]]
| genre = [[Western (genre)|Western]]
| creator = [[A.I. Bezzerides]]<br>[[Louis F. Edelman]]
* [[Louis F. Edelman]]
}}
| starring = [[Barbara Stanwyck]]<br>[[Richard Long (actor)|Richard Long]]<br>[[Lee Majors]]<br>[[Linda Evans]]<br>[[Peter Breck]]
| country = United States.
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Richard Long (actor)|Richard Long]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
* [[Peter Breck]]
| num_seasons = 4
* [[Lee Majors]]
| num_episodes = 112
* [[Linda Evans]]
| producer =
* [[Barbara Stanwyck]]
| executive_producer =
}}
| company = [[Levy-Gardner-Laven|Levee-Gardner-Laven Productions]]<br>[[Four Star Television]]<br>Margate
| runtime = 45&ndash;48 minutes
| country = United States
| network = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| composer = [[George Duning]]
| audio_format = [[Monaural]]
| language = English
| first_aired = {{Start date|1965|09|15}}
| num_seasons = 4
| last_aired = {{End date|1969|05|19}}
| num_episodes = 112
| list_episodes = List of The Big Valley episodes
| producer =
| executive_producer =
| company = {{Plainlist|
* [[Levy-Gardner-Laven|Levy-Gardner-Laven Productions]]
* [[Four Star Television]]
* Margate
}}
| runtime = 50 minutes
| network = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|1965|09|15}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1969|05|19}}
}}
}}


[[File:SRR 3 at Jamestown September 1964xRP - Flickr - drewj1946.jpg|thumb|[[Sierra Railway]] Engine #3 at the old [[Jamestown, California]] Depot, for the filming of the [[pilot episode]] of ''The Big Valley'', 1964.]]
[[File:SRR 3 at Jamestown September 1964xRP - Flickr - drewj1946.jpg|thumb|[[Sierra Railway]] Engine #3 at the old [[Jamestown, California]] Depot, for the filming of the [[Television pilot|pilot episode]] of ''The Big Valley'', 1965]]
'''''The Big Valley''''' is an American [[Westerns on television|Western television series]] that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]].<ref name="McNeil">{{cite book|last=McNeil |first=Alex |title=Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present |location=New York |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |isbn=0-14-02-4916-8 |date=1996 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dctkAAAAMAAJ| access-date=May 28, 2021}}</ref> The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in [[Stockton, California]], from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour episodes follow the lives of the Barkley family, one of the wealthiest and largest ranch-owning families in Stockton, led by matriarch Victoria Barkley ([[Barbara Stanwyck]]), her sons Jarrod ([[Richard Long (actor)|Richard Long]]) and Nick ([[Peter Breck]]), daughter Audra ([[Linda Evans]]), and their half-brother Heath ([[Lee Majors]]).<ref name="Brooks_and_Marsh">{{Cite book|last1=Brooks|first1=Tim|author-link=Tim Brooks (historian)|last2=Marsh|first2=Earle F.|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present|page=144|publisher=[[Ballantine Books]]|year=2007|isbn=978-0-345-49773-4|location=New York|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w8KztFy6QYwC&dq=%22Big+Valley+The+Western%22&pg=PA144 |access-date=May 28, 2021}}</ref> The series was created by [[A.I. Bezzerides]] and [[Louis F. Edelman]], and produced by [[Levy-Gardner-Laven]] for [[Four Star Television]].
'''''The Big Valley''''' is an American [[Western (genre)|western]] television series which ran on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969. The show stars [[Barbara Stanwyck]], as the widow of a wealthy nineteenth century California rancher. It was created by [[A.I. Bezzerides]] and [[Louis F. Edelman]], and produced by [[Levy-Gardner-Laven]] for [[Four Star Television]].


== Plot synopsis ==
==Historical background==
The series begins about 6 years after the death of the family patriarch, Thomas Barkley. Although he is never shown in the series (other than a painting and a statue), the character of Thomas Barkley is referred to as a major plot point many times. The character of Heath Barkley is introduced in episode one as the illegitimate son of Tom Barkley. His presence and claim to the Barkley name is the focus of many of the dramatic plots in season one.
The TV series was based loosely on the Hill Ranch located at the western edge of [[Calaveras County, California|Calaveras County]], not far from [[Stockton, California|Stockton]]. One episode placed the Barkley Ranch a few hours' ride from town while another has Jarrod riding past a Calaveras County sign on his way to the TV series' ranch.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} The Hill Ranch existed from 1855 until 1931, exceeded {{convert|1000|acre|km2}}, and had the [[Mokelumne River]] running through it. Lawson Hill ran the ranch until he was murdered in 1861. His wife Euphemia (aka "Auntie Hill") then became the matriarch. During their marriage they had four children, one daughter and three sons. Today, the location of the ranch is covered by the waters of [[Camanche, California|Lake Camanche]]. A California state historical marker standing at Camanche South Shore Park mentions the historic ranch. The set used to film the exterior of the Barkley Mansion stood on the back-lot of Republic Studios from 1947 until 1975.


==Cast and characters==
In the first episode, "Palms of Glory," the grave of Thomas Barkley (1813–1870) is shown after it is commented that he fought the railroad six years ago establishing that the show was initially set no later than 1876.

In "The Odyssey of Jubal Tanner", Jubal states to Victoria Barkley that he's been gone 30 years since his wife Margaret Tanner's death, her grave showing her passing away in 1854; this appears to indicate that the series starts in 1884. However, in another episode, a newly dug grave has a marker with the year 1878, so the best can be said is that the events of the series take place sometime in the late 1870s or early 1880s.

==Characters==


===Main===
===Main===
[[File:Big Valley cast photo 2.jpg|220px|thumb|right|''The Big Valley'' main cast.<br>Left to right: Long, Majors, Evans, Stanwyck, and Breck]]
*'''Victoria Barkley''', portrayed by [[Barbara Stanwyck]], was the widow of Thomas Barkley. She was the head of the wealthy, influential Barkley family who lived in 19th century Stockton in California's [[California Central Valley|Central Valley]]. She was the main character of the series. Victoria Barkley was the owner and head of the Barkley ranch. In fact, Stanwyck's refusal to portray Barkley as fragile was controversial at the time. Barkley's husband had been killed six years prior to the beginning of the series. Victoria Barkley loved and was proud of all her children, including her late husband's illegitimate son, Heath, whom she would refer to as "my son." Stanwyck, who was able to go effortlessly and convincingly from the refined, elegant lady of the manor to a jean clad cowgirl as tough as any cowboy, appeared in the most episodes for a total of 103 of the 112 episodes. Her episodes were often surprisingly hard hitting, seeing her character either locked away in a lunatic asylum to prevent her testifying as eyewitness at a murder trial ("Down Shadow Street"), or taken prisoner in a prison wagon to replace a dead female convict ("Four Days to Furnace Hill"), or trapped underground following a cave-in ("Earthquake"). Stanwyck always took her featured lead roles with all the confidence of a Hollywood legend, being both credibly warm and tough where the scripts required.
[[File:The Big Valley cast 1965.jpg|220px|thumb|right|L-R: [[Linda Evans]], [[Barbara Stanwyck]], [[Richard Long (actor)|Richard Long]], [[Peter Breck]], [[Lee Majors]], and [[Charles Briles]] (1965)]]

[[File:Barbara Stanwyck Colleen Dewhurst The Big Valley.jpg|thumb|right|[[Barbara Stanwyck]], [[Michael Burns (actor and historian)|Michael Burns]] and [[Colleen Dewhurst]] in episode "A Day of Terror" (1966) ]]
*'''Jarrod Thomas Barkley''', the eldest son, was a respected attorney. [[Richard Long (actor)|Richard Long]] played the role of the educated, refined and calmer of the Barkley sons who handled all of the family's legal and business affairs. While Jarrod preferred the law to settle disputes, he was known to resort to frontier justice and violence when necessary. He was briefly married in one episode ("Days of Wrath") only to see his new wife murdered, with a bullet intended for him. It was a memorable episode in which an enraged Jarrod loses all his calm genteel mannerisms, then relentlessly tracks down the killer. He's in the midst of killing him with his bare hands, before he's stopped by Nick and Heath. Long appeared in 96 of the 112 episodes.
[[File:Barbara Stanwyck Adam West Big Valley 1968.JPG|thumb|right|Episode "In Silent Battle", [[Barbara Stanwyck]] and [[Adam West]] (1968)]]

*'''Victoria Barkley''', portrayed by Barbara Stanwyck, the widow of Thomas Barkley, was the head of the wealthy, influential Barkley family, who lived in 19th-century Stockton in California's [[California Central Valley|Central Valley]]. She was the main character of the series. Victoria Barkley was the owner and head of the Barkley ranch. In fact, Stanwyck's refusal to portray Barkley as fragile was controversial at the time. Barkley's husband Tom had been killed 6 years before the beginning of the series. Victoria Barkley loved and was proud of all her children, including her late husband's illegitimate son Heath, to whom she would refer as "my son". Stanwyck, who went from the refined, elegant lady of the manor to a jean-clad cowgirl as tough as any cowboy, appeared the most, in 103 of the 112 episodes. Her episodes were often surprisingly hard-hitting, seeing her character either locked away in a lunatic asylum to prevent her testifying as eyewitness at a murder trial ("Down Shadow Street"), taken prisoner in a prison wagon to replace a dead female convict ("Four Days to Furnace Hill"), impersonating a thief to go undercover at a women's prison to report on conditions there ("Alias Nellie Handley"), or trapped underground following a cave-in ("Earthquake").
*'''Nicholas "Nick" Jonathan Barkley''', the hot-tempered brawling younger son who managed the family ranch, was portrayed by [[Peter Breck]]. Well known for his black leather vests, large black hat and black leather gloves, as well as his loud and brawling demeanor, he was notorious for getting into fist fights. At times, he would fight with his brothers as well, though underneath the gruff surface he was warm and caring, had a fun-loving carefree side, a great sense of humor, and loved his family deeply. Breck appeared in 101 of the 112 episodes.
*'''Jarrod Thomas Barkley''', the eldest son, was a respected attorney-at-law. Richard Long played the role of the educated, refined, and calmest of the Barkley sons, who handled all of the family's legal and business affairs. While Jarrod, a skilled lawyer, preferred the law to settle disputes, he was known to resort to frontier justice and violence when necessary. He was briefly married in one episode ("Days of Wrath"), only to see his new wife murdered with a bullet intended for him. An enraged Jarrod lost his calm and genteel manners, then relentlessly tracked down the killer. He was in the midst of killing him with his bare hands before he was stopped by Nick and Heath. Jarrod was a veteran of the [[American Civil War]]. He served as a cavalry officer in the [[Union Army]]. He commanded a cavalry troop of black soldiers as referenced in the episode "The Buffalo Man". Long appeared in 98 of the 112 episodes.

*'''Nicholas "Nick" Jonathan Barkley''', the hot-tempered younger son, was portrayed by Peter Breck. Nick managed the family ranch. He wore a black leather vest, large black hat, and black leather gloves, and was distinguished by his brawling ways and loud demeanor. Nick had served as a soldier in combat in the Union Army during the Civil War as referenced in the episode "Forty Rifles". He was always ready for a fight, and at times would fight with his brothers, as well. Underneath his gruff exterior, he was fun-loving, had a great sense of humor, was warm and caring, and loved his family deeply. Breck appeared in 98 of the 112 episodes.(Several years prior to starring in ''The Big Valley'', Breck starred in his own series for Four Star Television, ''[[Black Saddle]]'', which aired on NBC).
*'''Audra Barkley''', played by [[Linda Evans]], was Victoria's only daughter. Audra was somewhat self-absorbed, bold, and forward. Far from demure, she performed daring stunts and rode astride, like her brothers. Audra, like Nick and Eugene, was initially leery of Heath's story that he was her father's son. Early on, she unsuccessfully attempted to seduce Heath, so as to expose him as a fraud. Later however, Audra and Heath became very close as a real brother-and-sister bond developed between them. She also had a caring side, displayed by tending to children from the local orphanage. A few episodes dealt with her romances, one notable episode being "My Son My Son" in which [[Robert Walker Jr.]] guests as a suitor who proves to be mentally unstable. During the show's final two seasons, Evans' appearances were reduced because she wanted to spend more time with her husband [[John Derek]].
*'''Audra Barkley''', played by Linda Evans, was Victoria's only daughter. Audra was somewhat self-absorbed, bold, and forward. Far from demure, she performed daring stunts and rode astride, like her brothers. Like Nick and Jarrod, Audra was initially leery of Heath's story that he was their father's son. Early, she attempted to seduce Heath, so as to expose him as a fraud, but was unsuccessful. As the series progressed, Audra and Heath formed a very close brother-and-sister bond. Audra also had a caring side, as seen by her tending to children at the local orphanage. A few episodes dealt with her romances, and one notable episode was "My Son, My Son" in which [[Robert Walker (actor, born 1940)|Robert Walker, Jr.]], guests as a suitor who proves to be mentally unstable. During the series' final two seasons, Evans' appearances were reduced because she wanted to spend more time with her husband [[John Derek]]. Evans appeared the least, in 82 of the 112 episodes.

*'''Heath Barkley''' was the illegitimate son of Victoria's late husband, and he literally had to fight his way into the Barkley home. [[Lee Majors]] portrayed even-tempered but rough and tumble Heath, who was often angry and aggressive throughout the early episodes due to his belief that Tom Barkley had abandoned his real mother after she became pregnant. In truth, Tom Barkley never knew about Heath, as Heath's mother had never told him, and never even told Heath until she was on her deathbed. Heath gradually gained acceptance from the rest of the Barkley clan as the first season progressed until he became as much a "Barkley" as the rest of the family, and his love for them became equal. Heath would come to call Victoria "Mother" when speaking to her directly and about her with his siblings. Although Nick was initially leery of Heath and felt he had to test Heath's mettle, Heath would go on to prove himself worthy of even Nick's acceptance, and eventually Nick seemed to grow even closer to Heath than he was to Jarrod, perhaps in a sense due to Heath having more in common with him than Jarrod did. Audra became closer to Heath than either of her other brothers. Majors, who is initially very blond-haired but gradually gets darker haired as the show continues, appeared in 95 of the 112 episodes.
*'''Heath Barkley''' was the illegitimate son of Victoria's late husband, and he had to literally fight his way into the Barkley home. Lee Majors portrayed even-tempered but rough-and-tumble Heath, who was often angry and aggressive throughout the early episodes due to his belief that Tom Barkley had abandoned his real mother after she became pregnant, as well as the resistance he initially received from some of his new siblings. In truth, Tom Barkley never knew about Heath, as Heath's mother had never told him, and never told Heath until she was on her deathbed (as revealed in the third episode of season one, "Boots with My Father's Name".) Heath gradually gained acceptance from the rest of the Barkley clan as the first season progressed, until he became as much a "Barkley" as the rest of the family, and his love for them became equal. Heath came to call Victoria "Mother" when speaking to her directly and about her with his siblings. In the episode "Boots with My Father's Name", Heath told Victoria, "you know that there isn't anything that I wouldn't do for you," indicating how deeply he cared for Victoria. Although Nick was initially leery of Heath and felt he had to test Heath's mettle, Heath proved himself worthy of Nick's acceptance, and eventually Nick seemed to grow even closer to Heath than he was to Jarrod, perhaps in a sense due to Heath having more in common with him than did Jarrod. In "The Lost Treasure", the series' season-two premiere, one of a few episodes taken out of the show's initial syndication runs, Heath met Charlie Sawyer (comic [[Buddy Hackett]] in a rare dramatic turn), a con man who claimed to be his actual father (the final moments show him admitting he did romance Heath's mother, but left her years before she gave birth). In the same episode, [[Beah Richards]] returns as Hannah, the black quasinanny who helped raise Heath with his mother. Heath was a veteran of the Civil War as referenced in the episode "The Guilt of Matt Bentell". He served as a soldier in the Union Army in combat operations in New Mexico, and was held as a prisoner of war for 7 months by Confederate forces. Heath was also established in the episode "The Death Merchant" as having been involved in the [[Lincoln County War]] (1878), where he came to know the hired killer "Handy", who had tracked down and killed Tom Barkley's murderer, but who is known by Heath as a merciless killer who changed sides - or played both sides - whenever the money was good. Majors appeared in 97 of the 112 episodes.

===Minor===
*The youngest Barkley son was Eugene, a medical student studying at Berkeley, played by [[Charles Briles]]. Like his older brothers he was known to have a temper as seen in the Season 1 episode "Boots with My Father's Name". He was seen sporadically in only eight first season episodes and then written out. Only once was his name ever mentioned again. In 1965, Briles was drafted by the United States Army, but was given a deferment long enough for him to complete filming the first season. Briles' unit did all their training in California and he was never shipped to Vietnam. By the time he got out of the army, however, the series had been cancelled.<ref>{{cite web|last=Outlier Magazine|title=The Big Valley's Lost Son|url=http://outliermagazine.blogspot.com/2012/03/big-valleys-lost-son.html|accessdate=March 17, 2012}}</ref>


In addition to the Barkley family members, the episode plots typically revolved around morally conflicted protagonists and antagonists, a common theme in the mythology of the American West in the 19th century.
*[[Douglas Kennedy (actor)|Douglas Kennedy]], formerly of ''[[Steve Donovan, Western Marshal]]'' appeared twenty-three times on ''The Big Valley'' as Sheriff Fred Madden.


===Recurring===
*The regular cast was rounded out by [[Napoleon Whiting]], as Silas, the Barkleys' [[majordomo]].
*Silas ([[Napoleon Whiting]]), the Barkley's [[majordomo]], appeared 35 times. In several episodes, his character showed the trauma of slavery ("Joshua Watson"), life for blacks after the Civil War ("The Buffalo Man"), and meaning in his own work for the family ("Miranda").
*Sheriff Fred Madden ([[Douglas Kennedy (actor)|Douglas Kennedy]]) appeared in 20 episodes.
*Eugene Barkley ([[Charles Briles]]), the youngest Barkley son and a medical student studying at Berkeley. Like his older brothers, he was known to have a temper as seen in the season-one episode "Boots with My Father's Name". He appeared in eight first-season episodes. Then, he was drafted into the Army. Only once was his name ever mentioned again.


==Episodes==
=== Guest Stars ===
''The Big Valley'' was well known for its many guest stars, including:
{|border="0"|
{{div col|colwidth=12em|small=yes}}
|valign="top"|
===Season 1: 1965-66===
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center; background:#FFFFEE"
|- style="color:#FFFFEE"
! style="background:#000000" width="8"| Ep
! style="background:#000000" width="22"| №
! style="background:#000000" width="200"| Title
! style="background:#000000" width="123"| Airdate
|-
| 1
| 1
| align="left"|"'''Palms of Glory'''"
| September 15, 1965
|-
| 2
| 2
| align="left"|"'''Forty Rifles'''"
| September 22, 1965
|-
| 3
| 3
| align="left"|"'''Boots with My Father's Name'''"
| September 29, 1965
|-
| 4
| 4
| align="left"|"'''Young Marauders'''"
| October 6, 1965
|-
| 5
| 5
| align="left"|"'''The Odyssey of Jubal Tanner'''"
| October 13, 1965
|-
| 6
| 6
| align="left"|"'''Heritage'''"
| October 20, 1965
|-
| 7
| 7
| align="left"|'''Winner Lose All'''"
| October 27, 1965
|-
| 8
| 8
| align="left"|"'''My Son, My Son'''"
| November 3, 1965
|-
| 9
| 9
| align="left"|"'''Earthquake!'''"
| November 10, 1965
|-
| 10
| 10
| align="left"|"'''Murdered Party'''"
| November 17, 1965
|-
| 11
| 11
| align="left"|"'''Way To Kill A Killer'''"
| November 24, 1965
|-
| 12
| 12
| align="left"|"'''Night of the Wolf'''"
| December 1, 1965
|-
| 13
| 13
| align="left"|"'''The Guilt of Matt Bentell'''"
| December 8, 1965
|-
| 14
| 14
| align="left"|"'''Brawlers'''"
| December 15, 1965
|-
| 15
| 15
| align="left"|"'''Judgment in Heaven'''"
| December 22, 1965
|-
| 16
| 16
| align="left"|"'''Invaders'''"
| December 29, 1965
|-
| 17
| 17
| align="left"|"'''By Fires Unseen'''"
| January 5, 1966
|-
| 18
| 18
| align="left"|"'''Time To Kill'''"
| January 19, 1966
|-
| 19
| 19
| align="left"|"'''Teacher of Outlaws'''"
| February 2, 1966
|-
| 20
| 20
| align="left"|"'''Under A Dark Star'''"
| February 9, 1966
|-
| 21
| 21
| align="left"|"'''Barbary Red'''"
| February 16, 1966
|-
| 22
| 22
| align="left"|"'''Death Merchant'''"
| February 23, 1966
|-
| 23
| 23
| align="left"|"'''Fallen Hawk
| March 2, 1966
|-
| 24
| 24
| align="left"|"'''Hazard'''"
| March 9, 1966
|-
| 25
| 25
| align="left"|"'''Into the Widow's Web'''"
| March 23, 1966
|-
| 26
| 26
| align="left"|"'''By Force and Violence'''"
| March 30, 1966
|-
| 27
| 27
| align="left"|"'''River Monarch'''"
| April 6, 1966
|-
| 28
| 28
| align="left"|"'''Midas Man'''"
| April 13, 1966
|-
| 29
| 29
| align="left"|"'''Tunnel of Gold'''"
| April 20, 1966
|-
| 30
| 30
| align="left"|"'''Last Train To the Fair'''"
| April 27, 1966
|}
|valign="top"|
===Season 2: 1966-67===
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center; background:#FFFFEE"
|- style="color:#FFFFEE"
! style="background:#000000" width="8"| Ep
! style="background:#000000" width="22"| №
! style="background:#000000" width="200"| Title
! style="background:#000000" width="123"| Airdate
|-
| 1
| 31
| align="left"|"'''Lost Treasure'''"
| September 12, 1966
|-
| 2
| 32
| align="left"|"'''Legend of A General (Part 1)'''"
| September 19, 1966
|-
| 3
| 33
| align="left"|"'''Legend of A General (Part 2)'''"
| September 26, 1966
|-
| 4
| 34
| align="left"|"'''Caesar's Wife'''"
| October 3, 1966
|-
| 5
| 35
| align="left"|"'''Pursuit'''"
| October 10, 1966
|-
| 6
| 36
| align="left"|"'''Martyr'''"
| October 17, 1966
|-
| 7
| 37
| align="left"|"'''Target'''"
| October 31, 1966
|-
| 8
| 38
| align="left"|"'''Velvet Trap'''"
| November 7, 1966
|-
| 9
| 39
| align="left"|"'''Man from Nowhere'''"
| November 14, 1966
|-
| 10
| 40
| align="left"|"'''The Great Safe Robbery'''"
| November 21, 1966
|-
| 11
| 41
| align="left"|"'''The Iron Box'''"
| November 28, 1966
|-
| 12
| 42
| align="left"|"'''Last Stage To Salt Flats'''"
| December 5, 1966
|-
| 13
| 43
| align="left"|"'''Day of Terror'''"
| December 12, 1966
|-
| 14
| 44
| align="left"|"'''Hide the Children'''"
| December 19, 1966
|-
| 15
| 45
| align="left"|"'''Day of the Comet'''"
| December 26, 1966
|-
| 16
| 46
| align="left"|"'''Wagonload of Dreams'''"
| January 2, 1967
|-
| 17
| 47
| align="left"|"'''Image of Yesterday'''"
| January 9, 1967
|-
| 18
| 48
| align="left"|"'''Boy into Man'''"
| January 16, 1967
|-
| 19
| 49
| align="left"|"'''Down Shadow Street'''"
| January 23, 1967
|-
| 20
| 50
| align="left"|"'''Stallion'''"
| January 30, 1967
|-
| 21
| 51
| align="left"|"'''Haunted Gun'''"
| February 6, 1967
|-
| 22
| 52
| align="left"|"'''Price of Victory'''"
| February 13, 1967
|-
| 23
| 53
| align="left"|"'''Brother Love'''"
| February 20, 1967
|-
| 24
| 54
| align="left"|"'''Court Martial'''"
| March 6, 1967
|-
| 25
| 55
| align="left"|"'''Plunder'''"
| March 13, 1967
|-
| 26
| 56
| align="left"|"'''Turn of A Card'''"
| March 20, 1967
|-
| 27
| 57
| align="left"|"'''Showdown in Limbo'''"
| March 27, 1967
|-
| 28
| 58
| align="left"|"'''The Lady of Mesa'''"
| April 3, 1967
|-
| 29
| 59
| align="left"|"'''Days of Grace'''"
| April 17, 1967
|-
| 30
| 60
| align="left"|"'''Cage of Eagles'''"
| April 24, 1967
|}
|}
{|border="0"|
|valign="top"|
===Season 3: 1967-68===
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center; background:#FFFFEE"
|- style="color:#FFFFEE"
! style="background:#000000" width="8"| Ep
! style="background:#000000" width="22"| №
! style="background:#000000" width="200"| Title
! style="background:#000000" width="123"| Airdate
|-
| 1
| 61
| align="left"|"'''Joaquin'''"
| September 11, 1967
|-
| 2
| 62
| align="left"|"'''Ambush'''"
| September 18, 1967
|-
| 3
| 63
| align="left"|"'''Flock of Trouble'''"
| September 25, 1967
|-
| 4
| 64
| align="left"|"'''Time After Midnight'''"
| October 2, 1967
|-
| 5
| 65
| align="left"|"'''Night in A Small Town'''"
| October 9, 1967
|-
| 6
| 66
| align="left"|"'''Ladykiller'''"
| October 16, 1967
|-
| 7
| 67
| align="left"|"'''Guilty'''"
| October 30, 1967
|-
| 8
| 68
| align="left"|"'''The Disappearance'''"
| November 6, 1967
|-
| 9
| 69
| align="left"|"'''A Noose is Waiting'''"
| November 13, 1967
|-
| 10
| 70
| align="left"|"'''Explosion (Part 1)'''"
| November 20, 1967
|-
| 11
| 71
| align="left"|"'''Explosion (Part 2)'''"
| November 27, 1967
|-
| 12
| 72
| align="left"|"'''Four Days To Furnace Hill'''"
| December 4, 1967
|-
| 13
| 73
| align="left"|"'''Night of the Executioner'''"
| December 11, 1967
|-
| 14
| 74
| align="left"|"'''Journey into Violence'''"
| December 18, 1967
|-
| 15
| 75
| align="left"|"'''The Buffalo Man'''"
| December 25, 1967
|-
| 16
| 76
| align="left"|"'''The Good Thieves'''"
| January 1, 1968
|-
| 17
| 77
| align="left"|"'''Days of Wrath'''"
| January 8, 1968
|-
| 18
| 78
| align="left"|"'''Miranda'''"
| January 15, 1968
|-
| 19
| 79
| align="left"|"'''Shadow of A Giant'''"
| January 29, 1968
|-
| 20
| 80
| align="left"|"'''Fall of A Hero'''"
| February 5, 1968
|-
| 21
| 81
| align="left"|"'''The Emperor of Rice'''"
| February 12, 1968
|-
| 22
| 82
| align="left"|"'''Rimfire'''"
| February 19, 1968
|-
| 23
| 83
| align="left"|"'''Bounty on A Barkley'''"
| February 26, 1968
|-
| 24
| 84
| align="left"|"'''The Devil's Masquerade'''"
| March 4, 1968
|-
| 25
| 85
| align="left"|"'''Run of the Savage'''"
| March 11, 1968
|-
| 26
| 86
| align="left"|"'''The Challenge'''"
| March 18, 1968
|}
|valign="top"|
===Season 4: 1968-69===
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center; background:#FFFFEE"
|- style="color:#FFFFEE"
! style="background:#000000" width="8"| Ep
! style="background:#000000" width="22"| №
! style="background:#000000" width="200"| Title
! style="background:#000000" width="123"| Airdate
|-
| 1
| 87
| align="left"|"'''In Silent Battle'''"
| September 23, 1968
|-
| 2
| 88
| align="left"|"'''They Called Her Delilah'''"
| September 30, 1968
|-
| 3
| 89
| align="left"|"'''Presumed Dead'''"
| October 7, 1968
|-
| 4
| 90
| align="left"|"'''Run of the Cat
| October 21, 1968
|-
| 5
| 91
| align="left"|"'''Deathtown'''"
| October 28, 1968
|-
| 6
| 92
| align="left"|"'''The Jonah'''"
| November 11, 1968
|-
| 7
| 93
| align="left"|"'''Hell Hath No Fury'''"
| November 18, 1968
|-
| 8
| 94
| align="left"|"'''The Long Ride'''"
| November 25, 1968
|-
| 9
| 95
| align="left"|"'''The Profit and the Loss'''"
| December 2, 1968
|-
| 10
| 96
| align="left"|"'''A Stranger Everywhere'''"
| December 9, 1968
|-
| 11
| 97
| align="left"|"'''The Prize'''"
| December 16, 1968
|-
| 12
| 98
| align="left"|"'''Hunter's Moon'''"
| December 30, 1968
|-
| 13
| 99
| align="left"|"'''Top of the Stairs'''"
| January 6, 1969
|-
| 14
| 100
| align="left"|"'''Joshua Watson'''"
| January 20, 1969
|-
| 15
| 101
| align="left"|"'''The Secret'''"
| January 27, 1969
|-
| 16
| 102
| align="left"|"'''The 25 Graves of Midas'''"
| February 3, 1969
|-
| 17
| 103
| align="left"|"'''Lightfoot'''"
| February 17, 1969
|-
| 18
| 104
| align="left"|"'''Alias Nellie Handly'''"
| February 24, 1969
|-
| 19
| 105
| align="left"|"'''Royal Road'''"
| March 3, 1969
|-
| 20
| 106
| align="left"|"'''A Passage of Saints'''"
| March 10, 1969
|-
| 21
| 107
| align="left"|"'''Battle of Mineral Springs'''"
| March 24, 1969
|-
| 22
| 108
| align="left"|"'''The Other Face of Justice'''"
| March 31, 1969
|-
| 23
| 109
| align="left"|"'''Town of No Exit'''"
| April 7, 1969
|-
| 24
| 110
| align="left"|"'''Danger Road'''"
| April 21, 1969
|-
| 25
| 111
| align="left"|"'''Flight from San Miguel'''"
| April 28, 1969
|-
| 26
| 112
| align="left"|"'''Point and Counterpoint'''"
| May 19, 1969
|}
|}
==Guest stars==
{{list|section|date=December 2012}}
''The Big Valley'' was well known for its plethora of guest stars. Among others:
{{col-begin|width=100%}}
{{col-5}}
*[[Julie Adams]]
*[[Julie Adams]]
*[[Claude Akins]]
*[[Jack Albertson]]
*[[Jack Albertson]]
*[[Claude Akins]]
*[[Chris Alcaide]]
*[[Marty Allen]]
*[[Marty Allen]]
*[[Chris Alcaide]]
*[[John Anderson (actor)|John Anderson]]
*[[John Anderson (actor)|John Anderson]]
*[[Richard Anderson]]
*[[Richard Anderson]]
*[[Tige Andrews]]
*[[R. G. Armstrong]]
*[[R. G. Armstrong]]
*[[Lew Ayres]]
*[[Lew Ayres]]
*[[Diane Baker]]
*[[Diane Baker]]
*[[Joe Don Baker]]
*[[Joe Don Baker]]
*[[Rayford Barnes]]
*[[Anne Baxter]]
*[[Anne Baxter]]
*[[Alan Bergmann]]
*[[Milton Berle]]
*[[Milton Berle]]
*[[Karen Black]]
*[[Antoinette Bower]]
*[[Charles Bronson]]
*[[Charles Bronson]]
*[[Brooke Bundy]]
*[[Walter Burke]]
*[[Michael Burns (actor)|Michael Burns]]
*[[Ellen Burstyn]]
*[[Joseph Campanella]]
*[[Joseph Campanella]]
*[[Judy Carne]]
*[[John Carradine]]
*[[John Carradine]]
{{col-5}}
*[[Michael Burns (historian)|Michael Burns]]
*[[Conlan Carter]]
*[[Conlan Carter]]
*[[Jeanne Cooper]]
*[[Jeanne Cooper]]
Line 681: Line 95:
*[[Walter Coy]]
*[[Walter Coy]]
*[[Yvonne Craig]]
*[[Yvonne Craig]]
*[[Norma Crane]]
*[[Johnny Crawford]]
*[[Dennis Cross]]
*[[Dennis Cross]]
*[[Royal Dano]]
*[[Royal Dano]]
*[[Clifford David]]
*[[Quentin Dean]]
*[[John Dehner]]
*[[Bruce Dern]]
*[[Bruce Dern]]
*[[Colleen Dewhurst]]
*[[Colleen Dewhurst]]
*[[Bradford Dillman]]
*[[Bradford Dillman]]
*[[Richard Dreyfuss]]
*[[Richard Dreyfuss]]
*[[Don Dubbins]]
*[[Andrew Duggan]]
*[[Maurice Evans (actor)|Maurice Evans]]
*[[Maurice Evans (actor)|Maurice Evans]]
*[[Richard Farnsworth]]
*[[Paul Fix]]
*[[Paul Fix]]
*[[Robert Fuller (actor)|Robert Fuller]]
*[[Robert Fuller (actor)|Robert Fuller]]
*[[Vincent Gardenia]]
{{col-5}}
*[[Sean Garrison]]
*[[Kathy Garver]]
*[[Arlene Golonka]]
*[[Harold Gould]]
*[[Harold Gould]]
*[[Robert Goulet]]
*[[Robert Goulet]]
*[[Lee Grant]]
*[[Lee Grant]]
*[[Dabbs Greer]]
*[[James Gregory (actor)|James Gregory]]
*[[James Gregory (actor)|James Gregory]]
*[[Charles Grodin]]
*[[Buddy Hackett]]
*[[Buddy Hackett]]
*[[Kevin Hagen]] (six times)
*[[Kevin Hagen]]
*[[Julie Harris]]
*[[Julie Harris (American actress)|Julie Harris]]
*[[Ron Howard]]
*[[Peter Haskell]]
*[[Dennis Hopper]]
*[[Dennis Hopper]]
*[[Ron Howard]]
*[[Steve Ihnat]]
*[[Steve Ihnat]]
*[[Anthony James (actor)|Anthony James]]
*[[Russell Johnson]]
*[[Russell Johnson]]
*[[I. Stanford Jolley]]
*[[I. Stanford Jolley]]
*[[L.Q. Jones]]
*[[Henry Jones (actor)|Henry Jones]]
*[[L. Q. Jones]]
*[[Robert Karnes]]
*[[Robert Karnes]]
*[[Dan Kemp]]
*Dan Kemp
*[[George Kennedy (actor)|George Kennedy]]
*[[George Kennedy (actor)|George Kennedy]]
*[[Sajid Khan]]
*[[Sajid Khan]]
*[[Yaphet Kotto]]
{{col-5}}
*[[Diane Ladd]]
*[[Martin Landau]]
*[[Martin Landau]]
*[[Cloris Leachman]]
*[[Cloris Leachman]]
*[[Robert Loggia]]
*[[Julie London]]
*[[Julie London]]
*[[Lynn Loring]]
*[[Barbara Luna]]
*[[Carol Lynley]]
*[[Gavin MacLeod]]
*[[Mako Iwamatsu|Mako]]
*[[Flip Mark]]
*[[Flip Mark]]
*[[Nora Marlowe]]
*[[Frank Marth]]
*[[Strother Martin]]
*[[Strother Martin]]
*[[Gavin MacLeod]]
*[[Marlyn Mason]]
*[[Frank McGrath]]
*[[Frank McGrath (actor)|Frank McGrath]]
*[[John Milford]]
*[[Read Morgan]]
*[[Read Morgan]]
*[[Leslie Nielsen]]
*[[Leslie Nielsen]]
*[[Kathleen Nolan]]
*[[Kathleen Nolan]]
*[[Sheree North]]
*[[Arthur O'Connell]]
*[[Dan O'Herlihy]]
*[[J. Pat O'Malley]]
*[[Simon Oakland]]
*[[Warren Oates]]
*[[Warren Oates]]
*[[Susan Oliver]]
*[[Susan Oliver]]
*[[Nancy Olson]]
*[[Gregg Palmer]]
*[[Gregg Palmer]]
*[[Leslie Parrish]]
*[[Nehemiah Persoff]]
*[[Paul Petersen]]
*[[Regis Philbin]]
*[[Regis Philbin]]
*[[John Pickard (American actor)|John M. Pickard]]
*[[John Pickard (American actor)|John M. Pickard]]
*[[Eve Plumb]]
*[[Chips Rafferty]]
*[[Ford Rainey]]
*[[Lou Rawls]]
*[[Lou Rawls]]
*[[Beah Richards]]
{{col-5}}
*[[Pernell Roberts]]
*[[Pernell Roberts]]
*[[Wayne Rogers]]
*[[Wayne Rogers]]
*[[Katharine Ross]]
*[[Katharine Ross]]
*[[Bing Russell]]
*[[Jill St. John]]
*[[Jill St. John]]
*[[Albert Salmi]]
*[[Anne Seymour (actress)|Anne Seymour]]
*[[William Shatner]]
*[[William Shatner]]
*[[David Sheiner]]
*[[Olan Soule]]
*[[Harry Dean Stanton]]
*[[Warren Stevens]]
*[[Harold J. Stone]]
*[[Susan Strasberg]]
*[[Susan Strasberg]]
*[[Karl Swenson]]
*[[Dub Taylor]]
*[[Dub Taylor]]
*[[Malachi Throne]]
*[[Malachi Throne]]
*[[Harry Townes]]
*[[Robert Walker (actor, born 1940)|Robert Walker Jr.]]
*[[Fritz Weaver]]
*[[Fritz Weaver]]
*[[Adam West]]
*[[Adam West]]
*[[Robert Walker Jr.]]
*[[James Whitmore]]
*[[James Whitmore]]
*[[Van Williams]]
*[[Morgan Woodward]]
*[[Morgan Woodward]]
*[[Anthony Zerbe]]
*[[Anthony Zerbe]]
{{div col end}}
*[[Van Williams]]
*[[Mako Iwamatsu|Mako]]
{{col-end}}


==Popularity==
==Episodes==

Despite the show's popularity, the series' ratings never made the top thirty in the yearly ratings charts. ''The Big Valley'' was canceled in 1969 as the TV western craze began to fade out to make room for more modern shows.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerns_on_television</ref> In Ella Smith's 1973 biography, "Starring Miss Barbara Stanwyck," Smith noted that "Valley" had been cancelled by ABC mainly due to a poor time slot. In better times, the series had been enough of a hit to outlive various time slot rivals during its run (mainly on Monday nights at 10 p.m.), including "The Jean Arthur Show," "Run for Your Life" and "I Spy." According to Broadcasting magazine (September 27, 1965), its debut episode (actually Wednesday at 9 p.m., where the show aired for half-a-season) placed #39 in the Nielsen ratings for the week of September 13-19, 1965.
{{Main|List of The Big Valley episodes}}
{{:List of The Big Valley episodes}}

== Background and production ==

===Background===
[[File:Big Valley cast 1965.JPG|thumb|right|Lee Majors (Heath Barkley), Barbara Stanwyck (Victoria Barkley), Linda Evans (Audra Barkley) and Charles Briles (Eugene Barkley, the youngest son). Briles' character appeared only eight times in the first season and then was written out.]]
<!-- lighten up - it's a TV show {{Essay|section|date=June 2019}}{{more citations needed|section|date=June 2019}} -->
The TV series was based loosely on the Hill Ranch, which was located at the western edge of [[Calaveras County, California|Calaveras County]], not far from Stockton.<ref name="womenwest.blogspot.com">{{Cite web|url=http://womenwest.blogspot.com/2012/09/euphemia-hill-rancher-of-calaveras.html|title = Women of the Old West: Euphemia A. Hill - Rancher of Calaveras County, California|date = 18 September 2012}}</ref>{{Self-published inline|date=June 2021|certain=yes}} The Hill Ranch existed from 1855 until 1931 and included almost 30,000 acres, and the [[Mokelumne River]] ran through it.<ref name="womenwest.blogspot.com" />{{Self-published inline|date=June 2021|certain=yes}} The source is from an episode in which Heath is on trial in a ghost town with another man (played by [[Leslie Nielsen]]), and tells the judge how much land they have. Lawson Hill ran the ranch until he was murdered in 1861. His wife Euphemia ("Auntie Hill") then became the matriarch. During their marriage, they had four children, one daughter and three sons.<ref name="womenwest.blogspot.com" />{{Self-published inline|date=June 2021|certain=yes}} Today, the location of the ranch is covered by the waters of [[Camanche Reservoir]]. A California state historical marker standing at Camanche South Shore Park mentions the historic ranch.

In the first episode, titled "Palms of Glory", the grave of Thomas Barkley (1813–1870) is shown after he is mentioned to have fought the railroad 6 years before. Later in the same episode, Frank Braun reminds Nick, Jarrod, and Eugene, "Six years ago, your daddy and mine fought and died for this," indicating the year is 1876. The episode "The Odyssey of Jubal Tanner" gives conflicting information. Audra states that her father died 6 years ago, which would—per "Palms of Glory"—point to 1876, but Jubal seems to imply that he has been gone 30 years since his wife Margaret Tanner's death, her grave marker showing that she had died in 1854, which would put the year around 1884. In the second-season episode "Hide the Children", Nick makes reference that President [[Ulysses Simpson Grant]] is in the [[White House]]. Grant's term of office was from March 4, 1869, to March 4, 1877. In the fourth- and final-season episode "They Called Her Delilah", the telegram Jarrod received from Julia Saxon dated April 27, 1878, can be seen on screen.<ref>"They Called Her Delilah." aired Sept 30, 1968, second episode in the fourth and final season.</ref> In the fourth-season episode "The Prize", Heath buries the wife of an outlaw, adding a grave marker dated May 5, 1878. In the episode "The Jonah", the band at a town dance can be heard playing [[Johann Strauss II]]'s "Emperor Waltz" or "''[[Kaiser-Walzer]]''". The waltz was first performed in Berlin on October 21, 1889, which, by the time it would have reached the American West, would indicate a time period of 1890 or later, much later than other historical references in the show.

===Filming===
While ''The Big Valley'' is set primarily in and near the city of [[Stockton, California|Stockton]], the filming of the series took place in Southern California. It was partially filmed in [[Wildwood Regional Park]] in [[Thousand Oaks, California]].<ref>Schad, Jerry (2009). ''Los Angeles County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide''. Wilderness Press. Pages 35-36. {{ISBN|9780899976396}}.</ref><ref>Medved, Harry and Bruce Akiyama (2007). ''Hollywood Escapes:&nbsp;The Moviegoer's Guide to Exploring Southern California's Great Outdoors''. St. Martin's Press. Page 279. {{ISBN|9781429907170}}.</ref>

[[Wilfred M. Cline]], Technicolor associate cinematographer on ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'' (1939), was director of photography for several ''Big Valley'' episodes, together with Chas E. Burke.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wilson |first=Victoria |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yZzzAQAAQBAJ&dq=%22The+Big+Valley%22+%22Wilfred+M.+Cline%22&pg=PA903 |title=A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True 1907-1940 |date=2013-11-12 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-0-684-83168-8 |pages=903 |language=en}}</ref> Due to similarities in appearance, it is sometimes believed that the ''Tara'' set from ''Gone with the Wind'' was repurposed for use as the Barkley family home in ''The Big Valley'', but it was actually the set constructed for ''The Kentuckian'' that was used.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bingen |first=Steven |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3IFxDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22The+Big+Valley%22+%22Gone+with+the+Wind%22&pg=PA143 |title=Hollywood's Lost Backlot: 40 Acres of Glamour and Mystery |date=2018-12-01 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4930-3362-1 |pages=143 |language=en}}</ref>


===Music===
"Valley" was also ranked as one of the top five favorite new shows in viewer TVQ polling (the others were "Get Smart," "I Dream of Jeannie," "Lost in Space" and "F Troop"). Early into its second season, "Valley" was still a mid-range performer, placing #47 of 88 shows during the week of October 28, 1966, higher than such shows as "That Girl," "Daniel Boone," "Petticoat Junction" and "The Wild, Wild West." Indeed, "Valley" was popular enough to warrant at least three "TV Guide" covers. It also acted as a launching pad for two projected spinoffs from special episodes. A 1968 episode guest starring Van Williams was meant to lead to a "Rifleman"-like series titled "Rimfire." A March 1969 episode, "The Royal Road," guest-starring then-heartthrob Sajid Khan as a young rogue, was also hoped to lead to a series. But by that year the rising popularity of CBS's "The Carol Burnett Show" — and vocal complaints by Joey Bishop, ABC's late-night talk show host, that "Valley"'s faltering ratings weren't helping to provide his program with a proper lead-in — ultimately lead to the drama's demise. It was in syndication that "The Big Valley" would prove exceptionally popular in the U.S., Europe and Latin America.
The theme music was composed by [[George Duning]], who scored the pilot and 58 episodes; [[Lalo Schifrin]] was responsible for the third season, and [[Elmer Bernstein]] for the fourth. According to IMDB.com, Joseph Mullendore wrote music for two episodes, while Herschel Burke Gilbert and Rudy Schrager scored one each. [[Paul Henreid]], of ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' fame, directed a number of episodes.{{Clarify|reason=Is this "directed" as in "music"? Or as in "directed the episode"? If it's episode direction, then it doesn't belong in the music subsection.|date=February 2024}}


The series's main title theme and primary incidental music were composed by [[George Duning]] and feature sweeping musical elements highly reminiscent of classic American cinematic Westerns. For at least the first pilot episode, the theme music starts with a more relaxed woodwinds introduction leading into the title refrain at a moderate tempo. For the remainder of season one, the tempo is increased and the intro is shortened, with much more aggressive phrasing. For seasons three and four, the main theme was reworked again, with a much more brass-heavy orchestration. The final refrain (when Miss Barbara Stanwyck's credits are shown), includes an underlying Spanish rhythm outlined with tambourine that is similar to that of ''[[The Magnificent Seven]]'' main title. Therefore, at least three versions of the theme song were recorded for the series.
In 1980's smash hit comedy flick "Airplane!" the wacky air-traffic controller Johnny, played by the late Stephen Stucker, paid homage to "Valley"'s penchant for big drama in one of his many asides. After Lloyd Bridges frets about a pilot who cracked under pressure, Johnny tosses out this hilarious non sequitur: "It happened to Barbara Stanwyck! 'Nick, Heath, Jarrod — there's a fire in the barn!'"<ref>http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/d35c61f4b0/the-best-of-johnny-from-airplane-from-airplanefan</ref> "The Big Valley" has also seeped into the darker cinematic subconscious. In "Bug," an acclaimed 2006 thriller starring Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon as drug addicts, their characters spiral into a hallucination that leads them to imagine tiny bugs have invaded their dwelling, with one referring to the little critters as "matriarchal aphids" that act "like Barbara Stanwyck in 'Big Valley.'"<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2007/nov/11/horror.thriller</ref>


In 1966, a soundtrack album was released in both monoaural and stereo versions, featuring suites of various music cues from the series, re-recorded for the LP release (ABC-Paramount; ABC 527). The album featured the iconic main theme song, but at slower tempos, giving them a more cinematic mood. To date, the album has not been re-released on compact disc or streaming. In 1980, the LP was reissued on vinyl on MCA Records for the Japanese market.
==Awards==
In 1966, for her first season as Victoria Barkley, Barbara Stanwyck won the Emmy for lead actress in a drama series. She was nominated two more times (1967 and 1968) for her work in "The Big Valley" and earned three Golden Globe nominations as "Best TV Star" for the part as well (1966, 1967, 1968). And, on March 15, 1967, Stanwyck was named favorite TV actress at the Photoplay magazine awards, which aired as a special episode of "The Merv Griffin Show" (David Janssen of "The Fugitive" was named favorite TV actor). Richard Long helped present Stanwyck her "Gold Medal" at the event.


== Reception ==
"The Big Valley" was also recognized during its run for its polished production. In 1966 and 1968, the American Cinema Editors (ACE) named "Valley" the year's Best Edited Television Program (for the episodes "40 Rifles" and "Disappearance," respectively).


===Popularity===
==Production notes==
[[File:Big Valley cast 1968.jpg|right|thumb|Series cast in 1968: [[Barbara Stanwyck]], [[Linda Evans]], [[Richard Long (actor)|Richard Long]], [[Lee Majors]] and [[Peter Breck]]]]
While ''The Big Valley'' is set primarily in and near the city of [[Stockton, California|Stockton]], the filming of the series took place in Southern California.
Despite the series' popularity, its ratings never made the top 30 in the yearly ratings charts. ''The Big Valley'' was cancelled in 1969 as the TV Western craze began to fade, and to make room for more modern series.<ref>{{Cite book |last=LoBrutto |first=Vincent |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6RfOEAAAQBAJ |title=TV in the USA: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas [3 volumes] |date=2018-01-04 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-4408-2973-4 |pages=184 |language=en}}</ref> In Ella Smith's 1973 biography, ''Starring Miss Barbara Stanwyck'', Smith noted that ''The Big Valley'' had been cancelled by ABC mainly due to a poor time slot. In better times, the series had been enough of a hit to outlive various time-slot rivals during its run (mainly on Mondays at 10 pm), including ''The Jean Arthur Show'', ''Run for Your Life'', and ''I Spy''. According to ''Broadcasting'' magazine (September 27, 1965), its debut episode (actually Wednesday at 9 pm, where the series aired for half the season) placed 39th in the Nielsen ratings for the week of September 13–19, 1965.
''The Big Valley'' also was ranked as one of the top-five favorite new shows in viewer TVQ polling (the others were ''[[Get Smart]]'', ''[[I Dream of Jeannie]]'', ''[[Lost in Space]]'', and ''[[F Troop]]''). Early into its second season, ''The Big Valley'' was still a mid-range performer, placing 47th out of just 88 series during the week of October 28, 1966, which was higher than such shows as ''[[That Girl]]'', ''[[Daniel Boone (1964 TV series)|Daniel Boone]]'', ''[[Petticoat Junction]]'', and ''[[The Wild Wild West]]''. Even so, ''The Big Valley'' was popular enough to warrant at least three ''TV Guide'' covers. It also acted as a launching pad for two projected spin-offs from special episodes. A 1968 episode guest-starring Van Williams was meant to lead to a ''[[The Rifleman|Rifleman]]''-like series titled ''Rimfire''. A March 1969 episode, "The Royal Road", guest-starring heartthrob Sajid Khan as a young rogue, was also hoped to lead to a series, but by that year, the rising popularity of CBS's ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]'' — and vocal complaints by [[Joey Bishop]], ABC's late-night talk show host, that the show's faltering ratings were not helping to provide his program with a proper lead-in — ultimately led to the drama's demise. In syndication, ''The Big Valley'' proved exceptionally popular in the United States, Europe, and Latin America.
In the comedy film ''[[Airplane!]]'' (1980), the wacky air traffic controller Johnny, played by [[Stephen Stucker]], paid homage to ''Big Valley''{{'}}s penchant for big drama in one of his many asides. After [[Lloyd Bridges]]' character frets about a pilot who cracked under pressure, Johnny says: "It happened to Barbara Stanwyck!" and "Nick, Heath, Jarrod – there's a fire in the barn!"<ref>{{cite web|date=2008-10-09|title=The Best of Johnny from Airplane! from AirplaneFan|url=http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/d35c61f4b0/the-best-of-johnny-from-airplane-from-airplanefan|access-date=2014-07-16|publisher=Funnyordie.com}}</ref> ''The Big Valley'' also has seeped into the darker cinematic subconscious. In ''Bug'', an acclaimed 2006 thriller starring Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon as drug addicts, their characters spiral into a hallucination that leads them to imagine tiny bugs have invaded their dwelling, with one referring to the little critters as "matriarchal aphids" that act "like Barbara Stanwyck in ''Big Valley''."<ref>{{cite news|last=Solomons|first=Jason|date=November 10, 2007|title=Bug|work=The Guardian|location=London|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/nov/11/horror.thriller}}</ref>


===Crew===
===Awards and nominations===
In 1966, for her first season as Victoria Barkley, Barbara Stanwyck won the Emmy for lead actress in a drama series. She was nominated two more times (1967 and 1968) for her work in ''The Big Valley'' and earned three Golden Globe nominations as Best TV Star for the part, as well (1966, 1967, 1968). On March 15, 1967, Stanwyck was named favorite TV actress at the ''Photoplay'' magazine awards, which aired as a special episode of ''The Merv Griffin Show'' (David Janssen of ''The Fugitive'' was named favorite TV actor). Richard Long helped present Stanwyck her Gold Medal at the event.
The theme music was composed by [[George Duning]]. [[Paul Henreid]], of ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' fame, directed a number of episodes. [[Four Star Television]] produced the series.


''The Big Valley'' was also recognized during its run for its polished production. In 1966 and 1968, the [[American Cinema Editors]] named ''Valley'' the year's Best Edited Television Program (for the episodes "40 Rifles" and "Disappearance", respectively).<ref name="1964to1970">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZ8EAQAAIAAJ |title=ACE Second Decade Anniversary Book |date=1971 |publisher=American Cinema Editors, Inc |editor-last=Smith |editor-first=Fredrick Y. |pages=65–67 |chapter=American Cinema Editors "Eddie" Film Editing Awards Winners and Nominees}}</ref>
Wilfred M. Cline, A.S.C., Technicolor Associate Cinematographer on ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'' (1939), was director of photography of several ''Big Valley'' episodes, together with Chas E. Burke, A.S.C.


==Adaptations==
==Adaptations==


===Comic book===
===Comic book===
[[Dell Comics]] published a short-lived [[comic book]] for six issues in 1966-69. (the last issue reprinted the first, and came out two years after issue #5). All issues had photo covers.
Dell Comics published a short-lived comic book for six issues in 1966-69. (The last issue reprinted the first, and came out two years after issue #5). All issues had photo covers.


===Film===
===Film===
Several episodes have been combined into concurrent-running feature-length TV movies, while the notable two-part episodes, "Legend of a General" and "Explosion!", have also been made into TV movies. These have been issued on DVD as a box set, alongside seasons one and two.
Film columnist Patrick Goldstein reported in the ''Los Angeles Times'' in July 2009 that filmmakers [[Daniel Adams (director)|Daniel Adams]] and [[Kate Edelman Johnson]] were producing a feature film version of ''The Big Valley'' with production to begin in April 2010 in New Mexico and Michigan.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Remake Watch: 'Big Valley' edition|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/07/the-remake-watch-big-valley-edition.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=2009-07-15|accessdate=2009-07-26}}</ref> In 2012, the aforementioned film version of "The Big Valley", which was to have first starred Susan Sarandon and then Jessica Lange in the role of Victoria Barkley, was put on hold indefinitely in after the film's would-be director, Daniel Adams, was indicted for fraud pertaining to two previous films and sued by investors in "Valley" who claimed foul as well. <ref>http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/susan-sarandon-eyeing-big-valley-20536</ref> <ref>http://www.etonline.com/news/87482_Jessica_Lange_Takes_The_Big_Valley_to_the_Big_Screen/index.html</ref> <ref>http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/movie-director-tax-rebate-massachusetts-272419</ref> <ref>http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/07/31/48840.htm</ref>


In July 2009, it was reported in ''[[Los Angeles Times|The Los Angeles Times]]'' that filmmakers [[Daniel Adams (director)|Daniel Adams]] and [[Kate Edelman Johnson]] were producing a feature adaptation of ''The Big Valley'' with production to begin in April 2010 in New Mexico and Michigan.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Remake Watch: 'Big Valley' edition|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/07/the-remake-watch-big-valley-edition.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=2009-07-15|access-date=2009-07-26}}</ref> In 2012, the film, initially intent to star [[Susan Sarandon]], and then [[Jessica Lange]] as Victoria Barkley, was [[development hell|placed on indefinite hold]] after Adams was indicted for fraud pertaining to two previous films and sued by investors in ''Valley'' who claimed foul, as well.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/susan-sarandon-eyeing-big-valley-20536 | work=The Hollywood Reporter | first=Jay A. | last=Fernandez | title=Susan Sarandon eyeing 'Big Valley'}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/movie-director-tax-rebate-massachusetts-272419 | work=The Hollywood Reporter | title=Movie Director Indicted in $4.7 Million Tax Rebate Fraud Case | date=December 12, 2011}}</ref>
Several episodes of the original TV series have been combined into concurrent running feature length TV movies, while the notable two part episodes: 'Legend of A General' and 'Explosion !' have also been made into feature length TV Movies.
These have also been issued as TV Movies on DVD as a box set, along with seasons one and two.


==DVD releases==
==Home media==
[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] released the first season on DVD in Region 1 on May 16, 2006.<ref>http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Valley/6676</ref> Season 2, Volume 1 was released on January 30, 2007.<ref>http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Valley/6676</ref> Season 2, Volume 2 has yet to be released and it is unknown if it ever will be.
[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] released the first season on DVD in Region 1 on May 16, 2006.<ref name="tvshowsondvd1">{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Valley/6676 |title=The Big Valley DVD news: Revised Artwork No Longer Worth $12 Million |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com |access-date=2014-07-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730110032/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Valley/6676 |archive-date=2014-07-30 }}</ref> Season 2, Volume 1 was released on January 30, 2007.<ref name="tvshowsondvd1"/>

On January 8, 2014, [[Timeless Media Group]] announced it had acquired the rights to the series.<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Valley-Season-2/19332 A Long-Awaited (and Complete) 'Season 2' DVD Set is Coming!] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222143207/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Valley-Season-2/19332 |date=2014-02-22 }}</ref> They have subsequently released seasons 2 & 3 on DVD.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Valley-Season-2-Box-Art/19419 |title=The Big Valley DVD news: Revised Box Art for The Big Valley - Season 2 |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com |date=2014-01-31 |access-date=2014-07-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730105652/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Valley-Season-2-Box-Art/19419 |archive-date=2014-07-30 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Valley-Season-3/19690 'Season 3' is t Scheduled: Date, Cost, Package Art] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413205225/http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Valley-Season-3/19690 |date=2014-04-13 }}</ref> The fourth and final season was released on October 28, 2014.<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Valley-Season-4/20033 The 4th and 'Final Season' is Scheduled for DVD this Fall] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810042321/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Valley-Season-4/20033 |date=2014-08-10 }}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
<references/>


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{commons category}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0058791|title=The Big Valley}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0058791|title=The Big Valley}}
* {{tv.com show|the-big-valley|The Big Valley}}
* {{epguides|id=BigValley|title=The Big Valley}}
* {{epguides|id=BigValley|title=The Big Valley}}
* [https://archive.org/details/tvtunes_1913 The Big Valley theme song] at the [https://archive.org/ Internet Archive]
{{Portal bar|Television|Comics|Film}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Big Valley, The}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Big Valley, The}}
[[Category:1965 television series debuts]]
[[Category:1965 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1969 television series endings]]
[[Category:1969 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1960s American television series]]
[[Category:Television series set in the 1880s]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company network shows]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company original programming]]
[[Category:Dell Comics titles]]
[[Category:Dell Comics titles]]
[[Category:English-language television series]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television shows adapted into comics]]
[[Category:Television series by Four Star Television]]
[[Category:Television series by Four Star Television]]
[[Category:Television series by Fox Television Studios]]
[[Category:Television series by 20th Century Fox Television]]
[[Category:Television shows set in California]]
[[Category:Television shows set in California]]
[[Category:Western (genre) television series]]
[[Category:1960s Western (genre) television series]]
[[Category:Television series based on actual events]]

[[de:Big Valley]]
[[es:The Big Valley]]
[[fr:La Grande Vallée (série télévisée)]]
[[it:La grande vallata]]
[[nl:The Big Valley]]
[[ja:バークレー牧場]]
[[pt:The Big Valley]]
[[ru:Большая долина]]
[[sh:The Big Valley]]

Latest revision as of 12:30, 3 November 2024

The Big Valley
GenreWestern
Created by
Starring
ComposerGeorge Duning
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes112 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time50 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 15, 1965 (1965-09-15) –
May 19, 1969 (1969-05-19)
Sierra Railway Engine #3 at the old Jamestown, California Depot, for the filming of the pilot episode of The Big Valley, 1965

The Big Valley is an American Western television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC.[1] The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour episodes follow the lives of the Barkley family, one of the wealthiest and largest ranch-owning families in Stockton, led by matriarch Victoria Barkley (Barbara Stanwyck), her sons Jarrod (Richard Long) and Nick (Peter Breck), daughter Audra (Linda Evans), and their half-brother Heath (Lee Majors).[2] The series was created by A.I. Bezzerides and Louis F. Edelman, and produced by Levy-Gardner-Laven for Four Star Television.

Plot synopsis

[edit]

The series begins about 6 years after the death of the family patriarch, Thomas Barkley. Although he is never shown in the series (other than a painting and a statue), the character of Thomas Barkley is referred to as a major plot point many times. The character of Heath Barkley is introduced in episode one as the illegitimate son of Tom Barkley. His presence and claim to the Barkley name is the focus of many of the dramatic plots in season one.

Cast and characters

[edit]

Main

[edit]
The Big Valley main cast.
Left to right: Long, Majors, Evans, Stanwyck, and Breck
L-R: Linda Evans, Barbara Stanwyck, Richard Long, Peter Breck, Lee Majors, and Charles Briles (1965)
Barbara Stanwyck, Michael Burns and Colleen Dewhurst in episode "A Day of Terror" (1966)
Episode "In Silent Battle", Barbara Stanwyck and Adam West (1968)
  • Victoria Barkley, portrayed by Barbara Stanwyck, the widow of Thomas Barkley, was the head of the wealthy, influential Barkley family, who lived in 19th-century Stockton in California's Central Valley. She was the main character of the series. Victoria Barkley was the owner and head of the Barkley ranch. In fact, Stanwyck's refusal to portray Barkley as fragile was controversial at the time. Barkley's husband Tom had been killed 6 years before the beginning of the series. Victoria Barkley loved and was proud of all her children, including her late husband's illegitimate son Heath, to whom she would refer as "my son". Stanwyck, who went from the refined, elegant lady of the manor to a jean-clad cowgirl as tough as any cowboy, appeared the most, in 103 of the 112 episodes. Her episodes were often surprisingly hard-hitting, seeing her character either locked away in a lunatic asylum to prevent her testifying as eyewitness at a murder trial ("Down Shadow Street"), taken prisoner in a prison wagon to replace a dead female convict ("Four Days to Furnace Hill"), impersonating a thief to go undercover at a women's prison to report on conditions there ("Alias Nellie Handley"), or trapped underground following a cave-in ("Earthquake").
  • Jarrod Thomas Barkley, the eldest son, was a respected attorney-at-law. Richard Long played the role of the educated, refined, and calmest of the Barkley sons, who handled all of the family's legal and business affairs. While Jarrod, a skilled lawyer, preferred the law to settle disputes, he was known to resort to frontier justice and violence when necessary. He was briefly married in one episode ("Days of Wrath"), only to see his new wife murdered with a bullet intended for him. An enraged Jarrod lost his calm and genteel manners, then relentlessly tracked down the killer. He was in the midst of killing him with his bare hands before he was stopped by Nick and Heath. Jarrod was a veteran of the American Civil War. He served as a cavalry officer in the Union Army. He commanded a cavalry troop of black soldiers as referenced in the episode "The Buffalo Man". Long appeared in 98 of the 112 episodes.
  • Nicholas "Nick" Jonathan Barkley, the hot-tempered younger son, was portrayed by Peter Breck. Nick managed the family ranch. He wore a black leather vest, large black hat, and black leather gloves, and was distinguished by his brawling ways and loud demeanor. Nick had served as a soldier in combat in the Union Army during the Civil War as referenced in the episode "Forty Rifles". He was always ready for a fight, and at times would fight with his brothers, as well. Underneath his gruff exterior, he was fun-loving, had a great sense of humor, was warm and caring, and loved his family deeply. Breck appeared in 98 of the 112 episodes.(Several years prior to starring in The Big Valley, Breck starred in his own series for Four Star Television, Black Saddle, which aired on NBC).
  • Audra Barkley, played by Linda Evans, was Victoria's only daughter. Audra was somewhat self-absorbed, bold, and forward. Far from demure, she performed daring stunts and rode astride, like her brothers. Like Nick and Jarrod, Audra was initially leery of Heath's story that he was their father's son. Early, she attempted to seduce Heath, so as to expose him as a fraud, but was unsuccessful. As the series progressed, Audra and Heath formed a very close brother-and-sister bond. Audra also had a caring side, as seen by her tending to children at the local orphanage. A few episodes dealt with her romances, and one notable episode was "My Son, My Son" in which Robert Walker, Jr., guests as a suitor who proves to be mentally unstable. During the series' final two seasons, Evans' appearances were reduced because she wanted to spend more time with her husband John Derek. Evans appeared the least, in 82 of the 112 episodes.
  • Heath Barkley was the illegitimate son of Victoria's late husband, and he had to literally fight his way into the Barkley home. Lee Majors portrayed even-tempered but rough-and-tumble Heath, who was often angry and aggressive throughout the early episodes due to his belief that Tom Barkley had abandoned his real mother after she became pregnant, as well as the resistance he initially received from some of his new siblings. In truth, Tom Barkley never knew about Heath, as Heath's mother had never told him, and never told Heath until she was on her deathbed (as revealed in the third episode of season one, "Boots with My Father's Name".) Heath gradually gained acceptance from the rest of the Barkley clan as the first season progressed, until he became as much a "Barkley" as the rest of the family, and his love for them became equal. Heath came to call Victoria "Mother" when speaking to her directly and about her with his siblings. In the episode "Boots with My Father's Name", Heath told Victoria, "you know that there isn't anything that I wouldn't do for you," indicating how deeply he cared for Victoria. Although Nick was initially leery of Heath and felt he had to test Heath's mettle, Heath proved himself worthy of Nick's acceptance, and eventually Nick seemed to grow even closer to Heath than he was to Jarrod, perhaps in a sense due to Heath having more in common with him than did Jarrod. In "The Lost Treasure", the series' season-two premiere, one of a few episodes taken out of the show's initial syndication runs, Heath met Charlie Sawyer (comic Buddy Hackett in a rare dramatic turn), a con man who claimed to be his actual father (the final moments show him admitting he did romance Heath's mother, but left her years before she gave birth). In the same episode, Beah Richards returns as Hannah, the black quasinanny who helped raise Heath with his mother. Heath was a veteran of the Civil War as referenced in the episode "The Guilt of Matt Bentell". He served as a soldier in the Union Army in combat operations in New Mexico, and was held as a prisoner of war for 7 months by Confederate forces. Heath was also established in the episode "The Death Merchant" as having been involved in the Lincoln County War (1878), where he came to know the hired killer "Handy", who had tracked down and killed Tom Barkley's murderer, but who is known by Heath as a merciless killer who changed sides - or played both sides - whenever the money was good. Majors appeared in 97 of the 112 episodes.

In addition to the Barkley family members, the episode plots typically revolved around morally conflicted protagonists and antagonists, a common theme in the mythology of the American West in the 19th century.

Recurring

[edit]
  • Silas (Napoleon Whiting), the Barkley's majordomo, appeared 35 times. In several episodes, his character showed the trauma of slavery ("Joshua Watson"), life for blacks after the Civil War ("The Buffalo Man"), and meaning in his own work for the family ("Miranda").
  • Sheriff Fred Madden (Douglas Kennedy) appeared in 20 episodes.
  • Eugene Barkley (Charles Briles), the youngest Barkley son and a medical student studying at Berkeley. Like his older brothers, he was known to have a temper as seen in the season-one episode "Boots with My Father's Name". He appeared in eight first-season episodes. Then, he was drafted into the Army. Only once was his name ever mentioned again.

Guest Stars

[edit]

The Big Valley was well known for its many guest stars, including:

Episodes

[edit]
Main article: List of The Big Valley episodes

The series began with 1 hour episodes Wednesday nights, 9:00–10:00 on ABC. From Season 2 onward, it moved to Monday night, 10:00–11:00.[2]

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
130September 15, 1965 (1965-09-15)April 27, 1966 (1966-04-27)
230September 12, 1966 (1966-09-12)April 24, 1967 (1967-04-24)
326September 11, 1967 (1967-09-11)March 18, 1968 (1968-03-18)
426September 23, 1968 (1968-09-23)May 19, 1969 (1969-05-19)

Background and production

[edit]

Background

[edit]
Lee Majors (Heath Barkley), Barbara Stanwyck (Victoria Barkley), Linda Evans (Audra Barkley) and Charles Briles (Eugene Barkley, the youngest son). Briles' character appeared only eight times in the first season and then was written out.

The TV series was based loosely on the Hill Ranch, which was located at the western edge of Calaveras County, not far from Stockton.[3][self-published source] The Hill Ranch existed from 1855 until 1931 and included almost 30,000 acres, and the Mokelumne River ran through it.[3][self-published source] The source is from an episode in which Heath is on trial in a ghost town with another man (played by Leslie Nielsen), and tells the judge how much land they have. Lawson Hill ran the ranch until he was murdered in 1861. His wife Euphemia ("Auntie Hill") then became the matriarch. During their marriage, they had four children, one daughter and three sons.[3][self-published source] Today, the location of the ranch is covered by the waters of Camanche Reservoir. A California state historical marker standing at Camanche South Shore Park mentions the historic ranch.

In the first episode, titled "Palms of Glory", the grave of Thomas Barkley (1813–1870) is shown after he is mentioned to have fought the railroad 6 years before. Later in the same episode, Frank Braun reminds Nick, Jarrod, and Eugene, "Six years ago, your daddy and mine fought and died for this," indicating the year is 1876. The episode "The Odyssey of Jubal Tanner" gives conflicting information. Audra states that her father died 6 years ago, which would—per "Palms of Glory"—point to 1876, but Jubal seems to imply that he has been gone 30 years since his wife Margaret Tanner's death, her grave marker showing that she had died in 1854, which would put the year around 1884. In the second-season episode "Hide the Children", Nick makes reference that President Ulysses Simpson Grant is in the White House. Grant's term of office was from March 4, 1869, to March 4, 1877. In the fourth- and final-season episode "They Called Her Delilah", the telegram Jarrod received from Julia Saxon dated April 27, 1878, can be seen on screen.[4] In the fourth-season episode "The Prize", Heath buries the wife of an outlaw, adding a grave marker dated May 5, 1878. In the episode "The Jonah", the band at a town dance can be heard playing Johann Strauss II's "Emperor Waltz" or "Kaiser-Walzer". The waltz was first performed in Berlin on October 21, 1889, which, by the time it would have reached the American West, would indicate a time period of 1890 or later, much later than other historical references in the show.

Filming

[edit]

While The Big Valley is set primarily in and near the city of Stockton, the filming of the series took place in Southern California. It was partially filmed in Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks, California.[5][6]

Wilfred M. Cline, Technicolor associate cinematographer on Gone with the Wind (1939), was director of photography for several Big Valley episodes, together with Chas E. Burke.[7] Due to similarities in appearance, it is sometimes believed that the Tara set from Gone with the Wind was repurposed for use as the Barkley family home in The Big Valley, but it was actually the set constructed for The Kentuckian that was used.[8]

Music

[edit]

The theme music was composed by George Duning, who scored the pilot and 58 episodes; Lalo Schifrin was responsible for the third season, and Elmer Bernstein for the fourth. According to IMDB.com, Joseph Mullendore wrote music for two episodes, while Herschel Burke Gilbert and Rudy Schrager scored one each. Paul Henreid, of Casablanca fame, directed a number of episodes.[clarification needed]

The series's main title theme and primary incidental music were composed by George Duning and feature sweeping musical elements highly reminiscent of classic American cinematic Westerns. For at least the first pilot episode, the theme music starts with a more relaxed woodwinds introduction leading into the title refrain at a moderate tempo. For the remainder of season one, the tempo is increased and the intro is shortened, with much more aggressive phrasing. For seasons three and four, the main theme was reworked again, with a much more brass-heavy orchestration. The final refrain (when Miss Barbara Stanwyck's credits are shown), includes an underlying Spanish rhythm outlined with tambourine that is similar to that of The Magnificent Seven main title. Therefore, at least three versions of the theme song were recorded for the series.

In 1966, a soundtrack album was released in both monoaural and stereo versions, featuring suites of various music cues from the series, re-recorded for the LP release (ABC-Paramount; ABC 527). The album featured the iconic main theme song, but at slower tempos, giving them a more cinematic mood. To date, the album has not been re-released on compact disc or streaming. In 1980, the LP was reissued on vinyl on MCA Records for the Japanese market.

Reception

[edit]

Popularity

[edit]
Series cast in 1968: Barbara Stanwyck, Linda Evans, Richard Long, Lee Majors and Peter Breck

Despite the series' popularity, its ratings never made the top 30 in the yearly ratings charts. The Big Valley was cancelled in 1969 as the TV Western craze began to fade, and to make room for more modern series.[9] In Ella Smith's 1973 biography, Starring Miss Barbara Stanwyck, Smith noted that The Big Valley had been cancelled by ABC mainly due to a poor time slot. In better times, the series had been enough of a hit to outlive various time-slot rivals during its run (mainly on Mondays at 10 pm), including The Jean Arthur Show, Run for Your Life, and I Spy. According to Broadcasting magazine (September 27, 1965), its debut episode (actually Wednesday at 9 pm, where the series aired for half the season) placed 39th in the Nielsen ratings for the week of September 13–19, 1965.

The Big Valley also was ranked as one of the top-five favorite new shows in viewer TVQ polling (the others were Get Smart, I Dream of Jeannie, Lost in Space, and F Troop). Early into its second season, The Big Valley was still a mid-range performer, placing 47th out of just 88 series during the week of October 28, 1966, which was higher than such shows as That Girl, Daniel Boone, Petticoat Junction, and The Wild Wild West. Even so, The Big Valley was popular enough to warrant at least three TV Guide covers. It also acted as a launching pad for two projected spin-offs from special episodes. A 1968 episode guest-starring Van Williams was meant to lead to a Rifleman-like series titled Rimfire. A March 1969 episode, "The Royal Road", guest-starring heartthrob Sajid Khan as a young rogue, was also hoped to lead to a series, but by that year, the rising popularity of CBS's The Carol Burnett Show — and vocal complaints by Joey Bishop, ABC's late-night talk show host, that the show's faltering ratings were not helping to provide his program with a proper lead-in — ultimately led to the drama's demise. In syndication, The Big Valley proved exceptionally popular in the United States, Europe, and Latin America.

In the comedy film Airplane! (1980), the wacky air traffic controller Johnny, played by Stephen Stucker, paid homage to Big Valley's penchant for big drama in one of his many asides. After Lloyd Bridges' character frets about a pilot who cracked under pressure, Johnny says: "It happened to Barbara Stanwyck!" and "Nick, Heath, Jarrod – there's a fire in the barn!"[10] The Big Valley also has seeped into the darker cinematic subconscious. In Bug, an acclaimed 2006 thriller starring Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon as drug addicts, their characters spiral into a hallucination that leads them to imagine tiny bugs have invaded their dwelling, with one referring to the little critters as "matriarchal aphids" that act "like Barbara Stanwyck in Big Valley."[11]

Awards and nominations

[edit]

In 1966, for her first season as Victoria Barkley, Barbara Stanwyck won the Emmy for lead actress in a drama series. She was nominated two more times (1967 and 1968) for her work in The Big Valley and earned three Golden Globe nominations as Best TV Star for the part, as well (1966, 1967, 1968). On March 15, 1967, Stanwyck was named favorite TV actress at the Photoplay magazine awards, which aired as a special episode of The Merv Griffin Show (David Janssen of The Fugitive was named favorite TV actor). Richard Long helped present Stanwyck her Gold Medal at the event.

The Big Valley was also recognized during its run for its polished production. In 1966 and 1968, the American Cinema Editors named Valley the year's Best Edited Television Program (for the episodes "40 Rifles" and "Disappearance", respectively).[12]

Adaptations

[edit]

Comic book

[edit]

Dell Comics published a short-lived comic book for six issues in 1966-69. (The last issue reprinted the first, and came out two years after issue #5). All issues had photo covers.

Film

[edit]

Several episodes have been combined into concurrent-running feature-length TV movies, while the notable two-part episodes, "Legend of a General" and "Explosion!", have also been made into TV movies. These have been issued on DVD as a box set, alongside seasons one and two.

In July 2009, it was reported in The Los Angeles Times that filmmakers Daniel Adams and Kate Edelman Johnson were producing a feature adaptation of The Big Valley with production to begin in April 2010 in New Mexico and Michigan.[13] In 2012, the film, initially intent to star Susan Sarandon, and then Jessica Lange as Victoria Barkley, was placed on indefinite hold after Adams was indicted for fraud pertaining to two previous films and sued by investors in Valley who claimed foul, as well.[14][15]

Home media

[edit]

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released the first season on DVD in Region 1 on May 16, 2006.[16] Season 2, Volume 1 was released on January 30, 2007.[16]

On January 8, 2014, Timeless Media Group announced it had acquired the rights to the series.[17] They have subsequently released seasons 2 & 3 on DVD.[18][19] The fourth and final season was released on October 28, 2014.[20]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 144. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Women of the Old West: Euphemia A. Hill - Rancher of Calaveras County, California". 18 September 2012.
  4. ^ "They Called Her Delilah." aired Sept 30, 1968, second episode in the fourth and final season.
  5. ^ Schad, Jerry (2009). Los Angeles County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide. Wilderness Press. Pages 35-36. ISBN 9780899976396.
  6. ^ Medved, Harry and Bruce Akiyama (2007). Hollywood Escapes: The Moviegoer's Guide to Exploring Southern California's Great Outdoors. St. Martin's Press. Page 279. ISBN 9781429907170.
  7. ^ Wilson, Victoria (2013-11-12). A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True 1907-1940. Simon and Schuster. p. 903. ISBN 978-0-684-83168-8.
  8. ^ Bingen, Steven (2018-12-01). Hollywood's Lost Backlot: 40 Acres of Glamour and Mystery. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 143. ISBN 978-1-4930-3362-1.
  9. ^ LoBrutto, Vincent (2018-01-04). TV in the USA: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas [3 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 184. ISBN 978-1-4408-2973-4.
  10. ^ "The Best of Johnny from Airplane! from AirplaneFan". Funnyordie.com. 2008-10-09. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  11. ^ Solomons, Jason (November 10, 2007). "Bug". The Guardian. London.
  12. ^ Smith, Fredrick Y., ed. (1971). "American Cinema Editors "Eddie" Film Editing Awards Winners and Nominees". ACE Second Decade Anniversary Book. American Cinema Editors, Inc. pp. 65–67.
  13. ^ "The Remake Watch: 'Big Valley' edition". Los Angeles Times. 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
  14. ^ Fernandez, Jay A. "Susan Sarandon eyeing 'Big Valley'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  15. ^ "Movie Director Indicted in $4.7 Million Tax Rebate Fraud Case". The Hollywood Reporter. December 12, 2011.
  16. ^ a b "The Big Valley DVD news: Revised Artwork No Longer Worth $12 Million". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-30. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  17. ^ A Long-Awaited (and Complete) 'Season 2' DVD Set is Coming! Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ "The Big Valley DVD news: Revised Box Art for The Big Valley - Season 2". TVShowsOnDVD.com. 2014-01-31. Archived from the original on 2014-07-30. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
  19. ^ 'Season 3' is t Scheduled: Date, Cost, Package Art Archived 2014-04-13 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ The 4th and 'Final Season' is Scheduled for DVD this Fall Archived 2014-08-10 at the Wayback Machine
[edit]
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