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While Dallas and Dynasty might have very concrete cultural icons and high points, and Knots Landing offers multiple places to start watching depending on what kind of show you’re interested in, Falcon Crest only has one place to kick off watching if you don’t want to do it from Season One, Episode One.

The Grapes of Boredom

Falcon Crest premiered on December 4, 1981, with Dallas, a year post-Who Shot Jr? as its lead-in. It should have been a massive hit. And it did well enough. Except for one minor problem: It was kind of boring.

Following his father’s mysterious death, Chase (Robert Foxworth) returns to the Tuscany Valley, his wife, and two grown kids in tow to battle with his aunt Angela (Jane Wyman) for the family grapes and winery. Angela snarled, Chase self-righteously pontificated, and his wife, Maggie (Susan Sullivan), simpered. Chase’s son, Cole (William R. Moses...

Almost an entire generation can talk about their favorite primetime soap opera. The ’70s and ’80s had a fair share of these shows, offering plenty to talk about around the water cooler. One such primetime soap was Falcon Crest. It was popular in its day, with a lineup of big-name appearances. Now that Falcon Crest has been off the air for over 30 years, which cast members are still alive?

‘Falcon Crest’ was the most popular TV show in 1981 The ‘Falcon Crest’ Season 1 cast on Jan. 29, 1982 | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

Falcon Crest was an American soap opera that aired for nine seasons between 1981 and 1990. It revolved around the powerful and wealthy Gioberti family. The Giobertis owned a large vineyard and winery in California’s fictional Tuscany Valle.

Angela Channing, played by Jane Wyman, is the family matriarch. She is determined to maintain control of the family business and keep her clan together.

1984: The final episode of Edge of Night aired on ABC."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1964: Daytime soap opera A Flame in the Wind premiered on ABC. Producer Joseph Hardy, whose creative efforts helped turn Love of Life into one of the top-ranking daytime dramas, changed things up for the new series.

"With most new serials it takes months to build up audience awareness," Hardy explained at the time. "The story usually doesn’t begin unfolding until long after each of the characters has been introduced. I...

1966: The final episode of A Time For Us aired on ABC.

1968: David Selby debut on Dark Shadows.

1983: Chase found information about Falcon Crest in his grandfather's will.

1996: Another World's Jake planned to steal the Lassiter Christmas tree."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1957: On The Edge of Night, Peter Dalton (Stephen Elliott) refused Mike Karr's (John Larkin) resignation then argued that his leaving would be a disservice to the public.

1966: ABC aired the final episode of daytime soap opera A Time For...

This look at the ‘adjustments’ of old age and the pain of nostalgia is a prime opportunity to admire a pair of legendary actresses. David Barry’s play observes the intersection of several interesting personalities on one glorious late-summer day. Bette Davis and Lillian Gish earn our full attention, backed by memorable turns from Ann Sothern and Vincent Price, directed by Lindsay Anderson.

The Whales of August

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1987 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 90 min. / 30th Anniversary Edition / Street Date December 19, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Ann Sothern, Vincent Price, Harry Carey Jr., Frank Grimes, Margaret Ladd, Tisha Stering, Mary Steenburgen.

Cinematography: Mike Fash

Film Editor: Nicolas Gaster

Production Design: Jocelyn Herbert

Original Music: Alan Price

Written by David Berry, from his play

Produced by Mike Kaplan, Carolyn Pfeiffer

Directed by Lindsay Anderson

Every once in a while a ‘sunset’ movie comes along, a picture seemingly...

1984: The final episode of The Edge of Night aired on ABC."History is a vast early warning system."

― Norman Cousins

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1964: Daytime soap opera A Flame in the Wind premiered on ABC. Producer Joseph Hardy, whose creative efforts helped turn Love of Life into one of the top-ranking daytime dramas, changed things up for the new series.

"With most new serials it takes months to build up audience awareness," Hardy explained at the time. "The story usually doesn’t begin unfolding until long after each of the characters has been introduced. I deliberately shortened this traditional build-up period with new serials by concentrating...

1966: The final episode of A Time For Us aired on ABC.

1968: David Selby debut on Dark Shadows.

1983: Chase found information about Falcon Crest in his grandfather's will.

1996: Another World's Jake planned to steal the Lassiter Christmas tree."History is a vast early warning system."

― Norman Cousins

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1957: On The Edge of Night, Peter Dalton (Stephen Elliott) refused Mike Karr's (John Larkin) resignation then argued that his leaving would be a disservice to the public.

1966: ABC aired the final episode of daytime soap opera A Time For Us (formerly A Flame in the Wind), originally created by Raphael Hayes and Joseph Hardy.

It seems Amazon's new Crisis in Six Scenes show has been cancelled after one short season, by none other than creator, director, writer and star Woody Allen. The series dropped to Amazon on Friday, September 30, 2016.Elaine May, Miley Cyrus, Rachel Brosnahan, and John Magaro also star. Guest stars include: Joy Behar, Becky Ann Baker, Michael Rapaport, Margaret Ladd, Rebecca Schull, David Harbour, Christine Ebersole, Gad Elmaleh, and Lewis Black.Read More…...

For as much hesitation Woody Allen had when it came to diving into the arena of television, directing his first-ever series for Amazon Studios, the first trailer can help assuage those fears. Crisis in Six Scenes, made up of six episodes (each running half-an-hour), looks to carry that Allen stamp of neurotic comedy quite well.

Described as “a comedy that takes place in the 1960’s during turbulent times in the United States,” we follow a “middle class suburban family who is visited by a guest who turns their household completely upside down.” Starring Allen himself, alongside Miley Cyrus, Elaine May, John Magaro, Rachel Brosnahan, Becky Ann Baker, Michael Rapaport, Margaret Ladd, Joy Behar, Rebecca Schull, David Harbour, and Christine Ebersole, check out the trailer below (via Vulture):

Crisis focuses on a traditional suburban New York couple (Allen and Elaine May), their friend-of-the-family houseguest (John Magaro) and his fiancée (Rachel Brosnahan...

Following up this summer’s Cafe Society and before he embarks on next year’s Kate Winslet-led feature, Woody Allen has directed his first-ever television show for Amazon Studios. Titled Crisis in Six Scenes, the series is made up of six episodes, each running half-an-hour, and after a first teaser clip, today brings new details and images.

Described as “a comedy that takes place in the 1960’s during turbulent times in the United States,” we follow a “middle class suburban family who is visited by a guest who turns their household completely upside down.” Starring Allen himself, alongside Miley Cyrus, Elaine May, John Magaro, Rachel Brosnahan, Becky Ann Baker, Michael Rapaport, Margaret Ladd, Joy Behar, Rebecca Schull, David Harbour, and Christine Ebersole, the images reveal much of our cast.

Check them out below, along with more details from EW for what is a self-contained series:

Crisis focuses on a...

There is not enough CGI in the world. Woody Allen wants to look like James Dean, or rather his thin-haired (and skinned) character, writer Sidney Muntzinger, tells his barber (Max Casella) that he wants a James Dean hairdo. Watch a first-look, of Amazon's upcoming Crisis in Six Scenes TV show, below. Casella, who broke out in the 90s as Vinnie Delpino in the Doogie Howser, M.D. TV series, recently appeared in Vinyl, which was cancelled by HBO after one season.A 1960s period comedy series, Crisis in Six Scenes premieres on Amazon, Friday, September 30, 2016. The cast also includes: Miley Cyrus, Elaine May, Rachel Brosnahan, John Magaro, Michael Rapaport, Margaret Ladd, David Harbour, Joy Behar, Christine Ebersole, Becky Ann Baker, Lewis Black, and Rebecca Schull. The limited event series will reportedly consist of only one six-episode season.Read More…...

It's been a year and a half since Woody Allen announced that he'd be writing and directing his first TV series for Amazon, and now we finally have an official name for the show: Crisis in Six Scenes.

Crisis in Six Scenes is a comedy that takes place in the 1960's during turbulent times in the United States and a middle class suburban family is visited by a guest who turns their household completely upside down.

Miley Cyrus, Elaine May, John Magaro, Rachel Brosnahan, Michael Rapaport, Becky Ann Baker, Lewis Black, Margaret Ladd, Joy Behar, Rebecca Schull, David Harbour, and Christine Ebersole star opposite Allen, and if I had to guess, I'd say that the "guest who turns their household completely upside down" is going to be Cyrus' character.

The streaming service also revealed the first teaser trailer for the show, and it's basically exactly what you'd imagine would happen...

At the age of 80, Woody Allen is still breaking new ground for himself. In between this year’s film (Cafe Society) and next year’s Kate Winslet-led feature, he went ahead and directed his first-ever television show for Amazon Studios, who have backed both aforementioned features. Revealed this weekend to be titled Crisis in Six Scenes, the series is made up of six episodes, each running half-an-hour, and now the first peek has arrived.

Described as “a comedy that takes place in the 1960’s during turbulent times in the United States,” we follow a “middle class suburban family who is visited by a guest who turns their household completely upside down.” Starring Allen himself, alongside Miley Cyrus, Elaine May, John Magaro, Rachel Brosnahan, Becky Ann Baker, Michael Rapaport, Margaret Ladd, Joy Behar, Rebecca Schull, David Harbour, and Christine Ebersole, the first amusing clip finds Allen at the barbershop.

Check...

Concrete details have finally emerged regarding Woody Allen’s upcoming Amazon series. As revealed Sunday at Amazon’s day at the Television Critics Association press tour, the six-episode series will be titled “Crisis in Six Scenes,” and premiere Sep. 30 on Amazon Prime.

The show wasn’t actually presented as a panel at TCA, but a fact sheet was passed around to those in attendance, and two scenes were played for critics, including the below:

Read More: Arthouse Audit: Woody Allen’s ‘Café Society’ Boosted by Kristen Stewart, But Not ‘Equals’

Here’s the official synopsis for more context: “‘Crisis in Six Scenes’ is a comedy that takes place in the 1960s during turbulent times in the United States when a middle class suburban family is visited by a guest who turns their household completely upside down.” Allen himself will star alongside Miley Cyrus and Elaine May; Rachel Brosnahan and John Magaro...

Hulu is facilitating a rather unexpected reunion — Life Unexpected, that is.

Britt Robertson — who starred on The CW’s short-lived drama — will recur on Casual, which is exec-produced by Life Unexpected creator Liz Tigelaar.

RelatedThe Mindy Project Sets Midseason Return

According to THR, Robertson will appear in Season 2 as Fallon, the smart and sarcastic assistant to Vincent Kartheiser’s venture capitalist Jordan.

Since Life Unexpected, Robertson’s TV credits have included Under the Dome and Secret Circle.

Ready for more of today’s newsy nuggets? Well…

* Own on Wednesday unveiled a first look at Greenleaf, its upcoming drama series (premiering Tuesday,...

The cast of Woody Allen's upcoming six-episode Amazon series just got bigger. According to Entertainment Weekly, Rebecca Schull, Margaret Ladd, David Harbour, Christine Ebersole, Michael Rapaport, and, somewhat surprisingly, Joy Behar and Lewis Black will appear in Allen's mysterious show, the title and plot of which have yet to be announced. They'll join previously announced Elaine May, Rachel Brosnahan, John Magaro, and, very surprisingly, Miley Cyrus. In a world where Olivia Wilde, at 28, was deemed "too old" to play Leonardo DiCaprio's wife, it's nice to see some older actresses (Schull is 87, May is 83, and Ladd and Behar are 73) get work, and some of these casting choices are, on their face, intriguingly unconventional -- Behar, for instance, is best known these days for her hosting work (though she's also done a good bit of acting work, including in Allen's Manhattan Murder Mystery), while Miley Cyrus is Miley Cyrus (Hannah...

If you happened to be in the right place at the right time in New York over the past couple of weeks, you might have seen cameras rolling on Woody Allen's untitled series for Amazon. New cast members, aside from the previously announced Miley Cyrus and Elaine May, were spotted, and now official word has arrived on the ensemble who will part of the director's first major foray into serialized storytelling.  Read More: Woody Allen Explains Why He Regrets His Amazon Deal, Says He Might Go Digital For His Next Film Becky Ann Baker, Lewis Black, Margaret Ladd, Joy Behar, Rebecca Schull, David Harbour, Christine Ebersole, Michael Rapaport, John Magaro, and Rachel Brosnahan are involved in the six-episode series, which is so far officially keeping details under wraps. However, Page Six has apparently gotten hold of a script that reveals that part of the story will be somewhat meta,...

Public Morals alum Michael Rapaport, Girls‘ Becky Ann Baker and The Daily Show‘s Lewis Black are among the new cast members announced today by Woody Allen for his untitled TV series to premiere on Amazon later this year. Also set are Margaret Ladd (Falcon Crest), Joy Behar (The View), Rebecca Schull (Wings), David Harbour (Black Mass), and Christine Ebersole (Amadeus). They join previously announced Allen, Elaine May, Miley Cyrus, John Magaro, and Rachel Brosnahan. As per…...

Woody Allen has added a number of stars to his new Amazon series, including Lewis Black and Joy Behar. Other new cast members added to the untitled half-hour series include Becky Ann Baker (“Girls”), Margaret Ladd (“Falcon Crest”), Rebecca Schull (“Wings”), David Harbour (“Black Mass”),Christine Ebersole (“Amadeus”), and Michael Rapaport (“Mighty Aphrodite”). Elaine May, Miley Cyrus, John Magaro, and Rachel Brosnahan have previously been announced as cast members on the show, who will star alongside Allen in his first ever scripted series. Also Read: Woody Allen's New Movie Starring Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively Sells to Amazon Users will...

Stars: Robert Mitchum, Peter Boyle, Richard Jordan, Steven Keats, Alex Rocco, Joe Santos, Mitchell Ryan, Peter MacLean, Marvin Lichterman, Carolyn Pickman, James Tolkan, Margaret Ladd, Matthew Cowles | Written by Paul Monash | Directed by Peter Yates

One of the fun things about loving a particular medium is the aspect of things being recommended, and this is something which has really grown in prominence for me with the growth of social media and podcasts. Having so much immediate access to the thoughts and opinions of others you specifically choose to listen to, whether they align with your tastes or challenge them, enables the discovery of a great deal of content in which much pleasure can be derived. One such example of this is The Friends of Eddie Coyle, a film which I hadn’t heard of before seeing and hearing talk of it’s forthcoming release over the past few months. Seeing...

The Whales Of August (1987) Direction: Lindsay Anderson Cast: Lillian Gish, Bette Davis, Vincent Price, Ann Sothern, Harry Carey Jr, Mary Steenburgen, Frank Grimes, Margaret Ladd, Tisha Sterling Screenplay: David Berry; from his own play Oscar Movies, Highly Recommended Bette Davis, Vincent Price, Lillian Gish, Ann Sothern, The Whales of August According to my math, the careers of the three leading ladies — Lillian Gish, Bette Davis, and Ann Sothern — in Lindsay Anderson's The Whales of August total 191 years. And that is without taking into consideration their co-stars, among them Vincent Price and Harry Carey Jr. That's an awful lot of acting experience for one film. The Whales of August begins with the leisurely, early morning routines of two sisters living together in a small cottage on the coast of Maine in late summer. Sarah Webber (Lillian Gish) greets the day by working in the garden, dusting the house, and fixing breakfast for her blind sister,...

Margaret Ladd, Earl Hamner, Ana Alicia, Abby Dalton and Robert Foxworth attending Falcon Crest: A Look Back at The Paley Center for Media.Photo copyright Amanda Meredith / PR Photos. Margaret Ladd, Earl Hamner, Ana Alicia, Abby Dalton and Robert Foxworth attending Falcon Crest: A Look Back at The Paley Center for Media.Photo copyright Amanda Meredith / PR Photos. Margaret Ladd, Earl Hamner, Ana Alicia, Abby Dalton and Robert Foxworth attending Falcon Crest: A Look Back at The Paley Center for Media.Photo copyright Amanda Meredith / PR Photos. 10/12/2010 - Jamie Rose, Susan Sullivan, Margaret Ladd, Earl Hamner, Ana Alicia, Abby Dalton and Robert Foxworth attending Falcon Crest: A Look Back at The Paley Center for Media.Photo copyright...

Back in 1981, a primetime soap centered around the wine industry debuted on CBS. Partnered with Dallas, Falcon Crest became a top-rated show on CBS' Friday night schedule for many years.

Though the Falcon Crest TV show isn't as popular as Dallas, the series is unique in many ways -- in no small part because it revolves around a strong and powerful matriarch (Jane Wyman). The rest of the talented cast includes Robert Foxworth, Lorenzo Lamas, David Selby, Ana Alicia, William R. Moses, Abby Dalton, Margaret Ladd, Laura Johnson, Chao-Li Chi, and Susan Sullivan. After

Falcon Crest: The Complete First Season has just been released on DVD. You can purchase it for $29.49 from Amazon or you can try to win a copy.

To enter, you need to merely post a comment below and tell us the name of...

The world renowned Imagination Workshop, founded by Artistic Director and award-winning actress, Margaret Ladd, and her husband, playwright Lyle Kessler, in association with New Directions, Inc., an organization for displaced veterans, will present an original one-act play, ?Spice of Life,? at the Greenway Court Theatre; 544 N. Fairfax Avenue (at Clinton Street); Los Angeles, CA 90036 on Wednesday and Thursday, June 17 and 18, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.

The world renowned Imagination Workshop, founded by Artistic Director and award-winning actress, Margaret Ladd, and her husband, playwright Lyle Kessler, in association with New Directions, Inc., an organization for displaced veterans, will present an original one-act play, "Spice of Life," at the Greenway Court Theatre; 544 N. Fairfax Avenue; Los Angeles, CA 90036 on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 16 and 17, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.

The world-renowned Imagination Workshop was founded 40 years ago by Margaret Ladd, the award-winning actress and Founding Artistic Director, and her husband Lyle Kessler, the critically-acclaimed playwright, and Co-Founder of the organization. Today, the Imagination Workshop, a unique theatre company comprised of professional theatre artists collaborating with patients recovering from mood disorders and other mental illnesses, is one of the longest running Arts and Social Institutions in the country.