I'd TAKE '
The BIG Valley
' OVER '
Bonanza
'!
“Call a SPADE, a SPADE; and a TRANNY, a TRANNY, or an IT!!!”.
"THAT'S SOME BAD
SHIT
,
HARRY
!".

I loved Big Valley myself. It was fun show. I agree that no woman would welcome the child of her husband's affair into her home but still it was very good. I would have loved a flashback or two of Tom Barkley like we saw Ben Cartwright's wives.
I also liked High Caparell.

I honestly have not seen that series since it aired when I was a kid in the '60sbut I really liked watching it then.
I like High Chaparall, too, although I remember almost nothing about it all.
I absolutely HATED Gunsmoke, thoughused to bore the hell out of me.
"You may think thatI couldn't possibly comment."

Loved Lee Majors but thought Peter Breck overacted at times.
http://www.howfelonscangetjobs.com

My favorite old western series.
On the Barkley's seeming to run the area because of their wealthwell, that is life-merely realistic.
I find the cast better than any other TV western, and the mother-daughter among the usual three sons really aided the series I think.

I loved Manolito in HC, for all the girly reasons, LOLand I agree, there was something about that series that just gave off a better feeling for me in terms of atmosphere than Big Valley ever did.

Like the OP, I also liked the High Chaparall better than The Big Valley, but not quite for the same reasons. I liked my western heroes to be straight shooting, straight talking men of action (Cheyenne, Palladin, etc.). Jarrod was an educated city dude and heath was a brooder with a chip on his shoulder. Nick was OK but was too often portrayed as a buffoon. On the other hand, Big John, Buck, and Manolito all fit my idea of what a western hero should be.

I never watched
The Big Valley
first run, have seen several episodes in reruns over the years, and it works for me. My avoidance of the series in its first run was my boy to teen "I smell a rat" instinct that it was what we now might call a "girlie" show; and I liked my westerns to be virile, though I did like the Matt-Kitty dynamic on
Gunsmoke
. The Cartwrights struck me as even more upper crusty than the Barkleys, but because they were all guys and didn't put on airs (Adam came close), they seemed more down to earth than the Barkley men, and were somehow able to pull off being seen as "just folks" who just happened to be rich landowners (even as everyone in town knew this wasn't true). Hoss was the exception, and he was the heart and soul of the show. When he died,
Bonanza
died with him.

I liked the show for the most part.
I liked Richard Long the bestthought he was a standout
Peter Breck was very good as Nickkind of a more grownup and beefier Little Joe
Didn't care much for Lee Majors. Just seemed a little arrogant in real life, and that rubbed me the wrong way with his character
Audra was a good beginning role for Linda Evans, but mattered little in the plot
Barabara Stanwyck was a STAR, and yet, she melded nicely with the cast and was extremely believable.
On Bonanza, I could see that some people in town loved the Cartwrights, others resented them. On the BV, it really WAS more like they were owners of the town and the people. Didn't seem quite as realistic.
Plots, for the most part, were very good

I agree that no woman would accept her husband's son from an affair but I read a few years ago that Barbara Stanwyke wanted Heath to be Victoria's son instead but they vetoed the idea.

Never could stand, old "blood and guts" Barbara Stanwyke.

No it wasn't my cup of tea
Not a great lover of stanwyck
Stanwyck slept her way to the top in
Baby Face (1933)
.

No it wasn't my cup of tea
Not a great lover of stanwyck

NO!! It was my very favorite after school show! Lee Majors? Are you kidding?
LOVED him! lol

I think you're missing the whole reason for THE BIG VALLEY. It was BONANZA for the ones that were ostracized by Bonanza, namely the second sons and the mothers. Instead of fat Hoss, now the second son was a romantic male lead. Instead of the widower, the mother was alive to be the matriarch.
That's essentially the difference. THE BIG VALLEY just opened the door to more viewers.
Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time

Think you're making a big to do out of it.
Think I wonder why you bother visiting any of these threads when you obviously have no interest in the topic, and simply want to post a response that you apparently think makes you look smart and in fact makes you look just the opposite. As countless other users on this site have pointed out to you.

Not really. I'm just easily amused and enjoy a good laugh.
But throughout it all, my motto was "Dignity! Always dignity!".

Think you're making a big to do out of it.

Evidently, somebody, either at the production company or the ABC network, felt the same way. Check out those opening credits that match actor with role: Jarrod Barkley, Nick Barkley, Heath, Audra Barkley, Victoria Barkley. Someone somewhere felt Heath wasn't entitled to the Barkley name. What appeal the series holds for me is the guest cast. I'm a character actor type of guy and BV had some of the best. One interesting episode had Ellen Burstyn (then MacRae) and Karen Black.
But throughout it all, my motto was "Dignity! Always dignity!".

That's a good point, and it may have been partly that which also made the series hard to swallow for me. That circumstance wouldn't be too likely in any era, and would have likely been even less so in the 'American Victorian' time period. Especially when a large fortune was involved, an illegitimate offspring would probably not have been so readily accepted by either the matriarch nor the legitimate siblings.

I don't know if I feel as strongly about as you do, but I always found it incredulous that a woman would welcome a son of her husband's extra-marital affair.
But throughout it all, my motto was "Dignity! Always dignity!".