The Big Valley (1965–1969)

Victoria Barkley heads her adult brood on the Barkley Ranch in California's San Joaquin Valley, near Stockton, in the 1870s. Heath is the illegitimate son of Victoria's husband, Tom (who is... See full summary »

Creators:

A.I. Bezzerides, Louis F. Edelman

Stars:

Peter Breck, Barbara Stanwyck, Linda Evans

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Peter Breck	...	Nick Barkley (112 episodes, 1965-1969)
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Victoria Barkley (112 episodes, 1965-1969)
Linda Evans	...	Audra Barkley (111 episodes, 1965-1969)
Richard Long	...	Jarrod Barkley (109 episodes, 1965-1969)
Lee Majors	...	Heath Barkley (109 episodes, 1965-1969)

Storyline

Victoria Barkley heads her adult brood on the Barkley Ranch in California's San Joaquin Valley, near Stockton, in the 1870s. Heath is the illegitimate son of Victoria's husband, Tom (who is dead at the time of the series). Bank robbers, horse thieves, revolutionaries, and land grabbers keep the Barkleys hopping.

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Plot Keywords:

california | ranch | social justice | sibling relationship | san joaquin valley | 

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Genres:

Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 September 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

Big Valley

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Levee-Gardner-Laven Productions, Four Star Productions, Levy-Gardner-Laven

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min (112 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In every episode where Nick is a spectator in a court-case, he interrupts the court to speak his peace, which always gets him into trouble with the judge who is presiding. In later episodes throughout the series, this took on a comedic tone, as the viewer knew that it was only a matter of time before Nick would voice his displeasure.

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Quotes

Victoria Barkley: When Nick is pushed, he pushes back with everything he has.

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Connections

Referenced in The Nanny: The Bobbi Flekman Story (1997)

User Reviews

Boy Howdy!!

I am really greatly relieved to read the previous reviews, knowing that I am not alone in being a huge fan of this great series!! There was just something about this show as a whole which really appealed to me - in a big way. I loved all the Barkley characters. Victoria was played to perfection by Stanwyck. The widow Barkley was a curious but convincing mixture of gracious elegance and guts: her Victoria Barkley is practically a cult figure of female characters of the Western genre. Richard Long was genuinely likeable as the level-headed eldest son, Jarrod, who provided a nice balance between the tough, egotistical Nick and the more sensitive half-brother Heath. Linda Evans was astonishingly beautiful as Audra (she alone kept many male baby boomers tuned in!). But there was so much else "right" with this show - artificial though it may have looked to those critical of Stanwyck being "Ben Cartwright in a skirt". The storylines were well-written & original and the shows were well-directed and well-acted. Most every episode was colourful, tasteful, upright & moral - but rarely dull, somehow: there was a larger-than-life quality to the series which appealed to its particular fans: the colour is beautiful to look at, and the score by George Duning is beautiful to hear. The series boasted many interesting guest stars: Julie Harris, Cloris Leachman, Colleen Dewhurst among many others. An embarrassing confession: as a kid, Heath Barkley was my sole hero: I thought Lee Major's playing of the half-breed illegitimate son of Tom Barkley was really inspired. Majors made Heath a really likeable character. Although Majors did many more successful TV roles, it is for his playing of Heath Barkley that I most fondly identify him with to this day.