The Big Valley
Victoria Barkley: Barbara Stanwyck Jarrod Barkley: Richard Long Nick Barkley: Peter Breck Heath Barkley: Lee Majors Audra Barkley: Linda Evans |
The Stars
Barbara Stanwyck - Victoria Barkley, widow of
Tom, and who was nobody's fool.
Richard Long - Jarrod Barkley - oldest son who was a lawyer who
split his time between the Barkley interests and other legal cases.
Peter Breck - Nick Barkley - second oldest son who ran the
Barkley ranch holding. His ranching image is in sharp contrast to the older
brother's urbanity.
Lee Majors - Heath - the illegitimate son who shows up in the
pilot episode "Palms of Glory." Initially an angry young man, Heath
mellows into "the silent man" type, and become an effective foil to
Nick's outbursts.
Linda Evans - Audra Barkley - Only daughter, who showed much
spunk and energy in the first year, but whose character was less well-defined as
the show went on
Other Characters
Napoleon Whiting - Silas - The Barkleys
hard-working butler (where were those other servants???)
Charles Briles - Eugene Barkley - youngest, college-aged son
who appeared in the first half year of the series, then disappeared. (We now
know that the draft board had something to do with this. Remember it was 1965!)
Douglas Kennedy - Sheriff Fred Madden - appeared frequently
during the last two years.
The Story
The Big Valley portrayed the adventures of the Barkleys, a wealthy ranch family in California's Central Valley in the 1870s. The Barkley holdings, all 30,000 acres, included mines, vineyards, orchards, cattle, and property in Mexico. "The Big Valley" was the first and only Western TV series built around a strong female character. Another important plot device in the series was the presence of Heath, the illegitimate son of the dead patriarch Tom Barkley. His life experiences, which contrasted so sharply from the other family members, were the source of many story lines. The series debuted on ABC on September 22, 1965, with a total of 112 episodes; it was cancelled in 1969 from the producer's choice, not because of ratings. (Written by fans of TBV of the WWB)
Kellie's The Big Valley Web Site
Michelle's The Big Valley Fanfic Gallery