The Silver Screen Oasis

I don't know if it happened in the UK or originated in the U.S, but who had the great idea of cobbling two episodes together to make several feature length The Big Valley's.

Even though I know to expect it now, it never fails to disappoint me that when the UKs Channel 5 show those particular shows. It all goes quite smoothly for the first half hour or so, before another episode is added on to run alongside the one they were originally showing. It's not is if its hard to dectect. I'd far rather watch a single episode thats untouched, or even two shows shown back to back, instead of the mess that's on offer.

I'll continue to watch it however, when it's on, as it's still a chance to see the great Barbara Stanwyck in action. In other words it's better than nothing.

I don't mean to be mean and rub it in Stuart, but here, on the Western Channel on Encore we get The Big Valley purely commercial free, and uncut. Do you mean they entertwine two episodes to make it look like one?

Anne

Anne

That's what they've done. I've seen about 4 that way. I did wonder if our Channel 5 station bought those intertwinned episodes as a package from a U.S station

It was on on Sunday and for half an hour the whole family are worried about Nick, who has been kidnapped by George Kennedy and his gang, to sell to a merchant ship. Then while that episode is still running Victoria and Lura are driving by carridge to visit the cattle baroness' brother in law, who has been killed by Paul Fix's son. As you can imagine it makes no sense what so ever. I've since discovered it was Barbary Red and Top Of The Stairs were the intertwinned episodes and I think I'm right in saying, both were filmed two yrs apart.

In the secondary story, Top Of The Stairs, I found Stanwyck's fight scenes, bordering between laughable to actually brilliant. In one she has all the bad guys at close range with a gun, but the main bad guy just walks up to her and diasrms her. Yet right after she wallops him over the back of the head, and gets the gun back. She certainly looked in great shape, jumping in and out of her carridge, as she did.

I was also annoyed, because I was ledd to believe by the media, that we were going to see Lee Majors first appearence as Heath.

I'm reminded of another film, where Doug MClure had two scenes from his first episode of The Virginian. Then. though we were meant to believe the next scene happened not long after, it was clearly filmed about 3 yrs later when The Virginian sends him of to another town on an errand, where he meets the cast of Laredo. It least on this occassion it made sense.

That's crazy! I can't believe they would do that---it makes no sense whatever. Why bother showing them at all if they are going to do that. I think the programmers over there must have been tippling when they set up the schedule.

Yes, we have a cable network, like Anne said, that shows "The Big Valley" uncut. If you had an all-region DVD player, Stuart, I'd record a few for you and send them over. If you ever do get one, let me know.

Thanks Miss. G, but I only have a British dvd player, unless my computer's different, but I doubt it.

I used to go on about Stanwyck's change of costumes in TBV, but it's probably worse with two episodes intertwinned, not to mention changes of hairstyles. Though funnily enough in Top Of The Stairs, she wore the same callottes through out that particular episode, or at least the edited one we saw in the UK.

I take it then that this madness with TBV didn't originate in America. It might not be regarded as important as it's usually shown as a day time movie, when many won't be at home.

Barbara Stanwyck is one of my top faves and we just recently got the channel that shows The Big Valley and it’s cool to see Babs still kicking butt in the 60s.

Cobbling TV episodes together to make it look like a movie is done quite a bit actually. Mystery Science Theater 3000 is one of my fave shows and they would show bad movies while a guy and his robot pals would make fun of them. They did several “movies” that were actually just two episodes of a TV show put together. It does stink though.

I have a feature length episode of The Persuaders, using two episodes, but at least the second one didn't start until the first was finished

Guess what it happened again, though I'd seen it before, so knew what to expect.

Nick and Heath are framed for stealing a cow and are put on a chain gang. Heath earlier badly burned his leg when captured. Jarret is trying to get them out. Running along side it Victoria and Lura have to fight of ruthless Gunfighters, who have been hired by Stockton to protect them from the harm. Victoria says her sons are on a cattle drive, so as it happens the prison story finished early and the boys are on the trail with Heath's bad leg, no surprise there, completely healed.

I'm sorry about the mangling of "The Big Valley" and your Scottish coastline.