Why did nick barkley always wear gloves

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A Classic Western with Old-fashioned Appeal

...initiation, which wasn't really fair. The rivalry in the first episode between Lee Majors' character, Heath, and Peter Breck's character, Nick Barkley, was classic male bluster at its finest (and the fact that a young Majors was very easy on the...Read more

I'm watching it right now. My mother got me started on Westerns. I think this series was her choice for my initiation, which wasn't really fair. The rivalry in the first episode between Lee Majors' character, Heath, and Peter Breck's character, Nick Barkley, was classic male bluster at its finest (and the fact that a young Majors was very easy on the eyes didn't hurt). Throughout the series, there's drama (Heath's a Barkley bastard and, for a while, is tested by others as unworthy and has to keep proving himself, even to himself), humor, grit (I doubt there's an episode in which men aren't slugging it out), and even romance on occasion. (I happen to be a chick-flick kind of girl--sensitive and sentimental and into romance; however, I also enjoy watching men being men, just as God made them to be: tough, protectors, fighters, with frat-boy camaraderie--teasing, daring, macho-posturing. The interaction between Nick and Heath covers just about each of those!) There's also sweet sentimentality in the kindness between Barbara Stanwyck's character, Mrs. Barkley, and Heath. Instead of flipping out because he claims her husband slept with his mother, she accepts his word and treats him as if he were her own. Throughout the first season, the two bond, and their storyline is touching. (I grew up on Old Hollywood (thanks, again, to my mother), so I know of Stanwyck's career, pre-Westerns. I generally liked the movies in which she starred, especially Christmas in Connecticut. She's good in this series, too.)

Enough waxing nostalgic. The bottom line is, if you're into Westerns, this is a must-have for your collection. If you're new and curious, try it. The first season will hook you. Once you're hooked, there are other Westerns to try: Rawhide; Have Gun, Will Travel; Gunsmoke... How do I know these are good Westerns, too? Because, once my mother had me hooked on The Big Valley, she got me to try the others, and I found I liked them, too, which she'll never let me live down. Oh, well. Sometimes Mother does know best!

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A great western TV show

...for me.) Not until DVD's came out was I able to see her great movies. A young Lee Majors as Heath was a great inspiration. In our family we also had a kid, in his case we didn't know who his father was.Read more

When I was a kid TV was full of great westerns and one of those was the Big Valley. Then the 70's came and they were gone! As a young kid Barbara Stanwyck as Victoria Barkley was the cat's meow! Little did I realize that she was a great movie star before she was on the little screen. (Sorry Audra was too impetuous for me.) Not until DVD's came out was I able to see her great movies. A young Lee Majors as Heath was a great inspiration. In our family we also had a kid, in his case we didn't know who his father was. Heath Barkley was an inspiration to be accepting of people born out of wedlock. This was one of the early color TV shows so it is not top quality but it is pretty good. and we didn't have a color TV until 1970. I was disappointed that the discs are 2 sided and not clearly marked which side is which. I liked Big Valley over Bonzana.

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Exceptional 5-Star TV Western Drana

...Jarrod (Richard Long), Nick (Peter Breck), Eugene (Charles Briles), Heath (Lee Majors), and one sister, Audra(Linda Evans). The Barkleys own the valley and are quick to defend it against all challenges.Read more

The Big Valley debuted in 1965 and became an instant hit. And little wonder, what a season, and what a cast! Barbara Stanwyck is the matriarch of the influential Barkleys, a family of four brothers, Jarrod (Richard Long), Nick (Peter Breck), Eugene (Charles Briles), Heath (Lee Majors), and one sister, Audra(Linda Evans). The Barkleys own the valley and are quick to defend it against all challenges. The superlative acting of the central characters is the engine that drives this series to television greatness. The thirty (yes, thirty) episodes are well written, well directed, and well acted. There is never a dull moment the complete season. And if this isn't enough, the special guests are a visual treat! Each episode stars a who's who from the 1960's.

All things considered, this first season is a top notch series that is suitable for the entire family. Several episodes are rather lusty and dicey, but remember, this series premiered in 1965, so it is still fairly tame by current tv standards.

You can't go wrong with season one of The Big Valley. I wish today's tv series had as much quality as this series.

Kone

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If you loved the original TREK and aren't a big fan of Westerns -- DON'T MISS THIS SERIES!

...SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN but the star of this series. If my female peers thought Lee Majors was hot as a Bionic Man, they have no idea who much 'hotter' he was as young Heath Barkley. My wife must fan herself when she watches his episodes.Read more

This series was on the air when I was one year old. By the time I was old enough to see reruns, I'd bet the show had already done so.

The way superhero shows are overwhelming TV this year, Westerns did so in the 60's. By the mid 70's, Westerns simply weren't cool anymore. Perhaps the ceaseless gunfire of Westerns reminded us too much of Vietnam. Enough was finally enough the genre pretty much died.

Kids like me were brought up on STAR TREK reruns. What we didn't quite grasp was TREK itself was a form of a Western. A WAGON TRAIN to the stars, as it was pitched to NBC. So when we'd see some old fashioned Western rerunning, we were like, "What's the point?" We have a much better series set in the future instead of stuck in the past. Besides -- all those old Westerns kinda suck, right? They're all corny, full of men, and full of gunplay. Seriously.

The thing I had never heard of this series. A western featuring Barbara Stanwyck -- the star of TCM classics like MEET JOHN DOE, REMEMBER THE NIGHT, DOUBLE INDEMNITY, and CLASH BY NIGHT. Since when do Westerns feature a woman? And it turns out not just one woman, but also Linda Evans? I confess as a young dude in the 70's I neither watched DYNASTY or thought Linda was so sexy. But Jesus H. Christ on a moped was this young lady STRIKING in this series. She makes my generation's Farrah Fawcett look silly in comparison.

But wait -- there's MORE. My generation will also recognize Richard Long as the Professor from THE NANNY AND THE PROFESSOR. Most kids I knew preferred the Professor from Gilligan's Island, but you'll really like Long in his Barkley role here. Part lawyer, part gunslinger. My generation will really flip out to discover that 'Steve Austin' wasn't an unknown they found to play THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN but the star of this series. If my female peers thought Lee Majors was hot as a Bionic Man, they have no idea who much 'hotter' he was as young Heath Barkley. My wife must fan herself when she watches his episodes.

Last but not least is a face I've never seen before. Peter Breck. He plays the final Barkley brother named Nick. Fans of LOST will feel like they know him somehow, because when he smiles, he FEELS just like Sawyer. As if Breck was the father of Sawyer. I kid you not.

And so now, if you're still not much of a Western fan, but you're like, "Okay. Really interesting cast. But so what? Isn't this some stupid show where everybody shoots everyone and then they ride off in the sunset?" Nope. Not even close. At the core of this series is a struggle between civility and violence. Brother Jarrod (Richard Long) represents the future of Stockton California, namely: the law. Meanwhile his brother Nick (Peter Breck) will jump at any excuse to get his two black leather fists into a fight. Sweetheart brother Heath (Lee Majors) is sort of what happens when both worlds meet.

So what does matriarch Victoria Barkley (Stanwyck) do in this series? The very same thing. Struggle between a desire for grace and civility, but sometimes resorting to violence when all else fails. In Season One her beautiful daughter is about to be raped -- and you've simply never seen so powerful an image as when Stanwyck lifts a shotgun to save her own daughter. No wonder why Barbara took this series.

It's fantastic.

Now, remember when I said I grew up on TREK reruns? If you did too, one thing you love about those shows are the production values. Great scripts, great acting, and great production values (for the most part in all three catagories). Believe it or not, THE BIG VALLEY is just as good and will be that more rare show where I'll rewatch it again in a few years. (I'm still watching it for the first time, with Season 3 at the moment.)

And if you are a student of that first TREK series, you'll see countless guest stars from Trek inside BIG VALLEY. I mean countless. You'll also see countless guest stars who later became big deals. In one episode is Ellen Bursten as a nun (!) and Karen Black as a harlot (!). In another episode is Robert Goulet as a singing Bible salesman scam artist. If you know these names -- trust me -- almost each episode has 'you're kidding me!' casting surprise. And you'll even get to see Captain Kirk himself in an episode shot while TREK was on the air. Too much fun people.

The cast is great, the guest stars are a blast, the production values are nearly as good TREK itself -- but what about the stories? TREK mastered the morality tale thing. They really did. No other show touches them. However, believe it or not, BIG VALLEY comes close. And it's really REALLY interesting to watch a matriarchal Western tackle issues that usually are all about patriarchy. That is: a liberal Western.

Have you ever seen the movie THE BIG COUNTRY? Where Gregory Peck destroys the Western genre with progressive viewpoints? That's what the BIG VALLEY is. TV's answer to that movie. And as such is an extraordinary moment of television history.

The one caveat of this series is that it almost every great guest character never comes back. Audra (Linda Evans) meets a nice guy? You can bet your bippy you'll never see him again. Or that any woman ever stays in the life of these brothers. It's really heartbreaking, because --

-- modern television would keep such characters around. Audra would have children. Heath would get married. Nick would fall for Heath's wife. Mom would come and keep things from getting out of hand. The Barkleys of the late 60s had no idea what a dysfunctional family was, which of course is also part of this serie's charm. Still, had they realized the power of kids in a series (think Brady Bunch), this series would have never gone off the air. Even if Barbara had left it. It wouldn't have mattered. The characters were so very strong and interesting.

Don't miss this.

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A show about family values, simply best-in-class

...played by Linda Evans. The series starts by a third son, Heath, played by Lee Majors, joining the family, but he is not the son of Victoria Barkley. He struggles to belong and claim what is rightfully his, a place by the side of his brothers and...Read more

The Big Valley is one of the shows that had "formative powers." At an early age, I left Cuba alone and traveled through Mexico to the United States. While alone in Mexico, I missed my family and our way of life back in Punta de la Sierra, a farm located in Pinar del Rio, which is the westernmost province of Cuba.

The show became my passion, a look into life on a ranch where a big family confronted daily challenges with such courage that it was riveting and filled with suspense. The Barkley family shared values of honor, loyalty, respect and decency and the show allowed for my continued growth, seeing through the Barkley's, the family I no longer had with me.

As Victoria Barkley, Barbara Starwyck was the widowed matriarch figure, guiding this wealthy family as they evolved in Stockton, California during the latter part of the 19th Century. She has two sons and a daughter: Jarrod Thomas Barkley, played by Richard Long, Nick Barkley, played by Peter Breck and Audra, played by Linda Evans.

The series starts by a third son, Heath, played by Lee Majors, joining the family, but he is not the son of Victoria Barkley. He struggles to belong and claim what is rightfully his, a place by the side of his brothers and sister, and it is remarkable to see how they incorporate him to the family and how Victoria embraces this young man, providing the love necessary to inspire a relationship as deep as that which she shares with her blood line.

During a marathon played this weekend, we were delighted to see great stars such as Richard Dreyfuss, Bruce Dern, Charles Bronson, Diane Baker, Milton Berle, John Carradine, Johnny Crawford, Robert Goulet, Buddy Hackett, Dennis Hopper, Ron Howard, Jill St. John, Martin Landau, George Kennedy, Lou Rawls, William Shatner and others.

We highly recommend owning this series and watching it with your family and as you see the different episodes, take the time to discuss the value system that shaped the west. The Big Valley offers the opportunity for growth required today, a world where we have little if anything showing on TV that adds to the development of character. Don't miss seeing... The Big Valley!!!

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One of My Favorite TV Westerns

...Sunset Strip." I watched Peter Breck on a previous western: "Black Saddle." Lee Majors and Linda Evans were new to me, but I grew to appreciate them as well as the others. (I used to watch The Big Valley with my father and whenever Linda Evans...Read more

I loved many of the tv westerns as a child and "The Big Valley" is one of my all-time favorites. Despite the fact that it left the air 40 years ago, it still holds up beautifully for me today. Not only was it the terrific scripts, I truly liked the cast and the characters. Barbara Stanwyck, one of the great screen actresses. I was a fan of Richard Long from his days on the Warner Bros. detective shows: "Bourbon Street Beat" and "77 Sunset Strip." I watched Peter Breck on a previous western: "Black Saddle." Lee Majors and Linda Evans were new to me, but I grew to appreciate them as well as the others. (I used to watch The Big Valley with my father and whenever Linda Evans came on my father would exclaim "What a beautiful girl!" I met Linda last year at a show and related that story to her. She appreciated the story and the man she was with told me my father (now deceased) had "great taste.")
As stated, this series still holds up today and still makes me wish I were a member of the Barkley family, as I did when I was a child. It was always unfairly accused of being an inferior clone of "Bonanza." In reality, it was far superior to "Bonanza" in every way. Its a shame it only lasted 4 years.
They have only released season 1 and half of season 2. I understand there are no plans to release the rest of the series as the first two sets, apparently, didn't sell that well. It is a shame that there are no extras or retrospectives, as while Stanwyck and Long are gone, Breck, Majors and Evans are still alive. The picture quality is excellent.
If you want to see a truly superior series or love great westerns and, for some reason, you have never seen this series, then you should pick up this set and the other one available.

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Boy Howdy, the Powerful Barkleys Ride Onto DVD!!

...as eldest son, attorney Jarrod, Peter Breck as son and ranch foreman Nick, Lee Majors as Heath, Linda Evans as daughter Audra, and during its first season, Charles Briles as youngest son Eugene, a character who was dropped without explanation.Read more

There were few TV shows that made a greater impression on me growing up than did this classic western, The Big Valley, which ran on ABC from 1965-1969. From its stellar cast featuring the incomparable Barbara Stanwyck as Victoria Barkley, (the matriarch of a close-knit, proud and prominent family in 1878 California,) well-written/action-packed scripts, to stirring music, The Big Valley remains a standout in the barren plains of TV mediocrity.

The first TV drama to feature a powerful female lead (a woman the commercials proudly proclaimed had "backbone and bite"), it also dealt realistically with situations formerly taboo for TV. It began by revealing that Victoria's husband, Tom Barkley, a prominent, wealthy cattle rancher now deceased, had been involved in a secret affair leading to the birth of an illegitimate son. In addition to the ranch, the family controlled gold and silver mines, citrus groves as well as logging camps.

This five-disc (episodes on "A" and "B" sides) boxed set contains all 30 of the show's first season episodes, including its pilot. A few of these episodes were available years ago on poor quality VHS tapes, but this fantastic release represents the first time that the entire first season of the series has been available to the public in ANY format! As such, most of these episodes have not been seen uncut since the show aired more than 35 years ago.

The pilot, which introduces the powerful and proud Barkley family, depicts the conflict when the illegitimate son, Heath, abruptly arrives at the huge Barkley Ranch in the San Joaquin Valley, near Stockton, Calif., in the midst of a range war and claims his birthright.

After the recent death of his mother, Heath had learned his father's identify. None of the Barkleys had known of his existence, and it is later revealed that Victoria's husband had broken off the brief affair with Heath's mother and that she had never told him that she was pregnant. Victoria immediately accepts Heath and soon treats him as one of her own sons.

In addition to Miss Stanwyck (who performed many of her own stunts despite her age), the cast included Richard Long as eldest son, attorney Jarrod, Peter Breck as son and ranch foreman Nick, Lee Majors as Heath, Linda Evans as daughter Audra, and during its first season, Charles Briles as youngest son Eugene, a character who was dropped without explanation. Napoleon Whiting portrayed the family's servant, Silas, throughout the series.

First season episodes included in this set are: (Disc 1, Side A) Palms of Glory; Forty Rifles; Boots with My Father's Name; Young Marauders; (Disc 1, Side B) Odyssey of Jubal Tanner; Heritage; (Disc 2, Side A) Winner Lose All; My Son, My Son; Earthquake!; The Murdered Party; (Disc 2, Side B) The Way to Kill a Killer; Night of the Wolf; (Disc 3, Side A) The Guilt of Matt Bentell; The Brawlers; Judgment in Heaven; The Invaders; (Disc 3, Side B) By Fires Unseen; A Time to Kill; (Disc 4, Side A) Teacher of Outlaws; Under a Dark Star; Barbary Red; The Death Merchant; (Disc 4, Side B) The Fallen Hawk; Hazard; (Disc 5, Side A) Into the Widow's Web; By Force and Violence; The River Monarch; The Midas Man; and (Disc 5, Side B) Tunnel of Gold; and Last Train to the Fair.

As of this writing, the studio had not announced what, if any, special features would be included in the boxed set.

Just a few of the guest stars in this first season were Andrew Duggan, John Anderson (Richard Dean Anderson's father), Jeanne Cooper (Young and the Restless), Katharine Ross (The Graduate), Charles Bronson, Warren Oates, Martin Landau (Mission: Impossible!), Ron Howard, Anthony Zerbe, Claude Akins, Yvonne Craig (Batgirl), William Shatner (Star Trek), Bruce Dern (Laura Dern's father), Jill St. John, George Kennedy, and James Whitmore.

Here's hoping the remaining seasons of this award-wining series will be released ASAP! We can also only hope that this means other studios that own the rights to other worthy vintage westerns, like The High Chaparral, will get the message that there is an appreciative audience anxiously waiting and begin releasing these episodes on DVD complete season boxed sets.

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Great Show and great looking DVD's, but disappointed in Fox Studios!

...and I remember it had another one of my child hood heroes in it at the time Lee Majors from the Six Million Dollar Man and The Fall Guy. This is not to take away from the rest of the cast I grew to love them to, but Lee Majors is who drew me to...Read more

I have loved this show ever since I was a kid. I remember watching in every summer during the 80's, and I had no idea the show was old by the time I watched it. I immediately feel in love with it, and I remember it had another one of my child hood heroes in it at the time Lee Majors from the Six Million Dollar Man and The Fall Guy. This is not to take away from the rest of the cast I grew to love them to, but Lee Majors is who drew me to the show. I am now a Father with a Wife, and two kids and I still love westerns, and I have been showing them every great western show I can find on DVD I grew up watching such as The Big Valley and they love it, but they were just as disappointed as I was that only Season 1 and part of Season 2 had been released! Come on Fox you have had long enough to release this, and if you wont do it for me at least do it for my kids so they can enjoy a little piece of entertainment history before their all grown up. I also want to ask one question even though I doubt anybody from the studios ever read these comments, but I will ask anyways. "Why do shows like this get released in Region 2 before Region 1? I frankly don't understand it. The shows were made in America first and enjoyed here in America first by Americans so why don't they get released here first for Americans the original target group of these shows to enjoy? I just don't understand the reasoning behind the studios decisions it seems completely backwards to me!

Bob

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Always my favorite western

...in Salinas. Anyway, great cast -- Richard Long (died too young), Peter Breck, Lee Majors, Linda Evans, and hello? Miss Barbara Stanwyck!! The DVDs arrived in great condition, the picture clarity is nice and sharp, the storylines have held up ...Read more

I watched reruns of The Big Valley in the afternoons when I got home from school. It never occurred to me to buy the DVDs, until I recently started watching reruns, again, in the afternoons. This is the only western where I like all of the characters, and I'm familiar with Stockton (even the faux version) and the surrounding area. I smile when Nick says he's been to a horse auction in Salinas. Anyway, great cast -- Richard Long (died too young), Peter Breck, Lee Majors, Linda Evans, and hello? Miss Barbara Stanwyck!! The DVDs arrived in great condition, the picture clarity is nice and sharp, the storylines have held up ... best $13 I've spent in quite a while.

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If you like westerns, you will like The Big Valley

...little element of a soap opera. There were two very young actors on this show. Lee Majors (Heath Barkley) and Linda Evans (Audra Barkley) would go to be major tv stars of the 70's and 80's. The reason I do not give this dvd set 5 stars is because...Read more

I did not waste any time ordering The Big Valley when Amazon.com offered it to me at half price via email. I was a fan of this show from watching reruns of it in the 1980's. The Big Valley is a television western with a little element of a soap opera. There were two very young actors on this show. Lee Majors (Heath Barkley) and Linda Evans (Audra Barkley) would go to be major tv stars of the 70's and 80's. The reason I do not give this dvd set 5 stars is because it has no extra's such as special features,interviews, and commentary. You do get your money's worth as far as episodes though as the set has 30. On a final note, I did not experience any problems with Amazon.com as far as purchasing and receiving the product.

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BIG ENTERTAINMENT IN "THE BIG VALLEY"

...in Stockton, California, in 1876. The drama begins instantly as Heath (Lee Majors) faces off with Nick Barkley (Peter Breck) on a bridge. Both refuse to budge in order to let the other pass, and the bridge collapses.Read more

I never liked TV Westerns at all. That is, until I stumbled upon "The Big Valley" accidentally on ME-TV. I was immediately drawn into the compelling, often gritty, storylines. "Bonanza" and "Gunsmoke" may have had longer runs, but I much prefer the Barkley ranch, presided over with a gentle but forceful authority by the outstanding Barbara Stanwyck as matriarch Victoria Barkley.
"The Big Valley" is obviously a forerunner of TV soaps like "Dallas", although the tone is less tawdry and nasty. Yes, "The Big Valley" is a Western, but, if you don't like Westerns (as I never did), it's easy to view "Valley" as a character-driven family saga, that just happens to also be a Western, instead. We are instantly drawn into the trials and tribulations of the Barkley Family, who own much of the land and many businesses in Stockton, California, in 1876.
The drama begins instantly as Heath (Lee Majors) faces off with Nick Barkley (Peter Breck) on a bridge. Both refuse to budge in order to let the other pass, and the bridge collapses. Heath comes to the Barkley ranch looking for a job. Nick is instantly suspicious. All hell breaks loose when Heath announces that he is, in fact, the illegitimate son of deceased patriarch Tom Barkley. Many Season One episodes revolve around Heath's efforts to prove that he is more than a "bastard Barkley" and deserves to be a part of the family. For her part, Victoria, knowing her late husband to be a good but imperfect man, accepts Heath as her own son, with instant and unconditional love.
Lee Majors makes a particularly strong and solid debut as Heath. Peter Breck is often a hoot as the hot-headed, quick-tempered Nick Barkley. Rest assured, almost every episode of "The Big Valley" features a physical brawl or fight and a gun fight.
The eldest Barkley son, Jerrod (Richard Long) is a lawyer, and more even tempered than Heath or Nick. For balance, there is pretty blonde daughter Audra (Linda Evans). In the company of Stanwyck, Majors, Breck, and Long, Evans is obviously out of her depth. Audra is supposed to be rebellious, a spit-fire who is quick with a riding crop. But Evans merely seems inept. Audra seems most interested in handsome men, dresses, horses, and, occasionally, books. So let's just call Audra the pretty "Barbie Doll" Barkley. In Season One, there was also the youngest Eugene Barkley (Charles Brilles). But apparently, the Barkley brood was too large. Eugene is infrequently seen, being off at school or somewhere else. When Brilles was drafted into the Army, the writers, never knowing quite what to do with "extra" Eugene, simply and sensibly wrote the character out of the series altogether in Season Two.
Barbara Stanwyck as Victoria Barkley holds the family, and the Series itself, together. It is easy to see why Stanwych woin an Emmy Award for her performance. In a word, Stanwych is extraordinary. Victoria Barkley is kind and gracious, but she does not suffer fools and she is no shrinking violet, either. A strong, force of nature, Victoria withstands every tribulation, including blackmail, earthquakes, kidnapping, attempted rape, murderous home invaders and assorted other dramatic and/or near death experiences, with her head and her family honor held high. "The Big Valley" is highly recommended, and highly addictive, entertainment.

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That Barkley Luck

...action, romance and a great cast. Barbara Stanwyck, Richard Long, Peter Breck, Lee Majors and Linda Evans had incredible chemistry as the Barkley clan. Let's hope that the success of this DVD set will pave the way for the release of other classic...Read more

Words cannot express the joy of finally getting The Big Valley on DVD. The re-runs in recent years on Family Channel, PAX and Hallmark had one factor in common: each network took special care in butchering the episodes for their lousy commercials . It is so irritating to watch a show you grew up with missing key scenes you're anticipating . Now that won't be a problem. A tip of the hat and a six-gun salute to the execs who greenlighted this.

The first season is definitely the best of this classic program. Standout episodes include: "Palms of Glory" (Pilot), "Heritage", "The Guilt of Matt Bentell," "Night of the Wolf," "Winner Lose All," "The Way to Kill a Killer," "Earthquake!," "The Odyssey of Jubal Tanner," "Forty Rifles," "The Young Marauders," "The Brawlers," and "Hazard."

What can you say about The Big Valley? It had compelling storylines, action, romance and a great cast. Barbara Stanwyck, Richard Long, Peter Breck, Lee Majors and Linda Evans had incredible chemistry as the Barkley clan.

Let's hope that the success of this DVD set will pave the way for the release of other classic westerns like The High Chaparral, The Virginian, Lancer and Cimarron Strip.

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Great viewing

...show and liked seeing Barbara Stanwych, as well as a young Linda Evans and Lee Majors before they went on to star in their own shows. The western genre in those times was interesting as well as entertaining so thanks again for giving us added...Read more

I would like to thank you for making this very old series available in DVD. I really liked this show and liked seeing Barbara Stanwych, as well as a young Linda Evans and Lee Majors before they went on to star in their own shows. The western genre in those times was interesting as well as entertaining so thanks again for giving us added pleasure in reliving those old shows without the blood and gory and violence of today. It's nice to sit and watch a show with the family without wondering what will appear to scare young ones. Thanks again.

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What can you say

...father passed leaving a widow, two legitimate sons, a daughter and a son (Lee Majors) born to another woman. The plots cover internal family struggles and the standard Old West stories.....well done show. Highly recommendRead more

It's Big Valley; the lifetstyles of the rich in the West. The sets are graceful, the acting top notch, the stories entertaining. A relaxing show from my youth that was well done. The show revolves around a wealthy family whose father passed leaving a widow, two legitimate sons, a daughter and a son (Lee Majors) born to another woman. The plots cover internal family struggles and the standard Old West stories.....well done show. Highly recommend

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Yes! My favorite Western on DVD! Move over Bonanza!

...cowboys! Okay, first I have to mention my favorite western character. I know Lee Majors (Heath) and Linda Evans (Audra) received much attention, but to my mind the "perfect" cowboy will always be Nick Barkley (Peter Breck).Read more

*Note: This series looks fantastic on DVD and what's better is that they are all unedited. There are scenes here that I've not seen in years!

I've had most of the Big Valley episodes on tape from television. Most of them are obviously edited, due to the commercials. This is my favorite western series. I am so glad they are releasing this!

While I didn't grow up when the Big Valley was originally aired, I still watched it most mornings during the 70s-80s. I tried Bonanza a few times, but found the Big Valley more appealing. Barbara Stanwyck had even said, "Our show is grittier and more realistic than Bonanza. Our stories have to do with hardships and dangers of living in the west." Plus, the Barkley ranch is a cattle ranch...for real cowboys!

Okay, first I have to mention my favorite western character. I know Lee Majors (Heath) and Linda Evans (Audra) received much attention, but to my mind the "perfect" cowboy will always be Nick Barkley (Peter Breck). It took most of Season 1 for them to really get his outfit down. He first wears a small hat and not too-colorful outfit before changing to the large hat, brown shirts and black leather vest and gloves which will mark him as the ever-tempermental tough cowboy of the west.

The series is about a matriarchal family living in Stockton, California. While the famous Ponderosa may boast more land, the Barkley ranch, overall, probably boasted more wealth in all its business ventures from cattle to peach groves to mines and land. The Barkley's were also renowned not only by the California government, but even in Mexico and other states.

There is first son Jarrod, who prefers his law practice to sweating out in the hot sun taking care of the ranch. He is often cool-headed and logical, preferring diplomatic approaches to more violent ones. He's a wizard in the courtroom and he proves that he won't back down on a principal, no matter the cost. Richard Long played this character beautifully. Ever suave, Jarrod could be a hit with the women who liked is handsome, intelligent ways of doing things. He is often at odds with Nick, as Jarrod prefers more diplomatic approaches to solving problems than the fist-a-cuffs of Nick.

Middle son is Nick Barkley. Nick is in charge of the ranch. He has some 100 or so men to look after who help to maintain the ranch from cattle to blacksmithing, to taking care of the trees and horses. He is fiery and tempermental, a complete opposite to his older brother, Jarrod. Nick is passionate and will speak his mind no matter what anyone says or does. Nick also loves a good fight, and he'll take on two or three men in a bar-room brawl, if necessary. Especially sensitive to criticism of himself or his family, he is extremely protective. Victoria quoted him once, "When Nick is pushed he pushes back with everything he has." Peter Breck also incorporated Nick as a fierce and deadly gunman. He was clocked at six-hundredths of a second on the draw by a western magazine that has him down as the fastest in television history.

Youngest son is Heath who is actually a half-brother to the family. He shares the same father, Tom Barkley, but a different mother. Heath, in the pilot, storms the Barkley ranch after his mother dies to take what is his. At first he gets more than he bargains for when Nick confronts him, suspecting Heath to be a spy for the railroad. Heath's character lies between Jarrod and Nick. He will fight when pushed, but he will also be more diplomatic as well. He's often quiet and brooding in his demeanor. Ironically, the person he's closest to his Victoria. He also enjoys being with Nick, and the two of them share some great adventures throughout the series. He also has a special affection for Audra, probably because they are both the youngest, and Audra is the first Barkley he comes across. There are also more episodes involving Heath than any other character. Lee Majors was a new-comer to acting and Barbara Stanwyck actually took the then young actor under her wing. During the course of four/five seasons, you will see him really shape his character. You'll also notice that his southern accent becomes much less distinct than in the first season.

The Ponderosa never had a regular beauty on their show, but the Big Valley did! Linda Evans, while not going to win over anyone with her acting, did so as far as eye-candy is concerned. Linda was even quoted as saying, "Believe me, I know why I'm on the show." As the feisty Audra, she plays a character who loves helping children and the poor, but she can also be fiery and tempermental. She even says, "Nick is the only one who understands me."

Last and certainly not least is Barbara Stanwyck as Victoria. Barbara had already had a more than successful film career. Loving the outdoors and the old west, Stanwyck tried for years to have a western, but the networks never believed anyone wanted to watch a female cowboy. Then, the Big Valley came along. For the first few episodes, she's stuck in beautiful dresses and pretty much inside the mansion. Barbara had quickly approached the producers to set the record straight. "I'm not here to sit on couches and answer the door." She demanded that Victoria have some adventures of her own, and she certainly got her wish. What's more her stories prove very effective as she often uses her mind to get out of a situation. She's also not bad with a gun, so watch out!

You will see so many future film stars and even current film stars of the day grace the Big Valley. Many of the stories deal in business ventures, greedy landlords, gangs of bullies, Heath's battle to find a place as a bastard son, and so forth.

The show also has, to me, one of the best themes in television history. The very music cries of something big and epic as we follow this family on their adventures.

The only reason I give this 4 stars is because it did take them some time to really settle in. Seasons 2 and 3 are fantastic!

Yes, the series will probably show its age since the mid to late sixties when it ran, but to me, this western T.V. show is timeless!

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... WITH BARBARA STANWYCK AND YOUNG LEE MAJORS AND THE BEAUTIFUL LINDA EVANS

WHEN THE WEST WAS STILL WILD COMES THE BIG VALLEY WITH BARBARA STANWYCK AND YOUNG LEE MAJORS AND THE BEAUTIFUL LINDA EVANS.

WHEN THE WEST WAS STILL WILD COMES THE BIG VALLEY WITH BARBARA STANWYCK AND YOUNG LEE MAJORS AND THE BEAUTIFUL LINDA EVANS.

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Best TV Series Ever

...in their own ways. Richard Long, who tragically died at 47, is my favorite. Lee Majors and Linda Evans are still alive. Barbara Stanwyck and Peter Breck lived into ripe old age. Peter died last year, I believe in his 90s.Read more

They need to bring out the remaining 2 1/2 years of this series. All the actors are great and very unique in their own ways. Richard Long, who tragically died at 47, is my favorite. Lee Majors and Linda Evans are still alive.
Barbara Stanwyck and Peter Breck lived into ripe old age. Peter died last year, I believe in his 90s.

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Love The Big valley

...Valley shows that were available through Fox and loving this show and a fan of Lee majors this was a must buy for me. Sorry that all was available was season 1 and half of season 2. Mahybe someday they will release the restRead more

Deciding to get The Big Valley shows that were available through Fox and loving this show and a fan of Lee majors this was a must buy for me. Sorry that all was available was season 1 and half of season 2. Mahybe someday they will release the rest

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I just had to buy a western.

...lawyer, two blustering blowhard cowboys who are quickly joined by a third (Lee Majors), a beautiful strong headed young woman, and their wise tough-as-nails mother. How will these rich swaggering pompous big-heads survive the perils of owning a...Read more

I'm not a big fan of westerns, and I was a bit too young (not by much) for the golden age of TV westerns. Amazingly, this seems to be the only one of the great westerns of the sixties to be realeased on DVDs as seasonal sets.

So, remembering that The Big Valley was one of the "big westerns" of that time period, and reading of the big name actors in the series, I went ahead and ordered the set.

I'd never watched this show before, and I was surprised at just how amazingly good this show looks. It's downright beautiful. We had to wait 40 years to see at home exactly what this show really looked like. Back in 1965, color TV was a new thing, and they had very round picture tubes with whacky color (always a little green or purple) and general fuzziness.

I was also amazed at how much I don't like the characters. The Barclay family is a smug lawyer, two blustering blowhard cowboys who are quickly joined by a third (Lee Majors), a beautiful strong headed young woman, and their wise tough-as-nails mother. How will these rich swaggering pompous big-heads survive the perils of owning a huge ranch with servants and lots of guns in 1870's California?

Seriously, this is a good value for the money. Big Valley is a grand, gorgeous full-color orchestrated classic, and you just can't beat 30 episodes for less than thirty dollars. This is a piece of television history, so even if westerns isn't your favorite genre, why not give it a try?

...spoiled--[but] Nick...he understands." Into their lives rides the young man (Lee Majors, later known as "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "The Fall Guy") who gives only one name--Heath--and claims to be Tom Barkley's "bastard son," who was raised...Read more

In Stockton, California, and the surrounding "Big Valley," the name to conjure with is Barkley. Victoria (Barbara Stanwyck), six years widowed (her husband Tom was killed in a battle with railroad hired guns while laeding his neighbors in resistance against a land grab) is the matriarch of a family with interests ranging from cattle to mining to lumber and vineyards to river shipping, factories, mills, and a foundry. Her oldest son Jarrod, about 30, generally easygoing but with a strong feel for ethics and justice, is a lawyer with offices in San Francisco and Stockton and takes care of the family's legal and financial affairs; four-years-younger second son Nick (Peter Breck)--proud, tough, hot-tempered, physically imposing (he can actually lift Jarrod right off his feet), sometimes loud and impulsive, but ferociously protective of his family, their interests, and their name--ramrods the various businesses, chiefly the ranch, and is a hard worker who is respected by every man on the payroll; youngest son Eugene (Charles Briles), 21, is attending college at Berkeley; and throaty-voiced, curvaceous daughter Audra (Linda Evans), 18, says of herself, "Mother says I'm shameless, Jarrod says I'm spoiled--[but] Nick...he understands." Into their lives rides the young man (Lee Majors, later known as "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "The Fall Guy") who gives only one name--Heath--and claims to be Tom Barkley's "bastard son," who was raised in the dying mining town of Strawberry and has worked as everything from a crab- and salmon-fisher to a hired gun. Much of the first season revolves around his efforts to prove himself a true Barkley and make a place for himself in both the family and the Valley itself.

Like "Bonanza," this is primarily a story about a family's conflicts, both within and without its own house, but Heath's illegitimate birth (a very mature element to introduce on series TV in the mid-'60's: I think this was the first time I ever heard the word "bastard" spoken on broadcast) adds a fresh angle. Victoria accepts Heath almost immediately, and he is drawn strongly to her from a very early point; he can't settle right away on what (except "ma'am") to call her, but "The last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt [her]." He also bonds tightly with Nick and Audra, the two siblings most like himself and (presumably) their father (once when someone describes him as "the old man's [woods] colt," Nick--who does menacing very well--says in a cold growl, "Nobody says that about him to me"). And occasionally things out of his past pop up to cause trouble for the family, as in "The Guilt of Matt Bentell" (when he recognizes the brutal C.O. of the Civil War POW camp where he spent seven months), "The Death Merchant" (the man who shot Tom Barkley's murderer returns for a visit and proves to be a merciless murderer who once came close to killing him), and "Into the Widow's Web" (his boyhood love, now a singer married to an exhibition sharpshooter, comes to Stockton and he is accused of murder when the man turns up dead).

What makes this series especially enjoyable is that it doesn't always rely on violence to make its plots run: there may be a fistfight in almost every episode, but not every conflict ends with gunplay. And the plots themselves are often unusual: a retired general (Andrew Duggan) whom Nick knew during the War turns out to be a charismatic clone of the filibuster William Walker; a mustang hunter in whom Audra becomes interested proves to be the leader of a band of murderous night-riders; Nick is bitten by a rabid wolf and goes off by himself to try to spare his family the ordeal of watching him die; an earthquake traps Victoria in the wine cellar of the local Catholic church along with a pregnant Indian girl and a hard-drinking, discontented ranchhand (Charles Bronson); a strike at the family's mine reunites Heath with an old friend; a band of Irish immigrants claims it has purchased title to a large chunk of Barkley land, and Nick makes an uneasy common cause with its leader to find out the truth; Nick's fiancee turns out to have a psychological flaw that may mean tragedy for the family; a middle-aged outlaw who has suddenly decided he wants to learn to read and write kidnaps Victoria to serve as his teacher; Jarrod learns that a man whose conviction he won as a prosecutor was in fact innocent, and sets out to make amends; Heath is trapped under an overturned wagon and his only hope is Victoria, who must find someone--in the uninhabited forestland high above the ranch--to help get him out; a boat from the family's line, which sank at the close of the Civil War with a large cargo of gold, is unexpectedly rediscovered.

Like most of the Westerns of its period, BV has a tendency to play a bit fast and loose with history (there's mention of a Modoc reservation near Stockton, where none existed), but what I find most irritating is that the writers couldn't seem to decide on when the series was supposed to be happening: at various points during first season the year is given as (or implied to be) 1876, 1882, 1878, 1873, and 1880. (Since Nick and Heath both fought in the War, an earlier date seems most consistent.) Stanwyck is among the high points of the show: though she starts out as a rather low-key, almost inconsequential character, she soon reveals herself as an iron hand in a velvet glove (watch her dealing with the family's proud Californio-Spanish neighbor, Don Alfredo, in "Winner Lose All"), and before too long she's shown to be the kind of "tough broad" Stanwyck always specialized in playing--and a genuine mother bear when one of her "cubs" is threatened.

Notable names are plenty in the guest list, as was true of most of the "adult" Westerns of TV's Golden Age: among the faces you'll see are Martin Landau, Kevin Hagen, Buck Taylor, Arthur O'Connell, Jason Evers, Ford Rainey, Richard Hale, John McLiam, Virginia Gregg, Katharine Ross (in a role not unlike that she played in the "Gunsmoke" episode "Crooked Mile"), Henry Wilcoxon, R. G. Armstrong, Richard Devon, Anne Helm, Warren Oates, Paul Fix, Nancy Olson, Ronny Howard, Eleanor Audley, Nicolas Surovy, John Dehner, William Shatner (as an old law-school buddy of Jarrod's), James Whitmore, Albert Salmi, George Kennedy, Harold J. Stone, Royal Dano, Richard Anderson, L. Q. Jones (who probably showed up on every Western on the tube at one time or another), Robert Walker Jr., Claude Akins, Anthony Zerbe, Morgan Woodward, Malachi Throne, Bruce Dern, John Anderson, Jeanne Cooper, and Karl Swenson (these five each appear twice, though not in the same role). Also familiar are several of the sets, including the jail and Long Branch interiors from "Gunsmoke." (The series also shares the tendency of Westerns of its period to use a number of sound-stage "exteriors," often distractingly and inexplicably sandwiching them between actual outdoor shots--why it had to, when the actors were already out in the open air, is bewildering.) It's also distracting to see the sheriff--who says he's been on the job for 10 years--played by at least four different actors, including Mort Mills and Ken Lynch. But it's intriguing to see that several of the segments turn on, or at least address, the resentment that often lies close under the surface when people are seen as too rich, or too big, for their britches. I had forgotten how much I really enjoyed this show, and seeing it again I know why it still has an active online fandom.

Did Linda Evans and Barbara Stanwyck get along?

Why was Big Valley Cancelled?

Why was Eugene written out of The Big Valley?

Did Barbara Stanwyck and Lee Majors get along?