The show was created by Earl Hamner, Jr., who had previously created The Waltons, which had just finished its final season in 1981. Hamner wanted to create a family drama involving the wine industry entitled The Vintage Years.
An unaired pilot episode was produced, but CBS requested that Hamner make the show more along the lines of Dallas, which was the network's biggest hit at that time. The script was rewritten and several cast members changed for what became Falcon Crest. The series first aired in December 1981, when CBS scheduled Falcon Crest at 10 pm on Friday nights, right after Dallas. The Dallas-Falcon Crest double bill proved lucrative for the network and Falcon Crest was a top-20 show in the Nielsen Ratings for several years.
Both shows (like The Waltons) were produced for CBS by the same company, Lorimar Productions.
One of the most successful soap operas in the history of TV, CBS’ “Falcon Crest,” comes to an end tonight at 9 after a nine-season run.
In the early and mid-1980s, “Falcon Crest,” which starred Jane Wyman in a tale set in the Napa Valley wine country near San Francisco, ranked among the Top 10-rated shows for three consecutive seasons.
It was the period of prime-time soap opera’s greatest success, with such series as “Dallas” and “Dynasty” dominating the field and “Knots Landing” also a strong finisher.CBS’ decision to cancel “Falcon Crest,” which was down to 19% of the audience this season, came as the network--on a surprising rebound this month--focused in on its new lineup for fall, soon to be announced. “Dallas” has also slipped sharply, although “Knots Landing” remains a relative success.
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