Watching “The Big Valley”
Yesterday I watched a great, albeit “edited” episode of “The Big Valley” that originally aired in 1967, in which emerging actresses Ellen Burstyn, who became a great, and Karen Black, eventually very good, showed signs of their eventual success.
Lee Major’s “Heath” is brought up on “trumped” (Optimum, the cable system used that word in the program description) up charges, as Black’s character “Carla” lies, while Ms. Burstyn playing a nun, (“Sister Jacob”) once in love with Major’s “Heath,” does much to defend him.
As usual, Richard Long, whose life was the opposite of his surname, cutting far too short a fine career, stood out with intensity as “Jarrod.”
Mr. Long was in the film, “The Stranger” helping Edward G. Robinson’s character bring to justice, a former and turns out current Nazi murderer, played by Orson Welles. Mr.Long more than “held his own” in support of those two acting greats.
The “Big Valley’ episode ended with the great Barbara Stanwyck’s “Victoria” talking with Burstyn’s character, surely a scene with “passing of the torch” implications.
Ms. Black was also “no slouch” also playing a key scene with Ms. Stanwyck, in the beautiful episode, titled “A Fall From Grace.”
The primary cast members of “The Big Valley” pictured above, from left to right, Linda Evans, Richard Long, Miss Barbara Stanwyck, Peter Breck and Lee Majors.
Andy B Sports 
First off, thank you for the comment. Long ago I knew the evils inherent in the mighty cable systems, so often with no regard to the consumer.
On a lighter note, it is great to have a crush. I greatly admired all the actors and their work on the show and certainly thought both “Miss” Barbara Stanwyck and Linda Evans were beautiful.
I don’t know where you are but I hope your Optimum is getting what they want…CBS pulled their channels and affiliates off of my Optimum system and now people are upset they won’t get to see the rest of the playoffs. My beef is I won’t be able to see NCIS live. Of course it will be online but I will either have to watch it after midnight or the next night.
I really liked Big Valley because I had a huge crush on Lee Majors and Big Valley was still on in reruns when the Six Million Dollar Man was on. Again I wish my cable system had the channels that Big Valley is on..