My Granny and I never missed watching "The Big Valley" during its prime-time run on ABC during the 1960s. She was a major Barbara Stanwyck fan from back in the day when Miss Stanwyck was the Queen of Hollywood. I of course had no way of knowing this and I simply loved the bravado, sass and spunk with which Miss Stanwyck instilled her character Victoria Barkley. Loren Greene's Ben Cartwright is a well-meaning dud in comparison. I liked her sons better than the Cartwright boys too, especially Nick! Watching it now, I can spot a lot of inconsistencies, such as the Orlon carpeting on the staircase of the Barkley manse and the overabundance of that God awful pool cue chalk blue eye shadow so popular in the 1960s. I mean it's like Victoria and Audra had an account with an Avon lady on the prairie. Still, Miss Stanwyck is a treat and I still love to watch her in reruns. Since my Granny hipped me to her at such a young age, I made sure to catch her act from her Hollywood heyday. I think "Double Indemnity" is my favorite. My Granny's other favorites from back in the day were Bette Davis and Irene Dunne. Too bad those two ladies couldn't have had guest appearances on "The Big Valley". That would have been a hoot, maybe an episode where Bette gets to menace Joan Crawford or one where Miss Dunne out sasses Miss Stanwyck.
Review of The Big Valley
