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Big Valley

A traditional western in every respect, Big Valley was a great example of the genre. The Barkley family was an influential family that had wide financial influence in the agricultural region of California. They had a large cattle ranch with extensive agriculture, mining interests and lumber tracts that they owned and managed. In the first episode, the family was confronted with the illegitimate son of the late father who was taken in and accepted after a great deal of soul searching.

The episodes were centered around the interaction between the family members and their responsibilities to their community. As one of the leading families of the area, they were civic leaders and often had to rise to fill that social position. Their close-knit family was often tested by outside influences or problems but always came through by a show of solidarity.

The "formula" that was used by the series writers included a storyline that followed one family member or another through an ordeal or problem that brought the family together. The show was typical in its use of the traditional villain/hero scenarios and family friendly themes and outcomes.

The principals that were the center of the show are as follows:

Victoria Barkley, the matriarch of the Barkley family, was a strong, independent woman who believed totally in the work of her late husband. Her life centered around her family and what she saw the role of the family to be in their community. Slight of build, Victoria was the epitome of the feisty frontier woman.

Jarrod Barkley, the eldest son, was a lawyer. Amiable and with a strong social conscious, Jarrod would be the one that would stand up to aggressors and fight for the rights of the people of his valley. Often idealistic, Jarrod had a practical side and he was often the "voice of reason" to counterbalance his more volatile brothers.

Nick Barkley, the second son, was an energetic, volatile man with a good heart that he hid under a gruff exterior. Loud and boisterous, he commanded center stage in every scene he played. Intensely proud and quick to take offense, Nick was the catalyst for many episodes often thinking with his heart instead of his head.

Heath Barkley, the illegitimate son of Thomas Barkley, was the quiet thoughtful type. Having led a rough life up until his assimilation into the Barkley family, he was the street smart kid that was not readily taken in by the less wholesome elements of society. He was skilled in the manly arts of horsemanship, fist fighting, card playing, and the fast draw. Of all the Barkleys, Heath would be the most dangerous in a fight. His background as a hired gun, soldier, miner and general roustabout gave him a broad base of experience that made him a formidable adversary. His quiet nature allowed him to often blend into the background until something set off his temper. When roused, he was more than a match for his older brother. As you might guess, a lot of storylines were centered around this unusual element of the family.

Audra Barkley, the only daughter, was beautiful but stubborn. Her wild streak and independent nature provided many storylines. Interestingly enough, of all the brothers, Heath was more prone to "understand" her than her full siblings. This relationship was often pursued in the series. Victoria Barkley was tremendously protective of her daughter and fierce when Audra was endangered. Due to this overprotection of her mother and brothers, Audra was a bit naïve. She often misjudged people thinking them more noble than they were. She seldom saw the darker sides of human nature.

Eugene Barkley, the youngest son, was used in only the first several episodes of the show. Halfway through the first season, Eugene simply fell off the writer’s radar screens. He was written out and never spoken of again. At first, he was the idealistic younger son who was off at college. However, the role was never fleshed out so the inner workings of Eugene will always be a mystery.

The rest of the cast includes Silas, the manservant, and various and sundry citizens of the town of Stockton.

Storylines were almost always wrapped up within the one hour segment. The plots were always logical and within the time period. You had no time travel, extra terrestrials, ESP or other phenomenon. This was pure western.