The Big Valley
Seen it?1965 | 4 seasons | 50 min | Western, Drama
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It's still drawing plenty of interest. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong character drama. If you loved Little House on the Prairie or Bonanza, start here.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- 4 seasons: a few months of evenings, episodes of about 50 minutes, about 93 hours in all.
- What might put you off
- Rated TV-PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
- Made in 1965: an older pace and style.
The Big Valley is an American western television series which ran on ABC from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969. The show stars Barbara Stanwyck, as the widow of a wealthy nineteenth century California rancher. It was created by A.I. Bezzerides and Louis F. Edelman, and produced by Levy-Gardner-Laven for Four Star Television.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerSolid
Ran for 4 seasons and reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 134K people sought it out in the past year
Season by season
The show overall is a Sunday Safe Bet. Here's how each season stacks up; Season 2 is the high point.
Season 11965 · 30 episodes · 6.5 out of 10Weeknight- Season 21966 · 30 episodes · 7.0 out of 10Sunday
- Season 31967 · 26 episodes · 7.0 out of 10Sunday
- Season 41968 · 26 episodes · 7.0 out of 10Sunday
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Cast & crew
Created by A.I. Bezzerides, Louis F. Edelman
- Barbara StanwyckVictoria Barkley
- Richard LongJarrod Barkley
- Peter BreckNick Barkley
- Lee MajorsHeath Barkley
- Linda EvansAudra Barkley