’Knots Landing’ Reunion: The Younger Stars Who Played Olivia, Diana & Harold Tell All (Mirrors Down Divas!)
There have been a handful of Knots Landing reunions over the years, most involving the show’s top stars like Donna Mills, Michele Lee, Ted Shackelford, Kevin Dobson, William Devane and Michelle Phillips (and we love that!). But fans have been missing out on some of the “real” drama behind the scenes from the show’s hilarious onscreen children.
When Knots Landing’s former teen stars Tonya Crow and Claudia Lonow took the stage at the Hollywood Show in Burbank, California, along with Paul Carafotes (who played the shady Harold Dyer and the older man who Olivia falls for), the trio dished candidly on what life really was like on that crazy set.
ReMIND Magazine
For 14 insanely addictive seasons (1979-93), the iconic primetime soap (oh wait, don’t call it a soap — the word annoys Carafotes) served up family squabbles, steamy affairs, shady business deals and more catfights than a Real Housewives reunion. But keeping storylines fresh required some relatable mommy-daughter tension and trauma: enter Tonya Crow, who played Abby Ewing’s (Donna Mills) daughter Olivia; and Claudia Lonow, who played the loudmouthed, kidney-seeking Diana Fairgate, the oldest of Sid and Karen Fairgate’s three kids.
In addition to everyone agreeing that Joan Van Ark was the nicest cast member, here are a few things you might not have known, as shared during the Knots Landing reunion panel at the Hollywood Show.
1 “Mirrors down, ladies” meant stop looking at yourself
Donna Mills, Michele Lee and Joan Van Ark. CBS /Everett Collection
Before the crew yells “action,” a pre-warning of sorts is given, a cue like “ready.” This was not the case for Knots Landing; instead the crew would yell “Mirrors down, ladies.” Claudia shares, “What you don’t know is that in the couches or even around the set, everybody had a hand mirror. You’d be doing your scene and they’d say ‘cut,’ and Michele, me, everybody, would reach in between [the couches] and put the mirror up and makeup and hair would come around. Michele’s father was a makeup guy, so she was really on top of the makeup and the lighting.”
2 Shoots ran later than most shows, mainly because of Donna and Michele
Everett Collection
“The Friday night shooting schedule on a television show always goes a little later. But on this show, it went way late, especially if Donna, Michele, or they were all in a scene together,” Paul said. “They would come out from rehearsal, and one would have a little dress on, and that wouldn’t fly. You stopped the rehearsal, they would go back and change, and somebody would have a shorter dress on.”
3 And about those outfits …
Lorimar/Everett Collection
Claudia remembers seeing Donna on a talk show after the series’ conclusion talking about her outfits on Knots Landing and that she would only wear her clothes once. It was a totally different story for the teen actors. “I used to bring my own clothes,” Claudia laughed.
4 Michele Lee tried to get Paul Carafotes fired
CBS/Everett Collection
When Paul first auditioned for the show, he really wasn’t aware of the show and knew nothing about it (he joined the cast for Seasons 9-11). Paul shared that the cast was “really generous and really good” at welcoming him to the team and laughed, adding, “except [Michele Lee] tried to get me fired.” He said it was most likely due to how she thought he manhandled her in a scene, and he might have squeezed her a little too hard.
5 All three broadcast networks originally passed on Knots Landing
“David Jacobs created Knots Landing and Dallas, and he wanted to sell Knots Landing. That was his baby. All three networks passed on it, thinking, ‘Who’s going to watch a show about a cul-de-sac?’” Tonya shared. “And he was like, ‘I have this other piece, Dallas. And it is about wealth and just interesting.’ So, the network’s like, ‘We’ll take it.’ And he was like, ‘What? OK, but on one condition. If it’s successful, I can put anything else that I want on CBS.’ And they wanted Dallas so bad, they said yes to him, but he knew it was going to be Knots Landing [next].”
6 Michele Lee helped her younger castmates
(left to right) Kim Lankford, James Houghton, Claudia Lonow, Michele Lee, Don Murray, Steve Shaw, Justin Dana, Pat Petersen, John Pleshette, Connie McCashin, Joan Van Ark and Ted Shackelford. Everett Collection
Claudia recalled an episode where her character was trying to lose her virginity; the script included a scene that detailed it happening in a van. “Michele didn’t like the writing, so I went over to her house and we rewrote the scene,” Claudia shared. Post-Knots Landing, Claudia, who really needs to be a regular with these Knots Landing reunions — she is hilarious — tapped into her writing and comedic talents and wrote Showtime’s comedy series Rude Awakening, starring Sherilyn Fenn and Richard Lewis, and has been writing for television ever since.
7 John Stamos? Little House? Larry Hagman?
Ted Shackleford, Donna Mills and Larry Hagman. Everett Collection
The MGM Studio lot in Culver City, California, (now Sony Pictures Studio) was home to so many popular TV series while Knots Landing was also filming. The Dallas stage was right next door, so cast members would frequently see Larry Hagman (he also guest-starred on Knots a few times) riding around on a scooter, wearing a “hat with a twirly thing on top” and donning rose-colored glasses. “I was terrified of him,” Claudia shares. The Wizard of Oz’s yellow brick road was another fond memory they enjoyed seeing. Paul remembers the Full House stage being near to them, as well, and seeing a younger John Stamos smoking cigars. Claudia remembers a bunch of people in Little House on the Prairie outfits and the guys from CHiPs.
8 Kevin Dobson was always down to change things up
Tony Esparza/TV Guide/CBS/Everett Collection
Paul shared one of the storylines he had with Kevin Dobson, where the script called for him to spit eggs at Dobson’s character Mack. “I said to Kevin in the morning, ‘I’m going to use an apple and chew it up. I’ll take it out of my hand and then throw it into your face.’” And Kevin thought it was great. “Kevin was always down for something, to change stuff up. And the good thing was that he was the big shot on the show.” Nobody should ever egg the great Mack MacKenzie, and how gross would that have been!
9 Tonya Crowe wished she was given some lighter stuff
Tonya Crowe, Donna Mills, Brian Austin Green. Randy Tepper/CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection
“You didn’t laugh about the drugs. My storylines were heavy,” Tonya said. And we agree, we didn’t laugh, especially when her character’s younger brother Brian (played by Brian Austin Green) got beat up over it. Tonya was just 9 years old when she got hired for the role and signed a seven-year contract.
Remind 
Best in Soaps
June 2017
A sudsy issue that celebrates all your favorite soaps and stars that have kept us hooked for years!
Buy This Issue