Victoria Barkley heads her adult brood on the Barkley Ranch in California’s San Joaquin Valley, near Stockton, in the 1870s. Heath is the illegitimate son of Victoria’s husband Tom (who is dead at the time of the series). Bank robbers, horse thieves, revolutionaries and land grabbers keep the Barkley’s hopping.

The Big Valley

Episode 01: Palms of Glory

Every property owner in the Valley is in danger of losing their land due to the legal trickery of a ruthless railroad baron who backs up his action with an army of 200 men.Into this tense scene rides an iron-willed young man who defiantly tells the Barkley’s he is the “bastard son” of the dead family patriarch Tom Barkley-and who demands an equal share of the estate.

The Big Valley is set in the 1870′s in California’s gorgeous San Joaquin Valley. The series tells the story of Stockton’s richest and most powerful family, The Barkleys. Lead by the family matriarch and widow Victoria Barkley, they live on the Barkley Ranch managing their cattle, mines, citrus groves and logging camps. Victoria’s four adult brood consists of her two sons Jarrod and Nick, daughter Audra and step-son Heath. Jarrod, a prominent lawyer, handles all of the families legal issues and manages his two law offices in Stockton and San Francisco. Nick, a strong built rancher, physically manages the family’s holdings. Nick is aggressive, out-spoken and at times hot-headed. Victoria’s youngest child is her beautiful daughter Audra. Audra is protected by all of the family members. Audra is very sensitive, caring, loves horses, and is a very talented rider.

Heath, Victoria’s step-son, helps Nick manage the family’s possessions. Heath tends to be quiet, reserve and sincere but stands up for what he believes in and wears the Barkley name proudly. There was a fourth young son, Eugene, in the first season but he is gone without explanation after that. The Barkley family members bond together like glue when troubles arise such as land disputes, squatters, bank robbers, horse thieves, kidnapping, injuries and illness. They share strong family values, joy, laughter, heartache and pain as they deal with life’s problems.

Cast and Crew:
Starring:

Richard Long, Peter Breck and Lee Majors

Creators: A.I. Bezzerides, Louis F. Edelman

Production Company: Levee-Gardner-Laven Productions, Four Star Productions, Margate
Original Air Date: 1965
Audio & Video: Mono – Color

Additional details in:

The Big Valley in IMDB | The Big Valley in Wikipedia

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