Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Vintage TV drama features a family feud and mature content.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Falcon Crest
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
FALCON CREST (1981-1990) is a primetime soap opera about a family feuding over a Northern California winery. Located in the (fictitious) Tuscany Valley, The Falcon Crest Winery is co-owned equally by Angela Channing (Jane Wyman) and her brother, Jason Gioberti. But after Jason's accidental death, his son Chase Gioberti (Robert Foxworth) arrives to claim the part of the estate that was left to him. He also opts to operate as an independent winemaker. But Angela, who controls the main part of the vineyard, believes that the land left to his nephew is rightfully hers, and will do everything she can to push him out. The feud that ensues inevitably ropes in family members from both sides, including Angela's daughters—chief winemaker Julia (Abby Dalton) and the troubled Emma (Margaret Ladd)—and her heartthrob grandson Lance Cumson (Lorenzo Lamas). Folks like Chase's wife Maggie (Susan Sullivan), a journalist for the (fictitious) San Francisco Globe (which was once owned by Angela's first husband), and his brother Cole (William R. Moses) are also pulled into the fray. It's a rivalry that goes on for years, tests people's loyalty, and inevitably leads to a lot of drama.
Is It Any Good?
The vintage drama features a large ensemble cast of characters and ever-shifting narratives to create a complicated world defined by wine and power. One of the more prominent series that aired during what is now known as the "golden age of primetime soap operas," Falcon Crest features all the entertainingly melodramatic (and largely implausible) plot lines one expects from the genre. Much like Dallas' J.R. Ewing (the most famous tyrant of 1980s primetime soaps), Angela Channing is ruthless and powerful, but a complicated and compelling matriarch. She also adds an edge to the show by using language that had never before been heard on prime-time television. Meanwhile, the series' large ensemble cast features some of the era's popular actors, like Morgan Fairchild, and up-and-coming actors, like a young Mariska Hargitay. But different seasons also star iconic celebrities like Lana Turner, Mel Ferrer, and Cesar Romero, who, like Jane Wyman, are from Hollywood's Golden Age. Granted, today's younger viewers may find the series too outdated to watch. But Falcon Crest's original fans and classic TV lovers will enjoy revisiting it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about primetime soap operas. What made them popular in the 1980s? Are they still produced today?
While Falcon Crest was in production, the show's writers were pressured by network executives to phase out plot lines relating the agricultural workers. Why?
TV Details
- Premiere date : December 4, 1981
- Cast : Jane Wyman , Robert Foxworth , Susan Sullivan , Lorenzo Lamas
- Network : Tubi
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Family Stories ( Dads , Grandparents , Moms , Siblings )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : July 30, 2026
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