I love this movie so much

One of my all time favorites.

Absolutely the worst movie.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

I had almost forgotten that this spectacular mini-series was shown on Danish TV and what luck when I found it on some obscure web-channel that starts with a You.It's a must that you have a minimum of knowledge of soap operas before you can enjoy this hilarious send-up of them. And also, if you have the chance, check out Barry Kemp's interview on Archive of American Television's web page. Then you will appreciate just how good this is.It follows the story lines of standard soap opera bibles and twist them ever so slightly to make it just a notch more broad. But, you have to pay attention or you will miss the joke. It reminds me a little bit of the short-lived series Police Squad!, although the comedy is a lot more subtle for the most part.Here is a few examples of the comedy of ridiculous on this show: Some of the characters talk in these overblown southern accents and others don't even though they are sometimes siblings. The plot revolves around a raisin empire. A handyman who on the surface is just an annoying subplot character, but as the story continues becomes more and more comic. Absolutely side-splittingly funny country music numbers sung by the Teresa Ganzel character. Also check out the name of her and her boyfriend. That's just a few examples.So if you can stomach it, check all five hours at once. I guarantee you will either love it or say: What the hell was that?

Fresno was absolutely hilarious. The actors' delivery was completely deadpan, and all the laughs came from the ridiculous convolutions of the plot, which were only slightly more ridiculous than Dallas or Falconcrest. Fresno received a well-deserved award for casting, featuring a raft of stellar comedians including Charles Grodin and Teri Garr. As I recall the show did not do well in the ratings. The actors played it so straight that there may have been a lot of viewers who just didn't get it. That seemed to be the opinion of the producers, who added a laugh track when they re-prised the miniseries a few months after it debuted. This of course ruined the whole effect, and it probably did even worse in the ratings than the first run. I really wish someone would dig up a tape and put this out on DVD.

But it was royally raked over the coals when it first aired.CBS showed one two hour part, then it was hour parts for a week, instead of the usual mini-series, two hour movies on three nights.Fresno wasn't allowed to dominate the night as it should have been.Yet still people saw it and loved it.Willard Scott on the Today show commented on how funny it was.Thankfully, I don't recall anything about the second airing with the laughtrack.Favorite bits for me? Those shots of Carol descending the staircase. Slowly.Nothing else, just Carol descending the staircase. Look at her dress, everyone. Isn't it stunning? Grodin did indeed make this thing. My favorite bit was at the end, after the ridiculous trial and he is in the hall yelling at Carol, probably, or Teri Garr.Photographers are swarming around him, snapping pictures, moving like vultures.Suddenly he removes his hat and starts swatting at them."Here! Photograph this, you want to take pictures so badly!" The dinner table. Everyone would storm off and leave. Carol and Mahaffey were the only two left. Mahaffey was Tiffany, Carol's adopted daughter (don't ask about this!).Carol would exclaim "I wish just once one of my real kids would remain at the dinner table one evening." Mahaffey would make the most hurt expression.Mahaffey mastered the wooden soap performances as well. Thank goodness she went on to win deserving Emmys.

This was a fantastic spoof taking names and ideas from nighttime soaps such as Dynasty and Dallas. Carol Burnett and Charles Grodin played the main roles, and were absolutely fantastic. To see Carol Burnett as a "drunk" is always fun. I like how they made the last name of the "wealthy" family Kinsington; which compares to Carrington in Dynasty. They also used such names as Tallon; which compares to Fallon in Dynasty and I really thought that Billy Jo and Bobby Jo Bob having the same middle name was great.I have an original copy which I taped off of the TV before having satellite TV, so it is fuzzy and sound is not so great. I'd love to get a new copy and would be ecstatic if you burned it on a DVD. I'd pay for the DVD, your time, shipping, etc. Please E-Mail me at Roboteach3@tds.net if you have anymore copies, or are willing to make anymore; whether on VHS or DVD.Thanx so much, Jamie