Knots Landing: Season 09 (1987)

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The big news of Knots Landing's ninth season is the apparent murder of unsavory politician Peter Hollister, who in the course of the previous season had had affairs with both Abby Cunningham (Donna Mills) and Abby's daughter Olivia (Tonya Crowe)--leading Abby to believe that Olivia was the killer, and vice versa! As it turns out, only Paige Matheson (Nicollette Sheridan), illegitimate daughter of crime investigator Mack MacKenzie (Kevin Dobson), knows the whole story of Peter's untimely end. This season marks the departure of longtime regular Constance McCashin, who in the role of Laura Avery Sumner has weathered two tempestuous marriages, first to unscrupulous lawyer Richard Avery, and then to another "dirty" politician, Greg Sumner (William Devane). Before succumbing to a brain tumor, Laura asks Mack's former wife Karen (Michele Lee) to sell her house to a reliable tenant. This serves to introduce several new regulars, all members of the "jinxed" Williams family: husband Frank (Larry Riley), wife Patricia (Lynne Moody), daughter Julie (Kent Masters-King). It will soon be revealed that the Williamses are in the Federal Witness Protection Program! In other developments, Abby divorces Gary (Ted Shackleford), then renews her relationship with former beau Charles Scott (Michael York)--but only for the purpose of enlarging her power base in Knots Landing. Gary meanwhile continues his affair with the unhinged Jill Bennett, who makes it her mission in life to destroy Gary's former spouse Val, first by attempting to drive Val crazy (again), then more directly with an "accidental" drug overdose. Also, Val's mother Lilimae (Julie Harris) leaves the series when she impulsively runs off with an eccentric messenger-service employee named Al Baker (Red Buttons). And in their efforts to get the Lotus Point Resort up and running, Gary, Abby and Karen become involved with a shady character named Manny Vasquez (John Aprea), who at one point or another attempts to murder practically everyone in the cast. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi