Michele Lee: Remembering “Knots Landing” and more

Michele Lee as Karen Fairgate MacKenzie in the night-time soap opera "Knots Landing."

Source: https://people.com/michele-lee-admits-she-still-gets-emotional-over-this-knots-landing-scene-11789812

(May be subject to copyright)

When I was really little, she was a big part of Disney movies, then she became a big part of one of the longest running primetime soap operas of all time.

It was Michele Lee’s birthday the other day. It reminded me of how surprised I was to see her in a serious role in “Knots Landing”, after seeing her in a campy role in a Disney movie.

The years before
As it turns out, there are quite a lot of really interesting productions I saw Michele Lee in before her defining role on “Knots Landing”.

She got her start in 1961, appearing in episodes of the television productions “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” and “The Red Skelton Show”.

Her first movie role was in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” in 1967. Around that time she also began making appearances on “The Carol Burnett Show”.

Then, in 1969, she played alongside Dean Jones in the Disney movie “The Love Bug”. It features Herbie, a Volkswagen Beatle who has a life and personality of his own. He embarks on a racing career, including a cross-country race where he is driven by Lee and Jones.

The year 1969 was a busy one for Michele Lee, as she also appeared in the TV production ”Roberta” and the movie “The Comic”.

“The Comic” is an excellent and sad movie about Billy Bright, a popular silent movie star, played by Dick Van Dyke, who struggles to adapt after sound comes to film. Michele Lee does a great job as Bright’s love interest.

She would continue on with appearances in “Night Gallery”; “Marcus Welby, M.D.”; “Alias Smith and Jones”; and “Love, American Style”; as well as some TV movies.

One of those television movies was “Bud and Lou”. Released in 1978, it featured Harvey Korman as Bud Abbott and Buddy Hackett as Lou Costello. It is a docudrama about the comedy duo most famous for their “Who’s on first?” routine. Michele Lee played Anne Costello, Lou’s wife. I recall watching the first half of this movie on Channel 13 of the peasant vision dial, before I had to go to bed. It was my introduction to Abbott and Costello, so much of it was lost on me. Even now though, when I see Abbott and Costello I think of Harvey Korman and Buddy Hackett.

Michele Lee would also have appearances in the ensemble series “Fantasy Island” and “The Love Boat”, before her career changed dramatically in 1979.

Off to the cul-de-sac
In 1979, CBS launched a mid-season replacement that was a spin-off of “Dallas”, the popular night-time drama. “Knots Landing” told the story of Gary Ewing, the third Ewing brother who, with wife Val, moved to a cul-de-sac in California.

Their neighbours were Sid Fairgate, played by Don Murray, and his wife Karen, played by Michele Lee. Gary would soon go to work for Sid at his used car dealership. Karen became Val’s best friend, a relationship that endured through all the trials and tribulations any soap opera can unleash.

Over time, Sid died and Karen met a federal prosecutor named Mack MacKenzie, played by Kevin Dobson. They would marry and become one of the cornerstones of the series.

The plot I will always remember is when Karen is diagnosed with cancer and, after treatment, must have surgery. However, she could be paralyzed in the process. I remember the climatic scene well. Karen is awake, but cannot speak. The doctor is going to test the feeling in her legs by scratching her foot. If she feels anything she is to open her eyes wide. He scratches, the camera zooms in on Karen’s face and, after a beat, she opens her eyes. It was awesome.

Over time, I lost track of “Knots Landing”, as I got into video games, computers, music and friends.

Ultimately, the show ran longer than “Dallas”. “Knots Landing” ran from 1979 to 1993 for a total of 14 seasons and 344 episodes.

Michele Lee sure had staying power. She was the only actor to appear in every episode of “Knots Landing”.

Her on-screen chemistry with Kevin Dobson and Joan Van Ark, who played Val Ewing, was just awesome.

For her efforts, Lee was nominated for an Emmy in 1982 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She won Soap Opera Digest Awards for Favourite Super Couple on a Primetime Serial in 1986 and 1988; and Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role Prime Time in 1988, 1991, and 1992. She was also was nominated again in 1986.

The years after
Michele Lee rounded out the ‘80s with roles in the television movies “A Letter to Three Wives” in 1985 and “Single Women Married Men” in 1989.

She would continue on acting in television movies including “Broadway Bound”, a sequel to “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “Biloxi Blues”; “When No One Would Listen”, about domestic abuse starring opposite James Farentino; “Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story” as Dottie West; “Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-sac”, a sequel released in 1997; “Scandalous Me: The Jacqueline Susann Story”, as Jacqueline Susann; and much more.

Lee reunited with her “Knots Landing” cast mates in 2005 for “Knots Landing Reunion: Together Again”, to look back on the series.

She also appeared in guest spots in shows such as “Miss Match”, opposite Alicia Silverstone; “Married to the Kellys”; “Will and Grace”; “Family Guy”; and movies such as “Along Came Polly”.

Lee’s last appearances on TV were in 2013 with guest spots in “See Dad Run” and “How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)”. She also appeared on stage in a production of “Wicked” in 2015 .

Michele Lee was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998.

Parting thoughts
Karen MacKenzie is one of the few roles that spanned the entire decade of the ‘80s, starting in the '70s and running into the early ‘90s.

Michel Lee’s run as Karen MacKenzie was long and distinguished, and career defining. Her on-screen chemistry with her co-stars such as Kevin Dobson and Joan Van Ark was very strong, which is a tribute to her talent as an actor as well.

When I first saw Michele Lee on “Knots Landing”, all I could think was “The Love Bug”. Now, when I see her all I can think is “Knots Landing”.