When I first began looking at this show seriously, I couldn't help but compare it to "Bonanza", which was far more superior and successful. This is due to the fact that it deals with a powerful family in the Old West as they deal with the various people that cross their paths whether its bank robbers, Indians, desperadoes, Mexican revolutionaries or just the average person. Of course, the big differences are that the lead was not a man, but a woman in the character of Victoria Barkley, played by the incomparable Barbara Stanwyck and the fact that one of her children is a daughter named Audra, played by a young Linda Evans. However, this show is still one of the better character driven western series and has become a classic in its own right.
Review of The Big Valley
