TLDR: Falcon Crest ran on CBS for nine seasons and 227 episodes, from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. Earl Hamner Jr. created the wine country soap opera, and Jane Wyman starred as the scheming Angela Channing. Checked October 23, 2026.
Earl Hamner Jr. followed the gentle Walton family with a show full of schemers, grudges and glamorous guest stars. Falcon Crest ran on CBS for nine seasons and made Jane Wyman a prime-time star again.
Here is the premise, the cast, the filming locations and how the show fared. For the creator’s full story, see our guide to Earl Hamner Jr..
A Wine Country Feud in Tuscany Valley
Falcon Crest is set in the fictional Tuscany Valley, northeast of San Francisco, a region modeled on Napa Valley. The story follows the feuding Gioberti and Channing families as they fight over the wine business.
Jane Wyman plays Angela Channing, who runs the Falcon Crest winery. Her fight with the Gioberti side of the family drives the series.
Her nephew Chase Gioberti spends years fighting her for the vineyard.
The Main Cast
Robert Foxworth plays Chase, with Susan Sullivan as his wife, Maggie, and William R. Moses as their son, Cole. Jamie Rose played their daughter Vickie, and Dana Sparks later took over the role.
Abby Dalton and Margaret Ladd play Angela’s daughters, Julia and Emma, and Lorenzo Lamas plays her grandson Lance. Ana Alicia plays the scheming Melissa Agretti, and David Selby joins in the second season as Richard Channing.
Rod Taylor played Frank Agretti and stayed with the series until it ended in 1990.
Guest Stars From Old Hollywood
The show often cast former movie stars. Wikipedia lists Lana Turner, Gina Lollobrigida, Kim Novak, Celeste Holm and Robert Stack among the guests.
CTVA says the first season also included Mel Ferrer, June Lockhart and Dana Andrews, with Turner appearing as Jacqueline Perrault. Wikipedia adds Cesar Romero and Cliff Robertson.
How Jane Wyman Got the Lead
Jane Wyman won the part of Angela and held it for the whole run.
Wyman was the ex-wife of Ronald Reagan, who had just become president, but Hamner said that had nothing to do with her casting. She appeared in 208 of the 227 episodes and won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in 1983.
TVLine reports that she called the first pilot dreadful and virtually produced the second one, giving Angela a tougher edge.
Filming in Napa Valley
Exterior scenes of Angela’s estate were shot at Spring Mountain Vineyard in St. Helena, using its 1884 mansion, Villa Miravalle, per Wikipedia. Tiburcio Parrott, who developed the estate, built the house, according to the Napa Valley Register.
A Napa winery blog says Inglenook may have been used for some interiors and that most interiors were shot in Los Angeles.
The Napa Valley Register has more on the estate, which Jacob Safra bought in 1991.
Ratings, Awards and the Dallas Lead-In
Falcon Crest premiered on December 4, 1981, in the Friday 10 p.m. slot right after Dallas. It was a top-20 hit for several years, a top-ten series from 1982 to 1985 and peaked at No. 7 in the 1983 to 1984 season.
TVLine says the pairing made CBS the leader in 1980s prime-time soaps. Lamas and Lollobrigida received Golden Globe nominations, and Joel Rosenbaum won a 1989 Emmy for music composition.
For another CBS soap of the same era, see our Knots Landing cast guide.
The Final Seasons
Ratings fell in the mid to late 1980s, and the ninth season ranked 63rd. CBS ended the series on May 17, 1990.
Wyman was absent for most of the ninth season because of health concerns and returned for the last three episodes. By then only Angela, Lance and Emma remained from the original cast.
Where Falcon Crest Came From
Hamner described the show as the opposite of The Waltons, with wealth threatening the family where poverty had threatened the Waltons. He told the Television Academy Foundation it came from his wicked side, TVLine reports.
The path from The Waltons to this series, including an unaired first version, is in our guide to The Vintage Years. The family that started it all is in our guide to the cast of The Waltons.
Cast Members We Have Lost
Jane Wyman died on September 10, 2007, at age 90, according to Looper. Rod Taylor died on January 7, 2015, and Abby Dalton died on November 23, 2020, at age 88.
Falcon Crest: Frequently Asked Questions
Who created Falcon Crest?
Earl Hamner Jr., the creator of The Waltons, created Falcon Crest for CBS.
How long did Falcon Crest run?
It ran for nine seasons and 227 episodes, from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990.
Who played Angela Channing?
Jane Wyman played Angela Channing from the premiere to the finale and appeared in 208 episodes.
Where was Falcon Crest filmed?
Exteriors of the Falcon Crest estate were filmed at Spring Mountain Vineyard in St. Helena, California, using the 1884 mansion Villa Miravalle.
Did Falcon Crest have another title?
Yes. The unaired 1981 pilot was called The Vintage Years.
