"The Big Valley" Part Two Trivia Quiz

Answer: Barkley

Victoria Barkley was the formidable matriarch of the family. Her husband Tom had been killed in a squabble with the railroad, leaving her and her sons to operate the ranch.

"Lancer" was a western series, also set in California, that featured patriarch Murdoch Lancer and his two sons. The Cartwrights were the family on the Ponderosa in the series "Bonanza". John Cannon and his family ran The High Chaparral ranch near Tucson in the series of the same name.

Answer: 4

"The Big Valley" aired for four seasons, 1965-1969, on ABC.

Answer: Heath

Heath was an adult when he confronted the family about his parentage. Tom Barkley did not know he had fathered a son outside his marriage to Victoria. Heath's mother never revealed her pregnancy to him and raised the child by herself.

Answer: Strawberry

Strawberry was a small mining town. The other choices also feature agricultural products grown in California, but they are names I invented for this quiz.

Answer: Jarrod

Jarrod was an attorney who handled the family's legal concerns. He had offices in Stockton and San Francisco. Nick and Heath managed the actual ranch chores. Eugene was the youngest son who was in college. His character was written out of the series in its first season.

Answer: Nick

Nick was celebrating his birthday with drinks at a bar when he was drugged and dragged on board a ship. Heath went undercover by allowing himself to be shanghaied onto the same ship in order to rescue Nick and other victims.

Answer: Audra

Audra fell under the spell of the handsome, charismatic Brother Love, a traveling preacher played by Robert Goulet, who performed fake healings. Skeptical Heath exposed the charlatan before he managed to cheat Audra's friend out of a substantial sum in hopes he could heal her daughter.

Answer: dam

The Barkley family had sold land to Jubal Tanner, who owned but had not actually lived on the purchased property. He opposed the construction of the dam.

Ironically, Peter Breck, who played Nick Barkley, had appeared in a "Gunsmoke" episode titled "The Odyssey of Jubal Tanner" prior to his being cast on "The Big Valley."

Answer: Victoria

Victoria was not strong enough to lift the fully loaded wagon to free Heath. She left him to get help and discovered an escaped convict in the woods. She forced the escapee at gunpoint to return to the accident site to extricate Heath. Once Heath was safe, Victoria allowed the convict to leave. Character actor Bruce Dern played the escapee.

Answer: Seamstress

Julie Harris played the shy town dressmaker who was the innocent victim of Nick's outlandish story that tarnished her reputation and threatened her livelihood. A chagrined Nick set the story straight and made amends.