Has anyone who has watched both The Big Valley and Bonanza noticed the difference between Silas and his Bonanza counterpart, Hop Sing? Both characters were somewhat stereotypical, though fairly realistic portrayals of nineteenth century servants, but Hop Sing was much more human, and funny, and seemed a genuine member of the cast, and of the Cartwright family. Silas, on the other hand, was strictly "Yes, Ma'am", No ma'am", "Yes Miss Audra", "No Mister Nick". He seemed like a slave, even though slavery was universally abolished in the USA before the 1870s, the time setting for the series. It's too bad the producers couldn't have found something more for him to do than just answer the door and set the table.

I believe it was episode #20, The Fear Merchants, in which a relative of Hop Sing, a nephew or something, was unjustly accused of murder, and a political candidate was whipping up hatred against the Chinese to garner votes. Hop Sing was a real character, like Peter in Bachelor Father. They were like members of the family, unlike Silas in The Big Valley.

It looks like you and I are the only ones who visit this site these days. It's like that on a lot of my favorite sites, including the above mentioned Bachelor Father.

When I first found TV Tome I thought it was a site especially for classic, or vintage, TV. I don't remember how I found it, and I didn't know they had a points system at the time.

On the night of the tragic bridge collapse in Minneapolis I visited The Mary Tyler Moore Show site and saw your posts there, and left a few of my own. Maybe I'll see you on another site for a classic program.