She co-starred in the series with Ted Shackleford (Gary) and Michele Lee (Karen), and she rose to fame as one of the cast members. Despite being a Dallas spinoff, Knots Landing debuted on CBS years before the Ewings made their TV program debut.
Dallas was chosen as the vast, affluent family show the network initially desired. However, Knots Landing was a huge hit, and the studio recognized how popular Dallas had grown to be. After just one season, it entered the top 20 TV shows in terms of ratings.
Van Ark seemed to have been torn over whether or not to leave Knots Landing after 13 seasons. She ultimately decided to stop filming the show to pursue new opportunities. She felt safe and at ease continuing on the program, but she also understood that artists needed to challenge themselves and keep developing.
