Way Too Much Bruce Dern and James Whitmore.......

Now before any Bruce Dern or James Whitmore fans get upset (lol), I have nothing personal against either actor. In fact, I've seen both in a lot of other shows / movies. What I didn't like - in relation to "The Big Valley" appearances, though, is that the two of them (and a couple other actors as well) would frequently guest star, hardly change their physical appearance, and presumably play different characters. Did the producers of the show not think the viewers would notice? I understand that in those days guest actors were under contract to be used over and over again, but it's so noticeable that it's a bit distracting. They could have, at the very least, done something to make these frequent guest stars LOOK different in different episodes. It's just too ridiculous to see the same actor playing the role of a Barkley family friend in one episode, and then suddenly become their worst enemy in another ............