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''Dallas'' is an American
prime time
Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
soap opera
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
that aired on CBS from April 2, 1978, to May 3, 1991. The series revolved around an affluent and feuding Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
family, the Ewings, who owned the independent oil company Ewing Oil and the cattle-ranching land of Southfork. The series originally focused on the marriage of Bobby Ewing
Bobby James Ewing is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' and its Dallas (2012 TV series), 2012 revival. The youngest son of Jock Ewing, Jock and Miss Ellie Ewing, he was portrayed by actor Patri ...
and Pam Ewing
Pamela Jean "Pam" Barnes Ewing is a fictional character from the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas''. Pamela is portrayed by actress Victoria Principal, first appearing on the show in the Dallas (1978 TV series) (season 1), ...
, whose families were sworn enemies. As the series progressed, Bobby's elder brother, oil tycoon J. R. Ewing, became the show's breakout character
A breakout character is a character (arts), character in Serial (literature), serial fiction, especially a member of an ensemble cast, who becomes much more prominent, popular, discussed, or imitated than expected by the creators. A breakout c ...
, whose schemes and dirty business became the show's trademark. When the show ended on May 3, 1991, J. R. was the only character to have appeared in every episode.
The show was prominent for its cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious situation, facing a difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction or bef ...
s, including the " Who shot J.R.?" mystery. The 1980 episode "Who Done It Who Done It? may refer to:
* Who Done It? (1942 film), ''Who Done It?'' (1942 film), an Abbott and Costello film
* Who Done It? (1949 film), ''Who Done It?'' (1949 film), a Three Stooges short
* Who Done It? (1956 film), ''Who Done It?'' (1956 film ...
" remains the second-highest-rated primetime telecast ever. The show also featured a "Dream Season", in which the entirety of season 9 was revealed to have been a dream
A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensation (psychology), sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around ...
of Pamela Ewing. After 14 seasons, the series finale
A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, ...
" Conundrum" aired in 1991.
The show had an ensemble cast
In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17
Structure
In contrast to the po ...
, with Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American actor, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera ''Dallas'', and the handsome astronaut Major Anthon ...
as a greedy, scheming oil tycoon J.R. Ewing, stage/screen actress Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American stage and screen Actor, actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost 5 decades. She was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in th ...
as family matriarch Miss Ellie and Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
movie actor Jim Davis as Ewing patriarch Jock, his last role before his death in 1981. The series won four Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
s, including a 1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Bel Geddes.
With its 357 episodes, ''Dallas'' remains one of the longest lasting full-hour prime time dramas in American TV history. ''Dallas'' also spawned a spin-off series, ''Knots Landing
''Knots Landing'' is an American primetime television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'', it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially cente ...
'', in 1979, which also lasted 14 seasons and a total of 344 episodes.
In 2007, ''Dallas'' was included in ''Time
Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine's list of "100 Best TV Shows of All-Time".
The series finale had a cliffhanger that was resolved in the first of two subsequent reunion films: '' Dallas: J.R. Returns''. The second, '' Dallas: War of the Ewings'', aired in 1998. This was followed by a retrospective special, '' Dallas Reunion: The Return to Southfork'', in 2004.
In 2010, TNT announced it had ordered a new, updated continuation of ''Dallas'', ignoring the events of the two reunion films. The revival series, continuing the story of the Ewing family, premiered on TNT on June 13, 2012, and ran for three seasons, ending its run on September 22, 2014.
Original premise
''Dallas'' debuted on April 2, 1978, as a five-partminiseries
In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
on CBS. Although the miniseries was created as the series' pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
, by the time it was aired, neither the producers nor the network were hopeful that it would continue beyond these five episodes and had no plans for expansion. It was shown in a late Sunday night time-slot, known for low ratings. However, the miniseries proved popular enough to be turned into a regular series and broadcast for 13 full seasons from September 23, 1978, to May 3, 1991. The five pilot episodes, originally considered a miniseries, are now referred to as season 1, making fourteen seasons in total.
The show is known for its portrayal of wealth, sex, intrigue, conflict and power struggles. Throughout the series, the main premise is the longtime rivalry between the Ewing and Barnes families, which came to a head when the Barnes daughter Pamela (Victoria Principal
Vicki Ree Principal (born January 3, 1950),Bobby (
The backstory was that, in the 1930s,
Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
), in the first episode. The series is largely set in Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, and fictional Braddock County, where the Southfork Ranch is located.
The backstory was that, in the 1930s, wildcatter
A wildcatter is an individual who drills wildcat wells, which are exploration oil wells drilled in areas not known to be oil fields. Notable wildcatters include Glenn McCarthy, Thomas Baker Slick Sr., Mike Benedum, Joe Trees, Clem S. Clark ...
John Ross "Jock" Ewing ( Jim Davis) had allegedly cheated his one-time partner, Willard "Digger" Barnes
Willard "Digger" Barnes is a character in the popular American television series ''Dallas'' created by David Jacobs. Digger was played by actors David Wayne and Keenan Wynn in the show's first three seasons from 1978 to 1980, and as a young man ...
( David Wayne/Keenan Wynn
Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his wikt:stock-in-trade, stock-in-trade; though he rarely carried the leading actor, lead role, h ...
), out of his share of their company Ewing Oil, and married Digger's only love, Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Southworth (Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American stage and screen Actor, actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost 5 decades. She was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in th ...
/ Donna Reed). In contrast to Jock, Miss Ellie came from a long line of ranchers with great love for the land and the cattle. Following their marriage, the Southworth family ranch, Southfork, became the Ewings' home, where Jock and Miss Ellie raised three sons: J.R. (Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American actor, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera ''Dallas'', and the handsome astronaut Major Anthon ...
), Gary (David Ackroyd
David Ackroyd (born May 30, 1940) is an American actor, who first came to prominence in soap operas such as ''The Secret Storm'' and ''Another World (TV series), Another World''.
Early life
On May 30, 1940, Ackroyd was born in East Orange, N ...
/ Ted Shackelford) and Bobby (Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
).
J.R., unscrupulous and unhappily married to former Miss Texas beauty queen Sue Ellen Shepard (Linda Gray
Linda Ann Gray (born September 12, 1940) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of Larry Hagman's character J.R. Ewing on the CBS television drama series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978â ...
), was frequently at odds with Bobby, who had the morals and integrity that J.R. lacked. Middle son Gary was Miss Ellie's favorite as he displayed Southworth traits; however, Gary had conflicted with both Jock and J.R. since childhood and was dismissed as a weak link. At 17, Gary secretly met and married 15-year-old waitress Valene Clements (Joan Van Ark
Joan Martha Van Ark (born June 16, 1943) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Valene Ewing on the primetime soap opera ''Knots Landing.'' A life member of The Actors Studio, she made her Broadway debut in 1966 in '' Barefo ...
), producing the first Ewing grandchild - petite and saucy Lucy
Lucy is an English language, English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings ar ...
(Charlene Tilton
Charlene L. Tilton (born December 1, 1958) is an American actress and singer. She is widely known for playing Lucy Ewing on the CBS prime time soap opera ''Dallas''.
Career
Tilton had early roles on television series such as ''Happy Days'' ...
) - before returning to Southfork to settle down. Although Jock warmed to Valene and supported Gary's fledgling family, J.R. pressured Gary into alcoholism
Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
by landing him with bad business deals that caused him to flee Southfork. With Gary gone, J.R. persecuted Valene until she left the ranch and the state, leaving Lucy to be raised by her grandparents.
During the first episodes of the series, teenage Lucy is seen sleeping with ranch foreman Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly
Steven Francis Kanaly (; born March 14, 1946) is an American actor, best known for his role as Ray Krebbs on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas''.
Early life and career
Kanaly was born in Burbank, California, and grew up ...
). Later, in season 4, Ray was revealed as Lucy's uncle, an illegitimate son of Jock's through an extramarital affair during World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Unhappy with his small, one-dimensional role, Kanaly had considered leaving the show; to add depth to the Ray character, Hagman suggested that the writers create a plot wherein Ray becomes half-brother to J.R., Gary, and Bobby, noting his resemblance to Davis. The episodes where Ray and his niece Lucy had a fling are, as Kanaly told Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, television personality, and the chart-topping female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during the ...
in an appearance on her show, "prayerfully forgotten, I hope".
Ray had previously engaged in a short fling with Pamela, but she fell deeply in love with Bobby, and the pilot episode begins with the two of them arriving at Southfork Ranch as newlyweds, shocking the entire family. J.R., who loathed the Barnes family, was not happy with Pam's living at Southfork, and constantly tried to undermine her marriage to Bobby. Meanwhile, Pam's brother Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff or rock face is an area of Rock (geology), rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. ...
( Ken Kercheval), who had inherited Digger's hatred towards the Ewings, shared J.R.'s objections to the marriage and continued his father's quest to get revenge.
Most of the seasons ended with ratings-grabbing cliffhangers, the most notable being the season 3 finale " A House Divided", which launched the landmark " Who shot J.R.?" storyline and was ranked No. 69 on ''TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media
In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
'' list of "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time". Other season finale cliffhangers include an unidentified female corpse in the Southfork swimming pool ( season 4); a blazing house fire ( season 6); Bobby's death ( season 8) and subsequent resurrection ( season 9); and J.R.'s apparent suicide ( season 14).
Cast and characters
Main cast
For the original five-episodes miniseries ( season 1) six actors received star billing:Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American stage and screen Actor, actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost 5 decades. She was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in th ...
as matriarch Miss Ellie Ewing
Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Ewing Farlow (maiden name Southworth) is a fictional character from the primetime CBS television series ''Dallas'', a long-running serial centered on the lives of the wealthy Ewing family of Dallas, Texas. Created by writer ...
, whose family were the original owners of Southfork; Jim Davis as her husband Jock Ewing, the founder of Ewing Oil and head of the Ewing family; Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
as their youngest son, Bobby; Victoria Principal
Vicki Ree Principal (born January 3, 1950),Pamela Barnes Ewing, the daughter of the rival Barnes family whom Bobby brings home as his wife in the pilot episode;
''
''
'' Wilmington Morning Star''; January 29, 1987"Hagman not happy that Victoria Principal is leaving 'Dallas'"
''
Sue Ellen left in the season 12 finale, moving to
''
''
''Los Angeles Times''; April 1, 1988 Although Katzman was to continue writing for the show during season 9 and also acted during this season as "creative consultant" (which meant he was sent copies of all scripts and asked to give his input), Capice decided to bring in a new production team: joining him and associate producer Cliff Fenneman were James H. Brown as producer and Peter Dunne as supervising producer/showrunner, executive story consultant Joel J. Feigenbaum, and story editors Hollace White and Stephanie Garman. However, increased production costs and the claim of decreased ratings (though the accuracy of this has been disputed) caused production company
Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American actor, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera ''Dallas'', and the handsome astronaut Major Anthon ...
as J.R. Ewing, the oldest son, who strongly objects to his new sister-in-law; and Charlene Tilton
Charlene L. Tilton (born December 1, 1958) is an American actress and singer. She is widely known for playing Lucy Ewing on the CBS prime time soap opera ''Dallas''.
Career
Tilton had early roles on television series such as ''Happy Days'' ...
as Lucy
Lucy is an English language, English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings ar ...
, Bobby's, J.R.'s and Ray's teenage niece, who adores Bobby and Ray but resents J.R. for disposing of her parents in order for her to be raised by "true Ewings".
Not receiving top billing during season 1, although appearing in the majority of the episodes, were Linda Gray
Linda Ann Gray (born September 12, 1940) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of Larry Hagman's character J.R. Ewing on the CBS television drama series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978â ...
as Sue Ellen, J.R.'s long-suffering, alcoholic wife; Steve Kanaly
Steven Francis Kanaly (; born March 14, 1946) is an American actor, best known for his role as Ray Krebbs on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas''.
Early life and career
Kanaly was born in Burbank, California, and grew up ...
as Pam's ex-boyfriend Ray Krebbs, a Southfork ranch hand who would later turn out to be Jock's illegitimate son; and Ken Kercheval as Pam's brother Cliff Barnes, J.R.'s archrival. Gray and Kanaly were promoted to the regular cast as of the first episode of season 2 and Kercheval as of the first episode of season 3. David Wayne received guest star billing as Willard "Digger" Barnes
Willard "Digger" Barnes is a character in the popular American television series ''Dallas'' created by David Jacobs. Digger was played by actors David Wayne and Keenan Wynn in the show's first three seasons from 1978 to 1980, and as a young man ...
.
Further on in the series, several new characters were added as the original actors departed the series:
For season 5, after guest starring since season 2, Susan Howard joined the main cast as Donna Culver Krebbs, politician and widow of a former Texas governor, who becomes Ray's first wife and mother to his daughter Margaret.
Season 8 saw Howard Keel
Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), professionally Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s, including ''Show Boat'' (195 ...
promoted to the star cast after appearing since season 4 as wealthy, occasionally hot-tempered rancher Clayton Farlow, Miss Ellie's husband following Jock's death, and of Priscilla Beaulieu Presley as Bobby's teenage sweetheart Jenna Wade, who gives birth to Bobby's only biological child, Lucas, and eventually becomes Ray's second wife. Jenna had previously been played by Morgan Fairchild for a season 2 episode, and Francine Tacker for two episodes in season 3 before the role was permanently taken over by Presley in season 7. Donna Reed also joined the main cast during season 8, temporarily portraying Miss Ellie until Barbara Bel Geddes returned in the following year.
Dack Rambo, portraying wandering cousin Jack Ewing, was promoted to regular status for season 10, after having appeared regularly since the end of season 8. However, he was written out of the show midway through the tenth season. Jack's sister Jamie Ewing ( Jenilee Harrison) appeared in season 8. Jack's ex-wife April Stevens Ewing, played by Sheree J. Wilson, first appeared during seasons 10 and 11, before being promoted to a main character for season 12. Originally a scheming character, April eventually became Bobby's second wife after his divorce from Pam.
Season 13 saw several additions to the main cast: Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
winner George Kennedy
George Harris Kennedy Jr. (February 18, 1925 – February 28, 2016) was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 film and television productions. He played "Dragline" in ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), winning the Academy Award for Best Supp ...
as Carter McKay, who buys Ray's ranch and eventually becomes the head of Ewing Oil rival WestStar; Cathy Podewell as the young and naïve Cally Harper Ewing, J.R.'s second wife, whom he married to escape false rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...
charges; Sasha Mitchell as J.R.'s illegitimate firstborn son, James Beaumont; Kimberly Foster as April's devious sister Michelle Stevens, who marries both James and Cliff Barnes; and finally Lesley-Anne Down
Lesley-Anne Down (born 17 March 1954) is a British actress and singer. She made her motion picture debut in the 1969 drama film '' The Smashing Bird I Used to Know'' and later appeared in films ''Assault'' (1971), '' Countess Dracula'' (1971) a ...
as PR woman Stephanie Rogers. While Kennedy and Podewell had appeared regularly throughout season 12, Mitchell, Foster and Down's characters were all new to the series when they joined the regular cast.
Finally, for the 14th and final season, after guest starring in the last episodes of season 13, Barbara Stock
Barbara Stock (born May 26, 1956)Benjamin, Ruth (2006). Who Sang What on Broadway, 1866-1996: The singers (L-Z)'. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 718. . is an American former actress, best known for roles as Susan Silverman in ABC cr ...
joined the cast as Cliff's fiancée Liz Adams
Elizabeth "Liz" Adams is a fictional character that appeared in the later seasons of the popular American television series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'', played by actress Barbara Stock from 1990 to 1991. She first appeared in the season 13 epis ...
.
Supporting cast
During its 14-year run, ''Dallas'' saw several actors appearing in supporting roles. The most notable include: * David Wayne (seasons 1–2) andKeenan Wynn
Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his wikt:stock-in-trade, stock-in-trade; though he rarely carried the leading actor, lead role, h ...
(season 3) as Willard "Digger" Barnes
Willard "Digger" Barnes is a character in the popular American television series ''Dallas'' created by David Jacobs. Digger was played by actors David Wayne and Keenan Wynn in the show's first three seasons from 1978 to 1980, and as a young man ...
, alcoholic wildcatter father of Cliff, legal father of Pam and sworn enemy of Jock;
* Colleen Camp (season 2) and Mary Crosby (seasons 3–4 and 14) as Sue Ellen's scheming sister Kristin Shepard, who has an affair with J.R. and is revealed to be the one who shot him in the " Who shot J.R.?" storyline;
* Jared Martin (seasons 3–6, 8–9, and 14) as Sue Ellen's cowboy lover and Clayton's adoptive son, Steven "Dusty" Farlow;
* William Smithers (seasons 4–5 and 8–12) as Jeremy Wendell, villainous WestStar Oil frontman who tries to conquer Ewing Oil;
* Leigh McCloskey (seasons 4–5, 8 and 12) as medical student Mitch Cooper, Lucy's on-off husband;
* Audrey Landers
Audrey Landers (born July 18, 1956) is an American actress and singer, best known for her role as Afton Cooper on the television series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' and her role as Val Clarke in the film version of ''A Chorus Line (film), A Ch ...
(seasons 4–8 and 12–13) as Mitch's sister Afton Cooper, an aspiring singer and Cliff's longtime girlfriend;
* Priscilla Pointer (seasons 4–6) as Rebecca Barnes Wentworth, Pam and Cliff's estranged mother;
* Morgan Brittany (seasons 5–8 and 11) as Rebecca's daughter Katherine Wentworth, Pam and Cliff's psychotic half-sister who falls madly in love with Bobby;
* John Beck (seasons 6–7 and 9) as Mark Graison, Pam's lover and eventual fiancé after her first divorce from Bobby;
* Miss USA
Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020. ...
winner Deborah Shelton (seasons 8–10) as model Mandy Winger, girlfriend of Cliff Barnes; longtime mistress of J.R.;
* Jenilee Harrison (seasons 8–10) as Jamie Ewing Barnes, Jack's sister who eventually enters into an ill-fated marriage with Cliff Barnes;
* Andrew Stevens
Andrew Stevens (born Herman Andrew Stephens; June 10, 1955) is an American executive, film producer, director and actor.
Early life
Stevens was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the only child of actress Stella Stevens and her former husband Noble ...
(seasons 11–12) as Casey Denault, a young hustler who works for J.R., romancing Lucy and April in order to get to their money:
* Leigh Taylor-Young (seasons 11–12) as Kimberley Cryder, the wife of a WestStar oil executive that J.R. romances to further his business empire;
* Ian McShane
Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor. His television performances include the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and its 2019 film continuation, and M ...
(season 12) as Don Lockwood, an English film producer who becomes Sue Ellen's second husband;
* Gayle Hunnicutt (seasons 12–14) as Vanessa Beaumont, mother of James and J.R.'s sweetheart, later temporarily his fiancé.
Longtime child characters include J.R. and Sue Ellen's son John Ross Ewing III (portrayed for seasons 4–6 by Tyler Banks, and for seasons 7–14 by Omri Katz); Bobby and Pam's adopted son Christopher Ewing
Christopher Ewing is a fictional character from the American prime time drama series ''Dallas'' and the continuation series. The character was first written into the series in the episode " Starting Over", which first aired on December 11, 1981. ...
(portrayed by Eric Farlow for seasons 6–8, and by Joshua Harris for seasons 9–14), and Jenna's daughter Charlotte "Charlie" Wade ( Shalane McCall, seasons 7–11, also played by Laurie Lynn Myers for a season 2 episode).
Among the most frequently appearing business associates of the Ewing family are oil cartel members Jordan Lee ( Don Starr, seasons 2–14), Marilee Stone ( Fern Fitzgerald, seasons 2–13) and Andy Bradley ( Paul Sorensen, seasons 2–10); Jock's good friend Marvin "Punk" Anderson ( Morgan Woodward, seasons 4–11) and his wife Mavis (Alice Hirson
Alice Corinne Hirson (née Thorsell; March 10, 1929 – February 14, 2025) was an American actress best known for her roles on television. She began her career on stage, before roles on daytime soap operas. She was best known for her roles as Mav ...
, seasons 6–7 and 10–11); and shady investment banker Vaughn Leland ( Dennis Patrick, seasons 3, 5, and 7–8). Other longtime Ewing acquaintances include Dallas PD detective Harry McSween, serving as J.R.'s source within police force (James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
, seasons 2–12); family attorney Harv Smithfield ( George O. Petrie, seasons 3–14); and Donna's stepson, U.S. Senator Dave Culver ( Tom Fuccello, seasons 3–6, 8, 10–11, and 13–14).
Also appearing in many episodes are several background characters, including Bobby's secretaries Connie Brasher (portrayed by Donna Bullock in season 1, Ann Ford and Nancy Bleier in season 2, and Jeanna Michaels in seasons 2–4) and Phyllis Wapner ( Deborah Tranelli, seasons 4–14); J.R.'s secretaries Louella Caraway Lee ( Meg Gallagher, seasons 2–4) and Sly Lovegren ( Deborah Rennard, seasons 5–14); Cliff's secretary Jackie Dugan ( Sherril Lynn Rettino, seasons 2–5 and 7–14); Ewing Oil receptionist Kendall Chapman (Danone Simpson, seasons 6–14); Southfork maid Teresa (Roseanna Christiansen, seasons 6–14); and Oil Baron's Club staff Dora Mae (Pat Colbert, seasons 7–14), Cassie (Anne C. Lucas, seasons 5–10), and Debbie (Deborah Marie Taylor, seasons 11–14). Widely known supporting actor Tina Louise played J.R.'s secretary, Julie Grey, during the first two seasons before her character was killed off.
Main cast departures
By the end of the series, only three of the series' original characters (J.R., Bobby, and Cliff) were left in Dallas, the others having either died or left town. Jock Ewing was the first main character to depart the series, as Jock died offscreen in a mysterious helicopter crash in South America, during season 5. Actor Jim Davis, who played Jock, had died just after production had completed on season 4 in 1981. Bobby Ewing's death in the season 8 finale, alongside his subsequent absence during the following season, was explained away at the beginning of season 10 as having been dreamed by Pamela, thus erasing everything that had happened during season 9. Patrick Duffy had left the series to pursue other opportunities, but due to declining ratings, he was convinced to return to the series by production companyLorimar Lorimar may refer to:
* Lorimar Television, previously Lorimar Productions and later Lorimar Distribution, an American film and television production and marketing company from 1969 to 1986
* Lorimar-Telepictures, formed in 1986 after the merger of ...
as well as by series star Larry Hagman.
Jack Ewing left Dallas to continue his travels and get away from J.R., midway through season 10, and returned a final time for two episodes towards the end of the season. While there has been no official reason as to why actor Dack Rambo was written out of ''Dallas'', Rambo himself later stated that he believed the reasons to be his bisexuality or his conflicts with Larry Hagman, which Rambo said had particularly intensified during his last season on the show (season 10). Before ''Dallas'', Rambo and Hagman had worked together on ''Sword of Justice
A sword of justice is a ceremonial sword that is used to signify a monarch's supreme judicial power. In some cases, this may have been an executioner's sword that was no longer used for executions, becoming instead a ceremonial one.
The Crown ...
'' in the late 1970s."Actors Pay Price Of Aids Stigma"''
Orlando Sentinel
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company.
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...
''; November 27, 1991Lipton, Michael A. "Dack Rambo's Brave New World"''
Orlando Sentinel
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company.
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...
''; November 27, 1991 Hagman later denied any involvement in Rambo's dismissal from ''Dallas''.
Pamela was severely burned after driving a car into an oil tanker, which then exploded into flames, in the season 10 finale in 1987. During season 11, Pam disappeared after her half-sister Katherine was seen around the hospital, with Pam seemingly leaving Bobby and Christopher due to her unwillingness to let them see her in such a physically disfigured fashion. While Victoria Principal never returned to ''Dallas'' again after the season 10 finale, Margaret Michaels, a Principal look-alike, played Pam in the opening episode of season 12. Having undergone plastic surgery which explained the difference in her appearance, it was revealed that Pam was dying of a disease, though only she and her doctor knew about this. After this episode, Pam is never seen again. Unable to reach a salary agreement and having a desire to start her own business, it was Principal's own decision not to return to the show after the season 10 finale."Victoria Principal leaving 'Dallas'"'' Wilmington Morning Star''; January 29, 1987"Hagman not happy that Victoria Principal is leaving 'Dallas'"
''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. ...
''; January 30, 1987
Budget cuts also meant other long term cast members were let go. In addition to Pamela's departure, Ray and Donna divorced at the end of season 10. Donna moving to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, where she later married Senator Andrew Dowling (guest star Jim McMullan
James P. McMullan (October 13, 1936 – May 31, 2019) was an American actor from Long Island, New York, best known for his role as Dr. Terry McDaniel on the 1960s series ''Ben Casey'' and as Senator Andrew Dowling on the CBS primetime soap ope ...
), with whom she raised Ray's daughter Margaret. Actress Susan Howard stated in 1987 that the producers had told her that her character had run its course. As season 11 ended, Ray sold his ranch to Carter McKay and left Dallas for Switzerland with Jenna and Lucas, Charlie having already moved there to attend a finishing school
A finishing school focuses on teaching young women social graces and upper-class cultural rites as a preparation for entry into society. The name reflects the fact that it follows ordinary school and is intended to complete a young woman's ...
. Ray returned for five episodes in the early period of season 12.
Lucy Ewing, who had left with husband Mitch at the end of season 8, returned to Southfork in the final episodes of season 11, only to leave again two years later for Europe. On both occasions, Charlene Tilton
Charlene L. Tilton (born December 1, 1958) is an American actress and singer. She is widely known for playing Lucy Ewing on the CBS prime time soap opera ''Dallas''.
Career
Tilton had early roles on television series such as ''Happy Days'' ...
's axing was a decision made by the creative team, who had difficulties creating storylines for her.Ultimate Dallas: Actor TriviaSue Ellen left in the season 12 finale, moving to
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
with her new husband, film director Don Lockwood (guest star Ian McShane
Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor. His television performances include the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and its 2019 film continuation, and M ...
). While Linda Gray was let go by the same budget cuts that ended Steve Kanaly's run on the show, Sue Ellen's exit has since been described by Gray as a mutual decision by her and Leonard Katzman
Leonard Katzman (September 2, 1927 – September 5, 1996) was an American film and television producer, writer, and director. He was most notable for being the showrunner of the CBS prime time oil soap opera ''Dallas''.
Early life and career
...
, agreeing that the character "had come more than full circle".
Stephanie Rogers was let go as Cliff's PR representative at the end of season 13, making actress Lesley-Anne Down
Lesley-Anne Down (born 17 March 1954) is a British actress and singer. She made her motion picture debut in the 1969 drama film '' The Smashing Bird I Used to Know'' and later appeared in films ''Assault'' (1971), '' Countess Dracula'' (1971) a ...
the most short-lived member of the regular cast, appearing in 8 episodes and being on the opening title sequence in 13 episodes.
Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American stage and screen Actor, actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost 5 decades. She was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in th ...
had quadruple heart bypass surgery on March 15, 1983, just days after finishing her last scenes on season 6. Bel Geddes then missed the first 11 episodes of season 7, as she had a period of rest and recuperation following the surgery. After the season 7 finale, Bel Geddes left ''Dallas'' entirely after disagreements over her workload and salary in the period following her heart surgery. The role of Miss Ellie was then recast with Donna Reed for season 8, with Reed signing a 3-year contract."21 As Dallas's New Miss Ellie, Donna Reed Trades the Kitchen for a Home on the Range"''
People
The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
''; November 19, 1984. Bel Geddes was asked to return for the start of season 9, a request to which Bel Geddes agreed, resulting in a high-profile public relations debacle that left Reed infuriated and in litigation with the series producers, who eventually made Reed a $1 million out-of-court settlement. Reed died unexpectedly of pancreatic cancer a few months later, in January 1986.Times Wire Services: "Donna Reed, 64, Dies of Cancer at Her Home"''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
''; January 14, 1986 Miss Ellie remained on the show until near the end of season 13, when she and Clayton left Dallas, deciding to travel around Far East Asia before eventually settling in Europe near Ray and Jenna. Following her exit from ''Dallas'' in 1990, Bel Geddes retired from acting.
When the 14th and final season of the series commenced, ten actors received regular cast status. Although half of them left the show prior to the series finale, all of them remained billed in the series' opening sequence throughout the year. Clayton Farlow made four appearances, clearing up business that included deeding Southfork to Bobby; April Stevens Ewing died early on in the season, kidnapped on her honeymoon by Hillary Taylor (guest star Susan Lucci); Cally Harper Ewing left midway through the season to build a new life, with a new boyfriend and her and J.R.'s newborn son; Liz Adams broke her engagement to Cliff and left near the end of the season, and James Beaumont left the show a couple of episodes prior to the series finale, to start a new life on the east coast with his newly discovered toddler son Jimmy, and Jimmy's mother Debra Lynn (guest star Deborah Tucker).
As the series concluded, Carter McKay stayed put at WestStar, as powerful as ever; Michelle Stevens was left heartbroken and humiliated, alone in the ranch she had bought from McKay hoping to live there with James; Cliff Barnes was once and for all the sole owner of Ewing Oil, and Bobby Ewing, now owner of Southfork, was finally able to find closure after April's death. J.R., however, having lost both Ewing Oil and Southfork, as well as being abandoned by his sons, was at the end of his rope; the series ended with the unanswered question whether or not he killed himself.
Production
Seasons 1–8
The 1956 film ''Giant
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''wiktionary:gigas, gigas'', cognate wiktionary:giga-, giga-) are beings of humanoid appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''gia ...
'' is considered to be the inspiration for ''Dallas''. Both productions focus on the struggle between wealthy oilmen and cattlemen in Texas, in the mid to late 20th century. In addition, both productions have a lead character prominently referred to as "J.R."
Series creator David Jacobs's partner Michael Filerman suggested ''Dallas'' as the name for the show. Jacobs knew nothing about the city other than the Kennedy assassination and the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
; only after visiting the state to prepare for filming did he realize that the show should be called ''Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
'' as the petroleum industry is much more important there, while Dallas has banking and insurance. He wrote the first and the final episode of the original five-part miniseries ( season 1), with the other three episodes being written by Arthur Bernard Lewis, Camille Marchetta and Virginia Aldrige. While Aldrige did not return to the series again and Marchetta left during season 4, Lewis grew to be one of ''Dallas's'' most influential writers.
Leonard Katzman
Leonard Katzman (September 2, 1927 – September 5, 1996) was an American film and television producer, writer, and director. He was most notable for being the showrunner of the CBS prime time oil soap opera ''Dallas''.
Early life and career
...
had been a part of season 1 as producer, and during season 2 his influence increased, as he began writing and directing episodes. Series creator David Jacobs left his day-to-day duties as executive story consultant at the end of season 2, in order to focus on the production of spin-off ''Knots Landing
''Knots Landing'' is an American primetime television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'', it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially cente ...
''. The executive producers of ''Dallas'' in the first 3 seasons were Philip Capice
Philip Capice (June 24, 1931 – December 30, 2009) was an American television producer, most notable as the executive producer of the dramedy '' Eight Is Enough'' and the first nine seasons of the soap opera ''Dallas''.
Early life
Capice graduat ...
and Lee Rich
Lee Rich (December 19, 1918 – May 24, 2012) was an American film and television producer, who won the 1973 Outstanding Drama Series Emmy award for ''The Waltons'' as the producer. He is also known as the co-founder and former chairman of ...
. During the first 8 seasons of the show, ''Dallas''s production team remained basically intact (the main exception being Rich's leaving after season 3). After Lee Rich's departure, Philip Capice served as the sole executive producer, Leonard Katzman as producer and showrunner, Cliff Fenneman as associate producer, and Arthur Bernard Lewis as executive story editor/supervising producer. And, although 25 writers contributed with scripts, the trio of Katzman, Lewis and David Paulsen wrote nearly two-thirds of the episodes during these first eight seasons. Paulsen had joined the show during the season 4 and was promoted to story editor
Story editor is a job title in motion picture and television production, also sometimes called supervising producer. The responsibilities of the story editor vary depending on the production; this article describes the duties the role most commo ...
for season 6. Notably, the three of them wrote every episode but two during seasons 7 and 8.
Season 9
Creative conflicts between executive producer Philip Capice and producer Leonard Katzman led to Katzman leaving the show at the end of season 8.Haithman, Diane. "The Baron of 'Dallas': Producer Reminisces on 10th Anniversary"''Los Angeles Times''; April 1, 1988 Although Katzman was to continue writing for the show during season 9 and also acted during this season as "creative consultant" (which meant he was sent copies of all scripts and asked to give his input), Capice decided to bring in a new production team: joining him and associate producer Cliff Fenneman were James H. Brown as producer and Peter Dunne as supervising producer/showrunner, executive story consultant Joel J. Feigenbaum, and story editors Hollace White and Stephanie Garman. However, increased production costs and the claim of decreased ratings (though the accuracy of this has been disputed) caused production company
Lorimar Lorimar may refer to:
* Lorimar Television, previously Lorimar Productions and later Lorimar Distribution, an American film and television production and marketing company from 1969 to 1986
* Lorimar-Telepictures, formed in 1986 after the merger of ...
to persuade both Patrick Duffy and Leonard Katzman to return. As season 9 came to a close, Katzman was on board to return as showrunner for the following season and the season finale saw Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
inexplicably resurface on screen.
Season 10
As of the season 10 premiere, there was another major overhaul of the crew, with Leonard Katzman not only returning to the production side of the show but also getting promoted to executive producer, reportedly on the condition that he would get "total authority" of the show, while Philip Capice and most of the season 9 staff left the production. Alongside Katzman, David Paulsen was brought back as the show's new producer, while the position as supervising producer was offered to newcomer Calvin Clements Jr. and Cliff Fenneman remained associate producer. A new writing staff was hired to work alongside the producers, including Katzman's son Mitchell Wayne Katzman as story editor and Leah Markus as story consultant. Markus left after two years, while the others remained until the show's end. Scriptwise,Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
's return was explained by having the entire season 9 being a dream of Victoria Principal
Vicki Ree Principal (born January 3, 1950),Pam, effectively sweeping away the events occurring during the period in which Katzman's involvement with the show had been minimized.
Even the cast were affected by the production and political struggles. While
Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American actor, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera ''Dallas'', and the handsome astronaut Major Anthon ...
( J.R.) reportedly supported Katzman, and had played a great part in bringing Duffy back, Susan Howard ( Donna), who also had written the script for one of the season 9 episodes, had sided with Philip Capice, and was opposed to the idea of annulling the events of season 9. While she returned to write another episode for season 10, she left the show, both as a writer and as a cast member, at the end of the season.
Seasons 11–14
During the final four years of the show, Leonard Katzman remained showrunner, with series starLarry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American actor, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera ''Dallas'', and the handsome astronaut Major Anthon ...
joining him as executive producer (beginning with season 12) and Ken Horton as co-executive producer (as of season 13).
Supervising producer Calvin Clements Jr. left the show after season 10, and was replaced for seasons 11 and 12 by the returning Arthur Bernard Lewis, who remained a writer on the show until its end. Lewis was thus reuniting with Leonard Katzman and David Paulsen. However, Paulsen left ''Dallas'' at the end of the 11th season (to join rival soap '' Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others.
H ...
''), and was replaced as the show's producer first by Howard Lakin for season 12, and then by longtime associate producer Cliff Fenneman for the final two years. Lakin spent seasons 13 and 14 as supervising producer.
Mitchell Wayne Katzman was promoted to co-producer as of season 12, while Frank Katzman (the other son of Leonard Katzman) and John Rettino (Leonard Katzman's son-in-law), served as associate producers during seasons 13 and 14. Additionally, Katzman's PA Louella Lee Caraway was credited as executive coordinator for the final three seasons. The final major addition to the staff was Lisa Seidman, who joined the show as executive story consultant for the final two seasons.
Filming locations
The pilot season was shot entirely on location inDallas, Texas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, and at the Cloyce Box Ranch in Frisco, Texas
Frisco is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Collin County, Texas, Collin and Denton County, Texas, Denton counties. It is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex (DFW) and about from both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth In ...
. Later, most interiors for the show were shot at the MGM Studios
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American film and television production and distribution company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. Metro ...
in Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. It is mostly surrounded by Los Angeles, but also shares a border with the unincorporated area of Ladera Heights, Californi ...
(which was purchased outright by Lorimar Lorimar may refer to:
* Lorimar Television, previously Lorimar Productions and later Lorimar Distribution, an American film and television production and marketing company from 1969 to 1986
* Lorimar-Telepictures, formed in 1986 after the merger of ...
in 1986), with some exteriors being shot at the Southfork Ranch
Southfork Ranch is a conference and event center in Parker, in the US state of Texas, north of Dallas. It includes the Ewing Mansion, the setting for the television series ''Dallas''. A variety of tours are offered to the location.
History
Th ...
in Parker, Texas
Parker is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,462 in 2020.
History
The first settlers arrived in the area that is now Parker in the early 1840s. The town was named after William C. Parker, the son of the area's f ...
, and other sections of Dallas. For season 13, rising production costs led to all filming being relocated to California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. Typically the cast and crew would spend six to eight weeks filming on-location sequences in the Dallas area during the summer prior to the season, then film the remainder of the season in the Los Angeles area; fewer than half of the episodes in a given season had on-location sequences filmed in Dallas. MGM built a full-size replica of the Southfork Ranch backyard and pool on one of its soundstages, allowing for filming of "location" shots during the latter part of the season.
Directors
Leonard Katzman
Leonard Katzman (September 2, 1927 – September 5, 1996) was an American film and television producer, writer, and director. He was most notable for being the showrunner of the CBS prime time oil soap opera ''Dallas''.
Early life and career
...
is the most prominent director on the show, having directed episodes of every season except seasons 1, 9 and 12. Next to Katzman, Michael Preece
Michael Preece (September 15, 1936 – February 27, 2025) was an American film and television director, script supervisor, producer, and actor best known for directing the television series ''Dallas'' and ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' and the films '' ...
, is responsible for having directed the most ''Dallas'' episodes, having joined the show during season 4 and remaining until the end. Of the two directors attached to the original miniseries, Robert Day did not return for subsequent seasons, while Irving J. Moore remained on the show until season 5, and then returned for the final three.
Five of the series' stars also directed episodes: Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American actor, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera ''Dallas'', and the handsome astronaut Major Anthon ...
( seasons 3- 14), Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
( seasons 4- 8 and 10- 14), Linda Gray
Linda Ann Gray (born September 12, 1940) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of Larry Hagman's character J.R. Ewing on the CBS television drama series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978â ...
( seasons 9- 12), Steve Kanaly
Steven Francis Kanaly (; born March 14, 1946) is an American actor, best known for his role as Ray Krebbs on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas''.
Early life and career
Kanaly was born in Burbank, California, and grew up ...
( seasons 10- 12) and Ken Kercheval ( seasons 13- 14).
Episodes
Ratings
''Dallas'' originally aired on Saturday nights when it debuted as a regular series. Within a month, the show was moved to Sunday nights, where it stayed until halfway through the season, when it took a Friday-night slot. ''Dallas'' remained on Fridays until the show ended in 1991, alternating between 9p.m. and 10p.m. airings. The "Who Done It Who Done It? may refer to:
* Who Done It? (1942 film), ''Who Done It?'' (1942 film), an Abbott and Costello film
* Who Done It? (1949 film), ''Who Done It?'' (1949 film), a Three Stooges short
* Who Done It? (1956 film), ''Who Done It?'' (1956 film ...
" episode of ''Dallas'' that revealed who shot J.R.?, the famous 1980 cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious situation, facing a difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction or bef ...
, received the highest domestic ratings at that point with over 90 million American viewers (representing more than 53% of the U.S. households and 76% of the American television audience for November 21, 1980) tuning in for the answer. The episode surpassed the ratings record of the final episode of '' The Fugitive'', broadcast in August 1967, but the record of ''Dallas'' was broken only by the last episode of ''M*A*S*H'' in 1983, falling into the second internationally most watched American television episode, with nearly 360 million viewers in over 57 countries worldwide (by the year 1980) tuning in to see who shot J.R.
Although the soap's audience had consistently declined since the "Who Done It" episode of 1980, the series finale
A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, ...
of ''Dallas'', " Conundrum", garnered 33 million viewers and a 22 household rating from 9 to 11pm on May 3, 1991, becoming the country's 14th most watched television series finale. Its competition, ''Manhunter'' (on NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
), only drew a 9.8 rating.
Films/specials
Date / title / network / household rating / share / viewers / time * November 15, 1996 / '' Dallas: J.R. Returns'' / CBS / 13.4 / 23 / 18.1 / 9–11pm (lead-in ''The Lion's Pride'' drew a 6.3 rating) * April 24, 1998 / '' Dallas: War of the Ewings'' / CBS / 7.8 / 14 (lead-in '' Candid Camera'' drew a 6.8 rating) * November 7, 2004 / '' Dallas Reunion: The Return to Southfork'' / CBS / 8.5 / 14 / 12.7 / 9:30–11:30pmBroadcast history
CBS
* April 2–30, 1978: Sundays, 10:00pm ( ET/ PT)/9:00pm ( CT/ MT) * September 23 – October 14, 1978: Saturdays, 10:00/9:00pm * October 15, 1978 – January 14, 1979: Sundays, 10:00/9:00pm * January 26, 1979 – November 27, 1981: Fridays, 10:00/9:00pm * December 4, 1981 – March 16, 1990: Fridays, 9:00/8:00pm * March 30 – December 21, 1990: Fridays, 10:00/9:00pm * January 4 – May 3, 1991: Fridays, 9:00/8:00pmSyndication
Beginning in fall 1984, ''Dallas'' was packaged for off-network syndication by Lorimar to local stations; among the stations to purchase the program initially was the Dallas-Fort Worth ABC affiliate, WFAA-TV. Only the first 222 episodes (seasons 1 through 9) were part of the syndication package. However, ''Dallas'' did not achieve the same type of rating success in local markets as it did during its CBS primetime run. During the 1990s, the show aired briefly on TNT (from September 1992 to August 1993, again the first nine seasons only), followed by a run on TNN beginning in the fall of 1996 (the first network to air all 357 episodes of the original series, but the episodes were heavily edited for time), and from 2003 to 2008 the entire run aired on the all-soaps cable network, SoapNet, uncut and unedited, as it was originally broadcast. On January 1, 2011, CMT aired the show for one day, and prior to the premiere of the 2012 sequel, select episodes were shown on CMT and its website. In 1981,Mediaset
Mediaset S.p.A. is an Italian mass media and television production and distribution company that is the largest commercial broadcaster in the country. The company is controlled by the holding company MFE – MediaForEurope (the original ...
, Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi ( ; ; 29 September 193612 June 2023) was an Italian Media proprietor, media tycoon and politician who served as the prime minister of Italy in three governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. He was a mem ...
's Italian media conglomerate, translated and serialized ''Dallas'' on Italian primetime, where it became popular throughout Italy.
The series aired in Japan on TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as , and better known as , is a Japanese television station serving the Kanto region as the flagship station of the All-Nippon News Network. It is owned-and-operated by the a subsidiary of , itself controlled by ...
, but as of early 1982, its ratings were low and the series moved to a later timeslot (11pm on Thursdays, previously at 10pm).
Broadcasts in the United Kingdom
In the UK, the rights to show ''Dallas'' had been bought by theBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
and quickly became a ratings winner, drawing audiences of over 20 million. However, in 1985 the corporation refused to pay $60,000 per-episode asking price for the next (ninth) series. Whilst negotiating with the distributor to acquire the next season, their commercial rival, the ITV franchise holder Thames Television
Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992.
Thames Television broa ...
unexpectedly stepped in and met the price. The BBC reacted angrily to this development, pulling the current series mid-run, and threatening to broadcast the remaining episodes simultaneously with Thames Television's intended scheduling in November of that year. It caused a furore in the press and a question on the matter was even asked at Westminster in Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
. The BBC relented, and re-commenced their broadcasts of the current series on the 27th March Ultimately, numerous other ITV franchises in particular Granada Television
ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend TV, ...
and Yorkshire Television
ITV Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire Television and commonly referred to as just YTV, is the British television service provided by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV (TV network), ITV network. Until 19 ...
were not happy with the deal, and thus complained to the regulatory Independent Broadcasting Authority
The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) was the regulatory body in the United Kingdom for commercial television ( ITV and Channel 4 and limited satellite television regulation – cable television was the responsibility of the Cable Author ...
. After a few months pressure from the IBA and other ITV franchise holders resulted in Thames Television backing down on their plans, and sold season nine back to the BBC, at a loss. Which took until January 1986 to be resolved. ''Dallas'' continued to be broadcast on the BBC, being shown on BBC1 until the end of the series run until 1991.
Cliffhangers
''Dallas'' is notable for itscliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious situation, facing a difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction or bef ...
s. Throughout the series' run, every season ended with some sort of cliffhanging ending designed to drive ratings up for the season premiere later in the year.
* Pilot Season/Season 1 cliffhanger: Although this really was not a cliffhanger, the end of the fifth episode of the original ''Dallas'' miniseries saw J.R. (Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American actor, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera ''Dallas'', and the handsome astronaut Major Anthon ...
) go up to the loft of the barn to talk to Pam (Victoria Principal
Vicki Ree Principal (born January 3, 1950),Digger ( David Wayne) had fallen off the wagon at the Ewing barbecue. J.R., intoxicated, tries to convince her to tell Bobby (
Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
) not to leave the ranch. However, she does not want to be bothered, and, in trying to escape J.R., she falls from the loft, landing square on her stomach. Pam, who is pregnant, miscarries her unborn child. Later, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray
Linda Ann Gray (born September 12, 1940) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of Larry Hagman's character J.R. Ewing on the CBS television drama series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978â ...
) questions J.R. as to whether it was really an accident or did he mean for Pam to fall on purpose. J.R. says, "I did not." When Sue Ellen asks J.R. if he cares that Pam lost the baby, J.R. does not answer her, leaving it up to the viewer to decide.
* Season 2 cliffhanger: Sue Ellen's drinking problem has landed her in a sanitarium, where she is pregnant with a child she believes is Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff or rock face is an area of Rock (geology), rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. ...
's ( Ken Kercheval). She escapes from the sanitarium, gets drunk, and then gets into a severe car accident, putting her life and the baby's life in danger. The doctors deliver the baby, named John Ross Ewing III, but he is very small on delivery and is not out of the woods yet; nor is Sue Ellen, who, as the episode ends, is clinging to life. A distraught J.R. is watching his wife at the end of the episode in tears, saying that she has "just gotta live".
* Season 3 cliffhanger: J.R. has made so many people in Texas hate him with a passion: men he has cheated in business, women he has cheated in relationships, family members he has angered, and a Marilee Stone ( Fern Fitzgerald), whose husband committed suicide after a particularly disastrous business deal. After all this, somebody waits outside J.R.'s Ewing Oil office late at night, and when J.R. hears a noise, asks who it is and walks to the door, somebody shoots him twice in the abdomen. The cliffhanger to this episode leads to the now-famous " Who shot J.R.?" debates and speculation, and also speculation as to whether J.R. would actually survive the shooting or be killed off.
* Season 4 cliffhanger: Sue Ellen tries to sneak her son John Ross off Southfork, but is caught by J.R., who banishes her from the ranch. Pam later intercedes, taking John Ross to his mother while J.R. is away—throwing J.R. into a rage. Kristin ( Mary Crosby) returns demanding more money from J.R., who tells her it is not too late to prosecute her for shooting him. While heading to a late-night business meeting with Bobby, Cliff finds a brunette woman's body floating in the Southfork pool. He jumps into the pool to see who it is, and when he looks back up, J.R. is standing on the balcony over the pool. Believing J.R. is responsible, Cliff says to his rival, "She's dead. You bastard." The face of the body was not shown, leading to speculation over whether it was Sue Ellen, Pam, Kristin or someone else. This was the show's highest-rated season-ending episode.
* Season 5 cliffhanger: Earlier in the season, Cliff had J.R. facing a financial mess, when J.R.'s plan to blackmail the Farlows into handing over John Ross, by stockpiling 5 million barrels of the Farlows' crude oil, backfired on J.R., when the market price of crude oil started to plummet. In order to stockpile the Farlows' crude oil, J.R. had taken out a $200,000,000 loan and used $50,000,000 worth of Ewing Oil assets as collateral. Cliff, along with Jordan Lee ( Don Starr), Andy Bradley ( Paul Sorensen) and Wade Luce (Robert Ackerman), then worked with Vaughn Leland ( Dennis Patrick) in order to buy into the notes owed by J.R., and they planned to foreclose. With Cliff seemingly putting one over on J.R., Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American stage and screen Actor, actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost 5 decades. She was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in th ...
) bailed Ewing Oil out of this mess by agreeing to a deal with Clayton (Howard Keel
Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), professionally Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s, including ''Show Boat'' (195 ...
) that Clayton would pay the price that he would have paid at the time that the oil was stockpiled. By the season's end, J.R. and Cliff's situations had turned sharply in the opposite direction, as Sue Ellen, with whom Cliff had had an off-and-on relationship, decided to return to J.R., planning to marry him again. In addition, J.R. had set a trap for Cliff by making sure that a fake geological report would convince Cliff to invest millions of dollars in buying property on supposedly oil rich land which was actually bone dry. Cliff was then fired by his mother Rebecca Barnes Wentworth ( Priscilla Pointer) from running Wentworth Tool & Die, due to Cliff's embezzlement of company funds. Cliff attempts suicide with an overdose of pills, and a guilt-ridden Sue Ellen rushes to his bedside as Cliff lies in a coma. J.R. tries to convince Sue Ellen that it was not anybody's fault but Cliff's for what happened, but Sue Ellen disagrees and says she does not know if she can remarry J.R. if Cliff dies. Cliff's life hangs in the balance as the season ends.
* Season 6 cliffhanger: Earlier in the season, Sue Ellen gets drunk after having seen J.R. in bed with Holly Harwood ( Lois Chiles). She gets into a car and Ray Krebbs' (Steve Kanaly
Steven Francis Kanaly (; born March 14, 1946) is an American actor, best known for his role as Ray Krebbs on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas''.
Early life and career
Kanaly was born in Burbank, California, and grew up ...
) cousin Mickey Trotter ( Timothy Patrick Murphy) tries to stop her and they are involved in an accident, in a car belonging to J.R., just outside Southfork. Sue Ellen emerges with nothing worse than bruises, but Mickey is paralyzed from the neck down and in a coma. In the final episode of the season, Ray finds out that the driver of the other car was Walt Driscoll ( Ben Piazza), who helped J.R. in a previous scheme. He also learns that Driscoll deliberately caused the accident, thinking that J.R. was driving, as a means of revenge for being put in jail by J.R. earlier in the year. An angered Ray comes to Southfork late at night demanding answers from J.R., who was not expecting to see him. J.R. asks him what is going on and Ray says he is going to kill J.R. for what happened. J.R. throws a candle holder at Ray, which misses him and knocks over another candle holder with lit candles in it. As the two brawl, the candles ignite a fire and the smoke starts to creep into both John Ross and Sue Ellen's bedrooms as they sleep. Sue Ellen had been given a sedative by the doctor earlier in the day so she does not wake up. J.R. notices the fire and tries to break free of Ray, finally knocking him out with a telephone, and runs upstairs to try to save his wife and son. Ray recovers and runs after J.R. but is consumed by smoke and falls. J.R. is hit with a falling beam as he gets upstairs and both men are unconscious as Southfork burns.
* Season 7 cliffhanger: Reminiscent of the season three cliffhanger, a mysterious figure enters the Ewing Oil building late one night. Proceeding to J.R.'s office, the figure produces a gun and fires three shots into the back of J.R.'s chair in which somebody is sitting. As the victim falls out of the chair and to the ground, we see it is Bobby Ewing that has been shot.
* Season 8 cliffhanger: Bobby, who has been divorced from Pam for over a year and is now engaged to Jenna Wade ( Priscilla Beaulieu Presley), decides that he wants to remarry his ex-wife instead, and Pam agrees. The next morning, as Bobby is leaving Pam's house, someone drives a car at high speed toward Pam. Bobby shoves her out of the way just before she is hit but cannot get out of the way of the car in time to save himself. We see that it is Katherine
Katherine (), also spelled Catherine and Catherina, other variations, is a feminine given name. The name and its variants are popular in countries where large Christian populations exist, because of its associations with one of the earliest Ch ...
( Morgan Brittany) who was driving the car, and that she was also killed when her car crashed after running over Bobby. Bobby is rushed to the hospital, where he later dies, with Pam, Jenna, J.R., Miss Ellie, Clayton, Ray and Donna ( Susan Howard) at his bedside.
* Season 9 cliffhanger: Evil businesswoman Angelica Nero ( Barbara Carrera) intends to kill J.R. and his cousin Jack ( Dack Rambo) for double crossing her, but J.R. has her apprehended by the police. Unfortunately, Angelica has already had a bomb attached to Jack's car, which explodes with Jamie ( Jenilee Harrison) inside. After hearing this on the phone, J.R. runs out of his office to go to Jack's apartment. As he leaves the office, Sue Ellen arrives in the other elevator looking for him. As soon as she enters J.R.'s office, another bomb left by Angelica goes off, and the entire floor that houses Ewing Oil explodes, showering debris onto the street below. The scene then shifts to Pam in bed, the day after her marriage to Mark Graison ( John Beck). Pam wakes up to hear the shower running. Assuming it is Mark, she opens the shower door, only to find Bobby Ewing, alive and well. ''(In the Season Ten premiere, Bobby's death and all of Season Nine was revealed as a dream of Pam's).''
* Season 10 cliffhanger: The Ewings suffer a devastating loss as Ewing Oil is closed down by the US Justice Department as punishment for J.R.'s shady dealings which caused an international incident. Pam, on her way home to Bobby from the doctor's office after finding out she can finally conceive a baby, crashes into a fuel tanker, which then explodes.
* Season 11 cliffhanger: J.R. and Nicholas Pearce ( Jack Scalia), Sue Ellen's new boyfriend, fight in J.R.'s penthouse hotel suite. The fight ends up with both of them on the balcony, and Pearce falls over the balcony to his death. Shocked by what she has just seen, Sue Ellen then picks up a gun from the floor and shoots J.R. three times. She then picks up the phone and tells the police she would like to report a double murder.
* Season 12 cliffhanger: Sue Ellen prepares to leave Dallas for good, but with a final surprise for J.R.: with the help of her new boyfriend Don Lockwood (Ian McShane
Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor. His television performances include the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and its 2019 film continuation, and M ...
), Sue Ellen has made a biographical motion picture about her marriages to J.R. (with actors portraying them and the other Ewings) and previews the film to him, leaving him shocked and horrified. Sue Ellen tells J.R. that she is leaving Dallas, but if he ever crosses her again in the future – or even if she wakes up on the wrong side of bed one morning – she will release the film and J.R. will be made "the laughing stock of Texas", before finally and triumphantly leaving.
* Season 13 cliffhanger: After deliberately committing himself into a sanitarium in order to persuade Clayton's sister, Jessica Montford ( Alexis Smith), to sign over her voting majority in WestStar Oil, J.R.'s plan backfires when Cally ( Cathy Podewell) and James ( Sasha Mitchell) coerce him into signing a property waiver before they will allow him to be released. Once he does, James tears up J.R.'s release papers anyway leaving him trapped in the sanitarium with no means of escape.
* Season 14 cliffhanger: After finally losing Ewing Oil to Cliff Barnes, control of Southfork to Bobby, and being abandoned by his wife and children, a drunk and despondent J.R. begins walking around the ranch alone with a loaded gun wishing he had never been born. A gunshot is later fired in J.R.'s bedroom as Bobby returns to Southfork, and he rushes up to J.R.'s room and gasps, saying "Oh, my God!" as the series ends.
Spin-offs, sequels and adaptations
''Knots Landing''
Prior to the premiere of ''Dallas'', Jacobs originated the idea for a drama series about four married couples in different stages of marriage, inspired byIngmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film and theatre director and screenwriter. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential film directors of all time, his films have been described as "profoun ...
's '' Scenes from a Marriage''. However, CBS wanted a "saga-like" show, resulting in Jacobs creating ''Dallas''. When the series proved to be a hit, CBS reconsidered Jacobs's original idea, which evolved into ''Dallas'' spin-off series ''Knots Landing
''Knots Landing'' is an American primetime television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'', it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially cente ...
'', premiering in late 1979.
''Knots Landing'' followed the lives of Lucy's parents, Gary ( Ted Shackelford) and Valene (Joan Van Ark
Joan Martha Van Ark (born June 16, 1943) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Valene Ewing on the primetime soap opera ''Knots Landing.'' A life member of The Actors Studio, she made her Broadway debut in 1966 in '' Barefo ...
), as they move to California to start a new life following the start of their second marriage in 1979. During the early seasons of ''Knots Landing'', several ''Dallas'' actors (Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American actor, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera ''Dallas'', and the handsome astronaut Major Anthon ...
, Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
, Charlene Tilton
Charlene L. Tilton (born December 1, 1958) is an American actress and singer. She is widely known for playing Lucy Ewing on the CBS prime time soap opera ''Dallas''.
Career
Tilton had early roles on television series such as ''Happy Days'' ...
, and Mary Crosby) made guest appearances in the new series, and Shackelford and Van Ark continued to make occasional appearances in ''Dallas''. In addition to this, some storylines crossed over, such as the reading of Jock Ewing's will, with events having an impact on characters in both shows.
The ongoing bond between the two series was eventually cut in 1986, as the tenth-season premiere of ''Dallas'' declared Bobby's death the previous year had been a dream. Bobby's death had had some influence on the ''Knots Landing'' storylines as well, with Gary grieving for his dead brother while Gary's wife Abby ( Donna Mills), who had lost her brother Sid ( Don Murray) a few years earlier, consoled him. Abby and Greg Sumner ( William Devane) then took advantage of Gary's grief and Gary's journey to Dallas for Bobby's funeral to gain politically at Empire Valley. Val also named her and Gary's son "Bobby" in memory of his late uncle. Unlike the ''Dallas'' producers, the ''Knots Landing'' producers were not prepared to reset their series, resulting in the producers cutting ties between the two shows. As a result, there were no further crossover episodes or storylines; Bobby's return was simply never addressed on ''Knots Landing'', nor was he mentioned again (ironically on ''Dallas'', however, mentions of Gary increased, and archive footage of Joan Van Ark appeared in Season 12). However, Shackelford and Van Ark did reprise their roles for the ''Dallas'' series finale " Conundrum" in 1991, which showed what would have happened to their characters if J.R. had never existed.
Films and reunions
Aprequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term ...
story, '' Dallas: The Early Years'', was a made-for-TV movie that first aired on March 23, 1986, on CBS during season 9 of the TV series. The movie starred David Grant as Digger Barnes, Dale Midkiff as Jock Ewing, Molly Hagan as Miss Ellie Southworth Ewing, David Wilson as Jason Ewing, and Hoyt Axton as Aaron Southworth, and was introduced by Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American actor, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera ''Dallas'', and the handsome astronaut Major Anthon ...
in the role of J.R. Ewing. Detailing the origins of the Barnes-Ewing feud and the creation of Ewing Oil, and covering a timespan from 1933 to 1951, the movie was written by series creator David Jacobs.
There were also two made-for-TV reunion movies that aired on CBS several years after the series ended: '' Dallas: J.R. Returns'' (1996), which resolved the series finale cliffhanger; and the 20th anniversary movie '' Dallas: War of the Ewings'' (1998). Alongside returning series stars (Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
, Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American actor, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera ''Dallas'', and the handsome astronaut Major Anthon ...
, Linda Gray
Linda Ann Gray (born September 12, 1940) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of Larry Hagman's character J.R. Ewing on the CBS television drama series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978â ...
, George Kennedy
George Harris Kennedy Jr. (February 18, 1925 – February 28, 2016) was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 film and television productions. He played "Dragline" in ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), winning the Academy Award for Best Supp ...
, Ken Kercheval and Steve Kanaly
Steven Francis Kanaly (; born March 14, 1946) is an American actor, best known for his role as Ray Krebbs on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas''.
Early life and career
Kanaly was born in Burbank, California, and grew up ...
), and recurring cast ( Omri Katz, Audrey Landers
Audrey Landers (born July 18, 1956) is an American actress and singer, best known for her role as Afton Cooper on the television series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' and her role as Val Clarke in the film version of ''A Chorus Line (film), A Ch ...
, Deborah Rennard and George O. Petrie), the two telefilms also introduced new characters – most notably up-and-coming lawyer Anita Smithfield, played by Tracy Scoggins. The younger characters Christopher Ewing
Christopher Ewing is a fictional character from the American prime time drama series ''Dallas'' and the continuation series. The character was first written into the series in the episode " Starting Over", which first aired on December 11, 1981. ...
, and Cliff and Afton's daughter Pamela Rebecca were recast with Chris Demetral and Deborah Kellner taking on the roles.
In November 2003, SOAPnet aired a ''Dallas'' reunion on Soap Talk to coincide with SOAPnet acquiring the rights to rerun Dallas episodes. Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray and Charlene Tilton all participated in the reunion, which included clips of past episodes. The SOAPnet Dallas reunion was included in the special features of Dallas Seasons 1 & 2 DVD set.
On November 7, 2004, CBS aired a primetime TV special titled '' Dallas Reunion: The Return to Southfork'', in which the stars reminisced about their work on the series (by coincidence, actor Howard Keel
Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), professionally Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s, including ''Show Boat'' (195 ...
, who played Clayton Farlow, had died earlier that same day).
On November 8, 2008, a ''Dallas'' 30th anniversary reunion was held at Southfork Ranch
Southfork Ranch is a conference and event center in Parker, in the US state of Texas, north of Dallas. It includes the Ewing Mansion, the setting for the television series ''Dallas''. A variety of tours are offered to the location.
History
Th ...
in Parker, Texas
Parker is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,462 in 2020.
History
The first settlers arrived in the area that is now Parker in the early 1840s. The town was named after William C. Parker, the son of the area's f ...
, with original cast members Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American actor, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera ''Dallas'', and the handsome astronaut Major Anthon ...
, Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
, Linda Gray
Linda Ann Gray (born September 12, 1940) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of Larry Hagman's character J.R. Ewing on the CBS television drama series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978â ...
, Ken Kercheval, Steve Kanaly
Steven Francis Kanaly (; born March 14, 1946) is an American actor, best known for his role as Ray Krebbs on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas''.
Early life and career
Kanaly was born in Burbank, California, and grew up ...
and Charlene Tilton
Charlene L. Tilton (born December 1, 1958) is an American actress and singer. She is widely known for playing Lucy Ewing on the CBS prime time soap opera ''Dallas''.
Career
Tilton had early roles on television series such as ''Happy Days'' ...
; other cast members in attendance were Susan Howard, Audrey Landers
Audrey Landers (born July 18, 1956) is an American actress and singer, best known for her role as Afton Cooper on the television series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' and her role as Val Clarke in the film version of ''A Chorus Line (film), A Ch ...
, Mary Crosby and Sheree J. Wilson. The front and back lawn of the fictional Ewing family home played host to a massive barbecue filled with people from the Dallas area, across the U.S. and around the world (who paid as much as $1,000) to reminisce and celebrate the series, as well as meeting with cast members. During the festivities, Kercheval said he was shocked to see the continued support for the show 17 years after it last aired: "I don't understand it. The staying power. Who knew?" Linda Gray also fondly remembered her time on the show: "I think it was a special time. It was a time when there weren't a hundred million channels and the Internet and all of the other things that came to existence."
''A Dallas Retrospective: J.R. Ewing Bourbon Presents Linda Gray
Linda Ann Gray (born September 12, 1940) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of Larry Hagman's character J.R. Ewing on the CBS television drama series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978â ...
and Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
'' one-night only event was held on March 23, 2017, at the AT&T Performing Arts Center's Winspear Opera House in Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, during which both Duffy and Gray reminisced about their careers and their time on ''Dallas''. It was sponsored by the nationally distributed J.R. Ewing Bourbon and moderated by ''The Dallas Morning News
''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...
'' columnist Robert Wilonsky.
On March 30–31, 2018, a 40th anniversary reunion was held at Southfork Ranch in Parker and the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas, with cast members Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
, Linda Gray
Linda Ann Gray (born September 12, 1940) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of Larry Hagman's character J.R. Ewing on the CBS television drama series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978â ...
, Charlene Tilton
Charlene L. Tilton (born December 1, 1958) is an American actress and singer. She is widely known for playing Lucy Ewing on the CBS prime time soap opera ''Dallas''.
Career
Tilton had early roles on television series such as ''Happy Days'' ...
and Steve Kanaly
Steven Francis Kanaly (; born March 14, 1946) is an American actor, best known for his role as Ray Krebbs on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas''.
Early life and career
Kanaly was born in Burbank, California, and grew up ...
attending the festivities. The celebrations included Southfork tours, a meet-and-greet with the cast, an array of ''Dallas'' memorabilia at the "Dallas Legends" exhibit and closing out with a party at the historic Longhorn Ballroom.
In honor of the show's 45th anniversary, another reunion was held on June 13, 2023, at Oscar's in Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs (Cahuilla language, Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Rivers ...
which was attended by Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
, Linda Gray
Linda Ann Gray (born September 12, 1940) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of Larry Hagman's character J.R. Ewing on the CBS television drama series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978â ...
, Steve Kanaly
Steven Francis Kanaly (; born March 14, 1946) is an American actor, best known for his role as Ray Krebbs on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas''.
Early life and career
Kanaly was born in Burbank, California, and grew up ...
, Charlene Tilton
Charlene L. Tilton (born December 1, 1958) is an American actress and singer. She is widely known for playing Lucy Ewing on the CBS prime time soap opera ''Dallas''.
Career
Tilton had early roles on television series such as ''Happy Days'' ...
, Audrey Landers
Audrey Landers (born July 18, 1956) is an American actress and singer, best known for her role as Afton Cooper on the television series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' and her role as Val Clarke in the film version of ''A Chorus Line (film), A Ch ...
and Joan Van Ark
Joan Martha Van Ark (born June 16, 1943) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Valene Ewing on the primetime soap opera ''Knots Landing.'' A life member of The Actors Studio, she made her Broadway debut in 1966 in '' Barefo ...
. The cast talked about the ''Dallas'' years as well as their personal lives and careers since with CBS moderator Sandie Newton.
Revival series
In 2010, cable network TNT announced they had ordered apilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
for the continuation of the ''Dallas'' series. After viewing the completed pilot episode, TNT proceeded to order a full season of 10 episodes.
The new series, which premiered on June 13, 2012, focused primarily on John Ross and Christopher Ewing, the now-grown sons of J.R. and Bobby. Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray returned in full-time capacity, reprising their original roles. The series was produced by Warner Horizon Television, a subsidiary of Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
, which holds the rights to the ''Dallas'' franchise through its acquisition of Lorimar Television
Lorimar Television, formerly Lorimar Productions, Inc. and Lorimar Distribution, was an American production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969
and is a sister company to TNT, both under the ownership of Time Warner
Warner Media, LLC ( doing business as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned by AT&T. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City.
It was established as Time Warne ...
.
The new series is a continuation of the old series, with the story continuing after a 20-year break. It does not take the events of the 1990s TV movies '' Dallas: J.R. Returns'' or '' Dallas: War of the Ewings'' as canon. Instead we find the characters 20 years after the events of the Season 14 cliffhanger. In an interview with UltimateDallas.com, writer/producer Cynthia Cidre was asked to describe the new ''Dallas''. She responded, "I tried to be really, really respectful of the original Dallas because it was really clear to me that the people who love Dallas are ike Trekkies, really committed to that show and I really did not understand that before, so I never wanted to violate anything that had happened in the past. On the other hand that was the past, twenty years had gone by, so at the same time I think we're properly balanced between the characters of Bobby Ewing, J.R. and Sue Ellen. I also have the new cast and it's John Ross and Christopher, the children of Bobby and J.R., and their love interests. Total respect and a balance of old and new."
In the show's second season, J.R. Ewing was killed off (following the death of actor Larry Hagman in November 2012), sparking another "who-done-it" storyline throughout the remainder of the season. Various cast members from the original series attended his onscreen funeral.
Despite initially strong numbers, ratings for the new ''Dallas'' declined over the three seasons that the show ran before TNT cancelled it in 2014.
Books and other media
During the series' heyday, several magazines, books and merchandise were produced: *In 1980, a novel titled ''Dallas'' based on the original five-episode miniseries written by Lee Raintree was published byDell Publishing
Dell Publishing Company, Inc. is an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, that was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte Jr. with $10,000 (approx. $145,000 in 2021), two employees and one magazine title, ''I Confess'', and ...
.
* In 1980–81, another three novels adapting the subsequent seasons – ''The Ewings of Dallas'', ''The Men of Dallas'' and ''The Women of Dallas'' – were all written by Burt Hirschfeld and published by Bantam Books
Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by parent company Random House, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin Jr., Sidney B. K ...
.
* In 1980, ''The Dallas Family Album'' written by Robert Massello was published by Bantam Books
Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by parent company Random House, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin Jr., Sidney B. K ...
.
*In 1980, ''The Southworth Connection'' was an unofficial magazine story by Phoenix Publications detailing Brannigan Southworth's attempt to shoot J.R. Ewing.
*In 1980, '' Dallas: The Television Role-Playing Game'' was released by Simulations Publications, Inc.
Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) was an American publisher of board game, board Wargaming, wargames and related magazines, particularly its Flagship (broadcasting), flagship ''Strategy & Tactics'', in the 1970s and early 1980s. It produced an ...
(SPI).
*In 1981–84, the '' Los Angeles Times Syndicate'' produced a ''Dallas'' comic strip for newspapers, written by Jim Lawrence and illustrated by Ron Harris, Thomas Warkentin, Padraic Shigetani, Deryl Skelton, and others.
*In 1984, Datasoft
Datasoft, Inc. (also written as DataSoft) was a software developer and publisher for home computers founded in 1980 by Pat Ketchum and based out of Chatsworth, Los Angeles, Chatsworth, California. Datasoft primarily published video games, includi ...
released the video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
'' The Dallas Quest'' for the Tandy Color Computer and Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in ...
.
*In 1985, ''Who Killed Jock Ewing?'' by Robert Tine was published by Arrow as part of a major whodunnit competition that saw J.R., Bobby and Ray investigating their father's death.
*In 1985, ''Dallas: The Complete Ewing Family Saga'' by Laura Van Wormer was published by Doubleday.
*In 1986, ''The Complete Book of Dallas: Behind the Scenes at the World's Favorite Television Show'' by Suzy Kalter was published by Harry N. Abrams.
*In 1986–87, further ''Dallas'' novels were published by Pioneer Communications Network. There were 14 titles in the Soaps & Serials series: ''Love Conquers Fear'', ''Ardent Memories'', ''Love's Challenge'', ''The Power of Passion'', ''Dangerous Desire'', ''Double Dealing'', ''Hostage Heart'', ''This Cherished Land'', ''Power Play'', ''Winner Take All'', ''Reality Strikes'', ''Shattered Dreams'', ''A Cry in the Night'' and ''Family Secrets''.
*In 2004, ''25 Years of Dallas: The Complete Story of the World's Favorite Prime-Time Soap'' written by Barbara A. Curran was published by Cumberland House Publishing. It contains synopses for each season, extensive research into production and interviews with most of original cast, along with a foreword by Victoria Principal
Vicki Ree Principal (born January 3, 1950),David Jacobs.
Legacy
''Dallas'' and the Cold War
''Dallas'' is alleged to have helped partially hasten the downfall of the communist regime in theEastern Bloc
The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...
country of Romania during the final years of the Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
. Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu ( ; ; – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the second and last Communism, communist leader of Socialist Romania, Romania, serving as the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 u ...
allowed airings of ''Dallas'', one of the few Western shows allowed to be aired in the Communist state during the 1980s. The belief that the show would be seen as anti-capitalistic backfired on the regime as Romanian citizens desired and sought the luxurious lifestyle of the American elite seen in the show, compared to the despotic situation in Romania at the time. Shortly after the execution of Ceaușescu and his wife on Christmas Day 1989, the pilot episode of ''Dallas'', which had been edited for a sex scene, was one of the first Western Shows aired on the newly liberated Romanian TV. The popularity of ''Dallas'' in Romania is the subject of the 2016 experimental documentary ''Hotel Dallas'', directed by artist duo Ungur & Huang and starring Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
, who plays a surreal double of the Bobby Ewing character.
Also in northern parts of Soviet-occupied Estonia, ''Dallas'' became popular when shown on Finnish television, being watched illegally on modified Soviet television sets. In the communist
Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
thousands of people drove regularly to the northern tip of Estonia to pick up the series on Finnish TV. This was described in the 2009 documentary '' Disco and Atomic War''.
Other
In 2007, British comedian Justin Lee Collins went searching for all the stars of ''Dallas'' to bring them together for a reunion party. The show was broadcast on May 27, 2007, on UK television networkChannel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
as part of the '' Bring Back...'' series. Amongst the cast, the participants were Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Ken Kercheval, Charlene Tilton, Susan Howard and Mary Crosby. In an interview in 2011 Charlene Tilton said that show was one of her and the cast's worst experiences ever.
In March 2011, the Texas Theatre in Dallas began showing two episodes of ''Dallas'' on the big screen every Sunday; over 100 patrons, some in costume of their favorite characters, appeared at the free screenings every week. However, the screenings came to an abrupt end in May 2011 after Warner Bros. issued a cease-and-desist against the Texas Theatre for unauthorized showings, citing the fact that those that were involved in the show's production were not getting paid or benefiting from these screenings.
J.R. Ewing's hat, a foremost symbol of the show's inherent "Americanness" that contributed to its hold over audiences on a global scale, is currently held in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center is a historical museum in Washington, D.C. It collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and m ...
's collections.
The series is mentioned in the lyrics of Swedish pop band ABBA
ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...
's 1982 single " The Day Before You Came": "There's not, I think, a single episode of ''Dallas'' that I didn't see."
Country singer Hank Williams Jr. had a hit with a song called " This Ain't Dallas" comparing his and his wife's life together with that of J.R. and Sue Ellen.
The show's " Who shot J.R.?" storyline has been used to great effect in other drama series, most notably the BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's ''EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...
'' with the " Who Shot Phil?" Mitchell storyline, and more recently with the " Who Killed Lucy Beale?" storyline. In 1995, the animated series ''The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' also had a " Who Shot Mr. Burns?" storyline.
In 2013, ''TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media
In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
'' ranked ''Dallas'' at No. 47 on its list of the 60 Best Series of all time.
Prior to Dallas, both Patrick Duffy and Larry Hagman worked in the 1974 made-for-tv film Hurricane although they never appeared in the same scenes. Hurricane (1974 film)
An episode of the British satirical series " Spitting Image" showed a sketch entitled "Pallas" which parodied members of the Royal Family as if they were characters from Dallas.
References
External links
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