soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

Victoria Principal Vicki Ree Principal (born January 3, 1950),first episode, entitled "Digger's Daughter", which was first broadcast on April 2, 1978. ''Dallas'' follows the trials of the wealthy

Ewing family The Ewing family is the fictional family of the American prime time soap opera ''Dallas'' and its 2012 revival, as well as the foundation of the spin-off series ''Knots Landing''. In the original series of ''Dallas'', the Ewings own and run S ...

in the city of

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...

, which Pam has married into. Principal played Pam until the end of

season 10 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...

in 1987, when the character crashes her car into a truck carrying

butane Butane () or ''n''-butane is an alkane with the formula C4H10. Butane is a gas at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Butane is a highly flammable, colorless, easily liquefied gas that quickly vaporizes at room temperature. The name bu ...

and

propane Propane () is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula . It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used as ...

and her body is severely burned. A year later, she was briefly played by actress

Margaret Michaels Margaret Michaels is a former American actress best known for appearing as the characters of Pamela Barnes Ewing (#2) and Jeanne O'Brien on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (1978 TV series)'' and as Santana Andrade #2 on the NBC daytime soa ...

in an attempt to write the character out. Pamela's storylines in

season 1 Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012 * ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012 See also * * * Season 2 (disambiguation) * Season 4 (disambigua ...

focus on her relationship with her new husband,

Bobby Ewing Bobby James Ewing is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'' and its 2012 revival. The youngest son of Jock and Miss Ellie Ewing, he was portrayed by actor Patrick Duffy (1978–1985, 1986–1991). Bobby had been kil ...

(

Patrick Duffy Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American actor and director widely known for his role on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas'', where he played Bobby Ewing, the youngest son of Miss Ellie, and the nicest brother of J.R. Ewing (pl ...

), and her fight against the considerable suspicion and hostility from within the Ewing family, due to Pamela being a member of the Barnes family. Pamela's love for Bobby remains a strong character trait throughout her tenure on the show, noted for its similarities to ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

'', with two people from hostile families falling in love. In the early years of ''Dallas'', Principal took measures to add depth to her character. She initially was very distant from the cast and they assumed she didn't like them. Series producer

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 oil soap opera ''Dallas''. Early life and career Leonard Katz ...

confronted her about the issue and she said, "I like everybody. It's just that I want to feel like an outsider, like Pam Barnes does, being married to a Ewing."''Dallas: The Complete Story of the World's Favorite Prime-Time Soap'', pp. 14 Principal also took to other ways of improving her character, such as taking voice lessons to perfect a Texas accent. Her relationship with Patrick Duffy's character, Bobby, was a central component to the show, and when Duffy returned to ''Dallas'' in 1986, after being killed off a year earlier, the entire previous year had been written off as Pam's dream. Principal received positive reviews for her portrayal of Pamela and a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

nomination in the category of "Best Actress in a Television Series" at the

40th Golden Globe Awards The 40th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 1982, were given on 29 January 1983. Winners and nominees Film The following films received multiple nominations: The following films received multipl ...

. She was nominated for a ''

Soap Opera Digest ''Soap Opera Digest'' is a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It features onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional in ...

'' award for "Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role on a Prime Time Serial" in 1986, while also sharing a nomination with Patrick Duffy for "Favorite Super Couple: Prime Time" in 1988. Hal Erickson of

MSN MSN (meaning Microsoft Network) is a web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps for Windows and mobile devices, provided by Microsoft and launched on August 24, 1995, alongside the release of Windows 95. The Microsoft Net ...

.com opined that Pamela's exit from the series was open ended and left the audience hanging.

Casting and creation

Background

Before the creation of ''Dallas'', series creator David Jacobs originally had quite a different idea of what he envisioned the show to be. He wanted to create a television show based on "family issues and examining relationships at the middle class level".''Dallas: The Complete Story of the World's Favorite Prime-Time Soap'', pp. 4–5 The Production Company, CBS, initially turned down his original idea, as they wanted something more "glitzy" to put on the air, with wealthier characters. After the success of ''Dallas'', Jacobs' initial idea would later become the ''Dallas'' spin-off ''

Knots Landing ''Knots Landing'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of ''Dallas'', it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centered on the lives of ...

''. He initially conceived Pamela as the central character of the Texas-based serial. The role was created specifically for actress

Linda Evans Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad; November 18, 1942) is an American actress known primarily for her roles on television. In the 1960s she played Audra Barkley, the daughter of Victoria Barkley (played by Barbara Stanwyck) in the Western tele ...

to star, and was indefinitely called "The Untitled Linda Evans Project" that was originally set in Indianapolis. He described her character as, "a semitrashy lady who marries into a rich Texas family". After crafting the backstory of the Ewing family, Jacobs began to realize that the show couldn't be settled simply around the character of Pamela. He wanted it to be based around the entire clan and their lives as wealthy oil people living in Dallas, Texas. Evans was ultimately not offered the part, but ironically would later go on to play

Krystle Carrington Krystle Carrington (maiden name Grant; formerly Jennings) is a fictional character from the 1980s American TV series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by Linda Evans, the character was introduced in the 1981 pilot ep ...

on ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...

'', a rival show to ''Dallas''.''Dallas: The Complete Story of the World's Favorite Prime-Time Soap'', pp. 6–7

Casting

After Jacobs decided that Evans would no longer play Pam, he began searching for another actress to play the character. The role was eventually won by then 28-year-old actress, Victoria Principal.''Dallas: The Complete Story of the World's Favorite Prime-Time Soap'', pp. 8–9 Principal won the role over another finalist,

Judith Chapman Judith Chapman (born Judith Shepard on November 15, 1951) is an American actress, best known for soap opera roles, particularly as Natalie Bannon Hughes in ''As the World Turns'' (1975–1978), Charlotte Greer on ''Ryan's Hope'' (1983), Ginny Bla ...

, who was known famously for her work in

daytime television Daytime is a block of television programming taking place during the late-morning and afternoon on weekdays. Daytime programming is typically scheduled to air between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., following the early morning day ...

. Shortly after Principal's role on ''Fantasy Island'', a friend pointed her in the direction of ''Dallas'' and "a part in it that was written for you". Eventually, Principal received a copy of the script "and read it and thought

y friend Y, or y, is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. According to some authorities, it is the sixth (or seventh ...

was absolutely right". Acting as her own agent, she set up a meeting with the producers of ''Dallas''. Lee Rich, an executive producer in 1979, recounted: "We had all heard rumors about Victoria. This is a small town. Victoria's background, her so-called past, was a plus. We felt that she had experienced life and could understand the part." Jacobs later said, "Victoria, of all the actors, went for the role the most aggressively. And that sort of determination just became part of the character." Prior to being cast in ''Dallas'', Principal had starred in a few small roles in movies and television specials. These works include ''

Earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

'' in 1974, and ''Fantasy Island'' in 1977. In 1977,

Aaron Spelling Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series ''Family'' (1976–1980), ''Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977–1986) ...

offered Principal a role in the pilot of his television series ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo ...

,'' which she accepted, however, she stipulated in the contract for the role to be written out as she was planning to attend law school. However, she obtained the pilot audition script for ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'' and her career ambitions changed. As Principal explained to

TV Guide Network The American cable and satellite television network Pop was originally launched in 1981 as a barker channel service providing a display of localized channel and program listings for cable television providers. Later on, the service, branded Prevu ...

in 2004, "I had left acting to be an agent and was on my way to law school, but when a friend dropped off a ''Dallas'' script, I read it. When I finished, I knew my life had changed – that part was mine. So I called the astingperson and said, "I'm sending someone in." She said, "Who?" I said, "Just put down my name. It will be a surprise." And it certainly was a surprise – I showed up with me! I sent myself in for it!" Principal landed the role of, Pamela Barnes Ewing, on the long-running

prime time Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

TV

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

series ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'' that aired on the CBS network from 1978 to 1991.

Patrick Duffy Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American actor and director widely known for his role on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas'', where he played Bobby Ewing, the youngest son of Miss Ellie, and the nicest brother of J.R. Ewing (pl ...

, who would play Pamela's on-screen love, knew the part was ideal for Principal the minute he set his eyes on her. He recalled that one of the finalists for Pamela "was a remarkably talented young actress from New York...

ho was Ho (or the transliterations He or Heo) may refer to: People Language and ethnicity * Ho people, an ethnic group of India ** Ho language, a tribal language in India * Hani people, or Ho people, an ethnic group in China, Laos and Vietnam * Hiri Mo ...

really good.

ater Ater (Hebrew אֲתַר) is an Old Testament male name. #A descendant of Hezekiah, who returned from Babylon ; #An Israelite, who subscribed to Nehemiah Nehemiah is the central figure of the Book of Nehemiah, which describes his work in r ...

in walked Victoria Principal with the tightest jeans I've ever seen and the most unbelievable blouse. I just went, 'Hello, Pam'. I knew she was going to be Pam Ewing." Producer Michael Filerman (''

Knots Landing ''Knots Landing'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of ''Dallas'', it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centered on the lives of ...

'' and ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...

'') offered insight, "Principal really wanted that role...and worked very hard to get it. And there's a humanity about her that's just winning. And the camera likes her very much. The camera just loves her. That's real important." During the pilot filming, Principal became very close with teenaged actress

Charlene Tilton Charlene L. Tilton (born December 1, 1958) is an American actress and singer. She is widely known for playing Lucy Ewing, the niece of brothers J. R. Ewing and Bobby Ewing (played by Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy), on the television ser ...

, who played

Lucy Ewing Lucy Ann Ewing is a fictional character in the popular American television series ''Dallas''. The character is played by Charlene Tilton and first appeared in the series premiere on April 2, 1978. Tilton left the show at the end of season 8 in 1 ...

. Principal explained that "the location shooting was hard on Tilton, who was only seventeen and had never been away from home".''Dallas: The Complete Story of the World's Favorite Prime-Time Soap'', pp. 13 After appearing in ten of the fourteen seasons of ''Dallas'', Principal indicated that she wished to leave the serial to pursue other venues, and chose not to renew her contract.

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 oil soap opera ''Dallas''. Early life and career Leonard Katz ...

, who was the executive producer at the time, was now faced with the show losing one of its main characters. Initially, Principal's departure was made out to be a simple "snag in contract negotiations".''Dallas: The Complete Story of the World's Favorite Prime-Time Soap'', pp. 224

Lorimar Lorimar Productions, Inc., later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993, when it was folded into Warner Bros. Televisi ...

also made notice that the departure was related to a "financial disagreement", even after Principal's agent gave notice that she was leaving. A show spokesperson commented, "We were unable to reach an agreement and now the producers are revising scripts without her...she turned down our last offer." ''

The Milwaukee Journal The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently o ...

'' noted that Principal was lined up for other venues at the time, included a project serial of her own. However, Principal, saying:

"I've considered eaving ''Dallas''for two years, and in the last six months, it's seemed real clear to me. I realized that my job would become my career if I stayed. Some people stay with a series until the end, you know, and afterwards they often have some problems, I think, finding new opportunities. And I wanted a career after ''Dallas''. There's great sadness in leaving my friends and the show – I was never bored with it – but I'm not at all ambivalent about this. I'm realistic about taking care of myself financially. I didn't want to walk away blindly without plans. My plans are set. I have a project with a network that is ready to go that I can't talk about yet. It's a drama mystery."

Principal also reunited with several former cast mates in the ''Dallas'' reunion special titled '' Dallas Reunion: The Return to Southfork'' that was televised in 2004, marking her first public appearance with them since her exit from the show.

Potential return

In 2010,

TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reage ...

(sister company to

Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...

which is the current copyright owner of the series) announced it was producing a new, updated series of ''Dallas''. The new series is a continuation of the original series, and will primarily center around

J.R. Ewing John Ross "J.R." Ewing Jr. is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'' (1978–1991) and its spin-offs, including the revived ''Dallas'' series (2012–2014). The character was portrayed by Larry Hagman from the series ...

's son

John Ross Ewing III John Ross Ewing III is a fictional character from the American prime time soap opera ''Dallas'' and its 2012 continuation series. The character was first written into the series in the episode named " John Ewing III: Part 2" which first aired on A ...

, and

Bobby Ewing Bobby James Ewing is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'' and its 2012 revival. The youngest son of Jock and Miss Ellie Ewing, he was portrayed by actor Patrick Duffy (1978–1985, 1986–1991). Bobby had been kil ...

and Pam's adopted son Christopher Ewing, though various stars of the original series will be reprising their roles. With the upcoming ''Dallas'' continuation set to air in June 2012, rumors began swirling that Principal could make a return to the show as Pam. On March 28, 2012, ''

Yahoo.com Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Manag ...

'' reported that Principal's return to the show was a definite possibility. They said, "Victoria Principal could be set to make a shock return to legendary drama series ''Dallas'' after stars Patrick Duffy and Jesse Metcalfe let slip producers want her in the show's upcoming reboot. The actress' character, Pamela Ewing, was written out of the series in 1987, when viewers were told she had only months to live after fleeing the Texan dynasty." In an added piece, they said: "But the storyline was left open-ended, and it's now emerged Principal – who is the only surviving member of the show's original cast not signed up for the relaunch later this year – could be brought back to ''Dallas'' in an explosive plot."

Jesse Metcalfe Jesse Eden Metcalfe (born December 9, 1978) is an American actor and musician. He is known for his portrayal of John Rowland on ''Desperate Housewives''. Metcalfe has also had notable roles on ''Passions'' and played the title role in ''John Tu ...

said, "She hasn't (come back) – she hasn't as yet. But I think for the producers of the show, it's an open invitation." The Staff of

Yahoo.com Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Manag ...

said that Principal was "the one major missing piece" of the new ''Dallas'' and made notion that a possible return could potentially happen in the future, critically saying: "The drama. The mystery. The intrigue. Specifically, where is Victoria Principal?" ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...

'' said that Principal was "certainly missed" as original character Pam when reviewing the new series. Morgan Jeffrey of ''Digital Spy'' said that Principal was "unlikely" to return to the new series due to lack of interest in the project, but the door would always be open. He said, "She's indicated that it's something she's not interested in."

Character development

Lineage and personality

Victoria Principal at the 39th Emmy Awards cropped

The character of Pamela was a cornerstone for ''Dallas''; the

lynchpin A linchpin, also spelled linch pin, lynchpin, or lynch pin, is a fastener used to prevent a wheel or other part from sliding off the axle upon which it is riding. The word is first attested in the late fourteenth century and derives from Middle ...

of the Barnes/Ewing family around which the soap was originally structured. At the beginning of the serial in 1978, Pamela was the newly married wife of

Bobby Ewing Bobby James Ewing is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'' and its 2012 revival. The youngest son of Jock and Miss Ellie Ewing, he was portrayed by actor Patrick Duffy (1978–1985, 1986–1991). Bobby had been kil ...

, the youngest son of oil baron

Jock Ewing John Ross "Jock" Ewing Sr. (1909–1982) is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'' created by David Jacobs. Jock was played by Jim Davis in the show's first four seasons from 1978 to 1981, and as a young man by Dale ...

and

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 Dallas () is ...

. The fictional history of the character has been told via the serial, and the made-for-television movie '' Dallas: The Early Years'', which told the backstory of the Ewing family and the Barnes family. ''Dallas: The Early Years'' told the background of the longstanding feud between Jock Ewing and Pamela's father,

Willard "Digger" Barnes Willard "Digger" Barnes is a fictional 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 y ...

, and how Pamela came to be raised. Later, on Digger's deathbed, Pamela comes to find that Digger is not her biological father, but that her biological father is in fact Hutch McKinney, who had an affair with her mother

Rebecca Barnes Rebecca "Rikki" Barnes is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in '' Heroes Reborn'' #1/2 (September 1996), where she ...

while she was married to Digger. Digger caught them together, and Digger ended up shooting Hutch dead in a temper and burying Hutch's body on Southfork land. Digger then brought up Pamela as if she were his own daughter, becoming her legal father. Pamela's mother, Rebecca, left Digger and her children behind in mysterious circumstances when Pamela was a year old, giving Digger the impression that she was dead. Pamela and Cliff were both raised by Digger and Digger's sister, their aunt Maggie. As a member of the

Barnes family Barnes may refer to: People *Barnes (name), a family name and a given name (includes lists of people with that name) Places United Kingdom *Barnes, London, England **Barnes railway station **Barnes Bridge railway station **Barnes Railway Bridge ...

, Pamela was initially met with suspicion and hostility from the rival Ewing family after she had married

Bobby Ewing Bobby James Ewing is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'' and its 2012 revival. The youngest son of Jock and Miss Ellie Ewing, he was portrayed by actor Patrick Duffy (1978–1985, 1986–1991). Bobby had been kil ...

and moved onto the

Southfork Ranch Southfork Ranch is a conference and event center in Parker, in the US state of Texas, north of Dallas. It includes Ewing Mansion, the setting for the television series ''Dallas''. History The house was built in 1970 by Joe Duncan and was known ...

to live with her new husband. The strongest hostility towards Pamela came from Bobby's older brother,

J.R. Ewing John Ross "J.R." Ewing Jr. is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'' (1978–1991) and its spin-offs, including the revived ''Dallas'' series (2012–2014). The character was portrayed by Larry Hagman from the series ...

, who tried to drive Pamela off Southfork Ranch with methods of bribery and intimidation, as well as trying to con Bobby into believing that Pamela was having an affair with her ex-boyfriend,

Ray Krebbs Ray Krebbs is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'', played by Steve Kanaly from 1978 to 1989. Ray Krebbs is the illegitimate son of Texas oil baron Jock Ewing. He later appeared in the reunion movie '' Dallas: War of ...

. Principal, who wanted to represent her character's outsider perception of the family, would portray this with the cast. Leonard Katzman described her as being "the world's most isolated lady". When confronted by Katzman about why Principal chose to be isolated from everyone else, he described the situation as: "After a while, I thought, 'Maybe she doesn't like us'. I went to see her. She said, 'No, I like everybody. It's just that I want to feel like an outsider, like Pam Barnes does, being married to a Ewing.'" Principal also took to other ways of improving her character, such as taking voice lessons to perfect a Texas accent. Fellow actor

Patrick Duffy Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American actor and director widely known for his role on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas'', where he played Bobby Ewing, the youngest son of Miss Ellie, and the nicest brother of J.R. Ewing (pl ...

analyzed:

"She is enigmatic but I must tell you I never had a bad experience because of her enigma. What it was, she explained this once, is that she did this on purpose. The choice she made as an actress was, in playing the outsider in the Ewing family, she actually maintained somewhat of an outsider position with the cast as social equals. She didn't do a lot of the hanging out social activities that a lot of us did because we were together so much. So in that sense, she was maybe a few percentage points removed from the swirl that was the social center of our group. At least twice a year
Larry Hagman Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American film and television actor, director, and producer, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera, ''Dall ...
and I would go up to Canada – fishing trips, hunting trips, things like that.
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''. Early life and career Kanaly was born in Burbank, California, and grew up in the San Fernan ...
was included in that group, and we would go up together, and Steve and I would take other trips together. We were a group, and
Linda Gray Linda Ann Gray (born September 12, 1940) is an American film, stage and television actress, director, producer and former model, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of Larry Hagman's character J.R. Ewing on the C ...
was also a member of that group. Victoria was always slightly outside and didn't participate in those things. It was her own choice and she felt it was conducive to her playing the part of Pamela. But the times we were together on the set, waiting for scenes to be shot, in the make-up room and everything, it was nothing but convivial."

Victoria Principal has said that she feels Pam changed throughout the course of the series. She commented, "Pam didn’t have two parents, her father was a

drunkard Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...

, and she really had to fight for everything she aspired to and achieved. When Bobby married her, he wasn’t marrying a milquetoast; she was very, very spirited; she was always a good person. I always felt Pam was the moral centre of the programme but she was complicated, and she was fiery, she had opinions, and she was not afraid to voice them. But as the years went by, as J.R. became more and more evil, the writers felt, and I certainly understand why for the benefit of the show, that Pam had to become more and more good." When asked about whether she had any input on her characters growth, she said: "Once the show achieved extraordinary world wide fame, I don’t think any of us had much input. You know the old saying, if it's not broken, don’t fix it; I really believe that

Lorimar Television Lorimar Productions, Inc., later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993, when it was folded into Warner Bros. Televisi ...

looked upon it as something that was working and they did not want to deviate from the formula."

Relationships

Pamela's marriage to

Bobby Ewing Bobby James Ewing is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'' and its 2012 revival. The youngest son of Jock and Miss Ellie Ewing, he was portrayed by actor Patrick Duffy (1978–1985, 1986–1991). Bobby had been kil ...

is central to understanding her character. The couple produced the opening scene of ''Dallas'' when the show first aired in 1978, with Bobby bringing his new bride home to meet Jock and

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 Dallas () is ...

. Their complex relationship has often been compared to that of Shakespeare's ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

''. When asked about whether or not series creator David Jacobs had this parallel relationship in mind from the start, he said: "Yes, guilty (laughs)". Relations can be made from

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's two feuding families in Romeo and Juliet, the

Montagues William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'' contains a relatively distinctive cast of characters. In addition to the play's eponymous protagonists, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, the play, which is set in Verona, Italy, contains roles fo ...

and the

Capulets William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'' contains a relatively distinctive cast of characters. In addition to the play's eponymous protagonists, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, the play, which is set in Verona, Italy, contains roles fo ...

. These families represent the Barnes and the Ewing feuding families, with Pamela being portrayed as

Juliet Capulet Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist Ro ...

and Bobby as

Romeo Montague Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Lord Montague and his wife, Lady Montague, he secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet, through a pries ...

. According to Patrick Duffy, being immediately paired off with Principal was a challenge. He said, "We were in a constant state of competition. We were very territorial in front of the camera, and it was a strain." However, their off-screen relationship significantly improved in the show's third season, with Duffy explaining: "I developed an appreciation for her, and I think for the first time she started to trust me. Some of the best scenes on the show were between Victoria and me, and they happened after we got comfortable with each other." Pamela and Bobby's relationship changed significantly as the show went on and began to progress. In order to create conflict, the producers brought in actors

Priscilla Presley Priscilla Ann Presley ( Wagner, changed by adoption to Beaulieu; born May 24, 1945) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the former wife of American singer Elvis Presley, as well as co-founder and former chairwoman of Elvis Presley ...

(

Jenna Wade Jenna Krebbs (maiden name Wade; formerly Marchetta) is a fictional character on the popular American television series ''Dallas'', played, most notably, by Priscilla Presley from 1983 to 1988. Jenna was also briefly played by Morgan Fairchild in 19 ...

) and John Beck (Mark Graison) to cause drama for the couple. Eventually, the two characters divorced one another and went their separate ways. After becoming involved with Ewing Oil, Bobby tended to put Pam on the backburner with the company coming first. In an interview with ''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of proper ...

'', Principal said: "I wouldn't put up with the way Pam is treated by Bobby." She also added, "Our marriage just doesn't work anymore and I want a divorce." With the impending couple doomed, Pamela began a newfound relationship with Mark Graison (played by John Beck). The producers of ''Dallas'' were faced with the obstacle of getting the audience to root for a new love interest in Pam's life. When asked about the reception of his characters relationship with Pamela, Beck commented: "It was always set up that way from the beginning, so it was quite a task and of course they came back together in the long run. I was just hoping for the best. I never got an extraordinary reaction from the public but it was everywhere, so constant recognition. It was pretty amazing but I never saw it the way he sees it but I can see his point of view. I never really looked at it like that." In 1985, Patrick Duffy announced his intentions to leave the show which left Pamela and Bobby permanently disconnected from each other. When Duffy initially left ''Dallas'' in 1985, it was assumed that Pamela and Bobby's relationship had finally ended after a brief reconciliation during that season. However, the actor returned to the show the following season after the ratings began to fall.

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 oil soap opera ''Dallas''. Early life and career Leonard Katz ...

said, "Without Bobby we lost the white knight to J.R. and the Romeo to Victoria Principal's Juliet. With Patrick back we can return to the family drama that made the show." The entire previous season was written off as a dream, with Pamela waking up and finding Bobby alive in the shower.

Storylines

Original run

In the pilot episode of ''Dallas'', Pam and Bobby (

Patrick Duffy Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American actor and director widely known for his role on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas'', where he played Bobby Ewing, the youngest son of Miss Ellie, and the nicest brother of J.R. Ewing (pl ...

)

elope Elopement is a term that is used in reference to a marriage which is conducted in a sudden and secretive fashion, usually involving a hurried flight away from one's place of residence together with one's beloved with the intention of getting ma ...

in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Justice of the Peace. After Bobby brings Pam home to Southfork, she is met with great hostility from the Ewing family for being the daughter of their enemy,

Digger Barnes Digger or diggers may refer to: *Excavator, heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, dipper, bucket and cab on a rotating platform known as the "house". *Backhoe loader, Backhoe loaders and Backhoe, backhoes are often known as diggers or ...

(

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 stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead role, he had prominent billing in mos ...

, originally

David Wayne David Wayne (born Wayne James McMeekan, January 30, 1914 – February 9, 1995) was an American stage and screen actor with a career spanning over 50 years. Early life and career Wayne was born in Traverse City, Michigan, the son of Helen M ...

). Early on, Bobby's brother,

J.R. Ewing John Ross "J.R." Ewing Jr. is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'' (1978–1991) and its spin-offs, including the revived ''Dallas'' series (2012–2014). The character was portrayed by Larry Hagman from the series ...

(

Larry Hagman Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American film and television actor, director, and producer, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera, ''Dall ...

), accuses Pamela of being a spy for her brother,

Cliff Barnes Clifford Barnes, played by Ken Kercheval, is a fictional character from the popular American television series ''Dallas''. The Barnes family are competitors and sometimes enemies of the Ewing family. Cliff is the son of Willard "Digger" Barnes an ...

(

Ken Kercheval Kenneth Marine Kercheval (July 15, 1935 – April 21, 2019) was an American actor, best known for his role as Cliff Barnes on the television series ''Dallas'' and its 2012 revival. Early life Kercheval was born on July 15, 1935, in Wolcottvil ...

), who is building a case against Ewing Oil, claiming that she passed a very important company file to Cliff. Bobby vigorously defends his wife and the family eventually find out that Pam is innocent. Shortly after the pilot episode, Pam becomes pregnant with Bobby's child. However, she argues with a drunk J.R. and falls from the rafter of a barn, prompting her to miscarry the baby. After her miscarriage, much of the hostility from the family evaporates, with the exception of J.R. He openly despises her and her brother. In 1979, Pam is told by Digger's doctor that Digger was a carrier of

neurofibromatosis Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a group of three conditions in which tumors grow in the nervous system. The three types are neurofibromatosis type I (NF1), neurofibromatosis type II (NF2), and schwannomatosis. In NF1 symptoms include light brown ...

, and that she and Cliff, as his children, were carriers; as neurofibromatosis is a potentially fatal disease to infants. Ironically, Pam soon discovers she is pregnant again. As before, however, tragedy strikes as a

rattlesnake Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera '' Crotalus'' and '' Sistrurus'' of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small ...

frightens Pam's horse when she is out riding and throws her, causing a second miscarriage. In 1980, Pam watches Digger die slowly and painfully as a result of his decades of heavy drinking. On Digger's deathbed, he tells Pam that she's not his biological child, but born after an affair her mother

Rebecca Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...

(

Priscilla Pointer Priscilla Marie Pointer (born May 18, 1924) is an American retired actress. She began her career in the theater in the late 1940's, including productions on Broadway. Later, Pointer moved to Hollywood and making appearances on television in the ...

) had with Hutch McKinney (

William Watson William, Willie, Bill or Billy Watson may refer to: Entertainment * William Watson (songwriter) (1794–1840), English concert hall singer and songwriter * William Watson (poet) (1858–1935), English poet * Billy Watson (actor) (1923–2022), A ...

). Overwhelmed by a sense of loss after Digger's death and deathbed confession, she pushes to find out more about what happened to her mother. She develops a notion – a dream born out of grief – that perhaps her mother isn't dead after all. Then a private investigator turns up evidence that her mother had not died as Digger had believed, but was alive in

Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

. Meanwhile, Bobby has taken over Ewing Oil while J.R. is convalescing after being shot. Pam watches her husband get deeper and deeper into the heart of business in an effort to prove himself, and takes note of Bobby's instinctive attraction to power, which she realizes might be a danger to their marriage. The baby issue continue to haunt Pam, after learning that she is unlikely to carry a child past the third month of pregnancy. Her depression culminates in near-fatal tragedy: Pam tries to kill herself by jumping off the top of the place of her employment, The Store. However, Bobby stops her but it is clear that Pam needs psychiatric help. She is admitted to a psychiatric hospital where she can get the help she needs. On a surprise visit to Southfork, Pam walks through the front door and sees Bobby with a baby boy in his arms. In soaring spirits, Pam quickly settles into her life as mother to Christopher (Eric Farlow, later Joshua Harris), while Bobby handles the adoption proceedings. She and Bobby grow closer during this period. In May 1982, Bobby finally tells Pam about Jeff Faraday (

Art Hindle Arthur Hindle is a Canadian actor and director. Early life and education Hindle was born in Halifax. For 12 years, he alternated living with his divorced parents in addition to living in foster homes. He grew up in Bowmanville, and later at T ...

),

Kristin Shepard Kristin Marie Shepard is a fictional character on the American television series ''Dallas'', played by Mary Crosby (1979–1981) and, briefly, by Colleen Camp (1979). The character also made one appearance on ''Dallas''s spin-off series, ''Knots L ...

(

Mary Crosby Mary Frances Crosby (born September 14, 1959) is an American actress. She played Kristin Shepard in the television series '' Dallas'' (1979–1981, 1991).

) and the fact that J.R. could be Christopher's father. Pam is shocked that Bobby had kept this from her but doesn't hesitate to fly to

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

with him to find the truth, preparing to fight whoever she had to in order to keep her son. As Rebecca leaves for Houston on business, the Wentworth jet was involved in a midair collision and Rebecca is killed. Pam is devastated – and angry – blaming the contest between J.R. and Bobby for her mother's death. Pam leaves Bobby and they divorce in the fall of 1983. She then begins a relationship with wealthy businessman Mark Grayson ( John Beck), though he soon learns he has a terminal illness and apparently dies in a plane crash. Pam is unable to accept this and begins searching for Mark, travelling the globe in her efforts, but without success. By 1985, Bobby and Pam realize that they are still in love. Bobby proposes, Pam accepts and they spend the night together. The next morning, Bobby saves Pam from being hit by a car driven by her deranged half-sister,

Katherine Wentworth ''Dallas'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1978, to May 3, 1991. The series revolves around an affluent and feuding Texas family, the Ewing family (Dallas), Ewings, who own the independent oil comp ...

(

Morgan Brittany Morgan Brittany (née Suzanne Cupito) is an American actress born in Los Angeles. She is known for her role as Katherine Wentworth, the scheming younger half-sister of Pamela Ewing and Cliff Barnes, on the prime-time soap opera ''Dallas''. C ...

), but the car hits him instead. He dies hours later, leaving Pam heartbroken. For the next year, Pam goes on to work at Ewing Oil and runs Bobby's interest in the company, while reestablishing her relationship with Mark Grayson, who had not died as previously thought. However, the morning after her wedding to Mark, Pam goes into the bathroom and finds Bobby in the shower – alive and well. It transpires that the events of the entire past year were nothing more than a dream she had, and Bobby did not die. Pam and Bobby remarry in 1986, and she receives good news at the end of the 1986–87 season finale: she is finally able to conceive a baby, after confirming that there would be no health risks involved. However, she never gets that chance. While calling her husband to tell him the good news, she is in a massive auto accident where she hits an oil tanker which explodes and she is severely burned in the subsequent fire. While recovering from her burns, she decides to leave Dallas, including Bobby and Christopher, and disappears. She later divorces Bobby for a second time. Pam made a brief appearance in the season 12 premiere, with a different appearance as a result of plastic surgery (now played by

Margaret Michaels Margaret Michaels is a former American actress best known for appearing as the characters of Pamela Barnes Ewing (#2) and Jeanne O'Brien on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (1978 TV series)'' and as Santana Andrade #2 on the NBC daytime soa ...

). She tells her brother Cliff that she is happy in her new life and plans to marry her doctor David Gordon (

Josef Rainer Josef may refer to *Josef (given name) *Josef (surname) * ''Josef'' (film), a 2011 Croatian war film *Musik Josef Musik Josef is a Japanese manufacturer of musical instruments. It was founded by Yukio Nakamura, and is the only company in Japan spe ...

). Later, after Cliff leaves, her doctor asks why she didn't tell Cliff that she has a terminal disease and only has a year to live. This was the character's final appearance in the series, although Pam was not immediately declared dead on the show.

''Dallas'' (2012 TV series)

During the airing of J.R. Ewing's funeral on March 11, 2013, viewers learned that J.R. had been investigating Pam's disappearance before he died. In the episode "Let Me In", the Ewings discover Rebecca Wentworth left one-third of Barnes Global to her daughter, Pam, which Christopher would inherit in the event of her death. In the episode "A Call to Arms", Christopher tries to have his mother declared legally dead so he can inherit her shares of Barnes Global. In the same episode, an agent named Ellis finds a list of deposits made to a Swiss account that mirror the amount in the trust, indicating there is still activity and implying she remains alive. However, in the episode "Legacies", Pam was finally declared dead. Her plastic surgeon, David Gordon, explains that she had been horribly burned in her 1987 car accident, and left her family because she didn't want them to see the way she looked. She underwent several surgeries in an attempt to reverse some of the badly scarred tissue left by the oil truck explosion. Unfortunately, she had developed

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of panc ...

. She flew to Abu Dhabi to receive an experimental surgery but died on the operating table. According to Pam's death certificate, she was born on April 10, 1950, and died on July 14, 1989, making her only thirty-nine years old at the time of her death. However, this contradicts the flashback scenes of the episode "Jock's Trial, Part II" in

Season 3 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...

, in which Pamela's mother is pregnant with Pamela after the 1952 presidential election.

Reception

The character of Pamela has been well received by television critics. Principal received a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

nomination in the category of "Best Actress in a Television Series" at the

40th Golden Globe Awards The 40th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 1982, were given on 29 January 1983. Winners and nominees Film The following films received multiple nominations: The following films received multipl ...

for her work as Pam. Principal was nominated for a ''

Soap Opera Digest ''Soap Opera Digest'' is a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It features onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional in ...

'' award for "Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role on a Prime Time Serial" in 1986. She also shared a nomination with Patrick Duffy for "Favorite Super Couple: Prime Time" in 1988. Pamela crashed into an oil tanker at the end of the tenth season of ''Dallas''. The exit storyline was the subject of notable controversy. It was left open ended after Principal left the show and the audience had no idea where the character was going. Hal Erickson of

MSN MSN (meaning Microsoft Network) is a web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps for Windows and mobile devices, provided by Microsoft and launched on August 24, 1995, alongside the release of Windows 95. The Microsoft Net ...

.com said, "Although Victoria Principal had left ''Dallas'' at the end of season ten, by the time the series' 11th season rolled around, Principal's character, Pamela Ewing, was still lingering about, swathed in bandages after being seriously injured in a car accident. As if to lead viewers to the conclusion that Pamela would suddenly make a complete recovery in the tradition of her husband Bobby Ewing's (Patrick Duffy) "return from the dead" at the outset of season ten, the ultimate fate of Pamela was left unresolved for several weeks—and further complicated when the poor girl suddenly vanished from her hospital bed." Patrick Duffy returned to ''Dallas'' in 1986 after being absent for an entire season. The whole year's worth of episodes was written off entirely as Pam's dream. The storyline garnered the show a lot of publicity, both good and bad. The Staff of

UGO Networks UGO Entertainment, Inc. was a website that provided coverage of online media in entertainment, targeting males aged 18–34. The company was based in New York, New York, United States. History The company started in 1997 as Unified Gamers Online ...

.com said: "

Soap Operas A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

are known (and at times hated) for their ridiculously implausible storylines, and while '80s primetime suddser ''Dallas'' is still one of our favorite guilty pleasures, even the great Ewing empire is not immune to the absurd storytelling techniques the genre has become associated with. While your average primetime soap operas don't usually mingle with the stuff of sci-fi and horror, there's an incredibly high rate of characters returning from the dead in the genre. Case in point: Bobby Ewing. Presumed dead after being run over by his sister-in-law, Katherine Wentworth, who also happened to be obsessed with him, fans (and CBS) had to do without Patrick Duffy, and even worse, ratings, for one whole season. Thus,

Larry Hagman Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American film and television actor, director, and producer, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera, ''Dall ...

, who played Duffy's onscreen brother and despised oil baron

J.R. Ewing John Ross "J.R." Ewing Jr. is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'' (1978–1991) and its spin-offs, including the revived ''Dallas'' series (2012–2014). The character was portrayed by Larry Hagman from the series ...

, along with network execs, persuaded Duffy to return, making it possible (we're talking in soap opera terms here), for Bobby Ewing's character to come back by writing off the ratings nightmare of a season as a dream... a very bad one."

Notes

References

*

External links

Pamela Ewing Biography
at ''Ultimate Dallas''.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Ewing, Pamela Television characters introduced in 1978 Fictional characters from Texas Dallas (TV franchise) characters Fictional business executives Fictional female businesspeople Female characters in television Fictional characters with cancer