Who Shot J.R.

"Who shot J.R.?" is an advertising catchphrase that American network CBS created in 1980 to promote the television series ''Dallas''. It referred to the fictional mystery surrounding a murder attempt against arch-villain J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) in the show's third-season finale " A House Divided". The mystery and its catchphrase became a global phenomenon, with international odds-makers setting odds for the culprit. The mystery was not resolved until the fourth episode of the fourth season titled " Who Done It" which aired eight months later, with an estimated 83 million American viewers tuning in, one of the most watched television broadcasts of all time. The catchphrase has a strong legacy in pop culture and the format helped popularize the cliffhanger ending for television series.

Plot

In the final scene of the 1979–80 season, J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) hears a noise outside his office, walks out to the corridor to look, and is shot twice by an unseen assailant. The episode, titled " A House Divided", was broadcast on March 21, 1980, and was written by Rena Down and directed by Leonard Katzman. Viewers had to wait all summer to learn whether J.R. would survive, and which of his many enemies was responsible.

J.R. Ewing was a villain on the series who regularly double-crossed business associates, plotted against his own family, called his wife Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) a "slut", and had her committed to a sanatorium so he could take custody of their infant son John Ross. Essentially all the other characters on the show were suspects.

Ultimately, in the " Who Done It?" episode which aired on November 21, 1980, the person who pulled the trigger was revealed to be Kristin Shepard (Mary Crosby). Kristin was J.R.'s scheming sister-in-law and mistress who shot him in a fit of anger. J.R. did not press charges, as Kristin claimed she was pregnant with his child as a result of their affair.

Production

Hagman had begun ''Dallas'' as a secondary character, but by 1980 he was the star. Advised by friend Carroll O'Connor that the shooting had made him very valuable, Hagman demanded a raise. While negotiating with the actor, CBS prepared to replace him by having J.R. receive facial reconstructive surgery (despite having received the bullet in his stomach). Production for the 1980–81 season began in June 1980 without Hagman. He returned to work ten days later with a new contract that paid him $100,000 per episode and royalties from J.R. Ewing merchandise. Viewers had to wait an additional two months to find out the answer to the famous question, however, as a strike by the Writers Guild of America began in July that delayed the production of most new network shows by eight weeks. During the delay, CBS showed reruns of early ''Dallas'' episodes featuring J.R. Ewing, helping the show's many new fans better understand his character.

Marketing and reception

T-shirts printed with such references as "Who Shot J.R.?" and "I Shot J.R." became common over the summer. Several media outlets held "Who shot J.R.?" contests.

The media hype over the series was unprecedented and a global phenomenon. The Barron Knights used the melody and background music of the Gary Numan song "Cars" in "We Know Who Done It," their 1980 parody and spoof of 'Who shot J.R.?'. The episode also inspired a novelty record by radio personality Gary Burbank which reached No. 67 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in July 1980.

During the 1980 United States presidential election, the Republicans distributed campaign buttons that claimed "A Democrat shot J.R.", while Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter joked that he would have no problem financing his campaign if he knew who shot J.R. When Hagman was offered £100,000 during vacation in the United Kingdom for the identity of the shooter, he admitted that neither he nor anyone in the cast knew the answer. Former president Gerald Ford unsuccessfully asked producer Leonard Katzman who the shooter was; he and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, were among the millions worldwide intrigued by the mystery. The crowd at Royal Ascot yelled "J.R.! J.R.!" when Hagman arrived. Betting parlors worldwide took bets as to which one of the 10 or so principal characters had actually pulled the trigger.

Suspects

Every actor and crew member—even Hagman himself—was filmed shooting J.R. to keep secret the identity of the actual shooter. International oddsmakers created a set of odds for the possible culprits:

* J.R.'s beleaguered wife Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), who had spent most of her marriage competing with J.R.'s infidelities and her own increasing alcoholism, was originally ranked as an outsider at 25-to-1; however, after her fingerprints were discovered on the gun, her odds were slashed to 3-to-1.
* Dusty Farlow ( Jared Martin), Sue Ellen's former lover, was the original 6-to-4 favorite, despite the character's disappearance and presumed death in a plane crash.
* Vaughn Leland ( Dennis Patrick), a prominent Dallas banker J.R. swindled in a business deal, at 4-to-1.
* Kristin Shepard (Mary Crosby), J.R.'s sister-in-law, mistress and alleged mother of his child, also at 4-to-1, which was later lowered to 3-to-1.
* Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy), J.R.'s younger brother, with whom he often butted heads over their business and personal lives, was placed at 5-to-1.
* Lucy Ewing (Charlene Tilton), J.R.'s niece, who blamed him for her parents' exile from the family and the collapse of her recent engagement, at 8-to-1.
* Jock Ewing ( Jim Davis), J.R.'s father and founder of Ewing Oil, who disliked the way J.R. conducted his business, at 12-to-1.
* Alan Beam ( Randolph Powell), a political fixer and former fiancé of Lucy's whom J.R. had run out of town, also at 12-to-1.
* Dr. Simon Ellby (Jeff Cooper), Sue Ellen's psychiatrist, stood at 16-to-1.
* Marilee Stone ( Fern Fitzgerald), a woman widowed when her husband committed suicide after J.R. swindled him in a bad investment, also at 16-to-1.
* Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval), longtime Ewing family rival whom J.R. took particular pleasure in defeating during business deals, was placed at 20-to-1.
* Pamela Barnes Ewing (Victoria Principal

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