Dallas (1978–1991) User Reviews

Kind Of a very long "Godfather" TV-saga.

[tomasg-69814 · 8/10 · 26 August 2016]

Well, I just want to publish my very own personal review about this global smash hit. And keep it that way.

Liked it A lot when it was on screen here in Sweden during the years about 1981-1993(?). (Some 2-3 year delay from U.S prime time.) That was a usual standard for American TV shows for European watchers by then.... (National television was Russian style in Sweden too, you know.) Got curious when my mother got hooked on the Ewing/Barnes feud, myself being just seven years old at the time. (I naturally didn't get so much out of it then.)

What was meant by the creators of "DALLAS" to be a five act drama TV show with the troublesome marriage between Bobby Ewing and Pamela Barnes in center, grows to be the major series of the 80's. (The response from the viewers after some episodes were so good that the producers called for an extension.)

We were allowed to get into the flesh of a family, with sons and daughters always fought each other for power and wellness. Office suits mixed with rancher blue jeans. Oil business and kettle care in the same sweet melody.

When the DALLAS show was released over here on DVD in a "two season per year-plan" in the early 00's, It was time to take the trip all over again. During a six year period, I consistently dug deeply into it season by season during free time, and enjoyed it to the fullest.

The Southfork Ranch almost became my own living room.

Not A member of A fan base, I want to share my own profit of taking the trip from start to finish:

"The Jock Ewing Years" are/were DALLAS at it's best. Jim Davis was the Brando of the Ewings, without doubt. The plot of the whole show was more centered and interesting while he was present. The screen writers re-grouped the three sons of an oil-mafia matriarch, surly in a "godfather" style. Late Larry Hagman (R.I.P) was the senior son J.R, the natural heir of the throne. Always thinking business, besides the hunger for women as a pleasure. Stone cold and calculating, he smashed every fly that came around him trying to steal his limelight.

2nd son Gary was placed beside in script, for several reasons. (Fans aware of "Knots Landing", uh?)

Baby brother Bobby eventually took the fight with his older brother for the captain's seat; after having his "easy living"-years he rapidly learn the business, but a little too late to ever compete with his way too superior brother, who were always one step ahead.

(Actor Patrick Duffy once said that an early take with Larry Hagman, which included some physical acting, ending up with Hagman laughing at his opponent's bad acting, was a real boost to shape up, and never feel minor in acting skills to Larry in a scene ever again.)

Cowboy Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly), the janitor of SF ranch, grows highly during this long history of the Ewings. Starting as kind of a youth manservant to them, he turns out to be more family than anybody of the Ewings ever dreamed of. (My personal favorite down to earth personality figure during the whole saga.) Forced into a world he never wanted to be part of.

On the opposite side, One Cliff Barnes always moaning of his father's stolen piece in the Ewings wealth, him being a partner to Jock Ewing in their oil "teen-years". (But drank it away.) Cliff B builds his own castle, but keeps up having hard time to compete with old J.R Ewing as Texas Oil Baron no. 1. Some good strikes on the way for Clifford, from time to time, always gave the series some fresh air and a forward push.

The family drama went on for years and years. People comes and goes. Weddings, barbecue parties, and some good fist fights at the annual Oil Baron's Ball. Liquor for breakfast, coffee for lunch. Heavy fuel for hard people.

Halfway the series gets a little stalled, but the writers kept on finding new and sometimes cheer ways to keep the story going on.

Yes, there's alcoholic intoxicated wives on the way.

It's getting kind of silly around the "dream-season" alright. (A solution created because of the actors big egos $....)

But I kept on watching it after that anyway, didn't I?

And did I love the ride?

YES. To the final "shot".

The Good the bad the ugly!

[mm-39 · 7/10 · 25 April 2018]

I do not like Soap Operas and I liked Dallas. The Good: Character development was great. The mean, get it done boy father Jock Ewing gave a real old school Oilman feel. Jock was the only character to keep J R in line. Hagman's gave the J R character a slick, dirty, aggressive I the antagonist who plays the game better and harder then anyone else. Bobby J R 's brother was good, fair tough was J R's counter balance for the show. The mom, Ray, Lucy etc were side character which played minor roles and had side stories, which balance the script out. Sue Ellen and Cliff Barns were the punching bag characters for J R! J R stood out and was most of the show. The hat, wicked smile, laugh, and sarcasm made for a juicy script. J R would have an affair, underhand dealing with company, and fight a feud with Cliff and or Sue Ellen. sometimes both at a time. The bad: When Jock died J R's counter balanced died, and made the show too much about J R. After six years Dallas ran out of good ideas. Dallas became formulated. Who's having sex with who? What miss understanding/getting burnt deal is going happen now. After the who shot J R series Dallas slowly faded away. The ugly: When Bobby died and came back in the shower it was all a dream episode many people stopped watching Dallas. Cast was leaving and or being replaced with new actors for the same characters. Stories got more and more over the top. The final 3 years of the series became just ugly. Still a T V icon show. J R is a T V character icon. Even if the series went way too long, Dallas is the gold standard of T V soaps. High budget, and prime time. 7 or 8 out of 10 stars.

Greatest TV soap ever by a long way

[sophieahmed · 8/10 · 21 January 2012]

Dallas was and still is a TV phenomenon. It took the model of the tired old American soap and turned it into something fresh, fascinating and compelling watched by millions of people around the world. It used for the first time the device of the cliffhanger at the end of the season to keep people coming back for more. Personally I believe the 1981-1984 central seasons were its high point with the titanic struggle between JR and Bobby for control of Ewing Oil plus other strong story lines.

What was the secret of its success and longevity? I believe this is down to 3 factors.

1. The story lines cleverly combined subjects that would appeal to a mass audience - love and sex, glamour, money and power, family problems, and controversial subjects for the time e.g. Sue Ellen's alcoholism that attracted interest and raised awareness.

2. Excellent writing with top notch scripts.

3. Superb acting from the key cast team. I have to single out Larry Hagman's performance as JR, I have never seen any performance to match it in any TV drama. He completely got under JR's skin and while he showed us what a monster the man was, he also made us aware of his redeeming features (particularly his strong sense of family) so that we never quite lost empathy for him. Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray and Ken Kercheval also gave remarkable performances as Bobby the 'good' brother who was never boring, Sue Ellen the wronged wife who eventually found a life of her own and Cliff, JR's neurotic, bungling rival who rarely managed to best him.

"Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer!" (J.R Ewing)

[dgrahamwatson · 4 May 2006]

Dallas has to be one of the greatest ever TV shows, because it had all of the attributes for entertainment. It had great characters, good writers and story lines that ranged from the ridiculous to the sublime. Oh how easy it was to run an an oil company! Watching Dallas was pure fantasy, it's simply what makes TV fun and relaxing, take out an hour from the real world and enjoy, for people who saw the show they know what I mean!

So there we were introduced to the Ewing's who were in a bitter feud with the Barnes. However it was the biggest mismatch since George Foreman pounded Joe Frazier into the canvas 6 times in two rounds in the 1973 heavyweight title fight. The Ewing's led by JR body-slammed Cliff Barnes around for the first two seasons. In reality it was not a fair contest, a multimillion dollar family with connections up against a small town lawyer were always going to come out on top! However, that was to change as the series progressed. Of course the show quickly centered on JR (played by Larry Hagman) and the writers created a character that people would really hate; he had no problem playing fast and lose with other peoples lives.

So what did JR do that upset so many people! Swindled and cheated the cartel on more than one occasion, blackmailed politician's and government officials into helping him with his crooked deals, had the police set people up on phony charges as he had much of Braddock and Dallas police dept in his payroll. However JR wasn't satisfied with just tormenting the powerful, his family were not spared either, he was instrumental in trying to break up both Bobby, Garry and his mothers marriage's on numerous occasions. Cheated on his wife so many times that he turned her into an alcoholic and had her committed to a sanitarium. Government regulations were also no obstacle to his ambitions. He defied a State department embargo and illegally sold oil to Cuba, instigated a military coup in some oil rich country in Asia and risked a middle east war by hiring mercenaries to blow up Saudi Arabian oil fields to jack up the price of oil, and finally had a run in with the CIA and the Justice Department.

It was not just Cliff Barnes he wreaked havoc on, other people were fair game too. He betrayed, conned and left many of his subordinates, business associates and former lovers twisting in the wind, either in jail, broke or on the run from the police. As a consequence of his meddling, reputations were ruined family relationships were left in tatters and ambitions shattered as he turned his back or double crossed some of his closest confidants. It doesn't get any better than this! Not surprisingly the phrase "I'll get you JR if it's the last thing I'll do" or "you'll pay for this JR" both became fairly regular clichés as they all vowed revenge! As I write this I can count at least 5 attempts on JR's life as they tried to get even.

Many would say that the golden years of Dallas were the 1978-82 seasons. That's probably true, all the characters were developed through those seasons and I think Dallas had it's highest ratings. However my personal favorites were the 1987-1990 (the last series was poor)! In 1986 with the series tottering on the edge, the writers took a chance and despite ridicule brought back the character Bobby by making the previous season all a dream. It was a risk but they resuscitated a series by binning the most boring and tired looking season in 1985/86 (and that's according to Larry Hagman too) as never happening and therefore having a fresh start to the series.

To start with not everything went JRs way he lost Ewing oil, Sue Ellen started to get her act together and fight back on equal terms, Pam left the series and Bobby became a more aggressive character without her. It was a brave attempt by the creators to revive the series and they certainly pulled it off, Dallas never would have lasted as long if they had not done it! They filmed in locations such as Austria, France , Russia and gave a higher profile to the skin crawling Jeremy Wendell head of Weststar and after his exit he was followed by the lager than life Carter Mackay, who kept up the pressure on JR and the Ewing's far more than the cartel.

Some of the story lines introduced scenarios from movies such as COOL HAND Luke when JR was sentenced to hard time on a chain gang , or ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST when JR in bizarre scheme bribed a judge to commit him into a puzzle house to find out information from Clayton's mentally ill sister. Even Bobby was not spared, on his trip to Paris his wife April was kidnapped very much a story similar to the 1987 movie FRANTIC.

With the proliferation of satellite and cable TV the major networks sensitive to their advertising revenue delved into trash TV and the half hour sitcoms which are cheap to make. Just over the horizon audience participation shows i.e. Opra, Rikki Lake and Springer and dopey half hour sit-come's were awaiting and if you were to fast forward looming ahead were the so called reality TV shows of the late 1990's.

Dallas was the first of the glam soaps and the second last to be canceled (1991). Was it all more entertaining than what's on today, well you be the judge!

The granddaddy of 'em all!

[hnt_dnl · 10/10 · 11 July 2008]

When you think influential television shows, DALLAS should be near or at the top of your list. It is on mine! DALLAS was the first really great nighttime soap opera. In reality, it started the genre. There were later shows that followed and were even at times more popular (the spin off KNOTS LANDING, the stylish and classy DYNASTY, the forgotten stepchild FALCON CREST), but DALLAS was the first.

DALLAS is the tale of the rich, powerful oil family the Ewings, who reside in Braddock County, Texas, right outside of Big D. The patriarch is John Ross "Jock" Ewing, an old school oil baron who did it the hard way, wildcatting and working in the oil fields. The matriarch is Eleanor Southworth, "Miss Ellie" Ewing, the heart and soul of the family. The land that contains the Ewing's ranch and home is from her side of the family, but she and Jock own it jointly b/c Jock saved the family land when they were about to lose it back in the day. So at first, it was a marriage of convenience, but they quickly fell in love and had 3 sons: Gary, Bobby, and the eldest John Ross Ewing Jr., or as we all know him: JR!

For me, JR Ewing is one of the top 2 or 3 characters in all of TV history. Played by the great Larry Hagman, there has never been or ever will be another character like JR. Hagman imbibed JR with a no-nonsense, larger-than-life, unapologetic style that can never be copied. The best TV villain ever! Hagman had a great supporting cast that complimented him: Patrick Duffy (the saintly younger brother Bobby), Linda Gray (JR's alcoholic, self-destructive, but SEXY wife Sue Ellen), Victoria Principal (Bobby's wife Pamela Barnes Ewing, the daughter of Jock's old rival Digger Barnes), Ken Kercheval (Pam's brother and JR's biggest rival Cliff Barnes), Steve Kanaly (Jock's illegitimate son and ranch foreman Ray Krebbs), Susan Howard (Ray's wife and political activist Donna Culver Krebbs), Lucy Ewing (prodigal son Gary's daughter and a spitfire of a young lady) and the aforementioned legends Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie) and Jim Davis (Jock).

The style and set design, in addition to the great characters, of DALLAS is what really draws you in: the beautiful Dallas spots, the expansive Texas scenery, the restaurants, offices, etc. Also, the fashion is great: chic, classy for the females and cowboy boots and suits for the males! And of course, DALLAS had the ultimate cliffhanger: Who shot JR! Perhaps the most memorable cliffhanger (and maybe the real first one) in all of TV history. I remember it as a kid and it still resonates with me today. But let's face it: the greatness of DALLAS can be summed up with two letters: J and R!

Good Old JR

[DKosty123 · 6/10 · 23 April 2007]

It is amazing how one actor, Larry Hagman, alias JR Ewing, could so dominate a program that no matter who you put around him he'd still come out on top. That really is the story of this show. Every large family has it's black sheep. JR is the nightmare come true of them all.

By the time Hagman came to this show, he had plenty of acting experience. He had learned to be a straight man to Barbara Eden on I Dream of Jeannie. In a way, his deceptions of Doctor Bellows to explain the strange goings on around him & Jeannie prepared him well for this role. JR is the ultimate deception character.

In a way if Hayden Rourke (Dr. Bellows) had been able to have done a couple of Dallas shows as JR's therapist, it would have made interesting fodder. I mean if innocent Tony Nelson could baffle Bellows, old JR could have confounded him with both hands tied behind his back.

The plots got me started with this show. Then the good looking women who were always waltzing through kept me interested. Finally old JR just kept me coming back for another & another.

The highlight everyone remembers is JR being shot. That too me is one of many. When the DVD's get to the season where Bobby is killed in the accident, put the accident scene in slow motion & keep a special eye on Victoria Principal (Pamela). If the scene is not touched up from it's original broadcast, you will see a little wardrobe malfunction which happened long before the Super Bowl & gives you a much better look at Victoria briefly, than you could ever imagine.

With all the spice, all the intrigue, all the feuds, & all the nasty old rich oil Barron's, this show always entertained. Like old JR would tell them at the oil Barron's, "Bring me a bourbon & branch."

There will be only one Dallas!

[Sylviastel · 10/10 · 1 November 2006]

I can't believe that Dallas is being made into a film starring John Travolta as J.R. Ewing. There will only be one J.R. Ewing and that's Larry Hagman. I don't care if he is too ill to play him but I can't imagine another J.R. Ewing. I remember watching Dallas on Friday nights after another southern show, Dukes of Hazzard. I always thought Dallas was great show always entertaining with a stellar cast besides Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Victoria Principal, Barbara Bel Geddes, George Kennedy, Ken Kercheval, Patrick Duffy, Priscilla Presley, Charlene Tilton, etc. This was one show that was quite entertaining to watch on Friday nights. Sure, it was silly sometimes but you can't beat Dallas not with the original cast. It was quite a show of the 1980s.

The first in a trend of nighttime soap operas...

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 26 March 2016]

... including a spin-off "Knot's Landing" that began in 1979. I'm originally from Dallas, I lived there the first 35 years of my life. I was 20 when this premiered back in 1978, and I hardly recognized the place that was portrayed, to the point that it was funny. The show tried and changed a few things up front, things that unless you go back and watch season one, you will quickly forget or maybe you never knew at all. Basically the entire series is about the conflict between two families - the Ewings and the Barnes', with other characters thrown in as needed. Jock Ewing heads the Ewing clan, which runs a successful oil company. "Digger" Barnes is a wildcat oil man who basically has been beaten down by life and by the Ewings in particular. Jock and Digger started out on the same rung of the same ladder, Jock has succeeded by foul means or fair, Digger has failed.

Throw into this a rivalry between Jock's two sons - the older, meaner, and famous J.R. (Larry Hagman), and the younger and more honest Bobby (Patrick Duffy). J.R. is the son that basically runs the family company and he will have no sibling even sharing that position. Now throw another complication of Bobby having just married Digger's daughter, Pam, and Pam's brother Cliff being the long time lover of J.R.'s long ignored and cheated on wife, Sue Ellen (Linda Grey), and you have all kinds of interesting scenarios. There is another Ewing son, Gary, and he has long since wisely decided to get away and stay away from this toxic situation and these toxic people. Jock and his wife are finishing raising Gary's daughter, Lucy (Charlene Tilton), who is a spoiled brat.

In the beginning, the focus was more on the Romeo and Juliet situation of Bobby and Pam, but people soon showed far more interest in the horribly evil greedy and lusty J.R., so the focus went to him and pretty much stayed there.

It's hard to keep a show focused for fourteen seasons, especially when you have real life situations pop up and story lines play out. For example, one cast member died early in the series (Jim Davis as Jock) and his absence was explained away for a full year before Jock's death was written into the script. As the years wore on other cast members left never to return, others left and were then urged to come back. This resulted in all kinds of strange devices and even hurtful situations. The strangest plot device - the absence of Bobby turning into a season long dream when the season after Duffy's exit became a complete disaster AND Patrick Duffy agreed to return. The hurtful situation - Donna Reed was asked to step in to replace Barbara Bel Geddes as Jock's widow, Miss Ellie, only to be summarily shown the door when Bel Geddes agreed to return.

And the one situation nobody ever talked about. In season one under aged Lucy is shown sleeping with Ewing hired hand Ray Krebs. Several seasons later it is revealed that Ray is the result of a past affair Jock had, making him a new rival of J.R.'s but also (OH THE HORROR!) Lucy's uncle! Great shades of incest, I think the writers just hoped everyone would forget this. (Somebody get me a bucket! BLECH!) Although everybody displayed good acting here, Dallas would have probably petered out after just a few seasons if not for the supreme job Larry Hagman did at portraying J.R. He stole every scene, every oil well, and every woman, and he was the man in the ten gallon hat with a menacing smile that everybody loved to hate. The second highest rated show in TV history - back when watching TV was a three network communal experience - had to do with who had shot him at the end of the third season in 1980. With all of his antics there was no shortage of suspects. Contrast this with the hapless affable accidental astronaut he played in "I Dream of Jeannie" and you have to admit Hagman showed great range. The fact that the reincarnation of Dallas could not go on after Hagman's death is somewhat a testament to his role as the glue that held everything together.

The unrealistic part? Coming from Dallas, the Ewings would have probably lived in Highland Park or Preston Hollow, not some ranch in the middle of nowhere. But in retrospect, maybe living on the ranch was a good idea, or else today's Ewings would have Dubya as a neighbor with the constant secret service intrusion, lobbyists parking on their front yard, stray bullets from the hunting rifle of visiting ex-Veep Cheney, and everything else that would come from having this particular ex president as a neighbor.

Sorry my review was so long, but Dallas was a long series and Texas is a very big state.

Dallas - the Soap with Balls!

[paul_adams39 · 10/10 · 2 July 2012]

Dallas is the greatest TV series of all time - sure it's a guilty pleasure, escapist fantasy but extremely well done - compare this with utter drivel like Dynasty ( as Terry Wogan more accurately called it "Dysentery"!)

There's something - and someone - in it for everyone:- big business wheeling and dealing, bar-room brawls, love affairs, all the other Soap Opera staples - but with an unlimited expense account.

Strong male characters - Bobby, Ray, Jock, Clayton;

Strong female characters - Miss Ellie, Pam, Donna;

The most lovable villain ever created - JR Ewing, superbly played by Larry Hagman and then there's Sue Ellen, the equally superb Linda Gray, who is in a category all of her own.

At its mid-80s peak the most gorgeous women on the planet - and they're not made of plastic either.

Up until the infamous dream season - and thats 8 years into the show's run - even the slightly silly elements are kept within bounds and is part of its charm ( ie. the poison dwarf, only having one phone and one servant in the early series etc).

And of course, there's THAT theme music/opening credits!

Good story

[nablaquadro · 6/10 · 10 January 2007]

When Dallas was aired for the first times in the 80s I was a child and I couldn't appreciate it yet. Since last September, when a satellite channel proposed again this Soap Opera, I had a small crush of it. I became fond of J.R.'s intrigues, his rivalry with Bobby and Cliff Barnes, the beautiful Pamela and nice Miss Ellie.

Dallas' strength is the plot. Not completely concerned about love and betrayals (typical but annoying), the Ewing Oil battles can move even the male audience transforming the Soap in a TV-series. Jim Davis' death (the mythical Jock, R.I.P.) put a lot of fuel in the "engines" with the legacy questions and relations getting worse. J.R.'s Machiavellian plans filled the script of amusing and caustic irony, always enjoyable.

The recitative level wasn't so great; all the actors, actually, had their height in this series, but the general quality is decent. Except for Ken Kercheval and Steve Kanaly, which proved to be good actors giving a great shape to their characters, challenging J.R. at any cost. Special mention to Charlene Tilton, which is really beautiful and should have had greater relief in the story.

Ending too late, in 1991 (2-3 years too many), the story was slowly plagued by script tricks and poorly credible deaths or departures, compromising its heritage made of several Emmys and 1 Golden Globe won.

6,5 / 10

Who shot J.R.? Who cares?

[ShadeGrenade · 1/10 · 4 February 2011]

It was announced earlier this week that the U.S. soap opera 'Dallas' is to make a comeback. To me, its about as welcome a return as The Black Death or Adolf Hitler. I wasted much of the '80's hating not only the show itself, but the people who worked on it, and the B.B.C. for importing the flaming thing. It was the 'X Factor' of its day. You could not pick up a newspaper nor switch on the television without finding someone ( usually Nina Myskow ) gushing about how great it was. A 'Radio Times' letter writer called it: "television's greatest achievement ever!" ( what medication was he/she on? ). Yet I could not ( and still can't ) see its appeal. It was essentially 'Crossroads' with helicopter shots.

Created by David Jacobs ( not the former B.B.C. presenter ), it told of the trials and tribulations of the filthy rich Ewing family, who lived in Dallas ( hence the title ), Texas. The head of the clan was grizzled Jock Ewing ( Jim Davis ), but he had to be written out after a few seasons as the actor playing him died. He was married to simpering Miss Ellie ( Barbara Bel Geddes, then Donna Reed, then Barbara Bel Geddes again ), their sons were bad guy John Ross ( J.R. for short, played to the hilt by Larry Hagman, former co-star of the sitcom 'I Dream Of Jeannie' ), and good guy Bobby ( ex-'Man From Atlantis' Patrick Duffy ). Bobby's wife was lovely Pam ( Victoria Principal, the lady who took away Anthony 'Psycho' Perkins' virginity ). J.R. was a swine who loved two things in life - himself and money. He was married to the permanently emoting 'Sue Ellen' ( Linda Gray ), who had a drink problem, a quivering upper lip and a tendency to throw empty glasses at her husband each week after a row. The Ewing ranch - Southfork ( known in my house as 'Forkoff' ) - was augmented by juicy Lucy ( Charlene Tilton, who must have been last in the queue when they handed out necks ). Jock had an illegitimate son in the shape of cowboy Ray Krebbs ( Steve Kanaly ), adding to the existing family friction. J.R.'s main business rival was creepy Cliff Barnes ( Ken Kercheval ).

Promiscuity was rife, rather bizarre in an era where we were all being urged to be monogamous. 'Dallas' offered some startling insights into the high-powered world of big business. For instance, I learnt that the job of oil tycoon involves sitting behind a desk all day, puffing cigars, knocking back whisky, and trying to inject the word 'offshore' into everyday conversation as often as possible. In the immortal words of 'Yosser Hughes' ( Bernard Hill ) from 'Boys From The Blackstuff': "Give us a job...I can do that!". It might have been fun had it been played for laughs, sort of like the Susan Harris sitcom 'Soap', but everyone concerned took the stupid plots of adultery and double-dealing deadly seriously. When J.R. got shot at the end of one season, the tabloids went into a frenzy, attempting to identify the would-be killer. 'Who Shot J.R.?' became the most oft-asked question of the '80's. Since then, almost every soap has tried to do a 'who shot J.R.?' type cliffhanger, with varying results.

Howard Keel was Miss Ellie's love interest 'Peyton Farlow' and Steve 'The Baron' Forrest was made up to resemble a goat's bum as 'Wes Parmalee' ( where did they get these names from? 'Star Wars'? ) Terry Wogan was the first British 'Dallas-phile' and it is his name I used to curse each week when that bombastic theme tune blasted out of the television. I.T.V. attempted to poach the show from the B.B.C. at one point but sold it back to the B.B.C. - just as interest was on the wane. The final straw came in 1986 when, after being killed off, Bobby was famously resurrected in a shower, invalidating an entire season ( was this where Steven Moffat got the idea from for the Season 5 finale of 'Dr.Who'? ). Fans decided they'd had enough, and the last series went out in a graveyard on Sunday afternoon slot on B.B.C.-1 in 1991.

As if the prospect of a new 'Dallas' is not worrying enough, a 'Dynasty' revival ( Ye Gods! ) is also threatened. Good to know that Hollywood is currently bursting with exciting new ideas. To my mind the 'Dallas' series is the second worst thing to have happened to that famous city, the very first being J.F.K.'s assassination.

On the plus side, it kept a lot of women entertained for over a decade, and the late, great Kenny Everett did a wonderful parody called 'Dallasty' which ended each week with the credit: 'Creative Realisation Associates Production' ( spell out the first letters ).

I grew up with this show

[mrkath · 10/10 · 2 July 2021]

I was 7 years-old when this show started. My mother loved the show and it became our Friday Nights to share time in watching it. I caught re-runs on occasion and was in the process of watching it (free with ads) until it was removed yesterday. I am disappointed that I cannot finish re-watching the series and would definitely appreciate it being offered in similar fashion very soon-- as I will NOT pay for watching it.

It was fun to re-watch the show as an adult with more life experience. My interest waned after the departure of Pam-- as she was my first real TV Crush... Beautiful lady! I always wanted Bobby and Pam to be together.

Compared to some current real life people, J.R. Ewing is a classy pussycat.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 30 August 2017]

At least he had charm. At least he had Jock and Miss Ellie to look up to. At least he had Jeannie in a bottle. Oh wait, wrong show. Larry Hagman went from perplexed astronaut on a hit sitcom to one of the greatest villains in broadcast history, and even today, outside of the final episode of "MASH". nobody can top the ratings in finding out "Who shot J.R.?" Decades after the show went off the air and a couple of TV movies, "Dallas" was brought back with Hagman once again holding the reigns, and when he passed away, it was obvious that the new "Dallas" could not go on without him. Rather than have J.R. die like any normal 80 something year old would, J.R. was murdered, and something tells me that this is exactly how he wanted to go, pulling the strings and still fully feisty, and yet smarter than most people in charge and lovable in spite of all those evil schemes on his roster.

The original "Dallas" brought back the prime-time soap as daytime soaps were at their height, the Luke & Laura years just around the bend, and the success of this show changed the serial format of daytime TV as pretty much every daily soap brought in a power hungry patriarch businessman to run the show and emulate what was going on at Southfork and at Ewing oil. From "Dallas", we got a spin-off (the classy "Knot's Landing"), a campy hit rip-off ("Dynasty") and a replacement of oil for wine ("Falcon Crest"), but they owe it all to "Dallas". Without J.R., there would be no Palmer Cortlandt, no Asa Buchannan, no Alan Spaulding (he might have been introduced before J.R., but the "Guiding Light" patriarch really developed even more after "Dallas" was created).

Where there was bad, there had to be good, and as bad as J.R. was, there was still some good in him, seen every time he felt that he was losing control of his baby-doll wife Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) who got a backbone in season 3 and divorced him after finding out he had slept with her own sister. Good brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy) fought to keep his love for Pamela Barnes Ewing (Victoria Principal) from being destroyed by his brother's schemes, but the animosity between J.R. and Pamela's equally scheming brother Cliff (Ken Kercheval) kept that from happening. The Barnes/Ewing feud went back decades, but with matriarchs Miss Ellie and Rebecca being friends, it seemed not to be of the Capulet/Montague or Hatfield/McCoy variety. It was complex, and even though Miss Ellie had once been involved with Pamela's father, that didn't pass on in resentment to Pamela's mother. Barbara Bel Geddes and Priscilla Pointer shared a great dynamic, and when they decided to kill off Rebecca, I was sorely disappointed.

Over the years, there were some great regular cast members and many guest stars. David Wayne and Keenan Wynn as Digger, Tina Louise as J.R.'s lovelorn first secretary who didn't get stranded on an island, but ended up face down on pavement after being tossed off a roof; MGM musical star Howard Keel, initially recurring, and later a regular as Miss Ellie's second husband, Clayton; Alexis Smith as his psychotic sister who locked Miss Ellie in a car trunk; Audrey Landers as the luscious Afton Cooper, lover of both J.R.'s and Bobby's; "Three's Company" veteran Jenilee Harrison as a Ewing cousin; Dack Rambo as her brother; and of course, other regulars like Steve Kanaly as the illegitimate Ewing, Susan Howard as his ethical wife who stood up to J.R. with every immoral act he tried to commit, and of course, the diminutive but irrepressible Charlene Tilton as Ewing granddaughter Lucy who unknowingly slept with her uncle.

The complexities of the series are too numerous to mention, but if you start from season one and get at least through the episode before Bobby "died" (then came back after a season where everything was wiped out), you can see how very "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" this is. Bobby and J.R. both had sisters-in-laws who shot them, and while I could have seen more of Morgan Brittany's Katherine, I was ready to let go of Mary Crosby's Kristen. Veteran movie star Martha Scott was delightfully obnoxious as Sue Ellen and Kristen's mother, a stark contrast to Miss Ellie and Rebecca. Even glimpses of Jock's first wife Amanda (played by soap veteran Lesley Woods and later the elegant Susan French) showed her to be quite gentle, even if suffering from a mental illness that made Jock's wildcatting absences even more stressful. Barbara Bel Geddes' Miss Ellie showed what it was to be a lady, strong and determined, although she needed to give J.R. a wallop and remind him that she could take him down if she needed to. Instead, the writers simply wrote her and Clayton out, making it clear that she was sick of it all, certainly not true to the character. By this time, it was apparent that they didn't care anymore, and in its last couple of seasons, "Dallas" became a shell of itself, almost as ridiculous as "Dynasty". TV movies fooled around with the history even more and the new TV series didn't even acknowledge facts that had been brought up during those times.

B-O-R-I-N-G!!

[strong-122-478885 · 3/10 · 12 March 2018]

I don't know why people have raved to me about this TV show or how it managed to survive running for 14 seasons.

Neither glamourous, nor exciting, nor interesting - Dallas made being super-wealthy look even worse than being poor.

This badly-scripted show was a big bore that featured really petty and stupid characters and stale and predictable situations.

I guess one has to be into soap operas to appreciate all this snivelling, empty-headed garbage.

seductive

[Kirpianuscus · 29 October 2016]

to see Dallas for an East European is always a strange experience. under the Communist regime, it was a fairy tale. under the democratic regime - a promise. but, always, in a strange way, more than fiction. because Larry Hagman creates a spectacular bad guy, splendid mixture between Shere Khan and Darth Vader. because it has the gift to be more than one of many soap opera from the same period but a phenomenon. because, its spectacular longevity transforms the viewer in part of story. sure, all is a fiction . but the dose of reality is right for discover the trace of series in every day life. it has the right story and the right actors. this is its success roots. and the seal for a period looking the perfect story for understand the reality escaping from it.

Back on for free stream

[danpoole-78490 · 10/10 · 19 July 2021]

IMDbtv you have made me a happy customer adding this back!!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!!

Review of Dallas Season 5 DVD

[DominickMEvans · 7/10 · 8 September 2006]

For the time in which it first aired, Dallas was one of the raciest shows on primetime television. As a child of the 80s, now in my late-20s I grew up watching Dallas, or rather my mother watched it while I was getting ready for bed. However, all these years later, I have to admit I hold a special place in my heart for the show. The actors were amazing, especially since they were television actors, and the story lines were tumultuous enough to be remembered nearly two decades later.

Dallas: The Complete Fifth Season was an excellent season to watch because several of the show's main plot lines had already been established. As a viewer, you were well aware of what you would be getting when you turned on the television on Friday nights, and this season was full of shocking moments and unexpected surprises.

Right from the start, the ultimate Southfork drama occurs. A body is found in a pool on the Southfork property and J.R Ewing (Larry Hagman) becomes the prime suspect! Of course, all of the Ewing brothers spend the show accusing the others of killing the person, so maybe J.R isn't to blame…this time. J.R. has other things on his plate, which are more important than a dead body. He's battling Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) for their son. Sue Ellen and the boy are living on the Ewing family's rival's ranch, and J.R. wants his son back.

Midway into the season, things really heat up when the family patriarch Jock Ewing dies. Let the games begin on the Southfork properties, because while lovely Miss Ellie is grieving, her children will all be fighting for the prestige and money of Ewing Oil. By this point, viewers needed to prepare themselves because there was going to be a knockdown, drag-out fight to the finish – everyone wants their fair share, and a little bit more on the side.

Meanwhile, in the midst of all this craziness, Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) and his wife Pamela (Victoria Principal) are both desperate to have a baby. When adoption doesn't go as well as hoped, Bobby does what all Ewings do best, he buys one. Now add in a suicide attempt and the possibility of financial ruin and you have the best of Dallas in one stunning DVD box set.

Excellent performances were given by the entire cast, but, as usual, Hagman and Gray stole the show. However, special kudos should go out to Patrick Duffy, who also gave an amazing performance. This box set has everything a true Dallas fan could want. From murder to treasonous behavior, all the elements are represented and they guarantee to please.

The big special feature for this season of Dallas offers a tour of the Real Southfork Ranch. This is the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at the ranch the Ewings called home.

All in all, Dallas -The Complete Fifth Season is a Dallas-lover's dream. Watching this particular season made it crystal clear why season five was ranked number one in both the U.S. and the U.K. when the it first aired. If you are a fan, you will not want to miss this box set, and if you are not, but you love the serial dramas of today, you might want to give Dallas a try. Nothing on television these days can compare to the drama of the Ewing clan, and honestly, I doubt anything ever will! Star Rating:

four and a half stars

Originally Published on Thursday, August 24, 2006 Copyright 2006: Ashtyn Evans and Literary Illusions

Dallas gets a big Yee-Haa!

[atomicjeff-41850 · 10/10 · 8 May 2023]

Dallas is one of those sitcoms that can only be described as legendary. Dallas aired for 14 years on CBS. It aired on Friday evenings from 1978 to 1991. The show revolved around two feuding Texas families. The rich and powerful Ewing Family, led by the patriarch Oil Tycoon, John Ross Ewing Sr. Aka Jock Ewing and the Barnes family, led by his former co worker and friend Willard Barnes, aka Digger Barnes. The show also had a great assortment of characters and drama to boot. This show gave birth to one of the most rememerable television characters of all time, the character you loved to hate, none other than JR Ewing. JR was portayed by the late great Larry Hagman. The show was innovative and gave birth to the quote season ending cliff hanger, which viewers would have to wait until next season for a resolution. The show was ground breaking and gave birth to one of the most anticipated episodes in history, "A house divided" or better known as Who shot JR episode. The show became a worldwide phenomenon that not only aired in the US but in over 60 countries. Every Friday night was Dallas night in my houshold which brings back found memories with my family watching the dysfunctional Ewing Clan. This show had it all: style, money, power, corruption, scandalous sex, powerful story lines, and an unforgettable cast of supporting characters. If you have never watched this series please do, you will be glad you did.

Better than your average soap opera

[grantss · 6/10 · 22 April 2023]

The Ewings are a wealthy oil baron family, living on the ranch Southfork outside Dallas, Texas. Oldest son JR runs the family oil business and is as ruthless and scheming as they come. Brother Bobby has married Pamela Barnes, member of the rival Barnes family, creating friction in the family.

Better than your average soap opera, not that this says too much. Decent plots, solid performances, plot actually move forward rather than go around in circles, great production values. Also, unique for a soap opera, the plots are not all about romance and relationships but often about business, in particular the family oil business.

There's still a lot of the stereotypical soap opera nonsense - relationships that keep changing for the sake of changing - but it's still quite interesting.

J.R. is the man!!!

[japa · 8/10 · 16 August 2001]

Yes, this is a classic show though I have to admit, that maybe they should have ended sooner. The last years are not that good. But of course what makes this show so spectacular is J.R. Ewing. Has there ever been so devilish man. I don't like people calling this soap opera. The bold and the Beautiful, Young and the Restless, they are soap operas. Dallas is just damn good drama series. It's so great too see J.R. and Cliff Barnes fight against each other. And what about Ewing barbecue and Oilbaron's Ball, those events include most classic TV-scenes ever. Yes, this is one of best shows ever. There are so many great characters, Jock Ewing, Jeremy Wendell, Punk Anderson, Jack Ewing, McKay played by George Kennedy but of course J.R. is the man! And yes, I have a picture of J.R. on my door!!

love to see it.

[akhildesire · 6/10 · 12 June 2018]

Love to see it its fantastics. great well not seen this but listen too much about it from many people.

The Original Prime Time Soap

[shelbythuylinh · 10/10 · 27 November 2021]

As that the Dallas show was suppose to be about Pam and Bobby Ewing. But then JR Ewing the villain and later on, anti-hero or anti-villain became more popular.

Larry Hagman tried to get out of I Dreamed of Jeannie fame as he was the straight man to Barbara Eden. But the late Hagman seemed to love playing the character of JR the breakout star.

He had his soft spots like love for his mother and love-hate relationship with his wife Sue Ellen and others as also his younger nicer brother Bobby.

The feud was with the equally ambitious Barnes family in which Pam was a Barnes before marrying Bobby that cause the feud even much more destructive.

It made for cheesy TV but that it really ID the JR role to that over in Hagman. The late Barbara Bel Geddes as his mother is the only sane person along with Bobby there.

Too bad the late Jim Davis as Jock died of lung cancer prior during the early seasons there.

It was great when I could watch it

[mg-90591 · 6/10 · 5 July 2021]

Was definitely into it until it was no longer free to watch.

The show that re-defined prime time soaps

[k_dizzle_scarface_nizzle · 17 November 2004]

This show literally changed prime-time television for the better. The show centers around the lives, loves and scandals of the Ewings, a family of oil-rich barons who reside in-where else?-Dallas. When the

show started on CBS in the spring of 1978, the show centered around the "Romeo & Juliet" love story of Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) and Pamela Barnes Ewing (Victoria Principal), the daughter of the Ewings' arch enemy Digger Barnes. Story lines, and ratings. changed for the better when DALLAS refocused on the devilish dealings of Bobby's oldest brother John Ross "JR" Ewing, Jr. (Larry Hagman. DALLAS reached the peak of its' popularity when JR was shot in the spring of 1980. For years, the show would remain at the top of the ratings until it started getting competition first from ABC's "Dynasty" and then NBC's "The Cosby Show". DALLAS' ratings was never the same after 1986 when Pam dreamed the entire 1985-1986 season. The show ran until 1991, when low ratings virtually killed it. It also spun off the longest-running prime-time soap ever, KNOTS LANDING.

Legendary

[nostromo666 · 10/10 · 2 May 2022]

The most memorable families ever. The very best cliffhanger ever. The most famous universe ever. Very well-done, with incredible situations, unforgettable characters. Couldn't wait for the oil barons ball, the bbq, the next tricks, a brawl in a bar...