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Dallas (1978 TV series)

Dallas is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1978, to May 3, 1991. The series revolved around an affluent and feuding Texas family, the Ewings, who owned the independent oil company Ewing Oil and the cattle-ranching land of Southfork. The series originally focused on the marriage of Bobby Ewing and Pamela Barnes, whose families were sworn enemies. As the series progressed, Bobby's elder brother, oil tycoon J.R. Ewing, became the show's breakout character, whose schemes and dirty business became the show's trademark.[1] When the show ended on May 3, 1991, J.R. was the only character to have appeared in every episode.

Dallas

David Jacobs

List of writers

List of directors

Jerrold Immel

United States

English

14

357 (list of episodes)

  • Leonard Katzman (seasons 1–8)
  • James H. Brown (season 9)
  • David Paulsen (seasons 10–11)
  • Howard Lakin (season 12)
  • Cliff Fenneman (seasons 13–14; associate producer seasons 1–11; co-producer season 12)
  • Mitchell Wayne Katzman (co-producer seasons 13–14)
  • Frank Katzman & John Rettino (associate producers seasons 13–14)

47–50 mins

CBS

April 2, 1978 (1978-04-02) –
May 3, 1991 (1991-05-03)

The show was prominent for its cliffhangers, including the "Who shot J.R.?" mystery. The 1980 episode "Who Done It" remains the second-highest-rated primetime telecast ever.[2] The show also featured a "Dream Season", in which the entirety of season 9 was revealed to have been a dream of Pamela Ewing. After 14 seasons, the series finale "Conundrum" aired in 1991.


The show was mostly an ensemble cast, with Larry Hagman as greedy, scheming oil tycoon J.R. Ewing, stage/screen actress Barbara Bel Geddes as family matriarch Miss Ellie and Western movie actor Jim Davis as Ewing patriarch Jock, his last role before his death in 1981. The series won four Emmy Awards, including a 1980 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series win for Bel Geddes.


With its 357 episodes, Dallas remains one of the longest lasting full-hour prime time dramas in American TV history, behind Gunsmoke (635 episodes), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (538 episodes as of May 2023), Law & Order (488 episodes as of May 2023), Bonanza (430 episodes), and Grey's Anatomy (420 episodes as of May 2023). Dallas also spawned spin-off series Knots Landing in 1979, which also lasted 14 seasons and a total of 344 episodes.


In 2007, Dallas was included in Time magazine's list of "100 Best TV Shows of All-Time".[3]


In 2010, TNT announced it had ordered a new, updated continuation of Dallas.[4] The revival series, continuing the story of the Ewing family, premiered on TNT on June 13, 2012, and ran for three seasons, ending its run on September 22, 2014.

(seasons 1–2) and Keenan Wynn (season 3) as Willard "Digger" Barnes, alcoholic wildcatter father of Cliff, legal father of Pam and sworn enemy of Jock;

David Wayne

(season 2) and Mary Crosby (seasons 3–4 and 14) as Sue Ellen's scheming sister Kristin Shepard, who has an affair with J.R. and is revealed to be the one who shot him in the "Who shot J.R.?" storyline;

Colleen Camp

(seasons 3–6, 8–9, and 14) as Sue Ellen's cowboy lover and Clayton's adoptive son, Steven "Dusty" Farlow;

Jared Martin

(seasons 4–5 and 8–12) as Jeremy Wendell, villainous WestStar Oil frontman who tries to conquer Ewing Oil;

William Smithers

(seasons 4–5, 8 and 12) as medical student Mitch Cooper, Lucy's on-off husband;

Leigh McCloskey

(seasons 4–8 and 12–13) as Mitch's sister Afton Cooper, an aspiring singer and Cliff's longtime girlfriend;

Audrey Landers

(seasons 4–6) as Rebecca Barnes Wentworth, Pam and Cliff's estranged mother;

Priscilla Pointer

(seasons 5–8 and 11) as Rebecca's daughter Katherine Wentworth, Pam and Cliff's psychotic half-sister who falls madly in love with Bobby;

Morgan Brittany

(seasons 6–7 and 9) as Mark Graison, Pam's lover and eventual fiancé after her first divorce from Bobby;

John Beck

winner Deborah Shelton (seasons 8–10) as model Mandy Winger, girlfriend of Cliff Barnes; longtime mistress of J.R.;

Miss USA

(seasons 8–10) as Jamie Ewing Barnes, Jack's sister who eventually enters into an ill-fated marriage with Cliff Barnes;

Jenilee Harrison

(seasons 11–12) as Casey Denault, a young hustler who works for J.R., romancing Lucy and April in order to get to their money:

Andrew Stevens

(seasons 11–12) as Kimberley Cryder, the wife of a WestStar oil executive that J.R. romances to further his business empire;

Leigh Taylor-Young

(season 12) as Don Lockwood, an English film producer who becomes Sue Ellen's second husband;

Ian McShane

(seasons 12–14) as Vanessa Beaumont, mother of James and J.R.'s sweetheart, later temporarily his fiancé.

Gayle Hunnicutt

November 15, 1996 / / CBS / 13.4 / 23 / 18.1 / 9–11 pm (lead-in The Lion's Pride drew a 6.3 rating)

Dallas: J.R. Returns

April 24, 1998 / / CBS / 7.8 / 14 (lead-in Candid Camera drew a 6.8 rating)

Dallas: War of the Ewings

November 7, 2004 / / CBS / 8.5 / 14 / 12.7 / 9:30–11:30 pm

Dallas Reunion: The Return to Southfork

Episode 1: "Pilot". Guest starring as Bobby Ewing.

Patrick Duffy

Episode 2: "Community Spirit". Guest starring as J.R. Ewing.

Larry Hagman

Episode 6: "Home is For Healing" Guest starring as Lucy Ewing.

Charlene Tilton

Inspiration[edit]

The 1956 film Giant is considered to be the inspiration for Dallas. Both productions focus on the struggle between wealthy oilmen and cattlemen in Texas, in the mid to late 20th century. In addition, both productions have a lead character prominently referred to as "J.R."[39]

at IMDb

Dallas

at the Wayback Machine (archived December 26, 2015)

Official website