Meddlin’ mama
TNT’s “Dallas” has “turned up the volume” for its third season, Linda Gray told Dallas Decoder and other bloggers and reporters today.
Viewers who skip the show will “miss out,” Gray said. “They’re going to miss out on a wonderful, wonderful show — this year especially. They’ve turned up the volume. It’s hot. It’s sexy. It’s bawdy. … It’s beautiful television.”
The actress also praised the “Dallas” writers for the way they’ve handled Sue Ellen’s alcoholic relapse, which began after J.R.’s death last year and will continue in the new season.
“When J.R. Ewing passed, that was a perfect time for a relapse to occur. It wasn’t a tacky way of having her start drinking again. This was real, and a lot of people I’ve spoken to who are in the program have said, ‘Yes, that’s very realistic.’” … I really applaud the writers for doing it so beautifully,” Gray said.
More “Dallas” dish from Gray:
• On Sue Ellen’s reaction to John Ross’ ambition: “I think that she’d like to take that kid by the scruff of his neck and give him a good shake. I think that’s what he needs. I adore their relationship. He’s always disappointing her, which I love. I think it’s just fabulous.”
• On fans who feel Sue Ellen meddles in John Ross’s life: “Just wait. She’s going to keep meddling, meddling, meddling. And he’s going to keep doing bad things. That’s the way it works. … The scenes that they’ve written for the two of us are extraordinarily wonderful.”
• On her real-life mothering style — and how it mirrors Sue Ellen’s: “Once you’re a mother, you’re always a mother. … You can’t help yourself. My girlfriends and I used to say, ‘It’s part of our charm.’ And so there are times, I have to say, [when] Linda Gray says to herself about Sue Ellen: ‘Sweetheart, it’s part of your charm.’”
• On continuing Dallas without Larry Hagman: “Larry, because I knew him so well, would say to me, ‘Oh, for God’s sakes. Get on with it.’ Honestly, that’s what he would say. He would not want people to say, ‘Oh, the series won’t work without him.’”
• On how the writers might keep J.R. in the storyline: “You know, he will have done something — in my estimation — 40 years ago, some … oil deal that will reverberate and will cause chaos now. They’ll find some letter, they’ll find some document and it will make a mess of things. So I think that they’ll always include him.”
“Dallas’s” third season begins on Monday, February 24. Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.
Dallas Decoder 
Fantastic! Read this with a smile on my face. Thank you, DD!!
😀
Thanks Sarit!
I think Linda is right when she says Sue Ellen will probably still meddle in John Ross’s life. I think Sue Ellen is just concerned that her son will act exactly like his daddy in his professional AND personal life and she doesn’t want that for her son! Love these tidbits from Linda!
Thanks Jennifer!
C.B., will u ask Miss Texas if she’ll marry me?
J. R. was so CRUCIAL to Dallas, another actor should have been hired to play this important role after Larry Hagman’s death! Throughout the history of Dallas, some characters have had multiple actors play the role. While it would have been difficult to find the right actor to carry on the role of J. R. Ewing, it could have been done. But now without J.R., I seriously doubt the series will make it to a 4th season.
Art, I respectfully disagree. And Art, C.B. wll point out this out 1st, as will everyone else. Hagman wantd the role killed off. He wanted to own it & it was the right call. Besides there is still a J.R., John Ross Ewing the IIIrd to fight Uncle Bobby James Ewing. So there is still the Bobby/J.R. conflict!
Sorry, Art, but I can’t agree with you here. There was only one J.R. Ewing, and that was Larry Hagman. I believe the show was right to kill off the character. I also believe the series can continue without him, although it will be different.
They are going to use unused footage of Larry Hagman as JR as part of the story arc
http://www.ultimatedallas.com/dallasnews/2013/10/14/dallas-tnt-season-3-spoilers/
It would be interesting to see Mr. Hagman again.
Oh, my, my, my, my,my,,……ART. You have committed a Dallas sin. There is no one who could replace Larry as JR. Letting the character die after losing Larry was completely the right thing to do. While I mourn the passing of one of my all time favorite fictional people, I thought the way they handled it was absolutely correct. JR will live on in spirit. John Ross will live to be like his dad. You know the writers will have a blast finding ways for JR to cause problems long after now….probably to the end of the series. As long as John Ross, Sue Ellen, Bobby, and Cliff are around…JR will be around as well.
Nicely stated, Hel. Thanks.
No, core charcters should ever be changed. The original Dallas learned thier lesson with Miss Ellie.
Very true!
I hope Sue Ellen is written as strong and intelligent unlike in much of the original. If there was ever a son who needed his life to be meddled with it is John Ross Ewing III. Fans want to see her meddle. They want to see her take John Ross by the scruff of the neck by holding her newly gained power via the Southfork mineral rights. TV shows constantly portray nubile young female characters and their powerful daddies. We never get to see they dynamic of a powerful older woman and her adult son. Older women on TV are usually just grannies or shrews or invisible. I am looking forward to seeing their relationship. John Ross should still be intimidated by his Mama. Their relationship provides a nice counterpoint to Judith and Harris.
I’ve been watching Dallas since it first aired in 1978! I can’t even think of another show that was so big from 1978 to 1991 and then come back 35 yrs later and start a recreation from the original and with exceptions of Jim Davis(Jock Ewing) and Barbara Bel Geddes(Miss Ellie) all the main cast members are still alive and can play the parts in just phenomenal to me! At least TNT got 2 yrs with Larry Hagman before his passing and as far as replacing him, no one could fill Larry’s shoes! It would be a disgrace to even try! There will never be another JR Ewing(Larry Hagman) and hopefully it will left that way! He deserves that!
Agreed, Jo. Thanks!
Wonderful comments, Garnet. I do love the way you think. Thanks!
Anyone else think the Barnes family won the feud. I mean Ewing Global is now owned by cliff Barnes, his daughter, and the grandson of both Jock and Digger. Even with John Ross the “Barnes family” is in control. Lol
Ha ha! Never thought of it that way.
I want there to be another letter that was sent to anyone, or more to Bobby’s letter. I want The Ewings to go after Wesstar Oil, George Kennedy is still alive I believe, and Harris and Cliff are going to need help from jail, who better than Carter McKay. I also want to see Jenna or Donna return. Is Sly still alive she can return. James, One of JRs other sons, could return based on technically is JR or Miss Ellie’s Will, like instead of mentioning by name, is says first born or something. Is the actor who played the guy who said he was Jock still alive, bring him back. Have Cally come back, for awhile. And most of all more ray and Lucy, and even Gary
Judith needs to be back also
She will be!
I would watch the 3rd season if they actually planned to bring in the rest of the next generation Ewings. There’s a group of Ewings out there that would all be in their 20’s, the perfect age for this show. J.R.’s son with Cally, and J.R.’s grandson James/Jimmy Beaumont Jr.. Bobby’s biological son Lucas Wade, and Ray’s biological daughter Margaret Krebbs. And if they could get the rights to use Knots Landing characters, there’s Gary’s twin children, Bobby and Betsey. And best of all, they’re all virtual blank slates, character-wise, so they could fill any role the new writers want, without having to worry about past continuity (since the new writers clearly don’t pay attention to that anyway). They could be good, bad, or inbetween. They could have all sorts of secrets, to create drama for the show.
That’s basically the premise I’d use for Season 3 if I’d been in charge. It would be John Ross and Christopher, finally united and back to being allies, after their triumph over Cliff, and now they have to deal with all of those new interlopers coming in to town trying to get a piece of the Ewing pie.
There is so much to work with. I agree that there is a wealth of material from the original series that can be used today.
Mine the past, “Dallas” writers!
Good points, although you also need younger characters who aren’t related to the Ewings for the various romantic entanglements — otherwise the relationships become incestuous.
Steve Forrest (Wes Parmalee) is passed on! Besides we don’t need him.
Rest in peace, Mr. Forrest!
I would welcome seeing more of Ray, Lucy and Gary.