Drill Bits: ‘Dallas’ Season 2 Arrives on DVD

They’re here

“Dallas’s” second season arrives on DVD today, and not a moment too soon. Fans now have less than two weeks to catch up with the Ewings before TNT begins televising Season 3 on Monday, February 24. It’s a good thing many of us have a long weekend coming up. We’re going to need it.

The four-disc set, which sells for $39.98, includes all 15 second-season episodes, along with lots of extras. The highlights:

• An extended version of “J.R.’s Masterpiece.” The instant-classic funeral episode offers about six minutes of extra footage, including Ann’s eulogy, which is based on a conversation Brenda Strong had with Larry Hagman before he died.

The latter nugget is one of the tidbits you’ll hear from executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael M. Robin on the audio commentary. Other revelations: Cidre and Patrick Duffy initially believed Bobby shouldn’t speak at the funeral, and the scene where the Ewings arrive in Nuevo Laredo to retrieve J.R.’s body was filmed at the Fort Worth stockyards.

• More than 15 deleted scenes. In one sequence, Bobby comes onto the Southfork patio and finds J.R. listening to his ex-wife being interviewed on the radio. Says J.R.: “You just missed it, Bob. Sue Ellen called me a philanderer — on the radio. I’m not saying I don’t deserve it. I’m just surprised she didn’t used a dirtier word.” You’ll also see Ann and Bobby discuss Christopher’s search for Pam. “I think that sometimes the past is best left alone. … I’d just hate for Pam to cause you or Christopher any more pain,” Ann says.

• Cast interviews. The cast’s panel discussion at last year’s Paley Fest television festival is included, along with a feature where the actors recall working with Hagman. (Robin’s tribute is especially moving.) Also included: an interview that Hagman recorded around the time the new “Dallas” debuted in 2012. In a particularly poignant moment, he praises his new co-stars and says, “We’ve got four wonderful young actors that are going to drag me through another 13 years. At least I hope to hell they will.”

As if the DVD isn’t enough, TNT also announced plans yesterday to televise every episode from “Dallas’s” first two years before Season 3 begins. The 25-hour marathon starts Sunday, February 23, at 8 p.m.

You dirty boy

Presenting Mr. Henderson

TNT set hearts aflutter last week when it shared sexy shots of Elena (Jordana Brewster), Pamela (Julie Gonzalo), John Ross (Josh Henderson) and Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) on Facebook and Twitter and asked “Dallas” fans which character should be the “face” of the show’s third-season advertising campaign.

The winner: John Ross, whose image received 31,000 “likes” on Facebook and 360 “favorites” on Twitter. Something tells me his daddy would be awfully proud.

I’ve posted all four images on Dallas Decoder’s Facebook and Pinterest pages. Which one do you like best?

Look Who’s Talking

The “Dallas” cast will soon be making the talk-show rounds to promote the third-season premiere. Last week, the folks who operate Linda Gray’s Facebook page announced she’ll appear soon on NBC’s “Today,” CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight,” Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” and Katie Couric’s syndicated show.

Of course, if you can’t wait to hear the scoop on “Dallas,” check out the highlights from Gray’s recent conversation with Dallas Decoder and other bloggers.

“Drill Bits,” a roundup of news about TNT’s “Dallas,” is published regularly. Share your comments below.