Cynthia Cidre
Spoiler alert! “Dallas” fans are still reeling from this week’s season finale, in which Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) was killed when his car blew up and John Ross (Josh Henderson) learned J.R. has a secret daughter. I spoke with executive producer Cynthia Cidre about the cliffhangers — and what fans will see if “Dallas” returns next year.
Is Christopher really dead?
Yes. Believe me, we thought about teasing that: Did he die? Did he not die? And then, because I knew he was going to be dead for sure, I just felt dirty about doing that. It didn’t feel honest. So I thought the explosion was pretty big, and pretty definite — although I’m told all the blogs are saying he’s not really dead.
Yeah, the readers on my site are filling up the comments section with all kinds of theories.
That’s fun. I’ve got to read that.
But why kill a Ewing?
Well, we aim to surprise everybody — always. We like doing what you don’t see coming at the end of every season. I thought we did that well in Season 1, when we found out Rebecca was Pamela Barnes, and then we had Season 2 end with Elena finding out J.R. cheated her father. We always want to do the unexpected. And what would people expect less than if you actually killed off one of your main characters?
Swan song
Why Christopher?
If you really think about it, there were really only two options. I couldn’t kill Sue Ellen or Bobby because somebody might kill me. I couldn’t kill John Ross because the show is really on Josh’s shoulders since Larry [Hagman] died. That left Ann and Christopher. Whose death would have the bigger impact? It would be Christopher’s.
Was there a lot of debate in the writers’ room?
We pitched it back and forth for months and months: “Are we doing it? Can we do it? Are we insane? This will drive the fan nuts. They’ll want to watch the next season to see what happens. No, we can’t do it. Yes, we can. No, we can’t.” And by the way, it costs a lot of money, so we had to get permission from the studio and the network. Finally, when the money came through, Mike [Robin, a “Dallas” executive producer and director] and I looked at each other and said, “Oh, my God. I guess we’re really doing it.”
When was the scene filmed?
Only about three weeks ago. That we kept it secret is more incredible. At a certain point, only the writers and Mike knew, and then it became the studio, and then it became the network. Every time it went to someone else, I would freak and think, “How are you going to keep this secret?” Then we had to budget it and schedule it, and that involved a whole other film crew because our crew was not working. So we used the crew for “Major Crimes.”
You kept it in the TNT family.
They didn’t know what they were shooting. They knew there was going to be an explosion, but they had no idea what show, what character. And then when Jordana [Brewster] showed up on set, they realized, “Oh my God, we’re shooting the finale for ‘Dallas.’” We talked to them afterwards and said, “Guys, you’re so great to do this. You showed up on a Saturday. Thank you for your time. Please, please, please keep this to yourselves.”
Jesse Metcalfe gave a nice statement to Entertainment Weekly. What was Jordana’s reaction to the news?
I only told her the night before we shot it. She was shocked. At first she thought we were killing her because we wouldn’t tell her what we were shooting. So I finally told her, “Just rest easy. We’re not killing you, okay?”
It was a big twist, which is why I’m sorry it aired on such a tough night. What’s your reaction to the ratings?
Well, we held our own, which is insane since seven other shows premiered that day. There was “The Blacklist,” there was “The Voice,” there was “Monday Night Football.” Literally, I’m stunned. But we’re a DVR darling. Every episode this summer has gone up [significantly in viewers through DVR playback]. All I can do is make a show we’re proud of and hope the diehard fans show up.
Brave new world
You’re still waiting to hear whether you’ll be renewed for a fourth year, but as you said the other day, you’ve already started writing next season’s storylines. So how’s Bobby going to cope with his son’s death?
I just finished the first [episode] outline and it’s all about him. How’s he dealing with this? He has a pretty good idea who did it, even though there’s absolutely no proof. And Nicolas is in Mexico, so he can’t get to him. So you’re going to see a slightly different Bobby than you’ve seen before. He’s extraordinarily angry and vengeful, he’s extraordinarily hurt — and he’s refusing to express his hurt.
What about the rest of the family?
It affects everybody. Elena’s guilt goes without saying. She feels like her hands are dirty. There’s going to be a tortured relationship between her and Bobby. Believe me, this will be the emotional core of the show. The other thing that will be at the core of it is John Ross’s sister.
Yes, let’s talk about her. What can you say?
I can tell you that although J.R. has many spawns around town — if not around the world — this girl is different and special, and there’s a reason for that. That’s going to be the surprise that I hope will make your head spin.
You’re killing me here.
We had originally filmed the scene of John Ross finding her as an alternate ending because we didn’t know if we were going to get the money to blow up the car. But because we hadn’t cast the actress, all you were going to see was [the character’s] hand, and it was a great hand. It had bitten cuticles and some chipped nails and a bunch of bracelets. It was in a very exotic location. And we shot it, and it worked, but we thought because we’re going to move forward six months [when the new season opens], it would be better if John Ross finds her then. Because what the heck is he doing with her for six months?
So who’s this character’s mother?
It was a woman. [Laughs]
That’s good to know!
She’s passed away, so we’re not going to meet her. If I tell you that, then I would be spoiling something that I think would be a lot of fun — which, by the way, has been a pitch in our writers’ room for three years. We have something called the “duck pond,” where we throw up crazy ideas. And finally, that one looked good to us this year, so we’re employing it.
Will we see more old favorites from the original show?
Yes. There will be one who is a very, very, very popular old character. We’re excited to bring him or her back.
Wait, what? You’re not going to tell me if it’s a him or a her?
[Laughs] Okay, it’s a her. We’re looking forward to that storyline. It’ll be a lot of fun.
What about Cliff Barnes? Will Ken Kercheval be back?
Maybe. We’ve used him extensively for three seasons, but he’s in jail. We decided to leave him in jail, and so that kind of hurt us a little bit. There’s not a lot he can do from there. But there are some pitches about that also.
What about this business of adding a wing onto Southfork?
We’re doing it!
Really?
It burned! We have to add a wing. [Laughs] It’s a two-bedroom house with 15 people living in it.
But what about fans like me who consider Southfork sacred ground?
That’s why we’re going to put [the addition] in the back of the house. You won’t get to see it from the front, so the silhouette of the house will remain the same. We did not want to upset anybody. But we’ve made fun of [Southfork’s size] from the beginning.
I think that’s part of the show’s charm.
Yeah, definitely. We talk about it all the time. I mean, if you’ve ever visited that house, it’s probably 2,000 square feet, but somehow there are eight bedrooms. [Laughs]
Speaking of fans: Do you pay attention to the fan sites?
Not that much because I hate to get sucked into it. I mean, I want to hear all the good ones, and I want to hear the bad ones too. Mike Robin always leads with the good news. I lead with the bad news. That’s how I want notes from the studio. That’s how I want notes from the network. Just give me the bad news and I’ll fix it.
Listen up
Fans talk a lot about the show on social media. Do you do that?
No.
Why is that?
I don’t know. I feel like it’s passed me by — like I didn’t catch on at the beginning — and now my brain is so overloaded, unless I dump some “Gilligan’s Island” from my hard drive, I can’t learn anything new. But I know it’s very important, and thank goodness, all of our actors do it. They’re really into it, and they have a lot of followers. I also know the younger members of our writing staff do it. I just haven’t. Every time somebody tries to introduce me to it, I’m like, “No, I have so many emails I have to answer!”
But you hear what fans say. Is it hard to balance giving them what they want with pursuing your own creative vision for the show?
Maybe, because I’m not sure I always give the fans what they want. Maybe they’d like it to be more soapier than it is. I come from very dark writing. I wrote violent movies for Michael Mann and many other dark directors. That’s a place where I’m comfortable, and so I’ll often go to that place. Sometimes it works, and sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s probably not the best choice.
Can you give an example?
I just did it in something we were [discussing] for Season 4 about Pamela. I said, “How about she does this and this and this,” and then Robert Rovner [a “Dallas” executive producer and writer] said, “But that’s not empowering for her.” And I said, “You know what? You’re absolutely right.” I was going to a dark place for her. But I just want to work to the best of my ability, and I do want to make it delicious, and so I try never to steal that from the show.
You mentioned the “duck pond” in the writers’ room. Do I dare ask what other ideas are up there?
Most of them are goofy — and then one day they’re not goofy any more.
What I’d give to be a fly on the wall when you guys are discussing this stuff.
You have no idea. There are four comedy writers [on staff] and the things that get said inside that room — you can’t repeat them on the outside. Seriously, it’s insane. Every other day, I’m crying. We have fun. And at the end of the day, somehow the work gets done.
Share your comments below and read more interviews from Dallas Decoder.
Dallas Decoder 
I really think that Dallas made a huge mistake by killing off Christopher. Elena should have been the one to go. Jordana is so wrong in Dallas, she just doesn’t fit and, quite frankly, her acting is woeful.
My biggest problem is the other characters’ reaction to her. No one told her to get out of their house? Chris is fawning all over her to being cringe inducing. Murderer Nicolas only ‘redeeming’ quality is his love for Elena while he makes puppy dog eyes at her? Seriously? She broke Bobby’s heart? Sue Ellen goes off in Tracy McKay but Elena gets a pass? Is she suppose to be our little heroine we root for? She’s not mine because I’d like to see an Anvil dropped on her head.
totally AGREE.. never got her
Loved this interview, hope the show does return. Sounds as though there is going to be some good stuff!!
Need to add: I also think that the violence needs to be dialed waaaay back.
I am looking forward to finding out who John Ross’s sister is and how Bobby deals with his son’s death
Sounds hopeful that it will be renewed for season 4. Kind of disturbing that she does not pay attention to the fan sites. She needs us!!!!!!!
I’d really like to see more of Cliff especially now that Pamela is seeking revenge.
Renew Dallas!!!
Future of the Show: As I try to read between the lines it looks like it might be some time before we know if there is a season 4 or not. The question in my mind: When will TNT fill the currently empty programming director chair? In the meantime it sounds like the caretakers in charge are doing just that: caretaking. They are giving Cidre enough money so she can keep her staff together incase the new person decides to continue the show.
Any other statements about TNT liking the show are just noise to me. Despite the vibe they are getting right now, if the new person doesn’t like Dallas guess what will happen to it? Sometimes new people just want to put their stamp on something and that means the old goes…
I’m getting tired hearing Cidre talk about needing to add bedrooms because the house is too small. On CBS there were plenty of bedrooms to go around. I get the fact the house was remodeled prior to TNT episode one but that doesn’t meant the space just up and disappeared. What happened to the CBS second floor?
I read somewhere this morning that they got an extra $100k to shoot the car explosion. If that was the budget that abosultely explains the Ford Fusion acting as a body double for Christopher’s Tesla. You aren’t going to blow up a Tesla for that little amount of money. So I guess those who are noticing those kind of discrepancies by studying screen shots are not on to something about it not being Christopher. They are just noticing budget constraints.
Cidre doesn’t pay attention to what us fans are saying. Big surprise. She may be the showrunner but the concept she doesn’t seem to understand is when you take on something with this much history you are more steward than boss. You have to honor that past or risk alienating fans like myself to whom the little details matter. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Paying attention to detail and getting right shouldn’t chase anybody away. But playing fast and loose with it, or just not doing the due diligence in the first place will anger a certain percentage of the old fans.
They killed off Christopher long before the season finale. They never had any significant story line for him and all the other characters treated Christopher poorly, with the exception of the occasional “barn scenes” with Bobby. They probably forgot what kind of car Christopher drove, just as they forgot that it is Christopher’s mining technology. The way Christopher turned out is my number one complaint with the show. I feel insulted that they try to say it was a last minute thing. Why don’t they just admit they did not know what to do with the character and removing Jesse Metcalfe from the payroll would make it easier to get renewed.
Get Elena off the show as there is no redemption. If she stays let her go to Nicholas and have him killed and run his empire. Maybe down the line, she and the Ewings can be allies with her revealing that her baby is Christopher’s son, not Nicholas. I don’t want to see her sniffling on the show for sympathy or those expressions of sadness…will puke. Bobby went to her and pleaded and said how much more blood must be spilled…or something like that. She caused this…Drew and Christopher’s death. Get her out!
yeah, emotional core Elena and Bobby, huh? I don’t think so. The baby is going to be John Ross’s.
We HAVE TO HAVE Season 4!
It seems like if they didn’t want fans speculating if he’s really dead, they wouldn’t have shown a dark, blurry shot of him from the back getting into the car. They should have shown a nice bug close-up of his face, maybe even a shot of him sitting in the car just prior to it blowing up. That would give the fans a send-off for the character. Instead, it looks like they filmed it as an afterthought with a body double after Jesse Metcalf was no longer available.
Well, at least this means that they could bring him back if another show runner decided to do so.
Great interview ! Do we know how Jesse Metcalfe felt about leaving the show? Or maybe he didn’t knew about it (it looks like someone else is doing the scene). I also hope Dallas will be renewed, it deserves it as the last season was great, altough yes there have been a little too much violence, but it’s up to today’s standards.
Big Mistake Killing off Christopher, one week she says, no actors/actress/want to leave, THEN BOOM, IF JESSE MATCALE WANTED TO LEAVE, DID THEY HAVE TO KILL OFF HIS EWING ROLE, very disappointed in this Dallas writer,and don’t care anymore if it’s renewed, I love dallas, have always watched it, but rather watch re-runs from old series…then this now, Get rid of Cidre ! I bet the old dallas if put back on in re-runs, would fair better than her lousy writing !
I was happy to read this – “All I can do is make a show we’re proud of and hope the diehard fans show up.” If they make a good show, I will always be there. I will be there no matter what really because I am hooked on “Dallas!” I think it was time for Christopher to go. My only disappointment with season 3 is that they didn’t do anything with him and then read interviews that say something like “well, we wanted him to have a love interest because he’s does not have anything going on.” made it clear to me that they had no idea what to do with him. I was sure it had to be either Ann or Christopher and I was hoping for Ann because I wanted the show to focus back on Christopher’s mining technology. “Dallas” is by far the very best show on television. I do not even feel like I am watching anything new when I watch other shows. Seriously. What I really loved and enjoyed the most about season 3 is the way the entire cast gave, what I sincerely believe, the very best performances possible. I was already impressed with the show by season 1. It seemed that after Larry Hagman passed, Linda Gray really stood out as the heart and soul of the show. This season, everybody rocked and I even started to warm up Carmen. One thing that concerns me about this interview is that we possibly might not see Ken Kercheval. “Maybe” is not an acceptable answer. Cynthia Cidre, if you are reading this, we want Cliff!!! We need more Cliff Barnes!!!! #NeedMoreCliff In all seriousness, a scene, episode, story line, or anything entertaining can NEVER go wrong if it involves Cliff Barnes!
I seriously think that Cindy Cidre is an EXCELLENT writer. If she wrote books, I would definitely read them. I will miss Jesse Metcalfe, but I thought it was brilliant! The show will go on and it WILL BE GREAT! Come on TNT ~~~ we want more!!!
Maybe the mother is Sly? She and J.R. did sleep together once during the last season just before she left to go get married. She could have raised the daughter with her husband, thinking he’s the father. And the daughter would be early 20’s now, perfect age for the show. But that seems like the kind of obscure Dallas continuity knowledge that Cidre and Co. never paid attention to.
It could be Katherine too, which is the big speculation on the Ultimate Dallas forums, and her daughter would be around 30. And not only would this women be John Ross’ sister but also Pamela’s cousin and Cliff’s niece.
But going by the track record here, the mother will probably be some brand new character that we never heard of.
Sly as the mother would be great! I like your idea!
This was a great interview with Ms Cidre. She states she does not read fan sites or fan comments but I’m sure someone on her team does & lets her know what we are saying!
You can bet on that! Whomever reads fans comments & email, then tells her, LISTEN UP:
Keep listening to us fans! We have very good ideas for Dallas TNT & it’s story lines. Its the fans that watch, support & love this show & we made Dallas & Dallas TNT an ICON! We are the reasons for all of your salaries! We dont mind at all, cause many of the fans are living pay check to paycheck but as long as Dallas TNT is renewed, it makes it all worthwhile! Somebody please make sure what I have said, gets to Ms Cynthia Cidre. We fans love her & keep listening to us! Dallas TNT 4-ever!!
Cidre doesn’t listen to what fans want. We want her to bring back favorites from Original Dallas. Many fans were hoping that the mother of John Ross’ sister would turn out to be Katherine which would bring back the beautiful Morgan Brittany. But Cidre says that his sister’s mother is dead, so we don’t get Morgan Brittany. We also don’t get John Ross’ two half-brothers or Bobby’s bio son Lucas who was raised by Ray and Jenna. Instead she keeps creating new characters that no one cares about.
I agree that Cidre keeps creating her own characters instead of using some of the originals. I’m concerned about where does Bobby and Sue Ellen go from here? What’s Sue Ellen’s role at this point, besides being a side kick to Bobby in business dealings and partnering with him to keep her own son in check? I don’t want to see any more new characters (besides this “sister”)
I have watched Dallas from the first start of the eRly years and the new Dallas can never compare to the old Dallas. We had better actors/actress. And jr Ewing is Dallas and I know Larry died in real life but to kill off jr on Dallas you killed the show it’s dead. The final show of the 3rd seAson was the best but you can’t judge one show and then decide we will renew Dallas. In the past very poor writing. Very poor acting on josh Henderson until the final show. I hope they renew the show but it’s not like the old Dallas it’s a show that’s using the Dallas name for credits.
CC as for me you made a mistake (to quote Julia Roberts.. BIGG MISTAKE HUGE HUGE) when you killed off Christopher. You as a writer did you not watch the old Dallas? You never kill off a MAIN EWING unless they die in real life and you have to write it in like Jock and JR, Look what happened when they tried to kill off Bobby it didn’t work so they had to make that entire season a dream, and when they tried to replace Miss Ellie with Donna Reed (due to her health) it doesn’t work. You need to bring Christopher back regardless and give him a little more backbone to go head to head with John Ross.. The storyline about the long lost sister will be good and the daddy to Elena will be interesting but bring Christopher back for sure. Have him be in witness protection to get the Cartel and Nicholas. Put Pan and John Ross together kinda like JR and Sue Ellen but don’t make Pam a weakling like Sue Ellen let her be a force to wreckin with. Give Sue Ellen a new love interest (or bring Dusty back) and make that be a rival and cause some tension with John Ross, but make her a strong woman and not a drunk that story line was exhausted in the original Dallas it is to old and outdated. Loved it when you had her going to be the governor, and when she hid the mic in the bourbon that was awesome Sue Ellen. CC take it with a huge grain of salt, from all the comments I have been reading and I have been watching Dallas since the very first episode and all reruns since IF YOU DON’T BRING CHRISTOPHER BACK YOUR GONNA LOOSE A LOT OF VIEWERS. PEOPLE PICK THEIR EWING AND THEY STAY TRUE TO THAT PERSON. HOPE YOU READ ALL THE COMMENTS AND LISTEN TO THE DALLAS FANS. You may not have to worry about anymore episodes being picked up. I LOVE MY DALLAS!!!!!!HOPE TO SEE YOU IN THE 4th SEASON!!!!
I’m a pretty big critic of Cidre. But in fairness I’ve read tons of complaints about Metcalfe’s whiney deliver. There are plenty out there you love him but also plenty who can’t stand him. So it is not like they killed off a universally loved character. This one was 50/50 at best. Even Cidre is acknowledging there are some like Bobby and Sue Ellen which are untouchable.
I think Cidre and her team pay very well attention to what fans want. But she needs to listen to other people too. If her boss wants to add more violence and explosion, then that’s what she needs to do. The studio pays her bills, we are not. And they are selling the show to nothing else than a channel that’s named after an explosive substance after all. In the last three years I got the impression that Cidre tries to make it right for a bunch of opinions who eant very different things from the show.
I can do a good Jesse/Christopher impersonation. He uses the exact same cadence and intonation on every sentence when he’s telling someone off. His voice always starts out very monotone and then goes up in pitch at the end of his phrases. I wish I could leave a recording on here so you could hear me do it.
Did JR and Katherine even actually sleep together? She had the hots for Bobby.
Yes, from what I remember J.R. blackmailed her into sleeping with him. I think he had a cassette tape recording he was holding over her head. I’ll have to go back and watch for sure. Katherine despised J.R.
Close Ty. JR splet with Katherine because he could. It was a condition of getting JR’s help to split up Bobby and Pam if I remember right. Then as long as JR was sleeping with Katherine he might as well (audio)tape it so he can then use that as blackmail if Katherine ever gets out of line. The point is he slept with Katherine first which resulted in the tape you are thinking of. Since Bobby has tradtionally rejected JR’s sloppy seconds it was an effective piece of blackmail.
Yes they did, a couple of times during the 1983-1984 season.
You know it’s fine if you want to add in a sister.come on don’t you think it’s time to accually bring in the other son’s he had from the last season of dallas.back in 1991.
I tell ya boy, great interview! Now if I married Miss Cynthia, wouldn’t I be Mr. DALLAS?!
WOW, CANNOT WAIT FOR SEASON FOUR. HOPE THAT IT CAN BE AIRED BEFORE SIX MONTHS.
If we wanted a real shock, JR’s daughter’s mother could be Pamela.
Omg, I thought I was the only one thinking tht
Cynthia Cidre is delusional.
No one was surprised after season one’s “reveal” of Pamela Rebecca Barnes. After season two, no one bought the contrived “Ramos justice” storyline. And after season three, fans are not happy with a dead Ewing. Why not write out Christopher vs. killing off the character?
The shock value is pathetic and gimmicky. It is NOT “delicious.” So sick and over that word!
I’m not excited about a made-up JR’s daughter. We are already stuck with the made-up Elena and her mother…two of the most contrived back-written characters on Dallas.
And even if she brings back Katherine Wentworth, she’ll ruin that just like she’s done with Gary, Val, Lucy, Ray, Callie, and Mandy.
So sick of the darkness and violence. Cidre is the wrong choice for Dallas. I wish the network would shock her with a pink slip “adios” and bring in a show runner who can produce a quality show. Good writing doesn’t need shocking violence, chopped off hands, brothels, threesomes, doggy fetish costumes and Mexican drug lords. SICK CIDRE, SICK and utterly warped, cheap, lame and cringe-worthy. People will always remember Dallas, but not Cidre’s twisted and wrong version of Dallas. Sad, sad, sad.
John, it’s all made-up.
Yes, it’s all made-up fiction, but good writing and well-developed, credible characters build strong followings of viewers. Cidre and Co. Alienate viewers with unlikeable, schizophrenic characters who change personalities every season, and in some cases, episode by episode. It’s not a quality show. It’s dark and depressing. They need some warmth, humor and family.
I still liked the threesome. My only complaint is that they didn’t go all the way with it.
And why is Cidre so worried about adding a wing to Southfork when her set design team couldn’t even get the floorplan right. When a show is on for over a decade, viewers remember iconic scenes from the living room and dining room. Now, the living room looks suburban and is at the rear of the house, the dining room is where the iconic living room was, and the old dining room is Bobby’s office. Wrong!
If Elena’s guilt and tortured relationship with Bobby are going to be “the emotional core of the show” then Dallas is not going to be worth watching.
Ms. Cidre, just because you like “dark writing” and it’s a place where you’re comfortable, doesn’t give you the right to make Dallas a vehicle for that. People are turning away from it because there’s too much violence – there’s no break from it.
If you keep going down this path, you will ruin the legacy of Dallas … and, quite frankly, it is not yours to ruin.
Oh I’m sure Christopher is dead, I mean they can’t make it all a dream, that would be ridiculous ;). And that explosion was definite he could never survive that right Pam 😉 and if he did they would have to cast another character off as plastic surgery which never happened on dallas ;););). I really the he is dead, but I am kind of hoping that just maybe Elena child will be Christopher’s. there could have been a time lapse and Christopher could have gotten her pregant, or she could just lie and say it is Christopher’s. or maybe heather has a child. I really wanted bobby to have and heir, and unlike most fans I don’t think Lucas should count as Bobby’s heir, surely he treats him as a nephew. I hope that JR’s daughter is Katherine’s but I can’t think of a reason that they killed Katherine off.
What if Kristin is the mother. Then this woman would not only be John Ross’s sister, but Christopher’s as well!!!!!
Everyone is right to their own a opinion but lets not be hateful to the Dallas supporters that are still out there, the only way the show will survive is to support it not destroy it, I love Dallas, my personal opinion is that we have waited way to long for shows like Dallas to come back to the screen. I would love for Cynthia to make some positive changes that would please the fans to bring up the ratings but all in all I am happy with Dallas.
I think its ridiculous killing off christopher! You cant kill a main Ewing. Should have been Elena. After everything Elena’s done- she should have been thrown off the ranch and moved to mexico- instead they are going to carry on this stupid storyline of the child being john ross’s. They’ve ruined Pamela’s character- she’s like a spoilt brat- making her character just ridiculous. I watched the show because I loved john ross and her together and the writers have killed that. She’s obviously not listening to what fans want and making Dallas into breaking bad or something!
Forgot to add- am really not interested in a new Ewing -weather she’s jr’s daughter or not!
In response to Dallas Fan forever: I am a Dallas fan forever also & I agree with you. Dallas & Dallas TNT are Television Icons! Fans, don’t ever think Ms Cidre does not pay attention to the fans! She has someone that does & she hears! Again I remind loyal fans to email your comments & support for Dallas TNT to: info-tnt@turner.com Write it down,
tell all Dallas TNT fans! Email, Email, Email. We love our show & it will be renewed for
Season 4! Just watch!!!!!!!
OKay I have to ask as politely as I can. On what basis do you think Cidre pays attention to us? She straight up admits she isn’t reading sites like this on her own. Maybe there are people doing it for her but if so she has yet to hire a continuity guru to avoid conflicts. We complain and she does what she wants anyway.
Look while I at times delude myself into thinking I matter, at the end of the day I realize for better or for worse she is the show runner and I am not so she does get to make the decisions (unless TNT overrides her.) But I don’t see how anyone can claim she is listening to continuity hawks such as myself because it just isn’t getting any better.
Let me give an example:
I’ll never forget the time I was watching some Youtube of a panel discussion. A crowd member stood up and asked why she at times calls Duffy’s character Robert James Ewing when those words were never spoken on CBS. Even when Bobby was dead his headstone said “Bobby.” Cidre’s response was simply to roll her eyes.
I don’t call that paying attention to the fans.
Well, Dan, don’t forget it’s her show, not ours. She owns it and we don’t. She has a vision for it and gets the studio’s and TNT’s input. You don’t have a say in it, but TNT has.
TNT wants a certain demographic and a pure soap may not reach that demographic. If TNT realizes that the typical Dallas viewer wants more emotions and less violence and explosions, they may come to the conclusion that the show is not right for the channel. Maybe explosionce and violence is what keeps Dallas on TNT.
As I said in my own post “at the end of the day I realize for better or for worse she is the show runner and I am not so she does get to make the decisions.” So I haven’t forgot it’s her show.
My whole point is that there is no use pretending that she is listening in any way to us.
I THINK DALLAS IS THE BEST SHOW. LIKE EVERTHING ABOUT IT. HOPE TNT WILL RENEW SALLAS FOR SEASON 4.
We all want a renewal, but I don’t want any more of Cynthia Cidre’s dark, sick, warped, depraved story lines. Cidre and her team have ruined characters and have taken Dallas to new lows…not only in ratings but also in screen content.
Cynthia Cidre’s track record:
1. Reunited Lucy, Gary, Val on screen. FAIL
2. JR’s “masterpiece.” There wasn’t one. FAIL
3. Killed off Pam Ewing. FAIL
4. Southfork wrong floor plan. FAIL
5. Called the Oil Barons Ball the Cattle Barons Ball. FAIL
6. Married a Barnes and Ewing twice and didn’t note the significance to the show’s history. One wedding wasn’t even shown. FAIL
7. Killed Christopher Ewing. FAIL
8. Mistakenly said on screen that Katherine Wentworth died. FAIL
9. Screwed up history of Miss Ellie’s will and Barnes Global and Ewing Energies (now Ewing Global) ownership. FAIL
10. Introduced annoying Ramos family. (They could have been interesting and likeable but were not. FAIL
My list could go on and on with threesomes, brothels, doggy fetish costumes, Mexicam drug lords, chopped off hands, and really bad stunt casting. FAIL!
John, what do you like about the show?
totally agree about Ramos.. but Judith Light Brilliant!
This is a great interview! I’m glad you’re spending time talking not just with the actors, but the key players behind the scenes as well. And there’s clearly no one more “key” than Cynthia Cidre. The discussion of how they changed the season finale cliffhanger is really interesting. Really gives you the sense of how television is an evolving narrative, up until the point it airs on screen. Would be interesting to learn more about what the first ending would have been like.
I liked Josh Henderson’s song “I See You”
GreAt interview, Chris!
You know the possibilities of who JR’s daughter could be is huge. Lol. Back as a teen I added up all the women that JR slept with that we actually saw on the show and it was 80+. Plus, references were made by other characters about other women…so this could be fun to see.
Regarding Chris’ death. I am saddened by the death but I am not upset at the reactive team. I think his death opens the door for a lot of possible great stories. I has to laugh at her statement that she would hV been killed if Bobby or SE were killed. For me, their deaths or John Ross’ death would have ended it for me. For me, they are the ultimate reason I watch. I thoroughly enjoy the other characters, but those 3…
I am hoping and praying for season 4. Man, so many stories were set up coming out of this season. I am really looking forward to seeing them play out. It looks like all the titles characters have a lot brewing.
So do we want to start taking bets on who the returning character could be?
Here are my top choices
Katherine. Or Lucy. More leaning towards Katherine… Pamela needs another family member. She doesn’t know Katherine and would not realize how demented she is and will not have a clue of her past behavior…. Good stuff to mine there!!
3rd paragraph…it should be creative team not reactive team..sorry, typing on a iPhone screen earlier.
I have to say I was sorry that Luis was killed this week. I found him to be interesting.
Plus kudos to Chris to getting an interview with Cynthia Cidre. I am one of the original Dallas fans that loves, loves the new Dallas. I personally think Cidre and her team have done a great job with the show. I look forward to seeing what they will do in the 4th season, if renewed.
I have to say again that I hope that Katherine is the one they bring back. Morgan Brittany looks terrific and she is a talented actress. I think her character’s demented personality and the flair that Morgan gave to the role would certainly fit into the vibe that this creative team enjoys in the minor characters.
Dan in Wi, I recall Bobby ONE time being referred to as Robert James, probably way back in the very first season, certainly no later than the second. Over time I began to assume his actual name was simply Bobby, because it was what he was always called…and like you said, even his grave in the Dream Season said Bobby.
Also, I believe in the very first scene of the series in JR’s office, one of the secretary’s says “John Ewing Jr’s office” when she answers the phone. First and only time he was ever called anything but J.R, if I’m not mistaken.
They have called him John Ross Ewing II before. The oridignal show made it clear that Jock was John Ross Sr. And JR was John Ross Jr.. I don’t for sure if Robert James Ewing was ever said in the oridignal series, but whats the big deal with that, I mean most people called bobby have the real name of Robert, and people have middle names.
What shoul anger everyone is that Hunter McKay said his grandpa tricked JR into getting rid of Ewing Oil, that happened in the second to last episode of dallas season 14, in this same episode Cliff Barnes took full control of Ewing Oil, which would mean that he owned, Ewing 6. That is what makes me mad, I mean those events happen in the same episode for god sakes. I can deal with the little mistakes, but that’s ridiculous.
I remember Miss Ellie calling him “Junior” in one of the earliest episodes.
Bring back, Dallas TNT, Season 4 & beyond!. Today is Monday, 9/29/14 & NO DALLAS TNT!!! This is sickening!!! We want Dallas TNT back & not just for a few episodes but many months. Fans, what are we going to do during this latest gap??? I’m having Dallas TNT withdrawal but I’m going to get J R Ewing’s new liquor, that will do the trick! Let’s all toast to Season 4!
I agree with everyone’s thoughts and frustrations about the directions of the show, however I also believe that we need to show more support then complaints, Dallas is still a great show and brings a lot of twists and turns that I just love. I personally feel the more the show will rise then the more we will see the show get back to its roots, but because the show is always suffering in ratings that they go to the extreme to bring the ratings up but their story lines are not pleasing the fans. I like Cynthia Cidre but I think it is a mistake not to know why the fans are not pleased she should read fan threads. I hope season 4 is announced right around the corner!!!!!!!!!!
I really hope she doesn’t try to add a new wing to southfork. The ridiculousness of millionaires living in that house is part of the shows charm, watch interviews with any of the oridignal cast members. They can add more bedrooms without adding a wing, we know this show has established two rooms downstairs at least. They don’t need any more, bobby and Ann share a room, John Ross. That’s all.
I just went back and read this article again, I wonder who is the old character that is very popular to return for the fourth season. I am hoping it is kathrine wentworh character!!!!!!
Cynthia Cidre ,there was in 1978 CLIFF BARNES in Dallas,okay.
He was cast too 1991. Now not cast 2012-14.You will not have
Ken Kercheval in 4 season. HE IS DALLAS,WOMAN.
NO BARNES,NO EWING,NO DALLAS.
I’ve been a huge fan of ‘Dallas’ since 1978 and followed it intensely through 13 seasons. Loved that it was brought back with new characters and the original stars of Larry (JR), Linda (Sue Ellen) and Patrick (Bobby). We’ve not seen far enough of Lucy, Ray, Cliff, Afton, Val & Gary. Dreadful storylines for them, especially Cliff being in jail. what a waste. Like many other re-makes/re-unions the company’s don’t listen to their fans, the ones who help make or break a show. They got the opening credits nearly right (except for being in alphabetical order. Other than a few odd storylines the show is FANTASTIC and deserves more seasons.