Master of the universe
Remember when “Dallas” ruled the world? Here are 36 experiences shared by fans who’ve loved the show since its heyday.
1. Getting together with the fam on Friday nights to watch the show.
2. Feeling excited when you saw this because it meant “Dallas” was up next.
3. Getting chills when the “Dallas” theme music began. It didn’t matter how many times we’d heard it before, we always got chills.
4. Loving when these two fought.
5. Loving when these two made up.
6. Loving these two. Period.
7. The highlight of each season premiere? Seeing how everyone’s split-screen would be updated.
8. Wondering whose face would get covered by Leonard Katzman’s name at the end of each episode.
9. Wondering who would get shot, blown up or soaked at the end of each season.
10. Obsessing over this.
11. Hating summer.
12. Covering your school folders with these.
13. Trying to trade your Cliff for a J.R. or Bobby. How come no one ever took us up on the offer?
14. Dressing “Dallas.”
15. Drinking “Dallas.”
16. Playing “Dallas.”
17. Flipping out.
18. Dreaming of visiting Southfork.
19. Wanting to smell like Southfork.
20. Reading the National Enquirer to learn the latest spoilers.
21. Rolling your eyes whenever someone said “Dynasty” was better than “Dallas.”
22. Devouring this book.
23. Skipping NBC’s Thanksgiving Day parade coverage because CBS’s coverage was always hosted by the “Dallas” stars.
24. Wondering why “Dallas” never did holiday episodes. At least we got to see the Ewings celebrate on magazine covers.
25. Wondering why Barbara Bel Geddes won only one Emmy for playing Miss Ellie.
26. Wondering why Larry Hagman never won any Emmys for playing J.R.
27. Worshipping Linda Gray.
28. Crushing on Patrick Duffy.
29. Crushing on Victoria Principal.
30. Wanting to have Victoria’s body, beauty and diet.
31. Washing your hair with Jhirmack because Victoria did.
32. Wearing Justin boots because Jim Davis did.
33. Wearing BVDs because Larry did.
34. Hating J.R.? Nope. Never.
35. Just loving him.
36. Always.
What are your favorite “Dallas” memories? Share them below and read more “Dal-Lists.”
Dallas Decoder 
I do not care what “real business people” say, J.R. Ewing having an office bar is the best!
I went to visit my relatives who were living in England the summer after JR got shot. I remember buying an “I shot JR” mug in London that I have since lost. As Texans in the oil industry, my relatives living overseas always got kidded about their connection to the fictional JR. One of those family members has since died so those are sweet memories.
There is so many memories of Dallas’ past that it would take this reply hours to read. But here is a tidbit:
– I always remember the taboids (Enquirer, Star, Globe) , anything that had something about the series. I always wanted to know what was going to happened in future episodes including cliffhangers and the new season.
– The CBS Thanksgiving Day Parade with Larry and Linda hosting it. That was always a tradition in the Dallas Era.
– Watching Friday nights with The Dukes Of Hazzard, Dallas and Falcon Crest. No doubt one of the best nights in TV history in the 80s.
– Couldn’t wait to see the cliffhanger and season premiere episodes.
– Always love Victoria Principal.
– When I bought a copy of the book (22) and stickers (12). I still have them.
– I always dream of visiting Southfork (never did).
– I always like to draw Southfork, Dallas vs. Miami Vice Wars, anything related to Dallas in general.
– Love it when Dallas was opposite of Miami Vice and trouncing them in the ratings.
– Seeing Dallas end in 1991 and its return in 2012.
– Always like the opening credits, even as the new season starts and how they change the scenes every season.
#DallasForever
It’s hard to pick just one! Looking at these brought back so many memories. The theme song is still on my cell phone. Don’t think I can ever change it. I have loved everything about Dallas right up to the Next Generation! There will never be another show like it! Bring back Dallas. The fans want it!
Forgot to say #saveDallasWB!!!
I loved that book as a teen. I was too young to watch the show from the beginning. I got started in reruns one summer. That book got me caught up. Later I watched the show from the start. From that point on, I would cut out every article or photos I could find. It is amazing to me now how pervasive the show and the stars were in all forms of media back in the 80’s. I had hundreds of photos and articles. Larry and Linda were the ones that I saw the most. I remember going to a garage sake and the guy had JR Ewing beer cans hanging on strings all over his garage…it was funny. I was in awe and spent the time we were there talking about the show..LOL. He also had posters on the wall. When I went away to college. My mom cleaned my room and accidentally threw my Dallas collection away…I was extremely perturbed at her. You should have seen my reaction.she just couldn’t understand why I was so upset over some old magazines and newspapers. Btw…the TV editor for the Houston Chronicle must have loved the show…she was always putting stuff about it in the paper. Plus, she went on review/ previews at Hagmans house and would go on set too. She really liked Linda, Larry, and pat. She would reference Linda and Larry a lot… Those two did a lot of promotion for the show.
Funny story that I know you will like (forgive me if I told it before), during season 1 of Dallas TNT, I was talking about the show with one of the younger associates at work who emigrated to USA as a young teen. I mentioned to her that Drew was on the show. She knew exactly who he was. She was like ‘what is that show’. I told her Dallas..she said oh, that is the show with the guy from Desparate housewives and the girl from Fast and Furious. She then stopped…and with extreme emphasis and enthusiasm…. Said. “I saw that show…Oh MY God…have you seen it… The old guy who plays the Dad to the bad cousin is absolutely AMAZING!!!!! He is SOOOO good. He is an incredible actor’. I looked at her stupefied and said …you do know who that is?!!!!!!???? She had not a clue. I had to explain that the first Dallas was like that top rated show in the 80’s,,…it still holds individual episode records..it is one of the longest running show in history…that it spawned a whole bunch of copycat shows…that one can still see the influence of the show and of the character of JR in shows today (and people just don’t realize it). .etc..etc etc I explained that JR was THE MaN. Lol.. She was aware of I Dream of Jeannie… She just didn’t recognize him. It was interesting to chat with someone who had no knowledge whatsoever of the first series. It was especially refreshing to hear her exclaim over how amazing Larry Hagman was. She commented that he was one of the best actors she had seen. She also,really liked Linda…but thought that her scenes were too little and few..and they were, of course.
Number 29 is just…wow…**impure thoughts**
Always loved ya like my own, Pammie!
thanks for the memories!
Hello Chris,
Fantastic “Shared Experiences” list…with some great visuals to boot! Yet again, you have brought back some terrific memories!
I also have a question that is unrelated to this post, but hope you might have some thoughts or insight.
Linda Grays daughter tweeted a few days ago: “Thankful for Netflix’s interest in #SaveDallas. Fingers tightly crossed in January”.
Someone also posted a response that they received recently from Netflix on Soap Chat, and it simply stated: “All negotiations for streaming programs happen behind closed doors – stay tuned”.
Also encouraging was another response from WB to a fan email that was posted on the Dallas TNT Facebook page recently, that stated how much WB loves Dallas, and they are still working to find it a new home. It also mentioned that WB is taking over the Dallas Facebook page from TNT and will begin making updated posts.
I am a little confused by this, as I felt the matter was put to rest with the statement made by Cynthia Cidre on November 19th. Do you feel that there is actually potential for Dallas to get rebooted by Netflix…perhaps with a new show runner, once all of the international deals expire?
It is all very much speculation…and a long shot, but I just found it interesting that these 3 pieces of information were posted within a few days of each other, on different sites and by different sources (one of them being Linda Gray’s daughter).
I realise this is from an American perspective but as a Brit, surely nobody ever suggested Dynasty (or Dysentery as it was known over here) was better (or even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath ) as Dallas?
BTW, how do you get hold of that very cool looking Dallas game?
Wow, for Linda Gray’s daughter to put a statement like that out there, it is probably safe to assume there is still some life to the Netflix possibility. Awesome, even if there is a small city of red tape to be cut through and a lengthy waiting period.
Honestly, at this point I don’t know that I wouldn’t RATHER see it go to Netflix where it could theoretically have real staying power. I’m admittedly not knowledgeable about the quantity of viewership they require to keep their programs up and running, but it seems to me they could better accommodate a modest following than any cable network. Don’t get me wrong, it would be awesome for the WB or anyone else on TV to rescue our show from the scrap heap, but how long could that realistically last? Would we get more than one season before the new network decided two and a half million viewers just isn’t enough for them either? For a longer-term solution, I’ll take Netflix…and what’s another 8 bucks a month to those of us already paying an outrageous cable or dish bill?
What an awesome list. I guess I was too young for some of these moments. But reading it I get a sense of what it was like to be a teenager rather than a kid in the 1980s! 😉
Did the Southfork perfume smell nice btw? lol
Thanks Karin! I had so much fun putting this list together. As far as the cologne: The bottle is now 30 years old and it’s still full! Needless to say, I’m not going anywhere near it.
It could be very valuable one day – not that you would ever part with it!
BTW Linda gray is over here in the UK in what we call a pantomime of Cinderella, playing the Fairy Godmother – she was on a chat show a few days ago to publicise it and made a mini-sensation with her stunning appearance – nobody can believe she is a day over 40!
Linda Gray is amazing in every way.
This is a great list. I would turn on my TV to channel at 8:00 pm while I go do one homework on my list or chores and when I heard the Dukes of Hazzard song I would know Dallas is coming up next. I usually finished my homework by then but if it was chores I would go back to it after Dallas.
Thanks Mary Ann! I had fun putting this one together.