Drill Bits – Dallas Decoder

Drill Bits: Another Ratings Bump for ‘Dallas’

February 27, 2013 by Chris Baker 11 Comments

Bobby Ewing, Christopher Ewing, Elena Ramos, Jesse Metcalfe, John Ross Ewing, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Sue Ellen Ewing

Quit squabbling, boys. Your numbers are up.

“Dallas” scored almost 2.6 million viewers on February 25, making this the third week in a row the TNT drama experienced a slight bump in the ratings. The audience included roughly 890,000 viewers in the advertiser-prized demographic of adults between ages 18 and 49.

“Dallas” is also getting a big boost from DVR users. For example, 2.5 million viewers watched the episode “Trial and Error” on February 18, but by the middle of the week, DVR users had pushed its haul to 3.2 million viewers. This audience included 1.1 million viewers between ages 18 and 49 and 1.3 million viewers between ages 25 and 54, a demographic TNT targets.

Although “Dallas’s” numbers are down from its first season, Jesse Metcalfe told the Hollywood Reporter this week that TNT executives are “still very pleased” with the show’s performance.

“We get reports from Steve Koonin (president of Turner Entertainment Networks) and from Michael Wright (TNT’s president, programming). The show is doing what they needed it to do in these winter months in the time slot that they have chosen,” Metcalfe said.

Also, keep in mind: This has been a bleak winter for the television business. Fewer people are watching stalwarts like Fox’s “American Idol” and ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” NBC’s once-promising “Smash” has collapsed and newcomers like CBS’s “The Job” failed to catch fire.

Oscar Snubs Hagman

Like a lot of “Dallas” fans, I was disappointed to see Larry Hagman excluded from the “In Memorium” reel shown during ABC’s recent Academy Awards’ broadcast. Hagman is best known for his television roles, but his credits also include notable performances in films such as “Harry and Tonto,” “Nixon” and “Primary Colors.”

Early in his career, the actor also had a small but memorable role in the 1964 Cold War classic “Fail Safe,” which “Dallas” creator David Jacobs recalled during my interview with him last year.

Hagman is featured in the Oscars’ online “In Memorium” gallery, but ABC should have made time for him in its Oscar telecast too.

More Oscars Stuff

In other Oscars news: Congrats to Robin Charters, son of “Dallas” cinematographer Rodney Charters, who did camerawork for “Life of Pi,” this year’s winner for cinematography. By the way: Rodney makes his “Dallas” directorial debut with “The Furious and the Fast,” next week’s racecar-themed episode.

Pour Me a Pamela, Please

Now that Julie Gonzalo has ditched Rebecca’s cheery dresses for Pamela’s fierce business suits, my husband Andrew thought she deserved a more sophisticated signature cocktail. Enter The Pamela, the latest addition to Andrew’s “Dallas Drinks” collection.

If you’re keeping count, Gonzalo’s character has now inspired Andrew to create two drinks and some holiday fortune cookies. He’s almost cooking for Pamela Rebecca as much as he cooks for me. Should I be worried?

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

Filed Under: Drill Bits, News Tagged With: Blame Game, David Jacobs, Furious and the Fast, Jesse Metcalfe, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, Michael Wright, Rodney Charters, Steve Koonin, TNT

Drill Bits: ‘Dallas’s’ Ratings Rise Again

February 21, 2013 by Chris Baker 2 Comments

Christopher Ewing, Dallas, Jesse Metcalfe, Julie Gonzalo, Pamela Rebecca Barnes, TNT, Trial and Error

Feel that ratings momentum!

“Dallas’s” audience has grown for the second week in a row. The TNT drama’s latest episode, “Trial and Error,” was seen by 2.5 million viewers on February 18, up from the 2.4 million who watched the previous week’s telecast.

The “Trial and Error” audience included about 890,000 viewers between ages 18 and 49, a group advertisers pay a premium to reach.

TNT shows “Dallas” on Monday nights at 9, where it faces stiff competition from the broadcast networks and other cable channels. This week, “Dallas’s” rivals included CBS’s “2 Broke Girls” (10.3 million viewers), Fox’s “The Following” (8.4 million) and History’s “American Pickers” (4.4 million).

But DVR users are giving “Dallas” a big boost each week. The two-hour season premiere was seen by 4 million viewers within a week of its January 28 debut, up 36 percent from the number who watched on opening night.

DVR users who recorded Season 2’s third hour, “Sins of the Father,” and watched it within three days of its premiere boosted the audience to 2.9 million viewers, while DVR users pushed the audience for the fourth episode, “False Confessions,” to 3.1 million viewers over a three-day period.

Is She Back?

Everyone is buzzing about Jesse Metcalfe’s new interview with TV Guide, in which he drops a big hint about you-know-who’s possible return to Southfork. Is this the news “Dallas” diehards have been longing to hear?

Now It Can Be Told

If you’ve read Edward McPherson’s fascinating essay on “Dallas” in the Paris Review, then you know – wait, stop. What do you mean you haven’t read it?

The two-part piece, published in December, traces the evolutions of Dallas the city and “Dallas” the TV show. It pays special attention to the echoes between the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 and the shooting of J.R. Ewing in 1980, examining how each incident shaped the way people see Dallas and the way Dallasites see themselves. McPherson, who grew up in Big D, will give you a new appreciation for all things Dallas, but don’t take my word for it. Go read Part 1 and Part 2. I’ll wait.

OK, now that you’ve enjoyed McPherson’s piece (I told you it was good, didn’t I?), you know that he spent time last fall on the set of TNT’s “Dallas,” where he got to observe production and meet the cast and crew. He even exchanged a fist bump (!) with Larry Hagman.

McPherson also describes how he helped the folks behind the scenes come up with a few words of dialogue. Now it can be told: The episode McPherson observed being filmed was “False Confessions,” which TNT telecast last week, and the scene that he contributed to is the one where Christopher interrupts John Ross’s conversation with Elena’s drilling foreman, Bubba, played by Matthew Posey. McPherson’s line, which Posey delivered: “But we’ve got a problem.”

“It was a total throwaway line, but fun nonetheless,” McPherson told me last week. He said he’s happy the episode has finally been shown, adding that he was “quite good about keeping the spoilers to myself.”

McPherson also said he’d love to hear what “Dallas” fans think of his essay, so be sure to share your feedback in the comments sections that accompany parts 1 and 2.

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

Filed Under: Drill Bits, News Tagged With: False Confessions, Jesse Metcalfe, Larry Hagman, Matthew Posey, Sins of the Father, TNT, Trial and Error

Drill Bits: ‘Dallas’s’ Ratings Rise During Week 3

February 13, 2013 by Chris Baker 4 Comments

Ann Ewing, Bobby Ewing, Brenda Strong, Dallas, False Confessions, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Relax. The numbers will go up.

More viewers made time for “Dallas” this week.

TNT’s telecast of the latest episode, “False Confessions,” was seen by 2.4 million viewers on Feb. 11. The audience grew almost 10 percent from the previous week’s telecast.

“Dallas” is also getting a healthy boost from DVR users. The two-hour season opener – comprised of back-to-back telecasts of “Battle Lines” and “Venomous Creatures” – was seen by 2.9 million viewers on January 28, although the audience soared to 3.7 million when people who recorded the show and watched it a few days later were counted.

The second season’s third episode, “Sins of the Father,” was seen by 2.2 million viewers on Feb. 4, but by the end of the week, DVR users had increased the audience to 2.9 million.

“Dallas’s” first season averaged 4.2 million viewers on Wednesday nights last summer, although DVR users boosted its weekly haul to 6.1 million.

In last week’s edition of “Drill Bits,” TV ratings expert Marc Berman said a decline was expected since “Dallas” is now being telecast on Mondays in the winter, when it faces tougher competition on the broadcast networks.

Strong Speaks

Dallas Decoder was lucky to participate in a press call last week with Brenda Strong, who dished on her character Ann’s recent shooting of ex-husband Harris, “Dallas’s” ratings, working with Larry Hagman and more. If you haven’t already read it, be sure to check it out.

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

Filed Under: Drill Bits, News Tagged With: Battle Lines (2013), Brenda Strong, False Confessions, Larry Hagman, Sins of the Father, TNT, Venomous Creatures

Drill Bits: ‘Dallas’s’ Ratings Dip Again, But Don’t Panic

February 6, 2013 by Chris Baker 21 Comments

Dallas, Julie Gonzalo, Pamela Rebecca Barnes, Sins of the Father, TNT

Where’d everybody go?

“Dallas’s” audience shrunk again this week, but TV ratings expert Marc Berman said it’s too soon for the show’s fans to sound the alarms.

“I wouldn’t panic yet,” Berman, editor in chief of TV Media Insights, a top industry news site, said yesterday. “The numbers are disappointing, but they’re not horrific.”

TNT’s “Dallas” revival averaged 4.2 million viewers on Wednesday nights last summer, but when DVR users who recorded the show and watched it later were counted, the audience rose to 6.1 million viewers.

Last week, “Dallas” opened its second season on a new night – Mondays – with 2.9 million viewers. This week’s episode, “Sins of the Father,” dipped to 2.2 million viewers, “Dallas’s” smallest haul yet. The Feb. 4 audience included 773,000 viewers between the ages of 18 and 49, a demographic advertisers pay a premium to reach.

Berman said “Dallas” faces much tougher competition in the winter than it did last summer, when the broadcast networks are mostly in rerun mode. This week, “Dallas” aired opposite fresh episodes of CBS’s popular sitcoms “2 Broke Girls” and “Mike & Molly,” which were the evening’s most-watched programs, and Fox’ “The Following,” the highly touted serial killer drama starring Kevin Bacon.

Also: Don’t overlook the importance of the bump “Dallas” gets when DVR users are counted. Television executives take DVR numbers into consideration when deciding a show’s fate, Berman said.

Nevertheless, TNT might be questioning its strategy to bring back “Dallas” in the middle of winter and on a new night, Berman said. The cable channel has paired “Dallas” with a new medical drama, “Monday Mornings,” which bowed to just 1.3 million viewers on Feb. 4. “That doesn’t reflect poorly on ‘Dallas,’ that reflects poorly on ‘Monday Mornings,’” Berman said.

If “Dallas’s” numbers continue to fall, Berman predicted the cable channel might shift the series to another night. “It’s not an impossibility,” he said. TNT had no comment, a spokeswoman said.

Berman himself is a longtime “Dallas” fan and said he enjoys the new series, praising it for incorporating original cast members like Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray with newcomers like Josh Henderson and Jesse Metcalfe. “When I heard it was coming back, I was apprehensive, but I’ve really enjoyed it,” Berman said.

Catch Up on Your ‘Dallas’ Reading

Dallas Decoder is best known for its episode critiques, but we’ve been cranking out fun features during the past two weeks.

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to check out our retrospective of the shows that aired after the original “Dallas” (it wasn’t just “Falcon Crest”!); our look back at the classic show’s Barnes/Ewing romances (it wasn’t just Bobby and Pam!) and J.R./Pam clashes; and everything you need to know about Pamela’s mother Afton Cooper, who is slated to visit the new “Dallas” in a few weeks.

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

Filed Under: Drill Bits, News Tagged With: Jesse Metcalfe, Josh Henderson, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Sins of the Father (2013), TNT

Drill Bits: ‘Dallas’ Returns, But Some Viewers Don’t

January 30, 2013 by Chris Baker 23 Comments

Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Sue Ellen Ewing, TNT, Venomous Creatures

He showed up. Did you?

Mondays are a bitch: “Dallas” opened its second season in its new Monday time slot this week – and a lot of fans didn’t show up.

The two-hour premiere drew 2.98 million viewers on January 28. As the Hollywood Reporter pointed out, the numbers were down 58 percent from the series debut last summer and 32 percent from the first-season finale. Ouch.

There could be a couple of explanations for the decline. TNT showed “Dallas’s” first season during the summertime, when the competition on other channels tends to be lighter. This week’s premiere – which actually consisted of two one-hour episodes, “Battle Lines” and “Venomous Creatures,” that were telecast back-to-back – faced fresh episodes of “The Biggest Loser” and “The Bachelor” on the broadcast networks.

Also worth noting: “Dallas” was a hit with DVR users last year. The series averaged 4.2 million viewers on Wednesday nights, but once people who recorded the show and watched later were counted, “Dallas’s” weekly haul surged to 6.1 million viewers. Perhaps ratings for the second-season premiere will get a big boost once DVR users are included?

And don’t forget: “Dallas” has a history of bouncing back from ratings dips. Back in 1978, CBS moved the original “Dallas” to Saturday nights for its second season. ABC’s “Fantasy Island” crushed the show, prompting CBS to restore it to its original Sunday berth before shifting it to Fridays, where it remained for the rest of its run.

Say You Want a Resolution?

It’s no secret “Dallas’s” longtime fans are clamoring for the return of Pam, the classic show’s heroine, immortalized by Victoria Principal. And if fans can’t have Pam, they at least want to know what happened to the character, who fled Southfork in 1987.

We may soon get our wish.

Check out this tantalizing exchange from Jesse Metcalfe’s recent conference call with reporters and bloggers:

Reporter: Will we learn any more this season about what happened with Pam in the last 20 years, where she’s been and what happened with her and Christopher?

Metcalfe: Yes. Yes we will. Unfortunately I can’t tell you much more than that. I’m sorry.

OK, fellow Pam fans. Start salivating.

Dress Like ‘Dallas’

If you love the styles worn by the women of Southfork, you’re in luck: HSN has opened an online Dallas boutique featuring clothing and accessories inspired by Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), Ann (Brenda Strong), Elena (Jordana Brewster) and Rebecca (Julie Gonzalo). The show’s ace costume designer, Rachel Sage Kunin, selected the products in the collection.

Sorry, fellas. If you want to dress like John Ross or Christopher, you’re on your own.

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

Filed Under: Drill Bits, News Tagged With: Battle Lines (2013), Brenda Strong, Jordana Brewster, Julie Gonzalo, Linda Gray, Rachel Sage Kunin, TNT, Venomous Creatures, Victoria Principal

Drill Bits: ‘Dallas’ is on DVD. Go Ahead and Get Carried Away.

January 14, 2013 by Chris Baker 3 Comments

Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, No Good Deed, TNT

Arrested development

The first season of TNT’s “Dallas” was released on DVD last week. It has all 10 episodes and 2 hours of bonus material, including some Larry Hagman goodness you’ve never seen before.

In other words: Take a day off work. You’re going to need it.

The extras feature more than 25 deleted scenes, including three sequences starring Hagman. My favorite: a moving exchange from “Family Business” in which J.R. promises Ann he’ll protect Sue Ellen from Harris. I won’t give away anything else here, but trust me: This scene alone is worth the price of admission.

A lot of this unused footage will help you see the characters more clearly. Examples: We finally get to see the moment Sue Ellen decides to run for governor, as well as a wonderful exchange where Christopher talks about what it was like for him to grow up as Bobby’s son. The latter scene features beautiful performances from Jesse Metcalfe and Patrick Duffy, who described it as one of his favorite first-season moments during my brief chat with him last year.

Curiously, the deleted scenes don’t include the one with Josh Henderson from the publicity shot above, which TNT released to promote “No Good Deed,” the episode where John Ross is arrested for Marta’s murder. We also don’t get to see J.R. and Sue Ellen’s dance from “The Last Hurrah,” although given the number of fans who are clamoring for it, something tells me it won’t stay buried forever.

(We do, however, get to see Elena’s visit to a bank, where she scans a plaque listing the board of directors. Sue Ellen’s name is there, along with production designer Richard Berg and other members of the “Dallas” crew.)

The DVD’s other highlight: an audio commentary from executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael M. Robin, who do a nice job explaining how much work – and love – went into making the “Changing of the Guard” pilot. Robin, the episode’s director, calls the scene where Bobby visits J.R. in the nursing home one of the highlights of his career, while Cidre reveals it took 10 hours to film the episode’s fantastic dinner scene.

The bonus material also includes new segments on the making of the first season and “Dallas” lore. Also included: the behind-the-scenes production videos that were posted on the “Dallas” website last year, including costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin’s fun “Dressing Dallas” piece.

I could go on, but really, why are you still reading this? Go get the DVD and see for yourself!

Life After J.R.

“Dallas’s” second season begins two weeks from tonight, and the press is beginning to publish stories about what we’ll see. The best preview so far comes from Entertainment Weekly’s Karen Valby, who reports Hagman filmed five episodes before his death on November 23. An extra scene that had been cut from an earlier episode will be inserted into the sixth installment, while Episode 7, which Cidre handwrote in the days after Hagman’s death, will explain J.R.’s absence. His funeral will be seen in Episode 8, which TNT will telecast Monday, March 11.

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

Filed Under: Drill Bits, News Tagged With: Changing of the Guard, Cynthia Cidre, Family Business, Jesse Metcalfe, Josh Henderson, Larry Hagman, Last Hurrah, Michael M. Robin, No Good Deed, Patrick Duffy, Rachel Sage Kunin, Richard Berg, TNT

Drill Bits: TNT’s ‘Dallas’ Saddles Up for Season 2

October 9, 2012 by Chris Baker 10 Comments

Battle Lines, Bobby Ewing, Christopher Ewing, Dallas, Elena Ramos, Jesse Metcalfe, John Ross Ewing, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Mark your calendars

TNT’s “Dallas” won’t return with new episodes until January 28 – that’s 113 days from today, not that I’m obsessive enough to keep track of such things – but details about the second season are beginning to emerge:

• Casting. Yesterday, TV Line reported Judith Light will join the cast as “an authoritative and controlling battle-ax who will fight to the death to protect the people she loves.” Speculation is the recurring character, whose name hasn’t been announced, will be the mother of Brenda Strong’s Ann Ewing.

It seems Ann’s wing of the family tree is growing: In the summer, TNT announced plans to elevate first-season guest star Mitch Pileggi, who plays Ann’s ex-husband/punching bag Harris Ryland, to a regular cast member in Season 2. And in a recent Ultimate Dallas chat, showrunner Cynthia Cidre confirmed another new character – Emma Brown, played by “Walking Dead” actress Emma Bell – will be Ann’s daughter.

Still no word on who’ll portray Drew Ramos, Elena’s brother, who Cidre discussed in an August TV Guide interview.

• Storylines. In a press release last week, TNT revealed what we’ll see during the show’s two-hour season premiere:

Sue Ellen’s run for governor will be threatened by the secret that she bribed a medical examiner to help get John Ross off the hook for murder. Ryland will come to Ann claiming to have news about her daughter. Christopher will head to Des Moines to find the real Becky Sutter, while the woman he married will start to show her true colors as Cliff Barnes’ daughter. And J.R. will team up with John Ross to take over Sue Ellen’s loan to Elena and, in turn, gain total control over Christopher and John Ross’ new startup company, Ewing Energies.

Dallas, Enemy of My Enemy, Harris Ryland, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Sue Ellen Ewing

Back for more

Elsewhere, during a red carpet interview last month, Jesse Metcalfe said the second season will offer “some unexpected deaths” (egad!), while Patrick Duffy told TV Guide the aforementioned Becky Sutter will be “jumping into bed with people.”

Meanwhile, tweets from Texas, where production on the second season began two weeks ago, suggest Christopher and Elena (Metcalfe and Jordana Brewster) will have a Southfork swimming pool scene, while John Ross (Josh Henderson) and Christopher will be spending plenty of time at the nifty new offices of Ewing Energies.

Also: the Dallas Morning News spotted Strong and Henderson filming a scene at a Dallas art gallery, where Ann “commissioned a painting for her new offices,” as well as a sequence where one of the new characters takes a helicopter ride.

• Returning favorites. Dallas Decoder readers will recall Ken Kercheval recently told us he’ll appear in at least one second-season episode. There also have been reports Audrey Landers will reprise her role as Afton, the mother of Julie Gonzalo’s character, Pamela Rebecca Barnes. Cidre has also promised Linda Gray will be in all 15 second-season episodes.

Sue Ellen vs. Carrie

TNT will show “Dallas’s” second season on Monday nights at 9, where its competition will include the CW’s “The Carrie Diaries,” which is slated to take over “Gossip Girl’s” time slot in January. The “Sex and the City” prequel follows Carrie Bradshaw’s teenage years in the 1980s and stars hyphenate-phobic AnnaSophia Robb as the title character. In the Sue Ellen-vs.-Carrie showdown, our money is on Miss Texas.

‘Dallas’ on DVD

If you need a refresher on the first season of TNT’s “Dallas,” don’t worry: the DVD will go on sale beginning January 8 (that’s just 92 days from today – again, not that we’re keeping track).

Extras will include deleted scenes, audio commentary on the “Changing of the Guard” pilot, “Ewing Family Love Oak” and “Dressing Dallas” featurettes and a “Who Shot J.R.?” retrospective.

In addition, TNT will show episodes from “Dallas’s” first season during the weekend before Season 2 starts.

Cidre Speaks

In a new profile, Cidre tells the Hollywood Reporter the show that inspired her most when she was younger was “The Avengers,” while her guilty pleasure is “The People’s Court.”

The “Dallas” executive producer also reveals she doesn’t “love” writing. “It’s a language thing, it comes out backwards. I know exactly what I want to say, it’s just hard for me to find the words.”

Honey, we know the feeling.

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

Filed Under: Drill Bits, News Tagged With: Audrey Landers, Brenda Strong, Changing of the Guard (2012), Cynthia Cidre, Emma Bell, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Judith Light, Julie Gonzalo, Ken Kercheval, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Drill Bits: TNT’s ‘Dallas’ Finale Draws a Crowd

August 10, 2012 by Chris Baker 4 Comments

Dallas, Linda Gray, Revelations, Sue Ellen Ewing, TNT

Still a crowd pleaser

TNT’s “Dallas” went out with a bang: “Revelations,” the first-season finale, scored 4.3 million viewers on August 8, becoming the evening’s most-watched cable program. The audience included 1.6 million viewers between the ages of 18 and 49, the demographic advertisers covet.

The show soared despite stiff competition from NBC’s Olympics coverage, which drew 29 million viewers, including 12 million 18-to-49-year-olds.

The “Revelations” audience represented “Dallas’s” third biggest Wednesday haul since the first two episodes, “Changing of the Guard” and “Hedging Your Bets,” averaged 6.9 million viewers on June 13. “The Price You Pay” delivered 4.8 million viewers on June 20.

Overall, “Dallas” averaged 4.2 million viewers – and 1.4 million 18-to-49-year-olds – on Wednesdays this summer. When DVR users who record the show and watch it later are counted, the show’s weekly audience climbs to 6.4 million viewers.

Production is slated to begin next month on “Dallas’s” second season, which TNT will begin showing in January. The cable channel has announced plans to produce 15 episodes in Season 2, up from 10 hours this year.

Rebecca Redux

Changing of the Guard, Dallas, Julie Gonzalo, Rebecca Sutter Ewing, TNT

Full of surprises

When I wrote my “Revelations” critique this week, I figured we’d have to wait until “Dallas’s” second season to find out who the heck Julie Gonzalo is playing.

Wrong.In a new interview with TV Guide, executive producer Cynthia Cidre reveals Gonzalo is, in fact, portraying Pamela Rebecca, the daughter we learned Cliff fathered toward the end of the original show’s run.

Also in this must-read interview, Cidre reflects on the show’s first season (“a few too hairpin turns,” she says), reveals plans to add Elena’s brother Drew to the cast and drops the tantalizing suggestion that we might see a John Ross/Rebecca coupling.

Meanwhile, Gonzalo tells TV Line she knew her character’s real identity all along – and found it difficult to be coy when meeting fans of the original series. “‘They’d say, ‘Why else would your name be Rebecca?’ and I had to be like, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about….’”

Honoring ‘Dallas’ History

In another insightful interview, “Dallas” executive story editor Gail Gilchriest says the TNT show’s writers have a better handle on the original series’ history.

“This year, we’re more familiar with who’s who, and what’s happened in the past, and have tried to remain pretty true to it,” Gilchriest tells the CultureMap Houston site. “We don’t pretend that certain things in the original series didn’t happen if it doesn’t serve our story.”

Katherine Speaks

Speaking of history: Our pal David, the creator of Dallas Divas Derby, recently interviewed Morgan Brittany, who immortalized Katherine Wentworth on the original “Dallas.”

In one of two segments David posted this week, Brittany speculates about what the future might hold for her villainous character. “At some point, she would get back at Cliff Barnes. Some way, somehow, she’s going to get even with Cliff,” Brittany says.

Look for more segments from David’s interview in the coming days – and someone tell Cliff to watch out for Katherine!

Still Standing

In the early 1980s, when the producers of the original show needed a stand-in for Patrick Duffy, they turned to Dallas model Paul Heckmann.

Three decades later, when TNT came to North Texas to shoot the new “Dallas,” who did they tap to stand in once again for Duffy? You guessed it: Heckmann, who was profiled this week in the Dallas Morning News.

Oh Baby!

“Dallas” diehards are intense: Josh Henderson tells the New York Daily News he was recently asked to sign a fan’s baby. “I felt really weird and so I was like, ‘Can I just sign her dress or shirt?’ And they were like, ‘No just sign her arm.’”

Line of the Week

“You know you’ve hit a low when even a lawyer won’t take the time to insult you.”

J.R. (Larry Hagman), after legal eagle Lou (Glenn Morshower) snubs him in “Revelations.” And in case you missed it: We’ve collected many of J.R.’s best quips from TNT’s first season, along with memorable lines from “Dallas’s” other characters.

Along Came a Cider

The final “Dallas Drinks” cocktail recipe from Cook In/Dine Out is Cynthia Cider, which pays tribute, of course, to Cidre, the new show’s creative force.

This is as good a place as any to acknowledge my husband Andrew, who not only created all nine “Dallas”-themed cocktail recipes for Dallas Decoder – he also puts up with my incessant chatter about the show and this website.

Honey, I love you and appreciate your support. Thank you.

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

Filed Under: Drill Bits, News Tagged With: Changing of the Guard (2012), Cynthia Cidre, Dallas Divas Derby, Gail Gilchriest, Glenn Morshower, Hedging Your Bets, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, Morgan Brittany, Patrick Duffy, Paul Heckmann, Price You Pay, Revelations, TNT

Drill Bits: TNT’s ‘Dallas’ Wins Cable Ratings Gold

August 3, 2012 by Chris Baker Leave a Comment

Dallas, Family Business, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, TNT

You should see the other guys

“Dallas” brought ratings gold to TNT this week: Despite tough competition from the Olympics, “Family Business,” the show’s latest episode, debuted to 3.2 million viewers on August 1, becoming the evening’s most-watched cable program.

The “Dallas” audience included more than 1 million viewers between the ages of 18 and 49, the demographic advertisers pay a premium to reach. Ratings in this demo were up 8 percent from July 25, when roughly 850,000 18-to-49-year-olds watched “No Good Deed,” TNT’s previous “Dallas” episode.

This makes “Dallas” one of the few shows to get a ratings boost in the crucial demo during NBC’s Olympics coverage, which has delivered blockbuster numbers each night since the games began last week.

J.R. Ewing, Superlative Senior

Younger viewers may love “Dallas,” but the show is making waves among older audiences, too.

TNT’s depiction of J.R. as an elderly man who is nonetheless full of life is smart and refreshing, writes Elizabeth Newman, senior editor for McKnight’s, a trade publication for caregivers.

“[I]n all our pop culture portrayals of either lauding saintly grandmother types, trying to make people cringe laugh at the idea of old people being sexual (I’m looking at you, Betty White), or introducing the wacky grandfather, it’s refreshing to see a complex character in his 80s get a new lease on life,” Newman writes.

The Woman Who Saved J.R.’s Life

Speaking of superlative seniors: The Star Newspapers of Plano, Texas caught up this week with Barbara Kain, who was a stand-in for Barbara Bel Geddes on the original “Dallas” series and also played the nurse who treats J.R. after his shooting in “No More Mr. Nice Guy, Part 1.”

“I always say that I helped save J.R’s life,” Kain tells the publication.

The Double-Crosser’s Double

While we’re nosing around community newspaper websites: The Abilene Reporter-News recently profiled Gregg Dickerson, a J.R. Ewing lookalike who hires himself out for parties and other events. By the way: The Reporter-News has a long history of finding local angles in its “Dallas” coverage.

Department of Misleading Headlines

Dallas, Elena Ramos, Jordana Brewster, Last Hurrah, TNT

She loves it

The Toronto Star and a handful of other news outlets carried the following headline this week: “Brewster: I couldn’t live in Dallas.”

What’s this? Is “Dallas” heroine Jordana Brewster dissing show’s namesake city?

No, silly. Read the whole story.

“I love it there,” the actress says, adding that she met her husband while filming a movie in Texas.

Here’s the rest of Brewster’s quote: “We would love to be able to have a house there, but I don’t know if I could live in Dallas. I live in California, where you can basically wear whatever you want and be pretty casual and the lifestyle is laid back. In Dallas the women are dressed up at 7 a.m. and they’re always in heels and if you go out to a restaurant they’re never in jeans.”

See? Brewster likes Dallas just fine, thank you very much.

Line of the Week

“No, J.R., your lapses aren’t when you do wrong. Your lapses are when you do right.”

Bobby (Patrick Duffy) to his older brother in one of the many moving scenes from “Family Business.”

A Twist, But No Zing

The latest “Dallas Drinks” recipe from Cook In/Dine Out: The Sue Ellen. To honor Linda Gray’s reinterpretation of her classic character, this drink is a fresh take on an old standard: the Cosmopolitan.

And yes, it’s a “mocktail.” Who do you think we are, Harris Ryland?

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

Filed Under: Drill Bits, News Tagged With: Barbara Bel Geddes, Barbara Kain, Family Business, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, No Good Deed, No More Mr. Nice Guy Part 1, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Drill Bits: ‘Dallas’ Girds for an Olympics Onslaught

July 27, 2012 by Chris Baker 4 Comments

He survived jail. What about the Olympics?

TNT’s latest “Dallas” episode, “No Good Deed,” was seen by 3.3 million viewers on July 25. The audience included about 895,000 viewers between the ages of 18 and 49, the demographic advertisers pay a premium to reach.

The show was the evening’s second most-watched cable program behind USA’s “Royal Pains,” although this was the smallest audience yet for a Wednesday night “Dallas” telecast. Previously, the lowest-rated episode was “Truth and Consequences,” which was seen by 3.4 million viewers on Independence Day.

Keep in mind: “Dallas’s” ratings often soar when DVR users who record the show and watch it later are factored in. For example, “Truth and Consequences” was seen by 5.1 million viewers altogether within a week of its July 4 debut.

“Dallas’s” real ratings test comes next week, when the show begins competing with the Summer Olympics, which often draw huge audiences.

NBC will broadcast the games for 17 days, beginning tonight. This means the final two episodes of TNT’s first season of “Dallas” will be telecast in the midst of the Olympics onslaught.

On Wednesday, August 1, when TNT telecasts “Dallas’s” ninth episode, “Family Business,” NBC is scheduled to broadcast swimming and diving finals, beach volleyball and the crowning of the men’s gymnastics champion. One week later, on the night TNT shows “Revelations,” the “Dallas” season finale, gold medals are expected to be awarded in women’s beach volleyball and men’s track on NBC.

This will be the first time “Dallas” has competed with the Summer Olympics, although the original series aired opposite the Winter Olympics six times – twice each in 1980, 1984 and 1988.

Back then, “Dallas” beat the games every time – except once: On February 22, 1980, the classic episode “Jock’s Trial, Part 1” was crushed by ABC’s coverage of the “miracle on ice” hockey game, when the U.S. men’s team scored an upset victory over the Soviets.

Shooting J.R. at Home

Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, TNT, Truth and Consequence

Their own turf

“Dallas” has lifted TNT’s ratings, but the show has also brought major economic benefits to its namesake city, Christopher Kelly reported this week in the New York Times.

The first 10 episodes were shot in North Texas in 2011 and 2012, pumping $28.8 million into the local economy and boosting civic pride.

Says Janis Burklund, head of the Dallas Film Commission: “Everywhere I go, I’m hearing from people about how cool it is to see the city on the show. And it looks great. When you watch the show, you have to say, ‘Wow, our city looks great.’”

‘Dallas’ After Dark

Three “Dallas” stars made the late-night talk show rounds during the past week: Last night, Josh Henderson appeared on Andy Cohen’s “Watch What Happens Live” on Bravo. Meanwhile, Julie Gonzalo visited the “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” on July 23, three days after Jordana Brewster dropped by the CBS show.

High Brow Humor

Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Price You Pay, TNT

Those brows

Larry Hagman’s eyebrows “kind of have a life of their own,” says Lynn Barber, “Dallas’s” makeup artist, in an interview published yesterday by Entertainment Weekly.

We don’t doubt it, but we also wonder if J.R. might have competition for television’s top brows.

In a meeting last week with the nation’s television critics, PBS officials discussed the popularity of public broadcasting’s hit soap opera “Downton Abbey,” citing the Twitter feed Lady Mary’s Eyebrows as an example of that show’s cultural impact.

Of course, Hagman and J.R.’s brows have their own Twitter feeds, too. Could a J.R.-vs.-Mary eyebrow beat-down be brewing in the twitterverse?

Line of the Week

“How much time do you have?”

The response from Bobby (Patrick Duffy) in “No Good Deed” when Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) asks, “How could J.R. do this to his own family?”

Bottoms Up!

If you love Brewster’s refreshing performance on “Dallas,” you’ll enjoy The Elena, the latest “Dallas Drinks” cocktail from Dallas Decoder’s favorite mixologist at Cook In/Dine Out. Enjoy!

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