Let’s Hear It for ‘Dallas’ Fans!

November 20, 2014 by 35 Comments
#SaveDallas, Dallas, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Save Dallas, TNT

Applause! (Paley Center for Media)

I want to take a few moments to applaud everyone who participated in the #SaveDallas campaign. We’re all disappointed with the outcome, but we shouldn’t be disappointed with ourselves. We put up a good fight.

If nothing else, the past few weeks revealed how much “Dallas” means to its fans. When you read the tweets, Facebook posts and reader comments on sites like this one, you begin to appreciate how this show about fictional feuding families brought many real families together. An entire generation came of age while watching “Dallas” at the knees of their moms and dads. Now many of those kids are adults who watch “Dallas” with their own children. Few other shows can make that claim.

The #SaveDallas campaign also provided fans with an opportunity to share wonderful stories about how “Dallas” touched their lives. I loved hearing from the woman who told me about the Friday evening in 1981 when her mother went into labor with her; it seems mom wouldn’t leave for the hospital until “Dallas” was over. “I was a fan before birth!” the daughter tweeted. Other stories were poignant, like the one from the widow who wanted “Dallas” saved because she enjoyed watching the show with her late husband. “Dallas is all I got left,” she wrote. I wish the series could’ve been rescued for her alone.

It was also gratifying to see the extended “Dallas” family come together to support the fans as we tried to support them. We received so much encouragement from Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray and other cast members, as well as several stars from the original series. Since #SaveDallas ended yesterday, it’s been equally heartwarming to read the thank-you messages the cast has sent everyone through social media. Not only do the fans love “Dallas,” but “Dallas” loves the fans back.

Special commendations go to everyone who did the heavy lifting behind the scenes, beginning with executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael M. Robin, who poured their hearts into getting “Dallas” back on the air. I also admire the good people at Warner Horizon, the studio that produced “Dallas.” These folks knocked on a lot of doors in their quest to find a new home for the show. They deserve our gratitude.

Above all, I salute my fellow fans. Everyone who participated in this campaign tried their best, including the fans behind the petitions, Facebook pages and videos, as well as everyone who jammed the switchboards at the networks we targeted and filled the inboxes of the industry’s top executives. Special thanks go to the fans who sent approximately 1 million #SaveDallas tweets during the course of our six-week effort. I recommended the hashtag and so I’m quite biased, but as far as I’m concerned, each tweet was an expression of love for the show and the people who made it.

I wish all the tweets, Facebook “likes” and petition signatures had been enough to keep “Dallas” going — and for a while, I thought they might — but I guess that wasn’t realistic. Television is a business, and this show’s fate was destined to be decided on a spreadsheet, not on social media. This doesn’t mean fans didn’t have an important role to play, because we did. Our job was to raise our voices and let the world know how much we love “Dallas” and wanted the show to go on.

By that measure, #SaveDallas was a huge success.

What did you think of the #SaveDallas campaign? Share your comments below.

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BREAKING NEWS: The Efforts to Save ‘Dallas’ Have Ended

November 19, 2014 by 324 Comments
Bobby Ewing, Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Sue Ellen Ewing, TNT

The end

The efforts to find “Dallas” a new home have ended, executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael M. Robin said today.

“After a 6-week attempt to try and land our beloved ‘Dallas’ at another network, we have to inform you that we have not succeeded. Warner Horizon has attempted, in a Herculean way, to try and find us a new home, but at the end of the day it did not work out,” Cidre and Robin wrote in a statement to “Dallas” fans.

The complete message appears below.

In a recent radio interview, “Dallas” star Patrick Duffy discussed the complexities of getting the show back on the air. In addition to finding a new network for “Dallas,” new foreign and online distribution deals were required, Duffy said.

Today’s news effectively ends the #SaveDallas campaign that began October 4, the day after TNT canceled the show. In the weeks that followed, as “Dallas’s” production studio Warner Horizon shopped the series to other networks, fans sent approximately 1 million #SaveDallas tweets and added more than 84,000 signatures to an online petition calling for another network to pick up the show.

“Dallas” devotees received encouragement from stars such as Duffy and Linda Gray, who praised fans’ persistence and ingenuity in interviews and social media posts.

In their statement, Cidre and Robin also hailed the #SaveDallas campaign as “a truly remarkable undertaking” and thanked fans for their support. “We cannot fully express how much we loved making this show for you and with you,” they wrote.

Here’s Cidre and Robin’s full statement:

Hi Friends,

Well, we have come to the end. After a 6-week attempt to try and land our beloved “Dallas” at another network, we have to inform you that we have not succeeded. Warner Horizon has attempted, in a Herculean way, to try and find us a new home, but at the end of the day it did not work out.

We so appreciate the outpouring of support by all of you, and the #SaveDallas campaign was a truly remarkable undertaking. We cannot fully express how much we loved making this show for you and with you. We had 3 wonderful years together, and we had the times of our lives bringing this iconic show back to television. Thank you for your support; thank you for your loyalty to our wonderful characters; and thank you for watching our show.

We wish you all our very best, and thank you again for loving “Dallas.”

With great admiration and appreciation,

Cynthia Cidre and Michael Robin

How do you feel about the end of the #SaveDallas campaign? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.

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#SaveDallas Closes In on 1 Million Tweets

November 12, 2014 by 33 Comments
#SaveDallas, Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Patrick Duffy, Save Dallas, TNT

Don’t give up

How many #SaveDallas tweets have been sent since “Dallas” fans began campaigning on social media to rescue the canceled series?

Good question.

Figuring out a precise number has proven tougher than expected. The #SaveDallas efforts began October 4, the day after TNT dropped the show. During the first month, many of us relied on data from Topsy.com, which allows users to enter a hashtag and see how many times it’s been tweeted — but only during the past 30 days.

However, as the Emmy for Linda Gray Twitter feed pointed out this week, you can use Topsy’s mobile app to find the number of “all time” #SaveDallas tweets. On November 12 at 9 p.m. Eastern, the app shows #SaveDallas has been tweeted more than 900,000 times.

This means we’re close to 1 million #SaveDallas tweets!

I hope fans will continue sharing their love for “Dallas” on social media, although there are other ways to express your support for the show. Sara Duckworth’s “Help Save Dallas” petition has reached almost 84,000 signatures, and Josh Eilberg is continuing to encourage fans to send barbecue sauce to The CW, one of the networks that’s been cited as a possible new home for the series.

Elsewhere, the Globe supermarket tabloid is urging TNT to bring back the show. In the November 17 edition, readers are asked to complete a coupon and mail it to the publication by December 10; the Globe says it will collect the forms and forward them to TNT.

If I hear about other #SaveDallas ideas or if I receive useful information, I’ll pass it along. Until then, let’s continue to follow the advice Patrick Duffy offered last week: Keep going and don’t give up.

Share your positive comments below and check out Dallas Decoder’s Save Dallas Page for links to news coverage, petitions, other fan sites and more.

Filed Under: #SaveDallas, Opinion Tagged With: , , ,

#SaveDallas: Tell Les Moonves to Put ‘Dallas’ on The CW

November 6, 2014 by 57 Comments
#SaveDallas,CW, Les Moonves, Save Dallas

Our savior? (Associated Press)

It’s time to turn to Les Moonves again, “Dallas” fans.

Many of us wrote to Moonves, the president and chief executive of CBS Corporation, and urged him to rescue “Dallas” when TNT canceled the series last month. We wanted him to bring the show “home” to CBS, the network where the original series thrived in the 1980s.

CBS apparently isn’t interested — maybe the network simply doesn’t have room on its schedule, which is already jam-packed with hits — but until we hear differently, it looks like we still have a fighting chance to persuade The CW to rescue the Ewings.

That’s where Moonves comes in.

As CBS Corporation’s top executive, Moonves oversees several networks, including The CW, which CBS co-owns with Warner Bros., the studio that produces “Dallas.” If The CW hasn’t picked up “Dallas” yet, it could be because Moonves needs to be persuaded.

That’s where we come in.

Let’s contact Moonves and tell him why The CW should save “Dallas.” I included several reasons in a recent post, including pointing out how “Dallas” could help the network fulfill its determination to become a broadcaster. It’s also worth noting “Dallas” stars such as Josh Henderson, who would feel right at home in a lineup that includes Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin, the respective headliners on CW hits “Arrow” and “The Flash.”

You might find other ideas in the memo I wrote to Moonves at the beginning of the #SaveDallas effort. Don’t forget: Moonves was once an executive at Lorimar, the fabled company that produced the original “Dallas.” His “Dallas” roots run as deep as almost anyone’s. Here’s his contact information:

Leslie Moonves

President and Chief Executive Officer

CBS Corporation

Address: 51 West 52nd Street, New York, NY, 10019-6188

Telephone: 212-975-4321

Email: leslie.moonves@cbs.com

When contacting Moonves, remember to be positive and polite. This is the most powerful man in television. He deserves respect.

Of course, there are many other ways to show your support for the campaign to save “Dallas.”

Please keep sharing messages on social media — we’ve sent 55,000 #SaveDallas tweets during the past 24 hours alone — and continue to send encouragement to other executives at The CW, as well as the folks at Warner Bros. You’ll find their contact information, along with information on the #SaveDallas barbecue sauce campaign, in my November 4 post.

Above all, don’t forget the words of encouragement we heard during Patrick Duffy’s interview yesterday with radio host Jason Matheson. The cast of “Dallas” and the people behind the scenes want us to keep going and not lose hope, so let’s not disappoint them.

Share your positive comments below and check out Dallas Decoder’s Save Dallas Page for links to news coverage, petitions, other fan sites and more.

Filed Under: #SaveDallas, Opinion Tagged With: , ,

#SaveDallas: ‘Don’t Give Up,’ Patrick Duffy Says

November 5, 2014 by 36 Comments
Ain't over yet

Ain’t over yet

“Dallas” fans should continue their efforts to save the series, Patrick Duffy told radio host Jason Matheson today. “Keep going is the basic mantra. Don’t give up is the basic mantra,” Duffy said.

Showrunner Cynthia Cidre and Warner Bros., the studio that produces “Dallas,” are still trying to find a new home for the series, which TNT dropped last month. It’s not merely a matter of moving the show to another network; complicated international and online distribution deals have to be worked out too.

Nevertheless, there’s still hope, Duffy said.

“Until we as a cast and Cynthia Cidre say, ‘Stop, it’s a dead issue,’ we should keep going forward. And as a cast, we encourage every one of our followers to do that,” Duffy said.

He encouraged fans to continue sharing their love for “Dallas” on social media, including Twitter, where more than 745,000 #SaveDallas tweets have been sent during the past month.

“The more people we can reach out to — the fan base expanding, just the Twitter base expanding — has … a verifiable effect. Maybe not on TNT because that door is closed, but certainly on potential open doors,” Duffy said.

He also praised the “Help Save Dallas” petition, which has garnered more than 82,000 signatures, as well as the newly launched campaign to send bottles of barbecue sauce to The CW, hoping it will persuade executives at that network to pick up the series.

Duffy spoke to Matheson on My Talk 107.1 FM, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. The station is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, which also owns Reelz, one of the networks “Dallas” fans targeted during the first few weeks of the #SaveDallas campaign.

Matheson, a longtime “Dallas” fan, told Duffy he spoke to Hubbard’s owner about putting the show on Reelz. Although Hubbard passed, Matheson said the company was impressed by the passion of the fans.

“We have the most remarkable fan base. … It’s global,” Duffy said. “These people are the most phenomenal, proactive group of fans that I’ve ever heard of.”

To listen to the interview, visit the MyTalk1071.com website and click on “11/5 Wed Hour 4 – Jason and Alexis in the Morning.” Duffy’s segment begins at the 21-minute mark.

Share your positive comments below and check out Dallas Decoder’s Save Dallas Page for links to news coverage, petitions, other fan sites and more.

Filed Under: #SaveDallas, Opinion Tagged With: , , , ,

How Can Fans Help Save ‘Dallas’? Here Are Three Tips

November 4, 2014 by 13 Comments
#SaveDallas, Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Patrick Duffy, Save Dallas

Keep on trucking, Bob

“Dallas” fans are eager to support the behind-the-scenes efforts to rescue the series after TNT canceled it last month. What can we do? Here are three recommendations:

• Keep sharing #SaveDallas messages on social media. This is the area where we’ve made our biggest mark, so let’s keep the momentum going. We’ve sent 715,000 #SaveDallas tweets during the past month, according to social media research firm Topsy Labs Inc. If we hit 1 million tweets this week, we’ll provide the folks at Warner Bros. with a useful talking point to take into their discussions with network executives.

So keep those tweets coming, and if you can, please join the “tweet-a-thon” that fan Ryan Kwasneski is planning on Wednesday, November 5, from 7 to 9 p.m. Central time. Also, don’t forget to spread your #SaveDallas love on other social sites, including Facebook.

• Keep contacting The CW. Although The CW has been described as a long shot, it remains a contender to pick up the series. Other networks — including CBS, Reelz and WGN America — are no longer seen as viable options, so unless we hear otherwise, let’s make The CW our primary target. Here’s the contact information:

The CW Television Network

Address: 3300 West Olive Avenue, Burbank, CA 91505

Telephone: 818-977-2500

Email: feedback@CWTV.com

Online feedback: http://www.cwtv.com/feedback/comments

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheCW

Twitter: @CW_network

If you want to do something extra, consider this idea: “Dallas” fan Josh Eilberg is encouraging everyone to send bottles of barbecue sauce to The CW, hoping to emulate the success of the fans who helped save “Jericho” by mailing tons of peanuts to CBS. For details on the barbecue sauce campaign, check out Tom Tagliente’s blog post.

• Keep contacting Warner Bros. The studio that produces “Dallas” is leading the behind-the-scenes efforts to find a new home for the show. To help ensure the Warner Bros. executives continue fighting for “Dallas,” let’s keep sending them our encouragement. Here’s the contact information:

Warner Bros. Television Group

Address: 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, CA 91522

Telephone: 818-954-6000

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/warnerbrostv

Twitter: @warnerbrostv

Make no mistake, fellow fans: The fight to save “Dallas” has entered a crucial phase, as Patrick Duffy tweeted earlier this week. This remains an uphill battle, so let’s continue to give it everything we’ve got.

Share your positive comments below and check out Dallas Decoder’s Save Dallas Page for links to news coverage, petitions, other fan sites and more.

Filed Under: #SaveDallas, Opinion Tagged With: , , ,

#SaveDallas: Let’s Keep Going, Everyone

October 29, 2014 by 38 Comments
#SaveDallas, Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Sue Ellen Ewing, Save Dallas, TNT

Ain’t over yet

The fight to save “Dallas” isn’t over. Rescuing the series from cancellation remains an uphill battle, but there’s still a chance another network will give the show a new home — and there are still things fans can do to show their support.

Here are my recommendations:

• Encourage The CW to save “Dallas.” The CW might be a long shot to pick up the series, but that doesn’t mean we should stop lobbying the network. Here’s the contact information:

The CW Television Network

Address: 3300 West Olive Avenue, Burbank, CA 91505

Telephone: 818-977-2500

Email: feedback@CWTV.com

Online feedback: http://www.cwtv.com/feedback/comments

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheCW

Twitter: @CW_network

If you’re not sure what to say when you contact The CW, you might get some ideas by reading the memo I penned to the network’s president last week.

Also: Some “Dallas” fans are planning a CW-themed “tweet-a-thon” on Wednesday, October 29, at 9 p.m. Eastern. If you’re on Twitter, please participate and tweet #SaveDallas messages to the network.

• Encourage Warner Bros. to keep fighting for the show. Warner Bros., the studio that produces “Dallas,” is leading the charge to find the series a new home. It’s important the Warner Bros. executives know how much we appreciate their efforts. Here’s the contact information for the studio’s television division:

Warner Bros. Television Group

Address: 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, CA 91522

Telephone: 818-954-6000

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warnerbrostv

Twitter: @warnerbrostv

If you need help composing messages to Warner Bros., check out the suggestions I shared last week.

• Keep spreading the word on social media. It’s a good idea to target The CW and Warner Bros., but it can’t hurt to share some general love for “Dallas” on social media too.

Fans have sent 570,000 #SaveDallas tweets during the past month, the “Help Save Dallas” petition has 81,000 signatures, and the Dallas: Get the Ewings a New Network Facebook page boasts 13,000 “likes.” Keep it up. Every tweet, like and signature is another expression of support for our favorite show.

I know this is a tough time, everyone. We’ve been fighting hard for almost a month and it’s difficult to know how much progress we’re making. Please don’t give up.

“Dallas” has given all of us so much enjoyment over the years; as long as there’s a chance the show can continue, we owe it to the cast, the crew and our fellow fans to keep fighting for them.

Share your ideas and positive comments below and check out Dallas Decoder’s Save Dallas Page for links to news coverage, petitions, other fan sites and more.

Filed Under: #SaveDallas, Opinion Tagged With: , , , ,

Tell TNT to Save ‘Dallas’!

October 27, 2014 by 143 Comments
#SaveDallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Save Dallas, TNT

Everyone deserves a second chance

Updates (Oct. 27, 2:35 p.m. and 6:40 p.m.): This morning, I posted the following report, which states TNT might reverse its cancellation of “Dallas.” By the afternoon, TNT was telling fans it won’t reconsider its decision to drop the series. For now, I encourage everyone to remain positive and to keep showing their love for “Dallas” on social media.

The rumors are true: TNT might reverse its cancellation of “Dallas,” Dallas Decoder has confirmed. Fans should contact TNT today and urge the network to save the series.

Warner Bros., the studio that produces “Dallas,” has held discussions with other networks, but for a variety of reasons, these efforts haven’t panned out. There’s still an outside chance the show could find a new home on The CW, but for now, fans are strongly encouraged to focus their efforts on TNT.

An important note: When contacting TNT, please be polite and positive. Many fans are understandably upset the network canceled “Dallas” in the first place, but what matters now is urging TNT to give the show another chance.

Here’s the contact information:

TNT

Address: 1050 Techwood Drive NW, Atlanta, GA, 30318

Telephone: 404-827-1700 (main), 404-885-4538 (viewer comments)

Email: info@tnt.tv

Twitter: @tntdrama, @TNTPR

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TNTDrama

Write, call, tweet. Unleash the full force of your passions. If you want to go straight to the top, you can also email the executives in charge of Turner Broadcasting System, TNT’s parent company: David Levy, president, david.levy@turner.com, and John Martin, chairman and chief executive officer, john.martin@turner.com.

There’s no overstating how important this is, fellow fans. If we want to rescue our show, this might be our last, best shot. Let’s come together like never before and show TNT why “Dallas” must be saved.

Share your positive comments below and check out Dallas Decoder’s Save Dallas Page for links to news coverage, petitions, other fan sites and more.

Filed Under: #SaveDallas, Opinion Tagged With: , , ,

#SaveDallas: Stay Focused, Fellow Fans

October 26, 2014 by 62 Comments
Stay focused, y'all

Stay focused, y’all

“Dallas” fans are reading lots of rumors about the show’s future this weekend, including unconfirmed reports TNT might consider reversing its cancellation.

I encourage everyone to focus on the most credible sources of information, such as the Twitter feeds of the “Dallas” actors and other people associated with the show. If I’m able to nail down something, I’ll share it on Dallas Decoder and social media.

Until the facts become known, if you wish to contact TNT and encourage the network to give “Dallas” another chance, please do so. I don’t think it can hurt, especially if everyone is polite. Most importantly, please continue sending encouragement to Warner Bros., which owns and produces “Dallas.” The studio is trying to keep the show on the air, and the executives need to know we stand behind them.

No matter how this turns out, “Dallas” fans should feel proud. We’ve sent more than 495,000 #SaveDallas tweets during the past month and added more than 80,000 signatures to the “Help Save Dallas” petition. Let’s keep up the good work and continue fighting for the show we all love.

Share your positive comments below and check out Dallas Decoder’s Save Dallas Page for links to news coverage, petitions, other fan sites and more.

Filed Under: #SaveDallas, Opinion Tagged With: , , , ,

Here’s Why The CW Should Save ‘Dallas’

October 22, 2014 by 32 Comments
#SaveDallas, Josh Bobby Ewing, Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, Patrick Duffy, Save Dallas

Hunks and heroes

MEMORANDUM

To: Mark Pedowitz, president, The CW Television Network

From: Dallas Decoder

Re: #SaveDallas

First, congratulations. The CW is off to a solid start this season: “The Flash’s” debut was your network’s most-watched series premiere since 2009, “Supernatural” — now in its 10th year (!) — is experiencing a ratings resurgence, and “Jane the Virgin” is one of the season’s most critically acclaimed new shows. You have a lot to be proud of.

You can add another feather to your cap by saving “Dallas.”

Perhaps you’ve heard about the fan-driven campaign to rescue the beloved series, which was recently dropped by TNT after three seasons. We’ve sent more than 400,000 #SaveDallas tweets since October 4 and added almost 80,000 signatures to an online petition to find the show a new home. We’re a passionate, loyal bunch.

That’s why “Dallas” would be an excellent fit at your network, which specializes in airing shows that keep audiences tuning in, week after week. You said it best earlier this year when you were asked what viewers look for when they tune into The CW. Your response: “Interesting characters in serialized form.”

Well, my goodness, Mr. Pedowitz, “Dallas” ought to be right up your alley! This show has fascinating characters to spare, and it helped pioneer the concept of continuing storylines in prime time.

Make no mistake: “Dallas” would slide easily into The CW’s lineup. Josh Henderson is just as hunky as the guys on “Supernatural” and “The Vampire Diaries”; Linda Gray delivers Emmy-worthy performances as Sue Ellen Ewing, the most complex woman on television; and even though he doesn’t wear tights, Patrick Duffy’s Bobby Ewing is every bit as heroic as Arrow and the Flash. (He’s just as cool too.)

Yes, the “Dallas” franchise has been around awhile, which means its audience tends to be a little older than the typical CW viewer. But you know what? That’s one of the show’s greatest strengths — something I bet you’d be the first to acknowledge. After all, you’ve talked about your network’s need to expand its audience, which is why you added “Jane the Virgin” to your lineup this season. As you told the Los Angeles Times, “We’re still a broadcaster, so it’s important for us to mix it up.”

Let’s be clear, Mr. Pedowitz: Fans aren’t asking you to save “Dallas” out of the goodness of your heart. Television is a business, although ratings aren’t the only measure of success, are they? The Hollywood Reporter recently pointed out how you’ve stood behind “Beauty and the Beast” for a variety of reasons, including that show’s large international following and the fact that it makes a lot of money for the CW’s parent companies. (Would this be a good time to mention “Dallas” has a huge global fan base and is produced by Warner Bros., one of The CW’s owners?)

Toward that end, I’ve been asking “Dallas” fans to contact Warner Bros. and encourage the studio’s executives to keep trying to find “Dallas” a new home. Right now, nothing is more important than letting the studio know how much we love “Dallas” and want the show to go on.

But if fans want to do something a little extra, it wouldn’t be a bad idea if they sent some #SaveDallas love your way:

The CW Television Network

Address: 3300 West Olive Avenue, Burbank, CA 91505

Telephone: 818-977-2500

Online feedback: http://www.cwtv.com/feedback/comments

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheCW

Twitter: @CW_network

I hope you don’t mind when you start receiving our tweets, calls and letters, Mr. Pedowitz. Look at it this way: If your network saves “Dallas,” the biggest hero at The CW won’t be Arrow or the Flash — it’ll be you.

Why do you think The CW should save “Dallas”? Share your ideas below and check out Dallas Decoder’s Save Dallas Page for links to news coverage, petitions, other fan sites and more.

Filed Under: #SaveDallas, Opinion Tagged With: , , ,
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