Dallas Decoder

#DallasChat Daily: Who Deserved to Be in ‘Dallas’s’ Credits?

August 1, 2014 by Chris Baker 20 Comments

As much as we all love “Dallas’s” opening credits, they aren’t without their quirks.

Linda Gray and Steve Kanaly weren’t added to the title sequence until the second season, while poor Ken Kercheval had to wait until Season 3 to get star billing. By the time the show was winding down, the credits had become a free-for-all: Lesley-Anne Down was added to the opening titles the moment she joined the show, even though hardly anyone remembers her character, Stephanie Rogers.

Meanwhile, actors who made lasting contributions to “Dallas” — including John Beck (Mark), Morgan Brittany (Katherine), Mary Crosby (Kristin), Jared Martin (Dusty), Deborah Shelton (Mandy) and William Smithers (Jeremy) — were never promoted to the title sequence. (This is just a sampling, of course. Feel free to name additional actors in your response.)

Your #DallasChat Daily question: Which “Dallas” actors deserved a spot in the opening credits?

Share your comments below and join other #DallasChat Daily discussions.

Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat Daily, Opinion Tagged With: Deborah Shelton, Jared Martin, John Beck, Ken Kercheval, Lesley-Anne Down, Linda Gray, Mary Crosby, Morgan Brittany, Steve Kanaly, William Smithers

#DallasChat Daily: Who Stayed Too Long or Left Too Soon?

July 31, 2014 by Chris Baker 27 Comments

Let’s face it: “Dallas” didn’t always know when to say goodbye. Some characters hung around long after their storyline possibilities were exhausted, while other favorites still had lots of untapped potential when they were written out.

Consider the group pictured here: Lucy, Ray, Donna, Jenna, Kristin, Jeremy, Mickey, Holly and April. (I’ll let you decide which character belongs in which category.) This is just a sampling; you’re welcome to name other characters too.

Your #DallasChat Daily questions: Which “Dallas” characters stayed too long? Which characters left too soon?

Share your comments below and join other #DallasChat Daily discussions.

Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat Daily, Opinion Tagged With: Charlene Tilton, Lois Chiles, Mary Crosby, Priscilla Beaulieu Presley, Sheree J. Wilson, Steve Kanaly, Susan Howard, Timothy Patrick Murphy, William Smithers

#DallasChat Daily: Who Were the Best/Worst Cast Additions?

July 30, 2014 by Chris Baker 33 Comments

The original “Dallas” debuted with nine principal characters (Jock, Miss Ellie, J.R., Sue Ellen, Bobby, Pam, Lucy, Ray and Cliff), but the cast grew steadily as the show progressed. How did the additions measure up to the originals?

The notable newcomers over the years included Donna (Susan Howard), Clayton (Howard Keel), Jenna (Priscilla Beaulieu Presley), Jack (Dack Rambo), April (Sheree J. Wilson), Michelle (Kimberly Foster) and James (Sasha Mitchell).

Your #DallasChat Daily question: Who were “Dallas’s” best and worst cast additions?

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Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat Daily, Opinion Tagged With: Dack Rambo, Howard Keel, Kimberly Foster, Priscilla Beaulieu Presley, Sasha Mitchell, Sheree J. Wilson, Susan Howard

#DallasChat Daily: What Were ‘Dallas’s’ Best/Worst Recasts?

July 29, 2014 by Chris Baker 22 Comments

“Dallas” recast several roles over the years. Which ones worked? Which ones failed?

Among the choices: Miss Ellie (played by Barbara Bel Geddes and Donna Reed), Gary (David Ackroyd, Ted Shackelford), Pam (Victoria Principal, Margaret Michaels), Digger (David Wayne, Keenan Wynn) and Kristin (Colleen Camp, Mary Crosby). There were also three Jennas: Morgan Fairchild, Priscilla Beaulieu Presley and Francine Tacker, who isn’t pictured because I couldn’t squeeze her into the collage.

Additional choices: Dr. Harlan Danvers (Dan Ammerman, John Zaremba), Jimmy Monahan (James Canning, Philip Levien) Duke Carlisle (Claude Earl Jones, Clifton James) and Dr. David Gordon, who was played by Josef Rainer on the original show and Sam Anderson on the TNT series.

Your #DallasChat Daily question: What were “Dallas’s” best and worst recasts?

Share your comments below and join other #DallasChat Daily discussions.

Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat Daily, Opinion Tagged With: Barbara Bel Geddes, Colleen Camp, David Ackroyd, David Wayne, Donna Reed, Keenan Wynn, Margaret Michaels, Mary Crosby, Morgan Fairchild, Priscilla Beaulieu Presley, Ted Shackelford, TNT, Victoria Principal

#DallasChat Daily: Who Was John Ross’s Best Fling?

July 28, 2014 by Chris Baker 8 Comments

Pamela Barnes is the love of John Ross’s life, but he’s had lots of other romantic conquests during “Dallas’s” first three seasons on TNT. Which one was your favorite?

Was it Veronica Martinez, the woman who impersonated Marta del Sol, or Becky Sutter, the woman Pamela impersonated? How about trucking heiresses Brandee Cartwell and Emma Ryland? What about ambitious bureaucrat Alison Jones, or ambitious executive Elena Ramos?

Your #DallasChat Daily question: Who was John Ross’s best fling?

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Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat Daily, Opinion Tagged With: Alex McKenna, Annie Wersching, Caitlin Custer, Emma Bell, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Leonor Varela, TNT

Tonight, #DallasChat Will Tell on You

July 28, 2014 by Chris Baker 2 Comments

Dallas, Emma Bell, Emma Ryland, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, TNT

You’ll be blue

You’re invited to Dallas Decoder’s next #DallasChat on Twitter, which I’ll hold Monday, July 28, from 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern time. Our theme: “Cheatin’ Hearts.”

If you have ideas for questions, leave them in the comments section below, tweet them to me @DallasDecoder or post them to my Facebook page. I may choose one or more questions and ask them during our discussion.

New to #DallasChat? Here’s how it works: For one hour, I tweet 10 questions to my fellow “Dallas” fans. Each question is numbered and includes the hashtag #DallasChat, so your answers should do the same. Please include the show’s official hashtag, #DallasTNT, in your tweets too.

Here’s a sample exchange:

Q1. Why does John Ross cheat on Pamela? #DallasTNT #DallasChat

A1. He tells himself it’s for business, but deep down, I believe he actually cares for Emma. #Dallas TNT #DallasChat

Two tips:

• During the discussion, enter #DallasChat in Twitter’s search field. This will help you watch the search results so you can follow the conversation. Click “All” to see all the related tweets.

• Be sure to include #DallasChat in your tweets. This allows the other participants to see your contributions to the conversation.

I hope you can join the discussion. See you tonight!

Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat announcements, Opinion Tagged With: Dallas, Emma Bell, Emma Ryland, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, TNT

#DallasChat Daily: Which Sister-in-Law Belonged with Bobby?

July 25, 2014 by Chris Baker 5 Comments

Bobby would never steal one of his brother’s wives, but I bet some of those gals wish they had married him instead. So how about we play a little fantasy matchmaking?

Should Sue Ellen or Cally have married Bobby instead of J.R.? If Valene and Abby hadn’t married Gary, would they have been better off as better halves to Bobby? Instead of marrying Ray, should Donna and Jenna have waited around for Bobby to become available?

Your #DallasChat Daily question: Which sister-in-law should have married Bobby?

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Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat Daily, Opinion Tagged With: Cathy Podewell, Donna Mills, Joan Van Ark, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Priscilla Beaulieu Presley, Susan Howard

TNT Releases New Promo, Pics for ‘Dallas’

July 24, 2014 by Chris Baker 10 Comments

Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Pamela Rebecca Barnes Ewing, TNT

Raise the curtain

It looks like John Ross will pay the price for his sins — and maybe renew an old romance — when TNT’s “Dallas” resumes its third season on Monday, August 18.

In a new promo posted yesterday to the show’s Facebook page, John Ross (Josh Henderson) surveys the charred remains of his Southfork bedroom and declares, “Everything I did was for J.R. and his damn masterpiece.” Later, after we see the lingerie-clad Pamela (Julie Gonzalo) being rushed into an emergency room, Bobby (Patrick Duffy) throws John Ross against a wall and shouts, “Because of your cheating, she could die!”

Also in the 30-second promo, Ann (Brenda Strong) stands over Emma in a hospital waiting room and says, “Pamela overdosed because of what you did.” We also see John Ross walk away from Emma as she pleads, “We’re still business partners. We can do great things together.”

Indeed, the video suggests “Dallas” will once again shuffle the characters’ romantic relationships. In one scene, Elena (Jordana Brewster) stands in a hospital corridor and hisses into her mobile phone, “I know you sent that video, you son of a bitch!” Is she speaking to Nicolas (Juan Pablo Di Pace), who later appears to be on the receiving end of a punch from Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe)? Meanwhile, in the biggest surprise of all, it looks like John Ross and Elena share a shadowy smooch.

More clues to the new storylines are included in publicity stills posted in the “Dallas” section of TNT’s site. (Since some readers were having trouble finding them, I’ve also posted them below.) Among the shots: Pamela peers through a curtain and sees John Ross talking on a phone, Bobby and John Ross face each other in the Ewing Global offices as Sue Ellen and Judith (Linda Gray, Judith Light) watch, Ann sits next to a bruised Emma in the Southfork living room, and Judith sits at a desk, sporting what may be the world’s fiercest red power suit.

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What do you hope to see when “Dallas” returns on August 18? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Emma Bell, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Juan Pablo di Pace, Judith Light, Julie Gonzalo, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, TNT

#DallasChat Daily: Which Gal Should’ve Married Bobby?

July 24, 2014 by Chris Baker 20 Comments

Bobby Ewing has dated many women on “Dallas,” but not all of them got to marry him. For every Pam Barnes who makes the cut, there’s a Jenna Wade who doesn’t. In retrospect, which girlfriend deserved to become a Bobby bride?

Was it Jenna, who had a bad habit of leaving him at the altar? How about Tammy Miller, the old flame who briefly reunited with him after his divorce from Pam? What about lobbyist Kay Lloyd, or pool hustler Tracey Lawton, a.k.a. Tracey McKay? There’s also Pam lookalike Jeanne O’Brien and young Jory Taylor, as well as the gals Bobby dated during the “Dallas” reunion movies — friend-of-Afton Julia Cunningham and friend-of-J.R. Jennifer Jantzen.

Your #DallasChat Daily question: Which girlfriend should have married Bobby?

Share your comments below and join other #DallasChat Daily discussions.

Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat Daily, Opinion Tagged With: Beth Toussaint, Deirdre Imershein, Irena Ferris, Karen Kopins, Margaret Michaels, Michelle Johnson, Patrick Duffy, Priscilla Beaulieu Presley, Rosalind Allen

#DallasChat Daily: Who’s Bobby’s Best Wife?

July 23, 2014 by Chris Baker 24 Comments

There have been three Mrs. Bobby Ewings on “Dallas” — Pam, April and Ann. Picking a favorite is almost as tough as choosing between Ginger and Mary Ann on “Gilligan’s Island,” but let’s try anyway.

Your #DallasChat Daily question: Who is Bobby’s best wife?

Share your comments below and join other #DallasChat Daily discussions.

Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat Daily, Opinion Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Patrick Duffy, Sheree J. Wilson, TNT, Victoria Principal