Between the Lines and Behind the Scenes of "Dallas"
J.R. and Sue Ellen Ewing had the stormiest marriage Texas has ever known, but is there any doubt these two were soul mates? Despite all the obstacles they faced — including his ambition, her alcoholism and their mutual penchant for adultery — many “Dallas” fans never stopped rooting for them.
Your #DallasChat Daily question: What made J.R. and Sue Ellen a great couple?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Have a great discussion!
Cliff Barnes was no angel on the original “Dallas,” but he’s become downright evil on the new series. Among his crimes: using daughter Pamela to infiltrate the Ewings, conspiring with Harris and McConaughey to seize Ewing Energies, telling Frank to kill himself, ordering Roy’s jailhouse assassination and, worst of all, blowing up the Ewing Energies rig, which caused Pamela to lose his unborn grandchildren.
Your #DallasChat Daily questions: Can Cliff be redeemed? Should he be redeemed?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Remember the “Miss Ellie Rule”: Keep it civil. Have a great discussion!
Always the best
Our next #DallasChat discussion on Twitter will be held Monday, May 26, from 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern time. This chat will be comprised of the excellent reader-submitted questions I didn’t get around to asking last week, so the theme will be “The Rest of the Best.”
If you’re 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 do we watch #DallasTNT? #DallasChat
A1. Because we love watching the Ewings fighting with each other but standing together against outsiders! #DallasTNT #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.
This will be another fun #DallasChat. Please join us!
Sue Ellen Ewing has shown us many sides of her personality since “Dallas” began in 1978. She’s been a loyal wife, a vengeful divorcee, a high-society lady who lunches, a down-in-the-gutter drunk, a take-no-prisoners businesswoman, a failed politician — and much, much more.
Your #DallasChat Daily question: Which version of Sue Ellen do you like best?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Have a great discussion!
Bobby Ewing has been “Dallas’s” white knight for more than three decades, but he’s no stranger to the dark side. He pulled more than one dirty trick when he was battling J.R. for control of Ewing Oil, and there’s that whole business about framing Cliff Barnes for J.R.’s “murder.”
Your #DallasChat Daily question: What’s the worst thing Bobby’s ever done?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Have a great discussion!
J.R. Ewing liked to say John Ross was his son “from tip to tail,” and John Ross certainly has a lot in common with his daddy. But John Ross also likes to think of himself as his own man, as we saw when he confronted Sue Ellen over her drinking and shouted, “I am not my father!”
Your #DallasChat Daily question: How is John Ross different from J.R.?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Have a great discussion!
J.R. Ewing usually made Darth Vader look like a boy scout, but sometimes ol’ J.R. did the right thing. Remember when he refused to drag Sue Ellen’s name through the mud during their custody fight over John Ross? Or how about the time he returned ownership of Southfork to Bobby?
Your #DallasChat Daily question: What was J.R.’s most heroic act?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Have a great discussion!
Some Trekkies prefer “Star Trek: The Next Generation” to the original series and some Whitney Houston fans insist her version of “I Will Always Love You” is superior to Dolly Parton’s. Do any “Dallas” fans like the new show better than the original?
Your #DallasChat Daily question: Which “Dallas” series do you like best — and why?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Remember the “Miss Ellie Rule”: Keep it civil. Have a great discussion!
You want more #DallasChat? You’ve got it.
Starting today, #DallasChat will become a daily feature at Dallas Decoder. I’ll post a new question each weekday; you can drop in and answer at your leisure, then check back throughout the day to see how other fans have answered the question and to comment on their posts.
There’s one rule: Keep it civil. I’ll moderate all posts and rude comments won’t be approved, so don’t bother leaving them. Remember the “Miss Ellie Rule”: If you wouldn’t want Mama to read what you’ve written, don’t hit the “post” button.
Otherwise, have at it. Let’s make this a forum for fun, lively and insightful conversations about our favorite TV show.
I plan to offer a daily #DallasChat question until TNT’s “Dallas” resumes its third season on Monday, August 18. And yes, I’ll continue to host #DallasChat discussions on Twitter so we can talk about the show in real time.
Ready to start the new era of #DallasChat? Here’s your first question. Go answer it!
Michael Wright and the “Dallas” cast last week. (Getty Images)
“Dallas” could fit nicely with TNT’s new strategy to draw younger viewers by airing edgier programming, but the show’s future depends mostly on the strength of its ratings, industry observers say.
For years, TNT focused on shows that appeal to older audiences, such as “Major Crimes” and “Rizzoli & Isles.” Last week, the cable network’s executives said they’re shifting strategy because advertisers are increasingly interested in series like AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and “Breaking Bad,” which generate media buzz and draw younger consumers.
“To help draw more advertising dollars, having a breakout, buzz-worthy show is key. ‘Dallas’ is probably the closest [TNT has] to that now,” said David Campanelli, senior vice president and director for national broadcast at media-buying firm Horizon Media.
“Dallas” boasts TNT’s biggest presence on social media, with 1.6 million Facebook fans and 89,000 Twitter followers, but the show has struggled where it matters most: the ratings. “Dallas” is averaging 1.9 million viewers on Mondays this season, down about 25 percent from last year.
The series is on hiatus until mid-August, when its third season will resume. TNT has not announced if “Dallas” will return next year or a timetable for making a decision; the conventional wisdom is the network will wait to see how the show performs during the summer run before deciding whether to renew it.
Campanelli’s take: “Renewal will depend on strength of ratings, because it still is on strategy. But the audience still needs to show up.”
“Dallas” averaged 4.2 million viewers when TNT aired the first season during the summer of 2012. The show has since lost longtime star Larry Hagman, who died during the middle of production on Season 2, and moved to TNT’s winter schedule, where the competition is tougher.
Overall, TNT’s prime-time audience has declined 13 percent during the past five years, from 2.2 million to 1.9 million viewers.
Last week, the network pitched advertisers on the shows it’s developing for next season, including time-travel drama “Fix-It Men” and “The Shop,” a sequel to Stephen King’s “Firestarter.” TNT also unveiled a new slogan: “Boom,” which programming chief Michael Wright said is meant to evoke the network’s new emphasis on surprising storytelling.
“Dallas” cast members Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray and Josh Henderson were among the TNT stars who attended the network’s presentation to advertisers. This could be a sign the network sees a future for the show, said Marc Berman, editor of the industry news site TV Media Insights. “I’m still hopeful it will be renewed,” he said.
Will you watch “Dallas” this summer? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.
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