Larry Hagman – Dallas Decoder

Goodbye, ‘Dallas’!

November 25, 2014 by Chris Baker 53 Comments

Into that good night

Saying goodbye to “Dallas” isn’t hard because I never got used to the show being back in the first place. Like many fans, I grew up with the original series, watching it with my family on Friday nights for more than a decade. When “Dallas” went off the air in 1991, I kept on watching — first in cable reruns, then on mail-order VHS tapes and finally on DVD. I used to imagine the show returning someday, but I never expected it to actually happen. Once it did, it felt like I was living my own version of a “Dallas” dream season. Pam Ewing’s may have ended after 31 episodes, but mine lasted three whole years.

Like all dreams, this one was a bit surreal. On the new “Dallas,” J.R. was old, Bobby answered to “Robert” and Sue Ellen was sometimes missing in action. But once the show found its groove — and once Linda Gray moved front and center — I came to love it. This was a darker, edgier interpretation of the “Dallas” I once knew, but it was still “Dallas,” and it went on to deliver moments that became all-time favorites: J.R. returning ownership of Southfork to Bobby. Ann secretly recording Harris, then socking him. The revelation that Rebecca is Pamela. Sue Ellen getting drunk on the night before J.R.’s funeral. Bobby’s slow-motion walk away from Cliff. John Ross declaring that he’s not his father. All those Johnny Cash musical montages.

The more I watched, the more the new series transported me back to my childhood. On the morning after every episode, I received a phone call from my mom, who could hardly wait to gab about what happened to the Ewings the night before. Our conversations were a lot like the post-“Dallas” discussions we used to have around the Saturday morning breakfast table when I was a kid. “Dallas” also became something I could share with my husband Andrew, who spent years being mystified by my obsession with the original series. (The first time I sat him down to watch “Digger’s Daughter,” he dozed off before Bobby and Pam arrived at Southfork.) The new show hooked Andrew right away, though, and he came to enjoy it as much as me.

More than anything, I loved covering “Dallas” for this website. I got to critique episodes, interview cast members and compile list after list of “Dallas” minutiae. Writing about the show also took me back to my youth, when I used to sit at the kitchen table, pecking out “Dallas” story ideas that I’d mail to Leonard Katzman, the original show’s producer. He never wrote back, but my Dallas Decoder posts received lots of feedback from fellow fans who were eager to comment and share their own thoughts about the show. I loved hearing from them, as well as all the folks who helped me “fanalyze” the series during my weekly #DallasChat discussions on Twitter. Together, we became our own “Dallas” family, bonding over our shared love for the new series.

Does that sound corny? I’m sure it does, but it’s true. Yes, “Dallas” was a soap opera, a TV show, flickering images inside the box in front of the living room sofa. But to a lot of us, it meant so much more. I wrote about the series whenever I found a spare moment, whether it was late at night at home or on the train during my morning commute. I’ve also lugged my laptop to beaches and national parks, and on more than one occasion, I’ve asked Andrew to reschedule dinner reservations or rearrange weekend plans so I could complete some Dallas Decoder writing project. He never complained — not even on the night we had to delay our anniversary dinner because I had a phone interview with Julie Gonzalo. (It probably didn’t hurt that Andrew and I share a not-so-secret crush on Pamela Rebecca Barnes Ewing Ewing.)

Through it all, watching, writing and chatting about “Dallas” was an extended, please-don’t-wake-me moment — with two exceptions. The first came two years ago, when my childhood hero Larry Hagman died. Like all “Dallas” fans, I hated losing him, although I was grateful the new series gave him an opportunity to leave us playing the character he loved most. The second tough moment was far more personal: the death of my older brother last year. Growing up, Rick was our family’s version of J.R. He was forever breaking the rules and landing in hot water with people — including the multiple girlfriends he was always juggling — but since he possessed one of the world’s great smiles, you could never stay mad at him. One month after Bobby stood at J.R.’s gravesite and paid tribute to his big brother, I found myself standing in a church, eulogizing mine. Losing Rick is the hardest thing I ever experienced, but I’m so glad I had this website, which offered a welcome distraction when I needed it most.

“Dallas” also provided me with one of the coolest experiences of my life: Earlier this year, the show’s costume designer, the wonderful Rachel Sage Kunin, allowed me to shadow her for a “day in the life” story for Dallas Decoder. Andrew joined me as we followed Rachel around and watched her prepare the cast’s wardrobe for the third-season finale. She also took us on a tour of the soundstages; we actually got to wander around the Southfork living room and the Ewing Global offices! I could hardly believe my good fortune. I planned to post the story after the season finale aired in September, but then TNT canceled the series and I shifted into #SaveDallas mode. Now that those efforts have ended, I look forward to finally sharing the piece soon.

Speaking of #SaveDallas: As I wrote last week, I was proud to be part of the legion of fans who came together and tried to rescue the series after its cancellation. We didn’t succeed in saving the Ewings, but we did let the world know how much they mean to us. As for the cancellation itself: I believe “Dallas’s” ratings drop can be attributed to a lot of factors, including its tough time slot and the loss of fans who felt the show strayed from the spirit of the original series. Some of these folks are Dallas Decoder regulars, and even though they don’t share my affection for the new series, they never begrudged me my opinion. I thank them for this. I also thank all the readers who did love the show and came along with me for the ride. I hope you had fun.

So even though I’m disappointed “Dallas” is ending and even though I’ll miss it, it’s not hard to say goodbye. My favorite TV show returned for three years. I got to watch it, to write about it, and to share it with my family and fellow fans. It was a joyful experience; to ask for anything more almost feels greedy. I thank the cast for delivering so many performances that moved me, and I thank the many gifted people who worked behind the scenes. Once again, I also thank everyone who reads this site. Make no mistake: “Dallas” has ended but Dallas Decoder is going to stick around. I still have things I want to say about the show, and I still want to hear what all of you think. We have great conversations ahead.

That brings me to the other reason it isn’t hard to say goodbye to “Dallas,” which is this: It’s not a final farewell. We’re unlikely to see another “Dallas” series anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean the Ewings won’t return with new adventures in the future. Maybe it won’t be a TV show; perhaps the stories will be told through other forms of media. Consider the serendipity of the timing of “Dallas’s” end, which came a few days shy of the anniversary of Mr. Hagman’s death. Just as J.R. will never really leave us, I refuse to believe we’ve seen the last of his family. Someday, somehow, “Dallas” will return — and with any luck, I’ll be here to take the ride all over again.

After all, who says dreams can’t come true twice?

How do you feel about the end of “Dallas”? Share your comments below and read more opinions from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: Opinion, Opinion Tagged With: #SaveDallas, Digger’s Daughter, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, Leonard Katzman, Linda Gray, Rachel Sage Kunin, Save Dallas, TNT

Tell TNT to Save ‘Dallas’!

October 27, 2014 by Chris Baker 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, Larry Hagman, Save Dallas, TNT

We’re Another Step Closer to Saving ‘Dallas’!

October 13, 2014 by Chris Baker 97 Comments

#SaveDallas, Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Pamela Rebecca Barnes Ewing, Patrick Duffy, Save Dallas, Sue Ellen Ewing

Step by step

The #SaveDallas campaign is working!

Since the fan-drive effort began, we’ve had two goals: 1) to persuade Warner Bros., the studio that produces “Dallas,” to find a new home for the show, and 2) to demonstrate our passion and loyalty so another network will want to pick up the show.

Well, we can now scratch one item off the list.

In an upbeat interview with Yahoo! yesterday, executive producer Cynthia Cidre confirmed Warner Bros. is indeed shopping “Dallas” to other networks. According to Cidre, the studio is focused on pitching the drama — which TNT canceled earlier this month — to other cable channels, including CMT, WGN America and Reelz.

Streaming services such as Netflix aren’t an option because of complications with “Dallas’s” foreign distribution deals, Cidre said. It isn’t clear if Warner Bros. is pitching the show to broadcast networks too, although many fans remain hopeful “Dallas” will go to CBS, home of the original series.

Fans will follow “Dallas” wherever it goes, of course. That’s why I believe we should channel our energies into the second item on our to-do list: demonstrating our dedication to “Dallas” so no matter which network considers picking up the show, the programming executives will know they’re going to inherit many loyal viewers who are eager to see the Ewing saga continue.

Here’s what I recommend:

• Boost the petition. The “Help Save Dallas TNT” petition remains the single most powerful expression of enthusiasm for the “Dallas” brand. The petition has more than 72,000 signatures — which is impressive — but if we could push this number to 100,000 signatures, our efforts would surely attract more attention from the press and television executives. Let’s make this our goal. Please, if you know any fan who hasn’t signed the petition yet, encourage them to do so now.

• Show your love on social media. Keep posting on Facebook and Twitter using the #SaveDallas hashtag, which makes it easy for TV execs and reporters to find our tweets. Remember to keep your messages positive — especially when communicating with networks that could become “Dallas’s” new home. We want to make a good impression, after all. Also: Some fans are planning a “tweetathon” on Monday, October 13, from 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern. Get online during this time and send as many #SaveDallas tweets as you can. (I won’t hold my usual Monday evening #DallasChat on October 13 so fans can focus on participating in the tweetathon.)

• Thank Warner Bros. We’ve all spent a lot of time during the past week encouraging Warner Bros. to do its part to save “Dallas.” Now that we know the studio is trying to find the show a new home, let’s all send tweets to @warnerbrostv and let the executives know how much we appreciate their efforts — and to urge them to keep fighting to save the show.

Thanks also go to the many “Dallas” diehards who continue doing their part. We should all feel proud of our achievements, but make no mistake: There’s still a lot of work to do.

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: Cynthia Cidre, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Save Dallas

CBS, Here’s Your Chance to Save ‘Dallas’

October 12, 2014 by Chris Baker 114 Comments

#SaveDallas, CBS, Dallas, Larry Hagman, Les Moonves, Leslie Moonves, Save Dallas

Wheeler dealers (Associated Press)

MEMORANDUM

To: Leslie Moonves, president and chief executive officer, CBS Corporation

From: Dallas Decoder

Re: #SaveDallas

Mr. Moonves, have I got a deal for you.

You know better than anyone how hard fans are fighting to save “Dallas” after TNT canceled the show last week. There’s an online petition calling on CBS to pick up the series, and Linda Gray tells Dallas Decoder that when she ran into you a few days ago, you told her you’ve been inundated with emails from “Dallas” diehards pleading with you to bring the show home to CBS. (Sorry about clogging your inbox, sir. “Dallas” fans are a passionate bunch.)

Most tantalizing of all, there are unconfirmed reports that CBS is interested in hearing a pitch from the show’s producers. If these stories aren’t true, they should be. After all, nothing would make more sense from a business perspective — and nothing would be more poetic — than having CBS ride to “Dallas’s” rescue.

For starters, “Dallas” comes with a fan base that has stuck with it for more than three decades. We watched the original show on CBS in the 1970s and 1980s, we watched CBS’s reunion movies and specials in the 1990s and early 2000s, and we watched all three seasons of the TNT sequel. We’re nothing if not loyal.

Not all of us are old-timers either. “Dallas” has always bridged the generation gap. I started watching when I was a kid, sitting on the living room floor while Mom and Dad watched from their easy chairs. Now I’m a grown-up and I’m still watching — and so are younger viewers like my niece, a new “Dallas” devotee who thinks Josh Henderson, a.k.a. John Ross Ewing III, is a dreamboat.

This is why “Dallas” is an ideal fit for CBS, the only network that still believes in broadcasting. You and your executive team have a gift for delivering shows that everyone enjoys, from “The Big Bang Theory” to “Big Brother.” Imagine how easily “Dallas” would slide into your Friday lineup, where it would join “Blue Bloods,” another multigenerational family drama, and the “Hawaii Five-0” revival. It would be smart scheduling and a lovely nod to “Dallas’s” glory days, when the original show ruled Friday nights.

Yes, I know television has changed a lot since then. Families don’t gather in the warm glow of a living room TV set the way mine did when I was growing up. But “Dallas” still has the power to bring people together — look at how fans have united since the #SaveDallas campaign began — and viewers will always want to watch great drama, whether it’s on TV, a tablet or a device that fits in your pocket.

Besides, the Ewings never go out of style. I realize “Dallas’s” ratings on TNT haven’t always reflected that, especially toward the end of the show’s run. But you’ve got to wonder: What kind of numbers did TNT expect? When “Dallas” wasn’t airing on holidays, it was forced to compete with the Emmys and “Monday Night Football.” To make matters worse, the network scheduled the season finale on the first night of the new season, when “Dallas” was forced to go head-to-head with multiple premieres — including the debut of CBS’s newest hit, “Scorpion.” (Congrats on another blockbuster, by the way.)

But this isn’t just about numbers, Mr. Moonves. This is about tradition too. When the original “Dallas” came along in the 1970s, CBS was getting clobbered in the ratings by ABC, which was riding high with “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley” and “Charlie’s Angels.” Then J.R. got shot and “Dallas” zoomed to the top of the Nielsens, taking the rest of CBS with it. Today, the original “Dallas” is remembered as one of the greatest successes in the network’s history, along with “I Love Lucy,” “All in the Family,” “60 Minutes” and “Survivor.”

There’s a personal connection here too, Mr. Moonves. You made your mark in television as a young executive at Lorimar, the storied studio that produced “Dallas,” along with “Knots Landing” and “Falcon Crest.” You arrived around the time Bobby Ewing stepped out of the shower and gave “Dallas” a new lease on life. That’s exactly what we need right now — a fresh start.

Check out the picture I’ve attached to this memo. It shows you and Larry Hagman at a party for TV critics in 1997. I love the expression on his face — I wonder what joke he’s cracking here? — but I also love the expression on yours. You look like you admire Mr. Hagman as much as “Dallas” fans do. Imagine how proud he’d be if you saved “Dallas,” a franchise that meant so much to him.

Look, Mr. Moonves, I don’t mean to get too sentimental here. J.R. Ewing didn’t become a successful oil baron by letting his emotions rule his decision-making, and I suspect you didn’t become the most powerful person in television by doing the same. I also realize the odds of a broadcast network picking up a discarded cable series are pretty long. But this show is special, for all the reasons I just pointed out.

“Dallas” once saved CBS. Here’s your chance to return the favor.

Why do you think CBS 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: #SaveDallas, Josh Henderson, Larry Hagman, Leslie Moonves, Linda Gray, Save Dallas, TNT, Who Shot J.R.?

CANCELED: TNT Drops ‘Dallas’

October 3, 2014 by Chris Baker 66 Comments

The end?

TNT has canceled “Dallas,” more than a week after the series concluded its third season.

The revival of the 1978-91 CBS classic got off to a promising start, debuting in June 2012 with almost 7 million viewers. Ratings dropped when TNT brought the series back the following winter in a tough time slot, a few months after the death of iconic star Larry Hagman.

The show’s stars took to Twitter tonight after TNT announced the news. “Thank all of you wonderful fans for your love and support for these past 3 seasons. We were just canceled. So sad!” wrote Linda Gray.

Tweeted Emma Bell: “Thank you for all the well wishes. It was an honor to be apart of @Dallas_TNT grateful to be a family with such a wonderful cast and crew!”

The “Dallas” writers have been penning scripts for a fourth season, in case the series was renewed. In an interview last week, executive producer Cynthia Cidre discussed plans to bring back a fan favorite from the original show and introduce J.R.’s secret daughter, whose existence was revealed during the third-season finale.

It isn’t clear if Warner Bros., the studio that produces “Dallas,” will shop the series to another home. Keep reading Dallas Decoder for additional coverage in the coming days.

What’s your reaction to “Dallas’s” cancellation? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: Cynthia Cidre, Larry Hagman, TNT

It’s Time to Renew ‘Dallas,’ TNT

October 1, 2014 by Chris Baker 39 Comments

Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, Judith Light, Judith Ryland, TNT

Give us what we want, TNT

Will TNT renew “Dallas” for a fourth season? I have no idea, but there’s no shortage of reasons why this show deserves another year.

Let’s start with the numbers:

• TV ratings. Yes, they’ve dropped. “Dallas” averaged 1.9 million viewers on Mondays this year, down 28 percent from its second season, according to Nielsen. However, the audience includes approximately 592,000 adults between ages 18 and 49, a demographic TNT is eager to court. Among these viewers, “Dallas” fares better than three other TNT dramas — including “Murder in the First,” which just got renewed.

• DVR ratings. “Dallas” gets a nice boost from DVR users who record the episodes and watch them a few days later. Example: The third-season finale opened to 1.7 million viewers on September 22, but within three days, DVR users lifted the audience to 2.4 million viewers. Although this is the smallest DVR-boosted audience that TNT has reported for “Dallas,” it still means the finale’s viewership grew roughly 40 percent — not bad when you consider the two-hour episode debuted amid the crush of fall premiere week, when DVRs fill up fast.

• Social media. “Dallas” has 1.6 million Facebook fans, more than any other TNT drama, and 94,000 Twitter followers, second only to “Rizzoli & Isles.” Also, five times during the past six weeks, “Dallas” has cracked a weekly ranking of cable’s 25 buzziest shows on social media — including last week, when the season finale ranked fifth.

Is any of this good enough for TNT? Let’s hope so. The network’s executives are likely weighing a lot of other numbers that fans like us aren’t privy to, including “Dallas’s” production costs and revenue from product placement, DVD sales, merchandising and foreign broadcasts.

But this decision shouldn’t be about numbers only.

“Dallas” also deserves another season because the show is a creative success. Vets like Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray are doing some of the finest work of their careers on the new “Dallas,” while Josh Henderson has become a breakout star. The production values are also first-rate, and even though some of us diehards quibble with the storytelling now and then, “Dallas” remains one of the most absorbing hours on television.

This brings me to the other big reason “Dallas” deserves another year: Loyalty.

It’s one of the show’s major themes, but it’s also part of the fabric of “Dallas” fandom. Few shows inspire this kind of devotion. Some of us have been watching “Dallas” for more than 30 years — we tuned into the original show on Fridays nights in the 1980s, and then we watched the reruns and DVDs — while others are newcomers who’ve stuck with the TNT series through time slot changes, long hiatuses and split seasons.

TNT has a history with “Dallas” too. Back in 1991, when the network was still new, it showed “Dallas” reruns weekday mornings at 10, right after Bugs Bunny cartoons. TNT even ran a contest inviting viewers to submit lyrics to the theme. None other than Larry Hagman showed up to introduce the winning entry, which went like this:

Oh we own this

And we own that

As far as the eye can see!

From Texas soil

We pump Ewing oil

Daddy Jock, brother Bobby

And me!

Yes, I’m J.R.

I’m known near and far

A rat in a town

That’s cat-free!

I make big deals

And I’ve got one that’s real

Merging “Dallas” with TNT!

TNT, “Dallas” isn’t just part of our heritage. It’s part of yours too. Renew it today, and keep the tradition going.

Why do you think “Dallas” should be renewed? Share your comments below and read more opinions from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: Opinion, Opinion Tagged With: Josh Henderson, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Critique: TNT’s ‘Dallas’ Episode 40 — ‘Brave New World’

September 28, 2014 by Chris Baker 66 Comments

Brave New World, Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, TNT, Which Ewing Dies?

Going down

Throughout “Dallas’s” third season, John Ross strives to honor J.R. without becoming him. He wears Daddy’s wristwatch and belt buckle and embarks on one ambitious scheme after another, hoping to emulate J.R.’s business successes without repeating his personal failures. Nothing goes according to plan, of course, and by the end of the season’s final hour, “Brave New World,” John Ross has lost his company, his wife and his family’s goodwill. In a climactic scene, the young man who was so eager to be a better man than J.R. — the son who previously slammed his hand on Sue Ellen’s kitchen counter and insisted he wasn’t his father — stands before her and Uncle Bobby and repeats this assertion, this time with a caveat. “I’m not just like my father,” John Ross says. “I’m worse.”

Chilling? Yes, but also poignant. The truth is, John Ross isn’t worse than J.R. Not by a long shot. John Ross is more heroic than his father, as we see at the beginning of “Brave New World,” when he defeats the drug cartel and tries to avenge Emma’s rape by nearly killing Luis. John Ross is also much more emotional than J.R., which we witness during this episode’s elevator scene, when — having lost it all — he collapses in tears and listens to an old voice mail in which J.R. says he’s proud of him. How could anyone this sensitive be worse than J.R.? Maybe the setbacks John Ross experienced this season will harden him and make him as cruel and as calculating as his father, but he’s not there yet.

Regardless of how bad John Ross becomes, there’s no denying how good Josh Henderson is at articulating his character’s complexities. Henderson allows us to feel John Ross’s vein-popping rage in “Brave New World’s” opening scene, when John Ross slams Luis to the floor, digs a gun barrel into his face and screams, “You regret what you did to her now? Huh?” Henderson offers a different kind of anger in the scene with Bobby and Sue Ellen, when he doesn’t deliver the “I’m worse” line as much as he growls it. At the other end of the spectrum, there’s the elevator scene, which is moving not just because we hear Larry Hagman’s voice, but also because we see Henderson’s tears. (By the way: J.R.’s voice mail comes from a phone conversation between him and John Ross in the first-season episode “The Price You Pay,” and the song that plays when John Ross begins weeping was written and performed by Henderson. Is there anything he can’t do?)

If John Ross’s elevator breakdown supplies “Brave New World” with its emotional high point, what is there to say about Christopher’s death at the end of the episode? Even though TNT’s promos warned us a Ewing would die, this is still a shocking moment. Much of the credit goes to Jordana Brewster, whose anguish is palpable when Elena sees Christopher’s car blow up with him inside. (And yes, that is supposed to be Christopher, even though we don’t actually see Jesse Metcalfe get behind the wheel.) Nevertheless, this doesn’t feel like the blaze-of-glory exit the heroic Christopher deserves. Is the audience supposed to admire him for dying while helping Elena? Sorry, but I can’t fathom why he remains so devoted to her after all the terrible choices she’s made. I recognize killing off Metcalfe opens lots of new storytelling avenues for this series, but I can’t help but wish Elena had been the one to blow up instead.

Christopher’s death puts a grisly punctuation mark on this season’s better-than-expected drug cartel storyline. There’s also a nifty musical montage in which the braided henchman Jacobo kills Luis and El Pozolero in their jail cell before a cane-wielding Nicolas is revealed as the mastermind behind the murders. (The cool song that powers this sequence: Eric Church’s “Devil, Devil.”) Other highlights include Mitch Pileggi’s beautiful performance when Harris professes his love for Ann, as well as Elena and Nicolas’s dramatic showdown, although I wish she hadn’t shot him. Now virtually every leading lady on this show has plugged someone. Likewise, I could do without Judith Light’s mugging when John Ross tells Bobby and Sue Ellen he’s worse than J.R. — a scene that should’ve been reserved for Ewings only. (And isn’t it funny how the elevator doors open and reveal Judith at the precise moment John Ross announces she’s the new railroad commissioner?)

Criticisms aside, “Brave New World,” which comes from scriptwriter Robert Rovner and director Steve Robin, brings the third season to a satisfying conclusion and resets the table for “Dallas’s” fourth year — and TNT willing, there’ll be one. The scene where Bobby and Sue Ellen foil Pamela’s plan to reclaim Ewing Global is heartening because it suggests the Barnes/Ewing feud isn’t over, despite what Pamela told Cliff a few episodes ago. I especially like how Pamela accuses her in-laws of screwing her over like Jock cheated Digger. (Is she wrong?) The other promising development: the addition of Tracey McKay to the Bobby/Ann/Harris triangle — especially if it means Tracey and Harris will join forces against the newly reconciled couple.

“Dallas’s” most intriguing new storyline, of course, is John Ross’s discovery that J.R. has a secret daughter. Like all “Dallas” fans, I have lots of questions about this one, beginning with the obvious: Who’s the mama? I figured the young woman would turn out to be the product of J.R.’s marriage to Cally, although executive producer Cynthia Cidre tells Dallas Decoder the daughter’s mother is dead. (Cally is still alive in this “Dallas” universe, or at least she was when she showed up at J.R.’s funeral last season.) Will the mother turn out to be J.R.’s longtime secretary Sly, who slept with him shortly before he fired her at the end of the original series? What if Kristin Shepard didn’t suffer a miscarriage after J.R. impregnated her in 1980? Could the daughter be the product of J.R.’s romp with Katherine Wentworth, who may or may not be lurking around somewhere? The mind reels.

More questions: How is John Ross going to use the existence of a half-sister to his advantage? You might think someone like him wouldn’t want other siblings hanging around, especially if there’s a possibility they could stake a claim on his inheritance. On the other hand, he must have something up his sleeve. How else to explain his toast to J.R. and his “Thank you, Daddy” line in the final shot? (Is this a nod to the classic scene where J.R. gazes at the heavens and thanks Jock after sneaking a peek at his will?) There’s also the question of where John Ross’s sister will fit into “Dallas’s” romantic sphere. If she likes guys, she doesn’t have a lot of options among the show’s main cast members, does she? If, however, she likes gals, there are a few tantalizing possibilities. This could be fertile new storytelling terrain for “Dallas,” although I’m not sure the show would want to go that route after the uproar over John Ross, Pamela and Emma’s threesome this year.

Then again, maybe that’s all the more reason to do it.

Grade: B

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hot wheel

‘BRAVE NEW WORLD’

Season 3, Episode 15

Telecast: September 22, 2014

Audience: 1.72 million viewers on September 22

Writer: Robert Rovner

Director: Steve Robin

Synopsis: John Ross’s commandos rescue him and the Mexican police arrest El Pozolero and Luis, who are later murdered in their jail cells by Nicolas’s henchman. When the government seizes the cartel’s Ewing Global assets, Pamela plans to buy them back, but Bobby and Sue Ellen beat her to the punch, infuriating both John Ross and Pamela. Bobby and Ann reconcile, but she becomes alarmed when she finds him comforting a grieving Tracey. Elena realizes Nicolas is responsible for Drew’s death and shoots Nicolas in a fit of anger, but he escapes. John Ross walks in on Pamela and Nasir in bed and later forms an alliance with Judith, who returns Candace’s blue dress to him, replaces Bobby on the railroad commission, and gets her hands on Harris’s tape of her drug deals. Emma gives one of Harris’s secret files to John Ross, who discovers J.R. has a daughter and tells Bum to find her. Elena learns she’s pregnant and is getting ready to leave a gas station when a car bomb planted by another one of Nicolas’s henchmen goes off, killing Christopher.

Cast: Emma Bell (Emma Ryland), Jordana Brewster (Elena Ramos), Melinda Clarke (Tracey McKay), Juan Pablo Di Pace (Nicolas Treviño), Akari Draco (Sheriff Derrick), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Julie Gonzalo (Pamela Ewing), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Josh Henderson (John Ross Ewing), Antonio Jaramillo (Luis), Judith Light (Judith Ryland), Jesse Metcalfe (Christopher Ewing), Kevin Page (Bum), Pete Partida (Jacobo), Gino Anthony Pesi (George Tatangelo), Mitch Pileggi (Harris Ryland), Carlos Sandoval (El Pozolero), Brenda Strong (Ann Ewing), Mikal Vega (Walter)

“Brave New World” is available at DallasTNT.com, Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.

Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (TNT), Opinion Tagged With: Brave New World, Cynthia Cidre, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Larry Hagman, Mitch Pileggi, Price You Pay, Robert Rovner, Steve Robin, TNT

The Dallas Decoder Interview: Cynthia Cidre

September 25, 2014 by Chris Baker 70 Comments

Cynthia Cidre

Spoiler alert! “Dallas” fans are still reeling from this week’s season finale, in which Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) was killed when his car blew up and John Ross (Josh Henderson) learned J.R. has a secret daughter. I spoke with executive producer Cynthia Cidre about the cliffhangers — and what fans will see if “Dallas” returns next year.

Is Christopher really dead?

Yes. Believe me, we thought about teasing that: Did he die? Did he not die? And then, because I knew he was going to be dead for sure, I just felt dirty about doing that. It didn’t feel honest. So I thought the explosion was pretty big, and pretty definite — although I’m told all the blogs are saying he’s not really dead.

Yeah, the readers on my site are filling up the comments section with all kinds of theories.

That’s fun. I’ve got to read that.

But why kill a Ewing?

Well, we aim to surprise everybody — always. We like doing what you don’t see coming at the end of every season. I thought we did that well in Season 1, when we found out Rebecca was Pamela Barnes, and then we had Season 2 end with Elena finding out J.R. cheated her father. We always want to do the unexpected. And what would people expect less than if you actually killed off one of your main characters?

Christopher Ewing, Dallas, Endgame, Jesse Metcalfe, TNT, Which Ewing Dies?

Swan song

Why Christopher?

If you really think about it, there were really only two options. I couldn’t kill Sue Ellen or Bobby because somebody might kill me. I couldn’t kill John Ross because the show is really on Josh’s shoulders since Larry [Hagman] died. That left Ann and Christopher. Whose death would have the bigger impact? It would be Christopher’s.

Was there a lot of debate in the writers’ room?

We pitched it back and forth for months and months: “Are we doing it? Can we do it? Are we insane? This will drive the fan nuts. They’ll want to watch the next season to see what happens. No, we can’t do it. Yes, we can. No, we can’t.” And by the way, it costs a lot of money, so we had to get permission from the studio and the network. Finally, when the money came through, Mike [Robin, a “Dallas” executive producer and director] and I looked at each other and said, “Oh, my God. I guess we’re really doing it.”

When was the scene filmed?

Only about three weeks ago. That we kept it secret is more incredible. At a certain point, only the writers and Mike knew, and then it became the studio, and then it became the network. Every time it went to someone else, I would freak and think, “How are you going to keep this secret?” Then we had to budget it and schedule it, and that involved a whole other film crew because our crew was not working. So we used the crew for “Major Crimes.”

You kept it in the TNT family.

They didn’t know what they were shooting. They knew there was going to be an explosion, but they had no idea what show, what character. And then when Jordana [Brewster] showed up on set, they realized, “Oh my God, we’re shooting the finale for ‘Dallas.’” We talked to them afterwards and said, “Guys, you’re so great to do this. You showed up on a Saturday. Thank you for your time. Please, please, please keep this to yourselves.”

Jesse Metcalfe gave a nice statement to Entertainment Weekly. What was Jordana’s reaction to the news?

I only told her the night before we shot it. She was shocked. At first she thought we were killing her because we wouldn’t tell her what we were shooting. So I finally told her, “Just rest easy. We’re not killing you, okay?”

It was a big twist, which is why I’m sorry it aired on such a tough night. What’s your reaction to the ratings?

Well, we held our own, which is insane since seven other shows premiered that day. There was “The Blacklist,” there was “The Voice,” there was “Monday Night Football.” Literally, I’m stunned. But we’re a DVR darling. Every episode this summer has gone up [significantly in viewers through DVR playback]. All I can do is make a show we’re proud of and hope the diehard fans show up.

Brave new world

You’re still waiting to hear whether you’ll be renewed for a fourth year, but as you said the other day, you’ve already started writing next season’s storylines. So how’s Bobby going to cope with his son’s death?

I just finished the first [episode] outline and it’s all about him. How’s he dealing with this? He has a pretty good idea who did it, even though there’s absolutely no proof. And Nicolas is in Mexico, so he can’t get to him. So you’re going to see a slightly different Bobby than you’ve seen before. He’s extraordinarily angry and vengeful, he’s extraordinarily hurt — and he’s refusing to express his hurt.

What about the rest of the family?

It affects everybody. Elena’s guilt goes without saying. She feels like her hands are dirty. There’s going to be a tortured relationship between her and Bobby. Believe me, this will be the emotional core of the show. The other thing that will be at the core of it is John Ross’s sister.

Yes, let’s talk about her. What can you say?

I can tell you that although J.R. has many spawns around town — if not around the world — this girl is different and special, and there’s a reason for that. That’s going to be the surprise that I hope will make your head spin.

You’re killing me here.

We had originally filmed the scene of John Ross finding her as an alternate ending because we didn’t know if we were going to get the money to blow up the car. But because we hadn’t cast the actress, all you were going to see was [the character’s] hand, and it was a great hand. It had bitten cuticles and some chipped nails and a bunch of bracelets. It was in a very exotic location. And we shot it, and it worked, but we thought because we’re going to move forward six months [when the new season opens], it would be better if John Ross finds her then. Because what the heck is he doing with her for six months?

So who’s this character’s mother?

It was a woman. [Laughs]

That’s good to know!

She’s passed away, so we’re not going to meet her. If I tell you that, then I would be spoiling something that I think would be a lot of fun — which, by the way, has been a pitch in our writers’ room for three years. We have something called the “duck pond,” where we throw up crazy ideas. And finally, that one looked good to us this year, so we’re employing it.

Will we see more old favorites from the original show?

Yes. There will be one who is a very, very, very popular old character. We’re excited to bring him or her back.

Wait, what? You’re not going to tell me if it’s a him or a her?

[Laughs] Okay, it’s a her. We’re looking forward to that storyline. It’ll be a lot of fun.

What about Cliff Barnes? Will Ken Kercheval be back?

Maybe. We’ve used him extensively for three seasons, but he’s in jail. We decided to leave him in jail, and so that kind of hurt us a little bit. There’s not a lot he can do from there. But there are some pitches about that also.

What about this business of adding a wing onto Southfork?

We’re doing it!

Really?

It burned! We have to add a wing. [Laughs] It’s a two-bedroom house with 15 people living in it.

But what about fans like me who consider Southfork sacred ground?

That’s why we’re going to put [the addition] in the back of the house. You won’t get to see it from the front, so the silhouette of the house will remain the same. We did not want to upset anybody. But we’ve made fun of [Southfork’s size] from the beginning.

I think that’s part of the show’s charm.

Yeah, definitely. We talk about it all the time. I mean, if you’ve ever visited that house, it’s probably 2,000 square feet, but somehow there are eight bedrooms. [Laughs]

Speaking of fans: Do you pay attention to the fan sites?

Not that much because I hate to get sucked into it. I mean, I want to hear all the good ones, and I want to hear the bad ones too. Mike Robin always leads with the good news. I lead with the bad news. That’s how I want notes from the studio. That’s how I want notes from the network. Just give me the bad news and I’ll fix it.

Listen up

Fans talk a lot about the show on social media. Do you do that?

No.

Why is that?

I don’t know. I feel like it’s passed me by — like I didn’t catch on at the beginning — and now my brain is so overloaded, unless I dump some “Gilligan’s Island” from my hard drive, I can’t learn anything new. But I know it’s very important, and thank goodness, all of our actors do it. They’re really into it, and they have a lot of followers. I also know the younger members of our writing staff do it. I just haven’t. Every time somebody tries to introduce me to it, I’m like, “No, I have so many emails I have to answer!”

But you hear what fans say. Is it hard to balance giving them what they want with pursuing your own creative vision for the show?

Maybe, because I’m not sure I always give the fans what they want. Maybe they’d like it to be more soapier than it is. I come from very dark writing. I wrote violent movies for Michael Mann and many other dark directors. That’s a place where I’m comfortable, and so I’ll often go to that place. Sometimes it works, and sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s probably not the best choice.

Can you give an example?

I just did it in something we were [discussing] for Season 4 about Pamela. I said, “How about she does this and this and this,” and then Robert Rovner [a “Dallas” executive producer and writer] said, “But that’s not empowering for her.” And I said, “You know what? You’re absolutely right.” I was going to a dark place for her. But I just want to work to the best of my ability, and I do want to make it delicious, and so I try never to steal that from the show.

You mentioned the “duck pond” in the writers’ room. Do I dare ask what other ideas are up there?

Most of them are goofy — and then one day they’re not goofy any more.

What I’d give to be a fly on the wall when you guys are discussing this stuff.

You have no idea. There are four comedy writers [on staff] and the things that get said inside that room — you can’t repeat them on the outside. Seriously, it’s insane. Every other day, I’m crying. We have fun. And at the end of the day, somehow the work gets done.

Share your comments below and read more interviews from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: Interviews, News Tagged With: Cynthia Cidre, Jesse Metcalfe, Josh Henderson, Ken Kercheval, Larry Hagman, Michael M. Robin, Robert Rovner, TNT, Which Ewing Dies?

Tonight, #DallasChat Reviews the Season Finale

September 23, 2014 by Chris Baker 13 Comments

All good things

You’re invited to Dallas Decoder’s next #DallasChat on Twitter, which I’ll hold Tuesday, September 23, from 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern time.

Our topics: “Endgame” and “Brave New World,” TNT’s final “Dallas” episodes of the year, as well as the answer to the “Which Ewing Dies?” mystery.

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. What did you think of #DallasTNT’s season finale? #DallasChat

A1. Well, I liked it until my favorite character got killed off. Why, oh why did you do this to us, #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.

If you have opinions about the show, share them with your fellow fans. See you tonight!

Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat announcements, Opinion Tagged With: Brave New World, Endgame, Larry Hagman, TNT, Which Ewing Dies?

‘Which Ewing Dies?’ ‘Dallas’ Producer Offers a Tease

September 20, 2014 by Chris Baker 91 Comments

Christopher Ewing, Dallas, Endgame, Jesse Metcalfe, Linda Gray, Sue Ellen Ewing, TNT, Which Ewing Dies

Watch you backs, darlins

Warning: This article contains clues about the identity of the Ewing who’ll die during “Dallas’s” September 22 cliffhanger.

The character who dies in “Dallas’s” season finale is named Ewing, executive producer Cynthia Cidre told Dallas Decoder yesterday. “It’s a Ewing we know well,” she said.

Cidre declined to give additional details about the death, which has been the subject of intense speculation among fans since earlier this week, when TNT began airing a promo that promises “one Ewing will die” during the September 22 telecast.

Some fans predicted the show would kill off someone who is close to the Ewings but not necessarily a family member, but Cidre’s comments suggest this won’t be the case. She wouldn’t say if the character is played by one of the show’s main cast members, which keeps alive another fan theory — that the show will kill off someone from the original series, not one of the regular characters on TNT’s version.

The two-hour finale will be comprised of two episodes, “Endgame” and “Brave New World,” that will air back-to-back. Cidre said the death will come toward the end of the second hour, but it won’t necessarily be the last scene.

The “Dallas” producers decided to kill off the character for storyline purposes, not because the actor or actress wanted to leave, Cidre said. “It’s really what serves the story. We knew we wanted to hit something big at the end of the season. This is our first year without Larry [Hagman], and we wanted to make our own name in the ‘Dallas’ universe. It’s a pretty amazing scene,” she said.

Executives from both TNT and Warner Bros., the studio that produces “Dallas,” encouraged Cidre to go through with the death storyline when she pitched it to them. “They came back and said, ‘Trust yourselves. If you think it works, do it. … See if you can surprise [the audience] again.’”

Cidre predicted fans will be eager to see what happens to the Ewings after they lose one of their own. “New things are going to happen. There’s going to be new blood. There’s going to be new conflict. … You can’t just keep playing the same conflicts over and over again,” she said.

The two-hour finale will find “pretty much all” the characters in physical jeopardy, Cidre said. The first hour is more action-packed, while the second hour wraps up the year’s storylines before concluding with what she called “our biggest cliffhangers of all time.”

More “Dallas” dish from Cidre:

• On preparing for a fourth season: Although TNT hasn’t renewed “Dallas” for another season, the show’s writers are back at work crafting storylines in case the series gets picked up. Cidre has delivered a 60-page “bible” outlining the new storylines to TNT and Warner Bros., and the first few scripts have been written. If TNT decides to bring the show back, Cidre said the network will probably announce the renewal in October, and cameras will start rolling about six weeks later. “We still have our building, we have our stages, we’re paying rent. We just don’t have an official pickup,” she said.

• On possible fourth-season airdates: Cidre’s writing team has been told to prepare another 15-episode split season. If “Dallas” is renewed, she expects the show to follow the same schedule it did this year, with eight episodes beginning in mid-February, followed by a break and the year’s final episodes starting in August.

• On “Dallas’s” Monday time slot: Although many fans wish TNT would move “Dallas” to a less competitive night, Cidre said she doesn’t mind airing on Mondays. However, she wishes “Dallas” could follow “Major Crimes” or another one of TNT’s popular dramas. “Because our show is sexier, we do get a slightly different demographic. It would help to have a lead-in,” Cidre said.

Which Ewing will die during “Dallas’s” two-hour season finale on Monday, September 22? Share your predictions below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.