Between the Lines and Behind the Scenes of "Dallas"
Everyone knows Sue Ellen was the love of J.R.’s life, but what about the women he cheated with during their marriage?
Among the mistresses: J.R.’s longtime secretary, Julie Grey; his favorite prostitute, Serena Wald; his favorite model, Mandy Winger; and of course his least favorite sister-in-law, Kristin Shepard.
Your #DallasChat Daily question: Did J.R. love any of his mistresses?
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Serena and J.R. (Stephanie Blackmore, Larry Hagman) complete another scheme in this 1982 publicity shot from “Where There’s a Will,” a sixth-season “Dallas” episode.
Cash and carry
In “Where There’s a Will,” a sixth-season “Dallas” episode, John (Robin Strand) is dressing in the Ewing condo while Serena (Stephanie Blackmore) lounges in bed.
SERENA: You’re not leaving already?
JOHN: Gotta get home.
SERENA: Don’t be silly. It’s still early.
JOHN: It’s nearly 10.
SERENA: Aren’t you enjoying yourself?
JOHN: [Sits on bed] Are you kidding? Your husband must have been a fool to divorce you.
SERENA: He’s a lot older. We just weren’t compatible. Not like us. [Kisses him]
J.R. (Larry Hagman) enters.
J.R.: Oh, excuse me. [Noticing John] John Baxter?
JOHN: Mr. Ewing, what are you doing here?
J.R.: Well, this is a Ewing condo. Serena was just staying here.
SERENA: I’m sorry, J.R. I thought I’d be gone by now.
J.R.: Good Lord, what is Harv Smithfield going to say when he hears his brand-new son-in-law is in bed with another woman.
JOHN: Mr. Ewing, you wouldn’t say anything to him, would you?
J.R.: Well, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m a firm believer in the sanctity of marriage — and I’m damned disappointed in you, John.
JOHN: Yes, sir. I can imagine that you are. But you wouldn’t say anything to Mr. Smithfield, would you?
J.R.: Well, I’m going to give it some thought. I’ll call you tomorrow. I’m sure we can work something out. In the meantime, you might get out of here and go back to your little bride.
JOHN: Yes, sir. [Scoops up his clothes, rushes away]
SERENA: [Smiling] I hope that was what you wanted, J.R.
J.R. [Sits on the bed, reaches into his pocket, pulls out an envelope and hands it to her] That’s exactly what I wanted, my dear. And like my daddy used to say, “Where there’s a way, there’s a will.’”
Back to normal
“Dallas” lost almost all of the extra viewers it picked up during J.R. Ewing’s funeral last week.
“J.R.’s Masterpiece,” the sendoff for Larry Hagman’s iconic character, was seen by 3.6 million viewers on March 11. It was the TNT drama’s most-watched telecast this year, beating the show’s second-season average by about 1 million viewers.
The latest telecast, “Ewings Unite!,” scored 2.7 million viewers on March 18. This audience included more than 1 million viewers between ages 18 and 49, a demographic that advertisers pay a premium to reach.
A ratings decline was expected. Television series often get a boost from “milestone” episodes, and the death of J.R. – whom Hagman began portraying in 1978 – fit the bill.
Meanwhile, the audience for “J.R.’s Masterpiece” continues to grow. Within a few days of the episode’s March 11 telecast, DVR users had pushed its audience to 4.6 million viewers, a 26 percent increase from the previous week’s episode. When DVR users are counted, “J.R.’s Masterpiece” averaged 1.8 million adults between ages 25 and 54, an audience that TNT targets, and 1.5 million adults between 18 and 49.
TNT has not announced whether it plans to renew “Dallas” for a third season. The cable channel renewed the show for a second season two days after the third telecast.
Austin to Dallas
I haven’t seen next week’s episode of “Dallas,” but I’m calling it now: The highlight will be Lee Majors’ guest appearance as Ken Richards, one of Sue Ellen’s old flames. (Well, that and the return of Audrey Landers as Afton Cooper.)
As regular readers of Dallas Decoder know, “The Six Million Dollar Man” was my other favorite show growing up, so you can imagine how excited I am to have Col. Steve Austin visit “Dallas.” You can also imagine how thrilled I was to interview Majors a few weeks ago. If you haven’t already checked out our chat, please do so.
Derby II
Dallas Divas Derby, a March Madness-style brackets competition that pits the women of “Dallas” against each other, is back for more fun. The most recent round ended earlier this week with victories for Elena Ramos (Jordana Brewster), who beat Jenna Wade (Priscilla Presley) in a matchup between “The Outsiders,” and Pamela Rebecca Barnes (Julie Gonzalo), who defeated Serena Wald (Stephanie Blackmore) in a showdown between “The Setup Queens.” Voting in the next round will end Monday, March 25.
Drinking Drew
If you’re a fan of Kuno Becker’s performance as Drew Ramos, be sure to check out The Drew, the latest addition to Cook In/Dine Out’s “Dallas Drinks” collection. Like Mr. Becker, this drink is hot stuff!
“Drill Bits,” a roundup of news about TNT’s “Dallas,” is published regularly. Share your comments below.
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