TNT – Dallas Decoder

More Flames in ‘Dallas’s’ Latest Promo

January 17, 2014 by Chris Baker 13 Comments

TNT released its latest “Dallas” promo today, and this one is longer (two minutes!) and even artier than the spots that surfaced earlier this month. If you’re no fan of spoilers or breathless speculation about what will happen during the show’s third season, stop reading now.

The new promo opens with quick shots of various characters staring into the camera, lighting matches and engaging in more of the slow-motion fight sequences we saw in the earlier spots. There’s also some narration: We hear John Ross (Josh Henderson) say, “Deep within the black-soil plains, I live in the shadow of my daddy’s name.” Bobby (Patrick Duffy) chimes in with a similar line, along with the standard references to “greed” and “secrets.” Both characters also share this line: “What bad things oil makes people do.”

Yes, it’s very high-falutin’.

From there, we transition into clips from the new season: John Ross, dressed in a suit and tie, tells someone, “I’m going to get that money we need.” Emma (Emma Bell) canoodles with John Ross and coos, “I enjoy the fringe benefits of working with you.” Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe), behind bars, shouts, “Let me out of here!” Bobby approaches John Ross and says, “I stopped J.R. You’re not half the man your daddy was.”

We also see shots of Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) chugging from a flask; John Ross scuffling with Bo McCabe (Donny Boaz), Emma’s ranch hand boyfriend from Season 2; Christopher swinging an ax; and the Ewing Energies racecar. The promo also delivers our first glimpse of Nicolas Trevino (Juan Pablo Di Pace), who is shown asking, “Do I detect a hint of trouble in Ewing paradise?”

Like the earlier videos, this one also features an unmistakable fire motif: There are lots of shots of flames — even the TNT logo is ablaze — along with this voiceover: “February 24, the new season of ‘Dallas’ ignites.” Could this mean we’re going to see another Ewing inferno?

What do you think of “Dallas’s” latest promotional spots? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: Donny Boaz, Emma Bell, Jesse Metcalfe, Josh Henderson, Juan Pablo di Pace, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Dallas Parallels: Old Habits

January 15, 2014 by Chris Baker 6 Comments

Booze has always flowed as freely as oil on “Dallas.” The Southfork cocktail hour was a family tradition on the original show, and J.R. and Bobby each kept lots of liquor on hand to entertain the parade of cartel members and other business associates who marched in and out of their offices each day. The imbibing continues on TNT’s “Dallas:” John Ross and Christopher routinely visit bars, and on more than one occasion, both men have come home and knocked back a stiff drink after tangling with their enemies (or each other).

To their credit, neither series shies away from depicting the downside of indulgence. J.R., Bobby and even Miss Ellie (!) all nursed hangovers at various points during the original “Dallas,” while John Ross has done the same thing on TNT’s sequel show. (Remember when he struggled to get out of bed after drinking too much with Marta del Sol the night before?) Most notably, the Ewing family also includes two alcoholics — Sue Ellen and Gary — whose struggles to stay sober never seem to end.

A handful of scenes, filmed 33 years apart, underscore this point. In “No More Mr. Nice Guy, Part 2,” one of the original “Dallas’s” fourth-season episodes, Gary comes home to Southfork to be with his family after J.R. is shot. Gary is newly sober after going on a nasty bender during “Knots Landing’s” previous season, and so when he runs into Sue Ellen in the nursery, he’s eager to commiserate with her. But as Gary soon discovers, Sue Ellen is still in denial about her drinking problem. “I am not an alcoholic,” she snaps. “I’ll admit that I take a drink on occasion to steady my nerves. But I can stop. I have stopped for months at a time.” Gary’s response: “Yeah, yeah. So did I. Thought I had it beat. But then I took a drink. And another. And pretty soon, I was on a rampage.”

The scene ends with Sue Ellen ordering Gary to “stop preaching at me” and storming out of the room. The characters don’t interact again until 33 years later, when Gary returns to Southfork during the second season of TNT’s “Dallas.” Once again, he’s recovering from a recent relapse, while Sue Ellen has two decades of sobriety under her belt. Both characters seem to be at peace with their inner demons, though, even joking about their shared disease when they run into each other at Ewing Energies. Sue Ellen spots Gary pouring himself a cup of coffee and holds out her mug, quipping that it’s “the beverage of choice for recovering alcoholics everywhere.”

Then the unthinkable happens: J.R. is shot and killed, sending the grief-stricken Sue Ellen back to the bottle. She confesses her relapse while eulogizing her ex-husband, but when Gary confronts her after the funeral and tells her it’s time to get back on the wagon, Sue Ellen lies and says she’s already stopped drinking. That night, when Sue Ellen and Gary run into each other in the Southfork kitchen, he once again offers to help her. Finally, she comes clean. “I know I need help. But I need to do it myself,” she says.

The TNT scenes demonstrate how hard it is for these two characters to break their old patterns. Sue Ellen no longer denies that she’s an alcoholic like she did in 1980, although she initially tries to cover up her relapse when Gary confronts her. (“Dallas’s” brilliant costume designer, Rachel Sage Kunin, offers a clever nod to Sue Ellen’s unending struggle by dressing Linda Gray in a black and white suit, not unlike the one she wore during her scene with Ted Shackelford 33 years earlier.) Sue Ellen continues to cover up her relapse a few episodes later when Ann questions her about her drinking and Sue Ellen denies it.

Gary has trouble breaking his old habits too. His determination to help Sue Ellen in 2013 recalls his attempt to bond with her in 1980, as well as his efforts to mentor fellow alcoholic Earl Trent during “Knots Landing’s” second season. Gary is often said to be the weakest of the Ewing brothers, but I find his concern for Sue Ellen endearing and — dare I say it? — heroic.

I hope Sue Ellen someday beats the bottle once and for all, but as far as Gary is concerned, I hope he never changes.

‘I Am Not an Alcoholic’

Dallas, Gary Ewing, Linda Gray, No More Mr. Nice Guy Part 2, Sue Ellen Ewing, Ted Shackelford, TNT

Yes, you are

In “No More Mr. Nice Guy, Part 2,” a fourth-season “Dallas” episode, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) watches as Gary (Ted Shackelford) finishes playing with John Ross in the Southfork nursery.

GARY: Oh, he’s a great kid, Sue Ellen.

SUE ELLEN: I know. He’s just my whole life.

GARY: You must have really suffered when you realized you’d almost lost him.

SUE ELLEN: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

GARY: The car accident, when you’d been drinking. [Notices her stony expression] Uh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to dig up old ghosts.

SUE ELLEN: There are no ghosts.

GARY: I can understand why you don’t want to talk about it. I’m an alcoholic, and I know what that’s like. But you can lick it if you want to.

SUE ELLEN: Gary, I am not an alcoholic. Well, I’ll admit that I take a drink on occasion to steady my nerves. But I can stop. I have stopped for months at a time. [Smiles]

GARY: Yeah, yeah. So did I. Thought I had it beat. But then I took a drink. And another. And pretty soon, I was on a rampage. I never realized I was capable of that kind of violence.

SUE ELLEN: Gary, I want you to stop right now. Stop preaching at me. I am not an alcoholic, and I am not violent. [Leaves the room, slamming the door behind her]

‘I Know I Need Help’

Dallas, Ewings Unite!, Gary Ewing, Linda Gray, Sue Ellen Ewing, Ted Shackelford, TNT

Yes, you do

In “Ewings Unite!,” a second-season “Dallas” episode, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) enters the Southfork kitchen, where Gary (Ted Shackelford) sits at the bar, working on a laptop.

GARY: [Closing the laptop] I know why you called Valene. It’s not going to work.

SUE ELLEN: I called Valene to get the two of you back together again.

GARY: You need help, Sue Ellen. And unlike my wife, I help people in trouble.

SUE ELLEN: Valene left you because she knew it was the only way to get you sober again. And she was right. She left you because she loves you. I know I need help. But I need to do it myself. You taught me that when you fall down, you get back up again. [Kisses him on the cheek] One day, she may be gone. And you don’t want to regret the loss of every moment that you could have spent with her. [She begins to walk away.]

GARY: If you ever need anything, I’m just a phone call away.

SUE ELLEN: I know that.

How do you feel about Sue Ellen and Gary’s struggles to remain sober? Share your comments below and read more “Dallas Parallels.”

Filed Under: Dallas Parallels, Features Tagged With: Ewings Unite!, Knots Landing, Linda Gray, No More Mr. Nice Guy Part 2, Rachel Sage Kunin, Ted Shackelford, TNT

Tonight, Let’s Wheel and Deal on #DallasChat

January 13, 2014 by Chris Baker 2 Comments

How he rolled

You’re invited to join Dallas Decoder’s next #DallasChat on Twitter, which I’ll hold Monday, January 13, from 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern time. The theme: “Wheelers and Dealers.”

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

Here’s a sample exchange:

Q1. Who was a better businessman: J.R. or Bobby? #DallasTNT #DallasChat

A1. Sorry, J.R., but Bobby was better at business. He won the contest for Ewing Oil, after all! #DallasTNT #DallasChat

Here are 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 a fun discussion. Don’t miss it!

Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat announcements, Opinion Tagged With: Larry Hagman, TNT

Dallas Parallels: Requiems for the Heavyweights

January 8, 2014 by Chris Baker 9 Comments

The funerals of J.R. and Bobby Ewing were filmed 28 years apart, but they draw upon similar themes, including the idea that grief and anger are sometimes indistinguishable. The episodes also show how each brother becomes unmoored when he loses the other, demonstrating how essential their relationship is to the “Dallas” mythology.

Bobby’s funeral is seen in “The Family Ewing,” the original show’s ninth-season opener, and even though his death later turns out to be part of Pam’s dream, it still packs punch. The episode begins with the Ewings returning home from the hospital after Bobby said goodbye to them from his deathbed. The characters retreat to different corners of the ranch (Miss Ellie and Clayton to their bedroom, Donna and Ray to their living room, etc.), where they begin to cope with the painful reality that the family’s favorite son is gone. Barbara Bel Geddes, who returns to “Dallas” in this episode after relinquishing her role to Donna Reed during the previous season, delivers an especially moving portrait of quiet resolve as Ellie begins making Bobby’s funeral preparations.

Of course, no one is more devastated than J.R., who sits in the Southfork living room and silently buries his head in his hands. Moments later, when Sue Ellen arrives home from a shopping spree, cheerfully unaware of the tragedy that took place in her absence, J.R. becomes enraged. For him, breaking the news of Bobby’s death to his wife becomes an opportunity to vent his pent-up marital frustrations. “All you ever think about is yourself!” he shouts. (I also love how Larry Hagman unleashes his Texas accent when J.R. asks Sue Ellen, “Where the hell were yew?”) J.R.’s cruel tendencies are also on display when he encounters Gary and Ray the next day, but Hagman wisely balances his character’s hostility with tender performances, including the scene where J.R. goes into John Ross’s bedroom to be near his son.

“J.R.’s Masterpiece,” last year’s exquisite funeral episode from TNT’s “Dallas,” continues the franchise’s grand tradition of sending its characters off in style. The episode includes a sequence where the Ewings return to Southfork after confirming J.R.’s death in the Mexican morgue (shades of “The Family Ewing” scene that shows the Ewings coming home from the hospital). Later, as the characters prepare for J.R.’s funeral, Bobby exhibits the same kind of behavior that J.R. did in “The Family Ewing.” Bobby is terse with Gary when he sees him at Southfork, and he’s unusually cool to Ray when he runs into him at the memorial service. J.R.’s death also prompts Bobby to finally acknowledge his lingering resentment toward Ann for keeping so many secrets from him during their marriage. In a powerful performance from Patrick Duffy, Bobby erupts (“I’m pissed!”) at Ann on the night before J.R.’s funeral, leaving her feeling as stunned as Sue Ellen did when J.R. shouted at her in “The Family Ewing.”

The two funeral scenes also share similarities, although the differences might outweigh the parallels. Bobby’s burial takes place in a Southfork pasture and includes all of the Texas Ewings, except for Lucy. (Charlene Tilton had departed the series at the end of the previous season and wasn’t invited back for “The Family Ewing.”) J.R.’s burial also takes place on Southfork, and even though the crowd at his funeral is smaller than Bobby’s, I’m less surprised by who’s absent (James, Cally), than by who’s present (no offense Carmen and Drew, but you’re not family; I’ll give Elena and Emma a pass since they’re linked to Christopher and Ann). Also, we don’t see any of the eulogies for Bobby, while J.R.’s mourners deliver one memorable tribute after another, including Sue Ellen’s heartbreaking speech.

Perhaps most notably, “The Family Ewing” and “J.R.’s Masterpiece” both end with one brother paying tribute to the other when no one else is around. In the 1985 episode, after the mourners have left Bobby’s burial site, J.R. stands alone at his brother’s casket, expresses regrets for “all the fights” and finally tells him, “I love you. I do.” Flash forward to “J.R.’s Masterpiece.” After Bobby receives the mysterious letter that J.R. wrote before he died, he retreats to his empty bedroom, pours himself a glass of his brother’s bourbon and says he knew J.R. would have one more trick up his sleeve. “It is a good one. I love you, brother,” he says.

It’s every bit as haunting and as beautiful as J.R.’s tribute to Bobby almost three decades earlier. How I wish it were just another dream.

‘I Love You. I Do.’

Dallas, Family Ewing, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman

Sad dream

In “The Family Ewing,” a ninth-season “Dallas” episode, J.R. (Larry Hagman) stands alone near Bobby’s casket at the end of his funeral.

J.R.: Bobby, I never told you how much you meant to me. All the fights, all the time butting heads with one another … I’m sorry we were never closer. I wish … I wish I’d taken the time to tell you how much I love you. I do. And tell Daddy I love him too. Bye, Bobby. I’ll miss you.

‘I Love You, Brother’

Bobby Ewing, Dallas, J.R.'s Masterpiece, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Hard truth

In “J.R.’s Masterpiece,” a second-season “Dallas” episode, Bobby (Patrick Duffy) enters J.R.’s bedroom after reading a letter he wrote before he died, pours himself a glass of bourbon and sits at the foot of the bed.

BOBBY: I knew you’d have at least one more left up your sleeve, J.R. It is a good one. [Chuckles softly] I love you, brother. [Sobs, takes a drink]

How do you think J.R. and Bobby’s funerals compare to each other? Share your comments below and read more “Dallas Parallels.”

Filed Under: Dallas Parallels, Features Tagged With: Barbara Bel Geddes, Charlene Tilton, Donna Reed, Family Ewing, J.R.’s Masterpiece, Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, TNT

Tonight, You Choose the Questions on #DallasChat

January 6, 2014 by Chris Baker 18 Comments

A time for choosing

You’re invited to join Dallas Decoder’s next #DallasChat on Twitter, which I’ll hold Monday, January 6, from 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern time. The theme: “Chatter’s Choice II.” Like last year’s “Chatter’s Choice” session, you’ll help decide the topics we discuss.

Leave your suggested questions in the comments section below, tweet them to me @DallasDecoder or post them to my Facebook timeline. I’ll choose the best questions and ask them during tonight’s discussion.

If you’re new to #DallasChat, here’s how it works: For one hour, I tweet a series of questions to my fellow “Dallas” fans. Each question is numbered and includes the hashtag #DallasChat, and so your answers should do the same. (The topics are generally centered around a single theme, such as the Barnes-Ewing feud or the Ryland family, although tonight’s “Chatter’s Choice” session means we’ll touch on a variety of subjects.)

Starting this week, I’m asking everyone to add the show’s official hashtag, #DallasTNT, to their #DallasChat tweets. The goal: to help promote TNT’s “Dallas” as we gear up for the third season, which begins Monday, February 24.

Here’s a sample exchange:

Q1. Who is your favorite Ewing cousin, John Ross or Christopher? #DallasChat #DallasTNT

A1. I’m Team John Ross. He’s just like his daddy, and J.R. was always my favorite Ewing brother. #DallasChat #DallasTNT

Here are two tips:

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

This is the first #DallasChat of 2014, so let’s get the year off to a good start. See you tonight!

Filed Under: #DallasChat, #DallasChat announcements, Opinion Tagged With: Larry Hagman, TNT

New Details Emerge About ‘Dallas’s’ Third Season

January 6, 2014 by Chris Baker 11 Comments

Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, Linda Gray, Sue Ellen Ewing, TNT

Hunger games

More news about “Dallas’s” third season continues to trickle in. (You know the drill: If you don’t like spoilers, stop reading how.)

Executive Producer Cynthia Cidre tells TV Line the series has “embraced bad this season, more so than … in Season 1 and Season 2.” The piece also includes Cidre’s comments on three fan favorites — Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), John Ross (Josh Henderson) and Judith (Judith Light) — and it suggests the mystery man Elena went to see in Mexico at the end of last season is Nicolas Trevino, the new character who’ll be played by Juan Pablo Di Pace.

Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly’s winter television preview includes comments from Henderson on John Ross’s insatiable appetite next season. (Hint: Henderson isn’t talking about his character’s interest in Carmen’s cooking.) EW’s latest print edition has additional information about the new season too.

Are you excited about the start of “Dallas’s” third season on Monday, February 24? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: Cynthia Cidre, Josh Henderson, Juan Pablo di Pace, Judith Light, Linda Gray, TNT

The Dal-List: What’s In and What’s Out for ‘Dallas’ in 2014?

January 1, 2014 by Chris Baker 11 Comments

Two thousand fourteen is here, and that means it’s time to gaze into Dallas Decoder’s crystal ball to see what the new year holds for “Dallas” fans. Here’s what we think will be in and what will be out, based on the clues we’ve been gathering from spoilers and social media. Check back in 12 months to see what we got right.

IN | OUT

Christopher Ewing, Dallas, Jesse Metcalfe, TNT

In: Scruff

Out: Smooth

Beards | Baby faces

Female ranch hands |
Male secretaries

Mistresses | Wives

Midseason cliffhangers | Midseason rewrites

Proxies | Protégés

Dallas, John Ross Ewing, Josh Henderson, TNT

In: Mimicry

Out: Mourning

Emulating Daddy |
Grieving Daddy

“You stole my land!” |
“You stole my heart!”

Judith’s cane |
Ann’s gun

Home makeovers |
Corporate takeovers

Dallas, Elena Ramos, Jordana Brewster, TNT

In: Avenging

Out: Angelic

Elena: So scary! |
Elena: So sweet!

Wrecks | Races

#LiveChatWithLinda |
Any tweet from anyone else

R.I.P., Pam | Pam, M.I.A.

“Who’ll Be J.R.?” |
“Who Killed J.R.?”

Now it’s your turn. Share your ins and outs for 2014 below and read more “Dal-Lists.”

Filed Under: Dal-Lists, Opinion Tagged With: Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Larry Hagman, TNT

EW Delivers New Details About ‘Dallas’s’ Third Season

December 31, 2013 by Chris Baker 3 Comments

Miss Proxy

Entertainment Weekly’s latest issue offers some new nuggets about “Dallas’s” third season. If you don’t like spoilers, stop reading now.

Here are two tidbits: Elena (Jordana Brewster) will become Cliff’s proxy at Ewing Global and the new season will include two shootings. You’ll recall TV Guide’s recent article reported the new season will include “a shooting.”

The report also includes quotes from Josh Henderson and showrunner Cynthia Cidre, who reveals Judith Light’s nickname on the set. I won’t give away anything more — your Dallas Decoder is a big believer in supporting great ink-on-paper publications like EW — but if the magazine posts the piece online, I’ll link to it here.

Besides, the article also includes a smoking hot publicity still of Jesse Metcalfe and AnnaLynne McCord — and that alone is worth the newsstand price.

You’ll find the story in EW’s winter TV preview, which is dated January 10 and features the cast of “Downton Abbey” on the cover. TNT will begin showing the new “Dallas” episodes on Monday, February 24.

Are you excited about “Dallas’s” third season? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.

Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: AnnaLynne McCord, Cynthia Cidre, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson Judith Light, TNT

Drill Bits: TV Hall of Fame Won’t Induct Larry Hagman in 2014

December 30, 2013 by Chris Baker 8 Comments

Dallas, J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Sue Ellen Ewing, TNT

Let him in

Sorry to deliver bad tidings during the holidays, but it looks like Larry Hagman won’t be inducted into the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame next year.

The academy announced its 2014 honorees before Christmas and Hagman wasn’t on the list. The inductees will be Jay Leno, Julia Louis-Drefus, producer David E. Kelley, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, programming executive Brandon Stoddard and sound engineer Ray Dolby, who’ll be honored posthumously.

Like a lot of Hagman’s fans, I’ve been hoping the late actor would finally get his spot in the Hall of Fame, which the academy’s chairman and chief executive, Bruce Rosenblum, refers to as the organization’s “highest honor” in its announcement. Hagman should have been inducted a long time ago, but including him in 2014 might have helped make amends with fans who were justifiably outraged when the academy excluded him from the special tributes during this year’s Primetime Emmys broadcast.

I’m not the only one who thought this could have been Hagman’s year. Chris Beachum, senior editor of the awards website Gold Derby, listed Hagman among 24 possible inductees for 2014, along with journalist Ed Bradley and filmmaker Ken Burns. (Louis-Dreyfus and Kelley were on Beachum’s list too.)

According to the Hall of Fame announcement, candidates are submitted by academy members to a selection committee chaired by Peter Roth, president of Warner Bros. Television Group, which includes the studio that produces TNT’s “Dallas.” Presumably, the committee reviews the nominations, weighs each individual’s contributions to television and chooses the final selections.

I suppose it’s possible no one submitted Hagman’s name this year, but that seems mighty unlikely, especially after the brouhaha that erupted over his snub during the Emmy tributes. No matter where the blame lies, isn’t it a shame Hagman is once again being overlooked by the medium he helped shape?

Vote for ‘Dallas’

TNT’s “Dallas” is one of the choices in TV.com’s race for this year’s best nighttime soap opera. The show was in the lead until a few days ago, when it slipped to second place behind FX’s “Sons of Anarchy.” (If you’re puzzled by “Sons of Anarchy’s” inclusion in the soap opera category, get in line.)

Cast your votes here. The polls close Wednesday, January 2.

OWN It, Darlin’

Dallas, Linda Gray, Sue Ellen Ewing, TNT

Encore, encore!

Did you miss Linda Gray’s recent appearance on “Oprah: Where Are They Now?” You have another opportunity to catch it: OWN is scheduled to repeat the episode Friday, January 3, at 6 p.m. (Sue Ellen Ewing is back on Friday night, at least for one week.) Also, if you missed it, be sure to check out my recent tribute to Gray, who is Dallas Decoder’s Woman of the Year for 2013.

Life on the D-List

’Tis the season for list-making, and so TV Guide has published its ranking of the 60 best series of all time. The good news: “Dallas” makes the cut. The bad news: It’s in 47th place.

Look, I love lists and understand the tough calls that go into making them, but shouldn’t “Dallas” rank a little higher? After all, the series ran 14 seasons, pioneered serialized storytelling, produced the biggest prime-time cliffhanger of all time, held the top spot in the Nielsens for three seasons and inspired a sequel that’s about to begin its third year.

If nothing else, couldn’t TV Guide have ranked “Dallas” 38th instead of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”? Or 46th, instead of “Barney Miller”?

Elsewhere, Entertainment Weekly is out with its list of the best and worst episodes for 50 shows, including TNT’s “Dallas.” As EW sees it, the second-season finale, “Legacies,” was the show’s finest hour in 2013 while “Trial and Error” was the worst, although the magazine doesn’t seem to have many complaints about it. Neither do I.

Return Engagement?

Will “Knots Landing’s” Gary and Valene pay another visit to TNT’s “Dallas” anytime soon? Ted Shackelford and Joan Van Ark have different opinions, she tells Showbiz 411. Says Van Ark: “Ted’s not sure if we’re ever going back. But I’m convinced we are. I’d like to mix it up with Sue Ellen some more.”

You said it, honey. “Dallas” fans are spoiling for a Sue Ellen/Val rematch after this year’s showdown.

#DallasChat Returns January 6

Reminder: #DallasChat, my Monday evening Twitter discussion of all things “Dallas,” is taking a break for the holidays. The next #DallasChat will be held January 6 at 9 p.m. Eastern time. Don’t miss it.

“Drill Bits,” a roundup of news about TNT’s “Dallas,” is published regularly. Share your comments below.

Filed Under: Drill Bits, News Tagged With: Joan Van Ark, Knots Landing, Larry Hagman, Legacies, Linda Gray, Ted Shackelford, TNT, Trial and Error

Happy Holidays, ‘Dallas’ Fans

December 24, 2013 by Chris Baker 8 Comments

Mr. Ewing goes to Washington

The holidays are here and your Dallas Decoder is feeling warm and fuzzy. Before I sign off to spend Christmas with my family, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who reads this website.

The best part of blogging about “Dallas” is the opportunity it affords me to interact with my fellow fans. I love to read your comments and hear what you have to say about our favorite show. Your feedback always gives me something to think about, and more importantly, it inspires me to keep improving Dallas Decoder.

Posting will be light during the next few days, but I hope to pop in occasionally to share holiday treats like the photo you see here. It shows our beloved Larry Hagman getting a peck on the cheek from First Lady Nancy Reagan during a visit to the White House in December 1985.

I also plan to spend time this week on Facebook and Twitter, sharing some of my favorite Dallas Decoder posts from the past year. Hopefully you’ll enjoy revisiting these stories; maybe you’ll even see some stuff you missed the first time around. Dallas Decoder’s regular lineup of classic episode critiques, scenes of the day and “Dallas Parallels” will resume in early January, along with our Monday evening #DallasChats on Twitter.

Have a safe and happy holiday season, and once again, thank you.

Filed Under: Announcements, News Tagged With: Larry Hagman, TNT