The All-New DALLAS!

[Ar-Pharazon]

In that War Of The Ewings opening, it looks like Ray dipped his head in an inkwell. Or maybe an oilwell?

Tracy Scoggins was so hot then. Now she looks like the victim of really bad plastic surgery.

Those later openings, at the very beginning, the explosion reminds me more of the A-Team. I'm half expecting to see the black van come jumping over whatever that is that's exploding.

 

[doubleohfive]

The explosion is from the beginning of the 1988-1989 season, when Carter McKay first shows up and moves in to Ray's house. The main arc at the beginning of the season was the "Ewing-McKay range war" over disputed Southfork land. I don't recall the details, but the explosion itself is a big deal in the context of the arc, as Miss Ellie finally gives the go-ahead to the boys to blow up the dam on the Southfork side of the disputed land.

People say the show was shit after the dream season, but this arc (the range war) in particular was an excellent string of episodes and even brought Ray Krebbs back for a few episodes after initially exited the series.

But yeah, it's completely obvious in War of the Ewings that he's started dying his hair; even my mom, at the time it was first broadcast was disappointed as she'd always liked his silver hair during the series.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

^ Oh I kinda remember those later seasons....vaguely.

I don't really remember when I stopped watching regularly though.

 

[Worf2DS9]

Read today that Larry Hagman has been declared cancer-free. Great news, so we should see more of J.R.'s antics next season!

Hagman in the clear!

 

[doubleohfive]

That's wonderful news! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Admiral2]

Yaay!

 

[cardinal biggles]

Hagman was looking a lot better when he showed up for the "Dallas Round-Up" after the season finale, so this confirmation is great news.

 

[doubleohfive]

Spoiler: Rebecca's mother is...

Afton, after all!

Confirmed by showrunner Cynthia Cidre in TV Guide.

One thing they got wrong in this article is that Afton was never married to Cliff. They lived together for a few years and then she left him. Cliff was married to Jamie Ewing, cousin to J.R. and Bobby, and at the end of the series Cliff tricked April's sister, Michelle Stevens in to marrying him (so he could get control of Ewing Oil) but he was never, ever married (that we know of yet) to Afton. Though, Audrey Landers comments on this in the next article below:

Also, an interview with Audrey Landers all about it.


Selected quotes of note:

TV Guide Magazine: When did Afton actually give birth to this child?
Landers: There was a period that Afton left Dallas, and I left to do the movie A Chorus Line. When the character reappeared in the late '80s, there was a very touching scene where Cliff was looking for Afton and he finds that she's back in Dallas singing somewhere. He knocks on her door and this beautiful little girl answers and says her name is Pamela Rebecca. Afton would never tell Cliff that she was his daughter. And then in J.R. Returns, all the kids were hanging out.

TV Guide Magazine: The new series is ignoring the events of those two wretched TV movies.
Landers: Right. The reunion movies were pretty sketchy because they were reaching and grasping and not sure where to take it. They really did want to do the next generation, it just wasn't done well. This has been an idea brewing for a long time.

TV Guide Magazine: Any thoughts on where Afton may have been all this time?
Landers: Well, since Rebecca's last name is Barnes, you would guess that Cliff and Afton had to have gotten married at some point. They were never married on the series. So there are two possibilities. Afton was a survivor, so she went off to pursue her singing career. And if it didn't work out the way she wanted to, she married some wealthy businessman. Maybe she traveled the world with some wealthy industrialist and had a son. That's what she was headed towards.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Good to hear about Hagman's health news!

Re the spoiler can we start

Spoiler: spoiler

calling her Pamela now?

 

[doubleohfive]

News about the first season on DVD: http://tvshowsondvd.com/n/17538

Looks like it will be pretty cool... though I'm a bit surprised/disappointed none of the "Round Up" segments that TNT aired immediately after the episodes are being included.

You'd think if the network thought they were that important to actually air, they'd include them on this set. Unless of course, that's what "Southfork Legacy" is going to be, just renamed?

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I don't see mention of a blu-ray release anywhere and that's strange to me.

I often wonder when they'll stop producing DVD's altogether, but no blu-ray at all?

 

[OmahaStar]

TNT has announced the return date for Dallas - January 28th.

Linkified

 

[doubleohfive]

ROCK ON!

 

[doubleohfive]

Gary and Valene are coming back to Dallas!

 

[OmahaStar]

Gary and Valene are coming back to Dallas!

*Happy dance of joy!*

Awesome news. Thanks!!!

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

[Homer] Woo-Hoo! [/Homer]

Seriously, they're getting a "meatier" role, which is cool as opposed to a quick cameo (ala Ray).

There's still rumors of an appearance by Victoria Principal. I'd love to see that happen.

 

[doubleohfive]

And now Annie Wersching is joining up for season 2! Is it January yet?

There's still rumors of an appearance by Victoria Principal. I'd love to see that happen.

Meh. I love Pam, but I'd rather they not bring her back. Victoria Principal's consistent refusal and disinterest in doing so is well known, but then again right now could be a major sleight of hand. Either way, the last we saw of Pam, she was engaged to someone else and allegedly dying.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

^ And we know soaps never try to mislead us as far as someone dying. I mean that would be cruel, right?

 

[doubleohfive]

Well yeah. But I'm also pointing out that Victoria Principal has shown zero interest in returning to Dallas in any form beyond the two reunion events she participated in. Yeah, people want Pam to come back, but she there's been nothing publicly to lend any credence that even if the show did want her back they could even get her. Sort of like the old "Dirk Benedict on nuBSG" situation.

Lastly, in another topic --

Spoiler: Rebecca's mother

it amazes me that Lucy didn't recognize Rebecca if and when they ever met. Lucy was married to Mitch, Afton's brother. One would assume that Afton would have told Mitch about Rebecca at some point, and as Lucy exited the original series to be with Mitch again, they presumably would have met Rebecca at some point in her childhood.

It's going to be very interesting to see how the writers reconcile Rebecca as Cliff (and Afton)'s daughter in season 2, if they do at all.

 

[OmahaStar]

You did a massive re-watch of the series not long ago, so I'm sure you'll know this right off. Wasn't there some kind of fire or other accident that scarred Pam, she had to go in for some kind of facial reconstruction, and came out with a completely new face (as in, she was recast)? Then the "new" Pam was the one who ran off into the sunset, never to return? And didn't she have some kind of terminal cancer on top of the new face?

If that's the case, why would they bring Victoria P back, other than for nostalgia? If they were to bring the character back, why not go with the other actress?

That is assuming I'm remembering Pam's fate correctly. I may be thinking of another series entirely. Hmmm.