The granddaddy of 'em all!

hnt_dnl

When you think influential television shows, DALLAS should be near or at the top of your list. It is on mine! DALLAS was the first really great nighttime soap opera. In reality, it started the genre. There were later shows that followed and were even at times more popular (the spin off KNOTS LANDING, the stylish and classy DYNASTY, the forgotten stepchild FALCON CREST), but DALLAS was the first.

DALLAS is the tale of the rich, powerful oil family the Ewings, who reside in Braddock County, Texas, right outside of Big D. The patriarch is John Ross "Jock" Ewing, an old school oil baron who did it the hard way, wildcatting and working in the oil fields. The matriarch is Eleanor Southworth, "Miss Ellie" Ewing, the heart and soul of the family. The land that contains the Ewing's ranch and home is from her side of the family, but she and Jock own it jointly b/c Jock saved the family land when they were about to lose it back in the day. So at first, it was a marriage of convenience, but they quickly fell in love and had 3 sons: Gary, Bobby, and the eldest John Ross Ewing Jr., or as we all know him: JR!

For me, JR Ewing is one of the top 2 or 3 characters in all of TV history. Played by the great Larry Hagman, there has never been or ever will be another character like JR. Hagman imbibed JR with a no-nonsense, larger-than-life, unapologetic style that can never be copied. The best TV villain ever! Hagman had a great supporting cast that complimented him: Patrick Duffy (the saintly younger brother Bobby), Linda Gray (JR's alcoholic, self-destructive, but SEXY wife Sue Ellen), Victoria Principal (Bobby's wife Pamela Barnes Ewing, the daughter of Jock's old rival Digger Barnes), Ken Kercheval (Pam's brother and JR's biggest rival Cliff Barnes), Steve Kanaly (Jock's illegitimate son and ranch foreman Ray Krebbs), Susan Howard (Ray's wife and political activist Donna Culver Krebbs), Lucy Ewing (prodigal son Gary's daughter and a spitfire of a young lady) and the aforementioned legends Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie) and Jim Davis (Jock).

The style and set design, in addition to the great characters, of DALLAS is what really draws you in: the beautiful Dallas spots, the expansive Texas scenery, the restaurants, offices, etc. Also, the fashion is great: chic, classy for the females and cowboy boots and suits for the males! And of course, DALLAS had the ultimate cliffhanger: Who shot JR! Perhaps the most memorable cliffhanger (and maybe the real first one) in all of TV history. I remember it as a kid and it still resonates with me today. But let's face it: the greatness of DALLAS can be summed up with two letters: J and R!

score 10/10

hnt_dnl 11 July 2008

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1908903/