J.R. Ewing, a Texas oil baron, uses manipulation and blackmail to achieve his ambitions, both business and personal. He often comes into conflict with his brother Bobby, his arch-enemy Cliff Barnes and his long-suffering wife Sue Ellen.
J.R. becomes the focus of accumulated hatreds in Southfork. A desperate search ensues for both Miss Ellie and Jessica while the fate of Peter is left in Sue Ellen's hands.
Popular evening soap opera-style television drama. The show was set in Dallas, Texas and chronicled the exploits of wealthy Texas oil millionaires. Many of the plots revolved around shady business dealings and dysfunctional family dynamics.Written by
Tad Dibbern <DIBBERN_D@a1.mscf.upenn.edu>
The first prime-time soap opera produced by Lorimar. See more »
Goofs
The size and layout of Southfork Ranch cannot possibly hold the number of bedrooms the series suggests it has. When the show first starts, four bedrooms would be needed (one for Miss Ellie and Jock, one for JR and Sue Ellen, one for Bobby and Pam, and one for Lucy). The following year, a nursery is added along with a guest room for John Ross's live-in nurse, totalling six. In later years, Sue Ellen has her own room for a while, and during episodes of the 1984-85 season, there would need to be at least eight bedrooms to accommodate the family and various guests. Additionally, many of the bedrooms have their own bathrooms and walk-in dressing rooms, which cannot possibly match up with the exterior of the house. See more »
Quotes
[repeated line]
JR Ewing:
You wouldn't be trying to blackmail old J.R., would you?
See more »
Alternate Versions
SoapNet airings omit the opening teasers from each episode except for the teaser from the series finale. See more »
When Dallas was aired for the first times in the 80s I was a child and I couldn't appreciate it yet. Since last September, when a satellite channel proposed again this Soap Opera, I had a small crush of it. I became fond of J.R.'s intrigues, his rivalry with Bobby and Cliff Barnes, the beautiful Pamela and nice Miss Ellie.
Dallas' strength is the plot. Not completely concerned about love and betrayals (typical but annoying), the Ewing Oil battles can move even the male audience transforming the Soap in a TV-series. Jim Davis' death (the mythical Jock, R.I.P.) put a lot of fuel in the "engines" with the legacy questions and relations getting worse. J.R.'s Machiavellian plans filled the script of amusing and caustic irony, always enjoyable.
The recitative level wasn't so great; all the actors, actually, had their height in this series, but the general quality is decent. Except for Ken Kercheval and Steve Kanaly, which proved to be good actors giving a great shape to their characters, challenging J.R. at any cost. Special mention to Charlene Tilton, which is really beautiful and should have had greater relief in the story.
Ending too late, in 1991 (2-3 years too many), the story was slowly plagued by script tricks and poorly credible deaths or departures, compromising its heritage made of several Emmys and 1 Golden Globe won.
6,5 / 10
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When Dallas was aired for the first times in the 80s I was a child and I couldn't appreciate it yet. Since last September, when a satellite channel proposed again this Soap Opera, I had a small crush of it. I became fond of J.R.'s intrigues, his rivalry with Bobby and Cliff Barnes, the beautiful Pamela and nice Miss Ellie.
Dallas' strength is the plot. Not completely concerned about love and betrayals (typical but annoying), the Ewing Oil battles can move even the male audience transforming the Soap in a TV-series. Jim Davis' death (the mythical Jock, R.I.P.) put a lot of fuel in the "engines" with the legacy questions and relations getting worse. J.R.'s Machiavellian plans filled the script of amusing and caustic irony, always enjoyable.
The recitative level wasn't so great; all the actors, actually, had their height in this series, but the general quality is decent. Except for Ken Kercheval and Steve Kanaly, which proved to be good actors giving a great shape to their characters, challenging J.R. at any cost. Special mention to Charlene Tilton, which is really beautiful and should have had greater relief in the story.
Ending too late, in 1991 (2-3 years too many), the story was slowly plagued by script tricks and poorly credible deaths or departures, compromising its heritage made of several Emmys and 1 Golden Globe won.
6,5 / 10