What Type Of Dallas Series Do You Want To See Now?

[Snarky Oracle!]

A continuation, or a prequel.

Whatever it is, you know it's going to be a dumpster fire.

 

[Herofan]

At this stage I would prefer that Dallas is left alone, too many of the core original actors are no longer with us.Swami

I agree. How could one have a continuation of Dallas without J.R.? The only way would be if it could be done by getting the point across that it's totally different than the original, but not different in a TNT way, but different in a way Lou Grant was different than the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Maybe Bobby and Ray could move to California and become private investigators. Well, not really, so I'd leave a continuation alone.

I'm not much on prequels. In one sense, it would be great to see the earlier days of Jock, JR, and Bobby, but after TNT, I wouldn't trust anybody to do it justice. They would come up with a bunch of story-lines that didn't fit what we know and make it seem like another universe. Even when prequels try to stay true to the original, prequels usually go over the top and try to outdo the present part that it's based on. Personalities are also difficult to duplicate in prequels. I often watch and think, "This doesn't feel like the characters I know."

I would love to see something "good," but TNT left such a sour taste for me that I wouldn't trust anybody to do it, so I would just leave it alone.

 

[Toni]

It has nothing to do with all this, but I just read that Molly Hagan, the actress who played Miss Ellie on TEY, has just been cast in the remake series of..."Walker Texas Ranger"...which originally was the show Sheree Wilson did after "Dallas". Maybe Miss Hagan would be available to do some flashbacks as Miss Ellie now?

 

[Swami]

I agree. How could one have a continuation of Dallas without J.R.? The only way would be if it could be done by getting the point across that it's totally different than the original, but not different in a TNT way, but different in a way Lou Grant was different than the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Maybe Bobby and Ray could move to California and become private investigators. Well, not really, so I'd leave a continuation alone.

I'm not much on prequels. In one sense, it would be great to see the earlier days of Jock, JR, and Bobby, but after TNT, I wouldn't trust anybody to do it justice. They would come up with a bunch of story-lines that didn't fit what we know and make it seem like another universe. Even when prequels try to stay true to the original, prequels usually go over the top and try to outdo the present part that it's based on. Personalities are also difficult to duplicate in prequels. I often watch and think, "This doesn't feel like the characters I know."

I would love to see something "good," but TNT left such a sour taste for me that I wouldn't trust anybody to do it, so I would just leave it alone.

They already did the prequel in the mid-80s so that would be covering old ground.

Of the two TV movies, JR Returns worked better than War Of The Ewings but again, too many of the originals are not around.

Far better to leave well alone.

Swami

 

[Top Jimmy]

Besides a prequel of the '60s focusing on the events leading up to Gary meeting Val and having baby Lucy and the aftermath of that, how about another prequel show titled "The Shepards," featuring Sue Ellen and Kristin and their gold digger mama Patricia and their early life with Mr. Shepard before he deserted them and leading up to Sue Ellen meeting and marrying JR in 1971? Linda Gray can play Patricia or maybe an aunt or grandmother?

 

[Willie Oleson]

I'm not much on prequels. In one sense, it would be great to see the earlier days of Jock, JR, and Bobby. They would come up with a bunch of story-lines that didn't fit what we know and make it seem like another universe

You're probably right because there aren't many unanswered questions regarding the Dallas history, unlike Dynasty that was full of hints of stuff that might have happened - not to mention the contraditions in Blake and Alexis' perceptions of their history. They'd have much more to play with without changing the story that started in the 1980s. And they could even include the Colbys.

A "Ewing" Dallas continuation would be difficult at this point, and TNT Dallas has already successfully combined history with modern times Dallas. They're never going to beat the John Ross/Sue Ellen kitchen scene.

For a remake, I'd focus on characters who got involved with the Ewings, rather than the Ewings themselves. After all, these characters also represent DALLAS the city.
That way we'd have Marilee Stone, Mickey Trotter, Guzzler, Mitch Cooper, Mandy Winger and you name it in the lead roles.

 

[Kenny Coyote]

You're probably right because there aren't many unanswered questions regarding the Dallas history, unlike Dynasty that was full of hints of stuff that might have happened - not to mention the contraditions in Blake and Alexis' perceptions of their history. They'd have much more to play with without changing the story that started in the 1980s. And they could even include the Colbys.

A "Ewing" Dallas continuation would be difficult at this point, and TNT Dallas has already successfully combined history with modern times Dallas. They're never going to beat the John Ross/Sue Ellen kitchen scene.

For a remake, I'd focus on characters who got involved with the Ewings, rather than the Ewings themselves. After all, these characters also represent DALLAS the city.
That way we'd have Marilee Stone, Mickey Trotter, Guzzler, Mitch Cooper, Mandy Winger and you name it in the lead roles.

The idea of a doing prequel can be to address unanswered questions, but that's just one approach. What I would find interesting is the stories that could be told by having this same group if characters in an earlier time period their life. It's having stories take place in that different scenario that would allow for them to have stories that are distinctly different from what we already saw. How does Jock take Ewing Oil from a mid-size company to a big company? How did he operate before he had a lot of power and how did he get it? What type of obstacles does he face when he was in that scenario of just running another mid-size company? ? Seeing Bobby in his college football years and "playboy phase" gives that character completely different circumstances than what we've seen him in before. Seeing JR before he'd built a reputation of his own as he starts out at Ewing Oil and watching a young JR learn the business.

There are unanswered questions too though. How did Gary act when he was in his teenage years? Did he bring his problems on himself or were they a response to mistakes made in parenting? I suspect both, but to what degree did each contribute? Where was Gary when JR took Lucy from Valene? Any kind of man would try to prevent that from happening, or you'd think so, but what did Gary do to help retain Lucy? Or were he and Val so young and unready to be parents they they saw it as the best thing for Lucy to have her grandparents raise her? If not, why did Miss Ellie keep Lucy once JR brought her to Ellie? What caused her to not immediately return Lucy to her parents?

How did the favoritism Jock and Ellie displayed affect each son? Was JR basically a good kid before he found himself as the only son who wasn't a favorite to either parent? Did he figure that if being "least favorite" is where being good got him, why bother trying to please people anymore if his very best just wasn't ever enough?

 

[Willie Oleson]

How does Jock take Ewing Oil from a mid-size company to a big company?

Seeing Bobby in his college football years and "playboy phase"

Young Jock vs. young Bobby are different eras, and that works for movies and mini-series, but a soap opera usually takes place in the present time (and that could be any "present time") unless you want to do big time-jumps.

 

[pete lashmar]

If TV execs are looking into what they can do with Dallas, they are going to weigh up the pros and cons.

A continuation of a continuation that didn't work and lost millions of viewers along the way - do they take the bad from the good and try again...would it be worth it and would it attract new fans as well as old ones?

A continuation that ignores the TNT Dallas and starts with the funeral of J.R. Would that attract new fans though and would it alienate older fans?

A remake/reboot of the series featuring new actors in classic roles - but also recycles the plots and storylines? Would it attract new fans or alienate older fans?

A complete remake/reboot - brand new plots and storylines with new actors playing classic characters- something new to discover for new fans and something older fans may take a look at or completely alienate them?

Tough call, do you go after new viewers or older fans - as a TV exec you'd have to go after new viewers, you can't make a show for fans, you HAVE to make it for a general audience IMO.

 

[veu]

Hello. I'm a new member of this community.
I'm from Italy so excuse me for my bad english.

In my opinion it will be interesting to see a reboot with classic characters with new storylines and plots, uptaded for today's viewers. What do you think? If there is the case, I think it will be interesting to see who will be JR, Bobby, Sue Ellen, Pamela, Cliff, etc.
I think it will be good to find great actor for these iconic roles.

 

[Kenny Coyote]

Young Jock vs. young Bobby are different eras, and that works for movies and mini-series, but a soap opera usually takes place in the present time (and that could be any "present time") unless you want to do big time-jumps.

This is what I've thought of so far:

Bobby didn't turn 18 until 1968. That's the problem I see with starting too early. He's just a baby in the early 50s so maybe that time period would better be covered with flashbacks and use child actors just for flashback scenes.

So, I tend to think that the most practical time to begin it would be 1968 - the year Bobby enters college. We see Bobby as the college football star and big man on campus. Then the "playboy" lifestyle he leads in his early 20s. He could be cast using an actor in his early or mid 20s with no problem.

JR would be 29 years old, Gary 25 years old, and Ray 23 years old.

Jock would be 59. Ideally cast an actor in early to mid 50s to make flashback scenes look convincing.

A Dallas from starting in 1968 (the year President Nixon was elected - an exciting era to set this in and would be different from the early 60s covered by Mad Men)) could cover that 10 years between then and the start of the original show. Earlier time periods showing Jock making deals in the 50s and early 60s could be done still using the same actor for Jock in flashback scenes. Childhood events shaping the personalities of the characters could be done using flashback scenes but would need child actors.

 

[pete lashmar]

Hello. I'm a new member of this community.
I'm from Italy so excuse me for my bad english.

In my opinion it will be interesting to see a reboot with classic characters with new storylines and plots, uptaded for today's viewers. What do you think? If there is the case, I think it will be interesting to see who will be JR, Bobby, Sue Ellen, Pamela, Cliff, etc.
I think it will be good to find great actor for these iconic roles.

Welcome to the board.

I agree with what you say.

 

[Willie Oleson]

A Dallas from starting in 1968 (the year President Nixon was elected - an exciting era to set this in and would be different from the early 60s covered by Mad Men)) could cover that 10 years between then and the start of the original show

Would it be a Mad Men type of show? Because I don't see a lot of soapy story in the 1968-1978 period.

 

[Kenny Coyote]

Would it be a Mad Men type of show? Because I don't see a lot of soapy story in the 1968-1978 period.

Closer to Mad Men's style in that it would be less "soapy"and more of a serious tone to it. It seems that's what the public wants these days.

 

[Barbara Fan]

I dont want anything

No prequel, done that

no movies - done that

and no reboot.

Half the Dallas cast are sadly dead and they made Dallas the success it was, i dont want some second rate script and actors destroying Dallas further as TNT and CC did enough harm there.

It sucked and it was a flop and it tarnished the original show, and changed Dallas history.

With no Barbara, Howard, Jim, Larry, Ken etc and no Victoria, Susan etc likely to show, it isnt Dallas

Dallas - the most successful show of the 1980s and thats where it should stay.

 

[JR Ewing Fan]

This is what I've thought of so far:

Bobby didn't turn 18 until 1968. That's the problem I see with starting too early. He's just a baby in the early 50s so maybe that time period would better be covered with flashbacks and use child actors just for flashback scenes.

So, I tend to think that the most practical time to begin it would be 1968 - the year Bobby enters college. We see Bobby as the college football star and big man on campus. Then the "playboy" lifestyle he leads in his early 20s. He could be cast using an actor in his early or mid 20s with no problem.

JR would be 29 years old, Gary 25 years old, and Ray 23 years old.

Jock would be 59. Ideally cast an actor in early to mid 50s to make flashback scenes look convincing.

A Dallas from starting in 1968 (the year President Nixon was elected - an exciting era to set this in and would be different from the early 60s covered by Mad Men)) could cover that 10 years between then and the start of the original show. Earlier time periods showing Jock making deals in the 50s and early 60s could be done still using the same actor for Jock in flashback scenes. Childhood events shaping the personalities of the characters could be done using flashback scenes but would need child actors.

Only problem with that is Gary already ran away from home before 1968. He couldn't be in the show.

 

[Ray_Krebbs]

I think it would be great to have Molly Hagen, David Marshall Grant Dale Midkiff, and anyone else from the Early Years to do flashbacks in a prequel or sequel as one suggested. Maybe they could even play the characters in a remake.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

;

Bobby didn't turn 18 until 1968.

You know these things aren't concrete: in 1980 it was established that Bobby was born in 1952 as Eisenhower was elected; by the dream season, they put Patrick's 17/3/1949 birthdate on Bobby's tombstone; in the 1986 prequel, Pam and Bobby were chunky toddlers by 1951; before that, when he was kidnapped in 1978, he had an ID which suggested he was 12 years old.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

I'd prefer another continuation series but realistically I don't think it's a viable option any more for the Dallas brand.

As much as it pains me to admit it a complete re-boot of the show is the only viable way forward.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

A re-boot or re-make is the only viable way forward. I can't see Warner Brothers sanctioning another continuation after the disastrous performance worldwide of the TNT Cyntax Dallas.

I'd haul David Jacobs out of retirement to act as an Executive Consultant. I'd appoint writers who would've worked on the original show like David Paulsen & Lee Rich, but bring in new writers too.

I would not approach Cynthia Cidre or Mike Robin, it was their incompetence which drove the TNT Dallas series into the ground.