Pam and Donna leaving

Grangehill1 · Sep 20, 2019

Weren’t Pam and Donna’s exits written the wrong way round?

All of season 10 (dvd) Donna has less and less screen time, becoming more detached from the show (I’ve said it before, how Susan Howard didn’t realise the writing was on the wall much much earlier is beyond me.) The whole story throughout the season is leading up to her departure. And yet Susan wanted to stay.

Whereas Victoria who gave them two years notice she was to leave, is written out so quickly with a hastily added Pam can now how have children story thrown in for good measure.

The Producers had time to plan out Pam’s departure but didn’t and yet spent a year with Donna’s. Shouldn’t it have been the other way round?!

Kenny Coyote · Sep 20, 2019

Grangehill1 said:
Weren’t Pam and Donna’s exits written the wrong way round?

All of season 10 (dvd) Donna has less and less screen time, becoming more detached from the show (I’ve said it before, how Susan Howard didn’t realise the writing was on the wall much much earlier is beyond me.) The whole story throughout the season is leading up to her departure. And yet Susan wanted to stay.

Whereas Victoria who gave them two years notice she was to leave, is written out so quickly with a hastily added Pam can now how have children story thrown in for good measure.

The Producers had time to plan out Pam’s departure but didn’t and yet spent a year with Donna’s. Shouldn’t it have been the other way round?!

They could have given Pam "less and less screen time, becoming more detached from the show" and had Donna written out quickly with a hastily added storyline. They could have done that - written the exits the other way around. Why should they have?

Grangehill1 · Sep 20, 2019

Kenny Coyote said:
They could have given Pam "less and less screen time, becoming more detached from the show" and had Donna written out quickly with a hastily added storyline. They could have done that - written the exits the other way around. Why should they have?

Pam could have had the longer story arc and Donna the quick exit. Arguably if it was written the other way round Victoria’s exit story would have had more prominence as a season long arc.

Kenny Coyote · Sep 20, 2019

Grangehill1 said:
Pam could have had the longer story arc and Donna the quick exit. Arguably if it was written the other way round Victoria’s exit story would have had more prominence as a season long arc.

I'd rank Pam right up there with Bobby as the next most important characters they had at that time, after JR. I don't like the idea of completely switching things so that Pam would have had less and less screen time, which is what they would have done if they'd done things the other way around regarding Pam and Donna. With Pam, I think they'd still have wanted to maximize her on screen time even in her last year because otherwise the show wouldn't have been fully availing itself of her value to the show.

They certainly could have made Pam's story different so that it would have had more of an arc throughout her last season as opposed to the sudden car accident that changed everything. It might have been better or worse depending on what the alternate story for her would have been. I don't think it was an optimal ending by any means. It certainly wasn't definitive. Do you have a different story in mind for Pam's last season on Dallas you would have liked for them to have used?

Jimmy Todd · Sep 20, 2019

I would have liked Pam's departure to be the culmination of a season long story that in some way involved all the characters the same manner as the Southfork fire in season 6. I agree that Pam was one of the most significant characters on the show and to rush her out the door like that was a disservice to the fans, not to mention the show itself.
Season 6 brought out the most intriguing aspects of the characters, great writing and acting. Pam's exit did the opposite. For example, in season 6 we get complex emotions and situations. In season 7, characters who knew and loved Pam since episode 1, barely acknowledged her fate. In 6, supporting characters like Afton had relevant parts of the story. In this season Katherine makes a random appearance that goes nowhere :confuse:

Oh, Dallas. How the mighty have fallen.

James from London · Sep 20, 2019

I love the slow way Donna left.

Grangehill1 · Sep 20, 2019

Despite what I said initially in my first post, I would have the last few episodes of the series leading up to Pam’s departure. And the end - I would have had Pam ‘disappear.’

A couple of odd things happen to her towards the end of the series. She receives a letter that concerns her, somebody rings and hangs up, somebodies following her. And simultaneously Bobby and her have a few arguments, not major ones but small enough to might explain her departure. And then her last episode she leaves her car and bumps into the shoulder of somebody who she recognises. That’s the last we see of her.
And then Bobby receives a letter at the end of the series saying the remarriage was a mistake and she needs time away from Dallas and ‘she’ll be in touch.’

Just enough mystery and closure that Bobby then wouldn’t go after her. And the fact she isn’t dead means Victoria Principal may have been more likely to return at the very end for final closure.

Grangehill1 · Sep 20, 2019

And another way for Pam to leave...

The last few episodes of the series Pam is blackmailed by a new character or returneee or whatever. They’re out for revenge and they want Pam out of Dallas otherwise Bobby or Christopher will be threatened. So for the sake of her family she leaves.

She lies to Bobby and says the remarriage was a mistake and that she isn’t a good enough mother for Christopher and that she has to get away. This ‘cold’ Pam is all an act and she walks out of Southfork and tearfully drives off.

Again this would leave enough up in the air to provide some form of closure and also maybe be enough to persuade Victoria for a final appearance at the very end of season 14.

Chris2 · Sep 21, 2019

I don’t buy Victoria’s “two years notice” explanation. If she truly gave the producers two years notice, then why was she negotiating to stay for more money?

It is too bad that they couldn’t have a better lead up to her departure. I like the mystery ideas above. Or maybe they could have done something with more realism: Maybe she gets fed up after the BD Calhoun thing and says, “I’m done with the Ewings” and takes off. Or Bobby’s continuing involvement with Jenna, due to her pregnancy, drives a wedge between Pam and Bobby.

In any event, I agree that Pam should have had the long storyline explaining her departure, rather than Donna.

Clubsoda · Sep 21, 2019

I've said it before the best way to write out Pam was bring back Morgan just as they did however have her kidnap Pam from the hospital. Next several eps would focus on Bobby and Cliff searching for her and some key scenes of Katherine with mummy Pam. The resolution would be a plane crash killing all aboard. If Victoria later agreed to return she could be written as an amnesiac if not Pam would've died in the plane.

Yes I know it's all very Fallon Carrington but plots are rehashed all the time and it's the only way for this stupid plot to have worked without leaving Pam in limbo.

Taylor Bennett Jr. · Sep 21, 2019

they should have had Pam express disgust at how Teresa’s eggs came out one morning at breakfast, then storm out of the driveway in one of the ranch hands’ pickups and never come back

(to keep her memory alive, they could have had her send postcards every several episodes or so from exotic locales around the world: “In Bali. Weather and beach lovely. Eggs fluffy. Say hi to Miss Ellie and Christopher. Love, Pam.”)

Toni · Sep 24, 2019

Clubsoda said:
I've said it before the best way to write out Pam was bring back Morgan just as they did however have her kidnap Pam from the hospital. Next several eps would focus on Bobby and Cliff searching for her and some key scenes of Katherine with mummy Pam. The resolution would be a plane crash killing all aboard. If Victoria later agreed to return she could be written as an amnesiac if not Pam would've died in the plane.

Yes I know it's all very Fallon Carrington but plots are rehashed all the time and it's the only way for this stupid plot to have worked without leaving Pam in limbo.

I always wanted to see Victoria playing an amnesiac Pam, I don´t know why. It worked wonderfully with Maggie on "Falcon Crest" and not so well with FallonSamms on "Dynasty". Or also Victoria playing that Jeanne O´Brien replacing Pam under J.R.´s orders to break their marriage again or something business-related. It also worked for Ana-Alicia on "Falcon Crest" and saved their 8th season from being a total disaster...

Which one is the Pam we love...?

thomaswak · Sep 26, 2019

Chris2 said:
I don’t buy Victoria’s “two years notice” explanation. If she truly gave the producers two years notice, then why was she negotiating to stay for more money?

Maybe it was a trick. When you want to leave a show, and you want to give the producers diplomatic reasons, asking for a huge raise is the best way to go.
Brigitte Bardot (a famous actress in France) never wanted to do advertisement. Whatever the brand is. Her agent told to NEVER refuse, but ask for an insanely amount of money. The brands can't afford the money she asks for, so they are the ones to pass... This way, she doesn't hurt the brands' ego. It's a very polite way to say "no", without saying no.

(But the trick didn't worked once. A fashion brand in Japan agreed for the insanely amount of money she was asking. So she did the advertisement. Once.)

Monzo · Dec 13, 2020

Is it correct that Susan Howard was fired because of budget cuts? Meanwhile Victoria Principal was offered more money if she would stay. How is this possible if budget was cut?

Lastkidpicked · Dec 14, 2020

I think Donna leaving the show had more impact than the producers realized.

Especially in the early seasons, we could watch the series and even though we would never be Jock, J.R. or Pam, we could very much relate to Donna (and Ray). We could watch the antics of J.R. and that was fun, but we could watch Donna and think, "Yes, that could very easily be me."

To put a finer point on it, Donna was like the audience. Observing the family, but not quite part of it. She was our eyes and ears into the show.

ArchieLucasCarringtonEwing1989 · Dec 14, 2020

I feel that Pam should have left Dallas after she notices Bobby becoming closer to Jenna, they bond over their unborn child and Pam feels that she and Christopher are being pushed firmly to the backseat.

Finally after the BD Calhoun mess and a nasty argument with Bobby in which he says something he immediately regrets “At least Jenna can give me a child!” Pam snaps back and says “You’re becoming more like JR and I hate you!”

Pam now fed up with the Ewing’s and her brother decides to get away from them all with Christopher, and start a new life somewhere else, just as she leaves she finds out that not only can she now carry a baby to term but she’s pregnant too, she wants to tell Bobby but she misinterprets a scene between Bobby and Jenna, and decides to just leave without saying goodbye not wanting Christopher and her unborn child (a daughter) being caught up in the Ewing drama and feuds.

Bobby would then find Pam years later in a reunion movie.

Monzo · Dec 14, 2020

I know producers wanted to keep Priscilla Presley, so I wonder what would have happened if they'd put Jenna & Cliff together, so that Ray & Donna could remain a couple. Would both have to leave the show anyway after season 10 or 11 because of budget cuts or could both have stayed until the finale?

Grangehill1 · Dec 15, 2020

Season 10 (dvd) saw the departures of Jenilee Harrison, Deborah Shelton, Susan Howard and Victoria Principal. All had featured prominently in season 9 but (arguably apart from Deborah Shelton) given nothing to do in season 10.

To lose 4 main characters in one season didn’t help Dallas

Seaviewer · Dec 16, 2020

Monzo said:
Jenna & Cliff together

That's quite an intriguing proposition. The lead-up to getting them there could have made one fascinating season.

tommie · Dec 31, 2020

Honestly, Donna's exit did seem like a natural one and I didn't really mind it. Sometimes characters just run their course on a show and that's fine. Of course, losing both Donna and Pam in one big swoop wasn't great, but I'm still not sure if I would've "undone" her exit. It would've been nice to have her as occassionally recurring, but the cost of having Howard appear for a scene or two every few episodes probably couldn't be justified.

It's like Lucy leaving the first time around - it felt right at the time for her to leave.

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Pam and Donna leaving

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