...And Brenda Strong never forgot Lorimar´s "Dallas"

[Toni]

Maybe this has been posted before, but today I was watching the amazing Paley Center videos for "Desperate Housewives", and in one of them, dated on 18 April, 2009 (so, prior to her TNT "Dallas" experience), she mentions, when asked if she knows how Mary Alice could be brought back from the dead, that there couldn´t be a return in the shower, like "Dallas" (did she watch it or just remembered she was on it, just a little after Bobby´s return? Maybe both!).

I lol´d and thought about sharing it with you! (go to 1´30´´ if you don´t wanna remember those gorgeous little ladies and that fantastic, much-missed show!)

PS: If you do miss them and wanna check if there was animosity and how well they covered it up, here is the URL of Paley Fest:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVeOmkpnYTy3cLVhR3Ayp-ouQRDs0lmR

 

[Rove]

My theory? It proves the legacy of Dallas and the subliminal message which still resonates today, or in this case 2009. I'd imagine two things spring to mind when people think of Dallas; "Who Shot JR?, and Bobby spinning in the shower. One of those things put Dallas on the map, the other just about wiped it off. And isn't that a curious thing.

 

[Karin Schill]

I love how references to the original Dallas keeps popping up every now and then. Like I remember back in 2001 when Buffy had "died" and the show's creator Joss Whedon kept saying something like "It's won't be like Patrick Duffy in the shower!" in discussions how he planned to bring the character back!

I loved Desperate housewives btw.

 

[Rove]

love how references to the original Dallas keeps popping up every now and then.

And this is why Dallas still has legs. Many here on Soapchat will debate their preference between the big 4; Dallas, Dynasty, Falcon Crest and Knots Landing. But out of those big 4 Dallas is still the one which is still referenced in today's media. I don't hear anything about Dynasty, Falcon Crest or Knots Landing. The only time when I hear anything remotely spoken about Dynasty is when Dame Joan Collins visits Australia and does her round of interviews and inevitably her role as Alexis Carrington comes up. I sometimes wonder if she performs an internal eye roll but let's be honest, it's that character which put her on the map.

 

[Michael Torrance]

Many here on Soapchat will debate their preference between the big 4; Dallas, Dynasty, Falcon Crest and Knots Landing. But out of those big 4 Dallas is still the one which is still referenced in today's media. .

Actually both in the US and Europe, when discussing 80s fashion or 80s greed, DYNASTY is more usually referenced by the media as the decade-defining show. I think among actors and people in the TV industry, "who shot J.R." is discussed as a defining genre moment, because it literally invented the cliffhanger, and no other show has such a powerful moment. Similarly, the shower scene was a big "sc@ew you to the viewers," and no other show has such a devastating moment (though THE COLBYS did try).

 

[Chris2]

I agree with Rove. When I hear people talking and see media mentions about the soaps of the 80s, or the greed of the 80s, it’s almost always Dallas. Almost never Dynasty.

 

[Kenny Coyote]

Actually both in the US and Europe, when discussing 80s fashion or 80s greed, DYNASTY is more usually referenced by the media as the decade-defining show.

I haven't seen Dynasty, but my understanding of it is that compared to Dallas, Dynasty was aimed more at a female audience so it wouldn't surprise me if when discussing 80s fashion, Dynasty is referenced more than Dallas. Fashion was never something Dallas was centered on. There was definitely a certain western look designed to give the show authenticity so regarding fashion, things like cowboy boots, string ties and big belt buckles were a big part of the look of the show. Since that's a fashion that's regional as opposed to national, I wouldn't have expected western style fashion to have caught on on a national scale just because that was the Texan look Dallas was going for. I did buy a pair of Tony Lama handmade cowboy boots in the late 80s but not just because I liked Dallas. I just like boots.

When I hear people talking and see media mentions about the soaps of the 80s, or the greed of the 80s, it’s almost always Dallas. Almost never Dynasty.

That's been my observation as well. I hear Dallas mentioned from time to time in terms of 80s culture or successful TV dramas. Dallas was the most successful TV drama ever made, wasn't it? As for "greed of the 80s" I haven't heard about that. Greed certainly wasn't invented in the 80s and if I had to try to name a time when greed seemed to define an era, I think I'd name the time period of the first decade of the 21st century which included the Enron and other similar scandals as well as Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme of that decade.

The 1980s are known for being a time when things were going especially well in America including the state of the economy, the high standard of living we enjoyed then, and in our society in general feeling very good about the state of things in our country. During much of the 70s there had been a certain malaise in the air both during and post-Vietnam as well as during the massive layoffs in the steel industry among others. The Iranians took American hostages at The U.S. Embassy near the end of the 70s and that contributed to that "down" feeling in the country. Things turned around right around the time when we elected Ronald Reagan as our new President. He was an extremely well-liked President, nicknamed "The Great Communicator" and that malaise that had been in the air was replaced with a new feeling of optimism which began with our hostages in Iran being freed the day Reagan took office and then continued. A huge factor was our winning of The Cold War. The Berlin Wall came down, The Soviet Union collapsed, and as a result we were left as the world's only remaining superpower.

These are the things I associate with the 80s - not greed. Greed had always been around but wasn't any more prevalent than than in previous times. Rather than greed, I associate ambition, work ethic, optimism and success with the 1980s.

 

[Rove]

I've always been rather annoyed the movie, "Wall Street" encapsulates the 80's with its "Greed.............. is good" mantra. And I always found it funny the movie was released 2 months after the Black Monday Stock Market Crash. Talk about ill timing for a movie release. I'll always look back at the 80's as being a feel good decade however I was in my 20's so it was good times, good friends, great music, and brilliant television which is now dying a slow death.

 

[Brian Kinney]

as a result we were left as the world's only remaining superpower.

And China? In 1989 already a country that dominated the world economy right behind the US. Today the country where the US gets the money from to exist as it is.

Greed: Reagan-omics - spending money, don't care for debts . Wall Street - the movie (1987) and the reality (always). Even though the 80's soaps appear in some essays about greed (but were actually written in the 90's or more recent). Dallas and Dynasty were oil and old money (Southworth family; Tom Carrington, the Colbys). They were not about stock brokers or nouveau riche people that are usually associated with that term. J.R. was determined to win over the rivals in the business or to get them out of it but he wasn't motivated to become the richest man in Texas - if I recall correctly something like that was never even hinted. Alexis had a personal vendetta with Blake and Angela Channing was all about the family's heritage. Knots Landing's Abby is the only lead role in the four big 80's prime-time soaps that qualifies as greedy for me even though she probably had more character (and mascara) shades than the others. But J.R. and Alexis are icons and Abby isn't. People who've never seen any of these shows know their names and that they were villains. As I know that Valentino was a silent movie star but I have never seen a film with him.

BTW: Brenda Strong was really amazing in Supergirl, she seemed to have fun with that part.

 

[Seaviewer]

Abby is the only lead role in the four big 80's prime-time soaps that qualifies as greedy for me even though she probably had more character (and mascara) shades than the others. But J.R. and Alexis are icons and Abby isn't.

I wouldn't call Abby greedy so much as insecure. As you've suggested, the Ewings, Carringtons and Giobertis all had established wealth. Abby was the only one of the four protagonists who started out poor and as a result always felt she had to grasp whatever she could.

 

[Michael Torrance]

I wouldn't call Abby greedy so much as insecure. As you've suggested, the Ewings, Carringtons and Giobertis all had established wealth. Abby was the only one of the four protagonists who started out poor and as a result always felt she had to grasp whatever she could.

On DYNASTY Adam was the only greedy and power hungry of the Carrington siblings, because he was not raised as a Carrington, so I think you have a good point.

 

[Kenny Coyote]

And China?

No. I was referring to superpowers in the military sense. Maybe I should have specified that, but I thought it would be clear considering the context of us winning The Cold War.

Regarding economy, if you're living in a country where you have what you consider to be a fairly high standard of living and quality of life then it doesn't bother you if there are other countries who are also doing well because you're still happy. It does bother you though if there's another country that is close to your equal in military strength and is also an enemy as The U.S.S.R. was.

 

[stevew]

And China? In 1989 already a country that dominated the world economy right behind the US. Today the country where the US gets the money from to exist as it is.

Greed: Reagan-omics - spending money, don't care for debts . Wall Street - the movie (1987) and the reality (always). Even though the 80's soaps appear in some essays about greed (but were actually written in the 90's or more recent). Dallas and Dynasty were oil and old money (Southworth family; Tom Carrington, the Colbys). They were not about stock brokers or nouveau riche people that are usually associated with that term. J.R. was determined to win over the rivals in the business or to get them out of it but he wasn't motivated to become the richest man in Texas - if I recall correctly something like that was never even hinted. Alexis had a personal vendetta with Blake and Angela Channing was all about the family's heritage. Knots Landing's Abby is the only lead role in the four big 80's prime-time soaps that qualifies as greedy for me even though she probably had more character (and mascara) shades than the others. But J.R. and Alexis are icons and Abby isn't. People who've never seen any of these shows know their names and that they were villains. As I know that Valentino was a silent movie star but I have never seen a film with him.

BTW: Brenda Strong was really amazing in Supergirl, she seemed to have fun with that part.

I’ll agree with much of this except the debt issue. The American government’s debt comes mostly from the American government (The Fed and Soc Sec.) not China. And debt is good. Debt managed builds wealth. As we are no where near over taxed as a nation except in our own mind, our debt is manageable, though it’s teetering on no being so as we simply refuse to recognize the need to tax, some going as far as calling taxation theft. As for China, their social problems and over reliance in trade make America look better off not worse and China’s doubling down on control and reliance on foreign markets will only exasperate further ills. Like JR, it’s all about the chess game of plotting twelve or more steps ahead. Unfortunately right now the seeds of division and ignorance which are being sewn are very dangerous to our strength, maybe more so then our debt.

 

[stevew]

No. I was referring to superpowers in the military sense. Maybe I should have specified that, but I thought it would be clear considering the context of us winning The Cold War.

Regarding economy, if you're living in a country where you have what you consider to be a fairly high standard of living and quality of life then it doesn't bother you if there are other countries who are also doing well because you're still happy. It does bother you though if there's another country that is close to your equal in military strength and is also an enemy as The U.S.S.R. was.

And they were defeated in the good old American way (actually Chinese from the Art of War) of sewing the seeds of internal division. Brilliant 80’s era strategy.