Nell Carter as a Villain

[Ray_Krebbs]

In another thread a person posted a joke that Nell Carter should've appeared as the new chairperson of Westar. I thought and wonder if it would work. Dallas I felt needed more black presence. I think her and J.R. would be brilliant

 

[Spooky Owl!]

Katzman told Diahann Carroll (apparently) that DALLAS would never have a major black character.

Today, I'd assume Ewing Oil and Westar would all be black women -- and, quite frankly, I'd like to see it.

 

[Guzzler’s Frightening Hair]

if she didn’t make it all the way to the top of Westar she would have made a fine rebound love interest for Cliff after Afton took off to Louisiana and then Mandy dumped him.

Initially enamored with his intensity and quirkiness, Nell (whose character would be named Nell) would grow tired of Cliff’s selfish antics, eventually bodyslamming him through the table one evening at the Oil Barons’ Club, Everyone there would laugh and cheer, even Jordan Lee who’d lightheartedly tell Cliff that he’s got to admit that he deserved it.

Cliff, uncharacteristically a good sport about the whole thing, would remain friends with Nell as she climbed the ranks of oil executives, occasionally plotting with her to put one over on JR, who’d gotten on her bad side by insulting her singing after she sat in with the band at the Oil Baron’s Ball in 1984 with a rousing rendition of The Lady Is a Tramp — a thinly-veiled swipe at poor Mandy that had Sue Ellen and her fans titillated senseless.

 

[Spooky Owl!]

if she didn’t make it all the way to the top of Westar she would have made a fine rebound love interest for Cliff after Afton took off to Louisiana and then Mandy dumped him.

Initially enamored with his intensity and quirkiness, Nell (whose character would be named Nell) would grow tired of Cliff’s selfish antics, eventually bodyslamming him through the table one evening at the Oil Barons’ Club, Everyone there would laugh and cheer, even Jordan Lee who’d lightheartedly tell Cliff that he’s got to admit that he deserved it.

Dora Mae, higher-class than Nell, just rolls her eyes again and strolls off.

There might be a canned laugh track, one separate from the laughs of the on-screen customers.

 

[Ray_Krebbs]

A lot of cool things. Nell would have worked I feel. I think Philip Capice was a better producer. I thought the dream season was a masterpiece

 

[Spooky Owl!]

A lot of cool things. Nell would have worked I feel. I think Philip Capice was a better producer. I thought the dream season was a masterpiece

Of what?

 

[Trick-or-Treat Stevens]

What an interesting concept. I wonder how she would have been written in to be the head of Westar.

Now having said that the image of her vacuuming an aquarium in the Gimme A Break into is still seared into my memory, forty-plus years later. RIP goldfish.

 

[Ray_Krebbs]

I thought the dream had amazing storylines. It was the only time I liked Ray and Donna as a couple. I loved Mark being there. I loved Pam being a tougher person and being more on J.R.'s level. I loved Sue Ellen going through detox. I loved Angelica Nero despite her being out there. I loved the tone. The season after upset me. I did not like Pam and Donna. I did not like Ray and Jenna. I think April would have been more interesting. Also Sue Ellen all of a sudden becoming this executive did not make sense. I think she needed to go through all of that first from last year for it to click. I think Ms. Carter was a lot of talent. Here is a video of her with Ray Parker. I think he could have been her husband on there as a wealthy man and had ties to the Stiles. Would that work?

 

[Spooky Owl!]

I thought the dream had amazing storylines. It was the only time I liked Ray and Donna as a couple. I loved Mark being there. I loved Pam being a tougher person and being more on J.R.'s level. I loved Sue Ellen going through detox. I loved Angelica Nero despite her being out there. I loved the tone. The season after upset me. I did not like Pam and Donna. I did not like Ray and Jenna. I think April would have been more interesting. Also Sue Ellen all of a sudden becoming this executive did not make sense. I think she needed to go through all of that first from last year for it to click

It had a lot of potential, and the year looked good. The season started out as a rawer, more experimental DALLAS. But as it progressed, it became more soap than opera. Increasingly cloyingly maudlin and the stories became rambling.

That said, little of Season 9 (per DVD count) was as bad as what Katzman did in the last three seasons of the show.

I think Ms. Carter was a lot of talent. Here is a video of her with Ray Parker. I think he could have been her husband on there as a wealthy man and had ties to the Stiles. Would that work?

Well, as a Sun in Virgo/Moon in Capricorn, Nell Carter would totally fit DALLAS.

 

[Trick-or-Treat Stevens]

With a Nell Carter concept, where does her singing talents come in? I hope it would be different than what they did with Afton.

 

[Spooky Owl!]

With a Nell Carter concept, where does her singing talents come in? I hope it would be different than what they did with Afton.

Obviously, Nell, Afton, Clayton and Lady Jessica would form a quartet and perform in the Southfork living room.

Miss Ellie would beam approvingly, Bobby would smile patronizingly, Sue Ellen would look nervous because none of it is about her, Ray would look vaguely embarrassed, Lucy would think all the old people were funny, and J.R. would just roll his eyes in exasperation -- taking a swig of his bourbon and turning his back on the ridiculous performance, his eyes in an instinctive search for newest debutante to wander onto the ranch in a lowcut frock.

 

[Trick-or-Treat Stevens]

Well if she could occasionally show her singing talents, was able to bodyslam Cliff at least once and kept from harming any goldfish I'd be all for it. If Westar wasn't an option she could have been an oil baroness of some sort like Marilee Stone. Nell Carter had talent and to see her in a more serious role would have been fun.

 

[Guzzler’s Frightening Hair]

With a Nell Carter concept, where does her singing talents come in? I hope it would be different than what they did with Afton.

Nell in a lounge at the electric piano belting out Steal Me Away at the top of her lungs would have been a watershed moment in 20th century American music.

I could see Afton bursting into the dressing room afterwards: “first you steal my song, what’s next, are you going to steal my man?” as a sweaty, underwear-clad Cliff cowers in the closet in behind a row of sequined dresses, terrified of being caught cheating.

 

[Ray_Krebbs]

All cool things. How about if Lynn Thigpen and Telma Hopkins came on? They could have been executives.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Charlene Tilton would have expressed her happiness to the media: "Finally, I can do a scene without the step ladder!"