New characters from later seasons in the good years

[Monzo]

New characters in the later seasons didn't necessarily become fan favorites. Do you think it was more the writing of the later seasons than the new characters, and that these characters would have had a chance to resonate with audiences if they had been introduced when Dallas was still really good?

If JR had traveled to Haleyville and married Cally after his first divorce from Sue Ellen, would she have been more popular? If James had shown up on the day of JR's second wedding to Sue Ellen, would he have fit in better with the family? And what would it have been like if Michelle had come to Dallas at the same time as April?

Some of the new characters in the later seasons were a little reminiscent of characters we had seen before. Could they have been even more convincing than the ones we already knew? Would you have preferred Carter McKay to Jeremy Wendell? Or Stephanie Rogers instead of Leslie Stewart? Or Casey Denault instead of Alan Beam? Kimberly Cryder instead of Holly Harwood? Nicholas Pearce instead of Peter Richards?

Which character introduced late in the series should have joined earlier?

 

[CeeCee72]

I think if James had shown up sometimes during JR and SE's marriage, the character (with a different actor of course) could have worked.

The rest of them, I don't think would have resonated no matter what. Cally and McKay were both too cartoonish. Cryder and Nicholas would have served the same purpose and Holly and Peter - cause relationship drama and then just disappear.

 

[Kaleid]

I know I'm in the minority, but I liked Carter McKay. He was saddled with ridiculous storylines, lousy family characters and he replaced the more menacing Jeremy Wendell; He had three strikes before he ever stepped up to the plate. As a stand alone, in earlier seasons, he could have been a much greater asset to the show.

Nicholas Pearce would be my other choice. With his smarmy demeanor and secret mob connections, he and J.R. could have had a truly great rivalry instead of Nicholas being a plot device to provide a cliche 80s soap death.

 

[LMLDallas78]

I also liked Carter Mckay. I had loads of respect for George Kennedy after watching him in almost every disaster movie going.
He was great when he first appeared on Dallas as a bad guy then morphed into a good guy. As previously said, with a better story and more likeable family, he could have worked.

I didn't care for James or Vanessa and I hardly remember anyone else from seasons 13/14. If James had appeared earlier I still wouldn't have liked him or his story which was done just for the sake of it. Long lost kids turning up like that is something I've never appreciated.

Would never have taken to Cally, couldn't stand her character or silly story.

I've always been a big fan of Nicholas and even liked April at that time and her curiosity about him. Really enjoyed his story, thought it was well done but sadly too short.

Special mention to Jeff Faraday. I know he wasn't a later season character but I did like him. Not killing him off and him re appearing would have been far better than Lisa Alden.

 

[Barbara Fan]

From the above list only 2

Nicholas Pearce and Kimberley Cryder

I worried too much that Carter McKay would burst a blood vessel when he was angry but liked George K outwith Dallas in naked gun and disaster movies

The remaining characters were

if they were in the early years of Dallas would have sunk!

 

[southfork88]

In my opinion the worst characters on this list are Carter McKay and his daughter Tracey. Many other characters were over the top, including Callie, James, Lee Ann, etc., but Carter and Tracey were creepy !

 

[Ollie james]

Wow that list reads like a Dallas suicide note. None of them were worthy of being mentioned in the good years The death of a once great show is all I see when I look at those names.

 

[Chris2]

George Kennedy was wooden and one-note. I don’t understand what they were thinking when they brought him on, other than the fact that he was Larry Hagman’s buddy. I wasn’t a fan of Tracey either - Bobby could do way better.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Let's see...
I want Vanessa Beaumont to play opposite Jessica Montford, and I want her to arrive at the time JR was getting very serious with Mandy, but she is going to have James Beaumont's baby. This means there's no need for Cally, sorry!
Michelle Stevens needs to be Marilee Stone's sassy, scheming niece - the Sammy Jo of DALLAS, as it were. This means no need for April, sorry (kinda)!
Tommy McKay had to be in DALLAS at the same time he was in DYNASTY, and if Carter McKay happens to be his father then that's fine.
Nicholas Pearce could be Jack Ewing's "Guzzler", or Angelica Nero's secretary. Maybe both, it's a small world after all.

I don't remember the other characters in that list.

 

[Jock Og]

I suppose the newer characters after season 10 (DVD- 11) were 'suitable', as the show slid into the twilight years and the show became less gritty, into a more cartoon trajectory. If I had to choose a character to fit into the glory years that person would have been the old buffalo Carter McKay. I believe George Kennedy could've done well, as a more rounded heavyweight and of course a sidekick to Mr. Skeletor Jeremy Wendell. Perhaps he could have joined the cast; after the Ewing Oil ownership contest, which stemmed from Jock's last will and testament. George wasn't a bad actor.

The old buffalo Carter McKay.


Jock is talking to Ray, at the stables. They initially talk about Lucy's compatibility or lack of it, with Mitch. Little does Jock know that his recently discovered love child had a roll in the hay at the start of the series, with his spoiled granddaughter?

They finish talking about their concerns about Lucy marrying Mitch but move onto something which becomes much more controversial in later episodes, (a scene from season 3, DVD-4, 1980 – ‘81):

Jock: - "Are you coming down to the bank today?"

Ray: - "No I can't make it Jock. I have all that new stock coming in."

Jock: - "Hey you know I feel 10 years younger, since I decided to make that deal. Man I feel like I am part of things, again."

Ray: - "Did you discuss that with Bobby yet?"

Jock: - "What the hell for?"

Ray: - "Bobby is running Ewing Oil. You are drawing money, out of the company. I just think he ought to know about it."

Jock: - "Let me tell you something Ray. Ewing Oil is mine! I started it. I worked it. I made it what it is today. And if Bobby or anybody else don't like the way I do things they know what they can do."

Ray: - "Hey Jock I didn't mean anything."

Jock: - "Oh I know that its not you. It’s just that things don't seem like they used to, that’s all."

Ray: - "Bobby"

Jock: - "Yeah!"

Ray: - "Bobby is a good man! He'll do right by Ewing Oil."

Jock: - "He has got a lot to learn Ray. Trouble is he don't know it yet!"

 

[pete lashmar]

I honestly think that the show would have been better without anyone on this list.

For me Dallas started to slide as soon as Jamie was brought in - the character was written so badly that there was no empathy for her at all and I'm not sure whether Jenilee Harrison's interpretation helped or hindered that. That story then brought in Jack, another character who was "just there" and didn't really add to anything.

Something definitely happened in the casting department because up until Jamie arrived all the characters/actors worked so well and then BAM!, they just went with anyone they could, regardless of acting ability, and cast them in roles completely unsuitable for them - a double whammy.

 

[DallasFanForever]

In the defense of most of these characters they did join the show when it was already on the way down. I’ve always been of the belief that even if the original cast stayed mostly in tact the downturn was inevitable. The show had peaked. I didn’t blame the characters or the actors playing them anywhere near as much as I did the boring and mostly repetitive storylines at that point.

Surprised to see Nicholas getting so many votes. I liked his backstory and I’m probably one of the few that enjoyed his mafia family storyline. I thought April and Nicholas was a missed opportunity. For me they actually had better chemistry than him and Sue Ellen. Not really sure how well Nick would fit in during the early years of the show though.

Michelle and Hillary could’ve been interesting choices had they been introduced earlier. Troublemaking vixens are always a good thing when it comes time to prime time. Of course La Lucci already had a pretty good daytime gig when Dallas was at its peak.

Kay Lloyd is definitely another one that might’ve benefited from having been written in earlier. Maybe she could’ve been a love interest for Bobby after his first divorce from Pam. They could’ve met during the battle for Ewing Oil and she ends up helping him out somehow with her political clout. From there they become friends and then after he divorces Pam they become more. This would’ve given Jenna some headaches as well. Perhaps better than Bobby and Kay’s boring storyline in the later years.

Introducing James earlier is a good idea in my opinion. It would’ve created more tension for J.R. and Sue Ellen while they were still married.

 

[Ray_Krebbs]

Gayle Hannicutt and Linda Gray looked a lot alike. If Vanessa and Sue Ellen were cousins and J.R. got her pregnant with James, she could have been introduced earlier. I also wonder if Lee Ann was the girl with J.R. in the barn in the Early Years

 

[DallasFanForever]

Gayle Hannicutt and Linda Gray looked a lot alike. If Vanessa and Sue Ellen were cousins and J.R. got her pregnant with James, she could have been introduced earlier. I also wonder if Lee Ann was the girl with J.R. in the barn in the Early Years

I never quite understood the whole Vanessa being J.R.’s first love thing. It seemed to be just randomly thrown out there as a plot device to cause problems for Cally and to introduce James. Perhaps had we heard of Vanessa a couple of times over the years it might’ve felt different. I see she is doing well in this poll though so I guess I’m outnumbered.

 

[pete lashmar]

Vanessa in the overseas episodes was fine with me, but that should have been it - bringing her to Dallas was a big mistake. As for James, I've always said as eye candy he was absolutely gorgeous but couldn't act his way out of a wet paper bag.