SoapDope

Yes. Years before ATWT James did " Hello Barbara".....Dallas J.R. did " Hello Valene" Some of their scenes were hilarious. I remember on Dallas when Val returned to see Lucy, J.R. shows up at Val's motel room. J.R.: " Hello Valene" Val: " How did you find me" ? J.R.: "Well, when I found out you were back in town. I had some of my people check out some of the cheaper motels. I figured you were living the lifestyle you were accustomed to. Well, Sure enough here you are"......LOL I also laughed when J.R. visited the cul-de-sac in season 1 of KL and Val was running around giving him refreshments (coffee, ice tea, tuna fish sandwich) even though she hates his guts. He also breaks it off in them several times about the house. J.R.: "The house is so pretty, and the best part is Mama's making the mortgage payments for you". J.R:" I guess your Mama's finances are a laughing matter since she bought you this nice house here in California". " Everything here is pretty as a picture" I think he throws it up again a third time telling them just because they have that nice house and their little domestic set up doesn't mean he won't break them up again.

Jon Cypher (Jeff) who played Jeff was also a regular on Hill Street Blues and recurring on Dynasty during the 80's. I wonder if KL ever offered him a permanent role to stay or if it was agreed he would be temporary since he seemed to have a full plate ? The following season (5) Ben shows up. If David Ackroyd (Gary #1) hadn't guest starred as Bill Medford on KL previously, I think it would have been interesting to have cast him as Ben. The battle of the Gary's over Val would have been awesome.

Just some season 3 & 4 observations. When Val wrote her book about the Ewing's " I don't remember any of the Ewing's on Dallas ever mentioning her book at all. Val started a relationship with producer Jeff Munson that never really went anywhere. Chip was so creepy. Too bad he didn't off Diana too. I can take Lilimae in small doses. There are times I want to strangle her. Richard implying Ciji and Laura were lesbians and asking which gets to be the man was pretty controversial for 1982 CBS TV. Val & Gary's shouting at each other over confessing to Ciji's death was both hilarious and intense. Abby is like a cat, she makes sure she is comfortable at all times. Kevin Dobson is like an angry bulldog chewing scenery and barking lines. There are times I like his character and there are times I can't stand him. It depends on the scene or storyline.

I'm surprised they let Ken Kercheval stay on after the departure of VP. They also added George Kennedy as a new sparring partner for Hagman. Steve Kanaly was let go too in 1988. If the show had survived another season or two I can see Katzman/Lorimar letting Kercheval go to cut the budget or raise the salaries of Duffy & Hagman if they had asked for more money. Dallas really should have ended way before the decline. The series finale sucked. VP was smart to get out when she did. The character of Pam became a laughing stock with that stupid dream fiasco.

Dallas also wound up losing Bel Geddes, Gray, Principal, Tilton, and Howard near the end at the expense of Duffy & Hagman. Katzman/Lorimar figured as long as they had those 2 everyone else was disposable. The show went into the toilet by 1987.

I agree. She should have stayed on her own, but Dallas writers/producers felt women were weak and needed a man to take care of them. Look how Sue Ellen jumped in and out of relationships.

A few random facts about Mark Harmon. Mark of course is married to Pam Dawber (Mork & Mindy) etc...His father was Football star Tom Harmon and his mother B movie actress Elyse Knox. His oldest sister Kristin (Kris) was the wife of Ricky Nelson and she played herself on the family Ozzie & Harriet show. They had 4 children, actress Tracy (Sguare Pegs etc...) who was married to Billy Moses (Falcon Crest). Twins Gunnar & Matthew (Rock group Nelson) and Sam. Marks middle sister Kelly was a model and actress. She was the spokesperson for Tic Tac in the 80's & 90's. Her first husband was John DeLorean who later married model/actress/host Cristina Ferrare. Mark said he was encouraged to follow his dreams of acting by Ozzie Nelson who gave him one of his earliest roles on Ozzie & Harriet's short lived series Ozzie's Girls in the early 70's. OG was cancelled after 1 season because Ozzie was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

A promo for the lost shelved sitcom "Snip" starring David Brenner and Lesley Ann Warren from 1976. The show was pulled at the last minute by NBC and never aired in the U.S. because of one of the characters on the show was openly gay. The show did air in Australia. The infamous George Schlatter show "Turn On" from 1969. The show aired once and was cancelled mid episode when some executive said to get that crap off the air. There were reports of viewers getting physically sick or disturbed by the jump cuts. Some affiliates refused to air the show and some went to a blank screen with music playing to fill the slot after the first commercial break. There were 2 completed episodes and fragments from a third unfinished episode.

"The Lie" is a great episode. You really see inside the Avery's dysfunctional marriage. It has a bit of a "Looking For Mr. Goodbar" vibe with the scenes at the cocktail lounge and Laura's attack in the guys sleazy studio apartment. The whole episode has that late 70's suburban feel with the breakfast scenes and banter among the couples. I noticed Laura making coffee in a percolator (which was very much of the era). Joan Van Ark said Knots ground zero scenes mainly took place in the kitchen and the bedroom.

I think there is an episode later in the series where Karen mentions (I think to Pat Williams) as living in the cul-de-sac for like 10 or 11 years which places her as moving in around 1978-1979. Gary & Val arrived in 79. On Dallas Bobby mentions a real estate deal to Miss Ellie he made last year (which would have been 78) in the Gary & Val wedding episode and hands her the stack of photos. Then when he shows them the house in the tag scene he mentions having minor repairs done so they can quickly move in about a week or two. I think the houses in the cul-de-sac are 1970's era built houses.

Val's cancer story should have been held off till they went full soap. They could have spent a season building a decent story. One thing that was surprising was it being colon cancer. Val said they discovered it when she had a hard time getting pregnant. It would have made more sense if it had been uterine or some other gynecological cancer. It could have been written it was discovered when she was pregnant with the twins and refuses to terminate her pregnancy for treatment.

The episode where Earl wants Val to sleep with him...at the end when Val tells Gary he needs to forgive himself. Gary has kind of a smirk/smile on his face.....it kind of comes across "Yes she forgives me and I got away with it". Gary was such a douche early on. One funny thing that popped into my head during the 'The Loudest Word" and "Moment Of Truth" episodes was , Why does Val's house get trashed on a regular basis?.....LOL Gary wrecked the bedroom, Sid kicked down the front doors, and then the thugs wrecked the living room. Later on Joshua trashes the living room again.

There was Rita & Eve.

Well, J.R. was a SOB and made no apologies for it.....LOL I wish the Dallas/Knots connection would have been kept through both series runs. I loved when Joan and Larry had scenes together. J.R with his " Hello Valene"

I barely recognize her.

Re: Val's Babies.....I always wondered what would have happened if they had written the kidnapping of the twins in end somehow linked back to J.R. ? He stole Lucy as a baby so he would be repeating history. Imagine Val's reaction if that would have been revealed.

That 2019 mug shot.

In the 1997 Reunion at Mac & Karen's 15th Anniversary party at Gary & Val's house Michael & Diana are there, but Eric is never referred to. It was kind of like avoiding the elephant in the room.

Maybe Gary prostituted himself for money to buy booze ? Like Midnight Cowboy. I noticed in S1 when Lucy comes to visit, Val is showing all the stuff she saved from her childhood in her bedroom and Lucy is naming the dolls. OK, if Lucy was stolen as an infant, how would she know that stuff ? She also tells Val she is the one who came back visiting her over the years. On Dallas Lucy says she has not seen Val till then (1978).

I always wondered that too. Gary & Val split up around 1962 or 1963 so you have about 15 years before they show back up in 1978.

It's like the first 3 years 1979-early 1982 of Knots was wiped and they started fresh. Same with Dallas, it was like 1978-early 1980 was wiped and everything was rebooted after J.R's shooting. Both shows burned through a lot of material in those early days. On Dallas they could have recast Pam & Cliff's cousin Jimmy. He and Lucy could have married instead of boring and bland Mitch.

In the later years of the show (say circa 1991/1992), Judy could have come back and dropped the bomb that Gary had gotten her pregnant during their affair and they have a 10 year old child.

Wheel Of Fortune (1980) Chuck Woolery & Susan Stafford.

I never knew that Judy was supposed to be more of a character. I found her quite boring. Gary was of all over the place in Season 2. He seemed so angry and was clearly not happy being married to Val. He barely tolerates her and gets angry when she gets sick because he will have to to deal with it. Even when she tries to support him or be optimistic he acts like it makes him sick. He also starts doing that smarmy "Smug Shrug".