Texas! Discussion Thread

[VanessaReardon]

Happy Anniversary to Texas! 39 years ago. 

[Melroser]

 

That just made me feel old. 

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[VanessaReardon]

sorry. I’m 90 going on 70. Talk about old! 

[AbcNbc247]

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[watson71]

How long into Texas' run did they change the show's logo?  The logo in these early episodes looks very amateurish compared to the Texas flag blowing in the wind with the gold Texas script lettering.

 

 

 

 

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[Paul Raven]

I agree. I hated that Texas logo emerging from the flag.It did look cheap. Not etirely sure when the change took place.Maybe Sept 81.

Edited August 7, 2019 by Paul Raven

[robbwolff]

 

The change in logo happened much earlier...probably within a few months of the premiere. The episode where Iris and Alex married (which I believe aired in November 1980) featured the new logo.

[Melroser]

Have been watching some of the eps in '81 posted on youtube. When Ryan was ousted as the head of World Oil and Justin was named in his place. These episodes are all well done. I'm finding myself enjoying it.

 

Did Jim Poyner (Dennis) leave on his own or was he written out? I'm finding it hard to decide if I like Dennis or hate him. I've read that there were major changes around the time Bev McKinsey quit. Did they not focus on Dennis anymore because Iris left? I'm watching the very beginning of Elliot/Paige and find it interesting. I think the triangle with Dennis could have been a great story, but didn't it get dropped?

 

[robbwolff]

Dennis departed in mid-November. Iris left at the end of November. And Eliot was gone by the end of December. I remember being so disappointed with Eliot's departure because I thought he and Paige were an interesting pairing.

[amybrickwallace]

I read that Philip English (now airing in Retro TV's rerun cycle of The Doctors) was on Texas from late 1981 to early 1982. His character was involved in an archaeological dig or something? Can anyone fill me in?

[Mona Kane Croft]

 

The new logo (the show's second) replaced the original so quickly, I've always wondered if the first logo was meant to be temporary from the beginning.  Maybe the "real logo" (the second one) was delayed in production, and TPTB had to use a temporary version in order to get the show on the air on the premiere date.. I have no evidence to support this, other than the first logo was so amateurish (even by 1980 standards), and its was replaced so quickly.   

Edited December 26, 2019 by Neil Johnson

[dc11786]

Did P&G use the original "Texas" logo when they were running the credits in June/July 1980 in the weeks leading up to the premier? I think they credited the "Texas" cast differently in those episodes than they did the "Another World" cast. 

 

A few months back, I jumped around various places in the "Texas" episodes available online. I think the early episodes are interesting, but they struggle to concrete on a solid long story. Alex and Iris' reunion and the paternity secret that threatens to destroy Dennis is all right, but doesn't really have the impact it could until Eliot arrives in "Texas." From the beginning, Lisby Larson's Paige is fascinating manipulating her way into the Top of the World club and spitefully flirting with Dennis to upset baby sister Dawn. I think having Paige realize the paternity secret right away was a good move and made the story a bit more interesting. 

 

I think Iris and Rena's friendship is refreshing, though I wonder what people thought of that dynamic based on Iris' previous interactions on "Another World." From how she's been described, Iris doesn't seem to be the type to have friendships with women. It did give Iris a reason to be crashing with Rena while she was in Texas. Vicky Bellman is also a thousand more times interesting to me in the beginning than she is in anything I've seen her in later on. I love this boozy, married news station owner who pines for Alex even though she can't have him. I love that Rena is siding with Iris over her own mother. This also has the possibility to be a lot of fun.

 

Not all of the material from those early episodes are online, but I would like to see more of Sam Walker. I think Ann McCarthy is better than I expected her to be in the role and I thought she had a nice chemistry with Jerry Lanning. If anything, I wanted to see Rena steal Justin away from her cousin. 

 

Rena and Justin are fire! "The Bet" is a brilliant set of scenes. I can see why people would want them together. I cannot understand Rena and Grant, but I know May and Borelli married in real life so I imagine they must have had some chemistry. Justin / Ashley / Rena is a nice set up, but I don't think that plays out too long. 

 

For Writer's Strike material, Max's death is relatively well done. I think some of it is over the top at times, but I think the fall out with Rena vs. Justin is pretty good.

 

I'm also curious what the original plan was for Grant Wheeler. He arrives as they are killing off Alex so his position in World Oil makes sense, but they don't really try to pair him off with anyone. He seems to be a talk to for Iris, at times, and he is Lacey's dad. Maybe if Lacey had taken off the plan was to keep him more involved in her story? 

 

I'm impressed with Tina Johnson in a lot of her early scenes, where the Harpers have just come into some money and Lurlene talks about how men might start paying attention to her. I can see why people were drawn to the character even though this doesn't seem to be a huge point for the character later on.

 

It's a shame they quickly dropped Maggie Dekker when Diane Neal came on as Ruby Wright. Maggie coming at Ruby and throwing the water in her face is a great scene. I love Ruby crying because someone called her trash. 

 

I haven't seen a lot of the final months, and I know Long's material is well regarded, but so many of the fun characters seemed to be declawed by the end. They seem much sharper and much more active in those earlier episodes.   

[Mona Kane Croft]

They didn't use the Texas logo at all on Another World.  I don't remember if the cast credits were separated on AW, but even if they were, the Texas logo wasn't used.  The first time the audience saw the Texas logo was in the opening credits of the premiere episode.   

 

Iris's friendship with Reena started on AW, when Reena first came to town.  If I'm not mistaken, most of the friendship was played when Carole Shelley was substituting for Beverlee McKenzie for several weeks.  And then it continued, when McKenzie returned to AW briefly before the Texas premiere.  

 

So many things the Corringtons planned for Texas were ultimately never done.  I don't know who jettisoned their ideas -- I suppose it was either Paul Rauch or P&G.   For example, there was supposed to be a big reveal explaining why the rich Marshalls and the working-class Dekkers were so close.  Probably that one of the Dekker kids was an illegitimate Marshall.  And Maggie Dekker held some kind of secret regarding her nephew, Rikki.  Both situations were just dropped, with no further mention or explanation.  

 

And the irony behind the show's failure was -- although critics called Texas a rip-off of Dallas, it really wasn't enough like Dallas.  It was hardly a rip-off.  The audience had been led to believe they were getting a daytime version of Dallas, but it turned out to be just a normal soap opera set in Texas.   

Edited December 27, 2019 by Neil Johnson

[dc11786]

Thanks for clarifying.

 

I definitely agree that early on the show just feels like a typical daytime drama set in Texas. Some of the 1981 episodes I've seen have a more "Dallas" feel to them in a very superficial sense with the talk of World Oil vs. Marshall Oil and Max Dekker and his well. 

 

I was surprised to see in the 1980s ratings thread that "Texas" actually beat "Another World" on occasion in 1980. 

[robbwolff]

 

Another World's closing credits were separated during July 1980 to reflect the crew responsible for both shows. And this talk of the Texas characters makes me wonder who was responsible for introducing the Bellmans and Cookes on Another World. This was the period when Tom King was head writer. So did King create these characters or was it the Corringtons?