Dallas 2.0: Discussion Thread

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I think according to an interview he gave to Knotslanding.net a few years ago, Jacobs said he created DALLAS, and that was the extent of his involvement with the show. He really wasn't responsible for anything once the show became a series from its original miniseries run.

So I really wonder what he thought of the original DALLAS as a whole...

[Khan]

Same. As it stands, DALLAS 2.0 works (...more or less). However, I tend to agree with Jacobs' assessment that there will be problems down the road for this show. Problems, I'm afraid, that will be solved only by writing out one or several of the major characters (my votes are for Elena and Christopher) and thus altering the structure entirely. I mean, say what you will about Jacobs (namely, that he's being "pathetic" for asking and not getting a chance to participate in this new series), but the guy does know how to see the proverbial "big picture" and build shows on foundations that are long-lasting. That's why even his most notorious flops, FOUR CORNERS and BERRENGER'S, had, IMO, enormous potential...even if the networks felt differently.

[Khan]

For one thing, Jacobs never intended for Bobby to survive past the initial miniseries. IIRC, Bobby was supposed to die toward the end of the first "season," thus laying the true groundwork for the show: namely, the off-and-on tug-of-war between J.R. and Bobby's widow, Pam. (IOW, the "dream season," about eight or nine years ahead of schedule. Keep in mind, too, that that's how Jacobs had envisioned the series even after the original choice for Pam, Linda Evans, chose not to sign on.) However, Leonard Katzman intervened, resulting in Patrick Duffy's reprieve and the subsequent miscarriage of Bobby and Pam's baby. Of course, I don't know Jacobs' mind; however, I suspect that as good as DALLAS was (and yes, it was damn good for a very long time), in his so-called heart of hearts, it never was the show he had envisioned -- and in fact, "DALLAS: The Early Years," the miniseries he had developed and produced years later, comes closer to his "vision" of the Ewings, the Barneses, and their perpetual feud than the series ever did.

[ellabelle]

Best of JR Ewing. God I love him.

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[dragonflies]

I'm glad it didn't happen. IMO Bobby was a major part of the show that gave it heart, along with Miss Ellie of course.

I love Bobby and he and JR balanced each other out. Gary wasn't enough to keep JR in line, so JR needs someone like Bobby to keep him in check alot of the time(not that it really worked )

[Khan]

I suspect, though, that Jacobs envisioned Pam as someone who could keep J.R. in line while simultaneously maintaining her husband's legacy as J.R., Cliff Barnes and others exploit it for their own selfish purposes. (Plus, as I've said before, it might've given the audience a more intriguing p.o.v., with Pam as the "outsider" and J.R. the "favored son" (in Bobby's absence), essentially fighting for the same prize: control of the Ewing Oil empire.) It's only because of Leonard Katzman that Pam eventually became a watered-down character.

[Soapsuds]

As someone mentioned we had that during the dream season. Good thing Jacobs didnt get his way. How long could have it lasted? About a year like the dream season but I do agree with you that Pam was watered down under Katzman.

[Khan]

True. On the other hand, it might not be fair to say the "dream season" allows us to see what DALLAS might've been like without Bobby, simply because the DALLAS of 1985/86 was not the same as the DALLAS of 1978, when it was not as glitzy and OTT as it would become down the road. Dynamics within the Ewing and Barnes clans had evolved to a point where, yes, Bobby's death left a noticeable void within the show's canvas. Plus, the "dream season" was hurt less by the absence of Bobby/Patrick Duffy, IMO, and more by the inclusion of characters such as Jack, Jamie, Mark Graison, and especially Angelica "I Thought This Was FALCON CREST!" Nero, characters who didn't even exist back in '78.

[DRW50]

I do wonder if the show would have gone on well enough without Bobby, if the writing had been there. Even in the early seasons, Bobby seemed superfluous to me, just saved by Patrick Duffy's looks and charm.

[Khan]

That's the key, I think. The writing had to be there for all characters, male and female, in order for Jacobs' vision to have worked.

[quartermainefan]

Jacobs vision, of a Dallas without Bobby, is just the wrong vision. If his was the right vision Dallas would not have succeeded as well as it did.

[DRW50]

Yes but didn't Dallas mostly take off because of JR?

[quartermainefan]

You can't have Dallas without Bobby though. People like brother vs brother. Brother vs Sister-in-Law just doesn't have the same ring. And it is tough to have a Romeo and Juliet dynamic without Romeo.

[DRW50]

I did like the Bobby/JR relationship, but it often seemed to me that they never quite knew what to do with him - there was the Jenna stuff, and then he and Pam broke up a few dozen times. Both Bobby and Pam seemed to really suffer as characters.

[Chris B]

The David Jacobs comments in this thread shock me. Knots Landing was a master class on how a primetime soap is done. When the others got stale or started chasing trends, it constantly evolved while still remaining true to itself. It also lasted longer than the show it spun off from AND wasn't canceled and could've continued probably for another two years. David Jacobs stayed with that show from beginning to end and when he saw it was in trouble HE would come back and pick the people to put the show back where it needed to be. He loved that show and it showed. All the other shows he did may not have been successful, but they were all very good and showed his attention to detail.

With Dallas, he would've been invaluable to this writing staff. The writing on this show is terrible, cliche and doesn't respect the history of Dallas most of the time. He didn't want to change anything, he's just offered some nuggets to help deepen what they already have. It's worth listening to at least. If he remained on Dallas it would've continued to be a huge success, but quality-wise probably would've been even better. Yes Bobby MIGHT have died (something I'm sure that was changed when Jacobs was still around), but Gary was available. Gary and Val had a more interesting relationship with JR than Bobby OR Pam and could've easily fit that slot. Also Gary had a more interesting relationship with Miss Ellie as well. I can't even imagine all the great that would've came with having Joan Van Ark around. Linda Gray would've been eaten alive.