18 minutes ago, Khan said:

I blame that on the casting. Lucy had potential, but Charlene Tilton was just too awful to write for.

There were so many recasts in the first couple seasons that I don't know why they didn't recast her. A great example of how a recast can save a role would be with Kristen. The original made no impact and she was instantly viable with the recast. They should've replaced her after the mini-series, but at a minimum after the first full season.

35 minutes ago, Chris B said:

There were so many recasts in the first couple seasons that I don't know why they didn't recast her.

There were two reasons why they didn't recast Lucy, and both reasons were on Charlene Tilton's chest. ;)

But seriously. CT was (and is) a very beautiful woman with a great figure, who looked the part of Gary and Val's love-starved daughter more than anything else; and who certainly could draw in the young males who'd otherwise tune out after "Dukes of Hazzard." (Between her rack and Catherine Bach's bare legs, it was a fantastic time to be an adolescent male, lol.)

Edited yesterday at 05:16 AM1 day by Khan

The only really good story Lucy ever got was her romance with Mickey, and that didn't last long.

Apologies if this has been shared before but after @Paul Raven made mention of his hiring lol in another thread I found this interview:

Chris Atkins: 'Dallas' adds a star

By VERNON SCOTT, UPI Hollywood Reporter

Nov. 24, 1983

HOLLYWOOD -- Chris Atkins, already familiar to youthful moviegoers thanks to his loincloth performance in 'The Blue Lagoon' and other movies, has caught adult attention by joining the cast of 'Dallas,' TV's No. 1 rated show.

Whereas a few million people have seen Chris in movies, he is exposed to more than 250 million international viewers weekly in the role of Peter Richards, a camp counselor who becomes involved with the Ewing clan ladies.

He is a teenage heartthrob, an established junior hunk who co-starred with Brooke Shields and Kristy McNichol. Now he is seeking more mature aprobation.

It annoys him to be asked why, when his movie career is bouncing right along, he has chosen to join a TV series, especially in view of the continued demand for his services in movies, lastest of which is 'A Night In Heaven,' being released this month.

The inference is that a move to television is a backward career step.

However, it is one thing to step from movie stardom to any old series, and quite another to jump into the most popular show on the air.

Chris is not awed by the promise of TV stardom. Until recently he hadn't made up his mind whether to head for college to study sports medicine. At 22, he has a good many options.

'For the last couple of years I was seriously considering going to college. But all my friends graduated this year and are going into the world to establish their lives. I've got a head start in that direction and decided to go on with my life as an actor.'

In the past four years, Chris has starred in four feature films, avoiding TV except for occasional talk shows and 'Battle of the Network Stars.'

Then 'Dallas' offered him a monetary opportunity he couldn't refuse.

'I thought it would be foolish not to join 'Dallas,'' said Chris. 'TV is the most important medium inthe world today. I don't think it is something an actor can ignore.

'More people will see 'Dallas' in a single night than will see any movie I make. Right now, I think 'Dallas' is the best repertory company on the tube. There's never been anything like it.

'Being a member of the company is an important learning experience for any actor my age. I wanted to expand my career and this was the best way for me to go.'

All the same, Chris left the door open to his future in movies. He signed a one-year contract with Lorimar Productions, which produces 'Dallas.'

Next year he has the choice of leaving the series or signing for another season. If his character becomes a central factor in the show, negotiations would be even more lucrative than his handsome contract for the current season.

'I haven't made up my mind about next year,' he said. 'It's too early to tell. But I want to do a movie that was postponed when I signed for 'Dallas.' It's titled 'The Terrible Game' and I would play a young James Bond.'

So far the 'Dallas' experience has been a plus for Chris, although he was somewhat intimidated at first in the presence of Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Victoria Principal and other high-powered cast members.

He needn't have been concerned. They made him feel at home the moment he arrived on Texas locations for the show last summer. Hagman was particularly helpful at putting the youngster at ease.

Fortunately, most of Chris' scenes are played with Linda, whom he had known earlier.

'Everyone keeps things light and humorous on the set,' Chris said. 'That's the way I like to work. The cast has been really open and friendly. It helped that I wasn't the only newcomer. Priscilla Presley joined the show this season too.'

Chris, whose film parts were limited to juveniles, is playing an adult for the first time in his career.

Before signing on with the primetime soap opera, he co-starred with Leslie Ann Warren in 'A Night In Heaven,' playing a college student who seduces a married female professor.

'If things work out, maybe I can stay with 'Dallas' for a while and make movies too,' young Chris concluded.

A casting mistake IMO. It got a lot of press -well Dallas was #1-but I don't think the Peter/Sue Ellen story was well received.

A sexier, older actor might have worked. But Linda and Christopher together was all wrong.

I haven't seen the 1983/84 episodes in a long time, so I can't remember if we saw Sue Ellen and Peter in a love scene or in bed together. I don't think anybody wanted to see that though.