5 minutes ago, soapfan770 said:

@kalbir Thanks! That’s why I came looking to this thread after seeing it on FB in multiple Dallas groups.

You're welcome.

So much hype with those finale promos but it was a disappointment.

I'm now almost done with the first season of the reboot in my re-watch. This is my first time watching the reboot since it originally aired. Before I jump into that, I must give them props on the final season of the OG series. It wasn't perfect but I thought JR had a very strong arc throughout the season and I loved that they acknowledged all of the loss and the impact that had on him. April's death was also interesting with Susan Lucci having the time of her life as a femme fatale. The only thing I didn't love is that Michelle and James didn't end up together. I don't think he needed an insta-family so late into the game.

Now onto the new series...I'm glad we got it and I was lucky enough to appear as an extra in two episodes but it makes me sad that it wasn't a better show.

The first thing I notice is just how weak the cast is. I really am not sure what they were thinking but they could've easily recast all of the new characters. The first really strong casting choice is when Mitch Pileggi showed up. Another thing I recently learned is that Victoria Principal was open to returning but the cast nixed the idea. One simple thing that could've improved the show is if they had gotten her back so Pam and Bobby could be the heads of the family.

What really let them down the most is the writing. Cynthia Cidre was open about not watching much of the series and it was obvious watching the show. I do recall the show getting better with time but I felt like that was more desperation to keep the show on the air. In this first season the scenes are ridiculously short and it feels like they're constantly jumping to the next plot twist. There is no substance or depth to anything they do.

The biggest positives are obviously the OGs. Sue Ellen in particular works really well after not feeling necessary in the later seasons and two tv movies. Seeing Cliff again was another delight and I do love that they didn't forget his connection to Christopher. I wish I could say the same about Christopher's connection to John Ross and Sue Ellen. Feels so odd when John Ross says he isn't family when we know that is Sue Ellen's nephew by blood.

Despite the issues, this reboot is still watchable. With Taylor Sheridan filling their niche we probably will never see Dallas revived. I guess it could've been worse.

TNT Dallas was pretty much done when Larry Hagman passed away.

2 hours ago, kalbir said:

TNT Dallas was pretty much done when Larry Hagman passed away.

They were lucky to have him and his star power but even he can't save this. The more I watch the more I'm amazed at how bad this writing is. Everything is too on the nose and plot driven. In one episode John Ross was arrested for murder, severely beaten, the family rallied around him at the hospital, Sue Ellen blackmailed someone to get him released and then ultimately he was released. Oh and before the episode ended, Sue Ellen's blackmail attempt was discovered and then she was blackmailed as well.

As I watched it, I felt so bad for the actors because the scenes were so short they couldn't do anything with any of the material. I know scenes have gotten shorter in recent years but this is so extreme. I actually don't think any of the storylines in season one are particularly bad, they're just poorly executed and the characters have absolutely no depth. Nothing is given the time to develop so it's hard to get invested.

Another thing that doesn't work are the random pop up appearances from Ray and Lucy. I hate the way they tend to stand them next to each other like they're a couple. Considering one of the major storylines is about Southfork and the land, that's where Ray should've come in, as JR and Bobby's brother. Lucy comes off as a drunk aunt who just pops up. We have no insight on what her life is like today and there is no continuity from the original series. Is she still with Mitch? Is she still an art dealer? Does she have any children? It's obvious she's just popping up so they can say they brought back an original cast member.

Edited 22 hours ago22 hr by Chris B

4 hours ago, kalbir said:

TNT Dallas was pretty much done when Larry Hagman passed away.

Yep. The newer/younger characters were poorly developed and played by very bland actors. Subsequently, they had to rely too much on the returning cast, including Hagman.

4 hours ago, Chris B said:

Cynthia Cidre was open about not watching much of the series and it was obvious watching the show.

Cidre REFUSED to lean into its' inherent epic, soapy qualities. So, instead, we get something that Jerry Bruckheimer would've produced between lines of coke. It was dull and a disgrace to the original series.

1 hour ago, Chris B said:

They were lucky to have him and his star power but even he can't save this.

44 minutes ago, Khan said:

Yep. The newer/younger characters were poorly developed and played by very bland actors. Subsequently, they had to rely too much on the returning cast, including Hagman.

Do you think that Yellowstone is what TNT Dallas should have been?

4 hours ago, kalbir said:

Do you think that Yellowstone is what TNT Dallas should have been?

Maybe. But wasn't "Yellowstone" about the cattle industry? (IDK, I never watched the show, lol).

DALLAS wasn't just a TV series; it was an epic. David Jacobs and Leonard Katzman put so much into it: Greek tragedies, Icelandic sagas, Arthurian legends, Victorian literature, classic Westerns, you name it. At its' best, watching the original series was like watching a Tennessee Williams play unfold every week, with all the psychosexual drama and twisted family dynamics you'd expect from such a production. If you're going to revive something like that, therefore, then you've gotta bring it. Cynthia Cidre didn't. Whether she didn't LIKE that kind of epic storytelling, or she didn't know how to write or produce it, what she ended up giving fans was very tepid, harmed by the fact that the characters she added to the Barnes/Ewing feud, including the fully grown John Ross and Christopher, were tepidly written and tepidly cast.

(Frankly, I wish they had asked someone like Pamela K. Long to helm the reboot instead. I feel like she would've understood better how to write a show like DALLAS that was, at once, modern and timeless).

Edited 15 hours ago15 hr by Khan

47 minutes ago, Khan said:

Maybe. But wasn't "Yellowstone" about the cattle industry? (IDK, I never watched the show, lol).

Yellowstone main setting was a cattle ranch.

48 minutes ago, Khan said:

DALLAS wasn't just a TV series; it was an epic. David Jacobs and Leonard Katzman put so much into it: Greek tragedies, Icelandic sagas, Arthurian legends, Victorian literature, classic Westerns, you name it. At its' best, watching the original series was like watching a Tennessee Williams play unfold every week, with all the psychosexual drama and twisted family dynamics you'd expect from such a production. If you're going to revive something like that, therefore, then you've gotta bring it. Cynthia Cidre didn't. Whether she didn't LIKE that kind of epic storytelling, or she didn't know how to write or produce it, what she ended up giving fans was very tepid, harmed by the fact that the characters she added to the Barnes/Ewing feud, including the fully grown John Ross and Christopher, were tepidly written and tepidly cast.

This is a really good take on both the original series and the reboot series.

14 hours ago, Chris B said:

Another thing I recently learned is that Victoria Principal was open to returning but the cast nixed the idea.

That is news to me. I thought she repeatedly shut them down after they teased it heavily in Season 2.

10 hours ago, Vee said:

That is news to me. I thought she repeatedly shut them down after they teased it heavily in Season 2.

It's not well known but it's something that was talked about on the Ultimate Dallas message board which tends to be reliable. The person I saw speaking about it is very reliable so I do believe it's true.

Apparently whatever happened is related to the 2004 Return to Southfork reunion. Prior to that Victoria Principal was fine with the cast and she agreed to do that reunion after Charlene Tilton convinced her to do it. Something happened during filming, allegedly between Linda Gray and VP and after that they wanted nothing to do with her. This is why they left her out of 30th anniversary celebrations and refused to work with her on the reboot. Tilton also did an interview calling her a "real bitch" post Return to Southfork.

Here is a quote from there that sums it up:

She wasn't asked back. Cynthia Cidre stated that. For two reasons.

1. She thought Pam was dead after reading the bio on the website. So didn't even contemplate asking her back at the start

2. She was told she could never ask her back.

VP then weirdly stated she did get asked on the show. She 100% didn't get asked.

It's all rather bizarre. It's quite ironic she played Pam the outsider, but in the real life version even Bobby pushed her out

VP kind of became the Pam we all wanted to see on screen. Throwing a knife every so often at the Ewings.

You can view the full discussion here: https://www.tellytalk.net/threads/ultimate-dallas-website.11058/page-4

Edited 57 minutes ago57 min by Chris B

@Khan Long would have been an interesting choice, but her attempts at helming a primetime series didn't go well in the 90s (Christy & Second Noah). Although she did understand the male psyche and would have been listened to David Jacobs and his suggestions, unlike Cidre.

The high ratings in the first season is probably why Cidre wasn't tossed out. And in regards to the plot twists being a main focus, Cidre claims that with the limited episode order.. there were character scenes that were cut in order to ensure the plots ran effectively. I think a talented show runner could have sprinkled in some character moments, and I use season 14 of Knots landing as an example since that had maybe 19 episodes.. but there were fun character moments that came through (Karen seeing a naked Nick by accident when she came to Claudia's house, Paige dumping coffee onto a client's lap when he assumed she was an assistant, Anne being turned down for plastic surgery with the dr stating she look great and that perhaps she needed to work on her self-esteem, etc).