Forty years ago this weekend. Discuss.

22 minutes ago, Franko said:

Forty years ago this weekend. Discuss.

Dallas tanked in the aftermath of Bobby car accident. Venturing into international intrigue didn't work.

By the end of the season Dallas lost CBS highest-rated scripted program to Murder, She Wrote.

Larry Hagman got less big and bad when Angela Lansbury savagely knocked him off the throne at CBS.

1 hour ago, Franko said:

Forty years ago this weekend. Discuss.

What changes did Larry insist upon?

Dallas burned out pretty quickly a few seasons after the Who Shot J.R. hoopla. Like Victoria said The first 5 years were some of the best television then the writing started to decline.

Speaking of "Burning Out", I always laugh after the Southfork fire cliffhanger, the next season after the remodel the interior is huge and there would be no way that could fit inside the actual exterior.

9 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

What changes did Larry insist upon?

Casting: Patrick Duffy's return and Barbara Carrera's firing.

Producing: Leonard Katzman's return and Phil Capice's firing.

Showrunning: David Paulsen's return and Peter Dunne's firing.

3 hours ago, SoapDope78 said:

Dallas burned out pretty quickly a few seasons after the Who Shot J.R. hoopla. Like Victoria said The first 5 years were some of the best television then the writing started to decline.

From what I've read online and seen in interviews, Victoria Principal was close with Jim Davis so I can see why she thought of the Jock years as the best years.

Not long after Dallas got glamorous and corporate in response to Dynasty blowing up.

Thirty-four years ago next week.

TV/Rodio & Cable Week, Sunday, September 2, 1984

Donna takes on tough assignment by Steve Reich

Is Bobby Ewing alive after taking bullets obviously meant for brother J.R.? If, in fact, he did survive how badly is he injured? Who was the coward who pulled the trigger? What was Bobby doing in J.R.’s office in the first place? These questions are haunting ‘Dallas” as it enters its seventh season Friday, Sept. 28 on CBS at 9 p.m. Besides Bobby’s fate, the public waits to see how Donna Reed fares as the new Miss Ellie.

Miss Reed is taking over as TV’s most beloved matriarch, a role Barbara Bel Geddes made into an American institution. Miss Bel Geddes quit the blockbuster series for health reasons last spring. At the moment, it's uncertain if viewers will accept Miss Reed in this very distinctive part. “We had no other choice but to preserve the character. It was the only viable option. Miss Ellie’s such an integral part of the chemistry at Southfork that it was inconceivable getting rid of her,” producer Philip Capice insisted as Miss Reed sat by his side during an interview with TV Week in Phoenix. “Somebody dropped Donna's name in the hopper and it seemed to be such a natural choice.” Capice points out that replacements of longstanding actors in key roles have occurred before. "Daytime soaps do it continually. Dick Sargent replaced Dick York on ‘Bewitched ’ I agree that this is more of a gamble since Miss Ellie is so unique a character. We hope that the audience will suspend its disbelief.” The producer says that Miss Reed, a series superstar of the '50s and '60s, conveys an aura similar to Miss Bel Geddes. “We needed somebody who was the same age and had the same qualities. Donna has that same simple elegance and quiet authority,” Miss Reed said she has secretly longed to play this classic heroine and super-mom for years. “There are very few characters as strong, steadfast or emotionally resourceful as Ellie. She is the glue that holds the embattled Ewing family together. She's a woman of the land, a farm girl who has kept the ranch going for generations. For years, I felt very close to her. I grew up on a farm, too.”

Miss Reed is a native of Denison, Iowa. The 63-year-old actress, who has four children of her own. hesitated about offering her own opinion on the devilish machinations of J.R Ewing. “He has his darling moments. Could America do without J.R. saying 'my mama’ or ‘I love my mama?' Just for that reason alone there was no way Miss Ellie could be written out. I plan to be a good mother. Miss Ellie is not judgmental about her sons and most importantly she never withholds her love.” Naturally, Miss Reed is a little worried about being compared unfavorably to Miss Bel Geddes. "She gave a remarkable performance because she was so consistent. I’m running a lot of the old shows just to get a better feel of those complicated relationships.” Miss Reed stresses that she won't mimic the distinctive Bel Geddes mannerisms. “I’m not going into the role with any preconceived notions. I hope that my characterization will flow naturally out of the relationships.”

Rather than presenting Miss Reed right off the bat, she will surface in episode seven. Despite the shooting of son Bobby, Miss Ellie and Clayton Farlow, played by Howard Keel, will continue honeymooning in Greece.

After “The Donna Reed Show” vanished in 1966, so did the actress. Except for the 1979 miniseries “The Right Place to Be” and the 1983 telefilm “Deadly Lessons,” Miss Reed remained on hiatus. “TV retired me in the '60s. There was a rebellion against the kind of wholesome, gentle family show I did. Occasionally, I got offers but always to play passive women. It was as if I was being punished for the part I played.” Miss Reed, an Oscar winner for “From Here to Eternity,” also recalls receiving a warning from studio executives distrustful of TV stars. “They told me that I was strictly TV and that I would never get another movie role. They were true to their word.”

Unpopular opinion: as brilliant as Barbara Bel Geddes was as Miss Ellie, I do believe Donna Reed had a better handle on the role, and on Texas women in general. Under another, better set of circumstances, I feel like Reed would've been able to make "Miss Ellie" her own and continue on with the show 'til the end. Unfortunately, I also feel like Leonard Katzman, Larry Hagman and the rest of their "boys' club" had it out for her from the start.

Yes, maybe in time Donna could have been embraced by the audience.

But there was little commonality b/w the two actresses and the characters. It was just too big a mountain to climb. especially when there was that possibility of Barbara returning.

So Susan had plans for a Ray/Donna spin off. Maybe they become born again and fight to maintain Christian values on a weekly basis.

Donna Of 'Dallas' Dons A New Hairdo

By Ian Banner HOLLYWOOD - Faithful, trusty Donna Krebbs of "Dallas" has been presented on screen as a classic no-frills beauty since she debuted on the hit CBS series in 1979. And that's why producer Leonard Katzman had a conniption when Susan Howard reported for work with a glamorous new hairdo. But like her character. Miss Howard can dig her heels in deep when she knows she's right. So it looks like the new look on Ray Krebb's wife is permanent. "I'd had the old hairdo for so many years that even I was scared to mess with it," says Miss Howard, "but I told the producer what I told myself, people change, and this was a change I needed for Susan's sake, not for Donna's. "The funny thing is I have had people complimenting me on my glamorous, elegant new wardrobe, but I am still wearing the same clothes I always have. The costumes are outside my control, but my hair's my own."

So look for more changes from both Susan and Donna: Miss Howard's one regret about her role on "Dallas" is that it doesn't make as heavy a demand on her talents as her previous series, "Petrocelli." She says she wouldn't be sorry if her involvement with the Friday night series is over when her contract ends after the 1984- 1985 season. But that doesn't mean she wants to see the last of Donna. Miss Howard has written the opening episode and an entire season's summary of proposed plot developments for a spinoff series that would take Ray and Donna away from outhfork and out on their own. "I'd like to be involved with a show that doesn't have such a large cast," says Miss Howard. "But I love the character I'm playing and the production company is terrific, so a spinoff for me and Steve Kanaly would be the ideal solution. It's too soon to be "They know both Steve and I would like to go on to something new, but next year is still a long way off," she says. "Steve and I have a close working relationship and we have discussed the whole thing every step of the way."

In the meantime, she is happy to concentrate on Donna and avoid the temptation to grab guest shots on other TV shows just for the sake of doing something different "I didn't take just anything when I was starving," says Miss Howard, "so I'm certainly not going to do it now. There are only two current shows I like — 'Boone' and 'The Mississippi' — and I'd do them for nothing. But so far, nobody's asked."

36 minutes ago, Khan said:

Unpopular opinion: as brilliant as Barbara Bel Geddes was as Miss Ellie, I do believe Donna Reed had a better handle on the role, and on Texas women in general.

Donna Reed came on when Dallas got glamorous and corporate to compete with Dynasty and her styling reflected that of a wealthy Texas oil family matriarch. Barbara Bel Geddes styling reflected Miss Ellie's roots as a rancher's daughter.

57 minutes ago, Khan said:

Unpopular opinion: as brilliant as Barbara Bel Geddes was as Miss Ellie, I do believe Donna Reed had a better handle on the role, and on Texas women in general. Under another, better set of circumstances, I feel like Reed would've been able to make "Miss Ellie" her own and continue on with the show 'til the end. Unfortunately, I also feel like Leonard Katzman, Larry Hagman and the rest of their "boys' club" had it out for her from the start.

I agree that Hagman and the others had it out for her. I think with time and distance - I might have kept Miss Ellie away for an entire season - viewers could have moved on. But there still wasn't enough of a gap, the show wasn't really strong enough to weather the change, and I think there was just something special about Barbara and the contrast she provided to the rest of the canvas (especially to JR) which was extremely difficult to replace.

It's too bad Julie Harris was already on Knots by this time as I think she could have made a good replacement.

Hope Lange in 1984. Too young for Miss Ellie?

1 hour ago, Paul Raven said:

Hope Lange in 1984. Too young for Miss Ellie?

She probably could have passed.

18 hours ago, Khan said:

Unpopular opinion: as brilliant as Barbara Bel Geddes was as Miss Ellie, I do believe Donna Reed had a better handle on the role, and on Texas women in general. Under another, better set of circumstances, I feel like Reed would've been able to make "Miss Ellie" her own and continue on with the show 'til the end. Unfortunately, I also feel like Leonard Katzman, Larry Hagman and the rest of their "boys' club" had it out for her from the start.

I did love the warmth that Donna Reed brought to the role of Miss Ellie. It's a shame she was put out in the way she was. And Larry Hagman absolutely had it out for her; he wanted his own mother to take on the role.