Dallas: Discussion Thread

[j swift]

I suppose the South Asian Sea oil leases were the Maltese Falcon or the mcguffin for Dallas since season 3, so I could understand the motive to bring in Angelica Nero.  And maybe in the hands of another actress, who didn't require endless matching turban ensembles to substitute for an actual dramatic performance, it may have been better. 

But, the shipping storyline should've served as a background to the Pam vs. JR battle, rather than becoming its own A-story arc.  Because the interesting thing about Pam's newfound family is that Wentworth Tool & Die controlled the means of production for Ewing Oil, so that was a more natural source of conflict. 

And, Jack was no Bobby, and never would be.  So, it was silly to introduce him so close to the loss of Patrick Duffy. 

Edited June 16 by j swift

[Chris 2]

Katzman did come up with the Marinos Shipping storyline, but he only wanted it to last part of the season, not the entire year. And they offered the part to Diana Ross initially.

[Khan]

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[Vee]

So I realize that usually my Dallas posts are in fact ungrateful Dallas diss posts, in which I submit a rambling series of repetitive insults about the equally repetitive, misogynistic and simplistic storylines on the show or many of its characters who I often find two-dimensional. But like so many others I couldn't stop watching it on FreeVee, in spurts, dribs and drabs here and there across its first eight seasons, like junk food. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, some of the characters keep you coming back and it's easy to watch and just let its recurring bouts of ridiculousness wash over you. I still don't totally appreciate the show as a whole but you can't not appreciate much of the core ensemble, particularly Larry Hagman, Barbara Bel Geddes, the very early material for Victoria Principal as Pam, Patrick Duffy, Jim Davis and Howard Keel, Steve Kanaly and Susan Howard, etc. (I loved Linda Gray on Models Inc. but Sue Ellen is all over the map for me - more on that below.)

Most of all I wanted to get to a place where I was situated for the dream season, where Lorimar swapped its Knots Landing dream team with David Paulsen from Dallas and vice versa, so I could watch the swap seasons in tandem. I was baffled by the swap and very curious to see what Peter Dunne and co. would do with a show so thematically different (IMO anyway) from Knots. I've been fairly impressed so far with the first few episodes, though I know it will likely go very south.

"The Family Ewing" was so good I initially thought it was purely the new team, but I'm a pigeonholing dope as it was indeed written by the legendary and/or notorious Leonard Katzman, briefly outgoing guru of Dallas. Directed beautifully by storied KL vet Nick Havinga, I was not expecting them to pick up minutes after Bobby's death but Barbara Bel Geddes dives right back in and gives one of her best performances over the next several episodes, putting the lie to anyone (as in Donna Reed's hilariously bitchy, apocryphal letters to friends) complaining about her acting tics. The family is instantly destabilized and we see actual vulnerability between J.R. and Miss Ellie, both separately and together, which surprised me. He's clearly struggling back at the ol' watering hole in the living room/study/whatever, and she's the one who tries to make him man up for her because she can't do it alone - I guess that is the Ewing way, though I wish she'd just comforted him instead. The silent scene of Ellie out in the fields, near Bobby's treehouse, was beautifully performed and scored and very Knots, as was her amazing monologue to Clayton about the treehouse and Bobby's youth - but again, this is all Katzman (with Havinga, mind you) so I need to give credit where it's very much due. I've just almost never seen Dallas in such a tender or thoughtful mode. I'm sure part of that is due to dipping in and out of the show for stretches of episodes at a time, but still, it can get pretty repetitive and one-note over the years.

Oh God, I'd already forgotten Jenilee Harrison's Jamie is newly married to Cliff Barnes, Texas' latest nubile pagan sacrifice to Dallas' premier horny goatman. I don't know why they keep doing this grotesque, tiresome storyline with every young chick that comes on the show. Her new Nancy Reagan helmet of hair isn't holding up much better than her acting; she feels instantly superfluous to the ensemble now, even if she was originally intended as a likely replacement for Lucy - Jamie was never interesting to me after her first few rough-hewn episodes, and Harrison can't hack it onscreen from what I've seen. Nothing changes about odious Cliff in these episodes; he is the same hacky joke he has so often been. I did find Pamela's visceral, hysterical grief over Bobby hard to watch, as much as Ellie's in a very different way. Also loved Pam deliberately not telling Ellie the truth about why Bobby was at her house that morning - letting them live (for now) with the sweet fiction for Jenna's sake.

Little Omri Katz (who I grew up crushing on in Eerie Indiana about a decade later) as John Ross comforting J.R., getting him to lay down with him and telling him to go to sleep in the premiere was very sweet. While this is apparently Katzman it reminds me again of the preternatural wisdom you see in the kids on Knots, where often they could be more intelligent or insightful than their star power parents. That's never really happened much on Dallas from what I can see, and the conversation a couple episodes later between Jenna Wade and Charlie (neither brilliant thespians, both of whom should be gone) also is strong character work, this time penned by Peter Dunne himself. They feel fleshed-out and equal onscreen, having conversations with actual weight vs. pablum and platitudes. Same goes for the wonderful scenes between Ray and Donna Krebbs, pondering a new addition to their home, furniture, etc. as they prep for a baby - cute, witty domestic stuff you would regularly get on Knots but never on Dallas, til now. Ending this couple is such a huge mistake later on, I love those two together.

How can Sue Ellen still be insisting she is not an alcoholic? Incredible! I did love Ellie's tough love for her and J.R. comforting all the crying secretaries at Ewing Oil, and telling them to not start in because he'll start crying himself - again, a note of vulnerability I don't think you'd publicly get from him before. A little surprised they didn't spring to get Donna Mills' Abby Ewing out to the ranch with Gary for the funeral, but I guess that would've been wild and become a whole other episode lol. It is crazy to realize Gary and poor Clayton have never met, while Lucy is sent off to the Twilight Zone cornfield over the phone. Good riddance. I did a triple take at Gary thanking Ray Krebbs for 'taking care' of her, as IIRC Uncle Ray and Lucy were fúcking in Season 1.

Was it necessary for Dusty to cold-cock Sue Ellen and haul her over his shoulder unconscious out of that bar? Probably not, but that's Dallas for you. I did not realize this was the season where Sue Ellen famously hits rock bottom among the winos (and Lou Diamond Phillips) and then ends up dried out in a sanitarium in a legit terrifying series of sequences in first a drunk tank and then the institution - yes, both the material and Linda Gray's performance often veer over into hysterical raccoon-eyed camp as she goes full Fire Marshall Bill trying to keep the bottle of hooch from her lips, but she also becomes positively reptilian at times, turning into a power-mulleted Gollum on her hospital cot, and you have to applaud that kind of fearlessness in a performance as well as the new commitment to gritty realism in the surroundings by Peter Dunne and Havinga. It's at last as hardcore as Gary's own alcoholic meltdown on Season 4 of KL if not moreso. I personally think Sue Ellen should've gotten herself straight at least 3 repetitive, meandering seasons ago as the character has had maybe two notes up til now, but better late than never.

Dack Rambo as Jack was a character I'd seen very little of and was prepared to dismiss as another Fake Shemp superfluous nobody a la Jamie, but he's very handsome and also very intriguing in the hints of background mystery introduced in his nice scenes with Ray out on the range. I wonder what the intention ever was there. Unfortunately both the milksop Jamie and  the unbelievably dire Mandy Winger as J.R.'s latest PYT get more screen time. Episode 3 ("Those Eyes") is a tour de force for a lot of people starting with Peter Dunne and Linda Gray re: the aforementioned meltdown, but it's also got an incredible scene for Larry Hagman where suddenly and somewhat inexplicably, J.R. is shaken to his core by Sue Ellen's total collapse and gets another amazing monologue like Ellie's in the premiere - remarkably vulnerable and different for his character as he goes into a deep, affecting reverie about his wife and how they met, which smartly and silently drives Mandy completely away from him without his even noticing her exit from his office. (And that should've been the end of her character there!) "I knew she'd win," J.R. marvels to himself about Sue Ellen in the running for Miss Texas all those years ago - winning is how he relates to love. Is all of this sudden realization and examination all a bit abrupt of a 180 for J.R. re: Sue Ellen? Absolutely, it's not done on this show much, unlike KL where they often take careful time to layer in and set up character shifts, where Dallas has spent years driving the contempt between this couple deeper. Do I care much that they didn't? Not really, because it's a lot more interesting than what I'd been watching.

Bobby's will reading is deeply cathartic for the cast, who all seem to be getting very emotional or at least acting their hearts out. Pam getting Bobby's shares (via Christopher) of Ewing Oil is the crux of the show as it was originally intended by David Jacobs from the beginning IIRC, yet I am aware they will apparently soon squander this. Still, it's good to see. I loved the bit with Pam screaming her way down the highway in her speeding sports car in anguish and frustration over this, only to be told by a clueless highway patrol guy 'you're a very lucky lady.'

A moment of regrettable auteur theory: Is it possible Dunne and co. earmarked BBG as their go-to heroine at the time? Because she's been absolutely carrying a lot of the weight of these early episodes with incredible performances that are much more layered and complex than the recent seasons of her squinting, sighing and mumbling 'oh, J.R.' She has a range of colors and emotions, and an inner strength and emotional intelligence here in these eps that rank up with the best of the ladies of Knots.

All in all, compelling stuff so far. I know it will go sideways, but the creative swap has been fascinating to see play out. I think it's benefitted Dallas considerably more than Knots atm, though the effect on KL is still relatively minor by comparison at this early juncture IMO. (I discussed this in that thread.) Thank for enduring this post. And yes, I did catch Dr. Ackerman as one of J.R.'s cohorts in this season.

Edited June 20 by Vee

[kalbir]

Great recap @Vee . 

Dallas tanks for me this season, and it wasn't helped by the it was all a dream resolution.

As we all know, Newhart and The Simpsons paid homage to it was all a dream.

[kalbir]

Heading into Fall 1984, Dallas had it's third season as the #1 show but it was being threatened by Dynasty. 1984/85 was expected to be the biggest Dallas vs. Dynasty battle ever, but little did we know that a rookie hit was waiting in the wings to blow up and another rookie hit was waiting in the wings to shock the world.

I divide 1984/85 into two parts, pre-Super Bowl and post-Super Bowl.

Pre-Super Bowl

September 28, 1984: Killer at Large (season 8 premiere), rating 26.4, #1. The Cosby Show (September 27: Goodbye, Mr. Fish (episode 2), rating 22.5) was 3rd, Dynasty (September 26: Disappearance (season 5 premiere), rating 22.2) was 4th; and Murder, She Wrote (September 30: The Murder of Sherlock Holmes (series premiere), rating 18.9) was 9th. 

October 5, 1984: Battle Lines, rating 24.7, #1. The Cosby Show (October 4: Bad Dreams (episode 3), rating 21.9) was 5th; and Murder, She Wrote (October 7: Deadly Lady (episode 2), rating 20.3) was 9th. No Dynasty on October 3. 

October 12, 1984: If at First You Don’t Succeed, rating 24.0, 7th for the week. Finished ahead of The Cosby Show (October 11: Is that My Boy? (episode 4), rating 20.6, 9th); and Murder, She Wrote (October 14: Birds of a Feather (episode 3), rating 19.4, 12th). Dynasty (October 10: The Mortgage, rating 25.1) was 5th.

October 19, 1984: Jamie, rating 24.6, 2nd for the week. Finished ahead of The Cosby Show (October 18: A Shirt Story (episode 5), rating 21.3, 7th). Dynasty (October 17: Fallon, rating 26.1) was #1. No Murder, She Wrote on October 21.

October 26, 1984: Family, rating 25.9, 2nd for the week. Finished ahead of The Cosby Show (October 25: Breaking with Tradition (episode 6), rating 21.2, 8th); and Murder, She Wrote (October 28: Hooray for Homicide (episode 4), rating 19.7, 15th). Dynasty (October 24: The Rescue, rating 26.3) was #1. 

November 2, 1984: Shadow of Doubt, rating 27.1, #1. Dynasty (October 31: The Trial, rating 24.9) was 2nd, The Cosby Show (November 1: One More Time (episode 7), rating 20.0) was 8th; and Murder, She Wrote (November 4: It’s a Dog’s Life (episode 5), rating 16.9) was 23rd. 

November 9, 1984: Homecoming, rating 26.2, #1. Dynasty (November 7: The Verdict, rating 25.7) was 2nd and The Cosby Show (November 8: Play it Again, Vanessa (episode 8), rating 21.2) was 7th. No Murder, She Wrote on November 11. 

November 16, 1984: Oil Barons Ball III, rating 26.5, 2nd for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (November 14: Amanda, rating 23.5, 5th), The Cosby Show (November 15: How Ugly is He? (episode 9), rating 22.5, 6th); and Murder, She Wrote (November 18: Lovers and Other Killers (episode 6), rating 19.1, 16th). 

November 23, 1984: Shadows, rating 22.6, 5th for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (November 25: Hit, Run and Homicide (episode 7), rating 19.7, 9th); and The Cosby Show (November 22: Bonjour Sondra (episode 10), rating 16.7, 18th). Dynasty (November 21: The Secret, rating 24.3) was 3rd. 

November 30, 1984: Charlie, rating 25.9, 2nd for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (November 28: Domestic Intrigue, rating 25.2, 3rd). The Cosby Show was a repeat on November 29. No Murder, She Wrote on December 2. 

December 7, 1984: Barbecue Five, rating 24.7, 3rd for the week. Finished ahead of The Cosby Show (December 6: You’re Not a Mother Night (episode 11), rating 23.1, 4th); and Murder, She Wrote (December 9: We’re Off to Kill the Wizard (episode 8), rating 22.3, 6th). Dynasty (December 5: Krystina, rating 25.3) was #1. 

December 14, 1984: Do You Take This Woman, rating 25.2, 2nd for the week. Finished ahead of The Cosby Show (December 13: Rudy’s Sick (episode 12), rating 21.3, 6th); and Murder, She Wrote (December 16: Death Takes a Curtain Call (episode 9), rating 16.2, 30th). Dynasty (December 12: Swept Away, rating 26.5) was #1. 

December 21, 1984: Déjà Vu, rating 23.0, 4th for the week. Finished ahead of The Cosby Show (December 20: Father’s Day (episode 13), rating 21.7, 6th). Dynasty (December 19: That Holiday Spirit, rating 25.9) was #1. Murder, She Wrote was a repeat on December 23. 

December 28, 1984: Odd Man Out, rating 24.5, #1. Murder, She Wrote (December 30: Death Casts a Spell (episode 10), rating 22.3) was 6th. No Dynasty on December 26. The Cosby Show was a repeat on December 27. 

January 4, 1985: Lockup in Laredo, rating 26.3, 3rd for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (January 2: The Avenger, rating 26.2, 4th); and Murder, She Wrote (January 6: Capitol Offense (episode 11), rating 22.4, 9th). The Cosby Show was a repeat on January 3. 

January 11, 1985: Winds of War, rating 27.8 (season high), #1. Dynasty (January 9: The Will, rating 27.7 (season high)) was 2nd, The Cosby Show (January 10: Independence Day (episode 14), rating 25.4) was 3rd; and Murder, She Wrote (January 13: Broadway Malady (episode 12), rating 21.8) was 7th. 

January 18, 1985: Pre-empted for Any Which Way You Can. The Cosby Show (January 17: Physician of the Year (episode 15), rating 27.9) was 3rd and Dynasty (January 16: The Treasure, rating 27.0) was 4th. Murder, She Wrote was a repeat on January 20.

On a win/loss basis, Dallas pre-Super Bowl was 7-7 vs. Dynasty, 13-0 vs. new episodes of The Cosby Show, and 12-0 vs. new episodes of Murder, She Wrote. Dallas pre-Super Bowl 16 episodes average was 25.3. Dynasty pre-Super Bowl 15 episodes average was 25.5. Although Dallas and Dynasty had split their head-to-head matchups so far, Dynasty was barely winning the battle based on the episode average.

Post-Super Bowl

January 25, 1985: Bail Out, rating 26.1, #1. Dynasty (January 23: Foreign Relations, rating 25.0) was 3rd. The Cosby Show was a repeat on January 24. No Murder, She Wrote on January 27. 

February 1, 1985: Legacy of Hate, rating 26.2, 3rd for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (February 3: Murder to a Jazz Beat (episode 13), rating 22.0, 11th). The Cosby Show (January 31: Jitterbug Break (episode 16), rating 27.8) was #1 and Dynasty (January 30: Triangles, rating 27.0) was 2nd.

February 8, 1985: Sins of the Fathers, rating 25.0, 4th for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (February 10: My Johnny Lies Over the Ocean (episode 14), rating 19.9, 16th). The Cosby Show (February 7: Theo and the Joint (episode 17), rating 26.1) was #1 and Dynasty (February 6: The Ball, rating 25.9) was 2nd. 

February 15, 1985: The Brothers Ewing, rating 25.0, 2nd for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (February 13: Circumstantial Evidence, rating 23.4, 5th) and Murder, She Wrote (February 17: Paint Me a Murder (episode 15), rating 20.5, 13th). The Cosby Show (February 14: Vanessa’s New Class (episode 18), rating 26.6) was #1. 

February 22, 1985: Shattered Dreams, rating 25.8, #1. The Cosby Show (February 21: Clair’s Case (episode 19), rating 25.1) was 3rd, Dynasty (February 20: The Collapse, rating 24.6) was 4th; and Murder, She Wrote (February 24, 1985: Tough Guys Don't Die (episode 16), rating 21.7) was 11th.

March 1, 1985 (10-11 pm): Dead Ends, rating 22.6, 7th for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (March 3: Sudden Death (episode 17), rating 21.6, 9th). The Cosby Show (February 28: Back to the Track, Jack (episode 20), rating 27.0) was #1 and Dynasty (February 27: Life and Death, rating 24.8) was 2nd.

March 8, 1985: Trial & Error, rating 22.4, 6th for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (March 10: Footnote to Murder (episode 18), rating 19.7, 12th). Dynasty (March 6: Parental Consent, rating 24.0) was 3rd. The Cosby Show was a repeat on March 7.

March 15, 1985: The Verdict, rating 22.7, 5th for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (March 17: Murder Takes the Bus (episode 19), rating 22.4, 6th). The Cosby Show (March 14: The Younger Woman (episode 21), rating 28.3) was #1 and Dynasty (March 13: Photo Finish, rating 24.2) was 2nd.

March 22, 1985: Pre-empted for NCAA Basketball. Dynasty (March 20: The Crash, rating 22.6) was 3rd. The Cosby Show was a repeat on March 21. Murder, She Wrote was a repeat on March 24.

March 29, 1985: Sentences, rating 23.0, 6th for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (March 31: Armed Response (episode 20), rating 21.2, 10th). The Cosby Show (March 28: The Slumber Party (episode 22), rating 30.1 (season high)) was #1 and Dynasty (March 27: Reconciliation, rating 23.1) was 5th. 

April 5, 1985: Pre-empted for Stormin’ Home. Dynasty (April 3: Sammy Jo, rating 23.1) was 3rd and Murder, She Wrote (April 7: Murder at the Oasis (episode 21), rating 20.4) was 5th. No The Cosby Show on April 4.

April 12, 1985: Terms of Estrangement, rating 22.1, 6th for the week. Dynasty (April 10: Kidnap, rating 24.5) was 2nd. The Cosby Show was a repeat on April 11. No Murder, She Wrote on April 14.

April 19, 1985: The Ewing Connection, rating 21.1, 5th for the week. Murder, She Wrote (April 21: Funeral at Fifty-Mile (season 1 finale), rating 24.5 (season high)) was 2nd. No Dynasty on April 17. The Cosby Show was a repeat on April 18.

April 26, 1985: Pre-empted for Arthur the King. No Dynasty on April 24. The Cosby Show was a repeat on April 25.

May 3, 1985: Deeds and Misdeeds, rating 21.4, 3rd for the week. The Cosby Show (May 2: Mr. Quiet (episode 23), rating 25.5) was #1. No Dynasty on May 1. 

May 10, 1985: Deliverance, rating 22.6, 2nd for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (May 8: The Heiress, rating 21.9, 3rd). The Cosby Show (May 9: Cliff’s Birthday (season 1 finale), rating 24.1) was #1.

May 17, 1985 (8:30-10 pm): Swan Song (season 8 finale), rating 27.5, #1. Dynasty (May 15: Royal Wedding (season 5 finale), rating 25.9) was 2nd.

On a win/loss basis, Dallas post-Super Bowl was 5-7 vs. Dynasty, 1-8 vs. new episodes of The Cosby Show, and 8-1 vs. new episodes of Murder, She Wrote. Dallas post-Super Bowl 14 episodes average was 23.8. Dynasty post-Super Bowl 14 episodes average was 24.3. We can see the ratings drop starting March 1985.

At the end of the season, Dynasty was #1, Dallas was 2nd, The Cosby Show was 3rd; and Murder, She Wrote was 8th.

Edited Saturday at 12:18 PM by kalbir

[Khan]

No doubt about it, 1984/85 was the season of Cosby and Lansbury, lol.

[kalbir]

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at CBS and Lorimar when Murder, She Wrote beat Dallas in the weekly ratings for the first time. The last thing they probably expected to happen was sweet unassuming Angela Lansbury taking down big bad Larry Hagman. I can only imagine how Larry Hagman reacted to being taken down by Angela Lansbury.

Edited Saturday at 03:00 PM by kalbir

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[kalbir]

Heading into Fall 1985, Dallas had lost #1 to Dynasty. The weaknesses started showing during the March 1985 ratings drop. Little did we know that the new season would bring us a sophomore slaughtering and a sophomore surprise. Just as I did for 1984/85, I divided 1985/86 into pre-Super Bowl and post-Super Bowl.

September 27, 1985: The Family Ewing (Part 1 of season 9 premiere)/Rock Bottom (Part 2 of season 9 premiere), rating 23.9, 7th for the week. The Cosby Show (September 26: First Day of School (season 2 premiere), rating 31.6) was #1, Dynasty (September 25: The Aftermath (season 6 premiere), rating 28.1 (series high)) was 3rd; and Murder, She Wrote (September 29: Widow, Weep for Me (season 2 premiere), rating 24.4) was 6th.

October 4, 1985: Those Eyes, rating 23.8, 3rd for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (October 6: Joshua Peabody Died Here…Possibly, rating 23.5, 4th); and Dynasty (October 2: The Homecoming, rating 23.4, 5th). The Cosby Show (October 3: The Juicer, rating 30.9) was #1.

October 11, 1985: Resurrections, rating 21.8, 7th for the week. The Cosby Show (October 10: Happy Anniversary, rating 30.7) was #1; Murder, She Wrote (October 13: Murder in the Afternoon, rating 24.9) was 2nd, and Dynasty (October 9: The Californians, rating 22.5) was 5th.  

October 18, 1985: Saving Grace, rating 22.3, 9th for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (October 16: The Man, rating 20.6, 15th). The Cosby Show (October 17: Cliff in Love, rating 31.1) was #1 and Murder, She Wrote (October 20: School for Scandal, rating 23.8) was 3rd.  

October 25, 1985: Mothers, rating 22.7, 8th for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (October 27: Sing a Song of Murder, rating 21.1, 10th). The Cosby Show (October 24: Theo and the Older Woman, rating 29.0) was 2nd. No Dynasty on October 23.

November 1, 1985: The Wind of Change, rating 23.5, 7th for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (October 30: The Gown, rating 22.0, 9th). The Cosby Show (October 31: Halloween, rating 30.1) was #1 and Murder, She Wrote (November 3: Reflections of the Mind, rating 26.2) was 3rd.

November 8, 1985: Quandary, rating 22.7, 11th for the week. The Cosby Show (November 7: Rudy Suits Up, rating 31.9) was #1 and Murder, She Wrote (November 10: A Lady in the Lake, rating 26.9) was 5th. No Dynasty on November 6.

November 15, 1985: Close Encounters, rating 23.1, 9th for the week. The Cosby Show (November 14: Denise Drives, rating 31.7) was #1 and Dynasty (November 13: The Titans, rating 24.2) was 5th. No Murder, She Wrote on November 17.

November 22, 1985: Suffer the Little Children, rating 22.0, 10th for the week. The Cosby Show (November 21: Clair’s Sister, rating 35.3) was #1; Murder, She Wrote (November 24: Dead Heat, rating 25.0) was 3rd, and Dynasty (November 20: The Decision, rating 22.4) was 8th.

November 29, 1985: The Prize, rating 21.4, 11th for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (November 27: The Proposal, rating 20.6, 13th). Murder, She Wrote (December 1: Jessica Behind Bars, rating 26.4) was 4th. The Cosby Show was a repeat on November 28.

December 6, 1985: En Passant, rating 22.0, 7th for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (December 4: The Close Call, rating 21.8, 8th). The Cosby Show (December 5: Clair’s Toe, rating 36.2) was #1. No Murder, She Wrote on December 8.

December 13, 1985: Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen; rating 22.6, 9th for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (December 11: The Quarrels, rating 21.4, 12th). The Cosby Show (December 12: Denise’s Friend, rating 35.4) was #1 and Murder, She Wrote (December 15: Sticks & Stones, rating 26.5) was 3rd.

December 20, 1985: Curiosity Killed the Cat, rating 21.1, 5th for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (December 18: The Roadhouse, rating 20.0, 12th). The Cosby Show was a repeat on December 19. No Murder, She Wrote on December 22.

December 27, 1985: Pre-empted for Kennedy Center Honors. Murder, She Wrote (December 29: Murder Digs Deep, rating 24.0) was 4th and Dynasty (December 25: The Solution, rating 17.7) was 15th. The Cosby Show was a repeat on December 26.

January 3, 1986: The Missing Link, rating 21.9, 13th for the week. The Cosby Show (January 2: Mrs. Westlake, rating 34.9) was #1 and Murder, She Wrote (January 5: Murder by Appointment Only, rating 26.1) was 4th. No Dynasty on January 1.

January 10, 1986: Twenty Four Hours, rating 22.1, 12th for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (January 8: Suspicions, rating 21.1, 18th). The Cosby Show (January 9: The Auction, rating 35.9) was #1; and Murder, She Wrote (January 12: Trial by Error, rating 28.5 (season high)) was 3rd.

January 17, 1986: The Deadly Game, rating 23.2, 8th for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (January 15: The Alarm, rating 20.4, 17th). The Cosby Show (January 16: Vanessa’s Bad Grade, rating 38.5) was #1; and Murder, She Wrote (January 19: Keep the Home Fries Burning, rating 28.1) was 3rd.

January 24, 1986: Blame it on Bogota, rating 22.0, 11th for the week. Dynasty (January 22: The Vigil, rating 24.2) was 5th. The Cosby Show was a repeat on January 23. Murder, She Wrote was a repeat on January 26.

On a win/loss basis, Dallas pre-Super Bowl was 0-14 vs. new episodes of The Cosby Show, 2-11 vs. new episodes of Murder, She Wrote; and 9-5 vs. Dynasty. Dallas isn't even the highest-rated scripted show on CBS anymore. Dallas is now reduced to jockeying for position in the Top 10.

January 31, 1986: Shadow Games, rating 20.9, 13th for the week. The Cosby Show (January 30: Theo and Cockroach, rating 36.0) was #1, The Cosby Show special episode (February 2: The Dentist, rating 27.6) was 3rd, and Dynasty (January 29: The Accident, rating 23.9) was 4th. No Murder, She Wrote on February 2.

February 7, 1986: Missing, rating 22.2, 8th for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (February 5: Souvenirs, rating 20.2, 15th). Murder, She Wrote (February 9: Powder Keg, rating 25.9) was 3rd. The Cosby Show was a repeat on February 6.

February 14, 1986: Dire Straits, rating 21.0, 12th for the week. The Cosby Show (February 13: Play it Again, Russell; rating 35.2) was #1; Murder, She Wrote (February 16: Murder in the Electric Cathedral, rating 26.5) was 3rd, and Dynasty (February 12: The Divorce, rating 22.5) was 6th.

February 21, 1986: Overture, rating 20.8, 15th for the week. The Cosby Show (February 20: A Touch of Wonder, rating 36.4) was #1; Murder, She Wrote (February 23: One Good Bid Deserves a Murder, rating 26.4) was 3rd, and Dynasty (February 19: The Dismissal, rating 22.6) was 9th.

February 28, 1986: Sitting Ducks, rating 20.6, 10th for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (February 26: Ben, rating 19.8, 15th). The Cosby Show (February 27: Full House, rating 39.0 (season high)) was #1. Murder, She Wrote was a repeat on March 2.

March 7, 1986: Masquerade, rating 20.9, 13th for the week. Murder, She Wrote (March 9: If a Body Meet a Body, rating 26.4) was 3rd, and Dynasty (March 5: Masquerade, rating 22.0) was 7th. The Cosby Show was a repeat on March 6.

March 14, 1986: Just Deserts, rating 19.9, 14th for the week. The Cosby Show (March 13: Close to Home, rating 34.8) was #1 and Dynasty (March 12: The Subpoenas, rating 22.6) was 6th. No Murder, She Wrote on March 16.

March 21, 1986: Nothing’s Ever Perfect, rating 19.4, 15th for the week. The Cosby Show (March 20: An Early Spring, rating 36.4) was #1 and Dynasty (March 19: The Trial (Part 1), rating 21.3) was 10th. No Murder, She Wrote on March 23.

March 28, 1986: Pre-empted for National Lampoon’s Vacation. Murder, She Wrote (March 30: Christopher Bundy Died on Sunday, rating 23.7) was 4th and Dynasty (March 26: The Trial (part 2), rating 20.2) was 12th. The Cosby Show was a repeat on March 27.

April 4, 1986: J.R.’s Rising, rating 19.8, 16th for the week. The Cosby Show (April 3: Theo’s Holiday, rating 34.3) was #1; Murder, She Wrote (April 6: Menace, Anyone?; rating 25.7) was 3rd, and Dynasty (April 2: The Vote, rating 21.1) was 11th.

April 11, 1986: Serendipity, rating 20.0, 14th for the week. The Cosby Show (April 10: The Card Game, rating 34.6) was #1; Murder, She Wrote (April 13: The Perfect Foil, rating 25.8) was 3rd, and Dynasty (April 9, 1986: The Warning, rating 21.0) was 9th.

April 18, 1986: Pre-empted for The Return of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer. Dynasty (April 16: The Cry, rating 19.2) was 13th. The Cosby Show was a repeat on April 17. No Murder, She Wrote on April 20.

April 25, 1986: Pre-empted for He’s Not Your Son. No Dynasty on April 23. The Cosby Show was a repeat on April 24. Murder, She Wrote was a repeat on April 27.

May 2, 1986: Thrice in a Lifetime, rating 19.7, 11th for the week. Finished ahead of Dynasty (April 30: The Rescue, rating 19.5, 12th). The Cosby Show was a repeat on May 1. Murder, She Wrote was a repeat on May 4.

May 9, 1986: Hello-Goodbye-Hello, rating 18.6, 15th for the week. The Cosby Show (May 8: Off to the Races, rating 28.3) was #1. No Dynasty on May 7. Murder, She Wrote was a repeat on May 11.

May 16, 1986: Blast from the Past (season 9 finale), rating 24.9 (season high), 3rd for the week. Finished ahead of Murder, She Wrote (May 18: If the Frame Fits (season 2 finale), rating 21.7, 6th) and Dynasty (May 14: The Triple-Cross, rating 20.5, 9th). The Cosby Show (May 15: Denise’s Decision (season 2 finale), rating 31.8) was #1.

On a win/loss basis, Dallas post-Super Bowl was 0-10 vs. new episodes of The Cosby Show, 1-6 vs. new episodes of Murder, She Wrote; and 4-8 vs. Dynasty. We can see the ratings drop again in March 1986.

At the end of the season, The Cosby Show was #1; Murder, She Wrote was 3rd (the highest-rated drama and CBS's highest-rated scripted show), Dallas was 6th, and Dynasty was 7th. 

I am pretty sure it was the March 1986 ratings drop that lead to Patrick Duffy return and it was all a dream.

Edited yesterday at 01:05 AM by kalbir

[Chris 2]

Yep. The bottom really fell out of the ratings in the latter half of the season. Some people say, “oh, it was #6 for the season, that was really good!” But that was based on the strength of the early part of the season when people were curious about how the show would function without Bobby. When they saw what the show was turning into, they fled.

[kalbir]

As I've pointed before, the decline of Dallas over its final six seasons lines up with the decline of CBS's primetime lineup. CBS primetime lost #1 to NBC in Spring 1986 then dropped to 3rd in Spring 1988 and remained in 3rd until Spring 1991.

Angela Lansbury may have been sweet and unassuming, but to me she will forever be savage for knocking big bad Larry Hagman off the throne at CBS. Larry Hagman may have been the reason CBS primetime rode high in the first half of the 1980s, but it was Angela Lansbury that ended up carrying CBS primetime on her back through some pretty awful years from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s.

[Paul Raven]

So Dallas fell out of the Top 10 in the latter half of 86. But it was still a clear timeslot winner.

What was the first show to beat it in the ratings? There was possibly a mini series episode that might have? But was the first regular series to send a new episode Dallas to #2 Fri @9? Or did that never happen?

@kalbir ?

[Chris 2]

It was still a clear timeslot winner. But when you’re the head of a network and your previous season’s number one show has lost approximately 20% of its audience YOY (and that’s where they were between spring 1985 and spring 1986 ratings), you’re not going to just sit there and let the hemorrhaging continue. Even if it’s winning the timeslot. You’re going to make changes.

[DRW50]

@Vee That was beautifully written - maybe your best of the recaps. I haven't really gone to rush to fill in the gaps of the Dallas periods I missed, but you do make this sound compelling.