37 minutes ago, Broderick said:

Dallas sent viewers an unintentional subliminal message after the dream season:  "Don't take any of this seriously.  We don't know what we're doing. We're writing by the seat of our pants."

Dallas got another five seasons out of "it was all a dream", but then again CBS was a mess in primetime during the final four seasons of Dallas.

When Dallas ended in May 1991, it was CBS's third longest-running primetime drama series, after Gunsmoke and Lassie. As of today, Dallas is CBS's 6th longest-running primetime drama series, after NCIS, Gunsmoke, Lassie, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Minds.

 

 

The discussion of Dallas begins at the 42:00 mark.

 

3 hours ago, SoapDope said:

Dallas writers/producers felt women were weak and needed a man to take care of them. 

That's because Dallas was the most male-focused of the CBS primetime soaps. 

17 minutes ago, kalbir said:

That's because Dallas was the most male-focused of the CBS primetime soaps. 

Dallas also wound up losing Bel Geddes, Gray, Principal, Tilton, and Howard near the end at the expense of Duffy & Hagman. Katzman/Lorimar figured as long as they had those 2 everyone else was disposable. The show went into the toilet by 1987.

 

14 minutes ago, SoapDope said:

Dallas also wound up losing Bel Geddes, Gray, Principal, Tilton, and Howard near the end at the expense of Duffy & Hagman. Katzman/Lorimar figured as long as they had those 2 everyone else was disposable. The show went into the toilet by 1987.

That's right, by Dallas final season they had no long-time female cast members left, yet Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, Ken Kercheval remained right until the end.

36 minutes ago, kalbir said:

That's right, by Dallas final season they had no long-time female cast members left, yet Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, Ken Kercheval remained right until the end.

I'm surprised they let Ken Kercheval stay on after the departure of VP. They also added George Kennedy as a new sparring partner for Hagman. Steve Kanaly was let go too in 1988.  

If the show had survived another season or two I can see Katzman/Lorimar letting Kercheval go to cut the budget or raise the salaries of Duffy & Hagman if they had asked for more money. Dallas really should have ended way before the decline. The series finale sucked. VP was smart to get out when she did. The character of Pam became a laughing stock with that stupid dream fiasco. 

37 minutes ago, SoapDope said:

Dallas really should have ended way before the decline. The series finale sucked. VP was smart to get out when she did. 

Dallas tanked in the aftermath of Bobby car accident, went off the rails in the aftermath of Pamela disappearance, and was effectively over with Sue Ellen departure.

I agree that Victoria Principal was smart to leave when she did.

There are conflicting stories about Linda Gray departure. She has said for the last 35 years that her contract was up and she chose not to renew and walked away, but she might have actually been let go.

5 hours ago, SoapDope said:

The series finale sucked.

If not for what happens at the end - I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet - but if not for that ending, the episode would have been a complete waste of time.

3 hours ago, Khan said:

the episode would have been a complete waste of time.

The final two seasons were a complete waste of time.

When the time slot is regularly lost to TGIF comedies (the two time slot losses to Family Matters had me floored), it's a sign that the time has come to end things. Larry Hagman not so big and bad anymore if he's lost the time slot twice to Urkel.

Edited September 9, 20241 yr by kalbir

12 hours ago, kalbir said:

Larry Hagman not so big and bad anymore if he's lost the time slot twice to Urkel.

Cracks me up every time, lol!

@Khan Lets not forget that Angela Lansbury knocked big bad Larry Hagman off the throne at CBS. She will forever be savage for that.

6 minutes ago, kalbir said:

@Khan Lets not forget that Angela Lansbury knocked big bad Larry Hagman off the throne at CBS. She will forever be savage for that.

Yes, she will!  Angela Lansbury SAVED CBS in the '80's and '90's!

I think Larry Hagman could stand being beaten by

Being beaten by

must have hurt though....