First Thread - Who watched Dalls in the 80's?

[jayman75]

I grew up watching Dallas on Friday nights - it was sandwiched between Dukes of Hazzard and Falcon Crest.

This past Wednesday, with the two-hour premiere on TNT, I felt like I had gone back to the show I so enjoyed. It was great to see JR, Sue Ellen and Bobby Ewing portrayed by the real actors, and not brought in as an after-thought.

So, how many people here grew up With the origi al, and what did you think of the premiere??

[Big3sCompanyFan]

I grew up watching Dallas on Friday nights - it was sandwiched between Dukes of Hazzard and Falcon Crest.

This past Wednesday, with the two-hour premiere on TNT, I felt like I had gone back to the show I so enjoyed. It was great to see JR, Sue Ellen and Bobby Ewing portrayed by the real actors, and not brought in as an after-thought.

So, how many people here grew up With the origi al, and what did you think of the premiere??

Me too. Can never forget. Was on at 8 pm CT. I saw all seasons except the first 2 or 3.

The new one sucks compared to the original!

[70s show watcher]

i watched it back then friday was just not friday without the ewings

[70s show watcher]

i watched it back then friday was just not friday without the ewingsi forgot to add the premiere was great

[Big3sCompanyFan]

Forgot to add that the original was on CBS.

[old grouch]

I think I did, but then again it may have just been a dream...

[Retro4Life]

I watched the show faithfully from the beginning in 1978. I stopped watching regularly in the mid 80s, though...I was in college and usually did stuff on Friday nights, plus by 1985 or so the show had really soured for me.

But those first four or so years were really magic.

[Big3sCompanyFan]

I remember it was like a national event every Friday night you knew where you had to be.

Nothing like that exists today!

[Stuck In The '70's]

The first episode I watched was Black market Baby. That was the tenth episode and I believe the first one on Sunday. I watched it faithfully from then until it went off the air in 1991. There were a few episodes where I had someone audio tape it for me because I did attend a few of my HS football games in the early 80's. Other than that I never missed a show.

I remember the sensation during the summer of 1980 when JR was shot. You never saw anything like it. It was on all the talk shows. They had a national song playing on the radio about it.. That was the year of the actors strike so we actually had to wait longer than usual to see. After the show was over, it was the lead story on the local news.

I remember listening to the radio one night in the spring of 1981 and the top story on the news was that Jim Davis had died. It shocked me because I didn't know he was sick. It sounds sort of strange because when you watch the shows in syndication, you can clearly see how ill he was. But watching it once a week, I didn't notice. I know at first they said he died of an ulcer. Later they changed it to cancer.

I collected 2 books from the show in the mid 80's and also the record. I still have the record. It includes songs from Howard Keel, Steve Kanaly & Jenilee Harrison. When I first got a VCR in 1986, Dallas was the first show I taped.

The show was never as good the last 4 years. It ended awful but I kept watching until the end.

[Jericho-79]

I wished I'd watched episodes of the original Dallas. I watched the first episode of the new Dallas, and I was totally lost.:(

[Goldilocks]

I watched the show faithfully from the beginning in 1978. I stopped watching regularly in the mid 80s, though...I was in college and usually did stuff on Friday nights, .

Me too. We must be the same age. :lol:

We are of the group who remember when Larry Hagman drank, smoked and had dark hair.

[MickeyMac]

I totally watched in the 80s. Still havent seen the new series yet.

[Big3sCompanyFan]

I wished I'd watched episodes of the original Dallas. I watched the first episode of the new Dallas, and I was totally lost.:(

I don't think you're missing anything with the new one.

I saw the first 20 minutes and then changed the channel. The old magic is gone. It was the same stupid arguing and backstabbing yet all the prestige and glamour is gone when you're buried on some cable channel as opposed to being on CBS in prime time every Friday night!

I'll bet most anything the show won't last more than a year or 2.

[Jericho-79]

I don't think you're missing anything with the new one.

I saw the first 20 minutes and then changed the channel. The old magic is gone. It was the same stupid arguing and backstabbing yet all the prestige and glamour is gone when you're buried on some cable channel as opposed to being on CBS in prime time every Friday night!

I'll bet most anything the show won't last more than a year or 2.

I was about to say that. Why resurrect an 80's TV icon if you're not going to put it on the same TV network that it started out on?

No one watches dramas on cable TV.

[Stuck In The '70's]

Actually there are quite a few good dramas on cable ...many of them are critically acclaimed. I think it's easier to last a long time on cable then on one of the networks. You don't have to have the ratings that network shows have to survive. If the ratings don't drop much , Dallas can last 7 or 8 years. The one negative is that cable shows don't produce as many episodes a season. TNT usually orders 10 episode seasons unless the show really takes off. The Closer usually had 15 episodes a season.

[Retro4Life]

Me too. We must be the same age. :lol:

We are of the group who remember when Larry Hagman drank, smoked and had dark hair.

That's entirely possible, lol. :wave:

[Big3sCompanyFan]

Actually there are quite a few good dramas on cable ...many of them are critically acclaimed. I think it's easier to last a long time on cable then on one of the networks. You don't have to have the ratings that network shows have to survive. If the ratings don't drop much , Dallas can last 7 or 8 years. The one negative is that cable shows don't produce as many episodes a season. TNT usually orders 10 episode seasons unless the show really takes off. The Closer usually had 15 episodes a season.

There's no way in hell this Dallas lasts 7 or 8 years.

The cast might not even make it that long! :lol:

[Stuck In The '70's]

There's no way in hell this Dallas lasts 7 or 8 years.

The cast might not even make it that long! :lol:
Nobody knows how long it is going to last. I am going by what hit shows on cable usually last to.

What are you talking about? Most of the cast is young. There are only 3 stars from the original show that are regulars. Linda and Patrick are in good shape. The only question mark is Larry. Now if something happens to him, then the show could be in trouble.

[Big3sCompanyFan]

Nobody knows how long it is going to last. I am going by what hit shows on cable usually last to.

What are you talking about? Most of the cast is young. There are only 3 stars from the original show that are regulars. Linda and Patrick are in good shape. The only question mark is Larry. Now if something happens to him, then the show could be in trouble.

But Booby has terminal cancer! :lol:

[Stuck In The '70's]

But Booby has terminal cancer! :lol:
Do you really think they're going to kill Booby off? :lol:

[Big3sCompanyFan]

Do you really think they're going to kill Booby off? :lol:

If they do they'll just bring him back from the dead...AGAIN!! :lol:

I'm sorry but in a way the stars have just become caricatures of themselves and it's somewhat silly!