Fixing the "dream" solution

[Ollie james]

Id have left Bobby dead and carried on the dream was stupid and cost the show more than it ever gave it in the longer term.

 

[thomaswak]

I don’t like the idea of Bobby being revived and being taken and hidden away. Too soap opera-ish - even for Dallas.

And it's what happened to the Bionic Woman ...

 

[Chris2]

Hahahahaha. I had totally forgotten about that. You’re spot on.

 

[Sea - Boo! - Er]

I just regret that we didn‘t get renuion scenes with Bobby and Miss Ellie, JR...and a new love triangle with Pam in the center and married to Mark.

I was thinking just that when Taylor came back from the dead the last time on The Bold & The Beautiful. The manikin solution was fanciful but it beat wiping out all the intervening episodes, and the tearful reunions made it all worthwhile.

 

[Jon Ewing Jr.]

I wish they would have carried on with the plot from the dream season.

 

[Ray_Krebbs]

I would have made Bobby in the shower a figment of Pam's mind. Pam realizes she is facing Mark, who is puzzled by her behavior. Pam rushes out of the bathroom after coming to the conclusion she still longs for Bobby. It then cuts to a man in a hospital room. A mysterious nurse played by Morgan Fairchild checks on him, and it is Bobby, who questions her in how long he was in a coma. She assures him all will be answered in due time.

 

[the-lost-son]

I just read Barbara Curan's book.
The last episode of the dream season was shot in February '86. At the same time Hagman had a top secret dinner with Duffy to get him back to the series. In March Hagman announced to the press that Katzman would be back. In April Lorimar announced that Capice was leaving and Katzman getting back in charge.

On April 9, 1986 CBS announced that Duffy was returning to the cast. "Blast from the past" aired on May 16.

So there was plenty time to change/redirect/re-shoot some parts.

Duffy agreed to return for seasons 9-11 (WB 10-12) for a 35,000$ raise per episode to 75,000$ per episode, a $1 million signing bonus, the ability to direct three episodes per season And control over the storyline resurrecting Bobby.

I always assumed the dream explanation was Katzman's idea because he didn't want to continue Capice's storylines.
Maybe I blamed the wrong one.

 

[tommie]

I just read Barbara Curan's book.
The last episode of the dream season was shot in February '86. At the same time Hagman had a top secret dinner with Duffy to get him back to the series. In March Hagman announced to the press that Katzman would be back. In April Lorimar announced that Capice was leaving and Katzman getting back in charge.

I'm not sure how accurate Curran's book is to be honest. Shooting the season finale in February seems pretty early - usually series that wraps in May tend to shoot until late March / early-mid April. That they would've had time to shoot 31 episodes from July to February seem too much, even taking into accounts that they probably shot scenes for multiple episodes at one point in the season.

 

[GillesDenver]

I agree with Tommie. Only seasons with 22 episodes end their filming on February.
But it's still very interesting to have all these details.

 

[the-lost-son]

I'm not sure how accurate Curran's book is to be honest. Shooting the season finale in February seems pretty early - usually series that wraps in May tend to shoot until late March / early-mid April. That they would've had time to shoot 31 episodes from July to February seem too much, even taking into accounts that they probably shot scenes for multiple episodes at one point in the season.

The last episode was filmed in February. I assumed that they filmed the episodes in chronological order and the season production closed in February. You may be right. That might not be the case and episodes/scenes were shot in the following months.

There is no information on that in the book.

 

[tommie]

I agree with Tommie. Only seasons with 22 episodes end their filming on February.
But it's still very interesting to have all these details.

Even with 22 episodes most shows don't wrap in February - on average a prime time drama takes 8 work days to shoot; that's not taking into account that they need days off, holidays and so on! Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place had to shoot scenes for multiple episodes for a few weeks every season since they had 10-12 episodes more than the average drama to keep up; I assume Dallas, Dynasty et al did the same in the 80s.

Multi-cam sitcoms are the ones who tend to shoot faster, hence why so many sitcoms in these corona times have larger episode orders this season than dramas and single cam sitcoms.

 

[GillesDenver]

"Dynasty" and "the Colbys" actually rarely shot episodes two by two. They did it twice by season.

I think the shooting of the 9th season of "Dynasty" was completed by February 1989 but I may be wrong.

 

[Spooky Owl!]

I think the shooting of the 9th season of "Dynasty" was completed by February 1989 but I may be wrong.

Late March or April 1989 --- the season started shooting late due to the writers' strike in Summer 1988.

 

[Jock's Ghost]

It had some weird moments. I liked it mostly. It was not as bad as some in the press at the time said. Again, Bobby's revival was the problem, not his death.
Jeremy Windell should have been upped and used more as the villain he could have been.
It planted some interesting seeds that a hoikd have been used in S10, but are dumped and ignored.
JR has some great quiet moments with John Ross, but the true star was Linda Gray and her detox arc. Amazing. Her resolution with her mother was great and her rising up to challenge JR was the seasons best moments.

 

[DallasFanForever]

To me Linda was the star of that season. I’ve always said that her acting that season was some of the finest I’ve ever seen. She clearly knocked everything they gave her to do right out of the park.

 

[Jock's Ghost]

So we can yell at Patrick Duffy for the lame storyline. Then he should have realized, they should have taken more thought to his return. Coma, coma,,coma..
With an offer like that , I'd have moved mountains to return. A million dollars for just signing on. Hell, for al he knew the show could have been canceled by seasons end.

 

[Jock's Ghost]

I would have made Bobby in the shower a figment of Pam's mind. Pam realizes she is facing Mark, who is puzzled by her behavior. Pam rushes out of the bathroom after coming to the conclusion she still longs for Bobby. It then cuts to a man in a hospital room. A mysterious nurse played by Morgan Fairchild checks on him, and it is Bobby, who questions her in how long he was in a coma. She assures him all will be answered in due time.

I like it. So whats the explanation? Hahah

 

[Jock's Ghost]

Morgan Fairchild... if only she had returned to play Jenna, we would have had some powerhouse cat fights with her and Victoria turning to 11.

 

[Ray_Krebbs]

If Morgan came back as Jenna, perhaps Bobby has lost a great deal of his memory, and her only remembers up to being engaged to Jenna as a young person. That could lead to lots of drama. Perhaps Pam chooses to remain married to Mark after Bobby chooses Jenna. His memory could come back over time, and it leads to a reunion.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

I wish they would have carried on with the plot from the dream season.

Yeah, the Ben Stivers character maybe would've stood a better chance of staying on the show as a recast Jock Ewing.