Dallas Self-Contained Episodes?

[Angela Channing]

Quite late into Dallas's run, I recall Ken Kercheval appearing on Wogan (a UK chat show) during which he said Dallas was moving to a more episodic format with more self-contained episodes rather than having long, continuing storylines. Does anyone else remember that because it never happened? Although, many of the storylines became shorter and didn't take an entire series to unfold, the show never really went back to it's original format of self-contained episodes.

During that interview he also said he had signed a new 2 year contract with an option for a 3rd and in it was the opportunity to direct some of the shows but as he didn't have any interest in directing he told Wogan he wasn't going to take them up on that part of the contract. However, I'm sure I remember seeing his name in the credits at the start of a Dallas episode as being the show's director.

Did I imagined the entire interview?

 

[Alexis]

I never fully understood these contract negotiations where actors got to direct? Surely all actors didn't want to direct. I mean they didn't go into acting in order to one day get a clause in a contract that allowed their unreachable life long dream of directing for television. Was it really just a way to get paid more if there was a cap on how much the actor was allowed to make per episode? Or what was that about?

 

[Sarah]

No I remember it but I am glad it didn’t happen. It wouldn’t have worked for Dallas at all. (Well it would if it meant we imagined the Beaumonts!)

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

They should have done full-on remakes of Runaway and Kidnapped, but with the new generation (James, Michelle, etc.) instead of Lucy and Bobby

 

[Angela Channing]

Does anyone know why they pulled back from returning to the self-contained episode format? In the interview, Ken said they were moving to that format because it would make the show more marketable for syndication which does make sense because a TV station wouldn't have to commit to buying and/or screening an entire season but clearly they changed their minds.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Quite late into Dallas's run, I recall Ken Kercheval appearing on Wogan (a UK chat show) during which he said Dallas was moving to a more episodic format with more self-contained episodes rather than having long, continuing storylines. Does anyone else remember that because it never happened?

I don't remember/didn't see the interview with Ken, but I do remember a magazine interview with a Dallas producer (or possibly actor) in which it was said to expect the upcoming season to have such a format. It was between the Tenth and Eleventh seasons, which puts it at the summer of '88. I have a vague recollection that it was partially to be prepared when the inevitable axe fell.

Perhaps I was influenced by having read the interview before watching, but I've always felt that Season Eleven (the one that began with JR hospitalised after Sue Ellen shot him) was distinctly more episodic in tone than the previous years. The story continued, but episode endings were more low-key than the compelling cliffhangers we'd come to expect at the end of each episode, sometimes even with a gag or punchline with a cheesy John Parker sting (think Sue Ellen popping the balloon on JR's wedding night).

Even the season finale that year - Sue Ellen leaving both Dallas and Dallas - felt more like closure rather than a good reason to return the following autumn. So to me it felt like a step back towards the partial serialisation of the First Season.

 

[CeeCee72]

I don't remember/didn't see the interview with Ken, but I do remember a magazine interview with a Dallas producer (or possibly actor) in which it was said to expect the upcoming season to have such a format. It was between the Tenth and Eleventh seasons, which puts it at the summer of '88. I have a vague recollection that it was partially to be prepared when the inevitable axe fell.

Perhaps I was influenced by having read the interview before watching, but I've always felt that Season Eleven (the one that began with JR hospitalised after Sue Ellen shot him) was distinctly more episodic in tone than the previous years. The story continued, but episode endings were more low-key than the compelling cliffhangers we'd come to expect at the end of each episode, sometimes even with a gag or punchline with a cheesy John Parker sting (think Sue Ellen popping the balloon on JR's wedding night).

Even the season finale that year - Sue Ellen leaving both Dallas and Dallas - felt more like closure rather than a good reason to return the following autumn. So to me it felt like a step back towards the partial serialisation of the First Season.

That season eleven "cliffhanger" wasn't a cliffhanger at all. Like you said, it just seemed like "closure" for the character. And what a waste. Did any real Dallas fan think there was ever a chance Sue Ellen would release that film? Her son would have been devastated.

To me that was the weakest season ending episode in the entire run of the show. And it was self contained - because it had no impact whatsoever on the first episode of the next season.

 

[James from London]

However, I'm sure I remember seeing his name in the credits at the start of a Dallas episode as being the show's director.

Yes, Cliff directed a few eps, including the last 'real' one of the series, i.e., the one before Conundrum.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Apparently, the network had a role in pushing the show, circa 1988, back to self-contained episodes because continuing storylines don't rerun well in the summer. And networks pay for two showings of an episode.

But Katzman cleverly nipped that in the bud by enthusiastically embracing a return to the stand-alone format (publicly) by gushing over prospective new storylines like Bobby's college basketball coach returning for an episode, et al.

Somebody at CBS must have groaned, and serialization continued,