Characters You'd Recast

[Angela Channing]

I also agree that Priscilla was satisfactory during her first year when Jenna was nothing more than an obstacle between Bobby and Pam.

I think you're being generous, I thought her acting was awful from the start. Not quite as ghastly as Laurel Elis but not far from it.

 

[Seaviewer]

I really liked Priscilla Presley the first year. She was indeed really likeable. But after that, she became insufferable and the writers never managed to make her lovable again.

I also agree that Priscilla was satisfactory during her first year when Jenna was nothing more than an obstacle between Bobby and Pam. It’s beginning with the the second year when they gave her more of her own storyline (Jenna goes to jail, Jenna goes nuts, Jenna is pissed) that her limitations became apparent. If they were planning for her to be more than a single season character, then they needed an actress with more depth.

I think the problem was that they tried to make her too lovable. Jenna was at her best with a harder edge which is why Morgan Fairchild, even with only one episode, is usually considered the best. Priscilla was okay that first year but the more sympathetic they made her the less like Jenna she became. Even Morgan would have had a hard time overcoming that.

 

[pete lashmar]

Come Jenna....come Charlotte....both were immeasurably terrible and I find it very hard on re-watches because they have far too much screen time. I would definitely do a recast on them. That said DALLAS didn't do kids/teenagers very well in general and the "Who's the daddy?" didn't have the legs as a storyline so I'd just get rid of Charlotte completely.

 

[Sarah]

I watched a recent video of Sarah Douglas, a British actress from Falcon Crest, and got the immediate thought that she could have been convincing as Vanessa. I think she could have added a mysterious edge to the character, looked more like James, and I could believe JR would fall in love with her. Do you have any ideas?

Yeah I'd recast her and destroy her by fire.

 

[Jock's Ghost]

Lucy- charlene was good, but a taller, more mysterious actor was needed. Although Lucy in high school, that spoiled brat should have lasted through into a spoiled Socialite. She became just a dummy when she went to college as if she didn't learn anything from Uncle JR. Imagine, her using some family tricks to get an instructor to pass her. Lucy was boring after season 3. She didnt seem to enjoy being a Ewing. Holier than thou Mitch... pee eeew.
She should have been little JR, always sucking up and spying for him.

Jenna- PP, beautiful woman, occassionally good, but nothing compared to Victoria. We needed to see why Bobby initially fell for her.

Miss Ellie -I never believed she was born a Texan, a ranchers daughter or anything southern. Did the producers ever seek out Babara Stanwyck? Thats who i would have cast instead. BBG annoyed me with her pronunciations of JAY-AHRRRR, BAHH-BEEE... GUH-ARY.... PAAAAAAAM! Ugh.

Claudia Faregate- Im sure its mostly how she was written but damn was she ever strident and punch-worthy. The actress and some of her affections were equally dumb with the off-kilter writing.

 

[Rove]

Did the producers ever seek out Babara Stanwyck?

 

[Grant Jennings]

Lucy
Leslie Stewart
Jenna
Jamie
Jack

In the case of Lucy and Jenna it's because I don't think Charlene Tilton and Priscilla Presley are very talented.

I liked Jenilee Harrison on Three's Company but I think she was miscast as Jamie.

It pains me to say this because I don't think actors should be limited to playing characters who share their sexuality but there are some actors who send my gaydar so deep into the red-zone that I can't accept them - not for a single second - as heterosexual. Susan Flannery and Dack Rambo both had this affect on me. I didn't even know if Susan Flannery was a lesbian (she was never a big enough celebrity to be the subject of gossip - at least not any gossip I ever heard) until I Googled it just now; she was in a long term relationship with Fannie Flagg. Fannie Flagg never pinged my gaydar but this should clear up any question people have as to the nature of the relationship between the two female leads in Fried Green Tomatoes.

 

[Sarah]

I really think Charlene gets a tough rap. She was perfect as Lucy - can we really imagine anyone else, our iconic, pint sized Poison Dwarf? It just wouldn't have been the same.

 

[DallasFanForever]

I really think Charlene gets a tough rap. She was perfect as Lucy - can we really imagine anyone else, our iconic, pint sized Poison Dwarf? It just wouldn't have been the same.

In some of these cases I think it’s more of a situation where it wasn’t really who was playing the character that was the problem but more to do with the way the character was written at times. I don’t think Charlene was the problem at all.

 

[Angela Channing]

I think Charlene was great as young Lucy, the spoilt brat, the problem was when she got older they were more limited with what they could do with her.

 

[Willie Oleson]

I would recast Raoul and Teresa with the Ramoses. It's really very jarring to see this blatant inconsistency in the old series.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

For me, Paul Lynde will always be J.R. Ewing.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

"You put down that drink right now, SoooEllen, before you get the DTs and start seeing things in your salad --- hahahahhahahhahaha!"

 

[Seaviewer]

Lucy in high school, that spoiled brat should have lasted through into a spoiled Socialite. She became just a dummy when she went to college as if she didn't learn anything from Uncle JR. Imagine, her using some family tricks to get an instructor to pass her. Lucy was boring after season 3. She didnt seem to enjoy being a Ewing. Holier than thou Mitch... pee eeew.
She should have been little JR, always sucking up and spying for him.

I really think Charlene gets a tough rap. She was perfect as Lucy - can we really imagine anyone else, our iconic, pint sized Poison Dwarf? It just wouldn't have been the same.

In some of these cases I think it’s more of a situation where it wasn’t really who was playing the character that was the problem but more to do with the way the character was written at times. I don’t think Charlene was the problem at all.

I like @Jock's Ghost 's ideas but I agree that it was more a problem with the writing than with Charlene.

 

[Seaviewer]

Babara Stanwyck? Thats who i would have cast instead. BBG annoyed me

We already saw her rancher matriarch on The Big Valley. I suppose it would have worked on Dallas just as well but I'm not sure it would have been an improvement.

 

[DallasFanForever]

We already saw her rancher matriarch on The Big Valley. I suppose it would have worked on Dallas just as well but I'm not sure it would have been an improvement.

I wouldn’t cast Barbara Stanwyck over BBG for that role but if BBG wasn’t available at the time then I guess I could’ve accepted her. She was a big name and a great actress so I can see that one working out as an alternative.

 

[Jock's Ghost]

We already saw her rancher matriarch on The Big Valley. I suppose it would have worked on Dallas just as well but I'm not sure it would have been an improvement.

Sure it would. She was great even on the major turdage of THE COLBYS.
Her finest role was in THE THORN BIRDS. That speech won her the Emmy.

 

[Chris2]

It certainly would have changed the atmosphere on the set with Stanwyck there. Both Lee Majors and Linda Evans still speak fondly of her, not only of her mentorship, but her insistence that everyone was on time and knew their lines. Apparently Charlton Heston cut short a Colbys cast lunch once, because if they weren’t back to the set on time, “Barbara will be mad.”

I also expect that if Stanwyck wanted a key light, she damn well would have gotten it.

 

[DallasFanForever]

Her finest role was in THE THORN BIRDS.

Have to agree with this part! I can never say she didn’t deserve that Emmy.

 

[Swellin]

Linda Purl as Jenna Wade. Now they are together in real life