Should Jock have been re-cast immediately after Jim Davis passed away?

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

Should the Producer's have re-cast the role of Jock with another actor after Jim Davis passed away?

They could've found a badly injured Jock in South America who needed emergency treatment.

He could've been bandaged up after his treatment before being shown on the show but now played by a different actor.

What are your thoughts?

For me personally I loved Jim Davis as Jock, another actor would've been hard to take seriously. However I loved Steve Forrest in Dallas season ten as the Ewing patriarch returned from the dead. I'm only sorry they dropped that storyline and let Steve Forrest go. Steve would've been a great Jock Ewing.

What do you all think?

 

[the-lost-son]

No, I don't like recasts in general. Sometimes there are necessary. For example the character of Miss Ellie was desperately needed on the show to stop JR from running wild. Although it's next to impossible to replace such a longterm character which BBG made her own, it was for storyline purposes essential. (Donna Reed like everyone else btw could never win that.) A recast for Jock was not essential though.

The character of Jock had the potential of 1-2 more years. Davis' death was so davastating, but the character's departure opened doors to Dallas' most iconic storylines. The character had an even bigger influence on the show after he left.

I'm glad that Parmalee did not turn out to be Jock because the possible storylines were limited to say the least.
Jock back at EwingOil with Bobby/JR fighting for his approval? Done already yeaes ago.
A love triangle between Clayton/Miss Ellie/Jock? Not too thrilling either.
What else?

If Jim Davis hadn't died, seeds for divorce seemed to be planted. That would have been interesting. The family siding with one of them and the mandatory reconciliation (and remarriage) would have been nice to explore. I would have liked another court battle in which Amanda's relatives claim that she and Jock never got a proper divorce.

I got carried away. No recast please.

 

[Michelle Stevens]

They shouldn't have recast Jock after Jim Davis' death in 1981.

Steve Forrest could have been a younger brother of Jock and Jason Ewing. We never knew much about Jock's family and with some good writing it could have worked.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Recasting core characters almost never works for primetime -- and it should never have been done for Jock or Ellie (stick her in a hospital for a few months until you work out contractual details with BBG -- and they began cutting back Donna Reed's scenes so drastically, there was clearly no reason to recast at all).

The only reason Wes Parmalee worked was that the question as to whether he was or wasn't Jock was never entirely answered.

 

[ClassyCo]

No, I don't think should've been recast, and the producers' decision not to let Wes be Jock was probably wise. As others have said, I think Jock's death was more beneficial and fueled DALLAS more, at least story-wise, than had Jim Davis lived or the role been given to another actor.

If Jim Davis hadn't died, seeds for divorce seemed to be planted.

This would've been interesting. Imagine the melodrama that could've been drawn out with Jock and Miss Ellie splitting up. Had Jim Davis lived, the two could've divorced --- or at least came close to it --- and if Davis still ended up passing, there could've been so much regretful drama dished out towards Miss Ellie. Imagine the meaty stories Barbara Bel Geddes could've knocked out of the park.

 

[ClassyCo]

or Ellie (stick her in a hospital for a few months until you work out contractual details with BBG -- and they began cutting back Donna Reed's scenes so drastically, there was clearly no reason to recast at all).

Recasting Miss Ellie was utterly pointless --- just as recasting Amanda Carrington in Season 7 of DYNASTY was pointless, albeit differently so I'd say. Donna Reed, an award-winning film and television actress, was no match for Barbara Bel Geddes as Ewing matriarch Miss Ellie. The argument that Miss Ellie was too essential to DALLAS --- which, in fairness, she was a major player, at least for a while --- didn't really hold up when Reed's screen time was almost immediately sliced right after her initial appearance on the show. If they were going to treat Reed so shabbily (which I'd like to think wasn't their intention), then she shouldn't have been hired. And, even when they probably knew Bel Geddes was going to return, they sign Reed on for two more years. It was all a pointless, head-scratching mess.

 

[DallasFanForever]

To answer the question in the thread first, I will say no emphatically. There’s no way Jock should’ve been recast immediately after Jim’s death. It was way too soon for a recast and I think it would’ve backfired for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I don’t think the fans would’ve wanted it. Secondly, we would’ve lost the best seasons of Dallas which ironically happened in large part because of Jock’s death.

However, I could’ve lived with a recast later on, and that brings me to season 9 (10 DVD). Considering how poor the direction of the show became over the last four seasons, I would’ve had no problem with Wes turning out to be Jock. The show was never the same after that season anyway and I feel a shakeup could’ve really helped. In retrospect, Wes turning out to be Jock couldn’t have done any more damage to the show than what was soon coming.

 

[Barbara Fan]

NO, he should be recast and recasts dont work on Dallas - also Dallas was the hottest show on TV in 1980 -81 and the viewing public arent gullible to accept someone else in an established role

Jims death also gave Dallas some of its best storylines in S4 and 5 original and Steve Forrest was never the Ewing patriarch and was only contracted for a time limited period with other work lined up - he was never going to be Jock - but he was great as fake Jock

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

S4 and 5 original

Don't make me come after you, Miz Barbara...! :hats:

 

[Barbara Fan]

Don't make me come after you, Miz Barbara...! :hats:

And dont let me get the shotgun out from the hall cupboard (Ray, where are you??) as WB cocked up the numbering Big time
:byebye:

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

as WB cocked up the numbering Big time

That's wishful thinking. The WB count has existed since 1978, and old TVGUIDEs and CBS press releases prove it -- unless you're afraid to check it out. .. All you have to do is check. All you have to do is check.

Our preferences have nothing to do with the truth, but then angry denial was always a major defense mechanism for Miss Ellie.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

they should have recast him with Donna Reed

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

they should have recast him with Donna Reed

"The time has come for us to start again -- and Jock really was the finest woman God ever placed on this earth...!"

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

"Oh, no -- I think they've re-cast Granddaddy...."

 

[ClassyCo]

What's sad is that Donna Reed was such a prolific and respected screen actress. She was in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, won an Oscar for FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, and had practically a decade-long run on THE DONNA REED SHOW, where she was a prototype TV mom and won a few more awards.

What makes her turn on DALLAS so sad is that it was a dismal end to a cerebral career. CBS and the producers apparently knew and respected Reed's stature, at least at first, but then treated her poorly. We can all agree Reed was a inadequate substitute for the beloved Bel Geddes, but that doesn't dismiss Reed's treatment by the DALLAS team. Her co-stars were reportedly hostile (with Hagman being a strong mouthpiece that Bel Geddes needed to come back, or that his real-life mother, Mary Martin, should've gotten the recast gig) and the camera men gave her the most awful lighting --- which, as some have said, was because "they" (whomever that was) wouldn't let Reed have her own key light.

I just don't like how Donna Reed was handled nor do I like that her prolific career ended quite sourly.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I don't know about immediately, but it should have been sooner than the Steve Forrest casting.

While the Ewing Oil battle was a memorable story line, I would have preferred that Digger lived,
sniffed out a massive oil field, teemed with Cliff to form an oil company to rival Ewing Oil,
created a new Ewing-Barnes rivalry with Jock and Digger on more even terms.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

What's sad is that Donna Reed was such a prolific and respected screen actress. She was in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, won an Oscar for FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, and had practically a decade-long run on THE DONNA REED SHOW, where she was a prototype TV mom and won a few more awards.

What makes her turn on DALLAS so sad is that it was a dismal end to a cerebral career. CBS and the producers apparently knew and respected Reed's stature, at least at first, but then treated her poorly. We can all agree Reed was a inadequate substitute for the beloved Bel Geddes, but that doesn't dismiss Reed's treatment by the DALLAS team. Her co-stars were reportedly hostile (with Hagman being a strong mouthpiece that Bel Geddes needed to come back, or that his real-life mother, Mary Martin, should've gotten the recast gig) and the camera men gave her the most awful lighting --- which, as some have said, was because "they" (whomever that was) wouldn't let Reed have her own key light.

I just don't like how Donna Reed was handled nor do I like that her prolific career ended quite sourly.

View attachment 40009

Reed was victimized to a point and so was BBG.

But it was partly self-induced by Miss Reed for not realizing that the job was going to blow up in her face -- it couldn't have worked. And, apparently, she didn't need the money.

 

[ClassyCo]

Reed was victimized to a point and so was BBG.

Yeah, both ladies were treated shabbily --- Bel Geddes because she had been the matriarch on DALLAS for seven years, and Reed because she was brought in and then casually laid aside.

But it was partly self-induced by Miss Reed for not realizing that the job was going to blow up in her face -- it couldn't have worked. And, apparently, she didn't need the money.

Too bad she didn't have the guidance or foresight to see that. According to her husband, agent, or whomever I've seen in interviews, Reed wanted to make something of Miss Ellie that the character didn't have before. But, as we know, the character regressed and was there lifting coffee cups and removing Jock's celebrated portrait from the living room.

 

[Barbara Fan]

You know I do love you @Snarky Oracle but you are soooooooooooooooooooo wrooooooooong :love7:to be said in a Miss Ellie voice

IN UK, pre WB cocked up numberings Dallas has 13 seasons and JR was shot at end of S2, Kristin died end of S3, Bobby shot end of S6 and fthe final S13 was DIRE - capitol D

and in the USA every book printed on Dallas pre WB cocked up numbering releases said the same

I submit Evidence 1 and 2 to the court Mr Harve Smithfield for proof

From Barbara Curran

Ive 100 000 articles on Dallas stored away for proof and Id invite you round to go through them with me lol

:hasta:

 

[Billy Wall]

Yeah, both ladies were treated shabbily --- Bel Geddes because she had been the matriarch on DALLAS for seven years, and Reed because she was brought in and then casually laid aside.


Too bad she didn't have the guidance or foresight to see that. According to her husband, agent, or whomever I've seen in interviews, Reed wanted to make something of Miss Ellie that the character didn't have before. But, as we know, the character regressed and was there lifting coffee cups and removing Jock's celebrated portrait from the living room.

Interesting that you brought this up. It’s easy to look back on it now, but I have a feeling a lot of middle aged women thought Miss Ellie was drab. I still remember my mom commented on Miss Ellie’s wardrobe. Everybody else was glamorous, while she she was a plain Jane. Now we all know that her character was never meant to be glamorous and more of a plan homebody.