Katzman’s treatment of Susan, Jennilee and Dack

[Grangehill1]

Considering Leonard Katzman hired Susan Howard, Jennilee Harrison and Dack Rambo his subsequent treatment of them in season 10 was shocking. All three played pivotal parts in the dream season and suddenly season 10 you have -

Donna moping about for an entire year, directionless and characterless

Jamie now dressing like she has no fashion sense and doing nothing apart from waiting to be killed off

Jack - does nothing

it’s shocking

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Although much of what they did in Season 9 was window dressing. Yes, the single scene where Bobby explained to Pam that she had dreamed 31 episodes was reductive, and it was jarring for the show to pick up -- very roughly -- where it had left off a year earlier. But Donna & Ray's venture through Disabled Baby Land was PC and didn't ring true, Jack dating Jenna didn't work, and now just what was Jamie's storyline while Pam was snoozing?

If anything, I prefer their Season 10 plotlines, although brevity of the dream resolution was obviously harmful and corrosive.

Also, Larry wasn't fond of Dack who "spray-paints on his jeans" and Katzman was ready to cull Susan Howard from the cast because she'd been publicly critical of his choice to utilize the dream explanation (placing her in all-black for the Ewing Barbecue, filmed during the dead of Texas summer, and having her stay at "The Arlington Suite" in Washington reveals Uncle Lenny's "this star is fading fast!" intentions for her). Jamie was actually revived from her car bomb by Katzman, only to be killed off a again a few months later so Cliff could inherit part of the company.

I didn't mind the shift in their storylines particularly, except for how quickly they occurred. But as an actor, you probably wouldn't like getting fired -- or having to pretend one year of plotting, however questionable, never happened.

 

[Grangehill1]

Although much of what they did in Season 9 was window dressing. Yes, the single scene where Bobby explained to Pam that she had dreamed 31 episodes was reductive, and it was jarring for the show to pick up -- very roughly -- where it had left off a year earlier. But Donna & Ray's venture through Disabled Baby Land was PC and didn't ring true, Jack dating Jenna didn't work, and now just what was Jamie's storyline while Pam was snoozing?

If anything, I prefer their Season 10 plotlines, although brevity of the dream resolution was obviously harmful and corrosive.

Also, Larry wasn't fond of Dack who "spray-paints on his jeans" and Katzman was ready to cull Susan Howard from the cast because she'd been publicly critical of his choice to utilize the dream explanation (placing her in all-black for the Ewing Barbecue, filmed during the dead of Texas summer, and having her stay at "The Arlington Suite" in Washington reveals Uncle Lenny's "this star is fading fast!" intentions for her). Jamie was actually revived from her car bomb by Katzman, only to be killed off a again a few months later so Cliff could inherit part of the company.

I didn't mind the shift in their storylines particularly, except for how quickly they occurred. But as an actor, you probably wouldn't like getting fired -- or having to pretend one year of plotting, however questionable, never happened.

I would argue all three had PLENTY to do in the dream season.

Donna’s reconciliation with Ray, finding out the baby was Down syndrome, then the miscarriage, then trying to adopt. Fantastic stuff.

Jamie went from Cliff’s lackey to him falling in love with her, her accident, working alongside him and her trying to fix the Barnes Ewing feud once and for all.

Jack had so much to do. A rare character like April who was friends with JR AND Cliff. Involved in the whole double storyline.

yes some of the plots were far fetched but the cast were used so well and it’s sheer misery sitting through season 10 seeing what Katzman did to them.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I would argue all three had PLENTY to do in the dream season.

Donna’s reconciliation with Ray, finding out the baby was Down syndrome, then the miscarriage, then trying to adopt. Fantastic stuff.

Jamie went from Cliff’s lackey to him falling in love with her, her accident, working alongside him and her trying to fix the Barnes Ewing feud once and for all.

Jack had so much to do. A rare character like April who was friends with JR AND Cliff. Involved in the whole double storyline.

yes some of the plots were far fetched but the cast were used so well and it’s sheer misery sitting through season 10 seeing what Katzman did to them.

I never said they didn't have plenty to do during the dream season -- it mostly just didn't work for me. But then, I didn't care much for that season as a whole: it was earnest but muddled, smug and soapy, glamorous but hollow.

It was anything but fantastic. It was more fantastical -- no wonder someone was sleeping.

Yes, the dream explanation was too perfunctory and destructive, but after that, at least the characters were back to acting like themselves.

 

[Grangehill1]

I never said they didn't have plenty to do during the dream season -- it mostly just didn't work for me. But then, I didn't care much for that season as a whole: it was earnest but muddled, smug and soapy, glamorous but hollow.

It was anything but fantastic. It was more fantastical -- no wonder someone was sleeping.

Yes, the dream explanation was too perfunctory and destructive, but after that, at least the characters were back to acting like themselves.

View attachment 42865

To be fair you said ‘window dressing’ and the asked what Jennilee’s story was in the dream.

the first twelve episodes of 9 are incredible. Performances, scripts, score. Amazing. The latter half goes a bit dynasty but it’s played dead straight.

10 descends into self referential parody and is the beginning of the end. Everybody looks a mess, the music is appalling, we have to sit through Ray and Jenna, Sue Ellen just suddenly becomes sober, we’re watching a recycled BD Calhoun storyline - wanting revenge on the Ewings (Angelica Nero). It’s an awful
Season

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

To be fair you said ‘window dressing’ and the asked what Jennilee’s story was in the dream.

I asked about Jamie's story in the dream season because I didn't remember it, but I wasn't questioning that she had one.

the first twelve episodes of 9 are incredible. Performances, scripts, score. Amazing. The latter half goes a bit dynasty but it’s played dead straight.

I completely agree -- the first two-fifths of Season 9 were much better than the rest of the year. And I would also agree that the remainder of the season goes a bit 'Dynasty': rambling, maudlin nonsense which goes nowhere except in circles...

10 descends into self referential parody and is the beginning of the end. Everybody looks a mess, the music is appalling, we have to sit through Ray and Jenna, Sue Ellen just suddenly becomes sober, we’re watching a recycled BD Calhoun storyline - wanting revenge on the Ewings (Angelica Nero). It’s an awful
Season

DALLAS, at its best, is all about self-reverential ('referential'?) parody. Everybody looks a mess? How so? In a bad way? The technical optics were a problem of course, but hopefully that's being fixed. If you mean the clothes, they pulled back a lot from the excessive Grecian pleating during the dream year.

Ray and Jenna semi-together in Season 10 is easier to take than their continued rebound relationship in Season 11. Sue Ellen suddenly stops drinking because Pam just woke up -- plus, Sue Ellen has a new toy to distract herself: Mandy Winger.

Season 10, far from being the awful year that Season 9 became (especially the further it droned along), is almost the defining year of DALLAS, "Who Shot JR?" and Jock's Will notwithstanding. Season 10, with the haunted Wes Parmalee plotline, is the most Hamlet-esque the show ever gets -- it's essentially everything that DALLAS is all about, wrapped messily into a single year.

It is the beginning of the end, it's true, but that's fault of Season 11 thru Season 14.

I do wish Season 10 had not used the one-scene dream revelation, naturally. But the beginning of the end was arguably Donna Reed or Pam's disappearance being essentially ignored.

Season 10, though flawed with some goofy elements, is one of the four best years DALLAS ever had -- and probably has the best frequent re-watch value of any of them.

I doubt we'll ever be able to agree on very much, however. I've read your posts here before, and some on your blog, but while you write well, your observations rarely ever ring true to me. So I guess our sensibilities are just too different.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

I remember not being particularly enamored with season 10 when I first saw it, but now @Snarky Oracle you make me
want to rewatch it.

 

[pete lashmar]

Ray and Jenna was just downright painful to watch - no idea what the writers were doing there at all.

With Jenna they should have killed her off , but manage to save the baby and it end up with Bobby & Pam. That would then have given more focus for Bobby once Pam vanished in such a poor manner.

 

[Grangehill1]

I asked about Jamie's story in the dream season because I didn't remember it, but I wasn't questioning that she had one.



I completely agree -- the first two-fifths of Season 9 were much better than the rest of the year. And I would also agree that the remainder of the season goes a bit 'Dynasty': rambling, maudlin nonsense which goes nowhere except in circles...



DALLAS, at its best, is all about self-reverential ('referential'?) parody. Everybody looks a mess? How so? In a bad way? The technical optics were a problem of course, but hopefully that's being fixed. If you mean the clothes, they pulled back a lot from the excessive Grecian pleating during the dream year.

Ray and Jenna semi-together in Season 10 is easier to take than their continued rebound relationship in Season 11. Sue Ellen suddenly stops drinking because Pam just woke up -- plus, Sue Ellen has a new toy to distract herself: Mandy Winger.

Season 10, far from being the awful year that Season 9 became (especially the further it droned along), is almost the defining year of DALLAS, "Who Shot JR?" and Jock's Will notwithstanding. Season 10, with the haunted Wes Parmalee plotline, is the most Hamlet-esque the show ever gets -- it's essentially everything that DALLAS is all about, wrapped messily into a single year.

It is the beginning of the end, it's true, but that's fault of Season 11 thru Season 14.

I do wish Season 10 had not used the one-scene dream revelation, naturally. But the beginning of the end was arguably Donna Reed or Pam's disappearance being essentially ignored.

Season 10, though flawed with some goofy elements, is one of the four best years DALLAS ever had -- and probably has the best frequent re-watch value of any of them.

I doubt we'll ever be able to agree on very much, however. I've read your posts here before, and some on your blog, but while you write well, your observations rarely ever ring true to me. So I guess our sensibilities are just too different.

I don’t have a blog so think you’ve got the wrong person there.
Everybody looks a mess as in styling has gone out of the window. Victoria looked stunning in the dream. Season ten she doesn’t. The same with Linda. Susan Howard looks absurd through most of season 10.

i prefer the more serious tone of season 9. Even the Angelica stuff is played completely straight. Whilst the camp factor in ten starts creeping up.

Sue Ellen’s rehabilitation in 9 is phenomenal. 10 it’s all played for laughs.

 

[southfork88]

I never said they didn't have plenty to do during the dream season -- it mostly just didn't work for me. But then, I didn't care much for that season as a whole: it was earnest but muddled, smug and soapy, glamorous but hollow.

It was anything but fantastic. It was more fantastical -- no wonder someone was sleeping.

Yes, the dream explanation was too perfunctory and destructive, but after that, at least the characters were back to acting like themselves.

View attachment 42865

I don't think there has ever been a group photo of the Ewings family during Rodeo (1985-1986 season), but you can't compare a photo from the Barbecue of 1986-1987 season to the one from the Oil Baron Club gala. They are different times in social-life of the Ewings

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I don’t have a blog so think you’ve got the wrong person there.

You didn't used to? Hmmm. OK.

Everybody looks a mess as in styling has gone out of the window. Victoria looked stunning in the dream. Season ten she doesn’t. The same with Linda. Susan Howard looks absurd through most of season 10.

i prefer the more serious tone of season 9. Even the Angelica stuff is played completely straight. Whilst the camp factor in ten starts creeping up.

Sue Ellen’s rehabilitation in 9 is phenomenal. 10 it’s all played for laughs.

I rather liked the way they looked in Season 10; Season 9 was a little too much.

I generally prefer a serious tone for DALLAS, too. But Season 9 was too self-serious. Season 10 was admittedly outrageous, but it was the most outrageous the show ever got which actually worked. (After that, it didn't).

I accept both. Sue Ellen was both serious and laugh-inducing. Both approaches seem equally valid.

 

[Grangehill1]

You didn't used to? Hmmm. OK.



I rather liked the way they looked in Season 10; Season 9 was a little too much.

I generally prefer a serious tone for DALLAS, too. But Season 9 was too self-serious. Season 10 was admittedly outrageous, but it was the most outrageous the show ever got which actually worked. (After that, it didn't).

I accept both. Sue Ellen was both serious and laugh-inducing. Both approaches seem equally valid.

What blog? I’ve never written a blog in my life

I disagree between serious approach and comedy. Serious in a drama is always better than comedy

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

What blog? I’ve never written a blog in my life

Really?? I have to accept that.

I disagree between serious approach and comedy. Serious in a drama is always better than comedy

Mostly, I agree. David Jacobs once correctly said that although these shows may have humor and satire underneath the surface, they must be played absolutely straight on the face of it.

But I'd argue that Season 10 was not comedy. It was outrageous, but played mostly as straight drama -- which is why it worked. Unlike subsequent seasons, where it did turn to comedy, and very much didn't work.

 

[the-lost-son]

With Katzman back they wanted "to recreate the original Dallas formula again". That didn't leave much room though for deaf children/down syndrome etc. I liked Donna's breakdown at the fireplace. But Dallas always worked best when several storylines came together. This plot felt rather isolated.
Additionally the women took more of a backseat in S9 /DVD10).

The problem with Jack/Jenna was always that we didn't know anything about them. I wish they gave us some "ghosts of the pasts", some secret like they did with Clayton and his Jessica-storyline (which I loved). It's hard to invest in character you don't know anything about. The JR we knew would try everything to blackmail Jack for his 10% of EwingOil and Jamie for some shares of BarnesWentworth.
Having Jack/Jamie/Cliff/Pam at Barnes Wentworth could have been some counterpart for the Ewings for example.

The same lack of background information can be stated about Donna though. All we know is that she was married to Sam Culver, is married to Ray and that she's an upright person. I would have loved for JR to find some secret of her or her family to blackmail her into helping him to keep EwingOil out of the state department's investigations.

But they were relying on the male characters and decided to give Ray some screen time ill-matching him with Jenna (which was out of character for all involved). PD's return was expensive, budget cuts necessary. Additionally like for Charlene Tilton they did not know what to write for Susan Howard. (She was not the only one criticizing the dream solution.)

I'm no huge fan of S9(DVD10) but with the great Wes Parmalee storyline and especially with an intact cast I think Barbara Curran was right to describe this season as "the return to camelot".

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

I'm always intrigued by the Dream Season vs. Season 10 opinion divide on here. I think both perspectives are valid and interesting. I made a "Dream Season vs. Season 10" voting thread a little while back and was surprised to see the Dream Season get more votes.

I tend to agree with the general consensus that the Dream Season started strong and lost its way at some point, but have found that, taken with the right level of expectation, even the Angelica and Cantrell storylines are entertaining. Angelica and Nicholas and Grace's interactions are so weirdly awkward, and Cantrell and Graison slugging it out down in Colombia is some nice mid-80s action. Cliff is hilarious down there by the mine, going from whining and complaining to being all gung-ho about marching into that silly little cave to get those stones.

The thing I can't get with is everyone by the end of the season just sitting in the Southfork living room sharing the events of the day and their feelings in this supportive atmosphere... Clayton showing empathy for Donna's quest to adopt poor Tony.. JR earnestly sharing his fears with Sue Ellen.. The vibe's closer to Sue Ellen's sessions at the Institute For Advanced Awareness than the glory days of JR and Pam going at it over cocktails, with Bobby losing his temper, Jock breaking it up in his physical Old West Wildcatter style and Ellie shouting at them to stop.. or Sue Ellen making her grand presentation of JR's philandering only to discover that JR had swapped in his phony PI reports at the last minute.

It's nice seeing Cliff show some humanity, though. Going from season 9 straight into season 10, it's just so jarring to see him revert to being an insufferable selfish mega-prick. Add in the "what the hell show is he trying to score?" John Parker music, and it's such a different show. I really like Snarky's take on the Wes Parmalee storyline - it's absolutely one of the most memorable and resonant of the whole series, and even if you hate it, not in an "Angelica Nero mimicking Dynasty" way. I think Steve Forrest just nails the role.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I think that budgets were getting cut, and these characters became less of a priority to the powers that be.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Yes, by the latter part of Season 9, the Ewings are getting along absurdly well, and it just doesn't ring true. And it isn't very interesting either.

 

[Chris2]

There was some cheezy dinner scene toward the end of the dream season where the Krebbses brought Tony and everyone was sitting there smiling at each other and getting along. I felt like I was watching The Waltons. There’s a reason the ratings really plunged in the latter half of the season (after holding up pretty well during the first part of the season).

 

[Mustard]

It's seems obvious that Susan Howard, Dack Rambo and Jenilee Harrison backed the wrong side behind the scenes, i.e. Philip Capice. Howard in particular was annoyed at the annulment of Donna and Ray's storylines in the previous season.

There was also a particular thing in 1986-87 on the Katzman/Paulsen side that Dallas was a "man's show", and the sexism does go through the roof that season on Dallas. I don't know what that was all about. Was it Barbara Carrera, Joan Collins, Stephanie Beacham or Donna Mills that was rubbing them up the wrong way?

 

[Billy Wall]

There was also a particular thing in 1986-87 on the Katzman/Paulsen side that Dallas was a "man's show", and the sexism does go through the roof that season on Dallas.

Lol…Sexism went through the roof from day one on Dallas.