Grangehill1
Telly Talk Fan
I f Patrick had stayed on past season 8 and Bobby’s death never happened, where would the storyline have gone?
-
Click here for the details
What if Patrick hadn’t left
- Thread starter Grangehill1
- Start date
- Copy link Copy link
Monzo
Telly Talk Star
Bobby and Pam would have been lucky until it was revealed that Jenna was pregnant. Maybe Pam would have left Bobby so Bobby could raise the kid with Jenna. It's possible that Mark would have returned to comfort Pam.
The future for Bobby seems easy to imagine, but how would writers have used Jack? And what would have become of Ray & Donna? Would Susan Howard have had to leave Dallas anyway because of budget cuts and might Donna have died at the end of a season as a big cliffhanger?
With Bobby being alive would Matt have come to town? I guess Angelica Nero would have been still a part of the show, but I wonder how much Bobby would have been included in this storyline or if he would at all.
The future for Bobby seems easy to imagine, but how would writers have used Jack? And what would have become of Ray & Donna? Would Susan Howard have had to leave Dallas anyway because of budget cuts and might Donna have died at the end of a season as a big cliffhanger?
With Bobby being alive would Matt have come to town? I guess Angelica Nero would have been still a part of the show, but I wonder how much Bobby would have been included in this storyline or if he would at all.
Last edited:
Grangehill1
Telly Talk Fan
I think Leonard Katzman would have still gone for a year. Jack was designed as a replacement for Bobby so his character never would have existed. Jenna being pregnant in my opinion was a tool to cause trouble between Bobby and Pam after the dream season so I don’t think she would have been pregnant.
But would Pam and Bobby have got back together or would the writers have prolonged it even more?
But would Pam and Bobby have got back together or would the writers have prolonged it even more?
Monzo
Telly Talk Star
When Jamie joined the show early in the season Jack was mentioned. Had Patrick Duffy already informed producers at the time that he would leave after season 8, so his replacement was mentioned for the first time? Or was Jack mentioned as plan B in case someday (in a much later season) this character was needed?
Last edited:
I’m guessing Patrick gave the producers a good deal of notice, even if it wasn’t public until later, and that’s why we heard about Jack relatively early in the season. I also think they wouldn’t have put Bobby and Pam back together so quickly had Patrick stayed. That reconciliation would have been milked much more.
Grangehill1
Telly Talk Fan
Might Patrick have left when Victoria went then?
southfork88
Telly Talk TV Fanatic
Priscilla Presley was actually pregnant in the 1986-1987 season, not the year before (dream season) so I don't think there would have been this storyline between Patrick and Jenna in 1985-1987 season.
Luke_Krebbs_Ewing
Telly Talk Champion
I don't think we would've gotten the Ben Stivers or Wes Parmalee storylines if Patrick Duffy had not left.
It was Peter Dunne who wanted to bring Jock back as a foil for JR, since Bobby was dead.
We were lucky to get Steve Forrest on Dallas, he was an old school actor but very professional and with great screen presence.
Even though we still postulate even today if the character was Jock or not, his performance was nothing short of fabulous in both the roles he played.
His tenure on the show also really brought out how good of an actor Barbara Bel Geddes was. She had great chemistry with Steve. If Patrick had not left Dallas I doubt very much we would've had any attempt by the Producer's to recast Jock with another actor after we lost Jim Davis.
It was Peter Dunne who wanted to bring Jock back as a foil for JR, since Bobby was dead.
We were lucky to get Steve Forrest on Dallas, he was an old school actor but very professional and with great screen presence.
Even though we still postulate even today if the character was Jock or not, his performance was nothing short of fabulous in both the roles he played.
His tenure on the show also really brought out how good of an actor Barbara Bel Geddes was. She had great chemistry with Steve. If Patrick had not left Dallas I doubt very much we would've had any attempt by the Producer's to recast Jock with another actor after we lost Jim Davis.
Luke_Krebbs_Ewing
Telly Talk Champion
It's certainly possible.
Victoria wanted financial parity with Duffy and the Producer's wouldn't do it. However if Duffy had not left it's also likely that Principal could have stayed. Victoria has mostly said it was the drop in quality of the writing which made her exit Dallas. It's possible she could be referring to the dream season explanation for Duffy's return. However if he had never left we couldn't have had the dream season at all. The show could still have been quite popular if Duffy had remained and there wasn't an attempt to recast Jock with another actor. One wonders what the storylines would've been like if Duffy had stayed. Would we still have had the Marinos shipping storyline with Angelica Nero and Jack masquerading as Dimitri Marinos? I don't think we'd have seen a sniff of Ben Stivers or Wes Parmalee. We maybe would've still had the Ray & Donna down syndrome storyline and Bobby would've met up with his best buddy Matt Cantrell played by Marc Singer. Pam would've still maybe gotten kidnapped but with Bobby with her. Mark Graison would still be dead!
It's interesting to see what way Dallas would've continued storyline wise if the dream season had never happened because ultimately in the long term it was that explanation for Bobby's return from the dead which ruined Dallas!
the-lost-son
Telly Talk Well-Known Member
Larry threatened to leave the series during the dream season quite frequently. If Larry had given the word, the series would have been wrapped up (Barbara Curran).
Linda threatened to leave/quit until she got the opportunity to direct an episode.
It's all part of the game and politics.
VP liked the first 5 years of Dallas best but she still stayed another 4. The agent of BBG (according to LH someone who helped BBG out of her job) tried for more money and a lighter workload (the producers chose to move on with Donna Reed). As we all know, BBG returned 1 year later (with another agent).
Patrick Duffy announced his departure way before. But I doubt that this announcement changed the course of the series not before the last few episodes. Such announcements were/are made all the time.
With Duffy on board I assume the following storylines:
- Jenna pregnant forcing moral Bobby to stay with her
- Mark Graison returning for Pam, she feels forced to stay with him
- the rest more/or less the same like Wes Parmalee etc.
I don't think the mentioning of Jack early is any indication. With PD on board Jack wouldn't have made it to Dallas. They hardly knew what to do with him without Bobby and nothing with Bobby back.
Both BBG's and PD's departures/returns were more than welcomed but hurt the shows' credibility in the end. Without them I think the producers wouldn't have been so reluctant to kill off another major character. Prime candidates: Clayton who has been a bystander in his last 3-4 years and Cliff who felt isolated since Pam's departure.
But as the show lost all gravitas in its last years it might not have made a difference at all.
Linda threatened to leave/quit until she got the opportunity to direct an episode.
It's all part of the game and politics.
VP liked the first 5 years of Dallas best but she still stayed another 4. The agent of BBG (according to LH someone who helped BBG out of her job) tried for more money and a lighter workload (the producers chose to move on with Donna Reed). As we all know, BBG returned 1 year later (with another agent).
Patrick Duffy announced his departure way before. But I doubt that this announcement changed the course of the series not before the last few episodes. Such announcements were/are made all the time.
With Duffy on board I assume the following storylines:
- Jenna pregnant forcing moral Bobby to stay with her
- Mark Graison returning for Pam, she feels forced to stay with him
- the rest more/or less the same like Wes Parmalee etc.
I don't think the mentioning of Jack early is any indication. With PD on board Jack wouldn't have made it to Dallas. They hardly knew what to do with him without Bobby and nothing with Bobby back.
Both BBG's and PD's departures/returns were more than welcomed but hurt the shows' credibility in the end. Without them I think the producers wouldn't have been so reluctant to kill off another major character. Prime candidates: Clayton who has been a bystander in his last 3-4 years and Cliff who felt isolated since Pam's departure.
But as the show lost all gravitas in its last years it might not have made a difference at all.
Last edited:
I think they would have killed Clayton if they br Jock back
Luke_Krebbs_Ewing
Telly Talk Champion
Not necessarily they might've tried putting Clayton with Sue Ellen. Remember he once had a thing for her?
DallasFanForever
Telly Talk Supreme
Which I would’ve had no problem with. I always liked the idea of a Clayton-Sue Ellen pairing. They had great chemistry together and the drama it would’ve caused for JR would’ve made for a good storyline.Not necessarily they might've tried putting Clayton with Sue Ellen. Remember he once had a thing for her?
UnfortunateLy, I do remember. I could get on board with that if he was not Dusty’s fatherNot necessarily they might've tried putting Clayton with Sue Ellen. Remember he once had a thing for her?
Priscilla Presley was pregnant in real life. if The writers came up with the story on their own that means Jenna would have had back to back kids. One with Ray & one with Bobby. Alternatively, they could have written Jenna out after she split with Bobby, which is what most of us wish would have happened
That would have been perfect. The Barnes Ewing feud was too much. Maybe this would have been Pam’s conditions for reconciliation. It would have also left the door open for them to return. No ridiculous storylines with the dream or Pam running away. Pam could have been in a car accident after they left. This would have given Patrick the opportunity to return without Victoria
Luke_Krebbs_Ewing
Telly Talk Champion
Yeah her relationship with Ray just didn't work, the actors just didn't have any chemistry together.
The character stayed too long on the show.
DallasFanForever
Telly Talk Supreme
In retrospect I’m glad she stuck around. I didn’t like her pairing with Ray but perhaps she could’ve reunited with Bobby after Pam left.
Maybe. But I’m not sure she would have. It would have been clear that she was totally his second choice. No woman wants to live that way
DallasFanForever
Telly Talk Supreme
No, of course not. Jenna deserved better than to be a second choice. But unfortunately for her, anyone Bobby chose after Pam was going to be second choice.