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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jock Ewing Fan" data-source="post: 398435" data-attributes="member: 40536"><p>In later seasons, there were multiple reasons for its decline, including lack of good writing for all characters.  Departures of Victoria Principal,Susan Howard, Steve Kanaly, a failure in casting better characters, lower budgets and repeating storylines.  Dallas was an ensemble but not all had the same appeal, and it is not reality to suggest otherwise.  ie JR was more interesting than Ray.  Again, the show was at its peak when JR, Bobby, Pam and Sue Ellen were the main focus with challenges to Ewing Oil (usually by Cliff).  Miss Ellie was basically reduced to a a supporting character/plot device after Jim Davis passed, and had little impact other than trying to sell Ewing Oil twice.  Not BBG's fault, moreso the writing.  even after BBG came back, ratings declined steeply and never recovered. Later seasons declined, but no matter who played Miss Ellie or what the stories were (including a really bad Jessica Fletcher imitation) nothing about BBG or the Miss Ellie character was going to make any difference</p></blockquote><p></p>