Dallas - What/if...?

the-lost-son

the-lost-son

Telly Talk Well-Known Member
Most of the writing can be corrected. But the departures of certain actors changed the product as a whole.

My biggest what if-scenarios are:
What if Patrick Duffy hadn't left the series after season 7 (DVD8)?

and for TNT Dallas:
What if Larry Hagman hadn't died during season 2?
What if Victoria Principal had had any interest in returning to her iconic role?
 
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Sarah

Sarah

Moderator Emerita
Via The Void said:
I like season thirteen to be honest but I'm not a fan of the final season, that season was too far removed from the original concept of the show.

Dallas ended at the right time. I don't think it could've gone to a fifteenth season, not unless they'd actually kept Steve Forrest as a re-cast Jock Ewing which might've sustained the show's longevity. Who knows? We'll never really know, will we!?! :)
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Victoria was not invited to return to the role, Cynthia told me that herself.

Yes in my season 15 Vanessa and her spawn never existed, Sue Ellen comes back and all is well. Ok Pam can come back too. All the Ewings laugh at the previous 2 seasons and it ends with Miss Ellie - who has also returned - closing the front door as they all sit down to dinner and she tells the family about her nightmare, which also included monster living in the attic and feeding on the souls of nice people (the monster is called Mandy but no one can figure out why…)

Sue Ellen makes a sarcastic joke and JR nips her thigh under the table before whispering something dirty in her ear.

All the family roll their eyes while Bobby toasts them all saying, ‘Thank God things are back to normal around here!’

Freeze frame on Ewing dinner table, end credits, roll theme tune.

Eat Popcorn.
 
D

DallasFanForever

Telly Talk Supreme
I think the biggest “What If” for me is what if the show was never picked up for any additional seasons after the miniseries? We’d be sitting here 43 years later wondering about a lot of stuff.

Who had the first baby, Pam or Sue Ellen?

Did Pam and Bobby really end up staying?

What became of all these dysfunctional people?

A lot of unanswered questions!
 
Rove

Rove

Telly Talk Warrior
Toni said:
What if, instead of Peter, there had been a young woman played by, let´s say, Brooke Shields, who fell in love with Swellin and tried to seduce her? That would have pushed the envelope back then!
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Brooke Shields as Sue Ellen's younger lover? Someone pass the smelling salts. Then picture this. Let's call Brooke's character Petra. She arrives in Dallas escaping a relationship she longer wishes to be in. She hooks up with Sue Ellen and in the final nail-biting cliff-hanger episode we witness Petra and Sue Ellen skinny-dipping in the Southfork swimming pool. Guess who shows up? Petra's former boyfriend Peter, guest starring Christopher Atkins. He pictures Petra and Sue Ellen cavorting naked in the pool and decides to join them. Damn! It's a Blue Lagoon reunion instead we'll now call it Southfork Lagoon...:bah:
 
Jon Ewing Jr.

Jon Ewing Jr.

Telly Talk Fan
Everything aside, I often think of the dream season and Bob not coming back. I often wonder about the little and big things that did happen and would have happened. For instance, where was Clayton at, what would have happened with Pam, Mark? Ben Stivers?
 
Mustard

Mustard

Telly Talk TV Fanatic
Toni said:
What if, instead of Peter, there had been a young woman played by, let´s say, Brooke Shields, who fell in love with Swellin and tried to seduce her? That would have pushed the envelope back then!
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They'd have never had the bottle to do that on Dallas at the time, in 1983-84. More liberal Knots Landing in Los Angeles wouldn't have even gone that far. Knots Landing did float married woman Laura possibly having a same-sex relationship with Ciji in 1982-83, but it was left to the viewer's imagination to see it as nonsense or a possibility. Not even they at the time would have done open flirting on screen, let alone open seduction attempts on screen or things going even further. Heck, they were barely doing a small number of scenes with a sapphic flirt in 1992-1993 when bisexual character Vanessa Hunt was on the show. Brookside in the UK in 1994 was the first pre-watershed (i.e. before 9pm) lesbian kiss. A gay kiss between two men on EastEnders in 1996 was still big enough to be the main headline on the 9 o'clock news.
 
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Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Telly Talk Champion
Jon Ewing Jr. said:
Everything aside, I often think of the dream season and Bob not coming back. I often wonder about the little and big things that did happen and would have happened. For instance, where was Clayton at, what would have happened with Pam, Mark? Ben Stivers?
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Ben Stivers would've turned out to really be Jock. Clayton was only missing so that it would set up the scenario of Miss Ellie walking into Ben's bunkhouse and finding Jock's belongings. That scene got re-played in season ten with Wes Parmalee, it would've made a great end of season cliff hanger. A shame the Ben version got cut

Mark Graison I think was going to be killed off, leaving Pam with some of his fortune and possibly Graisco his company. Sue Ellen would've been in a wheelchair as a result of the explosion in JR's office and possibly blinded as well. Jamie would've been dead of course. Jack would've had more to do with Duffy not coming back. With Duffy's return most of the plotlines for the next season bit the dust save one, Steve Forrest was still under contract so Ben Stivers became Wes Parmalee.

Could Dallas have survived without Bobby Ewing? Season nine started very strong, Sue Ellen's alcoholism storyline is a highlight of the season, Linda Gray is terrific. Whether its true or not Hagman apparently was not a fan of the women taking the lead in this season. Both Victoria Principal & Linda Gray had major storylines this season. I certainly think it was a strong season. Whilst I liked Patrick Duffy's return, I was more enraptured by Wes Parmalee's claim that he was Jock as I fully expected the writing to reveal that he was Jock all along. I was frustrated & disappointed by the way Wes just left. Duffy's return messed the Parmalee story around and ultimately stopped Steve Forrest from staying on Dallas as a recast Jock! Right, I'll stop talking about my favourite storyline! :)
 
Jon Ewing Jr.

Jon Ewing Jr.

Telly Talk Fan
Via The Void said:
Ben Stivers would've turned out to really be Jock. Clayton was only missing so that it would set up the scenario of Miss Ellie walking into Ben's bunkhouse and finding Jock's belongings. That scene got re-played in season ten with Wes Parmalee, it would've made a great end of season cliff hanger. A shame the Ben version got cut

Mark Graison I think was going to be killed off, leaving Pam with some of his fortune and possibly Graisco his company. Sue Ellen would've been in a wheelchair as a result of the explosion in JR's office and possibly blinded as well. Jamie would've been dead of course. Jack would've had more to do with Duffy not coming back. With Duffy's return most of the plotlines for the next season bit the dust save one, Steve Forrest was still under contract so Ben Stivers became Wes Parmalee.

Could Dallas have survived without Bobby Ewing? Season nine started very strong, Sue Ellen's alcoholism storyline is a highlight of the season, Linda Gray is terrific. Whether its true or not Hagman apparently was not a fan of the women taking the lead in this season. Both Victoria Principal & Linda Gray had major storylines this season. I certainly think it was a strong season. Whilst I liked Patrick Duffy's return, I was more enraptured by Wes Parmalee's claim that he was Jock as I fully expected the writing to reveal that he was Jock all along. I was frustrated & disappointed by the way Wes just left. Duffy's return messed the Parmalee story around and ultimately stopped Steve Forrest from staying on Dallas as a recast Jock! Right, I'll stop talking about my favourite storyline! :)
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I never knew that that was the reason Clayton was missing...to set up that scene but it makes perfect sense.
 
L

lbf522

Telly Talk Well-Known Member
Via The Void said:
Ben Stivers would've turned out to really be Jock. Clayton was only missing so that it would set up the scenario of Miss Ellie walking into Ben's bunkhouse and finding Jock's belongings. That scene got re-played in season ten with Wes Parmalee, it would've made a great end of season cliff hanger. A shame the Ben version got cut

Mark Graison I think was going to be killed off, leaving Pam with some of his fortune and possibly Graisco his company. Sue Ellen would've been in a wheelchair as a result of the explosion in JR's office and possibly blinded as well. Jamie would've been dead of course. Jack would've had more to do with Duffy not coming back. With Duffy's return most of the plotlines for the next season bit the dust save one, Steve Forrest was still under contract so Ben Stivers became Wes Parmalee.

Could Dallas have survived without Bobby Ewing? Season nine started very strong, Sue Ellen's alcoholism storyline is a highlight of the season, Linda Gray is terrific. Whether its true or not Hagman apparently was not a fan of the women taking the lead in this season. Both Victoria Principal & Linda Gray had major storylines this season. I certainly think it was a strong season. Whilst I liked Patrick Duffy's return, I was more enraptured by Wes Parmalee's claim that he was Jock as I fully expected the writing to reveal that he was Jock all along. I was frustrated & disappointed by the way Wes just left. Duffy's return messed the Parmalee story around and ultimately stopped Steve Forrest from staying on Dallas as a recast Jock! Right, I'll stop talking about my favourite storyline! :)
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I agree Ellie seeing Jock's things in Ben Stiver's stuff would have made for a great season ender. As for Bobby's return, I never liked Bobby myself so I did not miss him but the dream thing was a bad idea. Maybe if this had been Bobby's dream as he is in a coma maybe that might have gone well.
 
stevew

stevew

Telly Talk Star
TJames03 said:
Dream Season never happened, the show retained its dignity, Pam finally was fed up with Bobby and became ruthless, a female JR (and VP stayed with the show)....
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Season 15:

Dream Season - Season 14 was all one big dream of Pam's. Now it's time, to fight J. R. He has everything, Ewing Oil, South Fork, and her son has been side lined. Cliff is even in prison - instead of Jeremy Wendell. J. R. is married to Kathryn and now controls all of Wentworth - in a loveless marriage for business. Kathryn hadn't killed Bobby, Jenna had and now Pamela has raise Lucas as her own while Jenna lives out her life in a mental institution. Now Pam has to fight for her son's, Bobby's son's, and she won't be discarded this time - this time she's going to destroy J. R. Ewing.
 
Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Telly Talk Champion
Laurie Marr said:
What if Uncle Lenny had not been given unfettered creative freedom in ‘86 once he’d settled scores with Capice?
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Ultimately it was Katzman himself who drove Dallas into the ground. If he hadn't have come back I think we would've been spared Granny Beaumont, James & Michelle Stevens. We might not have had an exit for Victoria Principal, she may have stayed on. If she had left, I think we would've been spared that mummy Pam in the hospital storyline. Jock would've got back with Miss Ellie & Clayton would have had a heart attack. Susan Howard would have stayed & both Priscilla Presley & Shalane McCall would've left instead. Donna & Ray would've renewed their vows & stayed together. Jack & JR would've got Harry to find out who murdered Jamie & injured Sue Ellen at the Ewing Oil Offices. Such a shame all that was lost when Duffy came back! :(
 
C

Chris2

Telly Talk Dream Maker
Steve Forrest as Jock would have been almost as big a miscast as Donna Reed as Ellie. He didn’t have the rough-and-tumble quality of Jim Davis, and the age difference (Forrest was 16 years younger than Davis) was a complete deal breaker for me. How old was proposed nuJock supposed to be when he was wildcatting? 6 years old?

Jim Davis was too unique a performer to replace.
 
Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Telly Talk Champion
Chris2 said:
Steve Forrest as Jock would have been almost as big a miscast as Donna Reed as Ellie. He didn’t have the rough-and-tumble quality of Jim Davis, and the age difference (Forrest was 16 years younger than Davis) was a complete deal breaker for me. How old was proposed nuJock supposed to be when he was wildcatting? 6 years old?

Jim Davis was too unique a performer to replace.
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Jock Ewing 2a.jpg

"So you think I'm miscast do ya!?! Miss Ellie, fetch me the shot gun from the hall closet, I'm gonna run this upstart off Southfork!" :p
 
Toni

Toni

Maximum Member
Rove said:
Did anyone else have a sense Angelica Nero and Grace were something more?...just me then?
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Oh yeah, since minute 1!!!! Merete Van Kamp said to Dallas Fanzine that it was the original plan but was eventually scrapped. I´d like to know why exactly, rumors said that it was BBG who opposed to the idea...

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