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Mel O'Drama
Admin
The episode titles usually appeared in TV listings back in the day (Radio Times for us Brits), and I believe appeared on the scripts used by cast and crew.
It is curious that Dallas never showed the titles on-screen while its own spinoff always did.
LMLDallas78
Telly Talk Enthusiast
I liked that Dallas didn't display the episode title. I enjoyed learning the titles and was surprised to learn sometime ago they even existed. I finally know my favourites by heart. I still enjoy to this day watching an episode I might not have seen for ages and looking up the title.
I really like that little air of mystery of the titles not shown on screen.
I really like that little air of mystery of the titles not shown on screen.
DallasFanForever
Telly Talk Supreme
I didn’t think about the episode titles at all back then. I didn’t even know they existed until much later so those kinds of things really didn’t bother me at that time. However I do enjoy knowing them now, especially the most important episodes.
LMLDallas78
Telly Talk Enthusiast
You're right. I've never remembered this considering how much effort I put into getting hold of a copy back in the day. No sweets for me with pocket money, Radio Times always or newspaper if Dallas was in there.
I have a copy of the Radio Times from November 1979 featuring Dallas new series episode "Whatever happened to Baby John part 1" and the title is indeed there under the cast and before the synopsis. Writer and director follow this with part 2 next Saturday evening.
8.40 Saturday night primetime TV. What absolutely amazing times!
How fascinating that Dallas didn't display the episode title onscreen. So many shows did especially from the early 80s through to the 90s. I suppose I'm thinking more of "on going drama series" as opposed to soaps. Strange that Knots Landing included title names.
Snarky Oracle!
Telly Talk Supreme
FALCON CREST and KONTS LANDING always showed their titles on-screen, and it seemed appropriate for those series (especially before CREST started to suck).
I also agree that it was good that DALLAS, which used quite clever episodic titles, did not put those titles on screen... I'm not sure why, exactly, but I think it has something to do with the self-consciousness of the on-screen use of episodic titles that just "didn't fit" DALLAS. There's something kind of preachy about such titles, something slightly pretentious almost (which isn't necessarily bad, depending on the show). And that wasn't DALLAS.
Which leads us to the inevitable topic of DYNASTY's episodic titles. (The first season and a half were apparently named after the fact -- which is why they weren't as bad). I was also glad DYNASTY didn't put them on screen either -- but perhaps they should have: it's hard to use "The Wedding" or "The Vendetta" or "The Party" or "The Dinner" multiple times and get away with it when those titles appear on screen.
In fact, given the pretentious self-consciousness of DYNASTY, it's weird they didn't put their titles on screen.
Once Paulsen got there for Season 9, the DYNASTY titles, not surprisingly, got much better.
PS: the only title DALLAS repeated by accident was "The Sting."
I also agree that it was good that DALLAS, which used quite clever episodic titles, did not put those titles on screen... I'm not sure why, exactly, but I think it has something to do with the self-consciousness of the on-screen use of episodic titles that just "didn't fit" DALLAS. There's something kind of preachy about such titles, something slightly pretentious almost (which isn't necessarily bad, depending on the show). And that wasn't DALLAS.
Which leads us to the inevitable topic of DYNASTY's episodic titles. (The first season and a half were apparently named after the fact -- which is why they weren't as bad). I was also glad DYNASTY didn't put them on screen either -- but perhaps they should have: it's hard to use "The Wedding" or "The Vendetta" or "The Party" or "The Dinner" multiple times and get away with it when those titles appear on screen.
In fact, given the pretentious self-consciousness of DYNASTY, it's weird they didn't put their titles on screen.
Once Paulsen got there for Season 9, the DYNASTY titles, not surprisingly, got much better.
PS: the only title DALLAS repeated by accident was "The Sting."
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Barbara Fan
Admin
The titles were always in the Radio Times and I copied them all onto the cassette tape i recorded Dallas on pre parents getting VCR video in 1983
You got 2 episodes on a 90 mins tape and wow betide if tape pulled (I normally cried )
I then wrote out a summary of every epiosde in my diary under that heading in my best handwriting. Still got the lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(I collected everything and anything about Dallas from Jan 12th 1980, now have over 100 000 articles and photos which is insane and if i knew then id still be collecting now I might not have started! - However it doesnt really make the press now, only PP on a regular basis)
Luke_Krebbs_Ewing
Telly Talk Champion
FALCON CREST and KONTS LANDING always showed their titles on-screen, and it seemed appropriate for those series (especially before CREST started to suck).
I also agree that it was good that DALLAS, which used quite clever episodic titles, did not put those titles on screen... I'm not sure why, exactly, but I think it has something to do with the self-consciousness of the on-screen use of episodic titles that just "didn't fit" DALLAS. There's something kind of preachy about such titles, something slightly pretentious almost (which isn't necessarily bad, depending on the show). And that wasn't DALLAS.
Which leads us to the inevitable topic of DYNASTY's episodic titles. (The first season and a half were apparently named after the fact -- which is why they weren't as bad). I was also glad DYNASTY didn't put them on screen either -- but perhaps they should have: it's hard to use "The Wedding" or "The Vendetta" or "The Party" or "The Dinner" multiple times and get away with it when those titles appear on screen.
In fact, given the pretentious self-consciousness of DYNASTY, it's weird they didn't put their titles on screen.
Once Paulsen got there for Season 9, the DYNASTY titles, not surprisingly, got much better.
PS: the only title DALLAS repeated by accident was "The Sting."
As you probably know already buddy, a series as epic as Dallas just didn't need to show the individual episode titles.
It was mostly a continuing storyline anyway apart from the initial opening mini series.
As good as Dallas was, acknowledging those individual episode titles on screen just wasn't necessary.
