Pam's Dream

Taylor Bennett Jr.

Taylor Bennett Jr.

Telly Talk Winner
Michael Torrance said:
I think the only realistic long-term solution to satisfy fans who wanted nothing to change was to continue the show with the "it was all a cartoon" resolution. Pam goes to the shower and an anvil falls on cartoon Bobby, but cartoon Pam laughs her heart out. That way, just as in Tom and Jerry Tom chases Jerry every episode and nothing ever comes of it, Cliff would always threaten J.R., J.R. would always cheat on Sue Ellen, Sue Ellen would always go on and off the wagon and away and back to J.R., Pam and Bobby would split up and come together, and J.R. would always manage to pull the wool over everyone in Dallas even though they had witnessed him play dirty tricks time and again. Because in a cartoon, the universe is reset every episode. Plus the actors could do the voices and have more time to pursue other projects (isn't that why Duffy left)?
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I’d pay money to see Bobby, recently flattened by an anvil, walking around expanding and contracting like an accordion
 
tommie

tommie

Telly Talk Hero
Michael Torrance said:
Isn't it? When Rebecca and then Catherine came to Dallas, it was quite a seismic shift: Cliff was no longer the david against a goliath: he could use the might of the Wentworth empire. And instead of sparring but loving Pam and Cliff, we had snake in the garden Catherine. The show also changed when Bobby decided he had to stop being "by the book" ethical to go against J.R. after Jock died (another change). When I read threads here, so many of these stories are loved by Dallas fans.
The thing about these changes is that they were gradual and were believable. Unlike, say, Cliff Barnes turning into Stavro Blofeld with hair in the Cidre cartoon.
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I think a lot of people confuse re-aligning the playing field to having the characters change personality - when a major character exits (be it Bobby or Pam or Sue Ellen), that's a perfect opportunity to change the positions and goals of characters. Unfortunately, most shows (not just Dallas) tends to opt for creating sub-par filler characters to take the space of those who have left instead and continue on with business as usual.
 
C

Chris2

Telly Talk Dream Maker
Good point, Tommie. What I always admired about “Cheers” is that they didn’t just bring in another waitress/love interest for Sam when Shelley Long (Diane) left. Instead, they shook things up: Sam sold the bar, and the new female lead was the manager of the bar, and Sam’s boss. In some ways, it was like a new show.
 
Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Telly Talk Champion
TJames03 said:
There is no reinvention that Dallas could have done to fill the hole left by VP leaving. None.
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I suspect that that irked both Larry Hagman & Patrick Duffy.

Especially since Victoria was able to have quite a successful career away from Dallas.

It probably irked Linda Gray as well for all we know, because I seem to remember stories that something went down on the Dallas: Return To Southfork documentary where some of the cast felt estranged against Victoria. They are only human after all. It's just a shame the old green eyed monster got in the way because of Victoria having such a great career outside of Dallas. :(
 
Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Telly Talk Champion
TJames03 said:
I think Duffy, Gray, and especially Hagman were highly petty.....
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Plus the fans since the days of the internet began kept talking online about how her character of Pamela Barnes Ewing was so beloved.

That probably didn't go down too well either! A shame. :(
 
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pete lashmar

pete lashmar

Telly Talk Addict
I watched Return To Southfork yesterday and I thought they all came across very well - especially Victoria, she seemed so genuinely happy when talking with Patrick that it was infectious.

If there were some ill feelings towards her then I really don't understand why, she stayed with the show and promoted it for years - then felt it was time to go. I wonder if any of the cast deeply regret staying as it sunk lower and lower in the ratings after her departure?

I also wonder why they also seem to continually back the producers who sacked or recast so many actors - surely that was far more cruel than Victoria wishing to move on.
 
TJames03

TJames03

Banned
There was a scene from that show in which VP mentioned that she felt like she was Jim Davis’ daughter, and Gray said, “That’s sweet...”. Man, IMHO, venom dropped off those words.....
 
C

Chris2

Telly Talk Dream Maker
Pam was the second most crucial character to the show after J.R. We saw the shenanigans of the Ewing family through her eyes. How could you lose that character without fundamentally changing the show for the worse?

Victoria came off very well in “Return to Southfork”. I don’t know what the other cast members’ problem is with her, but she pretty much only has nice things to say about her time on the show.
 
TJames03

TJames03

Banned
They’re bitter because they will never be remembered for anything but the show and she was smart enough to branch out on a myriad amount of things both personal and professional. While they have to attended crappy reunions, she doesn’t.
 
JR Ewing Fan

JR Ewing Fan

Telly Talk Active Member
Michael Torrance said:
If fans left in droves because Bobby left, why didn't they return when he came back with the idiotic dream solution? There wasn't even a minimal bump in the ratings--instead, there was further decline, even small. Either nobody cared that Bobby returned, or some did, but many more left in disgust and the net result was further decline rather than increase.

The 1985-86 season was the season where audiences were drawn to another genre, the sitcom, and the Bill Cosby show became #1 with Family Ties at #2. Just a year before, Dynasty was #1 and Dallas was #2. That year, Dallas was #6 and Dynasty was #7. Of course the plots of the soaps in that year did not help, and creative decisions hurt the shows. Dallas's 85-86 season could have been a rejuvenation for the show, with Pam and J.R. fighting for Ewing Oil per Davis Jacobs' mini-series plan. While the show did have some interesting new stories, it also had some duds (Angelica Nero, Jack Ewing). Also, both super soaps stretched out to 31 episodes for whatever reasons the networks had.

Dallas continued to decline in ratings and rankings. It went to #11 the year Bobby returned, and to #21 the year after (with a 15.2 rating). Whatever "Patrick Duffy and Larry Hagman Kool-Aid" the Dallas producers were drinking, the audience wasn't partaking. I do agree with you that for the short-term, legacy is not an issue that producers and networks care about. It is something fans care about, but not capitalists running companies. But I bet you the declining ratings bringing lower ad revenue in the following years did hurt them where they care.
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Dallas finally had competition that year as Miami Vice was put against it. It hurt both shows but Dallas won in the end. A lot of people quit watching after the dream was announced but all in all that season was a success. Problem was that the show just got worse the longer it ran and ratings showed that. I watched to the end but I was one of the few.
 
Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Luke_Krebbs_Ewing

Telly Talk Champion
TJames03 said:
Agreed. No one could ever fill VP's shoes, but a recast was better than a mummy.......
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A recast was probably highly preferable, unfortunately the Producer's learnt their lesson with the debacle over Donna Reed as Miss Ellie. As well as the Wes Parmalee is Jock Ewing storyline too.

The problem with re-casts is they seldom work unless the character has been off screen for a while, but with Dallas they replaced such a high profile character like Barbara Bel Geddes with Donna Reed. The Wes Parmalee storyline could've worked if it had been handled a bit more sensitively. Yes Jim Davis had passed away & whilst some fans probably felt it was wrong to re-cast the character, I certainly think it could've worked to the show's benefit by bringing Jock back. If there had been a scene of Steve Forrest in tears at the picture of Jim Davis at Ewing Oil & then touching his own face, I would've been in tears too but I think even if it did happen it probably wouldn't have been enough to satisfy the fans of the show who remembered Jim as the character. A shame.

Recasting Pam straight way certainly wouldn't have worked. However I think Margaret Michaels fleeting glimpse as Pam in season eleven was in my opinion enough to bring her character's arc to an abrupt end. I'm not sure of her playing that look alike though, I think that was a step too far borne out by the lacklustre ratings for the show's final seasons. :)
 
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Mustard

Mustard

Telly Talk TV Fanatic
TJames03 said:
I think Duffy, Gray, and especially Hagman were highly petty.....
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The body language between Victoria Principal and Linda Gray in 2004 on Return to Southfork was a bit iffy, especially when Victoria was talking about how Jim Davis was like her father on set. Jim is who Victoria was closest to on set, especially as she looked like Jim's late daughter Tara. I sensed no tension at all on Return to Southfork between Victoria and Patrick Duffy though. If anything, they had as strong a chemistry as ever. And Larry was Larry, i.e. the leader among the actors, the one in charge.

TJames03 said:
I’m sure that all three of them became apoplectic when continually asked (while TNT Dallas was airing), “Is Victoria Principal coming back?”

Lol!!!!!!!
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Probably no worse than when Bobby got angry with Pam, though. In other words, a lot of shouting, cussing, moaning etc. but not exactly bridge burning.
 
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