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<blockquote data-quote="the-lost-son" data-source="post: 285732" data-attributes="member: 672">I think you&#039;re referring to an interview Lenny Katzman gave were he said that the writers came up with good ideas but they couldn&#039;t do it because they did sth. like that a few years ago. He gave an example when he asked &quot;How often can you Pam&amp;Bobby move out of Southfork? &quot;.I don&#039;t think that stretching the story would have helped in any way. Actors opt to leave at a certain stage. VP, PD and BBG would have left along the way regardless of a stretched story. It&#039;s still a job, no lifelong obligation. Cast departures change the story fundamentally. Sometimes the writers can deal with that perfectly (Jock), sometimes they can&#039;t (VP). Obviously one could argue that every story is told at a certain point and things became repetitive (around the dream season and the next one at the latest).But I think the &quot;only&quot; possibility to give Dallas more - or at least better last years - is the writing. Not by stretching things but by keeping the writing style which it made it so compelling.I&#039;m watching season 3 (4DVD) at the moment. The writing is strong and I really like these little rewards when you watch closely.For example Sue Ellen gets arrested in the 3rd episode and an unknown person bails her out. Around episode 20 we learn it was Dusty. That&#039;s smart writing. This longterm writing doesn&#039;t happen in the last +4 seasons where everything is spoken out immediately like in daytime soaps.The other reason is earnestness. Compare the two times JR gets shot. The first time was an event&nbsp; which drove the story on several levels for +12 episodes, the 2nd time it&#039;s a joke to be laughed about, forgotten in the following episode.Interestingly Dallas is not the only series which gets soft. I watched the entire series of Magnum. The early 80s episodes are tough, sometimes violent, in the late eighties it&#039;s softened up, relying more on Higgins/Magnum comedic acts.I don&#039;t know if during the late eighties these series were softened to profit of the success of all these comedy shows at that time (Cosby, Roseanne...) or if it was about political correctness.&nbsp; Nonetheless there is a significant shift away from the original formula in these series. This &quot;lighter, less serious, sometimes comedic approach&quot; hurt Dallas more though.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="the-lost-son, post: 285732, member: 672"] I think you're referring to an interview Lenny Katzman gave were he said that the writers came up with good ideas but they couldn't do it because they did sth. like that a few years ago. He gave an example when he asked "How often can you Pam&Bobby move out of Southfork? ". I don't think that stretching the story would have helped in any way. Actors opt to leave at a certain stage. VP, PD and BBG would have left along the way regardless of a stretched story. It's still a job, no lifelong obligation. Cast departures change the story fundamentally. Sometimes the writers can deal with that perfectly (Jock), sometimes they can't (VP). Obviously one could argue that every story is told at a certain point and things became repetitive (around the dream season and the next one at the latest). But I think the "only" possibility to give Dallas more - or at least better last years - is the writing. Not by stretching things but by keeping the writing style which it made it so compelling. I'm watching season 3 (4DVD) at the moment. The writing is strong and I really like these little rewards when you watch closely. For example Sue Ellen gets arrested in the 3rd episode and an unknown person bails her out. Around episode 20 we learn it was Dusty. That's smart writing. This longterm writing doesn't happen in the last +4 seasons where everything is spoken out immediately like in daytime soaps. The other reason is earnestness. Compare the two times JR gets shot. The first time was an event which drove the story on several levels for +12 episodes, the 2nd time it's a joke to be laughed about, forgotten in the following episode. Interestingly Dallas is not the only series which gets soft. I watched the entire series of Magnum. The early 80s episodes are tough, sometimes violent, in the late eighties it's softened up, relying more on Higgins/Magnum comedic acts. I don't know if during the late eighties these series were softened to profit of the success of all these comedy shows at that time (Cosby, Roseanne...) or if it was about political correctness. Nonetheless there is a significant shift away from the original formula in these series. This "lighter, less serious, sometimes comedic approach" hurt Dallas more though. [/QUOTE]

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