Were you disappointed when Digger wasn't Pam's Father?

[LMLDallas78]

Why did Digger have to end up not being Pam's Father?

What did the story do for Dallas?

I felt so disappointed when Digger revealed he wasn't Pam's Father. The amount of time spent telling their story for it all to be snatched away, I felt cheated.

Although her and Cliff were brought up mostly by Aunt Maggie, Digger had such a prominent role in their lives. Despite being a drunk Cliff and Pam loved him.

And then the Neurofibrematosis story.
Did Pam still carry it?
Was it from Digger, Hutch or Rebecca?

We learned just before her accident she was able to carry a baby to full term, so why not before?
We were also robbed of Pam never having a child of her own.

Digger; Daddy Dearest?

 

[Lastkidpicked]

The amount of time spent telling their story for it all to be snatched away, I felt cheated.

What is disappointing is they never did anything with this storyline. It was a wasted opportunity.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

What is disappointing is they never did anything with this storyline. It was a wasted opportunity.

it seemed like they did it to escape the “Pam can’t have children” corner they’d backed themselves into... and then she never had her own child, anyway!

We could have had the “Rebecca may still be alive” aspect of the story without Hutch being Pam’s father... and if Hutch *is* the father, why the rather sudden suicidal “I can’t have a baby!” breakdown a year later, followed by the arrival of the purloined Christopher?

I like the theory that Digger really *was* Pam’s father (how would they know for sure? He didn’t know about Hutch and also didn’t think seem surprised that Rebecca was pregnant) and her bizarre behavior in the wake of the accident was partially due to adult-onset neurofibromatosis!

 

[Michelle Stevens]

I was disappointed and didn't see the reason why she wasn't his natural daughter. This and Ray being a Ewing were early "jump the shark" moments in the series writing for me.

 

[LMLDallas78]

and then she never had her own child, anyway!

Exactly. Never knew why they did that. So much could've been made of her having a child especially if she found out after her and Bobby split up or how she would have coped if she hadn't had the second miscarriage.

We could have had the “Rebecca may still be alive” aspect of the story without Hutch being Pam’s father.

Definitely that could have still happened. What followed makes little sense except gave Jock a 2 part trial as well as what happened to Pam.

I like the theory that Digger really *was* Pam’s father (how would they know for sure?

Just all too convenient and not well thought out or followed up. Think you're right about the adult onset!

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

Think you're right about the adult onset!

that idea’s courtesy of @Snarky Oracle! Could explain Pam’s weird behavior in original Dallas and “monster Cliff” in NuDallas (or however you spell that!)

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

Digger was a drunk and an unfit father and the sooner he was put in a sanitarium the better off we're all gonna be!

I was glad Digger wasn't her father because at the end of the day the character was a liability to both Pam & Cliff.

Cliff perpetuated the Barnes Ewing feud with the sole reason to avenge Digger's memory after his death.

At least on his death bed he did the decent thing and admitted that he killed Hutch McKinney and that it wasn't Jock at all.

Admitting that Hutch fathered Pam was a jaw dropping moment but at least he loved her as if she was his own.

 

[LMLDallas78]

Digger was a drunk and an unfit father and the sooner he was put in a sanitarium the better off we're all gonna be!

LOL! Love that. You missed out tramp, he could have been!

Here's the two best drunks on the drunk ward or detox ward whichever it is.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

LOL! Love that.

Here's the two best drunks on the drunk ward or detox ward whichever it is.

View attachment 50762 View attachment 50763

Linda Gray and David Wayne were masters at acting drunk.

The second version of Digger played by Keenan Wynn was also pretty good.

Many people would think it's easy for an actor to act drunk but it really isn't, not if you want it to be believeable.

 

[LMLDallas78]

Many people would think it's easy for an actor to act drunk but it really isn't, not if you want it to be believeable.

Oh God, don't get me started on Sue Ellen's drunk scenes and Linda's acting, that's a whole new very long thread (from me anyway!)

Agreed, Linda and David Wayne were the best. Keenan Wynn was too but the other two were something else.

I was so young but so gutted when they swapped Diggers. I had such sympathy for David Digger so he obviously played it very well.

 

[Chris2]

David Wayne was so great at playing Digger as a broken man. I never got the same sense of desperation with Keenan Wynn’s portrayal.

 

[Billy Wall]

Yes and it was totally unnecessary. It felt like "someone as pretty as Pam couldn't possibly have a drunk for a father." It was just another way to make the Barnes' inferior to the Ewing's.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I didn't care for that story. Digger had faults, to be sure, but why?
It just seemed like a commonplace soap opera idea to create more drama
I always thought it was a mistake to write out Digger.
There was more story that could have been written

 

[DallasFanForever]

Digger admitting to not being Pam’s father always seemed like a turning point in the show to me, as well as a significant turning point in the Pam character. To be honest I’ve always had mixed feelings about it. On one hand I don’t like the idea of Digger not being her father. It goes against the basic premise of the show as it hurt the Barnes-Ewing feud somewhat. We really don’t know much about Hutch. The revelation that he is Pam’s father doesn’t mean as much as the fact that Digger isn’t. The problem is Hutch is never mentioned again after that season that I can remember. Does anyone even remember that Digger is not her father in a few years time? Does anyone remember who Hutch is by that time? I would bet for some fans the answer to those questions is no.

On the other hand, Digger’s deathbed confession is one of my favorite scenes of original Dallas. I love the drama of it. I love Pam’s reaction to that confession, and it sent her into such a tailspin that I’m not sure she ever recovered from. As Bobby was told later that night, “Pam lost her identity today,” and that’s exactly what happened. It might’ve hurt the show, but I like the risk they took in shaking things up a little.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Digger admitting to not being Pam’s father always seemed like a turning point in the show to me, as well as a significant turning point in the Pam character. To be honest I’ve always had mixed feelings about it. On one hand I don’t like the idea of Digger not being her father. It goes against the basic premise of the show as it hurt the Barnes-Ewing feud somewhat. We really don’t know much about Hutch. The revelation that he is Pam’s father doesn’t mean as much as the fact that Digger isn’t. The problem is Hutch is never mentioned again after that season that I can remember. Does anyone even remember that Digger is not her father in a few years time? Does anyone remember who Hutch is by that time? I would bet for some fans the answer to those questions is no.

On the other hand, Digger’s deathbed confession is one of my favorite scenes of original Dallas. I love the drama of it. I love Pam’s reaction to that confession, and it sent her into such a tailspin that I’m not sure she ever recovered from. As Bobby was told later that night, “Pam lost her identity today,” and that’s exactly what happened. It might’ve hurt the show, but I like the risk they took in shaking things up a little.

Hutch - we never knew him.
Not that it was needed, but maybe it was considered to bring along a Hutch son or daughter?
Maybe in later seasons, especially after VP left, it might have created some new energy in the storylines.
It would have been better than useless characters like Lisa Aldon
We did have Jason Ewing, Jamie and Jack appear from nowhere
Yes, the challenge to Ewing Oil was a decent storyline, but the characters never quite
seemed to thrive IMHO
I never agreed with writing Digger out of the show.
Especially after Jim Davis passed, Digger could have been a more prominent character,
especially since there was no Jock recast.
Yes, there was every intention to make Steve Forrest the recast Jock,
but the show missed a great opportunity by not following thru.
It could have meant better stories for BBG and Howard Keel as well.

 

[LMLDallas78]

Hutch - we never knew him.

That's why I always thought the story was of no use apart from it giving us Jock's trial and adding to Pam's problems.

it might have created some new energy in the storylines.

I agree, that would have been a great idea.

It would have been better than useless characters like Lisa Aldon

Yes absolutely. That really did just seem like plot filler.

Especially after Jim Davis passed, Digger could have been a more prominent character,

Digger and Cliff could have had some great storylines which would've involved Pam. So much could've happened with him, Miss Ellie and Clayton. Talk about family drama!

 

[Mustard]

Digger is Pam's father as much as Bobby is Christopher's father.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

Not that it was needed, but maybe it was considered to bring along a Hutch son or daughter?

I never thought of that, but it would have made the Hutch reveal interesting again! Pam already has a crazy spoiled rich girl half-sibling, why not a much poorer, rougher half-brother who somehow finds out that he has a massively wealthy half-sister? Someone closer to a Jeff Farraday or a Luther Frick… or along the lines of Ray’s barfly fling Bonnie if it’s a half-sister.

 

[LMLDallas78]

but it would have made the Hutch reveal interesting again!

It needed to have something more, was it ever interesting?

Someone closer to a Jeff Farraday or a Luther Frick

Now you're talking! I really enjoyed the Jeff Faraday character and his story.

But Luther Frick? Yes, definitely should have brought him back!
Someone needed to get revenge on him for putting poor Sue Ellen and everyone else through that rendition of People.

 

[DallasFanForever]

I never agreed with writing Digger out of the show.
Especially after Jim Davis passed, Digger could have been a more prominent character,

I agree with this statement. Digger could’ve been much more utilized as a character after Jock’s death. Perhaps he tries to get close to Miss Ellie again at one point, giving Clayton a good fight for her.