What does DALLAS mean to you?

[Lastkidpicked]

As a way of getting to know each other again on the new system, I thought I'd ask what Dallas means to you?

I'll start:

Back during the original run, things were pretty grim economically. Layoffs, unemployment, big companies going out of busines.

We really needed a distraction.

Along comes DALLAS, with the fabulously wealthy families and over the top lifestyle.

Remember that this was way before the internet, let alone forums like these. So we all watched together on Friday nights. People hosted Dallas parties at their houses. In fact, Dallas made it cool to stay in on Friday nights.

So, the shorter answer to me is, Dallas means great memories of Friday nights.

How about you?

 

[Don Howard]

A harmless way to spend an hour. Or two. Or 90 minutes when Bobby "died".

 

[Rove]

For me it was pure escapism. When Dallas began I was just 13 and for whatever reason my parents allowed me to watch it. Then my life was thrown into turmoil dealing with a mother and her serial boyfriends and a forgiving father who kept taking her back until their messy divorce. On top of this my two best friends (a brother and sister living next door with their grandparents while their parents forged a career overseas) moved interstate when their parents returned. How the hell I survived those years I put down partially to Dallas. When I left school in 1981 I began working straight away. My first purchase was a television for my bedroom. For a while my life was working 6 days a week and chilling on my only day off. I recently asked my dad about this period of my life since I think its interesting getting another persons perspective on yourself. He remembers how introverted I had become but since I was working hard and coming home each night and not getting up to mischief he thought I'd be okay. All was going well in this quiet conversation until my dad said "sorry about all that." It hit me for six.

Dallas for me was more than just a television program. Each week it allowed me to forget all my troubles as the Ewing family entertained me. Since it was the most popular program of its day articles would often appear in TV Week (a weekly magazine) and newspapers. I'd read these articles with intent concentration and often re-read them.

No program since has come close to the attachment I feel for Dallas. It may have faltered towards its inevitable end and the Dallas TNT version left a lot to be desired but I'll forever be thankful for it.

 

[Sarah]

:hballas means a lot to me. It's been part of my life for my entire life and like Rove says above 'no programme since has come close to the attachment I feel for Dallas'. That says it all for me. I like other shows but I LOVE Dallas and will passionately defend it's legacy. It's in a total league of it's own for it's time and created television legends who are still talked about today. It's part of me, it's like a dear old friend.:hb:

 

[Lastkidpicked]

For me it was pure escapism.

Each week it allowed me to forget all my troubles as the Ewing family entertained me.

Sara:

It's part of me, it's like a dear old friend.

Very well thought out and insightful posts.

 

[Maryann]

Dallas to me was a great story I could watch and be drawn into that was nothing like my life which was simple and sometimes boring. It allowed me to escape from the worries in my life like a good book does or teaches something in return sometimes about other people's lives which can be outrageous, farfetched or real. I am still fascinated about this show after all these years which is why I am on this forum and have a little unfulfilled feelings because it didn't end as I wanted or hoped due to storylines that should have happened but didn't and some I wished did not. It was like reading a good book which started out with great potential but through the middle chapters it falters and the ending is a big disappointment.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

It seems a lot of people agree with you about the ending of the series. Mostly because the characters we knew and loved to watch were mostly gone.

I am still fascinated about this show after all these years which is why I am on this forum

I totally agree. It's great to be able to come here to discuss the show.

 

[pete lashmar]

It means a huge amount to me. Wonderfully written, well rounded characters, sumptuous sets and costumes, great drama, lots of light and shade and I don't think I'll ever tire of watching it.

Great stories, fantastic plots, a theme tune that just makes you smile and weekly cliffhangers that really excite for the next episode.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Another prime time soap to enjoy.

 

[Swami]

The only TV drama series that I ever truly loved, absolutely incomparable in my opinion. Brilliant original cast set it on the road to greatness.

Swami

 

[Lastkidpicked]

Great stories, fantastic plots, a theme tune that just makes you smile and weekly cliffhangers that really excite for the next episode.

And this is why it was so great to be part of this in the original run. Back then, there was no Hulu, Netflix, or Youtube. We watched the cliffhanger on Friday night, and had to wait AN ENTIRE WEEK to see what happened next.

The cool thing was that everybody was looking forward to the next episode. Dallas was the topic of conversation everywhere you went-- the lunch counter, the water cooler, standing in line at the store.

It was amazing that a show could bring everybody together from week to week.

Good times. . .

 

[Ray's Lady]

To me, it means parts of my childhood as I was 6 or 7 when I first heard of Dallas and was allowed to watch it with my mother during the breaks. It was a different world for me - Texas, oil, Southfork and I loved it and still love it.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

To me, it means parts of my childhood as I was 6 or 7 when I first heard of Dallas and was allowed to watch it with my mother during the breaks.

That's really great that Dallas reminds you of your childhood. Especially watching it with your mother.

 

[Justine]

For me, Dallas is a time-travel machine. I was born in the nineties after the show went off-air but found it via YouTube. The first scene I had ever watched was of J.R. and Sue Ellen in late season 2 and I was literally enthralled by Larry and Linda's performance. I quickly purchased the DVD's from Amazon and my parents loved the opportunity to re-watch their favourite series.

 

[Bill Dilks]

From around '82 to '89 or so, the economy was booming, then corrected, then came roaring back the fall of '92, which with laws passed by Congress gave us a strong 90's decade. But like all changes, not all areas share the bounty all of the time. I enjoyed it for a couple of years early on when I could watch it or tape it on betamax. I was a full time club musician, so didn't get many Friday nights off. But during a hiatus I lived in Irving TX for 9 mos and managed to watch a few episodes. I picked up interest around '86 or '87 after I got married. The wife enjoyed it also. In '92 we took a few days to Dallas and had a great time. I would have enjoyed the earlier seasons more had I been able to watch 'em. But even tho' the last few seasons went awry, it was still Dallas that came into my house each week. I recorded from TNT or TNN close to 350 of the 356 episodes in 2-hour mode, so I had a cabinet-full of labeled tapes. I tossed 'em once I got the DVD's. I guess I go through the dvd-14 seasons every year or two, just to 'visit with old friends' and touch base inside with what was going on with me back then.

 

[Billy Wall]

I agree with the poster who said it’s apart of my childhood. Since Dallas came on on Friday night, I could stay up and watch it. Dukes, Dallas and Falcon Crest. It will never be the same.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

I agree with the poster who said it’s apart of my childhood. Since Dallas came on on Friday night, I could stay up and watch it. Dukes, Dallas and Falcon Crest. It will never be the same.

Did anybody else just now have the Falcon Crest theme music go through their heads?

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

I agree with the poster who said it’s apart of my childhood. Since Dallas came on on Friday night, I could stay up and watch it. Dukes, Dallas and Falcon Crest. It will never be the same.

I was the same... I was at the age during the early seasons where I was old enough for the Dukes (which all the kids loved) but had to go to bed after the opening Dallas theme, which just seemed so exciting. I think I actually started watching a bit the year when Bobby died through the Wes Parmalee season.

I think the fact that I had to go to bed during the early years is part of why I'm fascinated by the Jock years. I remember my mom explaining what the Wes Parmalee storyline was about and being amazed that JR and Bobby's dad was a major character once. I also remember going to a Halloween hayride or something like that when I was a little kid and there was a huge wall of Jack-o-lanterns that spelled out "Who Shot JR?" - it was super-intriguing for a 5 year-old!

I got into watching the show as an adult one day when there was a lull at work and I randomly decided to watch Season 1 on Youtube in semi-protest - I think it was before Google acquired them and they were pretty lax on copyright issues, so the shows were on there in 10 minute segments.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

I got into watching the show as an adult one day when there was a lull at work and I randomly decided to watch Season 1 on Youtube

That is exactly what I'm doing right now, except using Daily Motion.

I'm forcing myself to watch only one episode every second day. That way I can remember what it was like to watch the cliffhangers and be eager for the next episode but have to wait for it.

Good times . . .

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

Dallas means a lot to me.

I always tried to be available when it was on, so I never missed an episode of Lorimar Dallas.

I absolutely love the Dallas theme music. It was just so perfect.

The show was just so good to watch. Nothing will ever compare to it.

I love the show. Dallas is just the best.