When Dallas became Dallas

[Herofan]

Would everyone agree that Dallas became the Dallas with all the characteristics we enjoy by the season when JR’s shooter was revealed and a few seasons thereafter? It seems that whatever the characteristics were then, straying from that was never accepted.

I say that because someone recently compared Dallas to Yellowstone as the closest modern show to Dallas. I watch Yellowstone, and they had a “range war” of such, and it really worked for it, but it seemed ridiculous when Dallas did it.

That’s just one example of things that would have seemed ridiculous on Dallas, but it worked for Yellowstone. I wonder if one thing is that Dallas approached things in a more cheesy way in later seasons. Perhaps if the range war had a more gritty feel it would have worked better. Any thoughts?

 

[Kenny Coyote]

Would everyone agree that Dallas became the Dallas with all the characteristics we enjoy by the season when JR’s shooter was revealed and a few seasons thereafter? It seems that whatever the characteristics were then, straying from that was never accepted.

I say that because someone recently compared Dallas to Yellowstone as the closest modern show to Dallas. I watch Yellowstone, and they had a “range war” of such, and it really worked for it, but it seemed ridiculous when Dallas did it.

That’s just one example of things that would have seemed ridiculous on Dallas, but it worked for Yellowstone. I wonder if one thing is that Dallas approached things in a more cheesy way in later seasons. Perhaps if the range war had a more gritty feel it would have worked better. Any thoughts?

I enjoyed the range war on Dallas but I can understand why you say it seemed ridiculous when Dallas did it. I do think the range war on Dallas seemed "out of place." I think it would have been difficult to give the range war a more gritty feel by the time they had it, season 10, because the whole rest of the show had lost that feel by then and I think it would have been difficult or impossible to give the range war that feel when it's on a show that had already lost that feel.

I would've loved to have seen the range war in the first four seasons. Those are the ones where Dallas had the most western feel to it. That was the show's foundation; it gave the show it's now unique style since none of the other nighttime dramas had that western feel to them. There was a ruggedness the show had then, which you can see in episodes like "Dove Hunt" particularly well. I think a lot of that rugged, gritty style it had was made possible because they had Jim Davis whose background was in westerns. Then they also had a number of very good actors with backgrounds in westerns as well in the supporting cast. @Lastkidpicked is someone who could tell you more specifically exactly which actors came from western backgrounds. They never had one of them again in the main cast though. Jim Davis was the only one in the main cast who had that on his resume.

There was another thing that helped a lot to give Dallas the more rugged, western feel to it in the early seasons and that was they actually used to film the show in Texas. That gave Dallas such a more authentic look and feel to it than it ever had after they filmed it in Hollywood instead. Even in season 10, I believe they did film some of it in Texas, but most of it was filmed in Hollywood by then. When they got away from filming entirely in Texas, they lost the authenticity that came from having filmed 100% in Texas.

The range war looked like it dd because they had stopped filming the whole show in Texas, they had lost Jim Davis and had made a decision, for whatever reason, to get away from being a modern western saga, which was what Dallas was when it was at it's peak. They made a mistake when they got away from being what had gotten them to being the most watched show on TV and setting the record for most viewers in the fourth episode of season four. Had they had the range war in the first 4 seasons, it would've worked a lot better.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

I wonder if one thing is that Dallas approached things in a more cheesy way in later seasons. Perhaps if the range war had a more gritty feel it would have worked better. Any thoughts?

There was another thing that helped a lot to give Dallas the more rugged, western feel to it in the early seasons and that was they actually used to film the show in Texas. That gave Dallas such a more authentic look and feel to it than it ever had after they filmed it in Hollywood instead.

You both bring up some very interesting points. Let's look at a screenshot from the early years, and a screen shot from the later years.

In the first picture, look at how they carefully staged the entire scene.

Jock is tall, confident, standing upright. He is in control of this conversation.

Digger is haunched over, leaning against the fence for support.

Jock's collar is unbuttoned and his arms are slightly apart. His body language says, "Okay, world! Come at me!"

Digger's collar is buttoned all the way to the top, and his arms are crossed. His body language shows he is trying to keep the cruel world out.

And look at the background. The ranch house looms in the background as its own character in the series. And look at the trees. They are dormant, with no leaves and look almost dead.

As you both said, there was some "grit" to the scenes.

The really amazing thing about that scene is that when the filmed it, they assumed people would watch it one time on April 30th, 1978. They would have no idea that we would watch it again. And they really had no idea that 40 years later, people would capture screen shots such as this one and discuss it. The fact that each scene holds up so well is amazing.

Now, lets look at a scene from later years.

This is just too "perfect" . No grit. There are many details to let you know that it only a set and not the real Southfork:

1. The shades are closed in the windows. That's because if you could see in, you would see the stored camera and sound equipment that is kept behind this facade.
2. The bicycle haphazardly laying on it's side. I'll give them points for trying to pretend that a kid left it there.

3. And here's the most obvious:
Look at the plants. They are very tall, but planted in small pots. The tiniest breeze would blow them over. That's how we know for sure this is an indoor sound stage.

Now, look at the pictures side by side. The first one has "Grit" and the second one is just too sterile.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

Okay, I'll admit that it was 99 cent Margarita days here in Dallas, so that might be why I'm posting this follow up:



Dallas production in the early seasons: "Okay, Everybody! We need to get this shot with the sun at full height for the best effect. Move quickly, people!"

Those were the good old days!

But in the later seasons, production values dropped a bit.

Dallas production later seasons:

"Okay, people! We need some clouds in the sky for background effect. Get ready!"

"Higher! We need those clouds higher"

BWHAHAHAHAHA!

Maybe I won't post any more on 99 cent Margarita night.

 

[Herofan]

I enjoyed the range war on Dallas but I can understand why you say it seemed ridiculous when Dallas did it. I do think the range war on Dallas seemed "out of place." I think it would have been difficult to give the range war a more gritty feel by the time they had it, season 10, because the whole rest of the show had lost that feel by then and I think it would have been difficult or impossible to give the range war that feel when it's on a show that had already lost that feel.

I would've loved to have seen the range war in the first four seasons. Those are the ones where Dallas had the most western feel to it. That was the show's foundation; it gave the show it's now unique style since none of the other nighttime dramas had that western feel to them. There was a ruggedness the show had then, which you can see in episodes like "Dove Hunt" particularly well. I think a lot of that rugged, gritty style it had was made possible because they had Jim Davis whose background was in westerns. Then they also had a number of very good actors with backgrounds in westerns as well in the supporting cast. @Lastkidpicked is someone who could tell you more specifically exactly which actors came from western backgrounds. They never had one of them again in the main cast though. Jim Davis was the only one in the main cast who had that on his resume.

There was another thing that helped a lot to give Dallas the more rugged, western feel to it in the early seasons and that was they actually used to film the show in Texas. That gave Dallas such a more authentic look and feel to it than it ever had after they filmed it in Hollywood instead. Even in season 10, I believe they did film some of it in Texas, but most of it was filmed in Hollywood by then. When they got away from filming entirely in Texas, they lost the authenticity that came from having filmed 100% in Texas.

The range war looked like it dd because they had stopped filming the whole show in Texas, they had lost Jim Davis and had made a decision, for whatever reason, to get away from being a modern western saga, which was what Dallas was when it was at it's peak. They made a mistake when they got away from being what had gotten them to being the most watched show on TV and setting the record for most viewers in the fourth episode of season four. Had they had the range war in the first 4 seasons, it would've worked a lot better.

Very good comments. To be clear, I actually did enjoy the range war, but it just didn’t seem like Dallas. It felt like I was watching Patrick Duffy in a movie of the week. Perhaps it would have been a good plot had they done it back in the days when Jock was still there and JR was more gritty. You’re correct that by that time, Dallas had went to far to feel gritty by then.

 

[James from London]

There are many details to let you know that it only a set and not the real Southfork

Although, in fairness, the fake Southfork set looked just as fake in '78 as it did in '85. The location stuff at the beginning of a season generally always made the series look more cinematic and visually impressive than it did once it relocated to LA about ten or twelve episodes into the season (usually straight after the Ewing barbecue). But it kind of worked because the drama gained momentum and intensity as the season went along, and so it became more claustrophobic and more about faces and close-ups than it did wide-open vistas and scene-setting.

99 cent Margarita night sounds excellent.

 

[Kenny Coyote]

Okay, I'll admit that it was 99 cent Margarita days here in Dallas, so that might be why I'm posting this follow up:



Dallas production in the early seasons: "Okay, Everybody! We need to get this shot with the sun at full height for the best effect. Move quickly, people!"

Those were the good old days!

But in the later seasons, production values dropped a bit.

Dallas production later seasons:

"Okay, people! We need some clouds in the sky for background effect. Get ready!"

"Higher! We need those clouds higher"

BWHAHAHAHAHA!

Maybe I won't post any more on 99 cent Margarita night.

The thing I notice regarding "we need the sun at full height", and this goes for any TV show, is that it's always so bright outside when people are going to work or when kids are going to school. In my experience, it was dark, or barely light outside, when going to school.

 

[Willie Oleson]

But it kind of worked because the drama gained momentum and intensity as the season went along, and so it became more claustrophobic and more about faces and close-ups than it did wide-open vistas and scene-setting

Cool. I had never thought of it that way.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

99 cent Margarita night sounds excellent

James, if you ever find your way over here, I'll buy you a 99 cent Margarita and the biggest steak in all of Texas!