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The television show Dallas originally aired as a five-episode miniseries starting on the first Sunday of April 1978. These five episodes were originally intended to be the show's pilot but by the time they aired, it was thought that no further episodes would be made. However, the popularity of the miniseries led to the creation of an additional 13 full seasons.[1]
| Dallas | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
_Season_1-2_DVD_cover.jpg) DVD cover | |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | April 2 – April 30, 1978 |
| Season chronology | |
Production
editThe original miniseries was shot over six weeks during the winter of 1977, on location in Dallas, Texas. The Cloyce Box Ranch served as the first 'South Fork Ranch' exterior, and a Swiss Avenue building was used for the interior stage sets.[2]
Cast
editStarring
editIn alphabetical order:
- Barbara Bel Geddes as Miss Ellie Ewing (5 episodes)
- Jim Davis as Jock Ewing (5 episodes)
- Patrick Duffy as Bobby Ewing (5 episodes)
- Larry Hagman as J.R. Ewing (5 episodes)
- Victoria Principal as Pamela Barnes Ewing (5 episodes)
- Charlene Tilton as Lucy Ewing (5 episodes)
Also starring
edit- Linda Gray as Sue Ellen Ewing (5 episodes)
- Steve Kanaly as Ray Krebbs (4 episodes)
- Ken Kercheval as Cliff Barnes (3 episodes)
Special guest star
edit- David Wayne as Willard "Digger" Barnes (2 episodes)
Notable guest stars
editThe most notable among the first season's recurring guest stars were Tina Louise as J.R.'s secretary/mistress Julie Grey, Donna Bullock as the first of four actresses to portray Bobby's original secretary, Connie Brasher; and Jo McDonnell as Ray's girlfriend Maureen.
Major non-recurring guest stars included: Jeffrey Byron as Lucy's schoolmate, Roger Hurley, and Paul Tulley as their teacher Mr. Miller (episode 2); Norman Alden as Ewing family friend and US Senator William "Wild Bill" Orloff (episode 3); Brian Dennehy and Cooper Huckabee as Luther Frick and Peyton Allen, who held the Ewing women hostage in an attempt to get revenge on J.R. and Ray (episode 4); and James Canning as Cliff's and Pam's cousin Jimmy Monahan, who was recast with Philip Levien for the season 2 premiere, and then never seen again (episode 5).
Crew
editSeries creator David Jacobs wrote the first and final episodes of the season and served as the executive script consultant (i.e. showrunner). He remained as the creative consultant until mid-way through the second season, when he left his day-to-day involvement with Dallas to create, and later serve as showrunner on spinoff series Knots Landing. The three other episodes were written by Virginia Aldridge, which was her only involvement with the show; Arthur Bernard Lewis, who remained on the show until the end and wrote the teleplay for the two reunion movies; and Camille Marchetta, who left during season four.
Lee Rich and Philip Capice served as executive producers. Rich stayed on the show until the season three finale, and Capice left his duties at the end of the ninth season. Future showrunner Leonard Katzman's involvement with the first season was limited to being the producer, and Cliff Fenneman—who served as producer for the final three seasons of the show—was the associate producer. The directing duties of the season were shared by Robert Day and Irving J. Moore.
DVD release
editThe first and second seasons were released by Warner Home Video on a Region 1 DVD box set on August 24, 2004. It includes five double-sided DVDs. Alongside the 29 episodes of the first two seasons, it also features a SOAPNet’s Soap Talk Dallas reunion featurette, and three commentary tracks by actors Larry Hagman, Charlene Tilton, and series creator David Jacobs.[3]
Episodes
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original U.S. air date | Original U.K. air date | Rating/share (households) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Digger's Daughter" | Robert Day | David Jacobs | April 2, 1978 | September 5, 1978 | 21.5/37[4] | |
|
Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) and Pamela Barnes Ewing (Victoria Principal) reveal to their families that they are married. This renews the longtime rivalry between the Ewings and the Barneses. J.R. (Larry Hagman) attempts to break up Bobby and Pam by recruiting her former flame: the Ewings' ranch foreman, Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly). | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | "The Lesson" | Irving J. Moore | Virginia Aldrige | April 9, 1978 | September 12, 1978 | 15.2/26[5] | |
|
Pam attempts to win acceptance at Southfork by intervening in Lucy's life when she discovers Lucy has been skipping school and having an affair with Ray Krebbs. | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Spy in the House" | Robert Day | Arthur Bernard Lewis | April 16, 1978 | September 19, 1978 | 15.8/26[6] | |
|
J.R. has suspected that Pam's marriage to Bobby was a Barnes attempt to plant a mole inside the Ewing lair. Now he may have proof. | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Winds of Vengeance" | Irving J. Moore | Camille Marchetta | April 23, 1978 | Not Broadcast on the BBC | 21.2/37[6] | |
|
A hurricane threatens Southfork, but an even bigger storm is about to hit when Miss Ellie, Pam, Sue Ellen and Lucy become captives of men who are more than a little annoyed with J.R. and Ray's affairs with the women in their lives. Special Guest Star: Brian Dennehy as Luther Frick | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Barbecue" | Robert Day | David Jacobs | April 30, 1978 | September 26, 1978 | 21.8/36[7] | |
|
Hostility is the main course at the Ewing barbecue as Jock and Digger jab at old wounds, but Pam and Bobby use Pam's pregnancy as a truce between the prospective grandfathers. Tensions run high as J.R. and Bobby argue, which leads to an accident nobody expected. As a result, Pam's health and the future of the Ewing dynasty are in jeopardy. | ||||||||
Nielsen ratings
edit| Episode # | Episode title | Air date | Weekly rank (Rating/Share) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Digger's Daughter" | April 2, 1978 | #18 (21.5/37) |
| 2 | "Lessons" | April 9, 1978 | #50 (15.2/26.0) |
| 3 | "Spy in the House" | April 16, 1978 | #40 (N/A) |
| 4 | "Winds of Vengeance" | April 23, 1978 | #12 (21.1/35) |
| 5 | "Barbecue" | April 30, 1978 | #11 (21.8/39) |
References
edit- ^ "Dallas". Metacritic.
- ^ Ultimate Dallas staff (July 15, 2008). "A season-by-season look at 'Dallas'". Dallas Critic. Ultimate Dallas. p. 1. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^ Lambert, David (May 10, 2004). "'Dallas' DVD news: Video Business reports DVD date and content". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^ "Rating Scorecard: Tribute To Itself Wins It For CBS". Variety. Vol. 290, no. 9. April 5, 1978. p. 66. ProQuest 1286050980.
- ^ "Weekly Rating Scorecard". Variety. Vol. 290, no. 10. April 12, 1978. p. 76. ProQuest 1401333618.
- ^ a b National Nielsen TV Audience Estimates (April 10–23, 1978) (Report). Nielsen Media Research.
- ^ "ABC wins tight ratings race, CBS finishes second". The Hollywood Reporter. Vol. 251, no. 22. May 3, 1978. p. 13. ProQuest 2598134407.
General references
edit- "Dallas Season 1 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved March 7, 2021.