I just got the point, where Pam leaves everybody after the accident, because she doesn't want them to see what she looks like. I mean, how messed up is that? She didn't only leave Bobby and Christopher, but she also left Cliff, who was very close to her. And why? Because she lost some of her beauty? I know she used to be a very beautiful lady. (And even to this day, my mother thinks Pamela Ewing (Victoria Princinpal) is (or was) the height of female beauty.) But even if she wasn't that beautiful anymore, it doesn't mean her husband, her son or her brother wouldn't still love her. And even if her new face had looked like minced meat, she shouldn't have left them like that.

I know they made this storyline because they wanted to give Victoria Princinpal the chance to return, if she ever would have wanted to do that. But it still annoys me.

I read somewhere that Victoria Principle was very stand-offish from the rest of the cast. Perhaps they wrote out Principle and came up with the idea that she die or run away- for her own personal reasons???

Pam did the same thing to Christopher that her mother did to her. Very selfish.

I can't believe two people finally replied to this thread almost four years after I started it! :lol:

who is Christopher? I'm in S4

Christopher is Bobby's and Pamela's son (adopted, but still...). I don't remember exactly how old he was at the point, where Pamela abandoned him, but he can't have been more than seven years old, maybe only six or even five. He had just found out about him being adopted.

Thanks! When do they adopt a son? Season 5?

I don't know which season, but I seem to remember, that Christopher was born in 1980. His biologial mother was Kristin Shephard, Sue Ellen's sister.

Pamela was a hypocrite, especially in the episode where Pamela talks to Miss Ellie about the mastectomy she's going to have and about looks not being important. :lol:

The writers made a big mistake in keeping her alive. They turned her into a cold heartless person. She nearly killed herself because she couldn't have a child back in Season 5. They should have killed her off instead.

Yeah, killing off the character would have been the best choice. I guess they wanted to give Victoria Princinpal an opportunity to return, if she ever wanted to do it, but still...

Victoria Principal left after Patrick Duffy left and returned. I guess they didn't want a repeat of the 'it was only a dream' storyline, so they didn't kill Pam off, but left the door opened in case Victoria wanted to return. But it was a stupid storyline and was totally out of character for Pam.

Pamela was a hypocrite, especially in the episode where Pamela talks to Miss Ellie about the mastectomy she's going to have and about looks not being important. :lol:

The writers made a big mistake in keeping her alive. They turned her into a cold heartless person. She nearly killed herself because she couldn't have a child back in Season 5. They should have killed her off instead.
And not only that, they kept the Pam character always overshadowing the rest of the show. Even today, most of the fans are talking about when Pam returns. :lol:

They should have either killed her off or replaced her. I understand why they didn't and it was because of mistakes they had made in the past. I would have rather seen Margaret Michaels continue as Pam then have her show up as a Pam lookalike. There were rumors at one time that Pamela Sue Martin would replace her. I'd love that. :D

And not only that, they kept the Pam character always overshadowing the rest of the show. Even today, most of the fans are talking about when Pam returns. :lol:

They should have either killed her off or replaced her. I understand why they didn't and it was because of mistakes they had made in the past. I would have rather seen Margaret Michaels continue as Pam then have her show up as a Pam lookalike. There were rumors at one time that Pamela Sue Martin would replace her. I'd love that. :D

Yeah, I think Margaret could have replaced her. As beautiful as Victoria was, she wasn't exactly a great actress like Barbara Bel Geddes and replacing Victoria with someone wouldn't have hurt the show like it did when they brought in Donna Reed. And they could have had a good excuse with the whole plastic surgery thing. :lol:

Yeah, that would also have been a better alternative.

Yeah, that would also have been a better alternative.


I, for one am glad Pam did not die and the door was left open for her to return. I loved the way VP portrayed her in the beginning. She was sophisticated, spunky and didn't take crap while respectful at the same time. Producers for the new Dallas have been trying to get her back for the show. I hope she can come to terms. I also hope Ted Shackelford and Joan Van Ark can come to terms as well.

I, for one am glad Pam did not die and the door was left open for her to return. I loved the way VP portrayed her in the beginning. She was sophisticated, spunky and didn't take crap while respectful at the same time. Producers for the new Dallas have been trying to get her back for the show. I hope she can come to terms. I also hope Ted Shackelford and Joan Van Ark can come to terms as well.
It still seems like she doesn't want to return. She hasn't closed the door on it though but even if she does, I'm sure it will only be for a few episodes. I think the way they handled Pamela's exit crippled their storylines and if you think about it....going by what they said in the show...Pam should be dead by now. She did admit she only had a few months to live and that was around 1988 or 1989.

I feel that the show really jumped the shark with Pam's exit. The way they explained away her exit, I felt, betrayed the character and totally reversed everything Pam went through during the 1980-1981 and 1981-1982 season. 1980-1981 was all about Pam searching for her mother who had abandoned her and this led to her falling into a depression and attempting to jump off that building. This led into Christopher entering the picture and helped her regain her sanity and sense of worth. Now, 5 years later, in 1987, we are supposed to believe Pam would just abandon her baby like she was abandoned!

I felt the writers dropped the ball with this and should have tied her disappearance to Katherine Wentworth's sudden appearance in the hospital, visiting Pam who was wrapped in bandages. I would have had a much easier time accepting that rather than Pam abandoning her family.

I feel that the show really jumped the shark with Pam's exit. The way they explained away her exit I felt betrayed the character and totally reversed everything Pam went through during the 1980-1981 and 1981-1982 season. 1980-1981 was all about Pam searching for her mother who had abandoned her and this led to her falling into a depression and attempting to jump off that building. This led into Christopher entering the picture and helped her regain her sanity and sense of worth. Now, 5 years later, in 1987, we are supposed to believe Pam would just abandon her baby like she was abandoned!

I felt the writers dropped the ball with this and should have tied her disappearance to Katherine Wentworth's sudden appearance in the hospital, visiting Pam who was wrapped in bandages. I would have had a much easier time accepting that rather than Pam abandoning her family.
That would have been the best way to handle it. I was so happy to see Katherine back and then she just vanished again. I still don't understand why she was there to begin with. It was all very confusing.

I can't believe two people finally replied to this thread almost four years after I started it! :lol:

Dallas fans are pathetic losers! :lol:

That would have been the best way to handle it. I was so happy to see Katherine back and then she just vanished again. I still don't understand why she was there to begin with. It was all very confusing.

Katherine was even hotter than Pam!

I feel that the show really jumped the shark with Pam's exit. The way they explained away her exit I felt betrayed the character and totally reversed everything Pam went through during the 1980-1981 and 1981-1982 season. 1980-1981 was all about Pam searching for her mother who had abandoned her and this led to her falling into a depression and attempting to jump off that building. This led into Christopher entering the picture and helped her regain her sanity and sense of worth. Now, 5 years later, in 1987, we are supposed to believe Pam would just abandon her baby like she was abandoned!

I felt the writers dropped the ball with this and should have tied her disappearance to Katherine Wentworth's sudden appearance in the hospital, visiting Pam who was wrapped in bandages. I would have had a much easier time accepting that rather than Pam abandoning her family.


Great points. It was the producers. Acccording to E true hollywood story, she was deemed a financial liability. Ms. Principal was askin for more money. I think that they should have just worked with her. The producers tried to rid Linda Gray as well. Larry had her back and she stayed until the second time around and requested that they do nothing drastic to her so she can return in necessary. I hope Victoria comes back, though.

Great points. It was the producers. Acccording to E true hollywood story, she was deemed a financial liability. Ms. Principal was askin for more money. I think that they should have just worked with her. The producers tried to rid Linda Gray as well. Larry had her back and she stayed until the second time around and requested that they do nothing drastic to her so she can return in necessary. I hope Victoria comes back, though.
According to Victoria it wasn't about the money. She said that she told the producers that she was leaving 2 years before she did. They had plenty of time to figure what to do with the character but fell far short.

According to Victoria it wasn't about the money. She said that she told the producers that she was leaving 2 years before she did. They had plenty of time to figure what to do with the character but fell far short.


Hmmm...Where did you get this info? This changes the game if this is true.

Hmmm...Where did you get this info? This changes the game if this is true.
She's done a few interviews over on a couple of the Dallas websites and she stated that. She said they offered her plenty of money that would have made her the top paid woman on tv but she wanted out. She also said she felt the quality of the show was slipping and wanted to leave while the show was still good.

Edit: I found the interview. It's on this website but you'll have to get there yourself. I can't get a link to it. The site has interviews with quite a few cast members of the show. Just go to interviews and then Victoria Principal.

http://www.dallasfanzine.com/

I doubt she comes back to the new Dallas.

Plus plastic surgery has left her a shell of her former self.

I doubt she comes back to the new Dallas.

Plus plastic surgery has left her a shell of her former self.
It actually would serve the character better because Pam would have had to have a lot of plastic surgery. I don't think she'll come back though.

It actually would serve the character better because Pam would have had to have a lot of plastic surgery. I don't think she'll come back though.

Plus this TNT Dallas doesn't have the ability to offer the HUGE bucks the old CBS Dallas did.

Not that it would matter to Victoria Principal since she supposedly said it's not about the money.

Victoria Principal left after Patrick Duffy left and returned. I guess they didn't want a repeat of the 'it was only a dream' storyline, so they didn't kill Pam off, but left the door opened in case Victoria wanted to return. But it was a stupid storyline and was totally out of character for Pam.

But I don't think Pam was really herself. She probably was very emotionally traumaticized due to the horrific accident.

Maybe so, but couldn't she have gotten some help? (There must have been some good therapists even back in the '80s, who would have been able to help her.)

Anyhow, we all know that it was a cheap way to write Victoria Principal off the show and still make it possible for her to return (she never did though). But I never got far into "Dallas" after she left (not at least until it was brought back after a very long hiatus), because I just hate that storyline.

Its a well known fact Victoria wanted out of the show not because of money or anything but because she A) wanted to do something different and B) she felt like the quality of the show and budget as well were diminishing and wanted to get out before the show became a shell of itself (which it later did). Her exit had nothing to do with salary demands or not getting along with others or anything like that.

As far as the jump the shark comment above.....I think that was when Bobby showed back up again. As much as we all loved Bobby...that was not the way to bring him back.

How funny to see that my old thread gets a bump now and then! :D

I just got the point, where Pam leaves everybody after the accident, because she doesn't want them to see what she looks like. I mean, how messed up is that? She didn't only leave Bobby and Christopher, but she also left Cliff, who was very close to her. And why? Because she lost some of her beauty? I know she used to be a very beautiful lady. (And even to this day, my mother thinks Pamela Ewing (Victoria Princinpal) is (or was) the height of female beauty.) But even if she wasn't that beautiful anymore, it doesn't mean her husband, her son or her brother wouldn't still love her. And even if her new face had looked like minced meat, she shouldn't have left them like that.

I know they made this storyline because they wanted to give Victoria Princinpal the chance to return, if she ever would have wanted to do that. But it still annoys me.


What if she got amnesia and walked away from a husband, son, and brother she didn't remember ? That would have given her an excuse for leaving a family who loved her and needed her, and it might have gone over better with the viewers .

Yeah, that sounds better than what we got. Oh well, we can do nothing about it now.

According to the New Dallas she did die so that's that.

Pam did the same thing to Christopher that her mother did to her. Very selfish.

Which is why it’s not realistic.

Which is why it’s not realistic.
Obviously, this plotline was supposed to give Victoria Princinpal a chance to return if she wanted to. But she would never do that, so it was really just annoying for no good reason.

Obviously, this plotline was supposed to give Victoria Princinpal a chance to return if she wanted to. But she would never do that, so it was really just annoying for no good reason.

Maybe she wouldn't do that in her right mind, but after the accident, maybe she was not in her right mind.