Larry Hagman May Be Dropped From 'Dallas' Reboot Due to Money Issues

[Brian Damage]

After one of the longest courtships in recent TV history, TNT is prepared to proceed with its Dallas reboot without original star Larry Hagman over salary issues. Hagman and fellow Dallas alums Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy were first approached by TNT and Warner Horizon TV about joining a potential updated Dallas series in late summer 2009 when the project was put in development. A year later, at the beginning of September this year, TNT ordered 3 pilots, including Dallas. The reboot, written and executive produced by Cane creator Cynthia Cidre, was described by the network as focusing "on the offspring of bitter rivals and brothers J.R. and Bobby Ewing, who clash over the future of the Ewing dynasty while the fate of Southfork itself weighs in the balance." The subsequent breakdown for the pilot listed the characters of J.R.'s son, John Ross, and Bobby and Pam Ewing's adopted son, Christopher, as the leads, while Duffy's Bobby, Hagman's J.R. and Gray's Sue Ellen were down as supporting. Meanwhile, Hagman just won $1.1 million in an arbitration ruling against Citigroup (plus $10 million in punitive damages he plans to give to charities), and he also recently signed on to guest star in an episode of Desperate Housewives.

http://www.deadline.com/2010/12/good...ds/#more-91110

[Mr. Television]

I'm really disappointed in Larry. At this stage in his life, he doesn't need the money and TNT is never going to pay anybody the money he was making on Dallas. You'd think he'd want to work with Linda and Patrick again and give something back to the fans. Without him though, I doubt the show will be a success. hno:

[dlemond]

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

I'm really disappointed in Larry. At this stage in his life, he doesn't need the money and TNT is never going to pay anybody the money he was making on Dallas. You'd think he'd want to work with Linda and Patrick again and give something back to the fans. Without him though, I doubt the show will be a success. hno:

I agree.

I don't get it. I don't know to what degree Hagman, Duffy, and Gray were going to be used, but I still believe the show really doesnt have a shot without Hagman's participation.

[Retro4Life]

I think the series had a rough row to hoe regardless, but I agree...without the participation of the stars, they've pretty much ruled out the older fans. And do people in their 20's or younger really care about Dallas to begin with? I kind of doubt it.

The real shame is that Dallas never had a truly good "ending". The TV movies never really provided a good sense of closure, and it seems that ship has totally sailed.

[MickeyMac]

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

I think the series had a rough row to hoe regardless, but I agree...without the participation of the stars, they've pretty much ruled out the older fans. And do people in their 20's or younger really care about Dallas to begin with? I kind of doubt it.

The real shame is that Dallas never had a truly good "ending". The TV movies never really provided a good sense of closure, and it seems that ship has totally sailed.

I agree. They should have never even attempted this project.

[JamesG]

"Dallas" Without J.R.? "News to me," Says Stunned Larry Hagman
Dec 18, 2010
by William Keck


That report that came out Thursday — that TNT had failed to come to financial terms with Larry Hagman to join the cast of its "Dallas" reboot and was proceeding with a revised script that featured the Ewings without their patriarch?

Don't take that to the bank just yet, darlins'.





I just got off the phone with Larry who said all this comes as news to him. I read him the report, which left the 79-year-old TV legend stunned and nearly speechless.

"I hadn't heard about that, huh!" said Larry. "That's really interesting. We were talking about money, but I didn't know it was going to come to a crashing halt like that. You got a scoop for whatever that's worth: Larry Hagman doesn't know what's going on!"






What this sounds like to me is a scare tactic — not unlike what Lorimar pulled back in the summer of 1980 after J.R. Ewing's infamous shooting when the production company threatened to replace Larry with actor Robert Culp if he didn't return from Europe, where the savvy businessman had escaped while his team negotiated a new contract.



"I had a good team then," said Larry, who this week shoots the first of two "Desperate Housewives "episodes as the wealthy fiancé of Lynette's mother (Polly Bergen).

The actor is currently represented by Joel Dean and Harry Gold, two seasoned veterans accustomed to landing good deals for their clients. And my hope is they will succeed in getting Larry his just desserts.







In November, Larry's co-stars, Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing) and Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), told me they were on board for the new "Dallas" pilot, which was to begin shooting in early February in Texas, Louisiana or New Mexico.



Larry tells me he read the pilot, written by Cynthia Cidre, the creator of CBS's short-lived soap "Cane", and found it "pretty good. J.R.'s single and still his usual self. I thought I wanted to do it, but I didn't know it had come to this.

We were so close to a deal, I didn't know there was an issue. I thought more or less we had it down, unless this is a scare tactic. But I don't need to be scared at my age."








While Larry claims he'd be far from devastated if the series attempted to launch without him, he acknowledges he would be deeply disappointed not to reunite with his old co-stars.

"I'd miss playing with Patrick and Linda, that's for sure, because we're all buddies," he says.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Kecks-Ex...s-1026937.aspx