First Thread - Who watched Dalls in the 80's? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

jayman75 · 06-16-2012, 08:11 PM

I grew up watching Dallas on Friday nights - it was sandwiched between Dukes of Hazzard and Falcon Crest.

This past Wednesday, with the two-hour premiere on TNT, I felt like I had gone back to the show I so enjoyed. It was great to see JR, Sue Ellen and Bobby Ewing portrayed by the real actors, and not brought in as an after-thought.

So, how many people here grew up With the origi al, and what did you think of the premiere??

Big3sCompanyFan · 06-17-2012, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayman75

I grew up watching Dallas on Friday nights - it was sandwiched between Dukes of Hazzard and Falcon Crest.

This past Wednesday, with the two-hour premiere on TNT, I felt like I had gone back to the show I so enjoyed. It was great to see JR, Sue Ellen and Bobby Ewing portrayed by the real actors, and not brought in as an after-thought.

So, how many people here grew up With the origi al, and what did you think of the premiere??

Me too. Can never forget. Was on at 8 pm CT. I saw all seasons except the first 2 or 3.

The new one sucks compared to the original!

70s show watcher · 06-17-2012, 04:50 AM

i watched it back then friday was just not friday without the ewings

70s show watcher · 06-17-2012, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 70s show watcher

i watched it back then friday was just not friday without the ewings

i forgot to add the premiere was great

Big3sCompanyFan · 06-17-2012, 09:23 AM

Forgot to add that the original was on CBS.

old grouch · 06-17-2012, 12:01 PM

I think I did, but then again it may have just been a dream...

Retro4Life · 06-17-2012, 01:01 PM

I watched the show faithfully from the beginning in 1978. I stopped watching regularly in the mid 80s, though...I was in college and usually did stuff on Friday nights, plus by 1985 or so the show had really soured for me.

But those first four or so years were really magic.

Big3sCompanyFan · 06-17-2012, 01:15 PM

I remember it was like a national event every Friday night you knew where you had to be.

Nothing like that exists today!

Mr. Television · 06-17-2012, 02:42 PM

The first episode I watched was Black market Baby. That was the tenth episode and I believe the first one on Sunday. I watched it faithfully from then until it went off the air in 1991. There were a few episodes where I had someone audio tape it for me because I did attend a few of my HS football games in the early 80's. Other than that I never missed a show.

I remember the sensation during the summer of 1980 when JR was shot. You never saw anything like it. It was on all the talk shows. They had a national song playing on the radio about it.. That was the year of the actors strike so we actually had to wait longer than usual to see. After the show was over, it was the lead story on the local news.

I remember listening to the radio one night in the spring of 1981 and the top story on the news was that Jim Davis had died. It shocked me because I didn't know he was sick. It sounds sort of strange because when you watch the shows in syndication, you can clearly see how ill he was. But watching it once a week, I didn't notice. I know at first they said he died of an ulcer. Later they changed it to cancer.

I collected 2 books from the show in the mid 80's and also the record. I still have the record. It includes songs from Howard Keel, Steve Kanaly & Jenilee Harrison. When I first got a VCR in 1986, Dallas was the first show I taped.

The show was never as good the last 4 years. It ended awful but I kept watching until the end.

Jericho-79 · 06-17-2012, 02:56 PM

I wished I'd watched episodes of the original Dallas. I watched the first episode of the new Dallas, and I was totally lost.

Goldilocks · 06-17-2012, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

I watched the show faithfully from the beginning in 1978. I stopped watching regularly in the mid 80s, though...I was in college and usually did stuff on Friday nights, .

Me too. We must be the same age.

We are of the group who remember when Larry Hagman drank, smoked and had dark hair.

MickeyMac · 06-18-2012, 01:23 PM

I totally watched in the 80s. Still havent seen the new series yet.

Big3sCompanyFan · 06-18-2012, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jericho-79

I wished I'd watched episodes of the original Dallas. I watched the first episode of the new Dallas, and I was totally lost.

I don't think you're missing anything with the new one.

I saw the first 20 minutes and then changed the channel. The old magic is gone. It was the same stupid arguing and backstabbing yet all the prestige and glamour is gone when you're buried on some cable channel as opposed to being on CBS in prime time every Friday night!

I'll bet most anything the show won't last more than a year or 2.

Jericho-79 · 06-19-2012, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big3sCompanyFan

I don't think you're missing anything with the new one.

I saw the first 20 minutes and then changed the channel. The old magic is gone. It was the same stupid arguing and backstabbing yet all the prestige and glamour is gone when you're buried on some cable channel as opposed to being on CBS in prime time every Friday night!

I'll bet most anything the show won't last more than a year or 2.

I was about to say that. Why resurrect an 80's TV icon if you're not going to put it on the same TV network that it started out on?

No one watches dramas on cable TV.

Mr. Television · 06-19-2012, 05:11 PM

Actually there are quite a few good dramas on cable ...many of them are critically acclaimed. I think it's easier to last a long time on cable then on one of the networks. You don't have to have the ratings that network shows have to survive. If the ratings don't drop much , Dallas can last 7 or 8 years. The one negative is that cable shows don't produce as many episodes a season. TNT usually orders 10 episode seasons unless the show really takes off. The Closer usually had 15 episodes a season.

06-16-2012, 08:11 PM	#1
jayman75 I Love the 80s! Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 27, 2000 Location: THE GREAT UNITED STATES Posts: 3,809	First Thread - Who watched Dalls in the 80's? I grew up watching Dallas on Friday nights - it was sandwiched between Dukes of Hazzard and Falcon Crest. This past Wednesday, with the two-hour premiere on TNT, I felt like I had gone back to the show I so enjoyed. It was great to see JR, Sue Ellen and Bobby Ewing portrayed by the real actors, and not brought in as an after-thought. So, how many people here grew up With the origi al, and what did you think of the premiere??
	__________________ A fan of quality, classic television comedies and holiday specials... The Wonder Years,The Golden Girls,Burns and Allen, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Are You Being Served?, Family Guy, South Park, Designing Women, Dallas, The Facts of Life, Roseanne, Will and Grace, The Twilight Zone, Original Scooby-Doo, Murphy Brown, The Big Bang Theory... Talk to me about one of these shows, and I'm all yours...

06-17-2012, 01:01 PM	#7
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	I watched the show faithfully from the beginning in 1978. I stopped watching regularly in the mid 80s, though...I was in college and usually did stuff on Friday nights, plus by 1985 or so the show had really soured for me. But those first four or so years were really magic.
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

06-17-2012, 02:42 PM	#9
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,133	The first episode I watched was Black market Baby. That was the tenth episode and I believe the first one on Sunday. I watched it faithfully from then until it went off the air in 1991. There were a few episodes where I had someone audio tape it for me because I did attend a few of my HS football games in the early 80's. Other than that I never missed a show. I remember the sensation during the summer of 1980 when JR was shot. You never saw anything like it. It was on all the talk shows. They had a national song playing on the radio about it.. That was the year of the actors strike so we actually had to wait longer than usual to see. After the show was over, it was the lead story on the local news. I remember listening to the radio one night in the spring of 1981 and the top story on the news was that Jim Davis had died. It shocked me because I didn't know he was sick. It sounds sort of strange because when you watch the shows in syndication, you can clearly see how ill he was. But watching it once a week, I didn't notice. I know at first they said he died of an ulcer. Later they changed it to cancer. I collected 2 books from the show in the mid 80's and also the record. I still have the record. It includes songs from Howard Keel, Steve Kanaly & Jenilee Harrison. When I first got a VCR in 1986, Dallas was the first show I taped. The show was never as good the last 4 years. It ended awful but I kept watching until the end.
	__________________ Sonny

06-17-2012, 02:56 PM	#10
Jericho-79 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 17, 2012 Location: New York City Posts: 133	I wished I'd watched episodes of the original Dallas. I watched the first episode of the new Dallas, and I was totally lost.
	__________________ My shrink once told me: "Maybe life isn't for everyone."

06-17-2012, 04:50 AM	#3
70s show watcher Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 20, 2008 Location: between point place and studio 8 h Posts: 4,549	i watched it back then friday was just not friday without the ewings

06-17-2012, 09:23 AM	#5
Big3sCompanyFan Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 16, 2003 Posts: 2,493	Forgot to add that the original was on CBS.

06-17-2012, 12:01 PM	#6
old grouch Member Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2010 Location: montana Posts: 1,877	I think I did, but then again it may have just been a dream...

06-17-2012, 01:15 PM	#8
Big3sCompanyFan Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 16, 2003 Posts: 2,493	I remember it was like a national event every Friday night you knew where you had to be. Nothing like that exists today!

06-18-2012, 01:23 PM	#12
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,004	I totally watched in the 80s. Still havent seen the new series yet.

06-19-2012, 05:11 PM	#15
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,133	Actually there are quite a few good dramas on cable ...many of them are critically acclaimed. I think it's easier to last a long time on cable then on one of the networks. You don't have to have the ratings that network shows have to survive. If the ratings don't drop much , Dallas can last 7 or 8 years. The one negative is that cable shows don't produce as many episodes a season. TNT usually orders 10 episode seasons unless the show really takes off. The Closer usually had 15 episodes a season.