Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
'' 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.
Production
The original miniseries was shot over six weeks during the winter of 1977, on location in
Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, Texas. The
Cloyce Box Ranch
The Cloyce Box Ranch was the site of the original Southfork ranch location, where the initial five episodes of ''Dallas'' were filmed. The series left the location at the end of the first season in 1978 at the request of property owner, Cloyce K. ...
served as the first 'South Fork Ranch' exterior, and a Swiss Avenue building was used for the interior stage sets.
Cast
Starring
In alphabetical order:
*
Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American stage and screen Actor, actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost 5 decades. She was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in th ...
as
Miss Ellie Ewing
Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Ewing Farlow (maiden name Southworth) is a fictional character from the primetime CBS television series ''Dallas'', a long-running serial centered on the lives of the wealthy Ewing family of Dallas, Texas. Created by writer ...
Jock Ewing
John Ross "Jock" Ewing Sr. (1909–1982) is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'' created by David Jacobs. Jock was played by Jim Davis in the show's first four seasons from 1978 to 1981, and as a young man by Dale ...
(5 episodes)
*
Patrick Duffy
Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American television actor and director widely known for his role as Bobby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978–1991). Duffy returned to reprise his role as Bobby ...
as
Bobby Ewing
Bobby James Ewing is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' and its Dallas (2012 TV series), 2012 revival. The youngest son of Jock Ewing, Jock and Miss Ellie Ewing, he was portrayed by actor Patri ...
(5 episodes)
*
Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American actor, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera ''Dallas'', and the handsome astronaut Major Anthon ...
as
J.R. Ewing
John Ross Ewing Jr. is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'' (1978–1991) and its spin-offs, including the continuation series (2012–2014). The character was portrayed by Larry Hagman from the series premiere in ...
(5 episodes)
*
Victoria Principal
Vicki Ree Principal (born January 3, 1950),Pamela Barnes Ewing (5 episodes)
*
Charlene Tilton
Charlene L. Tilton (born December 1, 1958) is an American actress and singer. She is widely known for playing Lucy Ewing on the CBS prime time soap opera ''Dallas''.
Career
Tilton had early roles on television series such as ''Happy Days'' ...
as
Lucy Ewing
Lucy Ann Ewing is a fictional character in the popular American television series ''Dallas''. The character is played by Charlene Tilton and first appeared in the series premiere on April 2, 1978. Tilton left the show at the end of season 8 in 1 ...
(5 episodes)
Also starring
*
Linda Gray
Linda Ann Gray (born September 12, 1940) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of Larry Hagman's character J.R. Ewing on the CBS television drama series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978â ...
as
Sue Ellen Ewing
Sue Ellen Ewing is a fictional character and one of the female leads in the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas''. Sue Ellen was portrayed by Linda Gray and appeared on the show since its Dallas (1978 TV series) (season 1), pil ...
(5 episodes)
*
Steve Kanaly
Steven Francis Kanaly (; born March 14, 1946) is an American actor, best known for his role as Ray Krebbs on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas''.
Early life and career
Kanaly was born in Burbank, California, and grew up ...
as
Ray Krebbs
Ray Krebbs is a fictional character in the American television series ''Dallas'', played by Steve Kanaly from 1978 to 1989. Ray Krebbs is the illegitimate son of Texas oil baron Jock Ewing. He later appeared in the reunion movie '' Dallas: War of ...
(4 episodes)
*
Ken Kercheval
Kenneth Marine Kercheval (July 15, 1935 – April 21, 2019) was an American actor, best known for his role as Cliff Barnes on the television series ''Dallas'' and its 2012 revival.
Early life
Kercheval was born on July 15, 1935, in Wolcottvill ...
as
Cliff Barnes
Clifford "Cliff" Barnes, portrayed by Ken Kercheval, is a fictional character from the American television series ''Dallas''.
Cliff is a longtime rival of the Ewing family, particularly J.R. Ewing, with whom he shares one of the most iconic feud ...
(3 episodes)
Special guest star
*
David Wayne
David Wayne (born Wayne James McMeekan; January 30, 1914 – February 9, 1995) was an American stage and screen actor with a career spanning over 50 years.
Early life and career
Wayne was born in Traverse City, Michigan, the son of Helen M ...
as
Willard "Digger" Barnes
Willard "Digger" Barnes is a character in the popular American television series ''Dallas'' created by David Jacobs. Digger was played by actors David Wayne and Keenan Wynn in the show's first three seasons from 1978 to 1980, and as a young man ...
(2 episodes)
Notable guest stars
The most notable among the first season's recurring guest stars were
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
Jeffrey Byron (born Timothy Paul Stafford; November 28, 1955) is an American actor and writer. Byron has acted in both film and television, and co-wrote one movie script, ''The Dungeonmaster''.
Byron was born in Santa Monica, California, the t ...
as Lucy's schoolmate, Roger Hurley, and Paul Tulley as their teacher Mr. Miller (episode 2);
Norman Alden
Norman Alden ( Adelberg; September 13, 1924 – July 27, 2012) was an American character actor who performed in television programs and motion pictures. He first appeared on television on '' The 20th Century Fox Hour'' in 1957. He provided ...
as Ewing family friend and US Senator William "Wild Bill" Orloff (episode 3);
Brian Dennehy
Brian Manion Dennehy (; July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe, and received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Dennehy had roles i ...
and
Cooper Huckabee
Thomas Cooper Huckabee (born May 8, 1951) is an American film and television actor who appeared in '' The Funhouse'', ''Urban Cowboy'', and as Harrison in the 1993 film '' Gettysburg'', among other roles.
Career
Huckabee played Buzz, one of th ...
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
Series creator David Jacobs wrote the first and final episodes of the season and served as the executive script consultant (i.e.
showrunner
A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series. The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over th ...
). 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
''Knots Landing'' is an American primetime television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'', it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially cente ...
''. The three other episodes were written by Virginia Aldridge, which was her only involvement with the show;
Arthur Bernard Lewis
Arthur Bernard Lewis (January 26, 1926 – October 30, 2010) was an American television writer and producer. He wrote sixty-nine episodes of the CBS oil soap opera ''Dallas'' and was the supervising producer of over one hundred episodes of ...
, 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
Lee Rich (December 19, 1918 – May 24, 2012) was an American film and television producer, who won the 1973 Outstanding Drama Series Emmy award for ''The Waltons'' as the producer. He is also known as the co-founder and former chairman of ...
and
Philip Capice
Philip Capice (June 24, 1931 – December 30, 2009) was an American television producer, most notable as the executive producer of the dramedy '' Eight Is Enough'' and the first nine seasons of the soap opera ''Dallas''.
Early life
Capice graduat ...
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
Leonard Katzman (September 2, 1927 – September 5, 1996) was an American film and television producer, writer, and director. He was most notable for being the showrunner of the CBS prime time oil soap opera ''Dallas''.
Early life and career
...
'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
The first and second seasons were released by
Warner Home Video
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Inc. (doing business as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the American home video distribution ...
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.