Why is everyone so negative!!!!

[Double A]

Hi guys, I am new, although I have been reading the forum for sometime. Now I am going to ask a question which has been bothering me for ages!!!
What is it with everyone hating the final seasons of Dallas? I was reading an earlier forum discussion and every second person went on about how much the show had declined in the last years etc, etc. God, I am sick of hearing that!!!! Urghhh!!
I know a lot of the core characters had left etc, but I really think the show stood up remarkably well, considering that it went for 13 YEARS!!! If you take a show like Dynasty, well that totally lost it toward the end and it was obvious that the actors were turning up just to get paid! Maybe the same can be said of Dallas, but I really think that the JR/Cally pairing was an interesting one, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the campness that George Kennedy brought to his role as McKay - he actually gave Larry something to do! They had some fantastic scenes together. Also, I found the Ewing Oil machinations interesting and thought they finally gave Cliff a suitable partner in Liz Addams, which gave Ken Kercheval a chance to shine a bit more.
Some people have also mentioned that the storylines were unrealistic - as opposed to what had happened on previous years!!!! Like Pam being asleep for a year!!!!
C'mon people, the show changed as the era (and budget)did. Yeah, it was a bit tired at the end, but what long running show isn't!
Give it a chance, and judge the final seasons on their own merits - rather than against the heady days of Who Shot JR!


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Well nurse, I think I'm going to enjoy my stay in your little funny farm!

[Aileen]

But that's just the problem, Double A. It's true that if you compare the later seasons to other tv dramas, they are fairly interesting, well-acted and entertaining. But when compared to the best of Dallas (like the episodes currently being shown on TNN), they fall terribly short. And that's the disappointment: knowing what Dallas had been and watching it fall far below that. Most of us who love Dallas became fans because of what it was at its best, and it is still sad and disappointing to me to watch the later seasons. Yes, there were some interesting moments and storylines. But there were far more things that were unbelievable, in my opinion, things that seemed like filler. Like Bobby pretending to be James Bond, all dressed in black and stalking McKay during the range war. Please! I love Bobby, but that was a bit much even for me. (These debates are what I love about this board. http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif)

[Anti-Krebbs]

Listen "Double A" I have seen the entire run through 3 times through, and I hate the later seasons, I no longer watch them or like to discuss them. The show sucked after Pamela left, and to me, that is when it ended.

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"Sleep on little sister, sleep on..."

[SueEllen35]

Double A, it's those shows at the early part of Dallas that intrigued its audience. The story lines were really interesting. I didn't miss a show at the beginning and once Pam had her dream, I was starting to worry about what happened to Dallas. Stars were leaving the show left and right and new people were starting to be introduced. Sure, there are more Ewings out there, but the story lines sucked, and the characters that were introduced lacked that Dallas feeling. Luckily Larry and Patrick stayed until the end. When Linda Gray left, there were no females that carried the lead. Only fill-ins and really April was the only intriguing female I could stand watching on the show at that time. I guess that's why I diss Dallas so much towards the end of the show.

[Pamela Barnes]

Hi Double and welcome to posting after reading for sometime http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Ok I do see your point and I know many people, including friends that preferred the up to date feel of the later seasons.

The major problem to me wasn`t the bad actors but the bad writing. I actually enjoyed a lot of those seasons especially the April storyline and I enjoyed the last season. The mistake they made was changing too much and in the wrong direction. To me Dallas lost its edge and its core element of family and conflict. The best storylines to me involved the whole family. But we lacked a core family. Yes Cally was interesting but the main thrust of a mean JR was lost.
I think many things could of worked even James Beaumont if he had been written differently.
I think saying all long running shows loose their steam is true but not an excuse for poor writing, in the UK we have a number one show which has been number one for 40 years, its maintained high quality writing, acting and moved with the times.
I think the comical aspect went to far over and it lost its dramatic edge, added with the OTT storylines I really began to care less and less about the characters I had grown to love with the exception of Bobby who I feel maintained a sense of real emotion, others like JR just completely changed to comedy.

But I do repect your opinion but for many, myself included those wonderfully written scenes such as Miss Ellie coming to terms with Jocks death, Pam and Bobbys divorce and JR`s meanness were a thing of the past and only past because of the producers and writers which was frustrating to watch.

[Jarrett]

I found the later seasons of dallas quite interesting. I was a McCay fan, and GK did a fantastic job of playing the major heel role of the later seasons. The problem wasnt no more pam, but characters like Wendel, Ray, Donna, Charlie and Jenna. Looking back dallas was a victim of age. If dallas would have aged the kids like todays soaps do, JR could have moved into the Jock position, and with a REAL man to play john ross. Christopher would be the new bobby figure, and everything could have worked out. Without balls, and bbq's the show died.

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Member of the Ray Krebbs Fanclub

Member of the Carter McCay Fanclub

[JW]

I am one of the very few who probably enjoy the later seasons more than the early one. I loved the addition of Sheree J. Wilson and April. I also never really cared for the character of Jock Ewing I always perfered Clayton. So once Jock was gone and Clayton came in to the picture I thought it added a new dimension to the show. Now I never cared for James but I think that was poor casting more than anything.

[Jakey]

I thought the later seasons were ok. The storylines were good enough, the missing value was the lack of the original characters. They were mostly new characters, but there were interesting storylines.

[Mike]

I also really liked the later Dallas years as well. My reason is because by that time, I was old enough to watch Dallas with my mom and dad every Friday. Now since it's been 8 years since my mom's death, those later episodes hold special meaning for me. To me, THAT was Dallas because it was all I'd ever seen. I knew a little bit about Pam and earlier stuff but it wasn't until after her crash that I watched every episode. Goodness, I remember when I was in 5th grade, every Monday we'd talk about what happened on Friday's episode of Dallas. We had a bet to see who killed Johnny Dancer!!! The show was still alive to many. But aside from sentimental attachment, I really did enjoy a lot of the later storylines. I LOVED Cally to death. And April. I really wish they wouldn't have killed off April and that Cally would have been on for the last season as well. I loved the "idea" of Michelle but I often thought the part was not cast right. Same goes with James. And I LOVED the storyline with Miss Ellie & Clayton searching for Mallory and the one with the murder mystery involving the twins. I really liked those two a lot. So anyway, yes, compared to earlier Dallas it wasn't as good. But I loved it anyway.

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"I'll see you at the office, partner." (Pam to JR in dream season Oil Baron's Ball)