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TNT’s ‘Dallas’ is a solid update of the original
New York Daily News ^ | 6/13/12 | David Hinckley

Posted on 06/13/2012 4:12:30 PM PDT by JennysCool

When you aim to remake “Dallas,” partner, you’re putting on a big hat.

But TNT and the producers of Dallas 2.0, which launches with back-to-back episodes Wednesday night, have the cattle to do it.

They start with the smart move of bringing back the original Ewing brothers, Larry Hagman’s J.R. and Patrick Duffy's Bobby.

Then they make the smarter move of not pretending this old guard would still be dominating the world of Southfork Ranch, as if no descendant of this screwed-up family had ambitions of his or her own, good or evil.

Instead, the producers simply let the gene pool do the work.

J.R.’s son John Ross (Josh Henderson) shares J.R.’s obsession with money, power and domination. Bobby’s adopted son Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) envisions a future where clean energy will replace fossil fuel and make the world a better place.

Fossil fuel, of course, by which we mean oil, has been the Ewing family ticket to vast, unapologetic wealth.

So there are those in the family who see this alternative energy foolishness as a direct personal insult.

-Snip!-

So we’ve got love and money both in play here, and soon they swirl together into a tale that’s got more kick than Texas chili made with live rattlesnakes.

It’s also soapy, of course, not to mention campy. Hagman in particular hasn’t lost an ounce of his villainous sleaze.

No one expects “Dallas” to have the kind of reach now that it had three decades ago. But between old fans who will enjoy a revisit and young folks who never even heard of Miss Ellie, TNT is placing a sound bet.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: bobbyewing; dallas; jrewing
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To: Uncle Slayton

Can’t be JR with all the women he had. Plus, it’s not PC to have homosexuals as villains in Hollyweird now.


41 posted on 06/13/2012 7:28:51 PM PDT by ReformationFan
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To: Clintonfatigued; fatnotlazy; fieldmarshaldj; Impy; unkus

Looming “Dallas” Disaster: How Show’s Creator Was Cut Out of Reboot

http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/06/12/looming-dallas-disaster-how-shows-creator-was-cut-out-of-reboot


42 posted on 06/13/2012 7:30:44 PM PDT by GOPsterinMA (The Glove don't fit.)
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To: fatnotlazy
Watching it now; and liking it. Surprised. They are throwing oil and gas around (methane too) of course; all measures of 'green'; but the real story; is the back-stabbing; sultry and economic 'intrigue'; the excesses - guilty pleasures - and Machiavellian 'family life' along with some authentically 'good' characters - I think. . .

Good to see the original 'survivors' as well.

43 posted on 06/13/2012 7:31:06 PM PDT by cricket (Narcissism IS the 'heart' of Liberalism . . .)
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To: All

Here’s something the producers never tried to explain. In the very first episode Ray Krebbs, the ranch hand, was in the hay loft with teenage niece Charlene Tilton. Down the road Ray Krebbs found out he was Jock’s son. That means he was doing the dirty deed with his niece.


44 posted on 06/13/2012 7:31:06 PM PDT by Terry Mross ("It happened. And we let it happen." - Peter Grifin, FAMILY GUY)
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To: Clintonfatigued; Perdogg; fieldmarshaldj; Impy; unkus; raccoonradio; NFHale; BillyBoy; ...

Sorry to thread bump, but I’m too lazy to post a new one.

Former ‘Goodfellas’ gangster Henry Hill dies in LA:

http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2012/06/13/former_goodfellas_gangster_henry_hill_dies_in_la/?page=full

One of the best films of all time, IMO.


45 posted on 06/13/2012 7:38:58 PM PDT by GOPsterinMA (The Glove don't fit.)
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To: GOPsterinMA

One of the best films of all time, IMO.


For sure. Bad azz movie.


46 posted on 06/13/2012 7:46:55 PM PDT by unkus (Silence Is Consent)
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To: unkus

Yep!


47 posted on 06/13/2012 7:56:24 PM PDT by GOPsterinMA (The Glove don't fit.)
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To: Terry Mross

Indeed. I thought of that when they came up with Ray being Jock’s son. They just ignored it as if it never happened(was it all a dream, too?)


48 posted on 06/13/2012 8:06:28 PM PDT by ReformationFan
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To: ReformationFan

It appears that Ray Krebbs and Lucy Ewing showed up at Christopher’s wedding together. Maybe Ray ain’t Jock’s son after all.


49 posted on 06/13/2012 8:47:01 PM PDT by Terry Mross ("It happened. And we let it happen." - Peter Grifin, FAMILY GUY)
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To: ReformationFan

Richard Dillard, the guy playing the double crossing attorney, is a friend of mine. Haven’t talked to him in a few years.


50 posted on 06/13/2012 8:51:53 PM PDT by Terry Mross ("It happened. And we let it happen." - Peter Grifin, FAMILY GUY)
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To: Terry Mross

Susan Howard, who played ‘Donna Krebs’ is a big time conservative and 2nd Amendment gal.


51 posted on 06/13/2012 8:57:52 PM PDT by peggybac
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To: Terry Mross

They also introduced a character during the season of Pam’s dream who was still there when she woke up.


52 posted on 06/13/2012 9:05:12 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy (If Shellie really loved George, she would have taken his money and run away with it.)
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To: wvguy
She looks a tad more artificial now....


53 posted on 06/13/2012 9:23:15 PM PDT by Lizavetta (You get what you tolerate)
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To: Zhang Fei
Post-surgery Victoria Principal looks so different that fans would do a double-take.

You ain't kidding.


54 posted on 06/13/2012 9:25:21 PM PDT by Lizavetta (You get what you tolerate)
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To: Terry Mross

G r e a t !!! Yet another movie I won’t waste money on to watch.


55 posted on 06/13/2012 10:06:48 PM PDT by SoldierDad (Proud dad of an Army Soldier who has survived 24 months of Combat deployment.)
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To: Clintonfatigued; fatnotlazy; fieldmarshaldj; GOPsterinMA; JennysCool; Perdogg; AuH2ORepublican; ...

I’ve seen just about every episode of Dallas and Dynasty, they used to be on soapnet. Love them. I’m glad they never made the planned Dallas movie which eventually became a COMEDY.

So I watched this, I found it neither great nor terrible, I’ll keep watching it.

The plot is pretty convoluted, everyone is triple crossing everyone else. The fight is over Southfork which as I remember has a ton of oil on it but Miss Ellie had forbabe drilling.

JR is an upscale nursing home cause of depression, he seems fine though. Why would he be depressed, maybe cause Cliff Barnes (who did not appear) is running Ewing oil for some reason. Last I heard in a tv movie a long time ago Bobby was running Ewing Oil and JR had Weststar.

Charlene Tilton (if that was her and not Snooki in a blond wig) looked like crap, I’m glad it was only a cameo.

I wonder if they’ll ever reboot or remake Dynasty. Joan Collins is probably available.


56 posted on 06/14/2012 2:46:09 AM PDT by Impy (Don't call me red.)
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To: Impy; All

I’d like to see the original stars of Dallas play the original stars of Dynasty in an Old Country Buffet eat-off. Teeth are optional.

The winning team gets a lifetime supply of tapioca pudding.


57 posted on 06/14/2012 5:42:36 AM PDT by GOPsterinMA (The Glove don't fit.)
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To: GOPsterinMA

LOL. That’s a good one.


58 posted on 06/14/2012 5:56:09 AM PDT by fatnotlazy
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To: Impy
I managed to make it through the first hour only. I don't know why I was underwhelmed. Might be that they threw in too much plot initially, rather than spreading it out over several episodes. The younger actors seemed wooden, but maybe that was the result of a bad script. I just don't know.

On the plus side, Hagman played JR as evil as possible, as expected. He did not disappoint.

I will try to watch next week just to see if it picks up for me.

59 posted on 06/14/2012 6:06:04 AM PDT by fatnotlazy
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To: fatnotlazy

You should have kept watching, the second hour picked up considerably after the wedding.

There are plots and subplots and plots within plots under subplots. It seems everyone has some kind of secret or scheme going on except for Bobby - just as in the original he is the one ‘good/honorable’ guy in the show. even his son Christopher seems tohave some bad to him.

Plus, it now looks like J.R. will actually have a fairly major part in the show. By the end of the second hour he back in full J.R. mode. :-)

Wife and I loved the premiere and can’t wait for more episodes. Wasn’t sure what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised to be presented with a seemingly solid soap that honors the original.


60 posted on 06/14/2012 6:18:35 AM PDT by commish (Freedom tastes sweetest to those who have fought to preserve it.)
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