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Dallas (television)

Dallas was a long-running primetime television soap opera about a wealthy Texas oil family. The first show aired on CBS from April 2, 1978 to May 3, 1991.

The series is probably best-known for the central character of J.R. Ewing, the vain, greedy, scheming, crass oil baron played by Larry Hagman[?] for the show's entire run.

It is also known for two famous episodes that made TV history:

  • "Who Done It?" - The 1979 - 1980 season ended with J.R. being shot. Viewers had to wait all summer to learn whether J.R. would survive, and which of his many enemies was responsible. "Who Done It?" aired on November 7, 1980. It was one of the highest-rated episodes of a TV show up to that time. The great success of this stunt helped usher in the practice of ending a television season with a big cliffhanger.

  • "Return to Camelot" - One of the show's stars, Patrick Duffy[?], left the program in the spring of 1985. His character, Bobby, was plowed down by a car and died, on camera, on May 17, 1985. When Duffy agreed to return to the show in 1986, producers ended the 1985-1986 season, on May 16, 1986 with a shot of Duffy emerging from a shower. Fans had to wait until September 26 to learn how the writers would explain Duffy's return. Most were disappointed with the solution: Bobby's ex-wife, Pam, had dreamt the entire previous season, including Bobby's death.

The series was shot at the Southfork Ranch[?] which is now a tourist attraction and a convention center.

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