User reviews

Finally after years of god awful reality TV shows, bad remakes of classic shows and other stuff, we finally have a real popcorn television show with Dallas, a continuation based on the 1978-91 prime time soap opera about a wealthy family in oil and cattle ranch in Dallas Texas, this time it's main focus will be on john Ross (scheming son of the man everybody loves to hate J.R. Ewing) played by Josh Henderson and bobby's son Christopher played by former passions star Jesse metcalfe and of course the three legends played by Larry hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray, although they are some flaws in this one, but the rest are just so good, including the emotional scene featuring bobby talking to J.R. at a nursing home about the Ewing legacy and how john Ross and Christopher should not follow the same mistakes that they made in the past, Jordana Brewster is also good as john Ross's love interest and Julie Gonzalo is also pretty good as Christopher's now wife Rebecca, and Larry hagman's back in top form as the man everybody loves to hate J.R. Ewing and so is Patrick Duffy as bobby, Brenda Strong (who was so good in the discontinued desperate housewives) is very strong in her role as bobby's new wife Ann.

Although I Have problems with the southfork ranch though, the HD is beautiful and the kitchen is nice, but it needs a feel to be home, still despite that, this is a very good version of a classic, something most TV shows lack today.

and I'm giving it a B+

This is a new generation of South Fork lies, backstabbing, deceit and greed. For the older generation who enjoyed the original series, there is enough continuity and history in the show to keep you intrigued. However, it is the new generation of Ewing's that have history repeating, and with delight! In my opinion, it is certainly the aged cast that intrigues me the most, and know that the show will heavily rely on the new blood. That doesn't mean that J.R., Bobbie and Sue Ellen won't have their moments to shine. John Ross, and Christopher Ewing are at the forefront of this new series, and there is much to say about the sibling rivalry of the past, coming forth into this cousin rivalry. I think the writing was well done, the opening sequence was similar enough to the original for the die hard fans, and the new cast certainly has a lot to live up to, and I think they will soar! I look forward to many more episodes, and perhaps some other cameos.....

A premiere that was ballyhooed since last year finally arrived on TNT tonight. The feuding and backbiting Ewings of Dallas have come back with a pair of feuding cousins who are both looking to prove something to their fathers.

Bobby is ill with cancer and is looking to sell the family homestead of Southfork Ranch. He wants to preserve it's scenic beauty as a park and he still honors the promise made to his mother from the original series that they'll be no oil drilling on Southfork.

His nephew John Ross Ewing wants to make his mark as his legendary father JR Ewing did, he's found oil, a lot of it that will make him independently wealthy of all concerned.

And JR is in nursing home, but how many steps he's lost is something only he knows and I suspect not too many. As usual he's proving to be a master puppeteer.

That's the barebones outline of all the new premises established for the revived Dallas series. The Ewings were an interesting family to watch back in the day. Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray, and Larry Hagman are all back and in real time as well as these folks have aged in real life as well as their characters.

Jesse Metcalfe and Josh Henderson are Bobby and JR's sons and these two cousins are already feuding over business and women. And the issues of the day as Metcalfe as Christopher Ewing is into alternative energy and Henderson as John Ross Ewing wants to put Ewing oil back on the top of the energy heap.

Looks like Dallas is back in business. Whether the TV public is interested, time will tell. I'm interested.

As the "oringial" Dallas was before my time, I watched the reruns faithfully and truly fell in love with the show. The characters of the Ewing Family were one of a kind and in my opinion can never be duplicated by any other show. When word came that Dallas was going to be continued I was overjoyed and even more so when the premiere date was announced. I watched every single second of the "2012" Dallas and was simply amazed that after over 20 years they were able to create a way to continue the show and it's story without ruining the legacy of the original. I give this show 10 out of 10 and look forward to many more episodes of Dallas.

I started watching "Dallas" in the fall of 1978; frankly, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to watch Victoria Principal rise up out of the pool, practically bursting out of a black swimsuit. I quit watching "Dallas" the season after the death of "Jock Ewing" (the late, great Jim Davis). The show was never the same after Davis' death and the scripts began repeating themselves; only the characters involved changed ("JR" and "Bobby" nearly die in a plane crash; "Dusty Farlow" is crippled in a plane crash; "Pam's mother" dies in a plane crash. Give me a break.) However, I couldn't keep myself away from watching the "Dallas" reunion a few years back; I was pretty shocked how bad Victoria Principal looked, though she still had that heart-stopping figure. Anyway, I was curious to see how the updated version would be; and I have to admit, I am pleased. While the epic dramatic tension and warmth has not yet appeared (and none of the women can hold a candle to the young VP), the plot machinations are, if anything, better than the original show. Clearly, "John Ross" and "Christopher are MUCH more complex characters than "JR" and "Bobby," and "Elena" (Jordana Brewster) promises to essay a much stronger woman than "Pam Barnes (Victoria Principal)and clearly won't be saddled with the "Goody Two-Shoes" passivity which, I am sure frustrated Principal and led to her dramatic departure from the show. It is clear much of the dramatic conflict of future episodes will revolve around the "lover's triangle" of "Elena," "John Ross" and "Christopher," and that is a good thing. This trio promise to become compelling enough to eventually carry the show as "Bobby," "Sue Ellen" and "JR" leave by attrition. After all, Larry Hagman is 80 years old and has been in poor health.

On a less positive note, I am really disheartened that David Jacobs, who created "Dallas," has been, reportedly, very badly treated by the new show's producers. I believe that is a mistake, as I read Jacob's book, "Dallas," which was published shortly after the premiere of the original show, and he is a VERY good writer. The book was much too raunchy for the 70s or 80s, but would past muster on any cable network now; though, even now, Jacobs' "Dallas," would probably feel much more at home on FX than TNT. No bother; the raunchy elements were not what made "Dallas" compelling; Jacobs ability to create memorable characters and situations was. I'm sure he could still teach these new producers a thing or two about creating compelling television. That being said, "Dallas" 2012 shows great promise and is off to a very good start. I give it a "7".

Almost 20 years since last time i saw Dallas. John Ross & Christofer kicks off where Bobby & Jr left back in 1991. I really liked the new Dallas, John Ross & Christofer fits their role. Nice to see Jr & Bobby again. I was a huge Dallas fan back in the days. And I really looks forward to see more. They are older but so I'm I.. But feel that Dallas 2012 will focus on John Ross battle with Christofer and SF ranch rights. John Ross has secretly drilling for oil on SF, and struck huge finding. But as miss Ellie claimed, NO drilling on SF. There's the twist. There is also some back feuds coming up to the surface regarding John Ross & Christofer. Hell, like father like son.

Cant wait to see more..

The return of Dallas to tv was 21 years after the original series was cancelled and 14 years after we saw the last of JR the rest of the cast with the "War of the Ewing's". The new series was broadcast on TNT unlike the original which was shown on one of the major networks and got viewing figures that is unimaginable today almost as high as the Superbowl. By 2012 there was plenty of other ways to watch on tv compared the half dozen channels Americans had in the 1980's. In addition to the surviving members of the old series there was a new generation of Ewing's which we were introduced to as well.

It has to be said from the outset that rebooting this series posed quite a lot of challenges and it was always going to be a hard act to follow in recreating the chemistry of the show so many years after the original. The production, camera work and directing had moved on a lot since those days and tastes had changed too. Also, the members of the original cast had aged a lot and trying to find the balance with two different generations was always going to be tricky.

When the series was being promoted it was said that they obviously couldn't pick up where it was all left off but to jump straight into the year 2012 year as if things had been going on since the 1990's but of course without the cameras. That made sense, but for fans of the original it required some patience as it was natural for them to wonder what became of many of the characters in the original and their whereabouts.

Overall, it was a mixed bag, on the upside of the reboot it was great to see updated shots of the ranch and of Dallas itself. Patrick Duffy and Linda Grey looked good, were very strong and seemed to pick up their characters as if the years hadn't gone by at all. Audrey Landers appeared in two episodes and looked impressive and the introduction of Bobby's new wife the smart looking Brenda Strong was definitely an asset. However, the rest of the original cast looked a little long in the tooth and as for Larry Hagman - although it was good to see him on tv playing JR again, he looked very old and frail and was clearly not well, which became apparent with his death in 2013. Unfortunately, he had no presence and couldn't project any of the charm JR could pull off when manipulating people into going along with his devious and underhanded schemes. And of course, he didn't appear threatening as he did in the earlier series when he was blackmailing somebody. However, although Ken Kercheval looked old too, I though his character was still convincing.

Another mistake Dallas 2.0 made was they should have avoided the "what happened to Pam" story which only unfolded in predictable way, and all in all seemed a disappointment. As far as the new actors playing their respective parts I felt the Josh Henderson in particular wasn't good as John Ross although Jessie Metcalf was good as Christopher. The writers wasted a perfect opportunity for a better story than "Where was Pam'?? In the original it was discovered that Christopher's father was Jeff Faraday rather than JR - but feel that it would have been a great story if evidence came to light that it was really JR's child all along and the hospital officials were bribed by JR and the records and documents were nothing but fake. In addition, John Ross should have turned out to be an upstanding honest executive - maybe even a complete square and Christopher being the Machiavellian character just like JR was in his younger days. Having Bobby discover that as well as trying to reign him in would have been the direction to have taken.

Dallas 2.0 wasn't as good as the original nevertheless it was much better than some of the garbage available on Satellite and cable tv at that time, so to have lasted 3 seasons and 40 episodes although disappointing to die-hard fans, in all reality was quite respectable.

As I understand, the ratings started off well but gradually started to slide maybe because of some of the reasons outlined earlier in the review. Fans of Dallas found it wasn't as good as the original and the younger ones saw the basic premise of the show uninteresting. You only have to look at the popularity of shows such as Yellowstone with the dialogue and violence to see what audiences were craving for. All in all, maybe it was just too long after the original being cancelled - but it's still worth a watch and it was still good that they tried.

Who'd have thought it? It looked doomed to disaster, but in fact it's great. It has exactly the same crazed atmosphere and bizarre plot twists as the original series. I never thought they'd crack it.

There's lots to love: Linda Gray seems to have metamorphosed into an anorexic animatronic puppet, with the skin precariously stretched over her face bones. You feel she might shatter at any moment - but she is still strangely attractive and fascinating to watch. She can still pack a punch as Sue Ellen. Admittedly in season two she undergoes a complete mentality switch in no time flat, but, hey, it's Dallas. Bobby and J R are still very good (though J R's just died here in the UK run).

Perhaps more importantly the two cousins are very good actors. Josh Henderson is great as John Ross. The make-up and hair department have let him down a little by overdoing the sleazy look - who'd buy a gallon of anything from this man? Jesse Metcalfe is the perfect counterfoil. He has a more difficult part to play as the goodie, since in drama is notoriously harder to make a goodie interesting. The young women are only so-so. Elena is just a younger and less interesting skeleton than Sue Ellen and Pam just pouts most of the time. Neither of them can hold a candle to Victoria Principal in her prime, or to Linda Gray. However, Brenda Strong is excellent and has the best acting ability on the set, at least among the women.

Don't cancel it, TNT. We want to see it here in the UK, despite the ridiculous time slot Channel 5 has given it.

God, is this awful! The original DALLAS focused sensibly on characters at or approaching middle age (if not older) with story lines and dialog to match, but this effort to update this to 2012 has, perhaps predictably, been turned strongly toward adolescent fantasy material, complete with no shortage of unsightly peach fuzz and voices still in the process of developing toward something actually adult. The result is a dumbing down to the near-juvenile level, with "new generation" protagonists that look like 2012's answer to Robbie Benson and some other male-mode type who looks like he aspires to replace Johnnie Depp in the next "Pirates" movie (give that weenie a disposable razor -- or just as well, a cat and a bottlecap full of milk). The result is that the show might as well be called, "Watch the Teenie-boppers Take Over Texas". Even the female leads are more trying than appealing, reasonably physically attractive as they might be. The one gal who seemed to be a petroleum geologist was about as believable as Britney Spears would be in that part, and although the gal who is supposed to be the young lawyer I have to admit could pass for something that squeezed through a Texas law school and even passed the bar, that's about all you can say for her gravitas in that kind of role. Were the acting good (and it isn't, the kids reminding one of last year's *The Playboy Club*, canceled after just six episodes) the insipid dialog among the children does nothing to alleviate the effect (at one point the fuzzy-faced boy even manages to mumble that he is going to strive to accomplish his goals "with every fibre of my being"), but actually emphasizes it. At some points it was so bad I nearly laughed out loud. And don't even ask me about the misplaced action-adventure riffs in the attempt to "update" the music.

Well, so much for bringing back DALLAS. Give this twerp-fest a pass. I wouldn't recommend it even to teenagers. Texas Stadium with its unique hole in the roof is long gone and so, apparently, is anything approaching adult drama -- even a soap opera like the old "DALLAS" -- on prime-time TV today.

I would assume, at this point that, every one knows, at least a little of what Dallas (2012) is all about. I remember being a little girl, in Tennessee, and watching the original Dallas, with my mama. I loved it then, although,I didn't understand as much in the 80's as I do know. I have recently watched the older episodes, for nostalgic purposes, and loved them! The 2012 version is just as good!I am hooked! It is as dramatic, and beautiful, if not more, than the original! It is a "DRAMA"! I don't know what anyone excepted, when they turned on the T.V., but it delivers ALL desired and I am sure there is much MORE to come! :) I already know what my Wednesday nights will be. No comparison to some of the newer shows they have put on air. Dallas is my new guilty pleasure!

Well, well, well... ...as probably one of the biggest fans of the original series (and a German tourist who actually visited Southfork as some sort of "sacred" place in 2003) I must admit that I actually didn't know about the new series until it had already started. Having watched the first season now I must say that I don't care about glitches in the plot, far-fetched stories and somewhat ludicrous biographies. The question I asked myself is: Was I entertained? And the answer is: YES YES YES! J.R. is better than ever, actors' performances (even those of Chris and John Ross) are sometimes (not always) superb.

After all those years of abstinence it was about high time to see the Ewings back in the ring. I thank you TNT!!!

I avidly watched every episode of Dallas the first time around in the 1980's. I was unsure if the excitement could be replicated in this long awaited follow up series but I'm pleased to say, that now I've got used to all the new, especially younger characters, it is just as gripping as ever. The death of Larry Hagman was a sad loss, but his son fills his shoes admirably. I'm sorry that Victoria Principal felt unable to appear in this new series - she doesn't know what she's missing !! Linda Gray looks brilliant. I'm sure the wheeling and dealing will continue with every twist and turn on the roller coaster journey. Can't wait to see the next episode. Long may it all continue, I'm really enjoying it.

Dallas is a great television series with well written story lines and a very talented cast.This show will certainly not have the same legacy that the original Dallas (which this is a continuation of) will have,I think the stories played it way too safe and didn't have anything groundbreaking or unique like the original did with episodes such as Who Shot Jr.,it was a bit too formulaic and didn't want to take any risks.The cast that appeared in the original series are certainly the highlight,particularly Patrick Duffy and of course Larry Hagman,who is sadly only in 17 episodes as he passed away in late 2012,but he ended his career playing his most iconic role,JR. Ewing,and he will always be remembered for his outstanding dramatic acting,may he rest in peace.Some of the new cast are also very professional and seem very aware of the type of acting they needed to portray in order to play Ewings,Jesse Metcalfe,Jordana Brewster and Brenda Strong do a great job,but Josh Henderson stands out the most as he becomes the new JR and is as ruthless as his father ever was.Three seasons is plenty and the series didn't thrill me enough to want any more,but I was interested enough to watch till the end and I think maybe a movie to tie up loose ends and finish up Dallas in its entirety would be great.Its an easy to watch drama that is thrilling at times,I never watched the original series but I feel fans of it will likely enjoy and Dallas is worth a watch.

The next generation of the Ewing family begin to show the same greed and ruthlessness as their relatives as they fight for power and land.

Best Performance: Larry Hagman Worst Performance: Judith Light

This was a perfect continuation of the original DALLAS. It was a blueprint on how other shows should execute. Should still be on the air.

Dallas couldn't have asked for a better start for its reboot that takes place decades after the first series ended. The next generation of Ewings face off over the Ewing fortunes and Southfork.

The plot and story lines for John Ross, Christopher, JR and Bobby were mesmerizing and captivating, it was easy to get hooked. With interesting plots and business dealings Dallas never ceased to entertain. John Ross and Christopher were excellent in picking up the Mantle from the previous generation. After the first season ratings and reviews were high and this was my favorite modern TV show.

Sadly Season 2 started to take a downward spiral towards the end and Season 3 followed that trend. After Larry's passing the producers panicked and couldn't continue delivering the stellar work they did in season 1. Dallas could have certainly done with formidable villains. Cliff should have never gone so evil like he did in Season 2 but remained an untrustworthy character, the Barnes and Ewing feud has been milked enough. They needed a new adversary and when they tried to do this with Travino it was badly done and hugely disappointing. Not to mention the unwanted Mexico connection.

Dallas has a great history and the new creators often forget that. Once the dust settled after season 1 people would see the inconsistencies and errors. Didn't JR have more than one child, what happened to his other children? Why do we never see other family members much? When Ray and Lucy showed up they were always paired together for some odd reason and had little screen time.

Having said all that the show was not so bad and didn't deserve to be cancelled. Ratings are far worse for other shows on the air. I think things may have turned around with John Ross making an evil transformation into JR. Sadly we will never find out.

This was a great new dallas show which combined the old gang with new promising actors.

When i got to see season one i started watching in the morning and finished the whole season at night in 10 hours time.

I was so hooked i did not go to...the bathroom once.

The plot was great and the surprises and suspense were constant and very good.

We all knew J.R and bobby but also the new actors were nice and had the right chemistry between them.

Especially JULIE GONZALO "Rebecca" was so sweet she reminded me of priscilla presley and she made a great couple with "christopher" in season 1.

I fell for her from the beginning of the show but also liked most of the remaining new actors of the show.

We also had some nice cameos from tilton, sackleford and kanaly who reminded us the past and of course barnes was there for a bunch of episodes to make j.r's life more miserable.

All in all this was a great new beginning and i hope it goes well in the next seasons.

PS.

Dynasty is next for "reboot"