Dallas - Season 1 (DVD + UV Copy)

The problem with the new Dallas is that it was only given 10 episodes so the inevitable occured; it tried to fit too much in and sometimes you feel a little lost.

Saying that, 'Season 15' largely succeeded. Old faces return; JR, Bobby, Sue Ellen, Cliff, Lucy and Ray while new faces were introduced; John Ross, Christopher, Anne, Elena and Rebecca.

The story centres around the control of Southfork and the age-old battle of whether oil should be pumped there. It has double-dealing and twists galore! Larry Hagman steals the show. He still has it. His performance deserves an Emmy and far outstrips his co-stars and his own performances on the original. I am very proud to have guessed the FINAL twist. It is a moment that the screen-writers should be proud of and sets up the next season.

However, as I've mentioned it tries to fit too much in and you can't pause for breath! You feel a natural attraction to the old stars and internally cheer when they appear while at the same time you feel the opposite towards the new. I remember being instantly attracted to the women of Southfork from Season 1 but I didn't get the same feeling from Anne, Elena or Rebecca. They are all pretty bland. I don't know why they used Lucy or Ray. They both appear at Southfork parties far too briefly and Lucy does get a role in another episode but they are unforgivably under-used; perhaps a victim of the short run. I also noticed that half-way through this season you suddenly get more recognisable shots of Southfork; the wooden clad study, the driveway, the pool and the yellow and white striped awnings. The other rooms in the house seem far too weird and you can't get your bearings. Perhaps a decision was made half-way through to shoot more recognisable surroundings, I don't know.

For Dallas to continue after the next season it needs to change. It needs to have more storylines, less doom and gloom, Cliff to come out of the shadows, and Ray and Lucy to be given a proper role, if they are used at all!

The DVD itself includes some great extras, showing respect for the old show and featuring the new!

I had a vague memory of the old Dallas' fame but the image of a villain J.R. (like the iconic hats of Dynasty's brunette she-devil) somehow stayed with me over time, so when this new series arrived I was curious to give it a try (also knowing some of the new actors), even if I can't clearly have a deep opinion about the continuity-factor & how faithfully the old plot developed into the new 1, but I can say that the core legacy of the big picture survived...& overall I've liked it, both the old & new group.

As the writers told in the dvds' interview you won't find anything groundbreaking here, but a good classic storytelling, & it's also played well by the cast, not as a bad soap-opera (Larry Hagman in great form in primis, also thanks to his funny naughty lines!): every episode closes with a cliffhanger & even if there are just 10 of them there's evolution for those characters (nobody is just black & white). Anyway they've left something bombastic for the finale, preparing for more to come next. Besides, nice touch using songs of Johnny Cash to set the mood for the key-moments!
The (authentic this time arund) landscape & setting is beautifully shot with a modern set of cameras (again, not only close-ups like soaps used to do), plus there is some guest star from the old show too as a gift for the fans, & probably we'll see more than that in the next season, due to the success of this experiment (in short not a reboot but a continuity with a new generation from the previous Dallas). Even if you didn't know the original 1, if you like something "Gossip Girl's style", you could enjoy this as well.

"Blood is thicker than water. And oil is thicker than blood": the motto gives you an idea about what you should expect from the series...PS_It's so sad to hear that Larry Hagman has just passed away. Dallas won't be the same without this icon, RIP.

Back to the 80's. Same plots but updated characters plus a few of the old ones. great entertainment. Highly recommended for a wet Sunday.