Spoilers ahead.
The seventh season of "Dallas" was pretty bad but it had two saving graces for me. Born in 1961, I was in my early 20s when "Dallas" had its heyday; and at that age I had an eye for the ladies. Afton (Audrey Landers) and Katherine (Morgan Brittany) saw me through season seven. In fact, they more or less dragged me through. I was looking forward to sharing season eight with them.
But suddenly Afton walked out and Katherine skipped off a step or two ahead of the cops.
And then J R's lovely, chipmonk-toothed secretary Sly applied for a long vacation. I though her the best of the bunch since she appeared more ordinary, like a real person, and I enjoyed watching her tie Cliff in knots. Too, I think she was a better actor.
They were replaced as the resident babes by Mandy (Deborah Shelton, she of the unnerving eyes; Katherine's eyes held me like a cobra's hypnotizes a muskrat, if they ever moved in the same circles, but Mandy's eyes scared me).
And by "Three's Company" cast-off Jenilee Harrison, who makes the best-ever entry to Southfork, bringing with her an air of mystery--and she looks great in a bikini. And anyone who gets snarley by a young man interested in pretty young women need to join the real world. Stop mixing with extraterrestrials and find a cozy spot on the real planet Earth. Reality can be fun if you try it.
But the biggest change is Donna Reed filling Barbara Bel Geddes' tiny shoes as Miss Ellie.
Now, I was too young to catch Reed's TV show. And I seem to be the only person on planet Earth who can't stand "It's a Wonderful Life" and have never seen it all the way through. But Bel Geddes bored me in Hitchcock's "Vertigo" and she bored me in "Dallas." That may be heresy but I've never been obsessive about any TV show as are "Star Trek" and "-Wars" fans. I was never "Dallas"-obsessive, either. If I were to choose between 20th century shows about Southern oil families I'd probably pick the Beverly Hillbillies over the conniving Ewings. And Granny never left that show in 9 years.
Actors drop out of daytime soaps and the show goes on with new faces. Prime-time soaps may have the money for conspicuous consumerism (so what?) but professional actors do what they do for money and always have their hands out (how many "Dallas" viewers work for gratis?) Bel Geddes wanted more and Reed wanted some.
To casual "Dallas" watchers it's six of one . . . Besides, Reed wasn't there long. If I could deal with the loss of Afton and Katherine and welcome Jamie, the obsessives can at least see Miss Ellie is still there.
If they can do it to James Bond and get away with it they can do it on a dippy prime time soap about people who are richer than my family ever was if you tot it all up back to Adam.
It's a good thing season eight is more interesting so I can wave bye-bye to Afton, Katherine and Sly.
The seventh season of "Dallas" was pretty bad but it had two saving graces for me. Born in 1961, I was in my early 20s when "Dallas" had its heyday; and at that age I had an eye for the ladies. Afton (Audrey Landers) and Katherine (Morgan Brittany) saw me through season seven. In fact, they more or less dragged me through. I was looking forward to sharing season eight with them.
But suddenly Afton walked out and Katherine skipped off a step or two ahead of the cops.
And then J R's lovely, chipmonk-toothed secretary Sly applied for a long vacation. I though her the best of the bunch since she appeared more ordinary, like a real person, and I enjoyed watching her tie Cliff in knots. Too, I think she was a better actor.
They were replaced as the resident babes by Mandy (Deborah Shelton, she of the unnerving eyes; Katherine's eyes held me like a cobra's hypnotizes a muskrat, if they ever moved in the same circles, but Mandy's eyes scared me).
And by "Three's Company" cast-off Jenilee Harrison, who makes the best-ever entry to Southfork, bringing with her an air of mystery--and she looks great in a bikini. And anyone who gets snarley by a young man interested in pretty young women need to join the real world. Stop mixing with extraterrestrials and find a cozy spot on the real planet Earth. Reality can be fun if you try it.
But the biggest change is Donna Reed filling Barbara Bel Geddes' tiny shoes as Miss Ellie.
Now, I was too young to catch Reed's TV show. And I seem to be the only person on planet Earth who can't stand "It's a Wonderful Life" and have never seen it all the way through. But Bel Geddes bored me in Hitchcock's "Vertigo" and she bored me in "Dallas." That may be heresy but I've never been obsessive about any TV show as are "Star Trek" and "-Wars" fans. I was never "Dallas"-obsessive, either. If I were to choose between 20th century shows about Southern oil families I'd probably pick the Beverly Hillbillies over the conniving Ewings. And Granny never left that show in 9 years.
Actors drop out of daytime soaps and the show goes on with new faces. Prime-time soaps may have the money for conspicuous consumerism (so what?) but professional actors do what they do for money and always have their hands out (how many "Dallas" viewers work for gratis?) Bel Geddes wanted more and Reed wanted some.
To casual "Dallas" watchers it's six of one . . . Besides, Reed wasn't there long. If I could deal with the loss of Afton and Katherine and welcome Jamie, the obsessives can at least see Miss Ellie is still there.
If they can do it to James Bond and get away with it they can do it on a dippy prime time soap about people who are richer than my family ever was if you tot it all up back to Adam.
It's a good thing season eight is more interesting so I can wave bye-bye to Afton, Katherine and Sly.
