Dallas comeback

Larry Hagman to return for new Dallas series

US actor Larry Hagman is to appear in the TV return of classic 1980s soap opera Dallas, it has been announced.

The 79-year-old will reprise his role as oil baron JR Ewing in the new pilot, to be made by US network TNT.

Original stars Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray will also return to play Bobby and Sue Ellen Ewing respectively.

The new show will focus on the Ewing offspring - John Ross and Christopher Ewing - as they clash over the future of the family dynasty.

Desperate Housewives star Josh Henderson will play John Ross, who appeared as a child in the original series.

Jordana Brewster from The Fast and the Furious will play Elena, a character involved in a love triangle with the Ewing cousins.

Cynthia Cidre, who wrote 1992 film The Mambo Kings, has written the pilot for the next-generation update.

TNT has not confirmed when production will commence.

The original Dallas, which centred on two feuding Texan oil families, ran from 1978 to 1991 on US network CBS.

In 1980, 83 million viewers tuned in to find out "who shot JR" in one of the show's famous cliffhanger storylines.

In 2006 it was announced that Britain's Gurinder Chadha would direct a film version of Dallas, to star John Travolta in the JR role.

Little has been heard about the project since, though in a 2008 interview Chadha remained optimistic the film would eventually be made.

"Projects get resurrected and I like to think good scripts never say die," she told UK newspaper Metro.


Here is when we discover who shot JR:


Source: wethotcanadiansummer (You Tube)  Key words: dallas who done it

Here are some of the lines from the dialogue to help you understand:
Sue Ellen
so supportive
Taking me in  (= allowed her to stay at her home)
I have finally figured everything out, that’s all
You’ve been trying to frame me
While I was showering, you hid the gun in the closet
Kristen
You think you’ve got it all figured out
I wouldn’t do that if I were you JR
Not unless you want your child born in prison
I think I’ll write my memoirs there
JR
You’re bluffing
Nobody’s going to jail for her
I’ll handle Kristen my own way

And here is the theme tune:


Source: dhanicarlo (you tube) Key words: dallas theme tune

What about bringing back it's rival Dynasty? Do you remember the fights between Krystal Carrington and Alexis Colby? Hilarious.


Source: You Tube (Flybuy)  Key words: Krystal Alexis Dynasty fight

Read and listen to this text about British soap operas.

You can read and listen to more news about Britain in the BBC Learning English page.

Here is a previous post on soap operas.

Comments

Montse said…
I remember those series. They were the first ones that came to Spain and, every week, everybody looked forward the next chapter.
I don't know how the new soap operas will be but I think that the second parts hardly ever are good.
Graham said…
I used to watch both series too. I was only seven or eight when everyone was asking "Who shot JR?"

My brother spoilt the surprise by telling me the culprit. He had read it in a newspaper.

British soap operas couldn't be more different to American ones. Click on the link in the post to listen to a text about them.

... everybody LOOKED FORWARD TO the next EPISODE.
I don't know WHAT THE NEW SOAP OPERA WILL BE LIKE but I think that the second parts ARE HARDLY EVER good.