Would we say it was a risk for TNT to bring Dallas back to television? On one hand, the original series was hugely popular back in its heyday. But, as previous attempts at reboots have proven, the popularity of the original series doesn't guaranty a hit for a reboot or sequel. Rest in peace Knight Rider, Bionic Woman and more recently Charlie's Angels. Then again, maybe it isn't fair to compare TNT's Dallas revival to some of network TV's failed attempts at TV reboots. After all, Dallas is less a reboot as it is a years-later continuation of the original series, with some former cast members returned to join the next generation of Ewings with a new set of drama to tackle.
TNT announced today that they've given Dallas an order for a second season. So those who've been tuning in (and there are many of us out there) will have more Texas-set drama to look forward to in 2013. The cable network has ordered 15 episodes for Season 2.
Regardless of what the secret to Dallas's success may be, success is definitely a fair word to use of the series, which according to TNT, averaged 6.9 million viewers in its first two weeks. Even if that average settles down a bit, that's still a hefty number for a basic cable series. I tuned in for the premiere, more out of curiosity than anything else and found myself much more drawn in by the re-introduction to the Ewing family and their work, family and romantic entanglements than I expected to be. There's nothing like a bit of family drama to entertain during the summer months when our regularly scheduled programming is on hiatus. I blame Revenge for my increased craving for such soapy fare, so thanks TNT for offering an alternative.
