Maybe it's just me, I am a generation or two behind the times, but the only thing that Dallas means to me is..."Who Shot J.R.?" I didn't even know who J.R. was, or why someone would want to shoot him, but I do know somebody did (I'm pretty sure it was Maggie Simpson). Despite my generational ignorance, TNT is reviving and updating the former hit for next summer.
According to the TNT Official Website, the new show (not a reboot, but very much a sequel) will run for 10 episodes and feature a mix of new faces and old. The original series was about "the bitter rivalries and family power struggles within a Texas oil and cattle-ranching dynasty." Dynasty? That's another one of those shows I remember yet know nothing about it. I'm sure that reboot is in the works as well.
Apparently they've been wrestling with the idea of a new Dallas for some time before finally green-lighting a 10-episode order. According to Michael White at the network, "TNT has explored the possibility of an updated version of Dallas for several years, but it wasn't until we read Cynthia Cidre's outstanding pilot script that we knew we had the foundation for a great new series."
So, what's the core idea behind this outstanding pilot script? According to the synopsis:
In the new DALLAS, this explosive rivalry now lives on through another generation, with the future of the family fortune in the hands of the Ewing offspring: cousins John Ross Ewing (Henderson), the son of J.R. and ex-wife Sue Ellen (Gray), and Christopher Ewing (Metcalfe), the adopted son of Bobby. Brewster stars as Elena, who is involved in a love triangle with Christopher and John Ross. Gonzalo stars as Christopher's fiancé, Rebecca. And Strong stars as Ann, Bobby's wife.
The website also states how TNT viewers can catch a first look at the new show on Monday (TONIGHT!) during the season premieres of both The Closer (at 9 p.m. ET) and Rizzoli & Isles (10 p.m. ET). There's also a brand spanking new website for Dallas 2.0 where you can find constant updates, like first-look images or behind-the-scenes vids. The big question is, will this show be able to capture the same cultish following as the original? TNT hopes so...
Dallas Stars Josh Henderson, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Julie Gonzalo, and Brenda Strong, as well as the return of TV icons Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, and Linda Gray. Executive producer Cynthia Cidre wrote the pilot, with fellow EP Michael M. Robin attached to direct. Look for it on TNT in the summer of 2012.
