June 30, 2021, 5:05 p.m.
June 30, 2021, 5:05 p.m.
Update: June 30, 2021, 5:08 p.m.
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Berlin (dpa) “Hehehehehehe” – the laugh of the villain JR is still in the ears of many people today: “Dallas” showed a world of white, rich men at a time when fossil fuels were still considered innocent.
Patrick Duffy (l), Linda Gray (m.) And Larry Hagman at the ceremony for the 18th Screen Actors Guild Awards 2012.
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Many years ago, on a Tuesday in April, millions of viewers experienced a strange evening of television. First of all, at 8 p.m., «Tagesschau» spokeswoman Daniela Witte greeted them in a friendly manner with the words: «In the Soviet Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the dreaded meltdown has apparently occurred, the biggest accident that can be assumed.
A good two hours later, Bobby Ewing died in a car accident on the same station in the series “Dallas”. The oil heir, played by Patrick Duffy, has grown dear to fans of the US soap opera since 1981. June 30th marks the 40th anniversary of the first broadcast of the long-running series in Germany.
Fight for oil, power and money
Until 1991, “Dallas” fans followed the intrigues, antics and tragedies of the Texan Ewing family, who were in constant clinic with the Barnes clan. All white men with western boots and cowboy hats fighting for oil, power, money and beautiful women.
Oil is still an innocent source of energy in the 80s. Climate crisis, sea level, greenhouse effect – none of this is an issue for the general public. One prefers to feast on the luxury life of the Ewings, the white Southfork ranch, the swimming pool, the luxury cars. “Dallas” can also be seen as the last riot of those who consider oil a blessing.
“From today’s perspective, the series is a television swan song for the old economy, but also for the traditional family,” explains television researcher Prof. Dr. Joan Kristin Bleicher. “There were still old-style company bosses who fought each other and flaunted their wealth. At home the wife was waiting with the whiskey. ” From the gentle Miss Ellie to the bitchy Lucy – the female figures remained pale, no matter how hard the Texan sun was shining.
The greatest villain in the world
The biggest puller in the CBS series is oil magnate JR Ewing, for a time the most famous villain in the world. JR drives his wife Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) deeper and deeper into alcohol addiction with infidelities and emotional cruelty and shies away from almost nothing in the fight against his adversaries. JR actor Larry Hagman once said in a dpa interview about this role: “He is unique. I think everyone in the world – African, South American, Russian or Chinese – has someone like JR in their family. Everyone can identify with it and say: I know this guy. “
In this context, scientist Bleicher recalls the slogan of the “Dallas” fan community: “We love to hate JR” ”(ie“ We love to hate JR. ”) She still sees villain potential in him today:“ Thanks to #metoo has his potential for hate has actually increased. “
Hagman (1931-2012) appeared so authentic to the audience that once an old lady in a hotel in Dallas punched her handbag so hard in his face that he was thrown from his chair. «I’ve seen stars. She said, “You rat, how can you treat Sue Ellen like that?” Then she apologized for forgetting that she had her deceased husband’s gun in her pocket. So she hit me harder than she wanted. “
The resurrection of Bobby Ewing
Speaking of attacks, back to the run-over Bobby. What followed that scene was one of the greatest audiences in television history. Bobby dies at the end of the eighth season in episode 191. He is also mourned and buried, but is suddenly alive again in episode 222. His wife Pamela (Victoria Principal) enters the bathroom and is completely taken aback: Bobby is standing there in the shower. Allegedly, she just dreamed the whole storyline of the ninth season. Anyone who consciously experienced the 80s is still annoyed today about the wasted life that was spent with this “dream season”. The fact that people still think about it today also shows how much influence “Dallas” had. It is sad that the Chernobyl disaster could not be reversed.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210629-99-184746 / 3
Mean grin; Actor Larry Hagman played JR Ewing in the television saga “Dallas”.
The leading actors of the US TV series “Dallas” (from left to right) Larry Hagmann as JR Ewing, Linda Gray as his wife Sue-Ellen, Jim Davis as father Jock Ewing, Patrick Duffy as JR’s brother Bobby Ewing and Victoria Principal as his wife Pamela Ewing . Sitting in the front of the chair is Barbara Bel Geddes as Miss Ellie Ewing and next to Charlene Tilton as the granddaughter Lucy.
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