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Larry Hagman passed away on November 23, 2012. How this will be portrayed is currently unknown.
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* DubNameChange: The Hungarian dub renames JR to Jockey and Sue Ellen to Samantha.
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** This can be considered TruthInTelevision. Many people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area do not have the stereotypical Texas accent.
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* CanonDiscontinuity: The revival ignores the two TV movies of the 1990s, picking up plot threads directly from the original show.
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In 2011, TNT announced plans for a {{Revival}} of the series, and that Hagman, Gray, and Duffy would be returning as their original characters. In 2012, Twitter feeds popped up for J.R., Bobby, and their respective sons, John Ross and Christopher, who will be the primary characters of the revival.
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* [[ComicBookAdaptation Comic Strip Adaptation]]: There was a comic strip based on the show, running from 1981 to 1984.
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* RitchBitch: A veritable revolving door of them.
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* RitchBitch: RichBitch: A veritable revolving door of them.
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* ShouldersOfDoom: [[http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/linda-gray-on-the-return-of-dallas-and-her-best-84922 "They had to make doors bigger in the end."]]
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* ShouldersOfDoom: The eighties version.
** [[http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/linda-gray-on-the-return-of-dallas-and-her-best-84922 "They had to make doors bigger in the end."]]
** [[http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/linda-gray-on-the-return-of-dallas-and-her-best-84922 "They had to make doors bigger in the end."]]
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** Of course, you'd be hard-pressed to find any member of the Ewing family who doesn't drown their sorrows from time to time.
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* EightiesHair
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* FurAndLoathing: Some early, defining examples of this trope.
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* RitchBitch: A veritable revolving door of them.
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* ShouldersOfDoom: [[http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/linda-gray-on-the-return-of-dallas-and-her-best-84922 "They had to make doors bigger in the end."]]
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**Also from the last episode "What makes you think I'm from heaven?"
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Just a grammar edit - changed there to they\'re.
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* HeterosexualLifePartners: JR and Bobby, [[spoiler: when there not killing each other, figuratively speaking of course]].
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* HeterosexualLifePartners: JR and Bobby, [[spoiler: when there they're not killing each other, figuratively speaking of course]].
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* GoingColdTurkey: Sue Ellen, with varying degrees of success.
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* GoingColdTurkey: Sue Ellen, with many times. With varying degrees of success.
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* GoingColdTurkey: Sue Ellen, with varying degrees of success.
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Removing wick to Did Not Do The Research per rename at TRS.
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* DidNotDoTheResearch: Some is to be expected given the genre, but the show's realism with courtroom scenes was really awful.
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** In "Family Business", Christopher and John Ross play a basketball game at Southfork, and make reference to being skilled enough to play a match against the "[=McKay=] boys", a reference to the children of Carter [=McKay=] (George Kennedy) from the original series.
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'''Note:''' If you want to read about the actual city of Dallas, see DFWMetroplex.
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'''Note:''' If you want to read about the actual city of Dallas, see DFWMetroplex.
UsefulNotes/DFWMetroplex.
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* GambitPileup: Just about everybody is scheming and not all of it is about getting the ranch.
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* FaceHeelTurn: After Christopher breaks off the relationship with Rebecca, she goes to [[spoiler:her father, Cliff Barnes]] and agrees to fully cooperate in his scheme against the Ewings.
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** Later on, when talking to a Southfork security guard:
--> '''Guard:''' Next time, Ms. Ewing, shoot him.
--> '''Guard:''' Next time, Ms. Ewing, shoot him.
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-->
** When Sue Ellen says that she'll have to drop out of the race because she doesn't want to be a party to Ryland's corrupt activities, Ann goes to his office alone, convinces him to give a confession implicating himself by pretending to seduce him, then karate-palms him in the face. She then tells him if he tries anything like that again, he'll be introduced to "the business end of my shotgun".
* BaldOfEvil: 'Smiling' Frank Ashkani, Cliff's right-hand man.
* BecomingTheMask: Throughout the first season, Rebecca supposedly does this when she finds out that she's pregnant and doesn't want to defraud Christopher. [[spoiler:Turns out that Cliff's her father, and he sets her back on the path of trying to take the drilling technology from Christopher]].
* BecomingTheMask: Throughout the first season, Rebecca supposedly does this when she finds out that she's pregnant and doesn't want to defraud Christopher. [[spoiler:Turns out that Cliff's her father, and he sets her back on the path of trying to take the drilling technology from Christopher]].
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* CriminalDoppelganger: [[spoiler: The woman claiming to be Marta Del Sol is not the real Marta Del Sol]].
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* CriminalDoppelganger: CriminalDoppelganger:
** [[spoiler: The woman claiming to be Marta Del Sol is not the real Marta DelSol]].Sol]].
** Christopher discovers in "Revelations" that [[spoiler:his wife, Rebecca Sutter]] is impersonating someone who lives in Des Moines, Iowa. The audience later learns that [[spoiler:she's Cliff Barnes' daughter]].
** [[spoiler: The woman claiming to be Marta Del Sol is not the real Marta Del
** Christopher discovers in "Revelations" that [[spoiler:his wife, Rebecca Sutter]] is impersonating someone who lives in Des Moines, Iowa. The audience later learns that [[spoiler:she's Cliff Barnes' daughter]].
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** [[spoiler:Rebecca and Christopher go to meet Cliff]] in "The Price You Pay", and [[spoiler:Rebecca acknowledges Cliff with a long look and stilted greeting to each other]] when they first meet. This later gets picked up on when it's revealed that [[spoiler:Rebecca is Cliff's daughter, and she was in on the plan all along to take Christopher's drilling technology]].
** [[spoiler:Rebecca and Christopher go to meet Cliff]] in "The Price You Pay", and [[spoiler:Rebecca acknowledges Cliff with a long look and stilted greeting to each other]] when they first meet. This later gets picked up on when it's revealed that [[spoiler:Rebecca is Cliff's daughter, and she was in on the plan all along to take Christopher's drilling technology]].
* GunStruggle: [[spoiler:Rebecca and Tommy]] at the end of "Family Business".
* HollywoodHealing: Bobby gets a second brain aneurysm at the end of "Family Business". In the next episode ("Revelations"), he has surgery off-screen, and is out of the hospital by the middle of the episode. While it's explained that the procedure to remove the aneurysm was non-invasive, he's out of the hospital after what appears to be an overnight stay, and has no bandages or evidence that he was even there in the first place.
* HollywoodHealing: Bobby gets a second brain aneurysm at the end of "Family Business". In the next episode ("Revelations"), he has surgery off-screen, and is out of the hospital by the middle of the episode. While it's explained that the procedure to remove the aneurysm was non-invasive, he's out of the hospital after what appears to be an overnight stay, and has no bandages or evidence that he was even there in the first place.
* PetTheDog: After close to a whole season making everyone's life miserable in his pursuit of Southfork, JR finally relents in "Family Business" after seeing Bobby have a seizure, and ends up signing the deed back to Bobby.
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* {{Revival}}: The rebooted series follows the original surviving characters (JR, Bobby and Sue Ellen in the main cast; Cliff, Lucy and Ray as guest stars), and focuses on a growing battle between John Ross Ewing (JR's son) and Christopher Ewing (Bobby's son) over the rights to Ewing Oil. The show also follows up on a plotline from the original series - namely, the right to drill for oil on the Southfork Ranch (which was a major source of contention in the early seasons). The series is also internally referred to as "Season 15" by TNT.
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* {{Revival}}: The rebooted series follows the original surviving characters (JR, Bobby and Sue Ellen in the main cast; Cliff, Lucy and Ray as guest stars), and focuses on a growing battle between John Ross Ewing (JR's son) and Christopher Ewing (Bobby's son) over the rights to Ewing Oil. The show also follows up on a plotline from the original series - namely, the right to drill for oil on the Southfork Ranch (which was a major source of contention in the early seasons). The series is was also internally referred to as "Season 15" by TNT.TNT.
* {{Rewrite}}: By the end of the original series, Cliff Barnes had soundly beat JR and acquired Ewing Oil, which (as the [[AllThereInTheManual backstory]] to the 2012 series indicates) he sold off years later, and lived handsomely off the profits. [[spoiler:At the end of season 1, it's revealed that he's much more evil than before. Not only does he want Christopher's drilling technology (using his own daughter to get in close to Chris, who's his own nephew), but he's also willing to cover up deaths - as seen in Tommy's case - if it gets him closer to what he wants]].
* {{Rewrite}}: By the end of the original series, Cliff Barnes had soundly beat JR and acquired Ewing Oil, which (as the [[AllThereInTheManual backstory]] to the 2012 series indicates) he sold off years later, and lived handsomely off the profits. [[spoiler:At the end of season 1, it's revealed that he's much more evil than before. Not only does he want Christopher's drilling technology (using his own daughter to get in close to Chris, who's his own nephew), but he's also willing to cover up deaths - as seen in Tommy's case - if it gets him closer to what he wants]].
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* YouLookFamiliar: Mitch Pileggi (who plays Ann's ex-husband, Harris Ryland), in addition to being an extra in a very early episode in the 80's, had a three-episode role in the original series as a mental patient who bullied JR when he was in a mental institution.
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* YouLookFamiliar: YouLookFamiliar:
** Mitch Pileggi (who plays Ann's ex-husband, Harris Ryland), in addition to being an extra in a very early episode in the 80's, had a three-episode role in the original series as a mental patient who bullied JR when he was in a mentalinstitution.institution.
** Brenda Strong (Ann) had a role in a tenth-season episode of the original series as one of Cliff's one night stands.
** Mitch Pileggi (who plays Ann's ex-husband, Harris Ryland), in addition to being an extra in a very early episode in the 80's, had a three-episode role in the original series as a mental patient who bullied JR when he was in a mental
** Brenda Strong (Ann) had a role in a tenth-season episode of the original series as one of Cliff's one night stands.
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** And then, what is [[spoiler:Rebecca and her brother]]'s true motives?
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** And then, what is [[spoiler:Rebecca and her brother]]'s "brother]]'s" true motives?
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* HopeSpot: In the penultimate season 1 episode, it seems like John Ross and Christopher have finally put their differences aside and are ready to combine their plans into a new business venture. John Ross proposes to Elena and she accepts, and Christopher and Rebecca are patching things up. Even JR is ready to bury the hatchet with Bobby and end his pursuit of power. Then [[spoiler: Rebecca shoots Tommy after backing out of their scheme. JR's latest backstab attempt is fully revealed to Bobby, causing him to have a brain aneurysm. Elena discovers John Ross's part in JR's scheme and breaks off the engagement. Christopher discovers Rebecca isn't who she says she is and ends it with her. He goes to find Elena and they rekindle their old romance. Rebecca meets with Cliff Barnes who is really her father and vows to help him in their original scheme. Finally a heartbroken and vengeful John Ross vows to steal everything from Christopher with JR's help, proving that [[IgnoredEpiphany neither of them have learned a thing.]]]]
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* HopeSpot: In the penultimate last two episodes of season 1 episode, 1, it seems like John Ross and Christopher have finally put their differences aside and are ready to combine their plans into a new business venture. John Ross proposes to Elena and she accepts, and Christopher and Rebecca are patching things up. Even JR is ready to bury the hatchet with Bobby and end his pursuit of power. Then [[spoiler: Rebecca shoots Tommy after backing out of their scheme. JR's latest backstab attempt is fully revealed to Bobby, causing him to have a brain aneurysm. Elena discovers John Ross's part in JR's scheme and breaks off the engagement. Christopher discovers Rebecca isn't who she says she is and ends it with her. He goes to find Elena and they rekindle their old romance. Rebecca meets with Cliff Barnes who is really her father and vows to help him in their original scheme. Finally a heartbroken and vengeful John Ross vows to steal everything from Christopher with JR's help, proving that [[IgnoredEpiphany neither of them have learned a thing.]]]]
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** And who ''really'' sent the email that broke up Christopher and Elena? [[spoiler:It was Rebecca's brother Tommy.]]
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** And who ''really'' sent the email that broke up Christopher and Elena? [[spoiler:It was Rebecca's brother Tommy.]]Rebecca, but she shifts the blame on Tommy for Christopher to discover]]
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* HopeSpot: In the penultimate season 1 episode, it seems like John Ross ad Christopher have finally put their differences aside and are ready to combine their plans into a new business venture. John Ross proposes to Elena and she accepts, and Christopher and Rebecca are patching things up. Even JR is ready to bury the hatchet with Bobby and end his pursuit of power. Then [[spoiler: Rebecca shoots Tommy after backing out of their scheme. JR's latest backstab attempt is fully revealed to Bobby, causing him to have a brain aneurysm. Elena discovers John Ross's part in JR's scheme and breaks off the engagement. Christopher discovers Rebecca isn't who she says she is and ends it with her. He goes to find Elena and they rekindle their old romance. Rebecca meets with Cliff Barnes who is really her father and vows to help him in their original scheme. Finally a heartbroken and vengeful John Ross vows to steal everything from Christopher with JR's help, proving that [[IgnoredEpiphany neither of them have learned a thing.]]]]
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* HopeSpot: In the penultimate season 1 episode, it seems like John Ross ad and Christopher have finally put their differences aside and are ready to combine their plans into a new business venture. John Ross proposes to Elena and she accepts, and Christopher and Rebecca are patching things up. Even JR is ready to bury the hatchet with Bobby and end his pursuit of power. Then [[spoiler: Rebecca shoots Tommy after backing out of their scheme. JR's latest backstab attempt is fully revealed to Bobby, causing him to have a brain aneurysm. Elena discovers John Ross's part in JR's scheme and breaks off the engagement. Christopher discovers Rebecca isn't who she says she is and ends it with her. He goes to find Elena and they rekindle their old romance. Rebecca meets with Cliff Barnes who is really her father and vows to help him in their original scheme. Finally a heartbroken and vengeful John Ross vows to steal everything from Christopher with JR's help, proving that [[IgnoredEpiphany neither of them have learned a thing.]]]]
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* Hopespot: In the penultimate eason 1 episode, it seems like John Ross ad Christopher have finally put their differences aside and are ready to combine their plans into a new business venture. John Ross proposes to Elena and she accepts, and Christopher and Rebecca are patching things up. Even JR is ready to bury the hatchet and end his pursuit of power. Then [[spoiler: Rebecca shoots Tommy after backing out of their scheme. JR's latest backstab attempt is fully revealed to Bobby, causing him to have a brain aneurysm, Elena discovers John Ross's part in JR's scheme and breaks off the engagement. Christopher discovers Rebecca isn't who she says she is and ends it with her. He goes to find Elena and they rekindle their old romance. Finally a heartbroken and vengeful John Ross vows to steal everything from Christopher with JR's help, proving that [[IgnoredEpiphany neither of them have learned a thing.]]]]
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* Hopespot: HopeSpot: In the penultimate eason season 1 episode, it seems like John Ross ad Christopher have finally put their differences aside and are ready to combine their plans into a new business venture. John Ross proposes to Elena and she accepts, and Christopher and Rebecca are patching things up. Even JR is ready to bury the hatchet with Bobby and end his pursuit of power. Then [[spoiler: Rebecca shoots Tommy after backing out of their scheme. JR's latest backstab attempt is fully revealed to Bobby, causing him to have a brain aneurysm, aneurysm. Elena discovers John Ross's part in JR's scheme and breaks off the engagement. Christopher discovers Rebecca isn't who she says she is and ends it with her. He goes to find Elena and they rekindle their old romance. Rebecca meets with Cliff Barnes who is really her father and vows to help him in their original scheme. Finally a heartbroken and vengeful John Ross vows to steal everything from Christopher with JR's help, proving that [[IgnoredEpiphany neither of them have learned a thing.]]]]
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* Hopespot: In the penultimate eason 1 episode, it seems like John Ross ad Christopher have finally put their differences aside and are ready to combine their plans into a new business venture. John Ross proposes to Elena and she accepts, and Christopher and Rebecca are patching things up. Even JR is ready to bury the hatchet and end his pursuit of power. Then [[spoiler: Rebecca shoots Tommy after backing out of their scheme. JR's latest backstab attempt is fully revealed to Bobby, causing him to have a brain aneurysm, Elena discovers John Ross's part in JR's scheme and breaks off the engagement. Christopher discovers Rebecca isn't who she says she is and ends it with her. He goes to find Elena and they rekindle their old romance. Finally a heartbroken and vengeful John Ross vows to steal everything from Christopher with JR's help, proving that [[IgnoredEpiphany neither of them have learned a thing.]]]]
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* AmicableExes: Ann and Harris Ryland, who she visits in order to request that his company cease moving tanker trucks into Southfork on JR's orders.
** Not anymore, now that it's revealed that Harris is slime.
** Not anymore, now that it's revealed that Harris is slime.
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* AmicableExes: Ann and Harris Ryland, who Ryland initially appear to be this when she visits in order to request that his company cease moving tanker trucks into Southfork on JR's orders.
** Not anymore, now thatorders. The "amicable" disappears when it's revealed that Harris is slime.a slimebag.
** Not anymore, now that
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** Not anymore, now that it's revealed that Harris is slime.
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* TheManBehindTheMan: Frank [[spoiler:and presumably Cliff Barnes]] is the buyer Tommy is attempting to steal Christopher's methane technology for.
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* GroinAttack: When Ann chases JR out of Bobby's room in "Family Business" she threatens to shoot him if she ever catches him near Bobby again, and she says that since JR doesn't have a heart, she'll shoot him somewhere more vital, accompanied by a quick look downward.
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* OhCrap: Sue Ellen has this reaction in "No Good Deed" when the police find evidence exonerating John Ross for the murder of Marta, because she bribed the medical examiner into ruling her death a suicide and as a result, let the real murderer walk free.
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* OhCrap: Sue Ellen has this reaction in "No Good Deed" when the police find evidence exonerating John Ross for the murder of Marta, because she bribed the medical examiner into ruling her death a suicide and and, as a result, let letting the real murderer walk free.
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[[quoteright:301:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dallas2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:301:Not just ''any'' SoapOpera.]]
->''"If I did give you power then you've got nothing. Nobody gives you power. Real power is something you take."''
-->--Jock Ewing
->''"Don't forgive and never forget; Do unto others before they do unto you; and third and most importantly, keep your eye on your friends, because your enemies will take care of themselves."''
-->--JR Ewing
'''Note:''' If you want to read about the actual city of Dallas, see DFWMetroplex.
''Dallas'' was a giant PrimeTimeSoap of TheEighties (it ran from 1978-1991). For much of its run it was most watched show in the world.
As the name might suggest the series was set in Texas, based around the Ewings, a large DysfunctionalFamily of oil barons. Family patriarch John Ross "Jock" Ewing had built up Ewing Oil and married Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Southworth, the daughter of a rancher and together they had three sons:
* John Ross "J.R." Ewing Jr. was a schemer of the highest order and a chip off the old block in terms of ambition and cut-throat tactics, but with an added dose of [[TheCharmer charm]] and infinitely less scruples.
* Gary Ewing was [[MiddleChildSyndrome weak but well meaning]] and spin-off bound ({{Knots Landing}}). The BlackSheep of the family, an alcoholic drifter who dumped his daughter Lucy on his parents and took off.
* Bobby Ewing was the golden child - the youngest who seemed to possess all the positive qualities of his older brothers but none of the bad - and for quite some time was the only one who sees J.R. for who he is and has the power to stop him.
Gary's daughter, [[BrattyTeenageDaughter wild child teen]] Lucy, and Sue Ellen, JR's [[LadyDrunk alcoholic]] [[ChristmasCake faded beauty queen]] wife, rounded out the family, at least until Bobby married the daughter of Jock's old rival...
Initially the show focused on Pamela Barnes, Bobby's sweet natured and beautiful new wife as she attempted to fit in with the Ewing family, but the chemistry between Larry Hagman (JR) and Linda Gray (Sue Ellen) quickly took center stage. Hagman's JR in particular became one of the great characters of television history, his greedy, sleazy yet oddly charming villain becoming an icon of [[TheEighties the decade]].
The show produced two of the most famous stories in television -- both cliffhangers (a staple of the series). The first in 1980-81 was the mystery of 'who shot JR' ([[spoiler:it was Kristin]]), the answer to which was at that time the most watched episode in television history.
The second story was... less successful. When star Patrick Duffy left the series, his character was {{McLeaned}}. But with declining ratings, the return of the original series show runner after a brief absence, and the cast missing Duffy, the actor returned in the final moments of the seventh season, leading to the eighth season opening with the revelation that Bobby's death and the subsequent season seven [[AllJustADream were all an elaborate dream]]. Needless to say, reaction was quite negative to say the least.
Inspired a glut of failed copycat shows (''Secrets of Midland Heights'' and ''Texas''), the most successful being ''{{Dynasty}}'', its SoBadItsGood counterpart that ended up becoming the show's chief rival during the mid-1980s. It was also given a SpinOff, ''KnotsLanding'', which was based around Gary Ewing, though the dream season ultimately led to both shows severing ties with each other.
There have also been two television [[ReunionShow Reunion Movies]] -- ''J.R. Returns'' (1996) and ''War of the Ewings'' (1998).
A possible movie [[TheRemake remake]] with John Travolta as JR Ewing and [[RaceLift Jennifer Lopez]] (!) as Sue Ellen has been in DevelopmentHell for years. Problems include the recent RealLife oil crisis, the increasingly negative views of Americans toward oil companies, and doubt in the entertainment industry that fans would accept another actor portraying JR.
In 2011, TNT announced plans for a {{Revival}} of the series, and that Hagman, Gray, and Duffy would be returning as their original characters. In 2012, Twitter feeds popped up for J.R., Bobby, and their respective sons, John Ross and Christopher, who will be the primary characters of the revival.
Now has a CharacterSheet under construction [[{{Characters/Dallas}} here.]] Feel free to add to it!
Also needs its [[Awesome/{{Dallas}} Awesome]], [[Funny/{{Dallas}} Funny]], [[Heartwarming/{{Dallas}} Heartwarming]] and [[TearJerker/{{Dallas}} Tear Jerker]] pages expanded upon.
-----
!!The original show (1978-1991) provides examples of:
* AbortedArc: Several in the Dream Season for obvious reasons. Also the original plot about Ben Stivers/Wes Parmalee (see YouLookFamiliar below) was set to reveal he was really [[spoiler: the missing, presumed dead Jock Ewing]]. The producers dropped it because they felt the fans would see it as being in questionable taste.
* AllJustADream: Like you really need to ask.
* ApronMatron: Miss Ellie
* ArmedWithCanon: Bobby's return to Dallas after the dream season calls into question all references to his death made by the characters of ''Knots Landing''.
* TheArtifact: Once Lucy grows up and calms down by about the fifth season or so, there's really nothing for her character to do except fall in and out of love, and her appearances diminish. They [[PutOnABus Put Her on a Bus]] to Atlanta, brought her back, Put Her On A Plane to Italy, and sort of brought her back for the last season. But in the finale they sort of lampshaded her artifactiness by including a throwaway line to the effect that she would never have been born in a world without J.R.
* BabiesMakeEverythingBetter: According to Miss Ellie.
* BattleButler - Sylvia "Sly" Lovegren. Sly spent a decade working for JR and he trusted her enough to make her a head of one of his dummy companies - and forgave her for working with Cliff Barnes against him. They end up sleeping together in the final season.
* BenevolentArchitecture: While the Southfork ranch house is certainly impressive, it in no way appears big enough to house the sheer number of rooms on the inside. After Jenna got out of prison, Southfork would have contained a full ''eight'' upstairs bedrooms, each with its own bath (Clayton and Ellie had one bedroom, and JR, Sue Ellen, John Ross, Bobby, Christopher, Jenna and Charlie each had their own).
* BewareTheNiceOnes: When a reporter comes calling, Miss Ellie chases him off with a shotgun.
* BigDamnHeroes: The brothers Ewing got this moment when they saved John Ross from a kidnapper in California. It's the one time JR got shot that he didn't deserve it.
* BigFancyHouse: The main house at Southfork ranch. Damn, that thing was '''nice'''.
* BigScrewedUpFamily
* {{Blackmail}}
* ButtMonkey: Cliff Barnes. The last time he's seen (in ''JR Returns''), he's screwed out of his position as Chairman of Weststar after JR cons the board into ousting him.
** Not quite. Carter [=McCay=] is the Chairman of WestStar that J.R. conned the board into ousting. Cliff was running Ewing Oil, which he sold to Bobby. Cliff was definitely the inarguable butt monkey of Dallas, but he did get a reasonably happy ending, with him leaving Ewing Oil behind to move on with his life and connect with his daughter.
** And the Twitter page for J.R. (set up to promote the continuing series) suggests Barnes invested in Google and retired to a life of gambling in Europe.
-->'''JR:''' I hope he chokes on a poker chip.
* CallBack: The night Bobby died, Pam said she couldn't sleep, because she saw Bobby every time she closed her eyes. Who knew it would end up AllJustADream?
* CanonDiscontinuity: The [[ReunionShow Reunion Movies]] appear to have been relegated to this by the revival.
* TheCape: Bobby
* TheCasanova: JR is a textbook example of this trope, even though he's married most of the series.
* ChristmasCake: Dozens of examples. In fact the majority of lusted after women in the series were in their late 30's or older; the main cast alone had Sue Ellen, Donna Culver Krebbs, Jenna Wade and April Stevens.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Dusty Farlow, by accident. The character appeared in a few episodes at the end of the 7th Season, then left town a few episodes into the 8th. Unfortunately the 8th Season was also the Dream Season and the producers apparently forgot about Dusty, so that per canon he simply vanished without explanation...until TheBusCameBack in Episode 355.
* CirclingMonologue: Sue Ellen coming home in a chipper mood the night Bobby died (she was out all day, and hadn't found out yet) was J.R.'s breaking point.
* CliffHanger: Once a season, but "Who Shot JR" is largely considered the show's best moment.
* CliffhangerCopout:
** One episode has JR and Sue Ellen renew their wedding vows. When the minister says, "SpeakNowOrForeverHoldYourPeace", Cliff Barnes (who previously had an affair with Sue Ellen) stands up and opens his mouth to speak, at which point the show immediately ends. In the next episode, he closes his mouth and walks out.
** In the final season's finale, JR is seemingly convinced by the Devil to kill himself because of his failure to keep Ewing Oil. JR takes out a gun and holds it in his hand, then Bobby hears a gunshot from above. He runs upstairs, opens the door to JR's room...and the show ends right there. ''JR Returns'' later explains that when Bobby opened the door, he saw that JR shot the mirror (instead of shooting himself) and was ranting and raving.
* ConvenientMiscarriage
* CreativeClosingCredits: Following Bobby's shower reveal, the mystery of whether it was really Bobby or not was kept for a few more months with the season-closing credit of "Also Starring Patrick Duffy as" with no character name listed afterwards.
* DidNotDoTheResearch: Some is to be expected given the genre, but the show's realism with courtroom scenes was really awful.
* DoNotDoThisCoolThing: When communist Romania started airing this show, they were hoping that people would be appalled at the decadent, materialistic lifestyle of the Ewings. [[TheGreatPoliticsMessUp It didn't quite]] [[HoleInFlag work out that way]].
* DownerEnding: The series finale ends with J.R. being DrivenToSuicide by {{Satan}}'s crony after he loses both his oil empire and his family. Though whether he actually kills himself or not is left ambiguous, it is strongly implied. ''J.R. Returns'' retconned this ending by explaining that Bobby walked in on J.R. ranting and raving about the Devil after shooting the mirror, and that he subsequently fled to Paris to hide out for five years.
* DrowningMySorrows: JR is a heavy drinker even at the best of times but he really hits the bottle hard after Jock dies (see HeroicBSOD below.)
* DrugsAreBad: Lucy's sudden pill addiction.
* FamilyBusiness
* FamilyDrama
* FeudingFamilies: The Barneses and Ewings. Leads to ObnoxiousInLaws on both sides.
* FoilerFootage: Several different resolutions to the "Who shot J.R." cliffhanger were filmed, including one where he shot himself.
* FollowTheLeader: ''{{Dynasty}}'' clearly was made to capitalize on this show.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Two scenes before the accident that disfigured her in the Season 9/10 cliffhanger, Pam got stuck in a game of Chicken on the wrong side of a two-lane road with some punks in a Jeep. She ran them off the road right before she would've crashed head-on into a van.
* GoAmongMadPeople
* GrandparentalObliviousness; For all that everyone praises Miss Ellie, she doesn't seem to notice or care much when Lucy's in trouble at school or doing drugs, and she doesn't do a whole lot when a pregnant Sue Ellen is going around drunk either. She mentions taking a HandsOffParenting approach with J.R. from an early age, which... might explain a lot.
* HeroicBSOD: For a given value of 'heroic': JR has a total breakdown after Jock dies.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: JR and Bobby, [[spoiler: when there not killing each other, figuratively speaking of course]].
** Ray and Jock were shaping up to become this in season 4.
** Also Sue Ellen and Pam in later seasons.
* HollywoodHeartAttack: Jock
* [[ItsAWonderfulPlot It's A Wonderful Plot]]: The final episode. [[spoiler:Subverted in that a): the alternate reality shown has many characters' lives noticeably improved by J.R.'s absence, and b): the "angel" is a demon encouraging J.R. to kill himself.]]
* IWantGrandkids
* KavorkaMan: Cliff Barnes (early on anyway, before he became the {{Buttmonkey}}).
* LadyDrunk: Sue Ellen totally averts AlcoholIsPoison when pregnant, and spends the entire pregnancy conspicuously staggering around drunk. Nobody really yells at her for this or tries to stop her much until she's near to term. In later seasons, the Ewings automatically assume Sue Ellen is drunk whenever she doesn't return home on time.
* LadykillerInLove: JR is arguably this to Sue Ellen, even though he has cheated on her many times.
* LingerieScene: Lingerie ''series'' is more like it. The 2012 series will actively continue this tradition.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters:
* LongRunners: 13 seasons (14 if you count the original miniseries) and its SpinOff ''KnotsLanding'' ran for 14 seasons and a miniseries as well. If the {{Revival}} is successful this could lead to it being an even ''longer'' running series.
* TheMasochismTango: JR and Sue Ellen (when they ''weren't'' actively trying to destroy each other)
* MisplacedAccent: In spite of the Gung-ho, Texas! spirit of the show, most everyone has a Generic American accent, with notable exceptions being JR and Sue Ellen. That's all good and well, she was Miss Texas and he's, errr, [[SouthernFriedGenius just JR]], but it's weird that neither of their younger siblings have any trace of that Texas drawl.
** Larry Hagman grew up in Fort Worth, so he was the only member of the cast who didn't have to try.
** Steve Kanaly actually did a good enough job with the accent that many viewers assumed he was a native Texan as well (he's actually from California)
** Bobby began with one but it slowly disappeared over the years.
** Jock's was even thicker than J.R.'s
* MsFanservice: Pam does not believe in bras.
* MultigenerationalHousehold
* MyBelovedSmother: Miss Ellie gets ''way'' too distraught when her children (now in their 30s and 40s) want to move out of Southfork. Rebecca Wentworth is arguably this to Cliff Barnes, as well.
* NaiveEverygirl: Pam Barnes, at least at first.
* NakedInMink: Kimberly Cryder wore a sable coat with nothing underneath, to show JR what he could have had if he weren't such a {{Jerkass}}.
* {{Nepotism}}
* NiceGuy: Although Bobby has had a few moral grey moments and occasionally has a really bad temper, he is usually kind and caring.
** Miss Elie is a good female version of this trope, and is in fact probably the nicest character on the show.
** Donna Culver is another good female example.
** Clayton Farlow and his adoptive son Dusty Farlow.
** Even though he is unbelievably self-rightous and stubborn, Mitch Cooper fits this trope well enough.
* OffTheWagon: Although J.R. is a huge social drinker, Sue Ellen frequently gets outright addicted to alcohol, getting committed twice for alcoholism, the first time ''while pregnant with John Ross''.
** And though the second time seemed to actually rehabilitate her better than just going cold turkey alone like after all her other relapses, it unfortunately took place during the [[AllJustADream Dream Season]]. When the next season started up, she had to kick it all over again.
* TheOtherDarrin: Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes was replaced by Donna Reed, who was herself replaced by the returning Barbara Bel Geddes.)
** As a series regular, Jenna Wade was played by Priscilla Presley from 1983 to 1988, but she was actually the third actress to be cast as Jenna. The character first appeared in an one off episode in 1978 (played by Morgan Fairchild) and appeared in two 1980 episodes (played by Francine Tacker.)
** Digger Barnes was first played by David Wayne, then Keenan Wynn.
** Kristen Shepard was originally portrayed by Colleen Camp before the more well-known Mary Crosby took the role over.
** David Ackroyd (and not Ted Shackelford) was the original Gary Ewing.
* ThePatriarch
* PrettyInMink
* PutOnABus: Numerous characters, but notably Lucy who left and eventually came back only to be put on another bus.
* RaisedByGrandparents: Lucy
* RealitySubtext: The death of Jim Davis (Jock Ewing). It was dealt with by putting Jock on various tasks for over a year before instituting a BusCrash.
* SchrodingersButterfly / SchrodingersCast: Bobby's death wasn't AllJustADream in ''Knots Landing''; Gary had just fathered a pair of fraternal twins when he found out about Bobby's death, and his son ended up being named after his dead brother.
* TheSeventies: Though indelibly linked with TheEighties ''Dallas'' began in 1978 and had its biggest moment (the shooting of JR) before Reagan took office.
* SnapBack: In the mid-1990s there were two TV movies, which involved JR becoming the chairman of [=WestStar=], Bobby and Sue Ellen co-owning Ewing Oil, and Christopher becoming romantically involved with his cousin Pamela Cooper(!). The new series has retconned everything in those two movies out of existence.
* StayInTheKitchen: What Jock thinks women should do. Sue Ellen does it (or at least doesn't work), but Pamela insists on employment.
* StepfordSmiler: Sue Ellen.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Also Sue Ellen.
* SurpriseIncest: Lucy and Ray Krebs in the first season. Ray was subsquently revealed to be Jock's son and thus her uncle (eww)! Luckily by the time this was revealed the two had broken up, and [[CanonDiscontinuity no one ever mentioned]] they had once been an item.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Clayton Farlow
* ThereCanBeOnlyOne: Jock's idea of how Ewing Oil should be run, and what his will does with JR and Bobby.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Over several seasons, Jenna gradually changes from a spunky, sassy cowgirl into a humorless, self-pitying harridan. Even worse with her daughter Charlie, who becomes steadily more bratty and obnoxious after Bobby and Pam reunite, as exemplified by her saying ''"Stupid BOBBY"'' at least once per episode.
* TruthInTelevision: Unlike Jock's HollywoodHeartAttack, Miss Ellie's breast cancer (and subsequent mastectomy) was realistically and tastefully done, mostly owing to Barbara Bel Geddes' own struggles with breast cancer years earlier. Particularly tear-jerking is a post-surgery Ellie crying ''"Nothing fits!"'' when trying on her clothes.
* TheUnfavorite: At the outset, black sheep Gary Ewing is the least favorite Ewing son, being a ne'er-do-well drunk who can't even raise his own kid. Over time, however, Gary grows up and everyone gradually figures out J.R. is a despicable human being, and he takes over this role.
** The show, interestingly, states flat out each parents' favorite and least favorite child. Jock's favorite is Bobby (for being the most likable and family-oriented) and least favorite Gary (for being weak and irresponsible), Miss Ellie's favorite is Gary (for being sensitive and emotional, more Southworth than Ewing) and least favorite J.R. (for being, well, ''J.R.'') That this puts J.R. in the position of being nobody's favorite and Bobby in the position of nobody's least favorite factors heavily into their identities.
* UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo: Bobby/Pam/Jenna.
** Also Cliff/Afton/Sue Ellen.
* WhamLine: Bobby in the shower: "Good morning!"
* WithLyrics: ''JR, JR, he's a really bad guy, who lives on a ranch with his mom...''
* YouLookFamiliar: A very unusual case: a recurring character named Ben Stivers appeared in the Dream Season. Obviously after Pam woke up he didn't appear anymore, but an identical character named Wes Parmalee did and was played by the same actor (see also AbortedArc above).
-----
!!The revival (2012) provides examples of:
* ActionMom: When Ann (technically she's an action step-mom, since she's not Christopher's biological mother) hears someone breaking into the house, her first reaction is to grab a shotgun and confront the burglar. He tries to run, so she runs after him, shotgun and all. The only reason why he gets away is because he dives out a window.
--> '''Ann:''' *[[DramaticGunCock Cocks shotgun]]* I don't miss, mister. Not at any range.
** Later on, when talking to a Southfork security guard:
--> '''Guard:''' Next time, Ms. Ewing, shoot him.
--> '''Ann:''' Oh, I will.
** She gets another moment in the third episode when she hears someone in the stable storage room. Again, her first reaction is to grab a gun (this time, out of her horse's saddle) and confront the intruder. However, this time, it's just JR, who is quite nonchalant about having a gun in his face.
--> '''JR:''' Bullets don't seem to have much of an effect on me, dear.
* AllThereInTheManual: The show's [[https://www.facebook.com/DallasTNT official Facebook page]] has a timeline filling in the events between the end of the original series and the revival.
* AmicableExes: Ann and Harris Ryland, who she visits in order to request that his company cease moving tanker trucks into Southfork on JR's orders.
* AndStarring: Larry Hagman and Linda Gray get the coveted "And Starring" credit in the main titles.
* ButtMonkey: John Ross would really like to be a MagnificentBastard like his daddy. Unfortunately for him, he falls square into this trope instead.
* CharacterBlog: The aforementioned Facebook page is written from JR's perspective.
* ChekhovsGun: Used frequently.
** The tape [[spoiler:Marta/Veronica makes of her and a drugged John Ross having sex]] comes back into play several episodes later when Christopher (who has resolved to fight dirty and stop JR from drilling) bribes a doorman to get access to John Ross' apartment, and discovers the CD she left for him, which he later uses as leverage.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: JR, of course, to the point that Bobby blatantly says that he knows J.R. is going to backstab everyone the moment he sets foot in Southfork after leaving the assisted care facility.
* ContinuityNod:
** With a few minor changes (no cast pictures, the cast isn't listed in alphabetical order, updated to modern-day Dallas) the opening credits are almost exactly the same as the original series'. They even include a flyover view of the new [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboys_Stadium Cowboys Stadium]] like the original's shot of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Stadium Texas Stadium]].
** JR (referencing the classic "Who Shot JR?" storyline) telling Anne "Bullets don't seem to have much of an effect on me, dear."
* CriminalDoppelganger: [[spoiler: The woman claiming to be Marta Del Sol is not the real Marta Del Sol]].
* DeadlyNosebleed: [[spoiler:Rebecca]] gets this during the first season. [[spoiler:It turns out she's pregnant with twins]].
* DestinationDefenestration: [[spoiler:Marta/Veronica]] gets thrown out a window (offscreen) by [[spoiler:Vicente's goons after a confrontation with John Ross]].
* EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench: Rebecca invokes this in the first episode, luring Christopher away from a business meeting by pretending to only speak French so they can sneak off and have sex in the locker room.
* {{Expy}}: It's a minor throwaway character to establish some plot, but JR's buddy in Mexico is worth $60 billion. Carlos Slim, anyone? Interesting, since JR is established to be buddies with Jerry Jones.
* GambitPileup: It would appear there are several machinations afoot regarding possession of Southfork, and many of the strings are being pulled by [[spoiler:a CriminalDoppelganger of the daughter of one of J.R.'s Mexican friends]].
** Plus, the family attorney's true allegiance is in question. [[spoiler:JR is trying to get him to screw Bobby, but John Ross is trying to get him to screw JR at the same time.]]
** And then, what is [[spoiler:Rebecca and her brother]]'s true motives?
** And who ''really'' sent the email that broke up Christopher and Elena? [[spoiler:It was Rebecca's brother Tommy.]]
* GenerationXerox: Bobby really doesn't want Christopher and John Ross to turn out like he and JR did. Unfortunately, by the time of the pilot, it may be too late.
* IronicEcho: The scene in the pilot episode where Elena goes to Christopher (who, in desperation, has found new evidence to help his methane drilling research), finds him asleep in his office and makes him a cup of coffee when he wakes up is used again four episodes later in a different context. Christopher goes to Elena, he sleeps on her couch and she serves him coffee again, while he refrains from showing her a videotape of John Ross and Marta/Veronica having sex.
* LatinoIsBrown: both the young female leads are played by Latin American actresses. The dark-skinned, dark-haired, dark-eyed Jordana Brewster (Brazilian) plays a Mexican character, while the lighter-skinned, brunette, green-eyed Julie Gonzalo (Argentinian) plays an Anglo character.
* LoveDodecahedron: John Ross to Elena and [[spoiler:Marta Del Sol/Veronica]], Elena to Christopher and John Ross, and Christopher to Rebecca and Elena.
* TheMole:
** [[spoiler:Christopher's colleague Eric is in on the plot against Ewing Alternative Energy.]]
** [[spoiler:[[CriminalDoppelganger The fake Marta Del Sol]] is working for JR and John Ross against Bobby.]]
* MomentOfWeakness: In the third episode, Christopher kisses Elena after the weight of everything that's happened (the failure of his alternative energy project, the revelation that his father is being treated for intestinal cancer, realizing Elena left to be with John Ross because of an e-mail he never wrote) crashes down on him. Interestingly, this is immediately subverted when he goes to Rebecca and tells her what happened, resolving to make their marriage work.
* [[ObfuscatingStupidity Obfuscating Senility]]: JR, at 75, is a lot sharper and more capable than he lets on at the beginning of the first episode. He pretends to be a harmless old man who almost everyone else thinks is senile, and is more concerned with reliving the "good old days" then having anything to do with Bobby's plans to sell Southfork...all while he's pulling incriminating evidence from the family in plain sight.
* OhCrap: Sue Ellen has this reaction in "No Good Deed" when the police find evidence exonerating John Ross for the murder of Marta, because she bribed the medical examiner into ruling her death a suicide and as a result, let the real murderer walk free.
* OverlordJr: John Ross III. As soon as he realizes Southfork is going to be sold to a conservancy, he goes to J.R. for help and eagerly gets involved in the elder Ross' schemes.
* ProductPlacement:
** Most of the characters drive Chevrolet vehicles, with emphasis on the logo on their hoods.
** "Truth And Consequences" has a sequence where JR talks with the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, and considerable attention is paid to the game being played at the Cowboys Stadium.
* RefusalOfTheCall: Christopher in season one. He is more than happy to let Southfork get sold to a conservancy and focus on his methane drilling. However, J.R. and John Ross' machinations eventually force him to start fighting dirty in order to protect his family and the ranch.
* RememberTheNewGuy:
** Elena Ramos, who was never mentioned in the original series, is portrayed in the revival as best friends with John Ross and Christopher since they were all children. She's also the Ewing's housekeeper, Carmen's (who was never seen in the original either), daughter.
** 'Smiling' Frank is revealed in "Collateral Damage" to have been picked up from the streets of Islamabad as a young boy by Cliff Barnes 30 years earlier (setting it, in the show's timeframe, around season 4-5 of the original series), and was supposedly brought up by Cliff for most of his life, yet he was never seen or hinted at before his introduction in "The Price You Pay".
* {{Revival}}: The rebooted series follows the original surviving characters (JR, Bobby and Sue Ellen in the main cast; Cliff, Lucy and Ray as guest stars), and focuses on a growing battle between John Ross Ewing (JR's son) and Christopher Ewing (Bobby's son) over the rights to Ewing Oil. The show also follows up on a plotline from the original series - namely, the right to drill for oil on the Southfork Ranch (which was a major source of contention in the early seasons). The series is also internally referred to as "Season 15" by TNT.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: When Bobby gets a court order stopping John Ross from drilling on Southfork land, John Ross tells the workers to keep drilling, but they leave, saying that they "ain't tanglin' with Bobby Ewing."
* ShipperOnDeck: Of all people, JR is/was this for Elena and John Ross. It hasn't come up in the show itself but in the Facebook timeline he seems to have been quite keen for them to end up together.
-->'''JR:''' Turns out Christopher and the Ramos girl are getting awfully cozy. Shared their first kiss under the family oak tree. Should’ve been her and John Ross, if you ask me.
* YouLookFamiliar: Mitch Pileggi (who plays Ann's ex-husband, Harris Ryland), in addition to being an extra in a very early episode in the 80's, had a three-episode role in the original series as a mental patient who bullied JR when he was in a mental institution.
* YourDaysAreNumbered: Played straight and seemingly subverted. The pilot episode establishes that Bobby has a rare form of intestinal cancer, which motivates his decision to sell Southfork to the Del Sol Conservancy. After a couple episodes of Bobby having dramatic chest pains which cause him to clutch his stomach and waver, he gets surgery (off-screen) and is told that although there's chance of a resurgence, he should be fine if he continues taking treatment.
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<<|AmericanSeries|>>
[[caption-width-right:301:Not just ''any'' SoapOpera.]]
->''"If I did give you power then you've got nothing. Nobody gives you power. Real power is something you take."''
-->--Jock Ewing
->''"Don't forgive and never forget; Do unto others before they do unto you; and third and most importantly, keep your eye on your friends, because your enemies will take care of themselves."''
-->--JR Ewing
'''Note:''' If you want to read about the actual city of Dallas, see DFWMetroplex.
''Dallas'' was a giant PrimeTimeSoap of TheEighties (it ran from 1978-1991). For much of its run it was most watched show in the world.
As the name might suggest the series was set in Texas, based around the Ewings, a large DysfunctionalFamily of oil barons. Family patriarch John Ross "Jock" Ewing had built up Ewing Oil and married Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Southworth, the daughter of a rancher and together they had three sons:
* John Ross "J.R." Ewing Jr. was a schemer of the highest order and a chip off the old block in terms of ambition and cut-throat tactics, but with an added dose of [[TheCharmer charm]] and infinitely less scruples.
* Gary Ewing was [[MiddleChildSyndrome weak but well meaning]] and spin-off bound ({{Knots Landing}}). The BlackSheep of the family, an alcoholic drifter who dumped his daughter Lucy on his parents and took off.
* Bobby Ewing was the golden child - the youngest who seemed to possess all the positive qualities of his older brothers but none of the bad - and for quite some time was the only one who sees J.R. for who he is and has the power to stop him.
Gary's daughter, [[BrattyTeenageDaughter wild child teen]] Lucy, and Sue Ellen, JR's [[LadyDrunk alcoholic]] [[ChristmasCake faded beauty queen]] wife, rounded out the family, at least until Bobby married the daughter of Jock's old rival...
Initially the show focused on Pamela Barnes, Bobby's sweet natured and beautiful new wife as she attempted to fit in with the Ewing family, but the chemistry between Larry Hagman (JR) and Linda Gray (Sue Ellen) quickly took center stage. Hagman's JR in particular became one of the great characters of television history, his greedy, sleazy yet oddly charming villain becoming an icon of [[TheEighties the decade]].
The show produced two of the most famous stories in television -- both cliffhangers (a staple of the series). The first in 1980-81 was the mystery of 'who shot JR' ([[spoiler:it was Kristin]]), the answer to which was at that time the most watched episode in television history.
The second story was... less successful. When star Patrick Duffy left the series, his character was {{McLeaned}}. But with declining ratings, the return of the original series show runner after a brief absence, and the cast missing Duffy, the actor returned in the final moments of the seventh season, leading to the eighth season opening with the revelation that Bobby's death and the subsequent season seven [[AllJustADream were all an elaborate dream]]. Needless to say, reaction was quite negative to say the least.
Inspired a glut of failed copycat shows (''Secrets of Midland Heights'' and ''Texas''), the most successful being ''{{Dynasty}}'', its SoBadItsGood counterpart that ended up becoming the show's chief rival during the mid-1980s. It was also given a SpinOff, ''KnotsLanding'', which was based around Gary Ewing, though the dream season ultimately led to both shows severing ties with each other.
There have also been two television [[ReunionShow Reunion Movies]] -- ''J.R. Returns'' (1996) and ''War of the Ewings'' (1998).
A possible movie [[TheRemake remake]] with John Travolta as JR Ewing and [[RaceLift Jennifer Lopez]] (!) as Sue Ellen has been in DevelopmentHell for years. Problems include the recent RealLife oil crisis, the increasingly negative views of Americans toward oil companies, and doubt in the entertainment industry that fans would accept another actor portraying JR.
In 2011, TNT announced plans for a {{Revival}} of the series, and that Hagman, Gray, and Duffy would be returning as their original characters. In 2012, Twitter feeds popped up for J.R., Bobby, and their respective sons, John Ross and Christopher, who will be the primary characters of the revival.
Now has a CharacterSheet under construction [[{{Characters/Dallas}} here.]] Feel free to add to it!
Also needs its [[Awesome/{{Dallas}} Awesome]], [[Funny/{{Dallas}} Funny]], [[Heartwarming/{{Dallas}} Heartwarming]] and [[TearJerker/{{Dallas}} Tear Jerker]] pages expanded upon.
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!!The original show (1978-1991) provides examples of:
* AbortedArc: Several in the Dream Season for obvious reasons. Also the original plot about Ben Stivers/Wes Parmalee (see YouLookFamiliar below) was set to reveal he was really [[spoiler: the missing, presumed dead Jock Ewing]]. The producers dropped it because they felt the fans would see it as being in questionable taste.
* AllJustADream: Like you really need to ask.
* ApronMatron: Miss Ellie
* ArmedWithCanon: Bobby's return to Dallas after the dream season calls into question all references to his death made by the characters of ''Knots Landing''.
* TheArtifact: Once Lucy grows up and calms down by about the fifth season or so, there's really nothing for her character to do except fall in and out of love, and her appearances diminish. They [[PutOnABus Put Her on a Bus]] to Atlanta, brought her back, Put Her On A Plane to Italy, and sort of brought her back for the last season. But in the finale they sort of lampshaded her artifactiness by including a throwaway line to the effect that she would never have been born in a world without J.R.
* BabiesMakeEverythingBetter: According to Miss Ellie.
* BattleButler - Sylvia "Sly" Lovegren. Sly spent a decade working for JR and he trusted her enough to make her a head of one of his dummy companies - and forgave her for working with Cliff Barnes against him. They end up sleeping together in the final season.
* BenevolentArchitecture: While the Southfork ranch house is certainly impressive, it in no way appears big enough to house the sheer number of rooms on the inside. After Jenna got out of prison, Southfork would have contained a full ''eight'' upstairs bedrooms, each with its own bath (Clayton and Ellie had one bedroom, and JR, Sue Ellen, John Ross, Bobby, Christopher, Jenna and Charlie each had their own).
* BewareTheNiceOnes: When a reporter comes calling, Miss Ellie chases him off with a shotgun.
* BigDamnHeroes: The brothers Ewing got this moment when they saved John Ross from a kidnapper in California. It's the one time JR got shot that he didn't deserve it.
* BigFancyHouse: The main house at Southfork ranch. Damn, that thing was '''nice'''.
* BigScrewedUpFamily
* {{Blackmail}}
* ButtMonkey: Cliff Barnes. The last time he's seen (in ''JR Returns''), he's screwed out of his position as Chairman of Weststar after JR cons the board into ousting him.
** Not quite. Carter [=McCay=] is the Chairman of WestStar that J.R. conned the board into ousting. Cliff was running Ewing Oil, which he sold to Bobby. Cliff was definitely the inarguable butt monkey of Dallas, but he did get a reasonably happy ending, with him leaving Ewing Oil behind to move on with his life and connect with his daughter.
** And the Twitter page for J.R. (set up to promote the continuing series) suggests Barnes invested in Google and retired to a life of gambling in Europe.
-->'''JR:''' I hope he chokes on a poker chip.
* CallBack: The night Bobby died, Pam said she couldn't sleep, because she saw Bobby every time she closed her eyes. Who knew it would end up AllJustADream?
* CanonDiscontinuity: The [[ReunionShow Reunion Movies]] appear to have been relegated to this by the revival.
* TheCape: Bobby
* TheCasanova: JR is a textbook example of this trope, even though he's married most of the series.
* ChristmasCake: Dozens of examples. In fact the majority of lusted after women in the series were in their late 30's or older; the main cast alone had Sue Ellen, Donna Culver Krebbs, Jenna Wade and April Stevens.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Dusty Farlow, by accident. The character appeared in a few episodes at the end of the 7th Season, then left town a few episodes into the 8th. Unfortunately the 8th Season was also the Dream Season and the producers apparently forgot about Dusty, so that per canon he simply vanished without explanation...until TheBusCameBack in Episode 355.
* CirclingMonologue: Sue Ellen coming home in a chipper mood the night Bobby died (she was out all day, and hadn't found out yet) was J.R.'s breaking point.
* CliffHanger: Once a season, but "Who Shot JR" is largely considered the show's best moment.
* CliffhangerCopout:
** One episode has JR and Sue Ellen renew their wedding vows. When the minister says, "SpeakNowOrForeverHoldYourPeace", Cliff Barnes (who previously had an affair with Sue Ellen) stands up and opens his mouth to speak, at which point the show immediately ends. In the next episode, he closes his mouth and walks out.
** In the final season's finale, JR is seemingly convinced by the Devil to kill himself because of his failure to keep Ewing Oil. JR takes out a gun and holds it in his hand, then Bobby hears a gunshot from above. He runs upstairs, opens the door to JR's room...and the show ends right there. ''JR Returns'' later explains that when Bobby opened the door, he saw that JR shot the mirror (instead of shooting himself) and was ranting and raving.
* ConvenientMiscarriage
* CreativeClosingCredits: Following Bobby's shower reveal, the mystery of whether it was really Bobby or not was kept for a few more months with the season-closing credit of "Also Starring Patrick Duffy as" with no character name listed afterwards.
* DidNotDoTheResearch: Some is to be expected given the genre, but the show's realism with courtroom scenes was really awful.
* DoNotDoThisCoolThing: When communist Romania started airing this show, they were hoping that people would be appalled at the decadent, materialistic lifestyle of the Ewings. [[TheGreatPoliticsMessUp It didn't quite]] [[HoleInFlag work out that way]].
* DownerEnding: The series finale ends with J.R. being DrivenToSuicide by {{Satan}}'s crony after he loses both his oil empire and his family. Though whether he actually kills himself or not is left ambiguous, it is strongly implied. ''J.R. Returns'' retconned this ending by explaining that Bobby walked in on J.R. ranting and raving about the Devil after shooting the mirror, and that he subsequently fled to Paris to hide out for five years.
* DrowningMySorrows: JR is a heavy drinker even at the best of times but he really hits the bottle hard after Jock dies (see HeroicBSOD below.)
* DrugsAreBad: Lucy's sudden pill addiction.
* FamilyBusiness
* FamilyDrama
* FeudingFamilies: The Barneses and Ewings. Leads to ObnoxiousInLaws on both sides.
* FoilerFootage: Several different resolutions to the "Who shot J.R." cliffhanger were filmed, including one where he shot himself.
* FollowTheLeader: ''{{Dynasty}}'' clearly was made to capitalize on this show.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Two scenes before the accident that disfigured her in the Season 9/10 cliffhanger, Pam got stuck in a game of Chicken on the wrong side of a two-lane road with some punks in a Jeep. She ran them off the road right before she would've crashed head-on into a van.
* GoAmongMadPeople
* GrandparentalObliviousness; For all that everyone praises Miss Ellie, she doesn't seem to notice or care much when Lucy's in trouble at school or doing drugs, and she doesn't do a whole lot when a pregnant Sue Ellen is going around drunk either. She mentions taking a HandsOffParenting approach with J.R. from an early age, which... might explain a lot.
* HeroicBSOD: For a given value of 'heroic': JR has a total breakdown after Jock dies.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: JR and Bobby, [[spoiler: when there not killing each other, figuratively speaking of course]].
** Ray and Jock were shaping up to become this in season 4.
** Also Sue Ellen and Pam in later seasons.
* HollywoodHeartAttack: Jock
* [[ItsAWonderfulPlot It's A Wonderful Plot]]: The final episode. [[spoiler:Subverted in that a): the alternate reality shown has many characters' lives noticeably improved by J.R.'s absence, and b): the "angel" is a demon encouraging J.R. to kill himself.]]
* IWantGrandkids
* KavorkaMan: Cliff Barnes (early on anyway, before he became the {{Buttmonkey}}).
* LadyDrunk: Sue Ellen totally averts AlcoholIsPoison when pregnant, and spends the entire pregnancy conspicuously staggering around drunk. Nobody really yells at her for this or tries to stop her much until she's near to term. In later seasons, the Ewings automatically assume Sue Ellen is drunk whenever she doesn't return home on time.
* LadykillerInLove: JR is arguably this to Sue Ellen, even though he has cheated on her many times.
* LingerieScene: Lingerie ''series'' is more like it. The 2012 series will actively continue this tradition.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters:
* LongRunners: 13 seasons (14 if you count the original miniseries) and its SpinOff ''KnotsLanding'' ran for 14 seasons and a miniseries as well. If the {{Revival}} is successful this could lead to it being an even ''longer'' running series.
* TheMasochismTango: JR and Sue Ellen (when they ''weren't'' actively trying to destroy each other)
* MisplacedAccent: In spite of the Gung-ho, Texas! spirit of the show, most everyone has a Generic American accent, with notable exceptions being JR and Sue Ellen. That's all good and well, she was Miss Texas and he's, errr, [[SouthernFriedGenius just JR]], but it's weird that neither of their younger siblings have any trace of that Texas drawl.
** Larry Hagman grew up in Fort Worth, so he was the only member of the cast who didn't have to try.
** Steve Kanaly actually did a good enough job with the accent that many viewers assumed he was a native Texan as well (he's actually from California)
** Bobby began with one but it slowly disappeared over the years.
** Jock's was even thicker than J.R.'s
* MsFanservice: Pam does not believe in bras.
* MultigenerationalHousehold
* MyBelovedSmother: Miss Ellie gets ''way'' too distraught when her children (now in their 30s and 40s) want to move out of Southfork. Rebecca Wentworth is arguably this to Cliff Barnes, as well.
* NaiveEverygirl: Pam Barnes, at least at first.
* NakedInMink: Kimberly Cryder wore a sable coat with nothing underneath, to show JR what he could have had if he weren't such a {{Jerkass}}.
* {{Nepotism}}
* NiceGuy: Although Bobby has had a few moral grey moments and occasionally has a really bad temper, he is usually kind and caring.
** Miss Elie is a good female version of this trope, and is in fact probably the nicest character on the show.
** Donna Culver is another good female example.
** Clayton Farlow and his adoptive son Dusty Farlow.
** Even though he is unbelievably self-rightous and stubborn, Mitch Cooper fits this trope well enough.
* OffTheWagon: Although J.R. is a huge social drinker, Sue Ellen frequently gets outright addicted to alcohol, getting committed twice for alcoholism, the first time ''while pregnant with John Ross''.
** And though the second time seemed to actually rehabilitate her better than just going cold turkey alone like after all her other relapses, it unfortunately took place during the [[AllJustADream Dream Season]]. When the next season started up, she had to kick it all over again.
* TheOtherDarrin: Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes was replaced by Donna Reed, who was herself replaced by the returning Barbara Bel Geddes.)
** As a series regular, Jenna Wade was played by Priscilla Presley from 1983 to 1988, but she was actually the third actress to be cast as Jenna. The character first appeared in an one off episode in 1978 (played by Morgan Fairchild) and appeared in two 1980 episodes (played by Francine Tacker.)
** Digger Barnes was first played by David Wayne, then Keenan Wynn.
** Kristen Shepard was originally portrayed by Colleen Camp before the more well-known Mary Crosby took the role over.
** David Ackroyd (and not Ted Shackelford) was the original Gary Ewing.
* ThePatriarch
* PrettyInMink
* PutOnABus: Numerous characters, but notably Lucy who left and eventually came back only to be put on another bus.
* RaisedByGrandparents: Lucy
* RealitySubtext: The death of Jim Davis (Jock Ewing). It was dealt with by putting Jock on various tasks for over a year before instituting a BusCrash.
* SchrodingersButterfly / SchrodingersCast: Bobby's death wasn't AllJustADream in ''Knots Landing''; Gary had just fathered a pair of fraternal twins when he found out about Bobby's death, and his son ended up being named after his dead brother.
* TheSeventies: Though indelibly linked with TheEighties ''Dallas'' began in 1978 and had its biggest moment (the shooting of JR) before Reagan took office.
* SnapBack: In the mid-1990s there were two TV movies, which involved JR becoming the chairman of [=WestStar=], Bobby and Sue Ellen co-owning Ewing Oil, and Christopher becoming romantically involved with his cousin Pamela Cooper(!). The new series has retconned everything in those two movies out of existence.
* StayInTheKitchen: What Jock thinks women should do. Sue Ellen does it (or at least doesn't work), but Pamela insists on employment.
* StepfordSmiler: Sue Ellen.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Also Sue Ellen.
* SurpriseIncest: Lucy and Ray Krebs in the first season. Ray was subsquently revealed to be Jock's son and thus her uncle (eww)! Luckily by the time this was revealed the two had broken up, and [[CanonDiscontinuity no one ever mentioned]] they had once been an item.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Clayton Farlow
* ThereCanBeOnlyOne: Jock's idea of how Ewing Oil should be run, and what his will does with JR and Bobby.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Over several seasons, Jenna gradually changes from a spunky, sassy cowgirl into a humorless, self-pitying harridan. Even worse with her daughter Charlie, who becomes steadily more bratty and obnoxious after Bobby and Pam reunite, as exemplified by her saying ''"Stupid BOBBY"'' at least once per episode.
* TruthInTelevision: Unlike Jock's HollywoodHeartAttack, Miss Ellie's breast cancer (and subsequent mastectomy) was realistically and tastefully done, mostly owing to Barbara Bel Geddes' own struggles with breast cancer years earlier. Particularly tear-jerking is a post-surgery Ellie crying ''"Nothing fits!"'' when trying on her clothes.
* TheUnfavorite: At the outset, black sheep Gary Ewing is the least favorite Ewing son, being a ne'er-do-well drunk who can't even raise his own kid. Over time, however, Gary grows up and everyone gradually figures out J.R. is a despicable human being, and he takes over this role.
** The show, interestingly, states flat out each parents' favorite and least favorite child. Jock's favorite is Bobby (for being the most likable and family-oriented) and least favorite Gary (for being weak and irresponsible), Miss Ellie's favorite is Gary (for being sensitive and emotional, more Southworth than Ewing) and least favorite J.R. (for being, well, ''J.R.'') That this puts J.R. in the position of being nobody's favorite and Bobby in the position of nobody's least favorite factors heavily into their identities.
* UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo: Bobby/Pam/Jenna.
** Also Cliff/Afton/Sue Ellen.
* WhamLine: Bobby in the shower: "Good morning!"
* WithLyrics: ''JR, JR, he's a really bad guy, who lives on a ranch with his mom...''
* YouLookFamiliar: A very unusual case: a recurring character named Ben Stivers appeared in the Dream Season. Obviously after Pam woke up he didn't appear anymore, but an identical character named Wes Parmalee did and was played by the same actor (see also AbortedArc above).
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!!The revival (2012) provides examples of:
* ActionMom: When Ann (technically she's an action step-mom, since she's not Christopher's biological mother) hears someone breaking into the house, her first reaction is to grab a shotgun and confront the burglar. He tries to run, so she runs after him, shotgun and all. The only reason why he gets away is because he dives out a window.
--> '''Ann:''' *[[DramaticGunCock Cocks shotgun]]* I don't miss, mister. Not at any range.
** Later on, when talking to a Southfork security guard:
--> '''Guard:''' Next time, Ms. Ewing, shoot him.
--> '''Ann:''' Oh, I will.
** She gets another moment in the third episode when she hears someone in the stable storage room. Again, her first reaction is to grab a gun (this time, out of her horse's saddle) and confront the intruder. However, this time, it's just JR, who is quite nonchalant about having a gun in his face.
--> '''JR:''' Bullets don't seem to have much of an effect on me, dear.
* AllThereInTheManual: The show's [[https://www.facebook.com/DallasTNT official Facebook page]] has a timeline filling in the events between the end of the original series and the revival.
* AmicableExes: Ann and Harris Ryland, who she visits in order to request that his company cease moving tanker trucks into Southfork on JR's orders.
* AndStarring: Larry Hagman and Linda Gray get the coveted "And Starring" credit in the main titles.
* ButtMonkey: John Ross would really like to be a MagnificentBastard like his daddy. Unfortunately for him, he falls square into this trope instead.
* CharacterBlog: The aforementioned Facebook page is written from JR's perspective.
* ChekhovsGun: Used frequently.
** The tape [[spoiler:Marta/Veronica makes of her and a drugged John Ross having sex]] comes back into play several episodes later when Christopher (who has resolved to fight dirty and stop JR from drilling) bribes a doorman to get access to John Ross' apartment, and discovers the CD she left for him, which he later uses as leverage.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: JR, of course, to the point that Bobby blatantly says that he knows J.R. is going to backstab everyone the moment he sets foot in Southfork after leaving the assisted care facility.
* ContinuityNod:
** With a few minor changes (no cast pictures, the cast isn't listed in alphabetical order, updated to modern-day Dallas) the opening credits are almost exactly the same as the original series'. They even include a flyover view of the new [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboys_Stadium Cowboys Stadium]] like the original's shot of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Stadium Texas Stadium]].
** JR (referencing the classic "Who Shot JR?" storyline) telling Anne "Bullets don't seem to have much of an effect on me, dear."
* CriminalDoppelganger: [[spoiler: The woman claiming to be Marta Del Sol is not the real Marta Del Sol]].
* DeadlyNosebleed: [[spoiler:Rebecca]] gets this during the first season. [[spoiler:It turns out she's pregnant with twins]].
* DestinationDefenestration: [[spoiler:Marta/Veronica]] gets thrown out a window (offscreen) by [[spoiler:Vicente's goons after a confrontation with John Ross]].
* EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench: Rebecca invokes this in the first episode, luring Christopher away from a business meeting by pretending to only speak French so they can sneak off and have sex in the locker room.
* {{Expy}}: It's a minor throwaway character to establish some plot, but JR's buddy in Mexico is worth $60 billion. Carlos Slim, anyone? Interesting, since JR is established to be buddies with Jerry Jones.
* GambitPileup: It would appear there are several machinations afoot regarding possession of Southfork, and many of the strings are being pulled by [[spoiler:a CriminalDoppelganger of the daughter of one of J.R.'s Mexican friends]].
** Plus, the family attorney's true allegiance is in question. [[spoiler:JR is trying to get him to screw Bobby, but John Ross is trying to get him to screw JR at the same time.]]
** And then, what is [[spoiler:Rebecca and her brother]]'s true motives?
** And who ''really'' sent the email that broke up Christopher and Elena? [[spoiler:It was Rebecca's brother Tommy.]]
* GenerationXerox: Bobby really doesn't want Christopher and John Ross to turn out like he and JR did. Unfortunately, by the time of the pilot, it may be too late.
* IronicEcho: The scene in the pilot episode where Elena goes to Christopher (who, in desperation, has found new evidence to help his methane drilling research), finds him asleep in his office and makes him a cup of coffee when he wakes up is used again four episodes later in a different context. Christopher goes to Elena, he sleeps on her couch and she serves him coffee again, while he refrains from showing her a videotape of John Ross and Marta/Veronica having sex.
* LatinoIsBrown: both the young female leads are played by Latin American actresses. The dark-skinned, dark-haired, dark-eyed Jordana Brewster (Brazilian) plays a Mexican character, while the lighter-skinned, brunette, green-eyed Julie Gonzalo (Argentinian) plays an Anglo character.
* LoveDodecahedron: John Ross to Elena and [[spoiler:Marta Del Sol/Veronica]], Elena to Christopher and John Ross, and Christopher to Rebecca and Elena.
* TheMole:
** [[spoiler:Christopher's colleague Eric is in on the plot against Ewing Alternative Energy.]]
** [[spoiler:[[CriminalDoppelganger The fake Marta Del Sol]] is working for JR and John Ross against Bobby.]]
* MomentOfWeakness: In the third episode, Christopher kisses Elena after the weight of everything that's happened (the failure of his alternative energy project, the revelation that his father is being treated for intestinal cancer, realizing Elena left to be with John Ross because of an e-mail he never wrote) crashes down on him. Interestingly, this is immediately subverted when he goes to Rebecca and tells her what happened, resolving to make their marriage work.
* [[ObfuscatingStupidity Obfuscating Senility]]: JR, at 75, is a lot sharper and more capable than he lets on at the beginning of the first episode. He pretends to be a harmless old man who almost everyone else thinks is senile, and is more concerned with reliving the "good old days" then having anything to do with Bobby's plans to sell Southfork...all while he's pulling incriminating evidence from the family in plain sight.
* OhCrap: Sue Ellen has this reaction in "No Good Deed" when the police find evidence exonerating John Ross for the murder of Marta, because she bribed the medical examiner into ruling her death a suicide and as a result, let the real murderer walk free.
* OverlordJr: John Ross III. As soon as he realizes Southfork is going to be sold to a conservancy, he goes to J.R. for help and eagerly gets involved in the elder Ross' schemes.
* ProductPlacement:
** Most of the characters drive Chevrolet vehicles, with emphasis on the logo on their hoods.
** "Truth And Consequences" has a sequence where JR talks with the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, and considerable attention is paid to the game being played at the Cowboys Stadium.
* RefusalOfTheCall: Christopher in season one. He is more than happy to let Southfork get sold to a conservancy and focus on his methane drilling. However, J.R. and John Ross' machinations eventually force him to start fighting dirty in order to protect his family and the ranch.
* RememberTheNewGuy:
** Elena Ramos, who was never mentioned in the original series, is portrayed in the revival as best friends with John Ross and Christopher since they were all children. She's also the Ewing's housekeeper, Carmen's (who was never seen in the original either), daughter.
** 'Smiling' Frank is revealed in "Collateral Damage" to have been picked up from the streets of Islamabad as a young boy by Cliff Barnes 30 years earlier (setting it, in the show's timeframe, around season 4-5 of the original series), and was supposedly brought up by Cliff for most of his life, yet he was never seen or hinted at before his introduction in "The Price You Pay".
* {{Revival}}: The rebooted series follows the original surviving characters (JR, Bobby and Sue Ellen in the main cast; Cliff, Lucy and Ray as guest stars), and focuses on a growing battle between John Ross Ewing (JR's son) and Christopher Ewing (Bobby's son) over the rights to Ewing Oil. The show also follows up on a plotline from the original series - namely, the right to drill for oil on the Southfork Ranch (which was a major source of contention in the early seasons). The series is also internally referred to as "Season 15" by TNT.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: When Bobby gets a court order stopping John Ross from drilling on Southfork land, John Ross tells the workers to keep drilling, but they leave, saying that they "ain't tanglin' with Bobby Ewing."
* ShipperOnDeck: Of all people, JR is/was this for Elena and John Ross. It hasn't come up in the show itself but in the Facebook timeline he seems to have been quite keen for them to end up together.
-->'''JR:''' Turns out Christopher and the Ramos girl are getting awfully cozy. Shared their first kiss under the family oak tree. Should’ve been her and John Ross, if you ask me.
* YouLookFamiliar: Mitch Pileggi (who plays Ann's ex-husband, Harris Ryland), in addition to being an extra in a very early episode in the 80's, had a three-episode role in the original series as a mental patient who bullied JR when he was in a mental institution.
* YourDaysAreNumbered: Played straight and seemingly subverted. The pilot episode establishes that Bobby has a rare form of intestinal cancer, which motivates his decision to sell Southfork to the Del Sol Conservancy. After a couple episodes of Bobby having dramatic chest pains which cause him to clutch his stomach and waver, he gets surgery (off-screen) and is told that although there's chance of a resurgence, he should be fine if he continues taking treatment.
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