80's American Soaps

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A place to discuss all things Dallas, Dynasty, Falcon Crest, Colbys, Knots Landing etc ..... Ye get the gist!

Get your shoulder pads and blue eyeshadow ready.......!
 
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Dallas was my first love. Mainly because that is what my Mum watched. I was right there with her though.
 
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Dallas was my first love. Mainly because that is what my Mum watched. I was right there with her though.
Saturday nights were Dallas night back in the early 80s. bleeping loved that show. JR was undoubtedly one of THEE best TV characters of all time. If not GOAT. The whole world got totally caught up on the entire "Who Shot JR" storyline. Everyone was OBSESSED.
 
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JR was the greatest TV villain ever.
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The thing with Dallas was that there were no hunks as such. Maybe Patrick Duffy at a push but none of the others. It totally relied on it's characters.
 
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Not a soap, but does anyone remember 'Father Dowling Mysteries' when the crime solving priest and ultra cool nun Sr Steve?
I used to love it as a child in the 80s.
 
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Would it be fair to say Terry Wogan played a big part in getting Dallas to be so popular?
We all watched it as a family when I was young, must-see TV. The oil barons ball, Sue Ellen 'you are a drunk and an unfit mother' 😂
Excellent stuff.
I never got into Dynasty as much but did like Knotts Landing.
 
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Yes Wogan called Lucy Ewing the poison dwarf and would discuss the episodes every week on his radio show.
He did help make Dallas more popular.

JR - " gimme a bourbon and branch." Never knew what that was but it sounded great and I loved that his secretary was called Sly.
 
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I vaguely remember Knotts Landing being shown in the afternoons on the BBC in the late 80s/ early 90s unless that is a false memory :unsure:
I'm sure I used to watch it when my baby daughter was having her afternoon nap. Gary Ewing moving to California. There was a no doubt frowned upon now relationship between a very young Nicolette Sheridan (I think was her name?) and William Devane. I think she was about 18 and he was in his 40s?

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Knot's Landing was my absolute FAVE!! You're right @Jelly Bean about it being shown on the BBC in the afternoons. My guilty pleasure. I'm sure it was repeated on the older version of UKTV Play at some stage. It would be great to see it again today but unfortunately I can't find any links. Who remembers Val with the crazy hairstyles and her mad mum - Lilimae Clements who played the most ridiculous musical instrument at the drop of a hat! We were also introduced to a very young Alec Baldwin as Val's brother who was a trainee minister!

Sunset Beach anyone?

 
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Knot's Landing was my absolute FAVE!! You're right @Jelly Bean about it being shown on the BBC in the afternoons. My guilty pleasure. I'm sure it was repeated on the older version of UKTV Play at some stage. It would be great to see it again today but unfortunately I can't find any links. Who remembers Val with the crazy hairstyles and her mad mum - Lilimae Clements who played the most ridiculous musical instrument at the drop of a hat! We were also introduced to a very young Alec Baldwin as Val's brother who was a trainee minister!

Sunset Beach anyone?

oh Sunset Beach was the best thing ever, the crazy crazy storylines, cursed jewels, evil twins, stealing babies 😂
 
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I used to watch Knots Landing in the School holidays( well i'm assuming then mightve even been when I was at Nursery so half days) All I remember is I thought Paige was cool haha. Then a few Years later I watched properly as UK TV Gold showed it. Was back when Gold had Eastenders/The Bill etc on the lineup.
Love my American Soaps but coz of my age I missed most of the 80s ones. 90s though I was hooked on Sunset Beach/The Bold & the Beautiful/Days of our Lives
 
I vaguely remember Knotts Landing being shown in the afternoons on the BBC in the late 80s/ early 90s unless that is a false memory :unsure:
I'm sure I used to watch it when my baby daughter was having her afternoon nap. Gary Ewing moving to California. There was a no doubt frowned upon now relationship between a very young Nicolette Sheridan (I think was her name?) and William Devane. I think she was about 18 and he was in his 40s?

View attachment 2415883
I love William Devane. He's 83 now.

Joan Van Ark absolutely ruined her face with surgery.
 
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Yes Wogan called Lucy Ewing the poison dwarf and would discuss the episodes every week on his radio show.
He did help make Dallas more popular.

JR - " gimme a bourbon and branch." Never knew what that was but it sounded great and I loved that his secretary was called Sly.

That was hilarious and she took it in good spirit if I remember correctly. Lucy Ewing was one of my least favourite characters though.
 
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I could prattle on all day about the 80s Soaps and would probably make VIP status within 48 hours! When I watched Dallas first time round I was always routing for Bobby & Pam to stay together and that awful "Jenna Wade" to keep her sticky paws off Baaawbee! When re-watching I suddenly realised how "wet" Pam actually was and her continuous whining about the Barnes/Ewing feud set my teeth on edge. "Swellin" and JR had tremendous chemistry on screen. I always found it quite sad that he didn't really want her until someone else had their eye on her and then he went all out to win her back. They'd be happy for at least an episode or two but then JR would spy some pretty young thing and the cycle would begin again with Swellin reaching for her trusty bottle of vodka.....
 
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Dallas is my all-time favourite! It came up on another thread a few days ago and I'm thinking of digging out the boxset and having another run. Before we married, my wife and I seriously considered getting married at Southfork.

My aunt hated Dallas, I don't think it was helped that on the day she got married, it was the same day as the "Who Shot JR" was about to be revealed and after they had their meal, the venue set up a TV so everyone could sit and watch it. Even to this day she says "I had to share my wedding day with JR bloody Ewing!" :LOL:

I wish they kept on going with the DVD releases of Knots Landing. I never really watched it but I want to now.
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I could prattle on all day about the 80s Soaps and would probably make VIP status within 48 hours! When I watched Dallas first time round I was always routing for Bobby & Pam to stay together and that awful "Jenna Wade" to keep her sticky paws off Baaawbee! When re-watching I suddenly realised how "wet" Pam actually was and her continuous whining about the Barnes/Ewing feud set my teeth on edge. "Swellin" and JR had tremendous chemistry on screen. I always found it quite sad that he didn't really want her until someone else had their eye on her and then he went all out to win her back. They'd be happy for at least an episode or two but then JR would spy some pretty young thing and the cycle would begin again with Swellin reaching for her trusty bottle of vodka.....
I was always team Bobby & Pam. It was a shame they didn't manage to get Victoria Principal back for the reboot, even though they heavily hinted that Pam would return. In the end, VP herself said she wasn't even approached. Such a let down for the fans.
 
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In the earlier shots of Southfork it always used to amuse me that they would be sunning themselves by the pool or at the annual Ewing Rodeo whilst it was blowing a force 8 gale!
 
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I believe the exterior scenes were filmed in October/November time so they would be filming scenes in a heat wave but you could see their breath.

I was too young at the time to remember the whole "Who Shot JR" phenomena, so by the time I got round to watching the episodes I knew "whodunnit". I would have loved to have experienced that at the time just not knowing until it aired. I believe there was some sort of strike at the time so there was a longer wait than usual before the episode actually aired. I do have a "I shot JR" badge in the house somewhere haha.
 
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In the earlier shots of Southfork it always used to amuse me that they would be sunning themselves by the pool or at the annual Ewing Rodeo whilst it was blowing a force 8 gale!
I've always heard that the actual ranch used for Southwark is quite small. It was always blowing a gale though.
 
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