the times |Saturday June 92012 2GM 11 News Dallas born again with renewableenergyand less greed

Swaggeringdisplays PAPICSELECT; CBS PHOTO ARCHIVE /GETTY IMAGES of extravagant wealth areout,but therivalry is as strongasever, writes Tim Teeman

Rays of sun glint off afamiliar white- fronted house, iron gates marked “SF”, and —ifthe familiar twang of theme music hasn’t stirred your memory —a belt with a“JR” buckle. After a21-year absence (ignoring afew lamentable mini-series), Dallas returns to Amer- ican television on Wednesday as the children of JR and Bobby Ewing battle Not only are the characters different, for control of ...what else but Ewing so are the two eras of Dallas. The origi- Oil? Bobby groans to JR, “I don’t want nal was streaked with the Reaganite them to be like us,” but plus ça change. .. 1980s, the mythology of the Old West Despite the familiar Southfork whirl and unfettered capitalism reflected by of greed, jealousy and love triangles, the show. Today the rich lack the swag- producers promise aradically altered ger, at least on TV dramas: viewers are show from the Dallas of yore, which more used to seeing outrageous extrav- frothed so wildly that one season was agance on reality shows. Recession-era explained away as adream when America still likes stories of success, Patrick Duffy, who played Bobby, re- but overt greed is eyed balefully. turned to the show even though his Cynthia Cidre, writer and executive character had died. The revelation of producer, says that the new Dallas will “Who shot JR?” in 1980 (answer, Kris- The new Dallas features key actors from the 1980s cast, top right, but the storylines will reflect achanged America not “devolve into camp or cheap melo- tin Shepard) secured what was Amer- drama”, but be “a smart, passionate ica’s highest TV audience of 83 million spirit of nervy entrepreneurialism “Damn you JR”. “We’ve been friends ble”. JR’s son John Ross (Josh Hender- drama on an epic scale”. This is a“con- (in Britain, 21.6 million). rather than patrician entitlement. for 33 years,” says Gray. Ken Kercheval son) wants to drill for oil on Southfork, tinuation”, not aremake and she be- The new Dallas —onthe cable chan- The Stetson count seems lower. How- (Cliff Barnes), Steve Kanaly (Ray Christopher(Jesse Metcalfe), agoodie lieves that audiences will be thrilled. nel TNT rather than CBS, its broadcast ever Larry Hagman reprises his role as Krebbs) and Charlene Tilton (Lucy like his dad, wants to stop him and Hagman, 80, has throat cancer and network home between 1978 and 1991 JR, grinning like amalevolent Chesh- Ewing) will make guest appearances. focus Ewing Oil on renewable energy. looks frail, but insists: “Dallas is the —reflects achanged America, featur- ire Cat, Duffy is the saintly Bobby and Hagman says that the younger cast His true love Elena (Jordana Brewster) most fun I’ve ever had in my life. It feels ing business done on laptops rather Linda Gray returns as Sue Ellen, who carry most of the action, “so Ican re- is John Ross’s girlfriend, while Bobby is like coming home.” than over Scotches at Ewing Oil and a in her alcoholic years would slur main behindthe scenes and make trou- married to Ann (Brenda Strong.) Leading article, page 2