When Warner Bros sent me a box set of the original Dallas Seasons 1 and 2, I was filled with such nostalgia and a pang of pure guilty pleasure, rekindling my old love for a family favourite! This is a vintage classic US soap from the late 70s and 80s that reflects a bygone era. The theme tune is so iconic and draws you into Southfork Ranch from the opening bars.
From the moment that young bouffant-haired Bobby Ewing arrives home with his new wife Pam, the daughter of Digger Barnes, love rival and business rival to patriarch Jock Ewing, sparks begin to fly! It is the perfect scenario to unleash the evil that is JR, the man we all love to hate, as he plots and schemes to drive her away. Throw into the mix the alcoholic, ex-beauty queen Sue-Ellen and the spoilt, flirty teenager Lucy, long suffering matriarch Miss Ellie, vengeful rival Cliff Barnes and broody foreman Ray Krebbs and you have the complex ingredients for the larger than life storylines that made Dallas one of the best loved shows of its time. Just how far JR is prepared to go to get his own way is always shocking!
As this was made 30 years ago, the picture and sound quality are representative of the time it was filmed. It gives it a certain authentic 80s charm which transported me back to my childhood...just don't expect HD. The five double sided discs feature every one of the episodes from both seasons. It is a bit tricky reading the writing on the dual discs to work out which side is which, but I blame that on the fact my eyesight isn't quite what it used to be!!
Season One was a mini-series with five episodes and Season Two has 24 episodes. This equates to a lot of TV viewing!! Dallas is such a classic that I love dipping back into to it. It does become quite addictive and the 'oh let's just watch one more episode' syndrome has meant a few late nights!
Some of the plot lines include black market babies, kidnapping, bigamy, a plane crash, infidelity, alcoholism, drug taking, accusations of murder, premature birth and near death experiences. The stories come thick and fast. The seasons end with gripping cliff hangers that leave you wanting. Season 2 ends with a rare moment of compassion, emotion and heartache for JR which has left me hankering for series 3!
The Dallas Season One & Two boxset is available from Amazon for £13.19. It is a must have if you have the same nostalgic love of the series that I have and you want to experience the epic saga with its incredible story lines and fabulously larger than life characters!