The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/69404
The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, June 8, 2012 2 coverstory By Andrew Warren TV Media T scurity, maybe living on as lit- tle more than a fond (or not so fond) memory in a few people's minds. A rare few shows, though, were so popu- lar in their heydays that they're still legendary years after they've gone off the air for good. "Dallas" is one of those elevision shows come and go every year. Some end up fading into ob- legends. Over the span of its run from 1978 to 1991, audiences were riveted by this prime- time soap about the antics of a disjointed family of Texan oil tycoons and ranchers. This Wednesday, June 13, TNT aims to recapture the magic that made the original series a success with the premiere of a brand-new "Dallas." It's the latest offering in a recent run of revivals of popu- lar shows from the past. Al- though several of these at- tempts to find new audiences have been flops, such as 2011's resurrection of "Char- lie's Angels," a few have suc- ceeded in finding ratings suc- cess, most notably "Hawaii Five-0." This new "Dallas," however, is not a reboot or a remake of the series; instead, it's a sequel of sorts. The original series revolved around the Ewing family and their lives on the family ranch outside of the titular city of Dallas. Viewers were en- tranced by the drama, betray- als and sex that seemed to consume the family mem- bers' lives on a weekly basis. The new series checks in with the Ewings decades later. The younger generation, who had appeared as children during the original, are now grown up and running the show alongside the family's older The legend continues 'Dallas' rises from the ashes in a prime-time rebirth Josh Henderson and Jesse Metcalfe star in "Dallas" members. Leading the new cast of characters are Christopher and John Ross Ewing, the sons of the original series' Bobby and J.R., respectively. Jesse Metcalfe steps into the role of Christopher Ewing. Fans of the first series will re- member Christopher as a lit- tle boy, the son of the young- est Ewing brother, Bobby. The boy has grown up into an ide- alistic man with interests in environmentalism and alter- native energy -- slightly ironic for one of the heirs to a petro- leum company. Metcalfe has appeared in a number of roles in both televi- sion and film, perhaps most memorably as hunky young gardener John Rowland in "Desperate Housewives." Starring opposite Metcalfe is Josh Henderson, in what may turn out to be his break- out role. His band, Scene 23, was the winner of the now- defunct WB show "Popstars 2" in 2001, and from there he began a career in acting. He's since appeared in several films, most notably "The Girl Next Door" (2004) and "Step Up" (2006). Like his "Dallas" co-star, he also had a brief stint on "Desperate House- wives," as troubled teenager Austin McCann. Henderson certainly has some big shoes to fill. His character, John Ross Ewing, is the now-adult son of the orig- inal series' villainous J.R. J.R. was a ruthless, womanizing and power-hungry man who ran Ewing Oil as unethically as he could get away with. John Ross has grown up to be a chip off the old man's block, bearing a stark contrast to his ethical cousin. Fans of the old series will be delighted to know that several of the original actors will be returning to their roles as the senior generation of Ewings. Charlene Tilton re- turns as Lucy Ewing, who was a troubled and rebellious teenaged girl in the original series. Steve Kanaly will once again take on the role of Ew- ing half-brother Ray Krebbs. Most notable is that Larry Hagman will be reprising his role as J.R., the man everyone loved to hate. Even two de- cades after "Dallas" went off the air, the man is still one of television's most iconic vil- lains. Even younger audiences that may never have seen an episode of "Dallas" might still be familiar with the show's most iconic plot line -- the mystery of who shot J.R. In the second season's fina- for the answer, which led to months of increasing buzz about the impending third season. le, J.R. finally goes too far. Af- ter angering more people than he could count, he is brutally shot by an unseen as- sailant at the end of the epi- sode, plunging into a coma and leaving audiences asking, "Who shot J.R.?" They'd have to wait until the next season If this sounds familiar, it's probably because another hit show has staged its own twist on the plot line. In 1995, the animated hit "The Simp- sons" ended its sixth season with the hated Mr. Burns be- ing shot by an unseen assail- ant after turning everyone in town against him. Just like with "Dallas," fans were kept in the dark until the following season's premier, leading to a summer of ever-building hype. "The Simpsons" version had more fun with it, though, putting the incriminating pis- tol in the hands of toddler Maggie Simpson. The play certainly paid off for "Dallas." When the would-be assassin (Kristin Shepard, who was J.R.'s scheming sister-in-law and mistress, shot him in a fit of anger) was finally revealed in the episode "Who Done It?" audiences tuned in in droves. It shattered ratings records, at the time easily snatching the title of the highest-rated tele- vision episode in U.S. history. It remains to be seen if the new series will mimic the suc- cess of its parent, but the fu- ture is certainly looking bright. The combination of hunky young stars and much- loved returning favorites are conspiring to make this se- quel to the legendary "Dal- las" this summer's must- watch new show. Chirstopher's Coins 2 x 2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media What happened to it? Will it be back? A: Rest assured that it was a planned disappearance, and ABC has already booked the reappearance. "Body of Proof" ended its second season on April 10, with a cliffhanger in which Peter (Nicholas Bishop) is stabbed. The season finale was doubly suspenseful for fans, as it aired before the show had a deal for a third season. The word did come down, though, at the network's up- front presentation to advertisers on May 15. It confirmed that "Body of Proof" would return, but it didn't include the show on its fall schedule. The show has aired on Tuesday nights since its debut, and that night is already full in the fall. However, ABC is debuting two new shows on Tuesday night in January -- "How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)" and "The Fami- ly Tools." "Body of Proof" could end up joining them for the winter. Though ABC waited until May to make the show's future Q: "Body of Proof" seems to have disappeared. Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. official, "Body of Proof" was likely never in any real danger -- shortly before the season finale aired, the network pre- miered a "Body of Proof" web series. The network wouldn't make such a large commitment to a show it wasn't sure about. A/Krazy Tom's 2 x 3