"Dallas" (1978) More at IMDb Pro »TV series 1978-1991

I remember the days when people used to get excited about TV programs. In a time when Cable TV didn't exist and VCRs were still a few years ahead of us, certain TV shows became an essential part of the family routine. No, I'm not that old, but I do remember when people literally left work or school and ran home in order to see a specific TV show. No one was allowed to call us at home during specific hours of the evening, and dinnertime was arranged around what was on TV every night. If you are 21 years old or older, it is most likely that you know what I'm talking about. During those days, we didn't have a VCR to record specific programs and we simply didn't have the luxury of waiting for late night re-runs – you had one chance, and one chance only to watch the latest episode of your favorite TV show. You knew the rules and what was at stake, and you always made sure to be in front of the TV at the same time, at the same channel, every day of the week. Of all those TV shows that somehow managed to control our lives and dictate when we could go out of the house, no other program was more addictive that "Dallas," a TV series that captured Americans' attention like no other series before or after.

This exciting program about the ups and downs of "The Ewings," a powerful Texan family, was so well done and entertaining (with marvelous cliffhangers at the end of each episode) that it was almost impossible to resist. In retrospective, I think the program was amazingly popular because it dealt with the pleasures and sins of capitalism, something viewers in America were familiar with. I also believe "Dallas" was such a huge success with all sorts of audiences mainly because it exploited our natural interest in the world of the rich and famous. The series presented an array of interesting characters that more or less wanted to succeed at any cost in a very competitive society. Having beautiful actors, great locales, and strong melodramatic scenes did not hurt the show, either, and "Dallas" quickly became the most watched and talked about TV show for over a decade.

"Dallas," even if we compare it to other modern, more sophisticated dramas like "The West Wing" or "The Sopranos," is still a very effective and entertaining TV drama. The series did lose some of its magic after six or seven seasons, but at this early stage, the show demonstrates genuine signs of hard work and a great desire to please the audience. However, like most popular series, most people (including myself), didn't catch the fever right away, and some of us never saw those initial episodes from the first couple of seasons. Warner helps us correct that mistake. For an old TV program, the series look good on DVD.

The new DVD sets make watching the show fun all over again. The transfers are not perfect, but this is expected from such an old TV program. The main thing here is the show itself, which is presented unedited and commercial free, with some nice extras as the frosting on the cake. The retail price is affordable, and the package is nicely done. The "Dallas" DVD sets are a fine product that I highly recommend if you are a fan of the series, or if you are just simply curious about one of the definitive TV series from the 1980s.