Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Larry Hagman, Victoria Principal, Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray, Donna Reed
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Bros
Release Date: February 12, 2008
The eighth season of Dallas aired on television in 1984 and 1985. Back then, I was the ripe old age of six. Naturally, I did not pay as much attention to the series as a grownup would have. Despite that I can still hear the theme song ringing in my ears. The theme song to Dallas is one I will always associate with my mother watching the show on the couch while I would sit on the floor playing with my toys or amusing myself, however I saw fit. I never paid the show any mind, but I always remember my mother watching it. She watched it religiously, just like she would watch Dynasty, Knots Landing, and Falcon Crest. They don’t make shows like this anymore, but when they did people watched them as much, or more, than the standard daytime soap fare.
Looking at this season of Dallas, I have to say that if you were just coming into the series fresh you may not continue watching. Actually, this is the season that saw Dynasty take over in the ratings for the first time and it saw fans leaving the show behind. In short, season eight could have been considered the real beginning of the end of the show. That being said, there are a few redeeming qualities about this show, and a few episodes that are worth watching. If nothing else, this season represents a highly watchable time in television history.
Release Information:
Season eight of Dallas was a tumultuous time for both viewers and cast of the show. Things were different behind the scenes and it showed on camera enough to make people find a new show. While Dallas would retain fair numbers in this 1984-85 season, the show would never be able to live up to the things that it once did. There are 30 episodes in the eighth season and they have been placed on five discs. In addition to the episodes, there is a small selection of special features that have been added. You can pick this up at most major retailers including Amazon where it retails for $30.
The Dallas: The Complete Eighth Season Plot
The drama begins full force in season eight of Dallas and doesn’t let up for most of the season. Things start off with Bobby (Patrick Duffy) in J.R.’s (Larry Hagman) office. Bobby has been shot on accident. Bobby is apparently out of his mind as it seems he is willing to do anything he can to put his wedding to Jenna (Priscilla Presley) in danger. Of course, this is just the beginning.
Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval) has the luck of finding a huge amount of oil property and even though he thinks he’s going to beat J.R. you shouldn’t count him out yet. It’s obvious who has the upper hand when we meet Mandy (Deborah Shelton). Mandy is a model that both Cliff and J.R. have their eyes on. She picks the one she feels to be the better of the two.
Pamela Barnes Ewing (Victoria Principal) searches for her lover Mark (John Beck). Though signs point to the fact that he should be alive, he is believed dead. This sends Pamela and Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), who is back on the booze, on a chase to find the truth, no matter how far it may take them.
Meanwhile, despite the fact that Jamie (Jenilee Harrison) seems to have plans of ruining Ewing Oil, or at least breaking up the company to the best of her ability, things have not even begun to get as crazy as they soon will. The rest of the Ewings are up to different forms of no good, as well with the exception of Miss Ellie (Donna Reed), who struggles to deal with it all.
Obviously, the drama has not changed this season. One thing that has changed though is Miss Ellie. Originally, Barbara Bel Geddes handled the role of Miss Ellie, but due to ailing health she backed out at the end of season seven. Donna Reed took over the role in season eight and she was given a less than warm welcome.
Unlike former seasons, there is a lot of attention paid to the women this time around. Some of the major storylines include Sue Ellen being drunk and getting in trouble, a murder trial for Jenna, Pamela looking for Mark, and the bond forged with Sue Ellen and Jamie. Of course, the ending that all Dallas fans know about, the demise of Bobby is not only not centered on the women, it’s also the biggest shift in Dallas, signifying the beginning of the end.
The thing that hurt Dallas most of all was the behind the scenes politics. Reed was not really a favorite of anyone. Everyone wanted Bel Geddes in the role as Miss Ellie. She ended up coming back in the ninth season and despite a newly signed contract, Reed was fired. The press went wild when Reed filed a suit for wrongful termination/breach of contract and understandably won.
The series changed quite a bit this season and the ratings dropping says all that needs to be said about it. Maybe it was not a good idea to shift the idea from the men to the women. Perhaps, the audience didn’t want to see Pamela trek to Hong Kong to find her man. Maybe Larry Hagman could have offered a more exciting storyline for steadfast viewers. The facts are that despite a good season, this was the beginning of a slow end. The show had hit its peak and once you’re at the top the only place to go is down.
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Audio/Visual:
Dallas: The Complete Eighth Season is available in full screen format with a transfer of 1.33:1. I imagine this is what the original broadcast looked like or at least, it was something pretty close to it. It was filmed quite some time ago, so as you can imagine it’s not going to be perfect, but its decent quality for the most part. At its worst, there are some scratches and some soft moments, but other than that the quality is fair.
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital English Mono. The audio sounds similar to most shows of its time period so I am assuming that it’s pretty close to what it sounded like back when it was on television. Both subtitles and closed captioning is available in the set. Overall, the audio sounds fine and offers a stable sound throughout.
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Bonus Features:
There is really only one main special feature here and while it lasts for about ten minutes it’s not all that interesting when it comes right down to it. The feature, Dallas Makeover, deals with the Hollywood costume designer Travilla that came onto the set of Dallas to help make it a more fashionable show. This was due to the other primetime drama’s getting more women because of the high fashion and beauty. It was Travilla’s job to make Southfork a more fashionable place, therefore getting some more women viewers.
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Bottom Line:
Dallas: The Complete Eighth Season had some high and low moments, but for the most part this is still the Dallas that fans knew and loved. If you are a fan you are going to definitely want this box set. There is absolutely no question of that. If you are new to the show, season eight is not going to be a good place to start. I highly recommend picking up season one. If you like it, continue down the trail until you get here. Otherwise, you will be mighty lost and many things will go over your head if you choose to just start here.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Dallas, Season Eight, The Complete Eighth Season, JR Ewing, Primetime Drama, Bobby Ewing, WB, TV on DVD, DVD Review
[...] I did the review for the last season of Dallas I mentioned how the Eighth Season was kind of like the beginning of the end. Things were unraveling and as they were, the ninth [...]