On Friday, TNT announced it was canceling Dallas after three seasons on the network. The return of the legendary show, from Warner Bros. Television, premiered to strong ratings in June 2012, and averaged 4.5 million viewers that year as a summer series. The network debuted the second season in January 2013, and the viewership totals dropped in part due to increased competition, the move to a new night (from Wednesday to Monday), and no real lead-in to support the show. Season 3 in 2014 was split into halves, with 8 episodes airing in the winter, then 7 more in late summer. Despite averaging under 2 million viewers, Dallas had solid DVR increases, and a very strong social media presence.
After taking a moment to mourn the beloved series, fans quickly realized this wasn't necessarily the end, and began organizing a "Save Dallas" (#SaveDallas) campaign. TNT may have decided not to continue airing the show but another TV network could still pick it up. Or perhaps Dallas could air online via Amazon, Yahoo or Hulu? What about Netflix? There are so many options!
Dallas stars Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray have not given up on the show finding a new home, based on these tweets from Saturday:
I for one am not done with Bobby Ewing! Let's see if some network wants the Ewings to live on! Love you all!!
— Patrick Duffy (@therealpduffy) October 4, 2014Thank you again for your support! Keep it coming so it can help get us back entertaining you!❤️
— Linda Gray (@Linda_Gray) October 4, 2014The original Dallas ran for 14 seasons on CBS, at one point becoming the top-rated show not just in the United States, but around the world.
The Dallas brand is one of the best in television, and the show reportedly performs well in international markets. But just how much does Warner Bros. want to continue producing the series? Fans are determined to make sure it's clear what a passionate and loyal following Dallas generates, and that will surely go a long way toward determining if the series continues.
There are many stories left to tell about the Ewing family, and the Season 3 finale perfectly set the table for the next chapter in a saga that started over 36 years ago. Showrunner Cynthia Cydre has already outlined Season 4 so all Dallas needs now is a new place to air.
Do you want Dallas to continue? Which network do you think would be the best fit for the show? Share your thoughts in our Comments section below.
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Comments
A deal like Netflix might be an interesting way to go but I kind of like the weekly appointment television with Dallas. With all the cable networks out there looking to make a mark, taking on a brand as familiar as Dallas would seem to be a no-brainer.
Even though they bit off more than they could chew, the Prospect Park production company valued the All My Children and One Life to Live brands enough to bring them back. With a worldwide audience, Dallas seems like a safer bet for someone to take a chance on.
I'm rooting for the show to get a fourth season. At a minimum, Warner Bros. needs to produce a movie or mini-series to wrap up the loose ends.
We know the ratings, and we know about the show's fans all over the world, but what I'm not clear about is Warner Bros. and how much they want to find a new home for the show. Patrick Duffy's tweet made me feel there is at least hope those discussions are happening.
#SaveDallas
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