Dallas1985
How can one sum up the saga of Dallas in eight lines? Impossible! Let's just agree it's probably the most famous and popular US soap exported to Britain; offered first to ITV, but snapped up by BBC1 in 1979 where it stayed, except for a brief sojourn on ITV in the mid-80s.
Dallas1987
Our first clip dates from 1985, this clip is from 1987, plus we feature titles from 1989 and 1991. Notice how the Lorimar-Telepictures, and then Lorimar Television name is first added, and then removed, while the final series adopts a totally opaque graphic style of lettering, more akin to Dynasty...
Dallas1989
Fantastic theme tune, unforgettable title sequence, amazing storylines (except for Bobby's return from the dead, explained away in a nightmare!) and a superb cast. Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Barbara Bel Geddes, Victoria Principal, Ken Kercheval et al. What more can I say?!
Dallas1991
the signature graphic style of the original titles are gone, in favour of simple live action shots with CG lettering
Dallas - Donna Reed titles1984/85
During the 1984-85 season, illness caused Barbara Bel Geddes to be replaced as Miss Ellie (Eleanor Southworth Ellie Ewing Farlow to you and me) by the Hollywood star Donna Reed. When Bel Geddes was well enough to return to the role, Reed was fired. She sued the production company and received an undisclosed seven-figure settlement. Poor Donna died in 1986 at the age of 64 in California, from pancreatic cancer.
Knots Landing1979 - 1993
Created by the team behind Dallas, producers Michael Filerman and David Jacobs, and regarded as its sequel. In fact, they conceived Knots first, the saga of various couples living in a luxury coastal cul-de-sac, including Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford), estranged from his rich relatives. They wrote him into the first series of Dallas, and when it became a hit, they revived their plans for Knots, which debuted on CBS in 1979. Knots appeared on BBC1 throughout the 80s (the clip here is from 1982 with BBC1 continuity), and has also turned up on UK Gold.
Knots Landing1993 (Lorimar for CBS)
Unlikely as it may seem, the composition and design of the music and titles for this latter-day series appear to have been influenced by Simon May and Nancy Kominsky respectively. Feverish, multi-coloured palette knife scrapings, overlaid with monochrome vignettes of the cast, set to a tune that's the wrong side of Howard's Way.
