Dallas - The Complete Sixth Season (1978)

Rated: Not rated.
Runtime: 1380 mins.
Director: Barry Crane, Linda Day
Creator: David Jacobs
Cast: Victoria Principal; Patrick Duffy; Larry Hagman ... complete cast
Tagline: Dallas.
Release Date: January 30, 2007
Genre: TV/Drama
Memorable Quote: Ray never was comfortable eating with the family; we do use knives and forks.
Distributor: Warner Home Video
Official Site: www.ultimatedallas.com


Reel rating:						4/5

Reel commentary: ... while there are still a few problems with these DVD releases (where the heck are the commentaries?) Season 6 still has just the right amount of machismo, double-crossing, and romance to satisfy even the finickiest of fans. ... full review

Movie Review

By Richard Dennis

When a reviewer from Dallas writes about Dallas, does it add weight to the proceedings? Should I have some special insight or wisdom to impart to you regarding the 6th season of arguably the best television soap opera of all time?

Nope. I just popped in the DVDs, put on my Stetson and watched the dirt fly!

Even though the seasons of Dallas seem to be rolling out on DVD slower than Texas oil, Season 6 does boast some slightly niftier packaging and ramps up the mud-slinging and dastardly deeds to new levels. If you ever wanted to revisit some old episodes, but wanted to go straight to the “good” ones, then Season 6 might just be the one to fall back into bed with on a hot Texas night. While it’s true that, by this point we already knew who shot J.R, this season still brought us many of the award-winning show’s greatest highlights, including J.R. and Sue Ellen’s dramatic (in more ways than one) second wedding, the ever-growing battle over Ewing Oil, and the demise (for the time being) of Bobby and Pam’s relationship.

Sophia Bush

All images copyright © 2007 Rogue Pictures (Focus Features)

In fact, to start things off right, the very first episode features J.R. (Larry Hagman, of course) being given the boot as president of Ewing Oil. Ewing Sr. has died in some god-forsaken jungle and (via his will) has pitted brother against brother as Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and J.R. go out at like a pack of wild dogs to see who is truly fit to run the family business. You want fisticuffs? You got em’ here to spare, folks! Throw in a stint in a Cuban jail, and things are running pretty rough for old J.R this time around. But this is Dallas, my friends, where events (and bed partners) can switch faster than you can unbolt the horns from your daddy’s Cadillac.

Okay, okay, I hear you. There really wasn’t a bad season of Dallas to be found in the whole run. Each season (and episode) featured it’s own share of charms and memorable moments (those season cliffhangers!) but, it seems that Season 6 really was one for giving each individual character their own time to shine and try and wriggle out of a whole new mess of problems.

While there are still a few problems with these DVD releases (where the heck are the commentaries?) Season 6 still has just the right amount of machismo, double-crossing, and romance to satisfy even the finickiest of fans. And trust me on this one, my southern-loving friends, in this season where there’s smoke there’s (quite literally) gonna’ be fire.

Richard Dennis

Comments

DVD Information

Screen formats: Widescreen 1.33:1

Subtitles: Portuguese

Language and Sound: English: Dolby Digital Mono

Other Features: Color; interactive menus; scene access; documentary.

Documentary -

Power and Influence: The Dallas Legacy - This featurette runs just over 10 minutes and is a fine add-on to this otherwise featureless set. The doc takes a look at the history, legacy, and influence of Dallas, as well as some observations from professionals who discuss the show’s merits. It is interesting to note how a T.V. show like Dallas thrived in a pre-TiVo cultural landscape.

Number of discs: - 5 double-sided discs; Thinpak, Academy.