Dallas Reboot

It's not very often that a tv show can have a second life ... it just doesn't happen very often.  But if any of them had a "shot", it would be Dallas.

Dallas was a defining show in tv history.  "Who Shot JR?" became not only a classic moment and tagline, but a repeatable cliff hanger formula to carry an audience through the summer hiatus from one season to the next.  The iconic characters of the original Dallas set a standard in night time "soaps."

So now along comes the next generation.  But unlike so many previous attempts to revive an old television show, Dallas also brought back the characters we loved and loved to hate back in the day.  So the original Bobby, JR, Sue Ellen ... they are all there with the next generation.

With great drama and initially some great ratings.

What's the big difference between this generation and the last?  Digital!  On the Dallas website, you can watch video, learn about the characters, enter contests, and play games.  In social media, you can watch the characters play out their feuds ... so much fun.  Table stakes for the new age of television but new fanfare for those of us who were around for the first installment.

The best part?  On the website you can also relive the classic moments of Dallas 1.0.

While this genre may not be unique anymore, it was one of the first of its kind.  It's a blast to see it come back with such success.

What's your experience?  Jim.

Jim Joseph
President, Cohn & Wolfe North America
Author, The Experience Effect series
Professor, NYU