Forty-seven years ago today, on April 2, 1978, Dallas debuted on CBS, introducing viewers to the oil-rich Ewing family and igniting a primetime soap opera craze that would define a television era. The two-hour pilot, “Digger’s Daughter,” aired at 10 p.m. ET as the first of a five-episode miniseries, drawing 21.9 million viewers with its tale of Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) marrying Pamela Barnes (Victoria Principal) against the backdrop of feuding clans. Created by David Jacobs, the show exploded into a full series by fall, running 14 seasons and 357 episodes until May 3, 1991, and cementing its legacy with the infamous “Who shot J.R.?” cliffhanger that gripped 83 million fans in 1980.
You can find Dallas Seasons 2 through 14 free with Amazon Prime HERE.
Starring Larry Hagman as the scheming J.R. Ewing, Dallas blended melodrama with Texas-sized ambition, peaking at No. 1 in the Nielsens for 1980–81 and earning four Emmys across 18 nominations.
Dallas, which premiered on CBS on April 2, 1978—47 years ago today—introduced viewers to the wealthy, dysfunctional Ewing family, owners of the Ewing Oil empire and Southfork Ranch in Texas, in a primetime soap opera created by David Jacobs that ran 14 seasons and 357 episodes until May 3, 1991. Centered on the ruthless J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman), his earnest brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy), and Bobby’s wife Pamela Barnes (Victoria Principal) from a rival clan, the show wove tales of betrayal, romance, and power struggles, peaking with the 1980 “Who shot J.R.?” cliffhanger that drew 83 million viewers—over a third of the U.S. population—and hit No. 1 in the Nielsens for 1980–81. With a sprawling cast including Jim Davis as patriarch Jock, Barbara Bel Geddes as matriarch Miss Ellie, and Linda Gray as J.R.’s wife Sue Ellen, it earned four Emmys across 18 nods, blending melodrama with Texas flair. Originally a five-episode miniseries, its success spawned a full series, a 2012 TNT revival (three seasons), and spinoffs like Knots Landing, leaving a legacy now streaming free on The Roku Channel’s “Primetime Soaps” (Channel 362) for cord cutters—71.7% of whom favor digital over discs, per a 2025 survey—decades after its debut shook up TV.
You can find Dallas Seasons 2 through 14 free with Amazon Prime HERE.
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