The "Venom in My Blood" Story

Original 1978 Ewing Family

It was an ordinary day.  Watched "Dallas" on TV the last two weeks.  Carol and I used to watch the show every week when it first hit the prime time TV soap opera circuit.  The show debuted April 2, 1978 as part of a five-part miniseries on CBS and was so popular that it turned into a regular series for the next 13 years.  The first five shows are considered season 1, so in all the show really had 14 seasons.  Final episode aired May 3, 1991 with JR Ewing contemplating committing suicide.  I don't believe I missed more than a dozen shows during those 14 seasons.  In 2007, Time magazine listed it as one of the "100 Best TV Shows of All-Time."  By the time it went off the air in 1991 it had become one of the longest running prime time dramas in American TV history ...... second only to Gunsmoke and Law  Order which both lasted for 20 seasons.  I think my favorite episode was probably everyone's favorite, "Who shot J.R.?"  The show revolved around the Ewings who were a wealthy Dallas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries.  The main characters were: Larry Hagman, who played JR Ewing; Patrick Duffy, who was his younger brother Bobby; Linda Gray who was JR's wife Sue Ellen; Victoria Principal who was Bobby's wife Pam; Jim Davis who was the patriarch of the family, Jock Ewing; and Barbara Bel Geddes who was Jock's wife Miss Ellie.  Quite a few others were in the show, but the show revolved around the trials and tribulations of the Ewing family.  Pam was my favorite as well as Lucy Ewing Cooper who was played by Charlene Tilton.  They were the two best looking girls in the show.  JR was the villain while Bobby was the hero, at least in my eyes.  Well, JR is again the villain, but his son, John Ross Ewing III, played by Josh Henderson looks like he will take over that role from his father in the revival of the show that airs on Wednesday night.  The show takes place at the same ranch, Southfork, and has the same opening music.  Seems like it never went off the air.  A few of the original characters still remain with Larry Hagman, who is 81 years old, Linda Gray, who is 72, Patrick Duffy, who is 63, as well as a few minor actors who were in the original show.  Boy, do they look old!  Even with makeup on!!  I certainly hope I don't look as old as they do.  Other new cast members, besides Josh Henderson, are: Jesse Metcalf who plays Bobby's adopted son Christopher (a good guy); Julie Gonzalo who plays Rebecca, Christopher's wife; Jordana Brewster who plays Elena girlfriend to John Ross; and Brenda Strong who plays Bobby's third wife, Ann Ewing.  She's pretty, but not as good looking as Pam was in the original show.  Looks like I'm going to have to reserve Wednesday evenings at 9:00 for Dallas.  Last last two week's shows got me hooked again with all the neat plots and sub-stories.  Should be fun.  And why my story title?  At the end of the show someone said that John Ross III had venom in his blood.  Hey, have to go get ready and plan for tonight's show. Gonna have to go back and forth between Dallas and the Phils.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.