Who Shot J.R.?

What were you watching in 1978? Well, if you are anything like me, you were watching Dallas. March 1980, the cover of TV Guide: "Who shot J.R.?" Remember when TV Guide came in the mail each week? The funny thing is we only had about 8 channels back then. Did we really need a guide? Today we have about 600 channels, and the guide is part of the remote, one click away, movies, sports, whatever. Well, in case you forgot, Kristin shot J.R. I think everyone thought Sue Ellen shot J.R. She surely had every reason to, and any jury would have concluded she was justified in doing so, but she was just too much of a lady to shoot J.R. She also knew that gobs of  people wanted to shoot J.R., and it was only a matter of time.

Fast forward: Desperate Housewives, twenty-two years later. Sunday is the series finale. Not just the season finale, the series finale. Boo-hoo. I love the ladies on Wisteria Lane. Can you imagine having neighbors like that? I have great neighbors, but let's face it, we have yet to kill anyone, hurry home, clean up, then meet up at one of the houses on the lane for cocktails and Bree's famous scones. And they always look like a million bucks, no matter what they are doing. Even after they kill someone.

I do have great neighbors, though. Some of us have keys to each other's houses. One will take in the mail and paper when another is away. One will make sure to put the trash out. One will pick up packages left on the doorstep. A few years ago, I ended up cooking my Thanksgiving turkey in the out-of-town neighbor's oven because the electrician hooked my new oven up incorrectly and it wouldn't get above 200 degrees. That is what neighbors are for. Sometimes you need an egg or a can of tomato paste. If the neighbor is home, great, call, run over and borrow. If the neighbor is gone, you have the key, go help yourself. Last summer, I was out of town but came home to find out that the neighbors desperately needed powdered sugar and red food coloring for the red velvet cupcakes they were making with the nieces visiting from Washington. That is what I'm talking about. That is what makes a good neighbor. I help myself at your house; you help yourself at mine. If you need a bottle of wine, it is in the storage room in the basement. Remember, though, always take wine from the top shelf. The bottom shelf is good stuff we are saving.

Trivia: Wisteria Lane is actually named Colonial Street. It is located inside Universal Studios Hollywood and was featured in the original Leave It To Beaver, Gremlins, The 'Burbs, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Back to Dallas. In 2010, TNT announced they were producing a new, updated series of Dallas. The new series is a continuation of the original series and will primarily revolve around J.R. Ewing's son John Ross Ewing III (remember little John Ross?) and Bobby Ewing's adopted son Christopher Ewing. Various stars of the original series are supposed to make an appearance. (possibly from a rest home?) The new series is due to air on TNT in mid-2012. I have my doubts. Times have changed, and the Dallas days are long gone.

More trivia: Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing) is actually from Townsend, Montana.

When Dallas ended, I thought life would never be the same. The same goes for M*A*S*H, and don't forget Friends. Then came Desperate Housewives. It, too, will soon be gone, but life goes on. Maybe the Dallas plan is to pick up where Desperate Housewives leaves off. Maybe the girls from Wisteria Lane will end up living at South Fork. We all know any one of the Wisteria Lane girls is capable of shooting J.R.'s son John Ross, especially if he is anything like his father. Susan's husband, Mike, was killed by the loan shark, so maybe Susan will marry Bobby Ewing's adopted son Christopher. The possibilities are endless.

"People change, things go wrong. Just remember life goes on." ~ author unknown