‘Dallas’ creator David Jacobs has died at the age of 84

Producer and writer David Jacobs, best known for creating the classic series ‘Dallas’, died Sunday (8/20) at the age of 84, after battling Alzheimer’s for several years. The information was released on Tuesday evening by his son Aaron (228).

Despite his great success on the small screen, David Jacobs wanted to pursue a literary career, also publishing some non-fiction books and magazine articles before turning to TV in 1977, when he was hired as a screenwriter for the “Family” series. . And already the following year he was catapulted to success thanks to “Dallas”.

The blow that stopped America

Launched in 1978 on the American network CBS, “Dallas” quickly became a smash hit. The storyline revolved around a Texas family of oil barons and became a cultural phenomenon. With a cast headed by Larry Hagman, Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy, the series took on the tone of the soap opera, abusing betrayals, revenge and plot twists, becoming the absolute leader of the US television audience during three of the five following seasons. ranked 2nd in the others.

One of the most iconic episodes aired in March of 1980, at the end of the third season, when Hagman’s character, the villainous JR Ewing, was killed off. In the style of Janete Clair soap operas, the mystery surrounding the bombing created a pre-social media thrill, leading American audiences touting the slogan “Who Shot JR” for months, until the series returned in November with the before the 4th episode. season. The return of the series marked an era with the highest rated episode in TV history to date, achieving an impressive 53.3 points. This means that the chapter was tuned on 76% of all US televisions.

The series continued to air for over 350 episodes, lasting 14 seasons until 1991.

A 14-season spin-off

Building on the success of ‘Dallas’, Jacobs also created the spin-off ‘Knots Landing’ which went on to become another enduring American television drama. The series premiered in late 1979, focusing on the journey of the black sheep of the family, Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford), middle brother of JR (Hagman) and Bobby (Duffy), who decides to move to Los Angeles.

The attraction was also among the most watched in the USA in the 80s and also lasted 14 seasons, until 1993.

Other series and the return to “Dallas”

In addition to the “Dallas” universe, Jacobs has worked on other popular series. He created the Western series “Paradise” (1988-1991), the Emmy-nominated period drama “Homefront” (1991-1993), about a recruit (Kyle Chandler) returning from World War II, and the dramatic thriller ” Bodies of Evidence” (1992-1993), starring a young George Clooney and ended after one season. During this period he was still the producer of “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” (1993-1997).

But he never created another phenomenon again. Because of this, she ended up returning to his most famous series. In 1997 she made the miniseries “Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac” and in 2012 she brought back “Dallas” for pay TV. Despite an initial relative success, the sequel, which focused on the children of the original characters, was impacted by Larry Hagman’s death from cancer during the second season, and ended up being canceled a year later.

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.