Dallas: J.R. Returns Dallas: J.R. Returns Dallas: J.R. Returns is a 1996 American made-for-television drama film and is the first of two "Dallas" reunion films, produced after the series went off the air in 1991. It originally aired on CBS on November 15, 1996, and was rerun as part of TV Land's salute to 50 years of Warner Bros. Television. The cliffhanger ending of the 1991 "Dallas" series finale is resolved. The gunshot J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) fired was at the mirror, not himself (despite there being no sound of shattered glass when he pulled the trigger). Several years later, J.R. is in
Dallas (1978 TV series) "Scenes from a Marriage". However, CBS wanted a "saga-like" show, resulting in Jacobs creating "Dallas". When the series proved to be a hit, CBS reconsidered Jacobs's original idea, which evolved into "Dallas" spin-off series "Knots Landing", premiering in late 1979. "Knots Landing" followed the lives of Lucy's parents, Gary (Ted Shackelford) and Valene (Joan Van Ark), as they move to California to start a new life following the start of their second marriage in 1979. During the early seasons of "Knots Landing", several "Dallas" actors (Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, Charlene Tilton, and Mary Crosby) made guest appearance in the new