Patrick Duffy has made a personal promise to HuffPost UK that if the new Dallas runs to the same 13 seasons as the original series, viewers will get to watch an alien abduction on Southfork Ranch.
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Some familiar faces on Southfork Ranch - all three back for the new series
Asked about the prospect of any outlandish plots to rival the credibility-stretching shower scene where his character Bobby Ewing returns from the dead, he warns, "Easy now... "
And Brenda Strong, Desperate Housewives alumna who plays his third wife Anne, reflects that scriptwriters have plenty to keep them busy, with all the new characters plus the history of the old ones.
The history includes two previous wives for Bobby Ewing - the pneumatic Pamela (Victoria Principal) and pale-eyed beauty Jenna Wade (Priscilla Presley). Was this intimidating?
"I was aware of the challenge of those previous incarnations," explains Strong. "I have a healthy respect for them."
"What's exciting is that the audience sees us for the first time seven years after we've already met, courted and are happily married.
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Return to Dallas - 20 years later, and lots of new faces including Brenda Strong (right, with Patrick Duffy)
"So I'm curious to see how we fell in love, and what our story is, and we're hoping that maybe in the second season we'll have an opportunity to flesh out our romance a little bit. It's very strange not to know.
"Apparently Sue Ellen introduced us, because she's a friend of mine, and thought we would be a good match and obviously she was right."
As Bobby, the wonderfully friendly Duffy has always been the good brother, the long-suffering foil to JR's scheming machinations. Is there a baddy Bobby hiding in there somewhere?
"I think he has normal human traits he'd rather not display, he's not a goody two shoes, but every show has to have somebody that audiences can say, 'well at least he's not screwed up.'"
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Patrick Duffy with his on-screen son Jesse Metcalfe
It's something Duffy has had fun imparting to the younger generation of actors on the new show, which sees Jesse Metcalfe and Josh Henderson take on the roles of rival cousins Christopher and John Ross Ewing respectively:
"They have the same challenges in playing those parts," explains Duffy. "It's like, 'Do I always have to be the good guy?'
"I want to tell Jesse, 'Yeah, pretty much, that's your job now.'"
DThe original 14-series set is now available on DVD, and the new series kicks off this Wednesday evening at 9pm, Channel 5. Here's Who's Who in the new era...
Dallas Who's Who
J.R. Ewing(01 of08)
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J.R. Ewing is the infamous scheming patriarch of the Southfork ranch, best known for his ruthless drive for power and money. J.R. made his fortune in the oil business, often at the expense of those closest to him, including his ex-wife Sue Ellen and son John Ross. Throughout the years J.R. won himself many enemies, thanks to his unforgiving business manner and constant womanising. One of these enemies is his brother Bobby, with the explosive rivalry between the pair pushing both of them to their limits.
Sue Ellen Ewing(02 of08)
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Sue Ellen Ewing is the former long-suffering wife of J.R. and is one of life's true survivors. Over the years she has battled alcoholism and mental illness, mostly as a result of her tumultuous relationship with J.R, but is now a powerful woman in Dallas. Despite all of her success, she still harbours regret for her mistakes with her son with J.R., John Ross, and will do anything to try and right the wrongs of her past.
Ann Ewing(03 of08)
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Ann Ewing is the third wife of Bobby Ewing, a no-nonsense woman who possesses quiet strength and dignity. An excellent horse cutter, Ann instantly fell in love with the Southfork ranch and wasted no time in making it her home.
Bobby Ewing(04 of08)
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The younger brother of J.R., Bobby Ewing was also a successful (if reluctant) oil baron but he lacked his brother's ruthlessness, and his insistence on playing fair caused ructions between the pair. Throughout the years Bobby has also had his fair share of love interests, with his marriage to Ann Ewing in the new series being his third. He adopted his son Christopher Ewing with his first wife Pam Ewing, and also has a biological son with former partner Jenna Wade.
Christopher Ewing(05 of08)
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The adopted son of Bobby, Christopher Ewing has always been aware that he is not a biological Ewing, with his cousin John Ross always happy to remind him. Now an adult, Christopher has returned to Southfork with his fiancé Rebecca Sutter, and is determined to make a name for himself in the alternative fuel industry and to prove himself a true Ewing.
Elena Ramos(06 of08)
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Elena Ramos is the daughter of the much-loved Ewing family cook, and grew up on the Southfork ranch alongside John Ross and Christopher Ewing after moving from Mexico when she was eight years old. Growing up it was always Christopher that had her heart, and the pair went on to become engaged until a misunderstanding led to them calling off their wedding and Elena fled heartbroken back to Mexico. John Ross followed her and after he confessed his love for her, Elena returned to Southfork on his arm with her own dreams of making it big in the oil industry.
John Ross Ewing(07 of08)
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John Ross Ewing is the son of J.R., and it seems that the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. An ambitious and ruthless schemer just like his father, John Ross is determined to strike it big in the oil industry and prove himself capable of stepping into J.R.'s shoes. With his eyes set firmly on Southfork ranch and Elena Ramos, the girl he has loved since childhood, John Ross will let nothing stand in his way.
Rebecca Sutter(08 of08)
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Rebecca Sutter is the beautiful and intelligent fiancée of Christopher Ewing, having met him in Asia shortly after his split from Elena Ramos. Rebecca is a self-made woman - having lost her parents at a young age, she worked hard to put herself through law school with her brother's support. Now living at Southfork she is determined to ensure they her wedding goes off without a hitch.