It all began when the producers of the two-year-old Dallasdevised a cliff-hanger ending to their popular super soap.
“Who shot J R Ewing?” was a question kept hot for six months by newspapers and bookies who gave odds on the guilt of the six or more possible suspects.
At the time, the audience for the ‘Who Shot JR?’ episode on 21 November 1980 – in which the shooter was revealed – was the largest in television history.
Around 76% of everybody watching TV saw it!
The producers filmed several alternative solutions, so not even the cast knew the real answer to the question – It was Sue-Ellen’s sister, Kristin (played by Bing Crosby’s daughter, Mary) for the record.
The culprit was even named as a main item on the BBC’s Nine O’clock News.
Video
Related Posts
Boombox/Ghetto Blaster A boombox (or Ghetto Blaster) - basically a large but portable cassette player with two or more loudspeakers - was…
Klackers/Clackers/Klick-Klacks Also known as Clackers, Klick-Klacks, Whackers, Ker-Knockers, Whack'os, Bangers, Poppers, Bonkers, Clack Clacks, K-Nokkers, Mini Poppers, Rockers, Super Clackers, Whak…
Pet Rocks The Pet Rock was probably the biggest toy fluke of the 20th century. Can you imagine people today buying a…
Captain Goodvibes From his first appearance in the surfing newspaper Tracks, in 1973, Captain Goodvibes was a major hit with young Australian…
Magic 8 Ball The original Magic 8 Ball was produced by the Alabe Crafts company in the late 1940s, and billed not for…
Yo-Yo A playground favourite for millions of schoolchildren the world over, the Yo-Yo is actually, according to some historians, one of…
Smiley Face Manhattan button manufacturer NG Slater brought out his new line of yellow "smiley face" buttons in 1969, but nobody seemed…
CB Radio Citizens Band Radio had been around for years, but few people knew about them. 23 channels of two-way communication, frequented…
“Who shot J R Ewing?” was a question kept hot for six months by newspapers and bookies who gave odds on the guilt of the six or more possible suspects.
