"Who shot J.R.?" is an advertising catchphrase that CBS created in 1980 to promote Dallas. It referred to the mystery surrounding a murder attempt against J.R. Ewing in the show's third-season finale "A House Divided". The mystery and its catchphrase became a global phenomenon, with international odds-makers setting odds for the culprit. The mystery was not resolved until the fourth episode of the fourth season titled "Who Done It" which aired eight months later, with an estimated 83 million viewers tuning in.
The catchphrase has a strong legacy in pop culture and the format helped popularize the cliffhanger ending for television series. It is also regarded as one of the most iconic moments from Dallas.
Plot[]
In the final scene of the 1979–80 season, J.R. Ewing hears a noise outside his office, walks out to the corridor to look, and is shot twice by an unseen assailant. The episode, titled "A House Divided", was broadcast on March 21, 1980, and was written by Rena Down and directed by Leonard Katzman. Viewers had to wait all summer to learn whether J.R. would survive, and which of his many enemies was responsible.
J.R. Ewing was a villain on the series who regularly double-crossed business associates, plotted against his own family, called his wife Sue Ellen a "slut", and had her committed to a sanatorium so he could take custody of their infant son John Ross. Essentially all the other characters on the show were suspects.
Ultimately, the person who pulled the trigger was revealed to be Kristin Shepard in the "Who Done It?" episode which aired on November 21, 1980. Kristin was J.R.'s scheming sister-in-law and mistress, who shot him in a fit of anger. J.R. did not press charges, as Kristin claimed she was pregnant with his child as a result of their affair.
Marketing[]
T-shirts printed with such references as "Who Shot J.R.?" and "I Shot J.R." became common over the summer, the latter eventually being seen in the first episode of Irish sitcom Father Ted. Several media outlets held "Who shot J.R.?" contests. The media hype over the series was unprecedented and a global phenomenon.
Suspects[]
Every actor and crew member, even Hagman himself, was filmed shooting J.R. to keep secret the identity of the actual shooter. International oddsmakers created a set of odds for the possible culprits:
- Dusty Farlow, the ex-lover of J.R.'s wife, Sue Ellen, who disappeared after a plane crash, was the 6 to 4 favorite.
- Vaughn Leland, a banker J.R. swindled, at 4 to 1.
- Kristin Shepard, J.R.'s sister-in-law and mistress, at 4 to 1.
- Sue Ellen herself was a long shot at 25 to 1.
- J.R.'s long-suffering mother, Miss Ellie, deemed most unlikely to have committed the act, also ranked at 25 to 1.
Other suspects included J.R.'s brother Bobby, father Jock and longtime rival Cliff Barnes.