Shows Like Dallas
The world's first mega-soap, and one of the most popular ever produced, Dallas had it all. Beautiful women, expensive cars, and men playing Monopoly with real buildings. Famous for one of the best cliffhangers in TV history, as the world asked "Who shot J.R.?" A slow-burner to begin with, Dallas hit its stride in the 2nd season, with long storylines and expert character development. Dallas ruled the airwaves in the 1980's.
Ranked by shared creators, cast, themes, genre, and network — not just generic recommendations.
Knots Landing
Direct Dallas spinoff by same creator David Jacobs; shares DNA, universe, and serialized soap format.
Dallas
Direct continuation/reboot of Dallas with original cast returning; same characters, Ewing family, Texas oil saga.
Dynasty
Closest peer: primetime soap, wealthy oil family, power/betrayal, same era, same ABC/CBS rivalry, melodramatic serialization.
Falcon Crest
Primetime soap about a powerful family empire (wine dynasty), same era, same format, direct Dallas competitor on CBS.
The Colbys
Dynasty spinoff; wealthy family saga, oil/business empire, primetime soap — same audience and format as Dallas.
Empire
Family dynasty fighting for business empire control; sibling rivalry, betrayal, serialized soap drama — modern Dallas equivalent.
McLeod's Daughters
Ranch-based family saga with serialized drama, sibling conflict, and soap opera storytelling — tonal and structural peer.
Landman
Texas oil industry drama with upstairs/downstairs wealth dynamics — shares Dallas's core setting and industry milieu.
Brothers and Sisters
Serialized drama about a wealthy, dysfunctional family navigating business and personal crises — same family-saga shelf.
Parenthood
Large, emotionally complex family drama with serialized arcs; adjacent shelf — less wealth/soap but same core family appeal.
Bonanza
Ranch-owning family patriarch defending land and legacy — precursor archetype to Dallas; same patriarchal family-land drama.
Succession
Modern prestige cousin: ultra-wealthy patriarch, scheming children fighting for control of family empire — Dallas's spiritual heir.
Friday Night Lights
Texas drama with community stakes and emotional serialization; shares Dallas's Texas identity and melodramatic character arcs.
Halt and Catch Fire
Set in Dallas, TX; dramatizes high-stakes business ambition and personal betrayal — tonal cousin via setting and drama register.
Neighbours
Long-running soap with family/community serialization; audience overlap among soap fans, though lower-stakes suburban tone.
Life Goes On
Earnest family drama with serialized emotional arcs; shares Dallas's family-first audience, different tone and stakes.
Road to Avonlea
Serialized family saga with strong female characters and community drama; shares Dallas's generational storytelling appeal.
7th Heaven
Long-running serialized family drama; shares Dallas's broad family-audience base, though wholesome rather than scandalous.
Walker, Texas Ranger
Texas-set drama sharing Dallas's Southern setting and loyal primetime audience; tonal cousin via geography and era.
How Good Is Dallas?
Ratings across IMDb and TMDB, plus our verdict.
Where to Watch Dallas
Streaming, rental, and purchase options across 40+ countries.
United States
USBuy
3
Amazon Video
Google Play Movies
Fandango At HomeAvailable in 10 countries
Frequently asked about Dallas
Common questions people search for, with answers written by us at MoviesPack.
Who shot J.R. Ewing, and what was the motive?
Kristin Shepard, Sue Ellen's younger sister and J.R.'s mistress, shot J.R. at the end of Season 3. Her motive was revenge after J.R. threatened to have her arrested for prostitution to prevent her from blackmailing him. The revelation came in the Season 4 premiere, ending one of television's most famous cliffhangers.
Was the entire Season 9 really just Bobby Ewing's dream?
Yes. When Patrick Duffy returned to the series after Bobby had been killed off, the writers retconned all of Season 9 as a dream Pam had, waking up to find Bobby alive in the shower. This allowed the show to erase a full season of storylines and resurrect a beloved character, though it was widely criticized as one of the most implausible plot devices in soap opera history.
Why did J.R. and Bobby constantly clash despite being brothers?
Their conflict stemmed from fundamentally different values instilled by their parents — J.R. inherited Jock's ruthless, win-at-all-costs approach to business, while Bobby absorbed Miss Ellie's moral compass and compassion. J.R. also resented Bobby as the favored son, particularly in their mother's eyes, fueling a lifelong rivalry beneath their familial bond. Control of Ewing Oil served as the ongoing battleground for this deeper struggle over identity and legacy.
What led to Sue Ellen's repeated relapses into alcoholism?
Sue Ellen turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism for her emotionally abusive and loveless marriage to J.R., who openly conducted affairs and manipulated her at every turn. Her sobriety was repeatedly undermined by J.R.'s psychological cruelty, custody battles over their son John Ross, and her own struggles with self-worth. The cycle of recovery and relapse became one of the show's central character arcs, illustrating the destructive toll of the Ewing world on those close to it.
What happened to Jock Ewing and how did his death affect the Ewing family?
Jock Ewing died in a helicopter crash in South America in 1982, an in-story explanation written after actor Jim Davis passed away from a degenerative muscle disease. His death destabilized the Ewing patriarchy and intensified the rivalry between J.R. and Bobby over control of Ewing Oil, as Jock's will set up a year-long contest to determine who would run the company. Miss Ellie was left to hold the family together, and Jock's absence cast a long shadow over Southfork for the remainder of the series.