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"It&amp;#039;s been 14 years since we last caught up with the Ewing clan, and even longer - an incredible 21 years - since Dallas last graced our screens on a regular basis. So we were more than a little excited when it was announced in 2010 that TNT were picking up where CBS left off, reviving the series with all of the old faces - plus a few new ones - on board. Two years later and we finally get our first look at the new-and-improved Dallas - JR&amp;#039;s son John Ross (Josh Henderson) has been secretly drilling on Southfork, against the express wishes of Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy); but when a huge untapped reserve is discovered on the ranch, secrets, lies and long-lingering resentments come spilling out along with the oil... But, if you&amp;#039;ll excuse the pun, does the new Dallas strike (liquid) gold? Of the new cast members, it was initially the casting of Jesse Metcalfe that gave us most cause for concern - the Desperate Housewives star has always been better known for his six-pack than for his acting skills. In all fairness though, Metcalfe is perfectly fine in Dallas - if anything, he suffers from being lumbered with a rather blandly written role. It&amp;#039;s unfortunate but inevitable that, next to the moustache-twirling John Ross, Metcalfe&amp;#039;s Christopher was always going to come off as a little boring. Yes, it&amp;#039;s the devil who has the best tunes and 90210 graduate Henderson is perfect casting as JR&amp;#039;s estranged offspring. He&amp;#039;s dashing enough to appeal to female viewers, yet roguish enough to make for a perfectly hiss-able villain.  Despite what early publicity may suggest however, the feud between John Ross and Christopher doesn&amp;#039;t dominate the first two episodes of Dallas 2.0. While the rival cousins get caught up in a love triangle with Jordana Brewster&amp;#039;s comely Elena - the least interesting aspect of the revamped show thus far, though a last-minute twist in the pilot does spice things up a little - it&amp;#039;s actually faithful Bobby who carries much of the first episode. With other old favourites sidelined (at least initially), it&amp;#039;s up to Patrick Duffy to serve as the linchpin of the show and the elder statesman of this new Dallas - a job he pulls off admirably. Credit also to Brenda Strong as Bobby&amp;#039;s latest wife Ann, another new cast addition but one that fits in so seamlessly, you quickly forget that she&amp;#039;s a Dallas novice. As for the other veterans, Linda Gray&amp;#039;s ever-glamorous Sue-Ellen is rather under-utilised at first, though there&amp;#039;s hints of a bigger story arc to come - two words, political aspirations - so we&amp;#039;ll forgive that for the time being. And what of the main man himself? At first, Larry Hagman&amp;#039;s once-great oil tycoon JR Ewing appears to be a sad, empty shell of his former self. But once he gets his mojo back - and you always know he will - Hagman positively sizzles. His fractious relationship with John Ross is great fun - &amp;quot;Never pass up a good chance to shut up,&amp;quot; he barks at his son - and while he may refer to himself as an &amp;quot;old fogey&amp;quot; on more than one occasion, JR is still a legend, his legendary wits as sharp as ever.  Cast aside, one of the biggest issues with the Dallas pilot that it feels almost too slick. A high budget and production values to match are all well and good, but at times this rebranded show leaves you yearning for the slightly hokey soap of old. Thankfully, the second episode addressed most of our concerns head on. Both Hagman and Gray play larger roles than in the first instalment and the show as a whole starts to go down a far sillier, soapier and fun path. From a wonderful sequence at a charity fundraiser onwards, Dallas is back to its best - relationships take unexpected and deeply unlike turns and suddenly everyone&amp;#039;s plotting against everyone else. Magic. The new Dallas isn&amp;#039;t perfect - it certainly takes a little while to find its feet and not everything clicks straight away. But there&amp;#039;s a lot that does work, and when this new series is at its best, it captures some of what made the old show so fantastic.  Dallas will air on Channel 5 in September. The series continues on TNT in the US. Are you a Dallas fanatic? Will you be watching the new episodes? Let us know below! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/dallas/news/a387451/dallas-review-is-the-new-revamp-of-the-classic-soap-a-hit/>