In 1978, the prime-time soap opera Dallas (1978–91) premiered and soon became one of the most watched and discussed programs in television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3) history. The series revolved around the Ewings, a fabulously wealthy family whose fortune came from oil. For more than a decade, audiences tuned in to view the clan's many excesses and their exploits in both the boardroom and the bedroom. Dallas popularized the serial format of daytime soap operas (see entry under 1930s—TV and Radio in volume 2) with the prime-time audience. The show relied on melodramatic plots and season-ending cliffhangers to captivate viewers.

Larry Hagman starred as J. R. Ewing, a backstabbing oil tycoon, in the television series Dallas. AP/Wide World Photos. Reproduced by permission.

Larger-than-life characters who constantly battled to control the Texas oil industry, wore designer fashions, faced intense personal tragedies, and were interested in...