clark: slowly but surely, the 1970s are disappearing. the 1980s will be upon us. what a decade it is coming up. happy new year! [ cheers and applause ] auletta: as you begin the 80s in the television world, the landscape was, on any given evening, 9 out of 10 people were watching ononly one of f three netwtwork. more thahan 30 millilion peope are addicted to o it. social critics are mystified by its success. what is it? it s television s prime-time, prairie pot boiler, dallas. bobby:y: a move lilike thatl deststroy all ofof ewing , and it l ll ruin our familyly name. i assure y you, a thouought le that nevever crosseded my mind. brotheher or no brbrother, whatever i it takes, i llll stop you u from destrg ewewing oil. dalallas realllly did estatah new ground in termsms of the weweekly, one hour s show thatat literallyly captivated amererica for 1313 years. dallas is a television s show whwhich in somome ways is s rd in t the 1970 ss and onone of the c crazy thins that