20TH ANNIVERSARY OF `WHO SHOT J.R.?'

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF `WHO SHOT J.R.?'

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Wireless Flash) -- Tomorrow (Mar. 21) is an infamous day in TV history: it's the 20th anniversary of the "Who Shot J.R.?" episode of "Dallas." On March 21, 1980, the nighttime soap opera aired a cliffhanger episode in which J.R. Ewing was shot by an unknown assailant. According to TV historian Robert Thompson, the "Who Shot J.R." episode is one of the most important moments in TV history because it ushered in a new "Golden Era" of shows. It seems the idea of creating a cliffhanger in prime time TV allowed later TV shows to tackle more complex story lines and characters. In fact, Thompson claims that without the "Who Shot J.R.?" episode, today's TV viewers probably wouldn't have complex shows like "Ally McBeal, The Sopranos" or "Law & Order."