text: The "Who Done It" episode of Dallas that revealed who shot J.R.?, the famous 1980 cliffhanger, received the highest domestic ratings at that point with over 90 million American viewers (representing more than 53% of the U.S. households and 76% of the U.S. television audience for November 21, 1980) tuning in for the answer. The episode surpassed the ratings record of the final episode of The Fugitive, broadcast in August 1967, but the record of Dallas was broken only by the last episode of M*A*S*H in 1983, falling into the second internationally most watched U.S. television episode, with nearly 360 million viewers in over 57 countries worldwide (by the year 1980) tuning in to see who shot J.R.
  Although the soap's audience had consistently declined since the "Who Done It" episode of 1980, the series finale of Dallas, "Conundrum", garnered 33 million viewers and a 22 household rating from 9 to 11pm on May 3, 1991, becoming the country's 14th most watched television series finale. Its competition, Manhunter (on NBC), only drew a 9.8 rating.
  Films/specials
  Date / title / network / household rating / share / viewers / time
  November 15, 1996 / Dallas: J.R. Returns  / CBS / 13.4 / 23 / 18.1  / 9–11pm (lead-in The Lion's Pride drew a 6.3 rating)
  April 24, 1998 / Dallas: War of the Ewings /  CBS / 7.8 / 14  (lead-in Candid Camera drew a 6.8 rating)
  November 7, 2004 / Dallas Reunion: The Return to Southfork /  CBS / 8.5 / 14 / 12.7 /  9:30–11:30pm
  Broadcast history
  CBS
  April 2–30, 1978: Sundays, 10:00pm (ET/PT)/9:00pm (CT/MT)
  September 23 – October 14, 1978: Saturdays, 10:00/9:00pm
  October 15, 1978 – January 14, 1979: Sundays, 10:00/9:00pm
  January 26, 1979 – November 27, 1981: Fridays, 10:00/9:00pm
  December 4, 1981 – March 16, 1990: Fridays, 9:00/8:00pm
  March 30 – December 21, 1990: Fridays, 10:00/9:00pm