Events celebrate 40th anniversary of TV's 'Dallas'

It's been 40 years since the widely popular primetime drama Dallas premiered and there's a big celebration this weekend to commemorate the milestone.

The fictional Ewing family was first introduced to viewers on April 2, 1978 on CBS (and KDFW) and the show quickly became known for its showdowns and cliffhanger plots.

Two events this weekend open to the public will celebrate the show’s anniversary. There’s a cast meet and greet at Southfork Ranch on Friday night and a fan party at the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas on Saturday.

Four members of the cast will be at the events -- Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Charlene Tilton and Steve Kanaly aka Sue Ellen, Bobby, Lucy and Ray, respectively.

The show aired in 95 countries over the years. FOX4 met several fans from the Republic of Congo in Africa who made their way to Southfork for Friday’s big party.

"She knows she remembers the house, how it looked, the songs she knew how to sing it whenever they missed one episode they would feel bad because they'd feel like they missed a lot,” said fan Daddy Kalaba.

Southfork Ranch nowadays is an event and conference center. It’s more than 350 acres and is open daily to the public for tours, events and just plain old marveling. 

For more information on the events, which do require a ticket: www.dallas40.com