Will JR take another shot at 'Dallas' for the noughties?

He wore a Stetson and smoked cigars. She boasted shoulder pads and an extravagant jewellery collection. They spent their oil wealth on a big house in 1980s Dallas. And now, they could be making a glorious comeback.

Larry Hagman and Linda Gray, who played husband and wife J R Ewing and Sue-Ellen in the soap-opera Dallas, have delighted fans with news that they've been asked to reprise the roles in a remake of the original TV series.

Ms Gray, 69, said this week that she would almost certainly agree to return to the show, provided writers agree to portray her character, a blonde former Miss Texas, as a robust role model for elder women.

Staying in character, Mr Hagman yesterday revealed that he'd be happy to star – provided the price is right. "How much are we talking?" he asked.

In the original series, which ran from 1978-1991, J R and Sue-Ellen had a famously stormy marriage. They were frequently separated, went up the aisle twice, and took several lovers.

Sue-Ellen was one of the chief suspects in the case of "Who shot J R?", the most-watched cliffhanger in TV history when it aired in 1980. But she was exonerated: the attempted murder was the work of a jealous mistress.