He wore a Stetson and smoked cigars. She boasted shoulder pads and an extravagant jewellery collection. They lived in a big ranch in 1980s Dallas. And now, they could be making a glorious comeback.

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

Gray (69) said last week she would almost certainly agree to return to the show, provided writers agree to portray her character, a former Miss Texas, as a robust role model for older women.

Staying in character, Hagman last week said he'd be happy to star – provided the price was right.

"How much are we talking?" he asked.

In the original series, which ran from 1978 to 1991, JR 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 JR?", 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.