"Flamingo Road" was NBC's first attempt to jump into the primetime soap opera craze that was gaining momentum in the early 1980s, thanks in large part to "Dallas" and their "Who Shot J.R.?" storyline.  In fact, "Flamingo Road" was made from the same creators of "Dallas," as NBC promos mentioned (Lorimar's first NBC show as well), and the shows were somewhat similar in showcasing rich, villainous schemers seeking power, money and control.  Whereas "Dallas" was set in Texas, "Flamingo Road" was also set in the South in the fictional- yet well-to-do- community of Truro County, Florida.  The town was run by the corrupt and powerful sheriff, Titus Semple, who made it his point to know everyone's business.  The original storyline centered around a triangle between ambitious politician Fielding Carlyle, his beautiful and scheming political wife Constance and his true love, singer Lane Ballou.  Other characters included the wealthy paper mill owner, Claude Weldon, his wife Eudora and son Skipp