Dynasty is an American
prime timePrime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
television
soap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
that aired on
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by
Richard & Esther ShapiroRichard Shapiro and Esther Shapiro are married American television screenwriters and producers best known as the creators of the long-running 1980s primetime serial Dynasty, its spin-off series The Colbys and the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion.In 1984, Doubleday/Dolphin published the...
and produced by
Aaron SpellingAaron Spelling was an American film and television producer. As of 2009, Spelling's eponymous production company Spelling Television holds the record as the most prolific television writer, with 218 producer and executive producer credits...
, and revolved around the
CarringtonsThe Carringtons are the core family of the American prime time soap opera Dynasty, which aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989.-Meet the Carringtons:...
, a wealthy oil family living in
Denver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. Starring
John ForsytheJohn Forsythe was an American stage, television and film actor. Forsythe starred in three television series, spanning four decades and three genres: as single playboy father Bentley Gregg in the sitcom Bachelor Father ; as the unseen millionaire Charles Townsend on the crime drama Charlie's...
and
Linda EvansLinda Evans is an American actress. She is known primarily for her roles on television, and rose to fame playing Audra Barkley in the 1960s Western TV series, The Big Valley...
as oil magnate
Blake CarringtonBlake Carrington is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty. The role was portrayed by John Forsythe from the first episode of the series in 1981 until the finale in 1989. Forsythe returned for the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion...
and his new wife
KrystleKrystle Carrington is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty. The role was originated by Linda Evans in the first episode of the series in 1981; she left early in the final season but returned for the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion.-Characterization:The character of Krystle...
, Dynasty was ABC's competitor to
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's prime time series
DallasDallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
.
The show's ratings for the first season were unremarkable, but the second season arrival of
Joan CollinsJoan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
as Blake's scheming first wife
AlexisAlexis Colby is a fictional character and the primary antagonist on the American TV series Dynasty....
heralded Dynasty rise into the Top 20, By 1984, it was a top ten show and by 1985, it was the #1 series on television. Dynasty was nominated for a
Golden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for Best TV Drama Series every year from 1981 to 1986, winning in 1984. Dynasty spawned a successful line of fashion and luxury products, and also a
spin-offIn media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series called The Colbys. Dynasty dropped from #7 to #24 during the 1986-87 season, and was ultimately canceled in May 1989 after a nine-season run.
Beginnings
Producer Spelling, already well-known for his successful ABC series, including
Starsky and HutchStarsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
,
Charlie's AngelsCharlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
,
The Love BoatThe Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
,
Fantasy IslandFantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:...
,
Vega$Vega$ is an American detective television drama series that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981. It was produced by Aaron Spelling. The series, was filmed in its entirety in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is believed to be the first television series produced entirely in Las Vegas...
, and
Hart to HartHart to Hart is an American television series, starring Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, a wealthy couple who also moonlighted as amateur detectives. The series was created by writer Sidney Sheldon and produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg...
, took on Richard and Esther Shapiro's vision of a rich and powerful family who "lived and sinned" in a 48-room Denver mansion. Esther Shapiro claimed that an inspiration for the show was
I, ClaudiusI, Claudius is a novel by English writer Robert Graves, written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius. As such, it includes history of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and Roman Empire, from Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC to Caligula's assassination in AD 41...
, a fictionalized depiction of the
Julio-Claudian dynastyThe Julio-Claudian dynasty normally refers to the first five Roman Emperors: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula , Claudius, and Nero, or the family to which they belonged; they ruled the Roman Empire from its formation, in the second half of the 1st century BC, until AD 68, when the last of the line,...
of
Roman emperorThe Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
s. The working title for Dynasty was Oil, and the starring role originally went to
George PeppardGeorge Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...
. In early drafts of the pilot script, the two main families featured in the series were known as the Parkhursts and Corbys; by the time production began, they had been renamed the
CarringtonThe Carringtons are the core family of the American prime time soap opera Dynasty, which aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989.-Meet the Carringtons:...
s and Colbys. Peppard, who had difficulties dealing with the somewhat unsympathetic role of patriarch Blake Carrington, was quickly replaced with John Forsythe. Filmed in 1980, the pilot was among many delayed due to a strike precipitated by animosity between the
television networkA television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
s and the partnership of the
Screen Actors GuildThe Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
and the
American Federation of Television and Radio ArtistsThe American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is a performers' union that represents a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, as well as radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording artists , promo and voice-over announcers and other...
. Dynasty finally premiered on ABC as a three-hour event on January 12, 1981.
The Carringtons
As Dynasty begins on January 12, 1981, powerful oil tycoon Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) is about to marry the younger Krystle Jennings (Linda Evans), his former secretary. Beautiful, earnest, and new to Blake's world, Krystle finds a hostile reception in the Carrington household — the staff patronizes her, and Blake's headstrong and promiscuous daughter
FallonFallon Carrington Colby is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty, and its spin-off The Colbys.The role was originated by Pamela Sue Martin in the show's first episode in 1981; Martin left in 1984. The role was recast with Emma Samms in 1985, and the character was spun off onto a...
(
Pamela Sue MartinPamela Sue Martin is an American actress best known for playing Nancy Drew on The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries TV series and Fallon Carrington Colby on the ABC nighttime soap opera Dynasty.-Biography:...
) resents her. Though devoted to Krystle, Blake himself is too preoccupied with his company, Denver-Carrington, and blind to Krystle's predicament. Her only ally is her stepson
StevenSteven Daniel Carrington is a fictional character on the American prime time soap opera Dynasty. Steven is noteworthy as one of the earliest gay main characters on American television...
(
Al CorleyAl Corley is an American actor, singer and producer. In the late 1970s, he worked as a doorman at Studio 54. He would later appear in a VH1 Behind the Music special on Studio 54 to recount his experiences....
), whose complicated relationship with Blake stems from their fundamental political differences and Steve's resistance to step into his role as future leader of the Carrington empire. Meanwhile Fallon, better suited to follow in Blake's footsteps, as a woman is underestimated by — and considered little more than a trophy to — father Blake. She channels her energies into toying with various male suitors, including the Carrington chauffeur Michael Culhane (
Wayne NorthropWayne Northrop is an American actor, known for his parts in soap operas such as Dynasty and Days of our Lives.Northrop is most known for his role on Days, playing the character of Roman Brady from 1981 to 1984 and from August 1991 to December 1994. In August 2005, Northrop returned to Days as a...
). At the end of the three-hour premiere episode "Oil", Steven finally confronts his father, criticizing Blake's
capitalisticCapitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
values and seemingly-amoral business practices. Blake explodes, revealing the secret of which Steven thought his father was unaware: Blake is disgusted by Steven's
homosexualityHomosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, and his refusal to "conform" sets father and son at odds for some time.
In counterpoint to the Carringtons are the Blaisdels; Denver-Carrington geologist Matthew (
Bo HopkinsBo Hopkins is an American actor.-Career:Hopkins has appeared in more than one hundred film and television roles in a career of more than forty years, including The Bridge at Remagen, The Wild Bunch, The Getaway, American Graffiti, White Lightning, Radioland Murders, The Killer Elite, Midnight...
) unhappily married to the emotionally fragile
ClaudiaClaudia Blaisdel Carrington is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty.The role was originated by Pamela Bellwood in the show's premiere episode "Oil" on January 12, 1981, and the character was written off after the October 20, 1982 third season episode "The Wedding." Claudia...
(
Pamela BellwoodPamela Bellwood is an American actress most famous for her role as Claudia Blaisdel Carrington on the 1980s prime time soap opera, Dynasty....
) is Krystle's ex-lover. Returning from an extended assignment in the Middle East, Matthew quits and goes into business with
wildcatterA wildcatter is an American term for a person who drills wildcat wells, which are oil wells drilled in areas not known to be oil fields. A wildcatter notable for his success was Texan oil tycoon Glenn McCarthy....
Walter Lankershim (
Dale RobertsonDayle Lymoine "Dale" Robertson is an American actor best known for his starring roles on television. He played the role of Jim Hardie in the TV series, Tales of Wells Fargo, and the owner of an incomplete railroad line in ABC's The Iron Horse, often appearing as the deceptively thoughtful but...
), and as Blake's behavior begins pushing Krystle towards Matthew, the men are set as both business and romantic rivals. Blake is further enraged when Steven goes to work for longtime friend Matthew, in whom Steven sees qualities lacking in Blake. Though previously in a relationship with another man, Steven finds himself drawn to Claudia, who is putting her life back together after spending time in a psychiatric hospital. Fallon makes a secret business deal with Blake's old friend and more-powerful business rival Cecil Colby (
Lloyd BochnerLloyd Wolfe Bochner was a Canadian actor, usually playing the role of suave, rich leading men.- Career :...
), marrying his nephew
JeffJeffrey Broderick "Jeff" Colby is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty, and its spin-off The Colbys.The role was originated by John James in the show's first episode in 1981, and the character was eventually spun off onto a separate series called The Colbys...
(
John JamesJohn James Anderson is an American actor, best known to television audiences for playing the character of Jeff Colby in both the prime-time soap opera Dynasty and its spin-off series The Colbys throughout the 1980s....
) to secure Cecil's financial assistance for her father. When Blake stumbles upon Steven in an innocent goodbye embrace with his former lover Ted Dinard (Mark Withers), Blake angrily pushes the two men apart; Ted falls backward and hits his head, the injury proving fatal. Blake is arrested and charged with murder, and an angry Steven testifies that Ted's death had been the result of malicious intent. A veiled surprise witness for the prosecution appears in the season finale "The Testimony", and Fallon gasps in recognition: "Oh my God, that's my mother!"
Enter Alexis
In the first episode of the second season, titled "Enter Alexis", the mysterious witness removes her sunglasses to reveal British actress Joan Collins as a new arrival to the series. Collins' Alexis Carrington blazed a trail across the show and its storylines; the additions of Collins and the "formidable writing team" of Eileen and Robert Mason Pollock are generally credited with Dynastys subsequent rise in the
Nielsen ratingsNielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
. The Pollocks "soft-pedaled the business angle" of the show and "bombarded viewers with every soap opera staple in the book, presented at such a fast clip that a new tragedy seemed to befall the Carrington family every five minutes." Alexis' testimony nonwithstanding, Krystle is immediately put off by the former Mrs. Carrington's condescending attitude and manipulations; Krystle's subsequent discovery that Alexis had caused Krystle's miscarriage by intentionally startling her horse with a gunshot settles Alexis as Krystle's implacable nemesis. Other new characters of the season are the psychiatrist Nick Toscanni (
James FarentinoJames Farentino is an American actor. He has appeared in almost one hundred roles, among them in The Final Countdown, Jesus of Nazareth, and Dynasty.-Career:...
), who tries to seduce Krystle while bedding Fallon and plotting against Blake, and Krystle's greedy niece
Sammy Jo DeanSammy Jo Carrington is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty...
(
Heather LocklearHeather Deen Locklear is an American actress best known for her television roles as Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J...
), who marries Steven for his money. The season finale sees Blake left for dead on a mountain after a fight with Nick. By that time, Dynasty had entered the Top 20.
In the third season, Alexis marries Cecil on his deathbed and acquires his company, Colbyco. In the meantime,
Adam CarringtonAdam Alexander Carrington is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty.The role was originated by Gordon Thomson in the first episode of the show's third season ; he played the character until the series finale in 1989...
(Gordon Thomson), the long-lost son of Alexis and Blake who had been kidnapped in infancy, reappears in Denver. Also introduced are Krystle's ex-husband, tennis pro Mark Jennings (
Geoffrey ScottGeoffrey Scott is an American actor best known for appearing on the television series Dynasty for two seasons as Mark Jennings, the first husband of Krystle Carrington .He also played Sky Rumson on Dark Shadows in 1970...
), and
Kirby AndersKirby Anders is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty.The role was portrayed by Kathleen Beller from 1982 to 1984. She was introduced in the 7th episode of the third season, and was written off after the last episode of the 4th season...
(
Kathleen BellerKathleen Beller is an actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in Promises in the Dark...
), the daughter of longtime Carrington majordomo Joseph (
Lee BergereLee Bergere was an American actor, perhaps best known for his role as Joseph Anders in the 1980s television series Dynasty....
). Kirby catches Adam's eye but weds Jeff after his divorce from Fallon. In the middle of the season, news that Steven has been killed in an accident in Indonesia comes to the Carringtons; he survives, but undergoes plastic surgery and returns to Denver portrayed by Jack Coleman. In the third season cliffhanger, Alexis lures Krystle to Steven's cabin and the two are locked inside while the cabin is set ablaze by an unseen arsonist (later revealed to be Joseph, who had meant for the fire to kill only Alexis and not Krystle).
With the show's popularity soaring in the fourth season, former President
Gerald FordGerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
guest-starred as himself in 1983, along with his wife
BettyElizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren Ford , better known as Betty Ford, was First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977 during the presidency of her husband Gerald Ford...
and former
Secretary of StateThe United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Henry KissingerHeinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
. New characters included the charming and ambitious
Farnsworth "Dex" DexterDex Dexter is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty.The character was introduced as a love interest for Alexis Colby in episode 69. He will become her third husband, and arguably the second great love of her life, after Blake...
(
Michael NaderMichael Nader is an American actor of Lebanese descent, known for his role on the ABC primetime soap opera Dynasty from 1983 to 1989 as Farnsworth "Dex" Dexter, the third husband of Alexis Colby .Nader's first soap opera role was opposite actress Marie Masters playing the character of Kevin...
), the unscrupulous playboy Peter De Vilbis (
Helmut BergerHelmut Berger is an Austrian-born German film and television actor. He is most famous for his work with Luchino Visconti, particularly in his performance as King Ludwig II of Bavaria in Ludwig, for which he received a special David di Donatello award.He appears primarily in European cinema, but...
), and Blake's illegitimate African American half-sister,
Dominique DeverauxDominique Deveraux is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty and its spin-off The Colbys...
(
Diahann Carroll). The main storylines included a custody battle between Steven and Blake over Steven and Sammy Jo's son Danny, and a false accusation of illegal weapons dealings orchestrated by Alexis to ruin Blake's financial empire. In the season finale, Fallon disappears just before her second wedding to Jeff (now divorced of Kirby) as her car seemingly collides with a truck on a stormy night (to accommodate the departure of Pamela Sue Martin from the series), while Alexis is arrested for the murder of Mark Jennings.
In the fifth season, Alexis is exonerated and her secret daughter
Amanda BedfordAmanda Carrington is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty.The role was originated by Catherine Oxenberg early in the fifth season . Oxenberg left the series after the 1985-1986 season. The role was immediately recast with Karen Cellini, though no explanation was given as to why...
(
Catherine OxenbergCatherine Oxenberg is an American actress known for her performance as Amanda Carrington on the 1980s American prime time soap opera Dynasty. The daughter of HRH Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia, Oxenberg is a descendant of the Serbian Karađorđević dynasty.-Early life:Though born in New York City,...
) comes to Denver and discovers that Blake is her father. Steven has married Claudia but leaves her for a man, and Sammy Jo discovers she is the heiress to a huge fortune. At the end of the season, an amnesiac Fallon, now portrayed by actress
Emma SammsEmma Samms is a British television actress best known for her role as Holly Sutton on the American daytime soap opera General Hospital and for replacing Pamela Sue Martin as Fallon Carrington Colby on the primetime soap opera Dynasty.-Early life:Samms was born in Willesden, London, England, the...
, reappears while the rest of the family go to Europe for the wedding of Amanda and Prince Michael of Moldavia (
Michael PraedMichael Praed born Michael David Prince, 1 April 1960 in Berkeley, Gloucestershire) is a British actor, is probably best known for his role as Robin of Loxley in the British television series Robin of Sherwood, which attained cult status worldwide in the 1980s...
). During the season, the series attracted controversy when
Rock HudsonRoy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
's real-life
HIVHuman immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
-positive status was revealed after a romantic storyline between his character Daniel Reece and Evans' Krystle. Hudson's scenes required him to kiss Evans and, as news that he had contracted AIDS broke, there was speculation Evans would be at risk. Driven by the new head writer and producer
Camille MarchettaCamille Marchetta, a former London literary agent, is a television writer and producer best known for her work on 1980s prime time soap operas Dallas, Dynasty and Falcon Crest.-Biography:...
, who had devised the wildly-successful 'Who Shot J.R.?' scenario on
DallasDallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
five years earlier, Dynasty hit #1 that year.
The "Moldavian Massacre"
Undoubtedly the most famous Dynasty cliffhanger is the so-called "Moldavian massacre" during the May 1985 season finale. Amanda and Michael's royal wedding is interrupted by terrorists in a military coup of Moldavia, riddling the chapel with bullets and leaving all of the major characters lying seemingly lifeless. It became the most talked-about episode of any TV series during the calendar year of 1985, with a viewership of 60 million. In 2011, Ken Tucker of
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
named it one of the seven "Unforgettable Cliff-Hangers" of prime time dramatic television. When the series resumed in the fall, viewers quickly learned that only two minor characters had died: Steven's boyfriend Luke Fuller (
Billy CampbellWilliam Oliver "Billy" Campbell is an American film and television actor. In television, he is best known for his roles as Rick Sammler on Once and Again, as Det. Joey Indelli on Crime Story, as Jordan Collier on The 4400, and as Dr. Jon Fielding on the Tales of the City Miniseries...
) and Jeff's love interest Lady Ashley Mitchell (
Ali MacGrawElizabeth Alice "Ali" MacGraw is an American actress. She is known for her role in Love Story, for which she won a Golden Globe and received an Academy Award nomination.-Early life:...
). In the 2006
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
special Dynasty Reunion: Catfights & Caviar, Gordon Thomson reiterated that it was the follow-up that was the letdown, not the cliffhanger itself. Joan Collins was conspicuously absent from the season six opener; she was in a tense contract renegotiation with the show, seeking an increased salary. As a result, the first episode had to be rewritten to explain her absence and many scenes were given to Krystle. Collins' demands were met (she reportedly signed a $60,000 per episode contract) and she returned to the series in the season's second episode.
Continuing seasons and decline
Though still a top-10 show, Dynasty dropped from #1 to #7 in the ratings in the sixth season, which featured a lookalike woman named Rita who poses as Krystle, introduced Alexis' sister Caress (
Kate O'MaraKate O'Mara is an English film, stage and television actress. She is perhaps most widely known for her role as Caress Morell, the scheming sister of Alexis Colby in the 1980s American primetime soap opera Dynasty, though is also known for playing other villains such as The Rani in Doctor Who and...
), and launched the
spin-offIn media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
The ColbysThe Colbys is an American prime time soap opera, which originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985 to March 26, 1987. The Aaron Spelling-produced series was a spin-off of Dynasty, which had been the highest rated series for the 1984-1985 U.S. television season...
. Spurned by Blake, Alexis finds his estranged brother Ben (
Christopher CazenoveChristopher Cazenove was an English cinema, television and stage actor.-Early life and career:He was born Christopher de Lerisson Cazenove, the son of Arnold de Lerisson Cazenove and Elizabeth Laura in Winchester, Hampshire, but was brought up in Bowlish, Somerset...
) and the two successfully plot to strip Blake of his fortune. Steven's budding relationship with closeted Bart Fallmont (
Kevin ConroyKevin Conroy is an American stage, screen, and voice actor, best known for his acclaimed voice role as Batman in numerous animated television series, feature films, and video games that make up the DC Animated Universe.-Early life:...
) is ruined by Adam's business-motivated public reveal that Bart is gay, and the May 21, 1986 season finale finds Blake strangling Alexis while the rest of the cast is in peril at the La Mirage hotel, which is accidentally set on fire by Claudia, which ended in her demise.
As the seventh season begins in September 1986, Blake stops short of killing Alexis, Claudia has died in the fire, and Amanda (now played by American
Karen CelliniKaren Cellini is an American actress who replaced Catherine Oxenberg in the role of Amanda Carrington in the 1980s prime-time drama Dynasty....
following Oxenberg's departure) is rescued by a returning Michael Culhane. Blake turns the tables on Ben and Alexis and recovers his wealth, but loses his memory after an oil rig explosion. Alexis finds Blake and, with everyone believing he is dead, perpetuates the belief that they are still married. Living with a clean slate, Alexis finds herself softening to Blake, and ultimately tells him the truth as he reunites with Krystle. Krystina receives a heart transplant but is kidnapped; Sammy Jo's marriage to Clay Fallmont (
Ted McGinleyTheodore Martin "Ted" McGinley is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jefferson D'Arcy on the television series Married... with Children and as Charley Shanowski on the ABC sitcom Hope & Faith...
) crumbles and she falls into bed with Steven; Amanda leaves town, and
North and SouthNorth and South is the title of three American television miniseries broadcast on the ABC network in 1985, 1986, and 1994. Set before, during, and immediately after the American Civil War, they are based on the 1980s trilogy of novels North and South by John Jakes. The 1985 first installment, North...
Terri GarberTerri Garber is an American actress.Her acting debut was in 1982, when she played Allison Linden on the soap opera Texas...
arrives as Ben's daughter Leslie Carrington. Adam's season-long romance with Blake's secretary Dana Waring (
Leann HunleyLeann Hunley is an American Emmy Award–winning actress. She is perhaps best known for her recurring role as Anna DiMera on NBC's long-running Days of our Lives.-Personal life:...
) culminates in a wedding, which is punctuated in the May 6, 1987 season finale by Alexis' car plunging off a bridge into a river and the violent return of a vengeful Matthew Blaisdel. Dynasty dropped to #24, and out of the top 30 in the 1987–1988 eighth season.
With The Colbys cancelled, Jeff and Fallon return for Dynasty eighth season, their marriage now falling apart again. Matthew, returned from the dead but troubled by headaches, holds the Carringtons hostage in hopes that Krystle will run away with him. Steven ends the siege by reluctantly stabbing his old friend to death. Alexis is saved by a handsome and mysterious stranger, Sean Rowan (
James HealeyJames Healey is an Irish born actor. His family moved to Manchester, England before emigrating to Melbourne, Australia in 1970. He studied acting at both NIDA and RADA , and worked in American television on the...
); she marries him, not realizing that he is Joseph's son and Kirby's brother, bent on revenge. Steven and Sammy Jo's reconciliation is short-lived as the pursuit of children unravels Adam and Dana's marriage. Sean begins to manipulate and destroy the Carringtons from the inside, with he and Dex fighting to the death in the March 30, 1988 season finale. Blake comes home to find Krystle missing and their bedroom in shambles.
The ninth and final 1988–1989 season brought a move from Wednesday to Thursday, and new Executive Supervising Producer
David PaulsenDavid Paulsen is an American television screenwriter and producer best known for his work on 1980s prime time soap operas Dallas, Knots Landing, and Dynasty.-External links:...
, who took over the plotting of the series. In a money-saving move, Evans appeared in only a handful of episodes at the start of the season as an ailing Krystle seeks brain surgery in Switzerland but is left in an offscreen coma. Similarly, Collins was contracted for only 13 out of the season's 22 episodes; former Colbys character Sable (
Stephanie BeachamStephanie Beacham is a British television, film and theatre actress. Making her film debut in 1971's The Nightcomers opposite Marlon Brando and becoming more well-known on British television in the BBC series Tenko and the ITV series Connie , her worldwide breakthrough came as a result of playing...
) was brought in as both a platonic confidante for Blake and a nemesis for Alexis, and
Tracy ScogginsTracy Dawn Scoggins is an American actress known for her roles as Cat Grant in the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Monica Colby in the 1980s prime time soap opera Dynasty, and its spin-off series The Colbys...
also reprised her Colbys role as Sable's daughter Monica. A storyline involving a murder and an old secret tying the Carrington, Colby, and Dexter families together spans the season as Alexis and Sable spar first over business and then over Dex.
Ratings, however, continued to drop and were further exacerbated by the timeslot switch as now the series was facing off against the strong NBC Thursday night line-up, which had regularly drawn the lion's share of the audience that night (led by
The Cosby ShowThe Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
, which had supplanted Dynasty as the #1 show on television in 1986 and had continued to hold that lead). In May 1989, new ABC entertainment president Robert A. Iger cancelled Dynasty; with the last episode of season nine now the series finale, the show ended with Blake, Alexis, and Dex in mortal peril.
The "catfights"
Over the run of the series, the rivalry between Alexis and Krystle is a primary driver for the melodrama. Alexis resents Krystle's supplanting of her position as mistress of the Carrington household and tries to undermine her at every opportunity, while Krystle makes increasingly bold efforts to keep Alexis from interfering in the lives of their mutual loved ones. The pair have numerous verbal spats, accented by slaps across the face, but on more than one occasion they have physical altercations. "Unfortunately, the thing people remember about this show is the
catfightCatfight is a term for an altercation between two women, typically involving scratching, slapping, hair-pulling, and shirt-shredding as opposed to punching or wrestling . However, the term is not exclusively used to indicate a fight between women, and many formal definitions do not invoke gender...
s," noted Collins in 1991. Krystle and Alexis famously brawl in Alexis' cottage and later in a lily pond, hurl mud at each other at a beauty salon, and slide down a ravine together into a puddle of mud before their final showdown in a fashion studio in the 1991
miniseriesA miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Dynasty: The ReunionDynasty: The Reunion is a 1991 miniseries reuniting the characters from the American prime time television soap opera Dynasty, a series which aired on ABC from 1981 to 1989 and was the highest-rated U.S. series in 1985. The miniseries, like the series, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil...
. In 2008
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
termed Alexis and Krystle's catfights "the gold standard of scratching and clawing." Later in the series Alexis battles Blake's half-sister
Dominique DeverauxDominique Deveraux is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty and its spin-off The Colbys...
(
Diahann Carroll) and her own cousin Sable Colby (
Stephanie BeachamStephanie Beacham is a British television, film and theatre actress. Making her film debut in 1971's The Nightcomers opposite Marlon Brando and becoming more well-known on British television in the BBC series Tenko and the ITV series Connie , her worldwide breakthrough came as a result of playing...
);
Heather LocklearHeather Deen Locklear is an American actress best known for her television roles as Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J...
's
Sammy JoSammy Jo Carrington is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty...
has catfights with both
AmandaAmanda Carrington is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty.The role was originated by Catherine Oxenberg early in the fifth season . Oxenberg left the series after the 1985-1986 season. The role was immediately recast with Karen Cellini, though no explanation was given as to why...
(
Catherine OxenbergCatherine Oxenberg is an American actress known for her performance as Amanda Carrington on the 1980s American prime time soap opera Dynasty. The daughter of HRH Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia, Oxenberg is a descendant of the Serbian Karađorđević dynasty.-Early life:Though born in New York City,...
) in a swimming pool and
FallonFallon Carrington Colby is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty, and its spin-off The Colbys.The role was originated by Pamela Sue Martin in the show's first episode in 1981; Martin left in 1984. The role was recast with Emma Samms in 1985, and the character was spun off onto a...
(
Emma SammsEmma Samms is a British television actress best known for her role as Holly Sutton on the American daytime soap opera General Hospital and for replacing Pamela Sue Martin as Fallon Carrington Colby on the primetime soap opera Dynasty.-Early life:Samms was born in Willesden, London, England, the...
) in a horse trough and the mud around it. Evans even battles with herself at the climax of a 1985–1986 storyline in which Krystle is imprisoned and replaced by a lookalike, also played by Evans.
Spin-offs and television events
A spin-off,
The ColbysThe Colbys is an American prime time soap opera, which originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985 to March 26, 1987. The Aaron Spelling-produced series was a spin-off of Dynasty, which had been the highest rated series for the 1984-1985 U.S. television season...
, debuted in 1985 as Fallon "returned from the dead" and ex-husband Jeff followed her to Los Angeles, where they became embroiled in the family intrigues of Jeff's wealthy California relatives. Pamela Sue Martin had been asked to reprise the role of Fallon, but declined; the show lasted for just two seasons, ending in 1987, and both Fallon and Jeff returned to Dynasty.
A
miniseriesA miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
,
Dynasty: The ReunionDynasty: The Reunion is a 1991 miniseries reuniting the characters from the American prime time television soap opera Dynasty, a series which aired on ABC from 1981 to 1989 and was the highest-rated U.S. series in 1985. The miniseries, like the series, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil...
, aired in October 1991. Billed as a wrap-up for the dangling plotlines left by the series' abrupt cancellation 2½ years earlier, The Reunion resolved some storylines but ignored others.
The cable channel
SOAPnetSOAPnet is an American cable television channel that broadcasts current and past soap operas and primetime dramas, along with some original programming. The channel launched on January 20, 2000, and is owned by Disney-ABC Television Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
aired repeats of all nine seasons. In January 2004, creator Esther Shapiro participated in a marathon of the show's episodes, called "Serial Bowl: Alexis vs. Krystle", giving behind-the-scenes tidbits and factoids.
On January 2, 2005, ABC aired a fictionalized
television movieA television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
called
Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty PleasureDynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure is a 2005 American television movie based on the creation and behind the scenes production of the 1980s prime time soap opera Dynasty...
chronicling the creation and backstage details of Dynasty. It received mixed reviews both for content and for historical accuracy, and was criticized by Forsythe, Evans, and Collins in separate press releases. Filmed in Australia, the movie starred
Bartholomew JohnBartholomew John is an actor best known for his roles on television.He played Dr. Chris Piper in the Australian soap opera The Young Doctors from 1977 to 1979 followed by appearances in Skyways and Waterloo Station. More recent credits include: Murder Call, All Saints and Always Greener...
as Forsythe,
Melora HardinMelora Diane Hardin is an American actress, best known for her roles as Jan Levinson on NBC's The Office and Trudy Monk on USA's Monk.-Early life:...
as Evans, and
Alice KrigeAlice Maud Krige is a South African actress. Her first feature film role was as the Gilbert and Sullivan singer Sybil Gordon in the 1981 Academy Award-winning film Chariots of Fire...
as Collins. The film begins with a disclaimer noting the inclusion of "time compression and composite and fictionalized characters and incidents," and takes
dramatic licenseArtistic licence is a colloquial term, sometimes euphemism, used to denote the distortion of fact, alteration of the conventions of grammar or language, or rewording of pre-existing text made by an artist to improve a piece of...
with both the historical timeline and events, as well as the fictional storylines originally presented on Dynasty.
On May 2, 2006, a television special named Dynasty Reunion: Catfights & Caviar aired on
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. It assembled former cast members from the series, including John Forsythe, Joan Collins, and Linda Evans, as well as the four original actors who played the Carrington children (Pamela Sue Martin, Al Corley, Gordon Thomson, and Catherine Oxenberg). The cast reminisced about their time filming Dynasty together in this special, which was filmed at the
FiloliFiloli is a country house set in of formal gardens surrounded by estate, located in Woodside, California, about 25 miles south of San Francisco, at the southern end of Crystal Springs Lake, on the eastern slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains....
mansion used for exterior locations in the series.
The Shapiros announced on January 12, 2011 that they had written a
prequelA prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
feature film script set in the 1960s, and were shopping it to studios seeking to begin a Dynasty film franchise.
In an interview in September 2011, Joan Collins chatted about a Dynasty revival - "I've been in constant contact with Esther Shapiro, who wrote it, and apparently they've written a script."
Behind the scenes
The
FiloliFiloli is a country house set in of formal gardens surrounded by estate, located in Woodside, California, about 25 miles south of San Francisco, at the southern end of Crystal Springs Lake, on the eastern slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains....
estate in
Woodside, CaliforniaWoodside is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula. It uses a council-manager system of government. The U.S. Census estimated the population of the town to be 5,287 in 2010....
was used as the 48-room Carrington mansion in the opening credits, establishing shots, and some outdoor scenes in the pilot episode. Some of the other exterior shots of the Carrington mansion (including the lily pond catfight) were shot at a 17-room Palladian house called Arden Villa.
John Forsythe was the only cast member to appear in all 220 episodes of the series. Linda Evans appeared in 204 of the 220 episodes, leaving the series after appearing in only six episodes of the ninth and final season. Joan Collins, who did not join the cast until the second season, also missed one episode in season 6 and nine episodes in season 9, and was subsequently present for a total of 195 episodes. Forsythe and John James were the only two original cast members to appear in the final episode.
Commercial tie-ins
The creations of series costume designer
Nolan MillerNolan Miller is an American fashion designer and television costume designer best known for his work on the long-running 1980s series Dynasty, its spin-off series The Colbys and the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion. He collaborated on many projects with television producers Aaron Spelling and...
became so popular that Dynasty spawned its own line of women's apparel called "The Dynasty Collection" — a series of
haute coutureHaute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...
designs based on costumes worn by Joan Collins, Linda Evans and Diahann Carroll. Christopher Schemering's
The Soap Opera EncyclopediaThe Soap Opera Encyclopedia is the name of two books by different authors which assemble comprehensive information about the television serials known as soap operas...
notes that later, "capitalizing on that success, the show put out a men's fashion line, Dynasty sheets and towels, 'Forever Krystle' perfume, dolls, and — in keeping with the nothing-is-sacred spirit of the show — even wall-to-wall carpeting and panty hose."
In addition, the
Crystal LightCrystal Light is a low-calorie powdered beverage mix that offers naturally and artificially sweetened beverage options in multiple flavors. Originally marketed in 1982 with Linda Evans as its spokesperson, the company later had celebrities Raquel Welch and Priscilla Presley as spokeswomen...
beverage hired Linda Evans as a spokesperson due to her character's name (Krystle) on Dynasty.
Two fictional novels were published, based on scripts from early episodes — Dynasty (1983) and Alexis Returns (1984) — written by Eileen Lottman. In 1984, Doubleday/Dolphin published the companion book Dynasty: The Authorized Biography of the Carringtons, which included an introduction by Esther Shapiro. The Authorized Biography featured storyline synopses in the form of extended biographies of the main characters, descriptions of primary locations (like the Carrington Estate and La Mirage) and dozens of photos from the series.
U.S. ratings
Dynasty was a top-30 hit for its second through seventh seasons, reaching #1 for the 1984–1985 season.
- Season 1 (1981): Not in the top 30
- Season 2 (1981–1982): #19
- Season 3 (1982–1983): #5
- Season 4 (1983–1984): #3
- Season 5 (1984–1985): #1
- Season 6 (1985–1986): #7
- Season 7 (1986–1987): #24
- Season 8 (1987-1988): #41
- Season 9 (1988-1989): #57
Awards and nominations
Dynasty was nominated for a
Golden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for Best TV Drama Series every year from 1981 to 1986, winning in 1984. Forsythe and Collins were also nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress every year from 1981 to 1986, and Evans was nominated for Best Actress every year from 1981 to 1985. Evans won in 1982 (tying with
Barbara Bel GeddesBarbara Bel Geddes was an American actress, artist and children's author. She is best known for her role in the television drama series Dallas as matriarch Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Ewing. Bel Geddes also starred in the original Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in the role of Maggie...
of rival series
DallasDallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
), Forsythe won in 1983 and 1984, and Collins won in 1983.
DVD releases
The first season of Dynasty was released on Region 1 DVD on April 19, 2005 by
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
. The rights to subsequent seasons (and Season 1 rights for other regions) reverted to CBS DVD (distributed by
ParamountParamount Home Entertainment is the division of Paramount Pictures dealing with home video founded in late 1975.-History:...
) in November 2006.
The show is rated
PG for Parental Guidance in Australia and
PG in New Zealand for adult themes.
|
Season |
Ep # |
Region 1 |
Region 2 (United Kingdom) |
Region 2 (Germany) |
Region 2 (Sweden) |
Region 4 (Australia) |
Additional Content |
|
Season 1 |
15 |
April 19, 2005 |
March 9, 2009 |
July 3, 2008 |
April 9, 2008 |
April 9, 2008 |
All 15 episodes of the first season, interviews with original cast members Pamela Sue Martin and Al Corley, two commentary tracks by creator Esther Shapiro and Corley, Family, Furs and Fun: Creating DYNASTY series overview featurette. |
|
Season 2 |
22 |
August 14, 2007 |
March 9, 2009 |
March 5, 2009 |
October 22, 2008 |
October 1, 2008 |
All 22 episodes of the second season, Interactive Season 2 Family Tree (Blake, Alexis, Krystle, Fallon, Jeff, Steven, Sammy Jo and Little Blake profiles). |
|
Season 3, Volume 1 |
12 |
June 17, 2008 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
US/Region 1: First 12 episodes of Season 3 |
|
Season 3, Volume 2 |
12 |
October 21, 2008 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
US/Region 1: Second 12 episodes of Season 3 |
|
Season 3, Complete Season |
24 |
N/A |
May 18, 2009 |
September 3, 2009 |
April 29, 2009 |
April 2, 2009 |
All 24 episodes of Season 3 released in a single volume |
|
Season 4, Volume 1 |
14 |
April 7, 2009 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
US/Region 1: First 14 episodes of Season 4 |
|
Season 4, Volume 2 |
13 |
February 2, 2010 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
US/Region 1: Second 13 episodes of Season 4 |
|
Season 4, Complete Season |
27 |
N/A |
March 8, 2010 |
December 3, 2009 |
November 25, 2009 |
December 24, 2009 |
All 27 episodes of Season 4 released in a single volume |
|
Season 5, Volume 1 |
15 |
July 5, 2011 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
US/Region 1: First 15 episodes of Season 5 |
|
Season 5, Volume 2 |
14 |
July 5, 2011 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
US/Region 1: Second 14 episodes of Season 5 |
|
Season 5, Complete Season |
29 |
N/A |
June 21, 2010 |
July 8, 2010 |
July 28, 2010 |
August 5, 2010 |
All 29 episodes of Season 5 released in a single volume |
|
Season 6, Complete Season |
31 |
TBA |
January 24, 2011 |
December 9, 2010 |
November 24, 2010 |
TBA |
All 31 episodes of Season 6 released in a single volume |
|
Season 7, Complete Season |
28 |
TBA |
January 30, 2012http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/27219914/Dynasty-Season-7-Box-Set/Product.html?searchtype=allproducts&searchsource=0&searchstring=dynasty+7&urlrefer=search |
December 8, 2011 |
November 16, 2011 |
TBA |
All 28 episodes of Season 7 released in a single volume |
|
Season 8, Complete Season |
22 |
TBA |
TBA |
TBA |
TBA |
TBA |
|
|
Season 9, Complete Season |
22 |
TBA |
TBA |
TBA |
TBA |
TBA |
|
See also
External links