40 Years Ago -- Dynasty's Moldavian Massacre

LOVED the fact that everyone just went to sleep on the floor until the new season.

I think this was the first big "Oh, come ON" moment on Dynasty, which was pretty ridiculous to begin with.

That 1984-85 season of Dynasty was certainly exciting building up week after week to that bloodbath climax.

Prince Michael was so dreamy from this young gayling's eyes, even though I didn't understand at the time what that meant.

Ali McGraw was AWFUL as Lady Ashley, Olan Mills Photography Associate. I'm glad she got the bullet between her eyes.

Did anyone die besides Lady Ashley? I think there might have been one more, but I can't remember.

Everyone else miraculously survived, I think without a gunshot, which means they all swooned in dead faints from the sheer horror of the attack.

Steven's boyfriend Luke also died.

Only Ali McGraw and Steven's boyfriend died. They could have killed off at least one main character.

I had given up on Dynasty by then. Only had room for Falcon Crest.

Steven's boyfriend Luke was played by Billy Campbell, who went on to star in the big screen movie The Rocketeer (1991).

He also played Dr. Jon Fielding in the TV adaptations of the Tales of the City books. He later starred on Once and Again with Sela Ward and then the sci-fi series the 4400.

Steven did have some pretty hot guys

Yeah...they all apparently just fainted in terror. What one does when you're in danger...

R11. And cut themselves on people's fingernails as they collapsed. That explains the blood!

Dallas was better. Then Knot's Landing. Then FC. Then Dynasty.

^^Either that or the Moldavian rebels were terrible shots and somehow only grazed everyone.

I remember Diahann Carroll said she was finishing up her first 'full season' on the show, and she was devastated when she read the script - she knew ABC wanted to cut down on the cast, but no one was supposed to know for sure who was leaving until the summer when the next season would begin production. She saw the makeup team going up to each actor and putting 'fake blood' on some of them, but she wasn't one. The ones who received 'the blood' were the ones who were on 'the bubble'. Turns out she was fine, as was most of the cast.

That was also when Collins' contract was up, and she would not renew unless they gave her more money than what CBS was paying Larry Hagman for 'Dallas'. She sat out a few episodes in the beginning of the 1985-86 season. ABC threatened to 'kill her off' but they reached an agreement - and she ended up with less than Hagman. (Her disappearance was explained as being held prisoner).

This was regarded as the beginning of the end for the show which was at the top of the ratings. Viewers were turned off by the massacre, and were bored with the new episodes without Collins. Viewership dropped off in the 1985-86 season.

That was so "Oh, give me a BREAK!" I checked out for the remainder of the series.

[quote] Dallas was better. Then Knot's Landing. Then FC. Then Dynasty.

It really depends on what you were looking for.

Dallas usually had the best writing in its early years (but that went out the window on both shows when they brought Bobby back from the dead). Dallas had the best individual lead actors, with Larry Hagman and Linda Gray, and whenever they genuinely gave Barbara Bel Geddes something to do she was more than up to the task.

KL had some very absorbing plot-lines, especially with all of Karen's problems with Diana, her unhappy and monstrously ungrateful daughter, and with Lilimae's weird behavior (Julie Harris was also an excellent actress although she tended to go pretty melodramatic in the role).

Dynasty had terrible acting (I can't think of anyone who was even competent--everyone was either wooden or over-the-top, with no in-betweens), but it was the campiest, and had the most glamorous fashions and the most enjoyably stupid plotlines. And the dialogue was often hilariously self-aware of how campy the show was, even though really only Joan Collins and Stephanie Beacham and Diahann Carroll could deliver it so it was funny. It could often be very enjoyable because of its campiness and weirdness, especially in any scenes that had anything to do with the awesomely pedestrian and unglamourous La Mirage, which everyone spoke of as if it were the Ritz in Paris.

Falcon Crest was a mix of all the others. Jane Wyman, one of the best actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age, was oddly wooden as Angela Channing, but Margaret Ladd and Abby Dalton had high old times playing her loony daughters. Susan Sullivan, who is much better at comedy than at drama, was intensely likeable but never got the chance to be funny as Maggie. But it did have a great parade of faded Golden Age of Hollywood guest stars, from Mel Ferrer to Kim Novak to Cesar Romero.

Moldavia had NOTHING on Montega!

[quote]whenever they genuinely gave Barbara Bel Geddes something to do she was more than up to the task

The woman made a find pot of chili. Endless stirring seemed to be the secret.

Dynasty frequently had John James getting out of a pool or wearing a bathrobe, so it was clearly superior to everything captured on film before or since.

I was very, very young, but he made me feel funny in a way I really enjoyed.

Yeah, but Dallas had Dack Rambo poolside in a speedo.

It's funny to think that Dynasty was considered VERY glamourous at the time and you look at it today and the set dressing is atrocious...it all looks very cheap and tacky.

And, the Nolan Miller costumes...meh. He had one look.

As a young gay boy, I remember thinking this was very, very cool.

I can’t believe how awful Heather Locklear’s acting is in EVERY SINGLE SCENE.

She never gets better. It’s amazing.

If you want to see Heather’s thespian skills on full display, watch her Melrose Place skit from the SNL episode she hosted.

She is playing Amanda in the skit, her character from the show. While I get that she probably didn’t have time to memorize her lines, she is reading the cue cards so intensely she fails to imbue her performance with any emotion, it’s like she’s reading a grocery list.

Amazing that she went from show to show over 20 plus years.

If I remember, people were actually glad they killed off Ali McGraw's "Lady Ashley." There is only so much bad acting a person can stomach.

R25 SNL has pretty much always relied on cue cards. The sketches change so much over the course of the week it's futile to memorize anything.

[quote] [R25] SNL has pretty much always relied on cue cards. The sketches change so much over the course of the week it's futile to memorize anything.

And yet when Betty White--that old pro--showed up to host near the end of her life, she had memorized all her lines. The cast was astonished.

[quote]If you want to see Heather’s thespian skills on full display, watch her Melrose Place skit from the SNL episode she hosted.

She was in one of the funniest one-off SNL sketches ever, playing a home shopping hostess hawking a food processor or something.

The sketch goes on for a minute while you wonder what the point is — then she says, "People assume it's hard to operate, but that's just a myth," adding offhand in a chirpy voice, "Like the Holocaust!"

The order phones start to go crazy, reaching a crescendo when she says, "So easy to operate even a lazy Mexican can do it!"

Link pls!

[quote]It's funny to think that Dynasty was considered VERY glamourous at the time and you look at it today and the set dressing is atrocious...it all looks very cheap and tacky.

Keep in mind, it mirrored the time we were living in: The Reagan Era.

A thread like this is why you love DL. Thanks, OP.

After such a climactic build up to the massacre, the next season was certainly a let down. They didn't have anything to come close to matching the excitement of that season building up to the wedding.

Of course, when they came back in September for the next season, they also were spinning off Jeff onto The Colbys and putting their efforts into getting that show going. Dynasty just felt like an afterthought that season.

Prince Michael was the Kresge dime store version of Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides.

Prince Michael sucked, he was so humorless.

And bless her heart, but Catherine Oxenberg couldn’t act for shit. Nobody cared about their wedding.

I would have preferred seeing Krazy Klaudia show up at an event at the Carrington mansion and/or La Mirage with a semiautomatic, just spraying everything with bullets.

Pamela Bellwood!

Why is she not worshipped here?! ;)

Those two close-ups of Joan after the shooting are so unflattering.

Oxenberg was a terrible actress. No emotion whatsoever. Like she was drugged. But you gotta give props to her for being able to ride Casper Van Diem’s bratwurst every night.

Princess of Yugoslavia!

[quote]And bless her heart, but Catherine Oxenberg couldn’t act for shit. Nobody cared about their wedding.

She was Dame Judith Anderson compared to Karen Cellini.

Catherine Oxenberg pouted very well. That an important ability on soaps, even nighttime soaps.

Did Vairst Letty watch, dreaming one day she would live in Big White Palace with orange Dummkopf?

I, for one, loved it! Although I can't remember what I was thinking at the time - I think I was pissed because anyone could have died and I didn't want it to be one of the ones I liked.

Yes it's 80s - but everyone looked dam GOOD and coiffed. I don't think they'd find a cast this attractive like this today. Yes there are a lot of attractive actors - but something is lost or different today. Maybe I'm just older.

John James - ooglllgllgl - soo hot. And Billy Campbell was sex on a stick too.

BLAKE: (waking from after the attack, pushing wreckage off his body) "Why Krystle... are you alright? I'm alive! And... so are you... and so is everyone we know, except for that titled photographer Jeff was dating who was played by an awful actress, and Steven's boyfriend who kept uncomfortably reminding suburban America that Steven is gay! But otherwise, they somehow entirely missed us!"

KRYSTLE: "What are the odds? Quick, let's go home to see if little Krystina has mysteriously aged several years during our brief absence."

Who was the lucky guy laying on top of Michael Nader at the end? Imagine if they had to lie like that for a while. to make sure the lighting and cameras were ok ? If that was me on top of him, Nader would've felt something growing below my waist.

R44 that’s a script right out of MAD Magazine.

Issue #256 “Die-nasty”

During COVID lockdown, I binged-watched "Dynasty" and suffered from Dynasty Derangement Syndrome! Here are my thoughts about the good, the bad, and the fugly regarding "Dynasty!"

The Dudes of Dynasty ranged from aged beefcake to Valley of the Ken Dolls! But it sure was fun picking out photos for this lookey here...

Let's face it, "Dynasty" was all about the divas. Interesting that it was the mature gals that kept the show going, not the awful off-spring! From hooty pix to catty captions, this one practically wrote itself!

You are officially overextended. Take a break.

R17 Why! Did you write for TV Guide!?

[quote]The Dudes of Dynasty ranged from aged beefcake to Valley of the Ken Dolls! But it sure was fun picking out photos for this lookey here...

Rick, you didn't include Ray Abruzzo, who played Fallon's cop boyfriend? I thought he was the hottest man on that show — and in real life he's a Trump hater on social media.

I didn't get The Blaisdel Woman. Huge head. Little body.

Alexis should have been shot, and faking paralysis when she was really uninjured, for sympathy.

Krystle could have found out she was faking and shoved her wheelchair into a swimming pool. The hairstylist would have won an Emmy for finding an adhesive strong enough to keep Joan’s wig on her head in the pool.

Dynasty really needed to do the "Dynasty II: The Colbys" spin-off a year earlier. Kicking off the Krystal twin (85 season) storyline also contributed to the downfall.. And Emma Samms was horrible as Fallon. This past year I watched both seasons of The Colbys and it was really improved in it's second season. They were clearly going to kill off Francesca after she was shot in the season 2 cliffhanger.

To just think I was 19 about to turn 20 when this first aired. Now I’m 59 about to turn 60. My, how time flies.

[quote]R56 This past year I watched both seasons of The Colbys and it was really improved in its second season.

Faye Dunaway was offered the role of Sabella “Sable” Scott Colby but wanted too much money.

Maybe you’ll like this long article about the series, at [italic]Poseidon’s Underworld:

R15 Collins only missed one episode before they reached an agreement with her.

Considering they only killed off MacGraw and Campbell, it really goes to show that ABC and Aaron Spelling weren’t THAT concerned about the salaries, and Dynasty and it’s spin off the Colbys went on to become drowning victims of their own excesses. Esther Shapiro said the massacre was well produced, but they could’ve done something else. I can’t help one of the writers probably chimed in with JR being shot, well why don’t we shoot the whole cast?! Fallon re-emerged in this episode, but obviously lacked the huge punch it would’ve had if Pamela Sue Martin returned. Not only Dynasty, but Dallas peaked in their cliffhanger in 1985, with Bobby getting mowed down and Pam dreaming it. Sitcoms were becoming in vogue again, and both shows would never be the same, due to this and increasingly bad writing.

Can’t help but think^

Poor hot Luke !

Ali MacGraw is so funny in that R53 interview.

Yes Emma, though beautiful and a serviceable actress, was horribly miscast as Fallon. I was always amazed at how well most UK/Commonwealth actors did American accents, but Emma’s accent was just so bad. She over enunciated her R’s.

Joan, without her wig and drag makeup.

What year is that?

She looks like Jane Alexander.

By the summer of 1985, it seemed like three of the big soaps were falling apart (Dynasty, Falcon Crest, Dallas) and the new soap (The Colbys) couldn't get any footing on the ground. "Knot's Landing", however, was sailing along fine, still a major hit with audiences.

By the 1985-86 season, it was said that the producers of 'Falcon Crest' were in talks with Elizabeth Montgomery to join the cast in the second half of the season as a woman with a mysterious past connected to Chase (played by her then-boyfriend Robert Foxworth). Montgomery (who was offered many weekly series since the cancellation of 'Bewitched' in 1972 but refused going back to a weekly series) was interested - and eager to work professionally with Foxworth once again. However, when the character was being developed for Montogomery, it is said she had her first diagnosis of colon cancer (early 1986) and had to back out of the project. (Foxworth would eventually ask to be let out of his contract to care for his ailing partner). Her character was eventually rewritten as well as the character's storyline.

That pic of Joan Collins without makeup is when she first joined Dynasty.

Joan is still gorgeous in that pic with no makeup. Her bone structure is perfect.

She had a very high hair line and thin hair.

That Elizabeth Montgomery story is incorrect or incomplete. Her only colon cancer diagnosis came in the mid-'90s, just weeks before her death; the lack of early detection was what killed her.

Here's Linda Evans as "Rita," getting her Dustin Hoffman as "Tootsie" makeover! Roll, Rita, Rollllll!

Joan as Wallis Simpson

Joan has a really flat butt.

R73 - I've noticed a lot of white women from that generation have pancake butts. It's the lack of glute workouts and lunges from when they were younger.

R28: Betty White did not memorize her lines when she hosted SNL.

The cue cards had larger print because of her eyesight. You can see her squinting throughout the show.

She was wonderful

Her dialogue:

I still laugh about this!

The opening of the next season, everyone just gets ups, dusts themselves off and continues on

Reply 76, as if they'd all fallen asleep in a field of flowers, like The Wizard of Oz!

Why didn’t Blake insist on a paternity test with Amanda. He tossed Alexis out because she was fucking Roger Grimes, and she supposedly was pregnant with Amanda at the tome. She could have been Grimes’ kid.

I always liked creepy Joseph Anders. He looked like he sniffed Alexis AND Blake’s used underwear.

Steven... top... bottom? Vers?

I see him as vers but a bossy bottom

R55- What you said about Joan's wig or just the fact that you revealed that she wore a wig- so BITCHY

Please, sit next to me.

I heard Joan’s wig once got stuck in the sunroof of her car when she was trying to close it, as she pulled up to a valet stand in Beverly Hills. She got of the car, bald and unaware.

[quote]That Elizabeth Montgomery story is incorrect or incomplete. Her only colon cancer diagnosis came in the mid-'90s, just weeks before her death; the lack of early detection was what killed her.

Not what Foxworth said a few years after she died. According to him, her first occurrence of colon cancer was in the mid-80s, which is when she stopped working for a while. It's also when he left Falcon Crest, to take care of her during her extensive treatment. The ordeal was so brutal for her, she developed a phobia of doctors, and didn't do follow-up visits or annual physicals after that (once doctors referred to her condition as cancer-free) . The cancer reoccurred in early 1995, and she didn't seek medical attention in time. This Sunday marks 30 years of her death at 62.

[quote]Not what Foxworth said a few years after she died.

Would you happen to have any citations for that so her Wikipedia page could be updated? William Asher said she was shocked to be told she had cancer in the '90s, and it's crazy to think her doctors would've been so lax about monitoring for recurrence.

R83 Would I happen to have citations from 25-30 years ago just so Wikipedia can be updated ? That would be a no.

No one said her doctors were lax about monitoring her for recurrence. I said she developed a phobia of doctors (according to Foxworthy), which is why she never was monitored. Doctors can only do so much. It's up to the patient to take control of their health and be responsible.

[quote]Would I happen to have citations from 25-30 years ago just so Wikipedia can be updated ? That would be a no.

The point is that those citations would already be part of the public record if Foxworth confirmed it. The only source I've found for the Falcon Crest/cancer rumor is a Falcon Crest message board with language barrier issues. Within that thread, a poster references a TV show in which "a highly qualified coroner accesses the autopsy and forensic reports" and finds that Montgomery hid a previous bout with colon cancer.

But that program is on Peacock (link below) and says nothing of the sort; I just watched the whole thing. It speculates in tabloid fashion that her smoking, drinking, and love of spicy food may have caused the cancer, and that the hemorrhoids she complained of on-set were an early warning sign. The 'too busy caring for Foxworth to look after herself' theory is mentioned in passing, but she wasn't avoiding doctors; she'd previously sought help for her pain.

If she had a history of colorectal cancer, why would any of them have ignored obvious warning signs? The medical records showed that as her abdominal pain persisted, doctors performed exploratory surgery to find a cause; that's when they found cancer. I suspect an inattentive viewer with a weak grasp of English misunderstood the final explanation of why she died so quickly, in which it's explained that by the time someone's diagnosed at stage four, as she was, they've likely had cancer for years without knowing.

I read an interview with Jeff Freilich, the producer of the two Falcon Crest seasons with Kim Novak and Leslie Caron. He mentioned, too, that Foxworth was not in good mental shape at that time because his wife was ill. He advised Foxworth to take a break from the show and tend to his wife. Freilich admitted that the stress made Foxworth quite difficult to work with.

Oh and before the quote police arrests me: Here is the Freilich quote.

[quote] Bob Foxworth was going through a difficult time in his personal life. His wife, Elizabeth Montgomery, was suffering from a life-threatening illness and his work on Falcon Crest took second place. His pain was often impossible for him to hide. I became friends with Bob — after I suggested that he leave the show (I will get to that later). Despite any rumor to the contrary, the other members of the cast liked Bob, but he was often misunderstood.

Dallas was the best..it felt like the Ewongs had existed way b4 being on tv. The history and sense of family was so real; as a kid i beleived and cared dynasty was light fluff and very different. It was more about each individual scene rather than following their story. KL was warm and comfy and i loved Michelle Lee, Donna Mills and Joan Van Ark. 3 class acts. Id Love a KL comeback.

Ewongs, R88? Ewoks????

I can see Jane Wyman being an utter cunt when told Foxworth was upset over Montgomery’s health-“WE ALL HAVE PROBLEMS.”

Dynasty had the best house.

[quote]—Craig "daytime dreamboat" Montgomery

Haha, R18!

The other day in my parents' house I came across an old [italic]Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary[/italic] that my siblings and I used in middle and high school. Seeing it brought back a lot of great memories, so I flipped through it randomly, and something caught my eye.

The entry was "worm." Beside the entry, in blue ink was written

[quote][bold]"Craig Montgomery."[/bold]

How I howled!

a treasure trove of insights from the director of the pilot and a few episodes of S1.

[quote]Oh and before the quote police arrests me: Here is the Freilich quote.

That quote can be sourced (attached is a link), so there's no warrant out for your arrest.

Thank You, R86 / R87 . This backs up what I originally said at R66 , R82, R84 . I remember reading an interview with Foxworth after Montgomery died. I didn't 'save' the interview thinking I would have to update Montgomery's biography 30 years after, or prove anything - it was an interview which stuck with me for a few reasons: Montgomery almost joined the cast of FC, which would've been a knockout; Montgomery was first diagnosed with colon cancer in her fifties (which convinced me to get a colonoscopy after I hit fifty); the real reason Foxworth left the hit show at its peak was because of his devotion to Montgomery ('in sickness and in health') and not because the other cast members wanted him out.

I know Freilich referred to Montogmery as his 'wife' in the 80s, but shortly before she died, they had confirmed they didn't tie the knot (after 15 years of cohabitation) until January, 1990. (IIRC, I believe they married on New Year's Day).

[quote]I remember reading an interview with Foxworth after Montgomery died. I didn't 'save' the interview thinking I would have to update Montgomery's biography 30 years after, or prove anything [...]

The request for sources is earnest, not a personal attack. Having a citation for Foxworth stating she previously had cancer would be quite helpful for all who still research and write about Montgomery. It's genuinely remarkable if he openly discussed it without the media or Montgomery fanatics (and biographers) taking notice.

Joan Collins Alexis in her mid-Fanny Skeffington phase!

Here's Joan just before "Dynasty," where midlife showbiz success and push-up bras awaited her!

Diahann Carroll's interview on 'The View' , on October 1, 2008 the day after her book was released (September 30, 2008). On the show she says she's 74 years old, which would put her birthdate as July 17, 1934. For years, even in her obit, her birth year is listed as 1935. Carroll died 11 years and 3 days after this appearance.

"I rewrote the scene"------>> George Peppard (Blake Carrington). ....That's some hilarious stuff R93....Thanks for posting.

Joan had loathed working with George on some '60s film, so Collins would have hated working with him as Blake far more than that ogre John Forsythe !

I thought Peppard looked too youthful and handsome to be Blake as written in the pilot and the first series. Too leading man good looks. Forsythe, visually, fit the look - a little more character actor, late life, fading handsome - and he was good as the ambivalent, tough Blake, but I gather he also played a part in the watered down Blake who got really boring as the series went on.

Unpopular opinion but I thought Evans was a decent actress in the pilot and first season, who gets more criticism than she deserves. She is cursed by a soft spoken voice. Even when angry it doesn't have a lot of power. I always found the original writing of Krystle as a quietly confident woman who knew her own mind and values, with a good bullshit detector and a kind of wariness about her new world. I thought Evans played that well.

Something good had to rub off

- Barbara Stanwyck.

Billy Campbell as Luke was part of my gay awakening. I thought he was soooo dreamy. Fuck, I’d still do him.

The Diahann Carroll character had a lot of options - the unknown half sister, Kirby's mother, Cecil Colby's long lost, secret first wife. Had Dynasty continued with the comparatively better writing and characterization of the pilot and S1, the third option would have been best. There was room to ally with Blake and a battle with Alexis over Colbyco. Dominique could have come in as a grifter - not much money, determined to get her cut, and deployed by Blake as trojan horse to keep new CEO Alexis off balance.

Billy Campbell was beautiful eye-candy. Saw Michael Praed in the West End production of The Pirates of Penzance. My dears, the shirt slashed to the waist and chest hair you could romp through barefoot! I was quite moved.

R105 making her Blake’s half sister was the least interesting thing they could do. I’m unsure when Carroll found out about the writers doing this (probably the summer of 1984 when they started filming for the next season), but I imagine she probably felt a little let down. To come into the show late in the season with some formidable episodes, only to be given watered down writing in the future must have sucked. The producers and writers may have felt Joan filled the bitch role all on her own and that was enough. Dominique worked well as a foil for Alexis, like Sable during the last season, but she definitely should’ve been a powerhouse character. I can’t help but imagine if Carroll had been given the material Beacham had been given in the final season, she would have knocked it out of the park.

[quote] I thought Peppard looked too youthful and handsome to be Blake as written in the pilot and the first series. Too leading man good looks.

Sounds like the perfect recipe for Dynasty's later seasons when look was really all that mattered. "Too handsome" would not have been a breaking point during casting. Al Corley would not have made the cut if he had read for Second Steven.

It was said that when Carroll was working with the creative team to develop her character for the show, the most popular idea was to have Carroll as Blake's former secretary 'Millie' whom he had a brief affair with and (unbeknownst to him) fathered a child he never knew. She shows up after leaving town 20 years earlier after finding out she's pregnant, now a successful black woman (which Carroll wanted), with her 20 year old daughter. That was to be her 'big reveal' - to have her daughter accepted as a 'Carrington' and half-sibling to Adam, Steven, and Fallon. Now THAT would've been worth watching (especially the rivalry between her and Alexis, two mothers of Carrington children).

(Other ideas floated around, as well, such as Kirby's mother and Cecil's first wife).

This idea was moving forward, but in the end Spelling killed it. They were already working on the storyline to bring 'Amanda' - Blake's unknown daughter Alexis left behind in England - to the family, and they thought this would be too much. As Carroll had said in an interview, ' The distraction on everyone's mind would be: Just how many unknown children did Blake have ? How many more children will show up this season ? '

In the end, Dominique's 20 year old daughter 'Jackie' did show up (played by one of the dullest actresses at the time, Troy Byer) only to be rivaled by 'Amanda' showing up (played by the second dullest actresses at the time, Catherine Oxenberg). Both characters completely wasted.

At least Knots Landing knew how to bring in younger talent (Nicolette Sheridan, for starters) in the mid-80s, and develop interesting storylines and characters for these talented young actors who later took over the show.

I find it hard to imagine the writing team of Dynasty would be deterred by audience reaction to straining credulity, given the slop they cranked out after about season two. The duelling long lost daughters might have worked, if they had hated each other and never stopped.

R110 The dueling long lost daughters might have worked, if they had talented writers on the show, who could keep each girl's storyline entertaining and viewers interested each episode (and taking sides on who to root for each week). But let's face facts - Dynasty was not known for talented writing. Most of the episodes played out like they were written by a high school writing class.

Dynasty relied on cliched daytime TV tropes: amnesia, long-lost children, sudden blindness, etc.

Dominique being Kirby's daughter would have been so bad. Kirby was a side character to begin with. Her mother would have interested no-one. Kirby's father (until someone tells me otherwise) was Joseph who was a side-character himself and already dead. Where would have been the potential for Dominique? Sure, they could have revealed a major player to be Kirby's real father. But that would have been quite a stretch.

Dominique as Cecil Colbys ex wife was always interesting. Too bad they went with turning her into a Carrington.

[quote]Dominique worked well as a foil for Alexis, like Sable during the last season, but she definitely should’ve been a powerhouse character. I can’t help but imagine if Carroll had been given the material Beacham had been given in the final season, she would have knocked it out of the park.

At least she had something to do.

R113 I think when it was decided Dominique wasn’t going to be Kirby’s mother, they decided to let Beller go. Kathleen has said she didn’t want to leave, and I think it was a mistake to fire her. Kirby wasn’t much of a character, but I had a soft spot for her, probably because she was on the show during its glory years.

The show needed a wacky, precocious child. Maybe Gary Coleman or Emmanuel Lewis could have played Dominique’s son-“what’chu talkin’ about Alexis??”

I HATED Kirby

Dominique was interesting on The Colbys. She ran a record label there. She also received flirtations from Sable Colbys boyfriend Zach Powers and Dominique was friendly with Jason when he was feuding with Sable.. I did think a Sable/Dominique throw down was coming.

[quote]Dominique being Kirby's daughter would have been so bad.

Yes, indeed. Who would believe that 30 year old Kirby had a 50 year old daughter ? Very bad idea.

[quote] I did think a Sable/Dominique throw down was coming.

Yes, probably in Season 10 if ABC renewed the series for another season.

Joan Collins had only renewed her contract for a handful of episodes for the upcoming season, that was to last until November sweeps, and give her character a proper send-off. Stephanie Beacham was returning for the final season to be the new 'Alexis' (so to speak) and Carroll was in negotiations to return as 'Dominique' for season 10 (she was to be the mysterious lady we see getting out of the limo). The writers had promised some 'fireworks' between Carroll and Beacham.

What was peculiar, though, was that before ABC officially announced the show was canceled in May, 1989, Beecham had signed on for an NBC comedy called 'Sister Kate' (she played a nun running an orphanage). NBC started promoting the fall series in April, when they unveiled their new schedule. 'Dynasty' cast members wondered what the hell was going on - was 'Dynasty' cancelled, and how did Beacham know before everyone else? ABC wasn't confirming or denying anything.

When Beacham did her press interviews later that summer for 'Sister Kate', she said that she and her agent had a meeting with ABC execs in January, and told them the predicament they were in - Beacham had a chance to star in her own NBC sitcom if she wasn't coming back to ABC. She didn't want to jeopardize her chance, but she was willing to stay loyal to ABC and not walk out on her contract. ABC appreciated her loyalty, and told her to sign on with NBC. However, she had to promise she wouldn't say a word to anyone in the media or on the show - she kept her promise.

Carroll as Blake's former secretary 'Millie' whom he had a brief affair with and (unbeknownst to him) fathered a child he never knew.

The idea that a man can have unprotected sex with a woman and think there is no chance of pregnancy is always funny.

R122 That would have happened in the early 1960s, and it wasn't so uncommon back then.

I loved the phallic "subtleties" of the opening credits: John Forsythe's enormous tower reaching into the sky; Gordon Thomson's champagne bottle spewing like it was cumming; and Ken Howard putting a big fat cigar in his mouth.

John James, though blandly handsome, always looked like he had indigestion in the credits.

Let's think of ways we could have improved Dynasty...

Lucille Ball as Lucy Carrington Carducci, Blake's long estranged little sister who married an Italian cheese maker. She returns to Denver broke and needing a job and Blake gives her a job on an oil rig.

Hilarity ensues.

Special Guest Star: Gale Gordon as Gordo, the oil rig manager.

I recently rewatched Dynasty, and the first 13 episodes of Season 1 are pure gold. No Alexis yet, but the story grips you with Steven’s compelling arc as a gay character (and let’s be real, he’s easy on the eyes) and Fallon’s deliciously bratty attitude. Blake’s a ruthless bastard in those early days, very much in the J.R. Ewing mold, which makes for riveting drama.

When Alexis storms onto the scene in Season 2, the show somehow gets even better—electric, campy, and unmissable.But things start to slide after Season 2. It feels like the writers were boxed in by external circumstances and pressures—like forcing Steven to be straight and dealing with a revolving door of actors.

By Season 4, the writing gets patchy, with storylines feeling forced and disjointed. Dominique had the potential to be a standout character, but it seems the writers played it safe to avoid outshining Alexis, leaving her frustratingly undercooked and bland.

Fallon’s exit was the first major misstep—a real “jump the shark” moment. But the Moldavian massacre in Season 5? That’s when the show completely lost its grip on coherent storytelling. It’s a chaotic mess, and the series becomes a slog to watch after that.

I can only imagine how rough The Colbys holds up today—it’s probably a total trainwreck.

The Colbys improved a lot in their second season. Frankie was no longer a doormat and that made the fights between her and Sable far better. Still campy but lots of Miles shirtless.

Sable (to Frankie)----->> "Husband stealing agrees with you darling. You are a walking ad for adultery. Do they need a poster child?"

Frankie------>> "You can't steal what's already lost. You know the rule, Sable. Finders keepers."

Sable----->>"Yes, I've been trying to find your keeper for years darling. No man is safe."

Loved Sable, on both shows. I wonder how that character managed to get and keep good writing while others couldn't get one good line. I'm guessing that Beacham and her performance were an actual inspiration for the writers. Beacham started with a six episode contract, so Sable was not necessarily considered that essential at first. Fallon on the other hand was a 180-reversal of the original character. I cannot even imagine what OG Fallon would have done on the Colbys. Monica was closer to old Fallon than new Fallon.

Doris Day would have been perfect as Krystle's dog-loving Mom, who now retired to a trailer park in Carmel, mooning over her one true love... Daniel Reece!

R129 so random... and funny.

R128 definitely true about Monica. She was the Fallon of the Colbys. And Samms Fallon was definitely Kirby. When they tried to lure Pamela Sue Martin back to do the Colbys, she wanted a more liberal work schedule and better writing for the character. She took one look at the outline and plans for Fallon and told them no. Samms obviously was on GH, and she jumped at the chance to do the show, considering it would be her breakout role from the daytime soap. And she was willing to do any slop they gave her.

I think the common thread is Aaron Spelling. I gather he was a decent person and indisputably successful, but he was basically a B movie producer. He had a formula and it worked but it involved dumbing everything down, making all the characters cardboard and cranking out product that was really popular until it wasn't. But you knew what you were getting and it sold. Michael Landon was much the same. So it Julian Fellowes. You wouldn't call any of them great artists but they deliver and sell.

... which - from her perspective - was a smart move. She probably didn't make a ton of money, but still raked in a steady pay check longer than most of her co-stars. Five years on Colbys and Dynasty is a pretty long run.

R133 plus Emma had to live under the shadow of knowing nearly everyone preferred Pamela Sue in the role, and wanted her to come back. When David Paulsen from Dallas took over the head writing of the show during its final season, he wanted Pamela back. Reportedly Spelling put a stop to it and stuck by Emma (most likely a contract thing, and Pamela probably would have said no anyway). Paulsen talked to Emma, and she told him basically all the material I’ve been given sucks. That’s why she improved in the last season. Never to Pamela’s level, but better. Unlike Dallas, the show had a creative renaissance in its last season, but many had stopped watching at this point.

[quote] the show had a creative renaissance in its last season, but many had stopped watching at this point.

And Esther Shapiro pretty much trashed him for causing the show being canceled. I thought that was a bit rich coming from her after letting the show linger for year and he taking the little budget he had available and reviving the show with engaging stories again. Had they let Paulsen produce the two TV movies after the cancelation, the show may have gotten more specials out of it. But no, they nixed everything he had established and fucked it up royally.

So many little things would have improved the Colbys show. Putting Sammy Jo (or Amanda Oxenburg) on The Colbys wouldn't have been incredibly expensive but would have anchored Miles into a new relationship with instant history to Jeff and Fallon. Watching Sables reaction to Sammy Jo sliding down the staircase bannister would have been grand. The last season of Dynasty was watchable because of Sable and Monica (and Alexis was gone part of the season). But I didn't like the way the Dynasty made Miles and Monica non-Colbys via rape. How did Jason react? Did he throw them out of the house? Did they do a test to verify?

R136 Jason disowned them, which was ridiculous. The last season of Dynasty was markedly better than what came after Moldavia, but it wasn’t perfect. I think the reason they wrote the Miles and Monica not being Colbys thing is so Alexis could use it against Sable. Sable was a welcome addition to the show, but Monica wasn’t needed. It was just an effort to lure younger viewers in with Evans gone from the show, and Collins not doing as many episodes.

I figured it would eventually come out that Cecil raped Sable, and Miles and Monica were his kids.

Remember DYNASTY nite at the old Revolver bar in WeHo. Everytime Forysyth would rumble ALEXIS! we'd do a a shot. That Halloween the drag queens dressed as the cast covered in blood DIE NASTY. Fun times.

Forsyth was such a pompous old ham.

But, his wooden pomposity fit in with the overall tone of the show. I mean, if you had cast actual good actors, it would have thrown the whole thing off.

Blake was such an incredibly boring character. Did he ever do anything surprising or original?

Well...

R141 he did rape Krystal.

Rape and incest were treated so casually on Dynasty. Blake raped Krystle; Adam raped Kirby; Miles raped Fallon; and Fallon almost fucked Adam. 0 consequences for any of this.

R144 Blake gave her flowers and apologized for his "ungallant" behavior. And that was it. She forgave him. Crazy.

R144 it WAS kinda funny when Alexis realized Adam almost had sex with Fallon before they knew they were siblings, she chuckled and said "how delicious!" or something like that.

[quote] Blake gave her flowers and apologized for his "ungallant" behavior. And that was it. She forgave him. Crazy.

-----"Maybe she thought it was hot and it turned her on?"-------->>Laura Spencer Cassadine

[quote]Fallon almost fucked Adam. 0 consequences for any of this.

Well...

When I was a kid, I watched all these shows with my grandma.

Dynasty, Colbys, Falcon Crest, Knot's Landing, Flamingo Road (her favorite but I barely remember it) yet surprisingly, Dallas, was never turned on in the house.

I made my grandfather buy her some Forever Krystle when it came out but it wasn't the perfume. It was a large round tub of talcum powder with a big, puffy buff. She was tickled pink, lol.

Anyways, I distinctly remember when Samms replaced PSM and her first comment was, "Wow, Fallon sure plumped up."

[quote]Rape and incest were treated so casually on Dynasty. Blake raped Krystle; Adam raped Kirby; Miles raped Fallon; and Fallon almost fucked Adam. 0 consequences for any of this.

Sounds like the way it's been treated by MAGA 40 years later. Trump was found guilty of raping a woman in a dressing room?

Let's make him president!

R150 = Seriously? You think a Dynasty Thread is about Trump? Did you get bored with the 500 daily Trump threads on DL?. Go away.

R149 = This is for your Granny....

Yep, R152, that was it! I definitely remember the cheap paper wrap around gold stripes.

The Colbys casting was fascinating. So many stars turned down roles which is kind of surprising because the Dynasty downfall hadn't happened yet and Colbys looked like a surefire hit....Pamela Sue Martin, Liz Taylor, James Coburn, Katherine Hepburn, Diana Rigg, Elizabeth Ashley, Faye Dunaway, Burt Lancaster, etc etc. All turned down roles. Say what you want but Charlton Heston and Stanwyck both pulled in big paychecks (CH was getting 85,000 an episode). Good money for 80s tv.

Hilariously bad scene from the waning daze of "Dynasty": "Who Killed Roger Grimes?" Emma Samms in prairie chic re-enacting what happened that fateful night... Joan Collins dressed like she's about to hold up a stagecoach, in inch thick makeup. Urban cop puts them thru their paces in a flashback revelation that's a total rip off of "Marnie." And when you're reduced to ripping off third-rate Hitchcock, you know the show's jumped the shark! On the upside, the actor playing Roger Grimes was hot in a Cinemax after Dark kinda way... also love Roger's bloodless shooting!

[quote]The Colbys casting was fascinating. So many stars turned down roles which is kind of surprising because the Dynasty downfall hadn't happened yet and Colbys looked like a surefire hit....Pamela Sue Martin, Liz Taylor, James Coburn, Katherine Hepburn, Diana Rigg, Elizabeth Ashley, Faye Dunaway, Burt Lancaster, etc etc.

Reminds me of what ALW went through trying to cast 'Norma Desmond' in 'Sunset Boulevard' on Broadway in 1996 (when Buckley was ready to leave). The list of actresses is legendary and endless.

Even if Dynasty wasn't tanking yet, it was stupid by that point. If you didn't need money, your first thought would surely be it was beneath you. Stanwyck quit after a year, because of the writing.

I wish HBO had rebooted Dynasty and written it like a contemporary drama. There was something there in S1.

What was Aaron Spelling's reputation as a person?

If the Colbys had premiered a season or two before it did, it might have had a chance at success.

But by the spring of 1985, prime time soaps had peaked. Dallas was losing Patrick Duffy after a bloated season marked by Barbara Bel Geddes’ absence. Falcon Crest had to course correct mid-season after a Nazi hidden art story proved unpopular. Dynasty was struggling to find a replacement for Pamela Sue Martin or a way to keep Blake and Krystle interesting -Ali McGraw and Rock Hudson didn’t seem like any threat to their marriage.

Sitcoms came back in a big way, with the Cosby Show. Prime Time Soaps didn’t seem as interesting or relevant, they were on the decline.

Additionally, they programmed The Colbys against Cheers, Night Court and a still Top 30 Simon and Simon. It was not destined for success.

Was it ever addressed why a character was named Fallon? If someone were introduced to me with that name, I’d probably say, “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” and then still think they said Falcon.

There was a line of dialogue where Blake said she was named after his mother. But she was later referred to as Ellen. Sounds more like a surname but I would guess I'm the person giving it the most thought.

I would've been great as Fallon!

R157 yes. I think you could STILL do a wonderful reboot IF you based it on season 1.

Joan Collins RESENTED the hell out of The Colbys fir ruining Dynasty and refused to appear on it.

Honestly I thought her name was Vallon when I first started watching it.

R157 anything would have been better than the abortion that was the CW reboot.

Roger Grimes was played by J. Eddie Peck. He now plays Cole on YR.

Roger Grimes was a hot stud.

Fallon Angel

[quote]But by the spring of 1985, prime time soaps had peaked.

Not really.

In 1986, NBC premiered their 'night time drama / soap' LA LAW. Instead of being focused on the oil industry (like 'Dallas' and 'Dynasty') , the writers were smart enough to focus it on a law firm, but included all the ingredients to make it a success (fabulous clothes, sex, luxury settings, money, tension and plenty of conniving). The show was a major hit, and ran for eight seasons. Like the other soaps, it had a revolving door of cast members, but it didn't seem to hurt their ratings. It lasted eight seasons. The last episode aired 31 years ago today, May 19, 1994.

Since Susan Dey was returning to television in LA LAW, I always wondered why Spelling didn't offer her to be the new 'Fallon' on 'Dynasty'. She had more in common with Pamela Sue Martin than Emma Samms did.

Dey was too old looking by just a bit.

Besides, her father had her teeth fixed. If not her tongue.

It was sad what happened to Pamela Sue Martin. In season one she was fantastic- bratty, loyal to Blake, slutty, resentful to Krystle- all in a very fun way. Her affair with Michael the limo driver felt DIRTY in the best way. They should've kept her that way. But as it wore on, the character became kind of a simp. By the end of her run on the series, she was a mess. She was listless, pinned pupils, and it appeared her hair was falling out. I've never heard this, but the actress was clearly dealing with a coke problem.

The "Who Killed Roger Grimes?" episode was amusing in that both Alexis and Fallon seemed to have mother/daughter amnesia! If only that had happened to Lana and Cheryl in real life!

[quote]R170 Since Susan Dey was returning to television in LA LAW, I always wondered why Spelling didn't offer her to be the new 'Fallon' on 'Dynasty'.

I don’t think Dey was a good enough actress to play an arch, mean girl. She’s just your average nice girl at heart, who made her mark playing an average nice girl (Laurie Partridge)… and that’s simply what she has to offer. The end.

Dey was only a couple of years older than Martin. She was closer in age than Samms.

[quote] Was it ever addressed why a character was named Fallon? If someone were introduced to me with that name, I’d probably say, “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” and then still think they said Falcon.

There's a real Irish woman's name, "Faolan," which is pronounced as "Fallon."

I always assumed that's how the character got the name. The Shapiros probably met some Irish woman named Faolan and assumed it was spelled like it sounds in American English, and decided to use it because it sounded unusual to them.

R175 she was excellent as sour Grace Van Owen- maybe that character was the limitation of her talent but I loved her on that show. She had great chemistry with Harry Hamlin.

Michael rides up on his motorcycle

"Kuzak! I've never seen you with anything quite so lethal between your legs"

"I've never had anything down there be so responsive!"

Big mistake breaking them up.

LA Law was soapish at times but it's ridiculous to compare it to trash like Dynasty.

R177 gets it wrong.

Fallon, as spelled, is an Irish surname. Just another example of using a last name as a first name.

R173 Fallon was hilarious, especially in the first couple of seasons. I remember how she was kissing, down the line, many of the football players on her fathers team she fucked around with, while Krystle looks over at her with this you’re such a slut look, in season 1. But when Joan came on, she basically took over the larger than life, man eating bitch role, and Pamela’s writing became less and less. I don’t think she had a coke problem, though it’s been rumored for over 40 years. She had cystitis, for one thing, and was suffering from hair loss. Plus she found fame suffocating, and being on a smash hit show just didn’t appeal to her. She revealed recently also it was the horrible writing for the character that compounded her wanting to leave. She left Nancy Drew a few years before, so she had a history of not sticking around shows. Her leaving left an enormous void in the show that never got filled. They tried to get her back, on at least two occasions, but she always said no.

Cecil Colby was also the secret father of Jared Kushner!

She was great as Nancy Drew.

As I kid I loved the “prep school” movie where she is safe in Parker Stevenson’s arms, but her mousy roommate dies of a botched abortion.

R181 watch her in her season 4 scenes on YouTube with Peter DeBilbus. She's completely out of it, very much in the way I'd seen Lauren Twese and MacKenzie Phillips be before they were fired.

I don't know for sure but I've always suspected coke or something.

Bitches are so much more fun with English accent.

R182 more like a Hart Bochner-type

[quote]r184 She's completely out of it, very much in the way I'd seen Lauren Tewes and MacKenzie Phillips be before they were fired.

The VALLEY OF THE DOLLS remake should have starred those three addicts.

MacKenzie (Neely)

Pamela Sue (Anne)

Lauren (Jennifer - note: needs padded bra)

[quote]But when Joan came on, she basically took over the larger than life, man eating bitch role, and Pamela’s writing became less and less.

This is what PSM blamed over and over again in interviews - the writers turned Fallon into another 'Krystle' while 'Alexis' became 'Fallon'.

Part of the problem was Fallon forgave Alexis for leaving (which technically, she should have, given Blake made it all go down as it did.) But there could be have been a lot of story out of Fallon coming to understand she actively disliked Alexis as a person, and messing with her in both simple and complicated ways. Fallon was more comfortable mixing it up than Krystle, cat fights notwithstanding. The Blake/Alexis divide should have broken down more along team lines. Fallon made a lot of bad and entertaining decisions trying to ally with and aid Blake in S1. She could have struck an uneasy alliance with Krystle, had ongoing tension with Steven (team Alexis), still been thwarted in her efforts to get closer to Blake's business life.

Figure out what a character wants - and then don't give it to them.

I always found it laughable that an old borderline frail man like Forsyth could believably rape an Amazon like Krystle. George PEPPARD would have been better physically for the role of Blake.

Forsythe is terrible in this scene. Blake Carrington was not intimidating in the least.

When they did the Logan Rhinewood story (an early ludicrous story line), I wondered if they had Forsythe as Charlie Townsend in mind. The things a teen gayling concerns himself with...

R184 it’s ironic that DeVilbis offered Fallon coke one time when they were in the sack lol, but she declined. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen those episodes, and I saw them first hand in 1984, but I don’t remember her looking really haggard. I do think she was over the show at this point, and was there only physically, not emotionally. She told John James that season I gotta get out of here. He didn’t want her to leave, and told her just rely on him and I’ll get you through it, but to no avail.

You quit Dynasty when it was one of the most-watched shows on TV. Why?

I had enough. I was not happy with the direction that my character took. And then Joan [Collins] came in with her caricature and it became less and less real. It became a trashy soap opera. If you were strong, you were a bitch; if you were weak, you were a victim. For me, coming out of the women’s movement of the ’70s, I didn’t take to that very well.

Did you reach Susan Dey for a comment to the accusations being leveled about her in this thread?

I really do wonder what Ms. Dey’s days are like. Does she lie by a pool all day, denying herself food?

She’s cleaning her Invisalign. Turns out the braces were done by a hack dentist.

"The Days and Nights of Susan Dey" is an upcoming Lifetime TV series.

They never should have written out Krazy Klaudia. Even when she was medicated she was still delightfully nuts.

We had a great local TV critic who worked for our newspaper (remember the days of local TV and movie critics, reviewing new TV shows and movies ?). At least twice a season, he would critique DYNASTY and trash it. I remember once, he advised viewers at the beginning of the new season, "Take a drink of champagne every time Blake utters the words, "I'll teach that woman a lesson she'll never forget !" in each episode after he has a confrontation with Alexis. He never taught Alexis any lessons.

Kudos to this TV critic (I believe he passed away about a decade ago) - he always proclaimd 'Knots Landing' as the very best series on television, and always tore the academy apart each year for not nominating the show or the actors come Emmy time. He was so tired of LA Law, NYPD Blue and Hill St. Blues swiping all the nominations and awards. He did the same thing with 'Gilmore Girls' in the 2000s - said it was the best show on TV and didn't know why the academy ignored it every year.

Because the Emmys suck. They're lazy and redundant, awarding same people and shows year after year and ignoring other great shows because they aren't "hip" or spent thousands of dollars on campaigns.

R189 yes! I was just thinking they should have had Fallon remain hateful toward Alexis. She could've done Blake's dirty work regarding Alexis. Instead of making Fallon a simp. Really losing the character Fallon was in season 1 helped set the show on the shark jumping course. And when Emma Samms came on she IN NO WAY resembled ANY version of PSM's Fallon. It may as well have been a different character. Not to mention ending Robert and Holly on GH, who had terrific chemistry.

R191 the lawyer is hysterical.

Accused rapist George Peppard playing husbandly rapist Blake...

Old, but it made me chuckle.

They’re no Betty White, fer sure.

Fun Trivia.....Billy Campbell was also in the 2010 Melrose Reboot and paired with his former Dynasty co-star Heather Locklear. Their characters were dating.

Billy showing bare tale…of the City

Tail tale

Rapist Blake:

Birthday girl Joan Collins shares her beauty secrets! No, the answer is not inch-thick makeup, wigs, get-ups, and tons of money, sillies!

R210 it’s so preposterous.

DEAN IS LIVE

youtube.com/live/kHJWFm8CsWw?si=wXoour_fVK8fbkgt

Cut and pasted and add www.

John Dean?

William Dean Howell?

Dean Jones?

Wrong thread r213?

No! All Dynasty fans should watch Dean Withers!

Yes wrong thread. I've got to stop with the Kratom.

God, forty years ago...

R18 and R92, you two are the best.

R92, I LOVE that story! Which era Craig were you commenting on? Was that early Scott Bryce?

Did Anna and Roman from Days of our lives ever cross paths on Dynasty?

No. Why would they?

R220 = Karen Cellini

R221, your reply made me giggle.

[quote] Ali McGraw was AWFUL as Lady Ashley

Didn’t need to finish reading your sentence TBH.

I mean Ali McGraw was probably stunt casting. But there was no reason not to hire good actors in the regular roles. Why was Karen Cellini cast? They did her no favor casting her. She was cast against type and perfectly wrong for the job. They couldn't find a better pouty blonde? There are enough blonde actresses out there. They don't ask for much of a salary either way.

Ali McGraw is such a limited actress that when Dan Curtis cast the sequel to THE WINDS OF WAR, WAR AND REMEMBRANCE, he recast Ali’s part with Jane Seymour, who was also a bit more age appropriate as Natalie Jastrow. And her Natalie was leagues beyond Ali’s interpretation. He also replaced Jan-Michael Vincent with the beautiful Hart Bochner as Byron Henry. I’ve always been underwhelmed by her acting. The only film of hers that I can sit through is JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT, and that’s because her character gives her married boyfriend a serious beat down in the department store 🥴🥴😏😈

[quote]Why was Karen Cellini cast?

She was auditioning for the role of Channing on The Colbys. At the same time, they were dropping Catherine Oxenberg for asking for a raise. Someone said, "Oh, she looks like Catherine," and she was hired as Amanda for Dynasty.

Sammy Jo and Amanda (played by Oxenberg) got into a catfight over Ted McGinley and fell into the La Mirage swimming pool in the 1985-86 cliffhanger. When the next season opened, Amanda came out of the pool played by Cellini.

I actually liked Catherine Oxenberg. She was spoiled and bratty, which the show was lacking with (presumed dead) Fallon.

Catherine Oxenberg was ok, but she wasn't trashy/fun like Fallon was in season one. Amanda turned out to be under written, just like Dominique.

It was kind of a hoot having Catherine Oxenberg turn up on The Vow, the documentary series about Keith Renerie and his cult. Her daughter was still a true believer, and Catherine just wanted her back. It was actually more soapy fun than she had been on Dynasty.

"Underwritten" is applicable to so many characters. I still don't know the point of Alexis' sister. Even as a supporting character she wasn't useful. So they wrote her off to some prison. Then they brought her back. Why? I don't know, because she still didn't do anything consequential. They didn't know what to do with her twice.

R230 Exactly. That was the problem with Dynasty starting with season 5. Dominique being a perfect example.

They gave her an utterly fabulous entrance. They gave her a mysterious backstory. They gave her a fun, campy scene with Alexis. And that was IT. The writers had zero plans for her beyond those things. Instead of the writing organically needing a new character, it seems like the network said "we want a black bitch" and the writers had no ideas beyond that. I honestly don't remember a single Dominique story line.

Alexis' sister is another good example. Good campy fun to give Alexis an author sister, a la Jackie Collins, and the lady they cast was great. But they had zero idea what ro do with her.

[quote]r5 The only film of hers that I can sit through is JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT, and that’s because her character gives her married boyfriend a serious beat down in the department store

She's believable in that, for once. But that project had a good writer (Jay Presson Allen), a good director (Sidney Lumet), and a talented ensemble cast.

The writing was the real massacre...

from another poster

Joan Collins is a real life Madeline Ashton!

Ali was perfect, just once— as Brenda Patimkin!

R234 = That was fucking hilarious. And I hate "cutsey" stuff.

R234 was one of the most traumatizing things I've seen in my life. Those eyes... they look like... it can't be.

Can't get enough of these. If he can create a scene with Amanda and the fun-free prince, those little animated rascals may actually display better acting than the real life originals.