I enjoyed the South Bank show doc on Joan Collins, must have missed that one first time round.
What stands out is how quickly Alexis became the most famous woman character on TV, not just in the US but globally. I wonder how much influence she had on the writers/producers of the other soaps at the time? As the Dynasty ratings soared, were other shows compelled to re-tool their own cast in order to compete?
The following year we have the previously unknown Richard Channing who suddenly turns up at Falcon Crest, rich, powerful and not just after Falcon Crest, but wanting to take over the whole valley. In Knots we then had mysterious and powerful Greg Sumner arrive, and Abby not only defrauds her husband's millions, but seeks his help to build a huge tourist complex, Lotus Point. The female soap characters of other shows got more glamorous, donned shoulder pads and get bitchier, but they also became excessive in their greed and gained phenomenal business acumen at alarming speed - Sue-Ellen and Valentine Lingerie as just one example - I wonder how much of this was down to Ms Collins' impact on the soap world, and how much would have just occurred anyway - this being the 1980s? I wonder.