Which Season is Worse -- 7 or 8 or the Reunion?

[Monzo]

Lots of characters vanished in seasons 7 & 8, but was there any actor who left because he chose to? Jack Coleman maybe? Diahann Carroll?

 

[Luke Fuller]

Lots of characters vanished in seasons 7 & 8, but was there any actor who left because he chose to? Jack Coleman maybe? Diahann Carroll?

Jack Coleman and Leann Hunley left the show because they wanted to go. At least, itt was in the news then. What about Terri Garber, she said - several years ago - that she left voluntarily as well. You can choose to believe or not to believe.

 

[Alexis Colby Carrington]

Lots of characters vanished in seasons 7 & 8, but was there any actor who left because he chose to? Jack Coleman maybe? Diahann Carroll?

Didn’t diahann Carroll say she’d come back for season 10?

 

[Grant Jennings]

Jack Coleman wanted to leave at the end of season 7 but the producers persuaded him to stay through season 8. Leann Hunley asked to leave toward the end of season 8 but was gracious enough to appear in the first episode of season 9 for Dana's exit. Terri Garber left despite the producers hoping she would stay (which is probably why Leslie's story was never resolved). Garber was very fond of Christopher Cazenove and Ted McGinley and was sad when they were let go; she said James Healey was always sweaty. Linda Evans was let go due to cost cutting but was ready for a break; she was interested in returning for a 10th season. Diahann Carroll quit but was also interested in returning for a 10th season. I get the impression that the cast and producers were hoping to wrap the show up with a 10th season which would have seen the return of Linda Evans and Diahann Carroll and the addition of Lauren Hutton. Joan Collins, Michael Nader and Stephanie Beacham all said they would be leaving after season 9. I take everything Collins says with a grain of salt but Beacham had already signed on for Sister Kate.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Beacham was contracted thru Season 10, and 1990. She was dreading the show being renewed. The cancellation freed her up to do SISTER KATE.

Joan said she might do some episodes for them the next year in her Spring 1989 TV Guide article announcing her departure.

Leann Hunley was the one who spilled the beans about S.A.D., which was overly obvious already.

 

[Tony]

Mind you "Sister Kate" was cancelled after 1 season, so in hindsight, Stephanie Beacham I'm sure would have preferred to stay on Dynasty at least for the money. When asked how long she'd stay on "The Colbys", she said, 'until we're syndicated'.

 

[Monzo]

Thanks for all great explanations! Terri Garber's choice to leave is the biggest surprise. It's hard to imagine David Paulsen could have used a ruined character like Leslie for season 9.

When The Colbys was cancelled nobody wanted Stephanie Beacham, but as soon as she joined Dynasty her career took off: First Sister Kate, then Sea Quest DSV. Both runs might have been flops, but at least she got a chance unlike other Dynasty actors.

 

[Grant Jennings]

Beacham was contracted thru Season 10, and 1990. She was dreading the show being renewed. The cancellation freed her up to do SISTER KATE.

Joan said she might do some episodes for them the next year in her Spring 1989 TV Guide article announcing her departure.

Leann Hunley was the one who spilled the beans about S.A.D., which was overly obvious already.

I didn't know Beacham's contract ran that long. I knew she was forced to appear on Dynasty due to her contract for The Colbys. This strikes me as odd, has there ever been an instance similar to this? I would assume a contract would be to a specific series, not to a production company (shades of the old "studio system").

I remember an interview with Leann Hunley when she left, the director told her she moved her arms too much.

 

[GillesDenver]

Actually Leann Hunley left mostly because she thought she was not paid enough. She also complained about the fact she was asked to restrain her moves but it was not the main reason for her departure.

 

[Grant Jennings]

Actually Leann Hunley left mostly because she thought she was not paid enough. She also complained about the fact she was asked to restrain her moves but it was not the main reason for her departure.

Aaron being stingy again. I know they were cutting costs at that time but Dana was one of the most popular characters. Virginia was introduced because Paulsen thought the show needed a sympathetic female with Krystle being written-out. They already had a sympathetic female: Dana.

 

[Alexis]

I didn't know Beacham's contract ran that long. I knew she was forced to appear on Dynasty due to her contract for The Colbys. This strikes me as odd, has there ever been an instance similar to this? I would assume a contract would be to a specific series, not to a production company (shades of the old "studio system").

Having just read Aaron Spelling's book there were instances where the network, or even Aaron himself could sign an actor to an exclusive deal where they had to appear in their series. He did like that old studio system way too. Stephanie probably didn't realise the contract she signed for The Colbys also meant she could have to appear on Dynasty as well if The Colbys was cancelled or for any other reason. Spelling also probably wanted to cover himself in case he had another situation where an actor refused to do a spin off, like Pamela Sue Martin refusing to do his Hotel idea, and The Colbys, or like Joan Collins refusing to even guest on it.

 

[Alexis]

Actually Leann Hunley left mostly because she thought she was not paid enough. She also complained about the fact she was asked to restrain her moves but it was not the main reason for her departure.

Aaron being stingy again. I know they were cutting costs at that time but Dana was one of the most popular characters. Virginia was introduced because Paulsen thought the show needed a sympathetic female with Krystle being written-out. They already had a sympathetic female: Dana.

They should have paid her a raise and kept her. She was great, one of the best actresses the show ever had. She was was such a fine, dramatic actress which was rare with the younger American actresses on the show in my opinion. She could have been the moral compass of the show in the later seasons. She had heart and there was potential there to have her be that Krystle type of character where she was the only character with 100% good intentions. I would have loved to have seen her go up against Alexis too, but be written as strong, and right in their battle.

 

[Grant Jennings]

Instead of Virginia accompanying Blake and Krystle to L.A., it could have been Dana as the supportive daughter in law. The scene on the beach (written a little less twee) could have been a chance for us to see Blake and Dana bond.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

Having just read Aaron Spelling's book there were instances where the network, or even Aaron himself could sign an actor to an exclusive deal where they had to appear in their series. He did like that old studio system way too. Stephanie probably didn't realise the contract she signed for The Colbys also meant she could have to appear on Dynasty as well if The Colbys was cancelled or for any other reason. Spelling also probably wanted to cover himself in case he had another situation where an actor refused to do a spin off, like Pamela Sue Martin refusing to do his Hotel idea, and The Colbys, or like Joan Collins refusing to even guest on it.

I read that Spelling put in many actor' contracts that they had to appear on Fantasy Island and/or The Love Boat. I know that was true for Linda Evan's, which is a smart move on Spelling's part since those shows were all about the guest stars.
Regarding Spelling's treatment of Leanne Hunley and Catherine Oxenberg, there's such a thing as "a penny wise and a pound foolish."

 

[Grant Jennings]

Having just read Aaron Spelling's book there were instances where the network, or even Aaron himself could sign an actor to an exclusive deal where they had to appear in their series. He did like that old studio system way too. Stephanie probably didn't realise the contract she signed for The Colbys also meant she could have to appear on Dynasty as well if The Colbys was cancelled or for any other reason. Spelling also probably wanted to cover himself in case he had another situation where an actor refused to do a spin off, like Pamela Sue Martin refusing to do his Hotel idea, and The Colbys, or like Joan Collins refusing to even guest on it.

Come to think of it, I do recall that ABC had some sort of program for developing "young & promising" talent in the 80s; I believe Gordon Thomson and Emma Samms were both part of the program. This would make sense as they had both appeared on ABC daytime soaps before appearing on Dynasty; I think Samms was still under contract to General Hospital when she left for Dynasty.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I remember an interview with Leann Hunley when she left, the director told her she moved her arms too much.

Probably so. When she left in 1988, an article (I think in TV Guide) said that the producers had an acting style imposed on the actors (I think they even used the word "static") where movements were to be minimized and that the producers would rush the performers and stop them if they gestured too much .

As I recall, the brass never responded to the magazine's request for comment.

 

[Tony]

Stephanie Beacham signed a 5 year contract with Aaron Spelling productions for "The Colbys" in August 1985, which means it would expire in the summer of 1990.
David Paulsen said he had to twist her and her agent's arm to appear in "Dynasty", so the contract would have taken her to the end of Season 10 in Dynasty.

As we know contracts can be broken by either side. Similarly Kate O'Mara signed a 5 year contract for "Dynasty" but was asked to let go to return to the UK to do a play.

Terri Garber left because she felt that the older stars were given preferential treatment and admits she was 'young and ignorant' for leaving as Spelling later blackballed her and she couldn't find work in the 1990s Spelling Productions like Melrose or 90210.

 

[Monzo]

Spelling also probably wanted to cover himself in case he had another situation where an actor refused to do a spin off, like Pamela Sue Martin refusing to do his Hotel idea, and The Colbys.

I still wonder what this Hotel idea was about, because Hotel already premiered in 1983. Why did Spelling want to do another Hotel show?

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I still wonder what this Hotel idea was about, because Hotel already premiered in 1983. Why did Spelling want to do another Hotel show?

Esther wanted PSM to do a Hotel show in 1982, to spin off from DYNASTY concurrent to DYNASTY's third season, when PSM really wanted to quit DYNASTY when Corley left; Esther was pissed that PSM wouldn't cooperate.

It got worse when Spelling optioned the Arthur Hailey "Hotel" book rights and did his own spin-off, resulting in a flood of litigations between Spelling and the Shapiros over the years (they accused him publicly of optioning the book rights just so he wouldn't have to pay or involve the Shapiros. They settled OOC, as I recall)

With the brass focused on that kind of crap, is it any wonder the DYNASTY series suffered?

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

CLOISTERED KATE