Interesting extract from Rita Lakin's memoirs 'The Only Woman in the Room' about her time writing on Dynasty. She was paired with Laurence Heath during the latter half of Season 7 after the retooling. I imagine the producers wanted a more woman's point of view for the mothers storyline. Before Dynasty she was the showrunner/producer on Flamingo Road for two seasons.
"I ought to mention Dynasty only because it was a famous show. Flamingo Road was cancelled and I was looking for work again. Then I thought I had a good idea. I would work with this other woman producer, Esther Shapiro, who was riding high with the very successful Dynasty. I was looking forward to a woman to woman camaraderie. I was eager to hear her war stories about being a woman in the business, and I would tell her mine.
Larry Heath (not his real name, but the name he went by) was a strange duck and I never felt comfortable working with him. I didn't know what it was about him but the vibes were weird. We had to work together but it was all too stiff and unyielding, and we definitely were not a good match. It was only later that I discovered that Larry had actually violently murdered his wife and managed to avoid going to prison, or worse. He even wrote a book about it, relating what he said was his true story. It was called By Reason of Insanity.
Yikes! Not that I was afraid of him, but he was way too odd for me. Working in story meetings with Esther and a couple, the Pollacks (Mike and Bob - Mike was a woman), I soon realised that this was the wrong environment for me. These were three non writers, and their ideas did not match mine. Esther wasn't into bonding with another woman. I'm guessing she was to busy being rich and famous. Luckily I had a very short contract, and I left the show as soon as I could. I just wanted out."
"I ought to mention Dynasty only because it was a famous show. Flamingo Road was cancelled and I was looking for work again. Then I thought I had a good idea. I would work with this other woman producer, Esther Shapiro, who was riding high with the very successful Dynasty. I was looking forward to a woman to woman camaraderie. I was eager to hear her war stories about being a woman in the business, and I would tell her mine.
Larry Heath (not his real name, but the name he went by) was a strange duck and I never felt comfortable working with him. I didn't know what it was about him but the vibes were weird. We had to work together but it was all too stiff and unyielding, and we definitely were not a good match. It was only later that I discovered that Larry had actually violently murdered his wife and managed to avoid going to prison, or worse. He even wrote a book about it, relating what he said was his true story. It was called By Reason of Insanity.
Yikes! Not that I was afraid of him, but he was way too odd for me. Working in story meetings with Esther and a couple, the Pollacks (Mike and Bob - Mike was a woman), I soon realised that this was the wrong environment for me. These were three non writers, and their ideas did not match mine. Esther wasn't into bonding with another woman. I'm guessing she was to busy being rich and famous. Luckily I had a very short contract, and I left the show as soon as I could. I just wanted out."
