Dynasty and I: A 23 years old watches Dynasty for the 1st time

[Rove]

My opinion, and mine only : The Reunion is the low point. So low that I deny its existence. In my head it's non canon, it's an alternate pathetic universe I want to forget.

Perhaps it would have been best to offer Dynasty some dignity by offering a mini series ending rather than a reunion. I remember watching the reunion and thinking this is awful. How can they get it so wrong? It's how I feel about the Dallas reunions but hey...they are still up for debate on other threads.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Perhaps it would have been best to offer Dynasty some dignity by offering a mini series ending rather than a reunion. I remember watching the reunion and thinking this is awful. How can they get it so wrong? It's how I feel about the Dallas reunions but hey...they are still up for debate on other threads.

The 1991 Reunion was not one scintilla worse than I thought it would be... Sure, it was bad, but -- at least to me -- totally in keeping with the creative standards of most of the weekly series. It was just a shock for some folks to see the incompetence on display in an isolated one-off context nearly 3 years after the show had ended, let alone directly following sublime Season 9.

In fact, the first half of the Reunion wasn't all that awful-ish.

I still say Season 7-B was the nadir of DYNASTY; the absolute dregs. But then it's all just a matter of degree.

 

[colbyco]

Instead of keeping Claudia throughout Season 6 they should have killed her in Moldavia. And I think there a many reasons why this would have been a “win-win” situation for Pamela and the show:
- Pamela Bellwood would have had a peaceful pregnancy without the show in her life. Which is obviously good for her!
- Claudia didn’t brought much to Season 6: She married and divorced Adam and whined 25+ episodes long about the little oil field she inherited.
- Therefore they could have saved Pamela Bellwoods salary aswell as saving the costs for burning down the La Mirage Set

This means there would have been money left to give Catherine Oxenberg her raise and keep her on the show...
... and maybe 1 or 2 different writers to save the script of season 7.

- Good points! But Dynasty´s producers were never logical ... they had enough money to give that damn $ 2000 more to fan favorit Oxenberg ...
but I think after Collins´ fight with the producers about more money at the beginning of S6 Speeling wanted to stop any further money fights ... how dumb!
I think he would have bought the hotel set anyway - I think he even bought it before they did write the fire.

Killing her in Moldavia would have added some urgency to the finale and the next season's opener. With all that buildup and such a finale they needed at least two major characters to bite the dust.(Or at least show Krystle deflecting the bullets with Wonder Woman bracelets).
Speaking of Claudia's oil well, why didn't Blake just give it to her? He was very protective of Claudia at the end of season 1 and into season 2. He even socked Cecil in the jaw for referring to her as a "prostitute." He didn't the well. It seemed a bit out of character for him to not give it to her.

- Blake said the oil well wasn´t his own property it belonged DC and after she fall in forbidden love with Adam and spoke against him in court ...

I have watched around 1/3 of the season 7. All I can say that I was never so bored while watching Dynasty. I even started to miss Rita.

However I don’t to want to start a rant about S7.

I have a rather specific question concerning the Dynasty scripts. Since I started watching Dynasty It came to my attention that throughout its run on TV Dynasty was rewritten, retolled many times.

Are there any specific scripts, newspaper articles, blog post online that show what was rewritten, retooled throughout the years? Which Ideas where scrap or put into the script at the last possible moment?

I‘m thankful for every information I could get

- here you can read a lot of deleted scenes https://carringtondynasty.fandom.com/wiki/Sideswiped_(1986)
but how can you be bored? Alexis owning everything, the evil horde living in the mansion, SJ & Clay the season´s hottest tv couple, the black&white ball,
the LexDex comeback, Caress is back, the cafight, the explosion, a love remembered ...pure tv gold

 

[tommie]

- Good points! But Dynasty´s producers were never logical ... they had enough money to give that damn $ 2000 more to fan favorit Oxenberg ...
but I think after Collins´ fight with the producers about more money at the beginning of S6 Speeling wanted to stop any further money fights ... how dumb!
I think he would have bought the hotel set anyway - I think he even bought it before they did write the fire.

Yeah, after the movie bombed he likely got it for cheap so I think he was going to use it somehow. It wouldn't surprise me if he used it in some pilot that didn't get picked up initially before shipping it off to Dynasty; actually thinking about it - Dark Mansions was filmed around that time so he might've initially bought the Clue set for it in case it got picked up for a series.

 

[GillesDenver]

I think he would have bought the hotel set anyway - I think he even bought it before they did write the fire.

Of course Aaron Spelling did, the set popped in the first season of "The Colbys" as Frankie's hotel room in London.
It was a set that was supposed to be used for "Dark Mansions" if it had been picked up as a series.

but how can you be bored? Alexis owning everything, the evil horde living in the mansion, SJ & Clay the season´s hottest tv couple, the black&white ball,
the LexDex comeback, Caress is back, the cafight, the explosion, a love remembered ...pure tv gold

Everything is so contriving and stupid that is more likely plywood tv. Except for "a love remembered" which is the peak of the season.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Good points! But Dynasty´s producers were never logical ... they had enough money to give that damn $ 2000 more to fan favorite Oxenberg ...
but I think after Collins´ fight with the producers about more money at the beginning of S6 Spelling wanted to stop any further money fights ... how dumb!

I think that's it -- Joan had gone AWOL for one episode while in a fight over her salary, and they wanted to send a message to everybody else by saying "no" to Oxenberg, no matter how little she asked for. And being able to say "no" is terribly important to executives.
.

but how can you be bored? Alexis owning everything, the evil horde living in the mansion, SJ & Clay the season´s hottest tv couple, the black&white ball,
the LexDex comeback, Caress is back, the cafight, the explosion, a love remembered ...pure tv gold

Sure. On paper. But the execution of these promising points was just absolutely dead. And "dead" equals boring.

Season 7 could have been like Season 2 on steroids, but 'roid rage can kill you. Kill you dead. And turn you into something unrecognizable.

 

[colbyco]

Of course Aaron Spelling did, the set popped in the first season of "The Colbys" as Frankie's hotel room in London.
It was a set that was supposed to be used for "Dark Mansions" if it had been picked up as a series.

Everything is so contriving and stupid that is more likely plywood tv. Except for "a love remembered" which is the peak of the season.

- I just love it and it would have been much better with Oxenberg and without re-tooling. While S6´s re-tooling was a great gift
this change was just stupid.
And once again I just love S7A - it feels like one season together with S6B - no other season´s break was so smoth ...
for me S6 & S7A delivers the best years of the show + S9 which set a big point at the end ...

 

[GillesDenver]

Yes, season 7B would have been much better without the retooling : Blake's revenge on Alexis, Krystle's fatal disease, the love square with Blake, Krystle, Dex and the nurse... The only thing was needed to be scrapped was Amanda's marriage to Michael Culhane.

 

[colbyco]

Yes, season 7B would have been much better without the retooling : Blake's revenge on Alexis, Krystle's fatal disease, the love square with Blake, Krystle, Dex and the nurse... The only thing was needed to be scrapped was Amanda's marriage to Michael Culhane.

- The thing about Michael and the mafia sounds like "Falcon Crest" but also interesting ... and Ben blackmailing Alexis to marry him ...
just WOW - better than the nice uncle he became!

 

[thomaswak]

- Good points! But Dynasty´s producers were never logical ... they had enough money to give that damn $ 2000 more to fan favorit Oxenberg ...
but I think after Collins´ fight with the producers about more money at the beginning of S6 Speeling wanted to stop any further money fights ... how dumb!

Maybe Aaron was afraid that paying Catherine that raise would open the pandora box, leading to many other actors to ask for a raise too. Maybe he just wanted to send a strong message, à la Game Of Thrones, to the rest of the cast : The Spellings send their regards

 

[The2ndLostSonOfAlexis]

but how can you be bored? Alexis owning everything, the evil horde living in the mansion, SJ & Clay the season´s hottest tv couple, the black&white ball,
the LexDex comeback, Caress is back, the cafight, the explosion, a love remembered ...pure tv gold

These are all good points why season 7 should work. But somehow it doesn’t for work me.
Blake trying to rebuild his empire is probably the best part of season 7 so far. Alexis in the mansion is all fine but they could have done “more“. Overall it kinda lacks a clear direction. Even the style doesn’t make up for it.

Bringing back Michael is a big No for me. With the new Amanda is turns even into a bigger No!

here you can read a lot of deleted scenes https://carringtondynasty.fandom.com/wiki/Sideswiped_(1986)

Thank you very much! I really appreciate it

Sure. On paper. But the execution of these promising points was just absolutely dead. And "dead" equals boring.

Season 7 could have been like Season 2 on steroids, but 'roid rage can kill you. Kill you dead. And turn you into something unrecognizable.

I agree. Great ideas but the execution is very lackluster.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I agree. Great ideas but the execution is very lackluster.

-------------

DYNASTY got caught in the repeated pattern of having characters move back and forth -- whether it's a relationship, a business deal, or a home -- from A to B and back to A without knowing what to do with them once they're there.

Alexis living in the mansion should have been done like a horror movie: Norma Desmond or Cruella de Vil with a candelabra and dressed in black while it thunders and lightnings outside, the camera tilted ominously. At least for a while.

But no. She was just there. And then she'd move out again.

 

[thomaswak]

Alexis taking over the Mansion should have been more...
But's it's Dynasty, the show of missed opportunities.

 

[The2ndLostSonOfAlexis]

Alexis living in the mansion should have been done like a horror movie: Norma Desmond or Cruella de Vil with a candelabra and dressed in black while it thunders and lightnings outside, the camera tilted ominously. At least for a while.

This is almost the same thing I had in mind while I was watching! “Do something with the mansion, It took your 5 seasons to get there.” However I preferred Alexis in the penthouse. The mansion fitted Blake better because he was an old school patriarch. The darker and classic atmosphere suited him better than Alexis. Alexis was a modern day woman (being in business, managing Family, company and Love life at the same time). The penthouse was the better background for her personality. At least for my taste.

 

[thomaswak]

This is almost the same thing I had in mind while I was watching! “Do something with the mansion, It took your 5 seasons to get there.” However I preferred Alexis in the penthouse. The mansion fitted Blake better because he was an old school patriarch. The darker and classic atmosphere suited him better than Alexis. Alexis was a modern day woman (being in business, managing Family, company and Love life at the same time). The penthouse was the better background for her personality. At least for my taste.

Quoted for truth.

Alexis in the Manson felt out of place. She was too modern for it. Someone said she should have redecorate it in her style. And I agree. Imagine how pissed off Blake would have been...

 

[GillesDenver]

These are all good points why season 7 should work. But somehow it doesn’t for work me.
Blake trying to rebuild his empire is probably the best part of season 7 so far.

I think it's phony at best. We already know that he will succeed so some impediments were needed. Real impediments, not stupidities as Alexis trying to prove that Blake start a fire at his hotel the night when all his familly was there. And the Crater project was terrible. Blake lost his whole estate except for the a piece of land his mother gave to him. How convinient. The worst part is once Blake got his estate back, he shut down the Crater project. So much time was devoting to build something that would just disappear after only a few episodes.

Bringing back Michael is a big No for me. With the new Amanda is turns even into a bigger No!

It's ABC who really wanted Michael back. Probably because Wayne Northrop was popular at the time thanks to his role in "Days of our lives". But also because one executive (Peter Roth) really disliked Amanda and insisted of having her more like Fallon. Hence the return of Michael. Actually his return, just like Steven and Sammy Jo's renewed romance, were already discussed during the retooling of season 6.
Amanda (from December 20, 1985) :

Steven and Sammy Jo (from January 2, 1986) :

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Uggh.... that stupid memo. I feel nauseous.

 

[The2ndLostSonOfAlexis]

@GillesDenver
Wow, these Memos are a treasure! Thank you for showing them!

But these ideas can be really considered to come straight outta the recycling bag:
- SJ& Steven already happend Season 2 and Steven was certainly “gayer” in Season 5&6.
I just don’t get why the writers keep giving Steven one relationship with a woman after another.
Even the Claudia&Steven Marriage was a bit “too normal” for a marriage that was only sealed for the purpose of keeping Danny with Steven.
- Michael + Amanda = Michael & Fallon in S1

 

[Tony]

Thanks for the memos. Do you have any more from the retooling you can share?

I think Peter Roth's perception and dislike of Amanda is precisely what made the character a hit at least with the American audience - posh, self absorbed, moody, sullen, Princess Di look alike. What they didn't want was a smily, happy Karen Cellini caricature.

I remember George Hamilton remarking in the summer of 1985 he was at a British polo match with Catherine Oxenberg and the photographers went crazy over her. I remember there was even a newspaper poster of Michael Praed and Catherine Oxenberg in their wedding outfits in my Chemistry classroom!

Season 6 should have capitalised on the Catherine/Di mania but unfortunately the character and plot suffered mainly because of the diluted storylines caused by The Colbys spin off.

 

[Monzo]

fan favorit Oxenberg ...

Was Catherine Oxenberg really a fan favorite or is this just wishful thinking by some of her few loyal fans? Amanda was part of the unpopular Moldavia storyline and even in pre-internet days everybody knew about and witnessed her bad acting. After Dynasty Oxenberg did some tv movies like any other soap actor would, but it's not like Hollywood was waiting for this so-called fan favorite. I think replacing Krystle, Dominique or Sammy Jo with another actress in season 7 would have been a much bigger shock for fans than this Amanda recast.