Joan Collins: I Know Where Dynasty Went Wrong

Richard Channing

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Unfortunately she doesn't really go into it in any detail.


Joan Collins: I know where Dynasty went wrong
Joan Collins

Joan Collins

22 February 2020

9:00 AM

Recovering from a bad cold and bored to tears by the fare on television, Netflix, Amazon and Hulu (it’s shocking how much schlock there is with so many choices), I broke open a big box set of Dynasty and started binge watching. It occurred to me that I had actually never seen the series, except for a few snippets here and there, and I was curious to see the reason why the show’s ratings started to plummet after the fifth season. Was it the hideousness of the clothes? Mine weren’t so bad, sometimes, but the skirts and trousers were so baggy and shapeless that, coupled with the enormous shoulder pads, they made all of us look about four foot ten. They also watered the storyline down by bringing in a plethora of characters portrayed by big names such as Charlton Heston, Barbara Stanwyck, Ali MacGraw, Rock Hudson and my pal George Hamilton so that it would have been difficult for some viewers to figure out who was who. I was confused even though Alexis was related to most of them. A massacre occurred in fabled Moldavia (a country that disappeared in 1859), at which several of the characters were assassinated and then, with horror, I saw myself as Alexis disguised as a nun trying to break the King of Moldavia out of prison. Now I know why it tanked.

In the aftermath of Oscar week most denizens of Tinseltown have gone to ground or taken off in their private jets. There were at least 20 parties inside of the ten-day window, which most of the nominees attended and were, by all accounts, quite uneventful. I went to several, culminating in what I think was the most entertaining — the Vanity Fair viewing party at the Annenberg Center. I sat next to the fabulously entertaining Tom Ford, while Percy’s dinner companion was the ever-popular Monica Lewinsky, whose life story will shortly be made into a TV movie. The question of who will play President Clinton was the buzz of the party — what actor would dare?


As a Motion Picture Academy voter, I was mildly surprised that the Korean film Parasite was up for both Best International Feature Film and Best Picture, but then that had also happened the year before when Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma was in the running. When Parasite won in both categories, I was informed that my mouth actually fell open in astonishment (as I’m sure did everyone’s, including the producers, director and cast of Parasite). That a foreign film with subtitles — which, by the way, are very difficult to read — would trump (an incautious choice of verbs, I admit) the great oeuvres of Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and Sam Mendes was a tremendous shock. This may just put paid to any future complaints about diversity recognition by the voting committee, which has regularly been accused of being controlled by old white men. I thought that the Academy could not pit a foreign language film against a movie in English, but apparently I’m in the minority… as an older white woman.

It now seems that it is absolutely prohibited to say anything about anything that doesn’t conform with the proscribed mores of the politically correct majority. I had an argument with a young actor at another party after he claimed that, according to him (and casting agents, and directors, and producers, and just about everyone in the entertainment business), the word ‘actress’ is now verboten in Hollywood. After I expressed my views in my last article for this illustrious publication, I received quite a lot of flak about my supposedly outdated opinions. I actually managed to convince the actor that they are not outdated. Like everything nowadays, it should be a ‘choice’ given to a minority (of 50 per cent), and it’s time for me to reclaim my femininity. If you want to be called ‘female actor’, be my guest, but my choice is, and always will be, actress. Reading in the press that ‘actor Joan Collins arrived at the event wearing a full-length black and silver gown’ sounded ludicrous, and extremely confusing. The mob rule is in, however, and free speech worldwide (and America’s First Amendment) has gone out.


Much sadness in the Hills of Beverly at the passing of Kirk Douglas. I was lucky enough to work with him in a TV miniseries called The Moneychangers and he was everything a great movie star should be — charming, funny, professional and nice to everyone, unlike some of today’s entitled stars who consider themselves above mere mortals. Some even have contractual specifications that no ‘eye contact’ must be made with them.

By contrast, Kirk was like many huge stars I’ve worked with — great talents like Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck — fun and down to earth, always grateful and never dismissive of the success that their talent had garnered. Kirk and I were on a boat in Cannes during the film festival, promoting The Moneychangers, when a small plane carrying a banner for my next movie passed overhead, proclaiming to one and all ‘Joan Collins IS The Bitch’. I was mortified. I turned to Kirk and said, ‘Oh that’s awful! They told me it would say “Joan Collins AS The Bitch”.’ ‘Aw, honey, it’s great publicity. Embrace it!’ He grinned, ‘It’s a compliment.’ A few years later, enter Alexis in Dynasty, and embrace it I did.


https://www.spectator.co.uk/2020/02...ezYbanGWieayENLvNf2igwIbQ66gN2R6-KggZYKmvjSwM
 

Snarky Oracle!

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Joan Collins said:
I broke open a big box set of Dynasty and started binge watching. It occurred to me that I had actually never seen the series, except for a few snippets here and there
Liar, liar, baggy pants on fire.

This is like claiming Norma Desmond has almost never seen QUEEN KELLY.

 
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Rove

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I'm curious why so many actors and actresses (yes, I'm on Joan's side) have stated publicly they've never watched their own work. I believe Patrick Duffy has stated the same about Dallas - although I could forgive him for never watching TNT Dallas. I've also heard where many actors - again actresses, you go girl - have attended another premiere where they have walked into the cinema and straight out the back door. I understand they could be working long hours on a set but let's be honest it's not hard work.

But where did Dynasty fail? Dame Joan is right. The Moldavian Massacre resolution appeared to be the tipping point for most viewers when it was realized most of the important characters had survived automatic machine gun fire. Some could argue Alexis was so devious and conniving she had an escape hatch to slip into as she wasn't seen in the first episode of Season 6 as Dame Joan was still negotiating her pay rise.
 

tommie

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I dunno
I'm curious why so many actors and actresses (yes, I'm on Joan's side) have stated publicly they've never watched their own work. I believe Patrick Duffy has stated the same about Dallas - although I could forgive him for never watching TNT Dallas. I've also heard where many actors - again actresses, you go girl - have attended another premiere where they have walked into the cinema and straight out the back door. I understand they could be working long hours on a set but let's be honest it's not hard work.

I can completely understand that. I have to sometimes transcribe interviews and I'll admit that the hardest part is listening to my own voice and not cringing. It's not that I have a horrible voice either, it's just... weird hearing it in third person. I can imagine that a lot of actors feel the same way with watching themselves on screen times a hundred.

With that said, I don't believe Dame Joan is one of these people.
 
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Tony

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Joan once said that after the second season, she hadn't time to watch the series in detail. I believe her, as Pamela Sue Martin also said the same on Wogan - she said she couldn't bear to watch it. Since Dynasty played midweek in the US, most of the cast and crew were finishing work, so I doubt they wanted to rush home and watch Dynasty.

It's easy to pinpoint where Dynasty went wrong - viewer fatigue after the resolution of the Moldavia Massacre, replacing PSM with Emma Samms, the two Krystles in a ridiculous plot, The birth of The Colbys, and the crawl like pace of 6A. Joan also hints to Dynasty losing its sparkle at the beginning of 7A with key sets like her penthouse replaced by the Carlton, the exterior scenes looking obviously like a set compared to the Mountain Gate Country Club exteriors which doubled for La Mirage, and of course replacing popular Catherine Oxenberg with a Hard Rock Cafe waitress - incidentally when are we getting our answers back from Ms Cellini?
 

Willie Oleson

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I'm curious why so many actors and actresses (yes, I'm on Joan's side) have stated publicly they've never watched their own work
Maybe because the film reminds them of all the things that happened on the set: the long hours of shooting and re-shooting, waiting, make-up, script discussions etc. This could also be the reason why some actors remember characters and storylines inaccurately.
incidentally when are we getting our answers back from Ms Cellini?
Yeah, let's send for her!
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Tony

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I wonder if she skipped season 1 when she started her binge watch? :D

According to Joan's biography Second Act, her agent sent her a tape of Season 1 which she viewed before accepting the Alexis role. She thought it was a pale imitation of Dallas, and except for Fallon as played by Pamela Sue Martin, the characters had little bite.
 

James from London

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I'm curious why so many actors and actresses (yes, I'm on Joan's side) have stated publicly they've never watched their own work.

Sometimes the acting is the fun part and watching it back can feel anti-climactic or disappointing, so you'd rather keep the memory of the actual experience (and how you imagine it came across) rather than replace it with the end result. And if it's continuing role, there's the fear that watching yourself will interfere with your performance, that you'll start to exaggerate the bits you like and become self-conscious about the bits you don't.

It all depends on how your mind works. When I used to do stand up, some comics would record their set each night to listen back to and analyse what worked and what didn't. I couldn't imagine anything worse.
 
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Jimmy Todd

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Why does everybody always believe the crap Joan spews?

I wonder if even Joan Collins believes it herself. I think the majority of the stuff she says and writes is just to stay in the public eye. When she trashed Linda Evans after they did a play together, I think she saw it as just the business of an aging star staying relevant.
 

Snarky Oracle!

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I wonder if even Joan Collins believes it herself. I think the majority of the stuff she says and writes is just to stay in the public eye. When she trashed Linda Evans after they did a play together, I think she saw it as just the business of an aging star staying relevant.
Oh, sure. Joan just blathers on to generate press, usually with self-serving (and endlessly shifting) versions of things. It's mostly harmless but gets a little dull because it's always designed to spin and brag and blame, so not much insight emerges from it.
 

Jimmy Todd

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She was highly offended when Charlotte Rae called her "rhymes with witch" and said actresses should never diss each other. I don't know if this was before or after she wrote that article insulting Linda Evans' looks.
 
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Snarky Oracle!

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She was highly offended when Charlotte Rae called her "rhymes with witch" and said actresses should never diss each other. I don't know if this was before or after she wrote that article insulting Linda Evans' looks.
Just before.

What was so funny was that Rae was interviewed on the sidewalk waiting to go in to see the play!
 

Jimmy Todd

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Just before.

What was so funny was that Rae was interviewed on the sidewalk waiting to go in to see the play!

Some of these celebrities are too funny. I loved how JC gasped and asked, "Who is that cow?" Nothing against Ms.Rae, it was just very humorous.
I wonder if JC said to CR sincerely, "Thanks for giving my play a little free publicity!" and had a drink with her after the show. Maybe they all see it as part of the business and don't take it personally.
 

Matthew Blaisdel

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With that said, I don't believe Dame Joan is one of these people.

Haha, i don't either. Not too long ago she twittered that she watched snippets of season 9 which she had in a closet and "just opened it" for that reason.
So she had that set that she opened and now this complete boxset. So how many Dynasty sets does she have? And she - of course - never watches them. Sure, lady! :giggle:
 
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