Dynasty Discussion Thread

[amybrickwallace]

Well, the circumstances of PSM vacating the role of Nancy Drew were a pretty different. Nolan Miller also went way back with Aaron Spelling - I think they began working together in the late '50s/early '60s.

[SFK]

Yeah, I believe they met when Nolan was still working as a florist. He mentioned to Aaron that he was capable of doing costumes if he ever needed him and Aaron remembered him. Nolan was also close with Aaron's first wife, Carolyn Jones, and was interviewed for her A&E Biography. Nolan designed Morticia's iconic octopus dress. Someone really should do a coffee table book of his designs, I love to look at his sketches.

[SoapDope]

Didn't she leave because they wanted to combine both shows into one so Shaun Cassidy would get more air time ? PSM & Parker Stevenson did a film before the series and they have been interviewed together in recent years and did another film together.

There were a lot of Pamela's (Pamela Sue Martin, Pamela Bellwood, Pamela Hensley) on Spelling shows in the 80's. I wonder if Nolan had to make notes to keep them straight for costuming ? Pamela Hensley was a gorgeous woman and I'm surprised she quit acting after Matt Houston went off the air. She did marry the producer of that series E. Duke Vincent. She could have been used on a primtime soap along with Lee Horsley. Lee Horsley's career seems to have ended pretty much by the 2000's.

[amybrickwallace]

Yes - they wanted to merge the two shows (before, each show had been alternating on Sunday nights) and the role of Nancy would be minimized. At the same time, Shaun Cassidy's singing career was at its white hot peak. The producers and ABC wanted to capitalize on that as much as possible.

[John]

Janet louise Johnson aka Janet Julian replaced PSM as Nancy but only did 3 episodes. By that time, the show became The hardy boys/Nancy drew mysteries. However all the episodes didnt feature Nancy and the ones that did had the actress listed as special guest star even though her character was in the title.

Upset over this PSM qut . JLJ wasnt accepted as Nancy and the character was dropped for S3 and the show just became Hardy Boys Mysteries

[amybrickwallace]

Yup, and then HBM itself didn't last past the summer of '79.

[Gray Bunny]

I liked Claudia! I liked the way she was written in the first season (except for a couple freakout moments where she was just crazy in a hilarious way). I liked how they showed her as an outsider trying to handle fitting back in society after being locked up in the looney bin. Not only was she adjusting to society, but also adjusting to being a wife and mother again. But the first season had depth. I would have to say that she mostly wasn't needed once they wrote off Matthew and Lindsey. Although, we got that gem of a moment when we thought she had kidnapped Fallon's baby and the baby doll goes flying off the tall building and crashing below.

Pamela Bellwood had some interesting teased up hair during some of those seasons in the mid-80's, as well as all that pastel makeup. Not a good choice, but hey, it was the 80's!

Now, with Pamela Sue Martin leaving: Didn't she have some sort of condition where she was suffering from hair loss? She is definitely one I wish had popped back on television in later years. Loved her sultry voice and piercing eyes.

[amybrickwallace]

I don't know about PSM and hair loss, but I do know she has been vocal about her battle with interstitial cystitis (chronic bladder inflammation).

[SoapDope]

I laugh at the season 2 cliffhanger scene where Claudia is acting campy when Jeff & Fallon ask her about the baby and she rambled on about borrowing the mercedes and seeing a strange foreign man etc....

Dynasty had tons of laugh out loud moments. One over the top one was when Adam painted Jeff's office with toxic paint......LOL

[amybrickwallace]

Yeah, and Jeff tried to kill the suddenly-British Adam for it in the reunion movie!!

[Gray Bunny]

OMG yes, she was acting loopy as they questioned her as she was coming down the stairs. They should've known something was off about her, but they were either too involved in their own lives or just figured, "That's Claudia for ya!"

The toxic paint was no doubt DAYS' (Reilly's) inspiration when Peter Blake did the same to Laura Horton.

[amybrickwallace]

Getting back to PSM, I also read elsewhere that she was fired from her role as Nancy Drew because she had posed for Playboy. It seems from her departure from both her famous roles, there are contradictions.

Anyway, which Fallon do you think John James' Jeff had more chemistry with - PSM or ES?

How long after Michael the chauffer was dropped did his portrayer, Wayne Northrop, join DAYS?

[SoapDope]

There are contradictions concerning PSM leaving her roles. I thought PSM posed for the spread after she left Nancy Drew as a way to get back at the producers. I have also read over the years she wanted leave Dynasty early on and kept saying "I've got to get off this show"

I think PSM had the best chemistry with John James.

Wayne Northrop started appearing on Days in late 1981, so he must have gotten the job shortly after being let go from Dynasty. I have seen episodes posted of when he first appeared.

[amybrickwallace]

Thank you, SoapDope. There seem to be a lot of contradictions about PSM!! But she still seems to have strong ties to some of her former co-stars. Not long ago, I saw photos of her with Parker Stevenson and Jean Rasey from a ND/HB reunion. They all looked GREAT.

Edited September 30, 2014 by amybrickwallace

[DaytimeFan]

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