Dynasty Discussion Thread

[All My Shadows]

Pluto TV is adding a 24/7 Dynasty channel this month.

[Beetle Bailey]

I'm watching the Dynasty episodes on Pluto.  They start from season 1 and end at the end of season 5.  I think these are the best years of the show.  However, what was with the casting from season 4 on?  Whose idea was it to cast Helmut Berger as Peter DiVillbus?  He was terrible.  Maybe he was a big deal in 1970, but not by 1984.  Leonard Mann would have been a better choice.  He had already worked on another Aaron Spelling show, Charlie's Angels.  He was involved with Farrah Fawcett's character as a prince.  In season 5, Esther Shapiro wanted Rock Hudson to play Daniel Reece.  He was not well and he had no chemistry with Linda Evans.  Dirk Benedict should have been cast instead.  Ali McGraw was not a good fit as Lady Ashley Mitchell.   Jaime Lyn Bauer would have been a better choice.  She could play provocative and mysterious and would have made better acting choices in the role.

[j swift]

I don't know why Helmut Berger was cast, but this is an amusing footnote from his wiki about why he took the part.

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I am of the consensus that he was not a compelling actor, but I was amused by the way Fallon always referenced him by his full name.  Why is Peter De Vilbis here?  Get Peter De Vilbis on the phone.  What does Peter De Vilbis have to say?  Also, Culhane, Dr. Toscani, and De Vilbis all basically serve the same function of distracting Fallon, so it got repetitive regardless of the actor.

I also think in the re-watch it is easy to see why a possibly insecure John Forsythe was reportedly vicious toward Joan Collins.  Blake is so much more of an interesting character in Season 1.  His motives are questionable, he's got some verve, and there's some depth.  But, once Alexis enters, he becomes much more one note, and is certainly never the central antagonist.  Arguably, she saved the show's ratings but overshadowed John's fame.  And given that he was already second choice for the part, it must have messed with his ego.

Controversial opinion, but I think the re-boot balanced the focus between Blake, Fallon, and Alexis much better than the OG series (probably because of all the BTS issues with casting Alexis).  I know the knee-jerk reaction is to shun the re-boot, but I admire the choice to remake it and thus correct the decisions of the original series, rather than continue the story like the unsuccessful reboots of Dallas and Melrose Place.

Edited October 11, 2023 by j swift

[Chris 2]

I worked at Fox while Dynasty was still in production. Forsythe was known to be one of the nicest guys in the business. Collins was fine at the beginning, but once she “saved” the show, someone told her that big stars should be difficult, and she played that part to the hilt. I don’t know where Forsythe’s “vicious” characterization has come from recently, but I never heard it back then.

[Soapsuds]

Huh?

Gawd the Dynasty reboot was garbage and much worse than Dallas was...

[Soaplovers]

The reboot did correct the problem of Fallon's airtime... problem was that the actress cast as Fallon was one note.  They  needed to do what the original Dynasty did when casting Fallon... cast someone against type.  PSM was known as Nancy Drew, and having her play Fallon was a genius move because people had fond memories of her from Nancy Drew.  The reboot needed to cast someone that had played a warm and likable character in the past to play Fallon.

 

[j swift]

That's an impressive flex!

I could believe that as a fair account of the history.  Especially after watching many of Ms. Collins's most recent interviews for the latest volume of her many memoirs (which are full of charm and humor, but not modesty).  A lot of what were told to her as Mr Forsythe's "demands", like his placement in cast photos, or getting an equal number of scenes, were probably actually negotiated by his agent and may not have reflected negative personality traits.

I acknowledge that it is an unpopular opinion, but certainly not less valid.  And given my typically long-winded response, I doubt it needs further explanation.  On the other hand, I feel like it would be both more entertaining and engaging if you would elucidate your reply rather than just spewing negative comments as if they were facts.

I'm not an expert on the genre, but didn't Liz Gillies actually have a similar prior career as a young actress on Disney before playing Fallon?  I recall seeing her fantastic performance in the OBC of "13" by Jason Robert Brown.

But, I hope we've spent enough time readjudicating the re-boot and discuss the underrated season one of the OG series.  Including Fallon's flirtation with Cecile, and Jeff admission to smoking pot with Fallon while at the breakfast table with Krystal and Blake.  Or the mercy killing of the character of Lindsay who was finally put out of her misery.

Edited October 12, 2023 by j swift

[te.]

Helmut Berger was actually perfectly cast as a complete Eurosleaze with a cocaine addiction, unfortunately, they never truly went there and clearly things were happening behind the scenes - I've long been of the opinion that season 7b was the worst of the show, but I think the middle part of season 4 beats it. The show just completely loses its way until the Hong Kong episodes, you have characters that are just milling about and worst of all they basically decide to neutralize several conflicts on the show for no real reason, all while the music is getting louder and louder signalling to us that something is happening, but nothing is.

[j swift]

I mean, those were days when Dynasty was trying to be edgier

Edited October 11, 2023 by j swift

[SFK]

@Beetle Bailey Esther Shapiro wanted Rock Hudson to star in Emerald Point N.A.S. (the leading role would go to Dennis Weaver). I guess booking Rock for Dynasty was some form of consolation. 

[Franko]

If Dennis had said no, would Esther have continued down the NBC Mystery Movie line and approached Peter Falk?

[Chris 2]

Or George Peppard! 

Oh, wait…

[Soapsuds]

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[Soapsuds]

https://people.com/joan-collins-says-dynasty-costar-kissed-her-so-hard-she-bled-8357399?utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&utm_content=manual&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=6529ce4d0c82f000011d611a&fbclid=IwAR1X6KJhjXgyKy7OfIK4g8vyoqZR7EsVDMzKcF3jb_Dl107jo92He-tx8o4

[All My Shadows]

She was on Nickelodeon's Victorious, where her character was the resident mean girl/b!tch antagonist against the lead character. Most of Dynasty's younger audience would know her from that.