Dynasty Discussion Thread

[SFK]

That is nuts (and lol @Pacific Palisades Carl ), but I guess they all had the "bird in the hand" mentality. I mean, I'm the type who would take the yearly checks over the lump sum when winning the lottery, there's only but SO much money one can reasonably spend in a year. It's not like Dynasty has had a great syndication here in the states, it's done much better in foreigh markets. But residuals checks can be random and "paltry", I guess I can understand why they did it.

Yes, Claudia looks like a linebacker. Or Kanye West. It's funny how much fluffier chinchilla (Dominique) is bred these days. And Nolan had the gall to use fake chinchilla for Linda Evans in the reunion (gasp!) on CBS (double gasp!). BTW, last I heard, Nolan was very ill with lung cancer. I wonder if he's doing better and if he'll be up to dress the new project. He must.

[DRW50]

Poor Nolan. His clothes for Dominique and Alexis really hold up well.

I saw that short interview with Diahann, it's probably already been posted here, where she gives her reasons for wanting to do Dynasty - she thought the shows were ridiculous and wanted to be a part of that unreality. I love that she says "Falcon's Crest" I just wish the show had kept to her idea for the character (someone who is the same as any white male character in being ruthless and driven and not burdened by someone's idea of race or gender). I'll also post a lovely little video for Dominique, probably already seen, but it's one of those examples of fanvids putting together the best of a character. I think they had a whole Dominique: The Series.

Is the last guy the one she left the show with?

Edited November 12, 2013 by DRW50

[quartermainefan]

daytimefan, I think you might be out of date with the Collins contract status.

Edited January 15, 2011 by quartermainefan

[quartermainefan]

Chris Pine as Blake...I think that is an interesting choice because he did show this great ability to channel William Shatner without actually imitating him and presume he could do the same for Forsythe. Plus, he has the great head of hair anyone needs to step into Forsythe's tux. Not familiar with her suggestion for Alexis.

ok, not seeing this for her. He fits.

Edited January 15, 2011 by quartermainefan

[DaytimeFan]

LOL. In all fairness, Aaron hired Joan for 'Pacific Palisades' because of her battle with Random House that drained her cash flow, no other reason, he simply wanted to help out a friend. He paid her $75,000 an episode. She did seven, those couple of months grossed a tidy $525,000 for Joan, right when she needed it most.

Joan has always struck me as the type who lives high, regardless of whether the money is there or not. I am aware, however, that post Random House, Joan smartened up, paid off her mortgages and has since managed her money herself in an ultra conservative manner designed by her pal Jimmy Goldsmith.

And yes, nobody from the Aaron Spelling universe makes residuals, aside from a handful who got producer credits on his shows (Heather Locklear was a co-producer for the last few seasons of 'Melrose Place' for instance). Otherwise, nobody has residuals from the Spelling shows.

Joan has said that they were all convinced that 'Dynasty' would not sell well in syndication because it was a serial and therefore couldn't be stripped as easily. Domestically, this proved totally true. However, the foreign residuals have been massive money makers. The DVD sales couldn't hurt either. As well, the deals the majority got were substantial. $1.5 million was nearly a year's salary for Joan and it was CASH, it's what she used to buy her villa in the south of France (a place that now would be worth $30 million, if not more, for the land alone).

Nolan had the gall to use fake chinchilla for Linda Evans in the reunion on CBS because the outfit he did for Linda was specifically for that show. Everyone else, Joan included, wore their own clothes.

Nolan has been dealing with lung cancer since 2006. He looked terribly ill in 2007 and 2008, but he was photographed with Ann-Margret at an event in Beverly Hills last May and he looked great, his hair is white now and his tan has faded, but he looked like himself and was no longer gaunt, he looked good. I hope he is in full remission. He never smoked and he's always seemed like a really affable straight shooter. You can watch recent videos of him on QVC's website, he has a jewellery line there.

I found it interesting that in the HELLO! layout of Joan's London home, one of the only non-family members who is in photographs with Joan (in silver picture frames, naturally) is Nolan. She and Nolan are BFF. Regardless of what's going on with him, I am confident that Joan has a watchful eye on him.

Edited January 15, 2011 by DaytimeFan

[DaytimeFan]

No, I have it on very good authority that the clause is in effect for perpetuity. The Shapiro's have worked out a deal with Joan that financially compensates her. This puts Joan in a good mood, she takes to her Twitter to boost the movie a little. Very Hollywood .

[DRW50]

Chris Pine seems so generic to me, but then Blake was kind of generic himself, although Forsythe had a lot of charm.

That was nice of Aaron to help Joan when she needed it. While one could say she basically made Dynasty a success, that doesn't mean he had to pay her back in kind, so that was gracious of him. It's too bad the show didn't do better.

I'm glad to hear Joan has been taking good care of herself moneywise, although I'm sure someone would say don't worry about this wealthy woman with world contacts, she will do just fine, save your worries for others. But still, you look at how many people who were once millionaires ending up in some gutter, and you know she has done a good job steering herself on course.

Did they also sign over their royalties for the reunions (the mini-series and then the one they did for John Forsythe a few years ago)?

[DaytimeFan]

Yes, it was a very gracious, thoughtful, kind thing of Aaron Spelling to do. From what I understand, that's just who he was. Now, that isn't to say he was some pushover (he was a nightmare if you crossed him)...but if you were there for Aaron, Aaron was there for you. I think 'Dynasty' was the pinnacle of Aaron's career and I think his long standing friendship with Joan (they'd known each other since the 50s) was kismet.

They did not sign away their royalties for the reunion mini-series (they all took paycuts instead, Joan only made $200,000 for the thing!) or CBS reunion (which paid so bad Diahann Carroll refused to do it, Joan was paid the best at $55,000, her buddy Henry Winkler was the producer, surprise surprise).

I feel the same way you do about Joan. I'd hate to see her lowered, financially or otherwise, simply because she survived the business so long and only tasted real success in her late 40s. She hung in there, she deserved it.

That said, Joan Collins is expensive to run. Four homes, three children, three grandchildren, constant travelling, trainers, clothes, costume jewels...the lifestyle is expensive, hence she works. She's not doing 5 weeks of pantomime for nothing!

Edited January 15, 2011 by DaytimeFan

[DRW50]

Was Joan ever on any of his other shows before Dynasty?

I have often wondered why they even had the first reunion. The show had kind of fizzled in its last years, in terms of public interest (I enjoyed the last year), and it hadn't been very long.

I do wish they could have scenes from today in this new movie, with some of the characters. I also think it would be fun if someone paid a little money to just film a few quick scenes with Alexis, Sammy Jo, Dominique, Fallon, Adam, etc. sparring and so on. They could run on foreign TV briefly as promotion or just put together on a quick DVD release.

Why do you think Dynasty translates more to foreign places than the US?

[quartermainefan]

I have found that there is a fascination with uber-American things even as everyone looks down on America. I remember living in London back in the 80s and more than once ran into someone who was curious if it was just like Dallas. Gangsters, westerns, big soap operas...people seem to like these unrealistic fantasy American concepts even as Americans get bored with them. Recently I was playing a game online with someone from Europe and all he could tell me was how much he loved Jersey Shore and thought it was the greatest show he ever saw. He was disappointed when I could not reply with the proper response to his Jersey catchphrase of "Gym, Tan, Laundry"

Not everyone of course, but these broad things that cross language barriers seem to have always been popular.

Edited January 15, 2011 by quartermainefan

[DaytimeFan]

Joan was 'Fantasy Island' in the 70s, she played Cleopatra. It was that role which inspired Spelling to hire Joan as Alexis. Aside from that and an appearance on 'The Love Boat' after she'd started on 'Dynasty,' Joan never worked on a Spelling project.

Joan knew Aaron through her friend Carolyn Jones (with whom she'd done an MGM musical, 'The Opposite Sex'), who was Aaron's first wife, who he remained tremendous friends with until her untimely death. Joan knew Aaron socially and I think that's why they worked, they were friends first and in a business relationship second.

I actually think the 60s adaptation will flop if it does get made. I just don't see the point of it, 'Dynasty' was good because it featured adults with adult toys and adult problems. Do I really care to see Chris Pine suffer? Why should Gemma Arterton be a tremendously fun bitch when she's barely 20? To basically take Blake and Alexis and transplant their personalities into younger bodies will betray the integrity of the show, insofar as the character motivations go. It'll be ludicrous to have the audience under the impression that Alexis was always a bitch, when it was clear from day one that it simply wasn't the case.

To me, there is no 'Dynasty' without Joan Collins.

I think 'Dynasty' translates in the foreign market so much better because the glamour it represented is still very aspirational overseas. For better or for worse, it defines the American 'success story' for the world. It highlights money, greed, power...perhaps it was a little too close for comfort in the long run once the Go Go 80s were over and the bottom fell out of the market.

Not for nothing, but I think it also helped that Spelling sent cast members on foreign press tours all the time. Joan Collins was sent across the damn globe to promote the show. She was savvy at what she did. I think Joan, especially, saw 'Dynasty' as the career opportunity of a lifetime. Those first few years on the show, she hustled. She did every magazine, every television show (from the Barbara Walters Special to Good Morning Albuquerque), every appearance she possibly could to drive up her visibility. She branded everything she could. She worked, worked, worked. Often when other people thought she was playing.

[DRW50]

I can see why Joan wanted less to do in the later years, between the publicity and her side projects and the fiasco of Peter Holm she must have been exhausted.

Weird that someone would be married to both Carolyn Jones and...Candy.

I'll have to look for those episodes. I was never very fond of Love Boat, but liked some of Fantasy Island, when it wasn't too silly.

Edited January 15, 2011 by CarlD2

[All My Shadows]

Is it true that Joan and Aaron lived in the same building in Hollywood when they were both aspiring actors? At the TV Land Awards a few years ago, they honored Aaron and had various people from his shows come out and share brief anecdotes, and hers was about how she told him if he ever became a famous producer, she'd eat her "haht." So of course she said she'd have to eat one of the "fahbulous hahts" he had her wear when they "were making Dyyyynasty."

[Chris B]

Doing a Dynasty movie is silly. Especially with a new Dallas series, they need to attempt to either remake the show or do the prequel as an actual series. It would be far more interesting to remake Dynasty set in the 80s though. If you take the mold of the first and second season (moreso the first in regards to Steven, Blake and Fallon's characterizations) you can actually have a very strong cable show.

After that the show was just dreadful until that final season. I actually rank both seasons of The Colbys better than most of Dynasty. I'd like to rewatch it but it becomes too painful lol.

[SFK]

I'm hoping that they're aiming less high and envisioning a TV movie, because big screen, no way. This is the kind of thing that SoapNet should have been behind from day one. A well-produced prequel telefilm could have potentially been a lucrative 5-night event for the network.

I agree with DaytimeFan, I do love the idea of a prequel but no one is interested in Dyna$ty unless it's dripping in diamonds. This is Spelling, not Steinbeck, and spending too much time on humble roots will be a fail. It has to be established that the Morells and Scotts had some pennies, no one wants to see Alexis looking less than dressed to the nines. We know The Colbys had money. But what also made Dynasty so special was the almost retro-futuristic aesthetic thanks almost entirely to Nolan Miller. It was the '80s but people were being dressed and living like it was the '40s so it had this neat period feel while establishing its OWN period identity at the same time. The costumers set decorators would have to inject some type of futurism to at least make that quality of the show as special in the context of a new spin on the franchise. And Nolan btw was one of the main interviewees for Carolyn Jones' Biography on A&E.