Dynasty's Gay Journey - Killer Dads, Shoulderpads, and the Kiss that Rocked Hollywood

Relax, Sable, Cousin Alexis isn't after your costume jewelry.

There have been many scenes from the final season posted on TikTok recently and it got me thinking. 

Alexis seems to be wearing a lot of Chanel in those episodes and I wonder if (a) it was actually a Nolan Miller knockoff with Chanel accessories, or (b) if it was actual Chanel because it was cheaper to buy off the rack in the final season than have Miller's couture house whip things up.  I did some googling, a ready-made Chanel suit in 1989 was $1800.00, in comparison Mr. Miller's costume budget for the 1984-1985 season was $30,000.00 per episode.  So, if budget cuts necessitated that Joan Collins could not appear in every episode of the final season, it would stand to reason that they also cut the costume budget.

There's a distinct change in wardrobe from the fantastical creations of the pre-Modavian season (like Dominique's all white entrance ensemble) versus the final season where they all seem to be wearing suits that one could buy at a high end department store.  And, most disappointing, Alexis goes entire episodes without a single costume change. I mean, does anyone expect me to believe that Alexis wore the same suit for both lunch and dinner?

Edited April 17, 20223 yr by j swift

In a way, I think it would have been better for DYNASTY's costume department to buy off-the-rack, since I'm not exactly a Nolan Miller fan, lol.

2 hours ago, j swift said:

There have been many scenes from the final season posted on TikTok recently and it got me thinking. 

Alexis seems to be wearing a lot of Chanel in those episodes and I wonder if (a) it was actually a Nolan Miller knockoff with Chanel accessories, or (b) if it was actual Chanel because it was cheaper to buy off the rack in the final season than have Miller's couture house whip things up.  I did some googling, a ready-made Chanel suit in 1989 was $1800.00, in comparison Mr. Miller's costume budget for the 1984-1985 season was $30,000.00 per episode.  So, if budget cuts necessitated that Joan Collins could not appear in every episode of the final season, it would stand to reason that they also cut the costume budget.

There's a distinct change in wardrobe from the fantastical creations of the pre-Modavian season (like Dominique's all white entrance ensemble) versus the final season where they all seem to be wearing suits that one could buy at a high end department store.  And, most disappointing, Alexis goes entire episodes without a single costume change. I mean, does anyone expect me to believe that Alexis wore the same suit for both lunch and dinner?

I know the only couple of really nice outfits I recall from the last season were evening gowns worn by Sable.

And then there are the horrors they put on Tracy Scoggins

 

Edited April 17, 20223 yr by FrenchBug82

It just occurred to me that two pivotal moments on Dynasty were pretty much echoed on the Spelling Fox shows a decade later.

Spring 1984: Goodbye Pamela Sue Martin. Dynasty lasts another 5 seasons, but it wasn't the same despite reaching #1 in 1984/85.

Spring 1994: Goodbye Shannen Doherty. Beverly Hills 90210 lasts another 6 seasons, but it wasn't the same.

Spring 1985: Royal wedding shootout. The series declines quickly in the aftermath.

Spring 1995: Melrose Place bombing. The series declines quickly in the aftermath.

Edited April 18, 20223 yr by kalbir

I wouldnt say MP declined quickly after the bombing. Season was great. It didnt really become terrible until Season 6 and well it was cancelled in 7

4 hours ago, Cheap21 said:

I wouldnt say MP declined quickly after the bombing. Season was great. It didnt really become terrible until Season 6 and well it was cancelled in 7

The bombing was the peak but I think the season after that was fine. It is when OGs started leaving and new characters that didn't always work were introduced that things started going pear-shaped.

It is not the right thread to discuss this but personally I remember the Jake/Alison pairing being the moment where I knew it wasn't just a temporary weakening of the show but the beginning of the decline.

 

 

 

15 minutes ago, FrenchBug82 said:

The bombing was the peak but I think the season after that was fine. It is when OGs started leaving and new characters that didn't always work were introduced that things started going pear-shaped.

For me, the problem with the MP bombing was that I knew, even as a casual watcher, that the show would have to go to even MORE extreme lengths to top it, or else viewers would become bored with the show overall.

Same thing with the Moldavian Massacre on DYNASTY.  Once you have gunned down practically your entire cast in what amounts to a terrorist attack, where else is there to go?

Edited April 19, 20223 yr by Khan

We've had these discussions in the MP thread - I think a lot of S4 works but once Darren Star leaves and the stories and characters he set up begin to go sideways, it gets pretty nuts by the end. S5 was an intriguing attempt at a more grounded change but a lot of it doesn't work while only some did. S6 is awful, and S7 isn't perfect but is a pretty decent recovery season (again, brought to us by former Knots Landing creatives). MP should not have been cancelled given the success of S7.

Edited April 19, 20223 yr by Vee

John James, Gordon Thomson, and Jack Coleman have been doing a three man show where they talk about Dynasty and last week Dame Joan, Maxwell Caulfield, and Pamela Bellwood joined them to watch their show in Los Angeles. As it was John James' birthday, a cake was presented, and of course Dame Joan got to cut it. There's often been discussion about the various 'camps' in the Dynasty cast, but there was never any doubt that those in this picture got along very well.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Joan Collins (@joancollinsdbe)

Edited April 23, 20223 yr by DaytimeFan

Put me in the camp of those who thought MP significantly declined after the bombing. The aftermath was just so dumb, and Kimberly staying on the show was stupid.

 

On 4/23/2022 at 2:04 AM, DaytimeFan said:

John James, Gordon Thomson, and Jack Coleman have been doing a three man show where they talk about Dynasty and last week Dame Joan, Maxwell Caulfield, and Pamela Bellwood joined them to watch their show in Los Angeles. As it was John James' birthday, a cake was presented, and of course Dame Joan got to cut it. There's often been discussion about the various 'camps' in the Dynasty cast, but there was never any doubt that those in this picture got along very well.

 

Love seeing a mini-Dynasty reunion. I think, in the beginning (when Joan Collins joined the cast), there might've been some animosity within the cast. But they've all grown up and it seems to be settled now.