'Dynasty' was about "the 48-room dollhouse". Linda Evans observed, "...In these shows a lot of problems are solved....You can learn from it, even though it's escapism." The dollhouse, Filoli estate, was built in 1916. Its last occupants bought the place in 1937. Then in 1975, the owners decided to donate the Filoli to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Since the start of the 1982-83 season, "'Dynasty' has been the most popular show with women of all ages from teenagers to grandmothers." Its popularity attracted guest stars such as fitness instructor Frank Cuva who appeared in 1983.
Douglas S. Cramer claimed, "This is the new era of the Reagan world. People own jets and own Rolls and live in that kind of house and we see why they live like they do." John James believed, "I think 'Dynasty' almost transcends the label of being a night time soap opera. It has very good writing and the production quality is fantastic. The money spent is right up there on the screen, and the producers spend a lot of it. Everyone on the show puts in 100% to break the notion, 'Well, it's only television'. I think our work is finally starting to be recognized."
John Forsythe played Senator William Powers in the Norman Lear’s sitcom 'The Powers That Be' in 1992. "He’s been in the Senate for 25 years and hasn’t made a splash....He tries to recapture some of that potential," John explained. "In television you create an image that is engraved in the audience’s mind...When I did 'And Justice For All', I was the S.O.B. That was a triumph of casting against type." John James recalled, "I remember doing a scene with George Peppard in the role of Blake Carrington for the pilot. That was in the spring (of 1980) and by the autumn (of 1980) it had been decided that John Forsythe should take over the role. But we still had to pretend it was spring, so they planted 20,000 artificial flowers in the garden of the Carrington mansion." At one time, viewers actually mistaken the make-believe La Mirage resort as shown on 'Dynasty' for the real thing and jammed the switchboard with telephone enquiries.
On 'Dynasty', John James' character was the "closest thing to a good guy." John insisted, "I looked at all the other characters and everything was a shade of evil so I decided to make Jeff stand for old-fashioned morals in an evil show where everyone is out to backstab." His story: "I had just finished a play in New York and had been off 'Search For Tomorrow' (he made his debut in 1977). I wasn't quite sure where to go at the ripe old age of 23, since I didn't want to do another daytime drama, yet I wanted more experience. My agent said that we'd head out to California and see what interest was there. About 3 days before we were planning to leave she told me about an open casting call. The late agent Joyce Selznick had been employed to conduct a national talent search. That went over like a lead balloon with me, because I realized they'd be seeing up to 100 actors a day for 2 weeks. I was shooting pinball in Times Square 10 minutes before my interview, and I just sort of sauntered over. The next thing I knew, I was signed to do a test and was on a flight to California the next day.
"I went to the Academy of Performing Arts for 2 years and experienced very similar things. To have that film on a plane leaving New York for who-knows-what was something I'll never forget. I just kept ordering more Bloody Marys...I was originally screen tested for the role of Steven Carrington. They ended up hiring Al Corley for Steven and me for Jeff. It was difficult in the beginning because there was no background written for Jeff. We just sort of developed the character as we went along.
"Jeff was just a vehicle for Fallon in the beginning – just someone for her to bounce off. I was pursuing Fallon and she was running away. But my uncle used his influence on her to bring the 2 dynasties together. I think the original thing was to establish those 2 wealthy families, the Carringtons and the Colbys, and then to show the 2 families involved in a power struggle."
John James also made the point, "The once-a-week soap opera is so much different. You get so much more into the material. When you're on 5 days a week, you do a lot of backing and filling to fill the time. But when it's just one night a week, you have to cram in a lot of information…I'd like to stay in television – it's the power medium of the industry, and it gets into the nooks and crannies of society. I don't think film ever was or ever will be as powerful as television, and I'm very content where I am right now (in 1986)."
In 1982, John James guest starred on 'The Love Boat'. Of one Mediterranean cruise, he recounted, "I flew to Istanbul, Turkey, where I joined the ship. We cruised to Monte Carlo, then to Capri, and there we left the ship and went to Rome and Venice. I think the best part was Monaco. We met Prince Albert, the son of Princess Grace, and had dinner with him. Afterward, we went back to the palace and I borrowed one of the his sports jackets and he drove me to Regine's. We filmed at the palace in Monaco, the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps in Rome and the Grand Canal in Venice. Marie (Osmond) and I were to get into a gondola. I thought it would be romantic if we stood on the back of the boat – precariously standing, I might add, because the boat was rocking. If we fell into the water we'd have had to go straight to the hospital because of the pollution."
"In my thinking, acting is an art," Pamela Sue Martin had said. "You can't rush art. You have to take your time and let whatever happens, happen. I feel like when it comes to any kind of art form, you have to take your time. I rush all my life, but when it comes to my work, I don't like to be rushed...I think one of the most valuable things in life is the exchange of information. I try to live in the flow of information. I like to one way or another exchange with people or with books or movies or art ."
