"...Some people feel a mission to broaden the audience's outlook," Joan Collins had said, "I don’t. I entertain. If I want to be educated, I don’t watch TV, I take a crash course." On 'Dynasty', Joan played Alexis. "She was the female Donald Trump...Do you know how many girls in their early 20s today are called Alexis? It became one of the most popular names of the early '80s - Alexis and Krystle."
Between 1982 and 1987, 'Dynasty' was nominated 6 times at the Golden Globe Awards for Best Drama, winning in 1983. Esther Shapiro hinted, "Unpredictability is the key. We do things the audience doesn't expect." Of 'Dynasty', Esther explained, "We found that the audience wasn't very interested in the oil workers' stories. But people were just fascinated by what was going on inside that castle." She pointed out, "We got a letter from one woman who said her husband has left her, life is horrible, and she has nothing to live for, except her paycheck and 'Dynasty'. Daytime serials are different. they have so much time that all the characters can react to every situation. They can converse over coffee and mull things over. We have 48 minutes, and we like to tell a lot of stories." Aaron Spelling acknowledged, "I wasn't surprised that the show became a hit. Although there was no way I knew it would become the phenomenon it is."
"The evil villains in soap operas must have some sixth sense," one critic observed. Esther elaborated, "People love the characters, particularly when they're playing as the audience expects them to be. But too many characters made it hard to emphasize the stories you want for your major characters." Linda Evans expressed after the 1984 cliffhanger episode, "I'm relieved. You can't do a cliffhanger every season. If we want to talk to the producers about where our character is going or disagree with how they've been doing things, we should talk to them before the beginning of the new year. And they listen. Krystle is getting stronger. She is finding her strengths. That happened to me personally 3 years ago (in 1981). And she's in the process of getting stronger as a woman in her 30s. I think Krystle got mostly the good parts of my character. I believe that, like Krystle, I enjoy and like people. I believe that I’m also very faithful and very loving to people I care about. I think Krystle is a good friend, and I believe I am, also."
Esther made the observation, "When I wonder if something is too outrageous, I look at people we all know, and it seems pale. We're using the same serial form (Charles) Dickens used in ‘Nicholas Nickleby'. It's basic Shakespeare and 'I, Claudius', where the Romans would poison each other and tell each other off. Audiences love it. They often can't say the things they want. It's a fantasy kind of expression." Esther insisted the writers "are dramatists constantly looking for conflict in the characters...If you're reality bound, you'll have problems with this kind of writing."
Of the pilot, Linda remembered, "It was so bizarre. Nine-tenths of the pilot was done (when George Peppard left)." Esther made known, "Peppard was moving to a different drummer." Linda added, "The wedding was so spectacular. They spent $100,000 on flowers alone. Then I came back in the same dress and married John Forsythe. Aaron Spelling is willing to put the money up on the screen. He doesn’t scrimp. The women's outfits begin at $2000. Tiffany's brings in the necklaces and earrings."
Nolan Miller recalled, "We get a script 2 days before the concept meeting. I have only 4 or 5 days before shooting to design and make the clothes....Each character has her own look." Elaine Rich believed, "You need drama to propel the audience from one episode to the next." E. Duke Vincent voiced, "Any television show starts with a concept and if you don't have a story you don't have anything but probably the most important thing in television is casting and that's where (Aaron Spelling) is king."
"The evil villains in soap operas must have some sixth sense," one critic observed. Esther elaborated, "People love the characters, particularly when they're playing as the audience expects them to be. But too many characters made it hard to emphasize the stories you want for your major characters." Linda Evans expressed after the 1984 cliffhanger episode, "I'm relieved. You can't do a cliffhanger every season. If we want to talk to the producers about where our character is going or disagree with how they've been doing things, we should talk to them before the beginning of the new year. And they listen. Krystle is getting stronger. She is finding her strengths. That happened to me personally 3 years ago (in 1981). And she's in the process of getting stronger as a woman in her 30s. I think Krystle got mostly the good parts of my character. I believe that, like Krystle, I enjoy and like people. I believe that I’m also very faithful and very loving to people I care about. I think Krystle is a good friend, and I believe I am, also."
Esther made the observation, "When I wonder if something is too outrageous, I look at people we all know, and it seems pale. We're using the same serial form (Charles) Dickens used in ‘Nicholas Nickleby'. It's basic Shakespeare and 'I, Claudius', where the Romans would poison each other and tell each other off. Audiences love it. They often can't say the things they want. It's a fantasy kind of expression." Esther insisted the writers "are dramatists constantly looking for conflict in the characters...If you're reality bound, you'll have problems with this kind of writing."
Of the pilot, Linda remembered, "It was so bizarre. Nine-tenths of the pilot was done (when George Peppard left)." Esther made known, "Peppard was moving to a different drummer." Linda added, "The wedding was so spectacular. They spent $100,000 on flowers alone. Then I came back in the same dress and married John Forsythe. Aaron Spelling is willing to put the money up on the screen. He doesn’t scrimp. The women's outfits begin at $2000. Tiffany's brings in the necklaces and earrings."
Nolan Miller recalled, "We get a script 2 days before the concept meeting. I have only 4 or 5 days before shooting to design and make the clothes....Each character has her own look." Elaine Rich believed, "You need drama to propel the audience from one episode to the next." E. Duke Vincent voiced, "Any television show starts with a concept and if you don't have a story you don't have anything but probably the most important thing in television is casting and that's where (Aaron Spelling) is king."
