"The only constant thing in life is change," Joan Collins remarked. "My goals have changed each year. My goals today (in 1985) are probably different from what my goals will be in 1986 or 1987. I live totally for the moment. I live in the present. I enjoy the quality of life and that’s important. I came to Hollywood in the really lean days (back in 1955) when television was just starting to take over."
Thirty years later Joan Collins would become a television household name playing Alexis on 'Dynasty'. As Alexis, "I'd like the audience to think I'm slightly sending up the whole thing when I'm acting." In one scene at a hospital, Alexis demanded a nurse and her assistant to step aside as she approached Cecil, who was in critical condition after suffering a massive heart attack, and insisted he allowed for their wedding to proceed immediately.
"I'll be your tender comrade. I'll give you my strength. We'll travel to Portofino (Italy), Kowloon (Hong Kong) and Tahiti. Then come back to Denver and we do what we have to do together," Alexis purred. Joan Collins continued, "When I was offered the part I couldn't wait to do it. I like the thought of playing a character people will love to hate. And I know I play those roles well. I've done them since I was 16, when I made my first movie. I played a wayward girl in 'I Believe In You' (1952). The trouble is, if people find out that I'm not really like that, then it confuses them."
In the years of 'Dynasty', "We live in Beverly Hills and such fantastic opulence that it is almost sickening." Of playing a strong woman, "It's difficult to talk about women's condition in a few sentences. I was not brought up to be, nor have I brought up my daughters to be, a second sex. There's been a tremendous change because of the women's movement for the good of women but there are still far too many women who are still downtrodden, particularly in Third World countries. Women are going through a sort of crisis point in the history of womankind and it's a difficult situation for many women."
Swedish journalist Daniel Atterbom told 'Soap Opera Digest' in 1986, "There are countries in the Western world that have lived without 'Days of our Lives' or 'General Hospital' for decades. Case in point: Sweden. Even though this country is very Americanized – with McDonalds, U.S. cars, Bruce Springsteen's songs and Steven Spielberg's films – no soaps were shown on the government-owned, non-profit two channel network until 1981. And the network broadcasts roughly 50% of its shows in English (primarily imported from the U.S.A and Great Britain).
"Swedes have played a major part in the development of nighttime soaps. The idea for 'Dallas' was conceived by David Jacobs after watching Ingmar Bergman's film, 'Scenes from a Marriage'. Jacobs took Bergman's concept – using characters you feel you know, but don't necessarily like – to CBS-TV, where Richard Burger liked it. However, he changed the setting from a middle-class family in California to a wealthy family in Texas.
"'Dallas' was born and with it came a whole new concept for soap operas. When Sweden started broadcasting 'Dallas' in January 1981, it became the 58th country in the world to do so. The show was an instant success. At times, over 50% of the population was watching J.R.'s evil scheming. By now, 'Dallas' was a cult and soaps had come to stay.
"Teachers at the cinema department at the University of Stockholm started serious studies of the soap. When Swedish TV tried to substitute 'Dynasty' for 'Dallas' in 1984, the result was outrage. 'Dynasty's' ratings slumped and 'Dallas' was brought back by popular demand. 'Falcon Crest' did better, but neither 'Dynasty' nor 'Falcon Crest' have ever been as popular here as 'Dallas'.
"Both the Danish and the (then) West German Parliaments began debating whether 'Dallas' was hazardous to viewers' health. The Danish member of Parliament, Erhard Jacobsen from the Center-Democratic party, stated that 'Dallas' 'is communist propaganda and evil agitation against the American family life.' Hans Willow, a Social Democrat, stood up in the German Bundestag and dismissed 'Dallas' as 'plastic people from another world.' 'Dallas' and 'Dynasty' have even reached behind the Iron Curtain. In 1982, the (then) East German government realized that most of their citizens watched 'Dallas' on West German TV so they started to transmit the same episodes.
"(The former) Yugoslavian TV bought 15 episodes of 'Dynasty' but came to believe that 'Blake Carrington is a capitalist who manipulates people and money.' On the other hand, hard-line communist Bulgaria has shown 'Dynasty' for years. It is obviously difficult to define the status of soap operas in Europe. Soaps will probably be around for some time in Sweden, but they will never have the same impact as in the U.S.A. and we will never have daytime soaps. For us, 'Dallas', 'Dynasty' and 'Falcon Crest' are quite enough."
Thirty years later Joan Collins would become a television household name playing Alexis on 'Dynasty'. As Alexis, "I'd like the audience to think I'm slightly sending up the whole thing when I'm acting." In one scene at a hospital, Alexis demanded a nurse and her assistant to step aside as she approached Cecil, who was in critical condition after suffering a massive heart attack, and insisted he allowed for their wedding to proceed immediately.
"I'll be your tender comrade. I'll give you my strength. We'll travel to Portofino (Italy), Kowloon (Hong Kong) and Tahiti. Then come back to Denver and we do what we have to do together," Alexis purred. Joan Collins continued, "When I was offered the part I couldn't wait to do it. I like the thought of playing a character people will love to hate. And I know I play those roles well. I've done them since I was 16, when I made my first movie. I played a wayward girl in 'I Believe In You' (1952). The trouble is, if people find out that I'm not really like that, then it confuses them."
In the years of 'Dynasty', "We live in Beverly Hills and such fantastic opulence that it is almost sickening." Of playing a strong woman, "It's difficult to talk about women's condition in a few sentences. I was not brought up to be, nor have I brought up my daughters to be, a second sex. There's been a tremendous change because of the women's movement for the good of women but there are still far too many women who are still downtrodden, particularly in Third World countries. Women are going through a sort of crisis point in the history of womankind and it's a difficult situation for many women."
Swedish journalist Daniel Atterbom told 'Soap Opera Digest' in 1986, "There are countries in the Western world that have lived without 'Days of our Lives' or 'General Hospital' for decades. Case in point: Sweden. Even though this country is very Americanized – with McDonalds, U.S. cars, Bruce Springsteen's songs and Steven Spielberg's films – no soaps were shown on the government-owned, non-profit two channel network until 1981. And the network broadcasts roughly 50% of its shows in English (primarily imported from the U.S.A and Great Britain).
"Swedes have played a major part in the development of nighttime soaps. The idea for 'Dallas' was conceived by David Jacobs after watching Ingmar Bergman's film, 'Scenes from a Marriage'. Jacobs took Bergman's concept – using characters you feel you know, but don't necessarily like – to CBS-TV, where Richard Burger liked it. However, he changed the setting from a middle-class family in California to a wealthy family in Texas.
"'Dallas' was born and with it came a whole new concept for soap operas. When Sweden started broadcasting 'Dallas' in January 1981, it became the 58th country in the world to do so. The show was an instant success. At times, over 50% of the population was watching J.R.'s evil scheming. By now, 'Dallas' was a cult and soaps had come to stay.
"Teachers at the cinema department at the University of Stockholm started serious studies of the soap. When Swedish TV tried to substitute 'Dynasty' for 'Dallas' in 1984, the result was outrage. 'Dynasty's' ratings slumped and 'Dallas' was brought back by popular demand. 'Falcon Crest' did better, but neither 'Dynasty' nor 'Falcon Crest' have ever been as popular here as 'Dallas'.
"Both the Danish and the (then) West German Parliaments began debating whether 'Dallas' was hazardous to viewers' health. The Danish member of Parliament, Erhard Jacobsen from the Center-Democratic party, stated that 'Dallas' 'is communist propaganda and evil agitation against the American family life.' Hans Willow, a Social Democrat, stood up in the German Bundestag and dismissed 'Dallas' as 'plastic people from another world.' 'Dallas' and 'Dynasty' have even reached behind the Iron Curtain. In 1982, the (then) East German government realized that most of their citizens watched 'Dallas' on West German TV so they started to transmit the same episodes.
"(The former) Yugoslavian TV bought 15 episodes of 'Dynasty' but came to believe that 'Blake Carrington is a capitalist who manipulates people and money.' On the other hand, hard-line communist Bulgaria has shown 'Dynasty' for years. It is obviously difficult to define the status of soap operas in Europe. Soaps will probably be around for some time in Sweden, but they will never have the same impact as in the U.S.A. and we will never have daytime soaps. For us, 'Dallas', 'Dynasty' and 'Falcon Crest' are quite enough."
