It took two weeks to film an episode of the TV series 'The Colbys'. The American Broadcasting Company then televised the one-hour episode each week to an audience of around 15 million viewers. Charlton Heston recognized, "More people have seen one episode of 'The Colbys' than saw Ben Hur in theaters. And when I played Macbeth on TV, the second time I ever did the part, someone figured out, more people saw that 'Macbeth' than had seen the whole play in 4 centuries."
However if a soap was shown in a time slot constantly being pre-empted by special events such as the baseball playoffs or Election Night Coverage, "if people stop watching for a couple of weeks and lose track of the story, they can become disinterested," The 'Los Angeles Times' noted. "Once you lose the loyalty in a soap opera, it can drop pretty quickly."
To get viewers interested, Bianca Jagger was hired to play the exotic Maya Kumara in two episodes of 'The Colbys'. Of the 49 episodes produced, the wedding of Jeff and Fallon Colby was to be 'The Colbys's' highest-rated episode attracting 19.8% households ratings and 30% audience share. 'The Colbys' was developed for ABC in the network's attempt "to become dominant in the key 18-49 demographic again." 'Dynasty' was ABC's Wednesday night best performer. Thursday was its worse night.
Strategically, 'The Colbys' was intended "to spread some 'Dynasty' dust from Wednesday to Thursday." Lewis Erlicht of ABC pointed out at the time, "As the whole planet knows, it (Thursday) has been a tough, tough night." From the outset, critics claimed 'The Colbys' was a 'Dynasty' clone "right down to the credits." Bob Igiel of NW Ayer ad agency remarked, "You can't forget 'Knots Landing' was a spin-off of 'Dallas' and worked, but it poses the question: how much is too much of 'Dynasty'? I don't know."
As Jason Colby, Charlton Heston said it was his longest running job since serving in the U.S. Air Force during World War II (1944-1946). Prior to playing Jason Colby, Charlton Heston stressed, "I have made it clear I have no intention of running for the Senate or anywhere else." Of acting, Charlton Heston believed, "Audiences here (in the U.S.) are perhaps a little more flexible-minded. The English tend to be genuinely interested in plays; American audiences tend to be interested in hits."
Charlton Heston also made the comment, "The great parts are done again and again. I have a face that is plausible as a cowboy. I have been accepted by audiences as Romans and Tudors and medieval Spanish and Norman knights and Italian painters and French cardinals. It (my image) is least plausible of all, perhaps, in a suit and tie." In the 1987-1988 season of 'Dynasty', the series examined Fallon's close encounter of the third kind.
In March 1987, 'The Colbys' ended its TV run with the episode aptly titled "Crossroads". In the episode, Fallon Colby found herself lost in the desert after her car had broken down somewhere between the U.S. and Mexico border. As Fallon tried to call for help, Fallon saw a spaceship coming out of the sky. An alien then emerged beckoning Fallon to come forward.
Fallon later told Jeff once inside the spaceship, "I felt somehow elated. And as we left the Earth I was never more at peace." However while in space, "I was examined with needles. I had a feeling of paralysis. It terrified me." The writers chose Fallon to leave Earth with the alien because she was "the moral center" on 'The Colbys'. At the time, Charlton Heston acknowledged, "I think they handled it rather well. Of course, I lose my (on-screen) daughter-in-law."
The UFO cliffhanger was not the most watched program in its time slot that night, attracting 13.6% households ratings and 21% audience share. However, the second last episode "The Dead End" shown after 'Dynasty' on Wednesday night attracted its highest audience share of the 1986-1987 season, 28% and 16% households ratings. It was the most watched program in its time period that night.
In September 1987, Ronald Reagan addressed the United Nations (42nd) General Assembly. He stated, "In our obsession with antagonisms of the moment, we often forget how much unites all the members of humanity. Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond. I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world."
'The Colbys' sought to explore "America's most powerful family taking on the world." Barbara Holsople reported, "For the record, the Colbys have $1.2 billion in 'personal wealth' and another $42 billion in gross assets spread around such stuff as real estate, aerospace labs, petroleum, timber and 'more shipping tonnage than the Six Fleet.'"
By the end of its second season, Charlton Heston observed, "We were coming closer to what we had in mind originally for the show. We wanted to make it less baroque." Stephanie Beacham maintained 'The Colbys' would continue to climb in the ratings "because it veers a little more to the truth than its competitors." Critics argued 'The Colbys' was "a study in confusion." Charlton Heston insisted, "The difference between 'The Colbys' and 'Dynasty' was that the Carringtons don't sweat. The Colbys do." Stephanie Beacham conceded, "Television is just a very rushed process."
However if a soap was shown in a time slot constantly being pre-empted by special events such as the baseball playoffs or Election Night Coverage, "if people stop watching for a couple of weeks and lose track of the story, they can become disinterested," The 'Los Angeles Times' noted. "Once you lose the loyalty in a soap opera, it can drop pretty quickly."
To get viewers interested, Bianca Jagger was hired to play the exotic Maya Kumara in two episodes of 'The Colbys'. Of the 49 episodes produced, the wedding of Jeff and Fallon Colby was to be 'The Colbys's' highest-rated episode attracting 19.8% households ratings and 30% audience share. 'The Colbys' was developed for ABC in the network's attempt "to become dominant in the key 18-49 demographic again." 'Dynasty' was ABC's Wednesday night best performer. Thursday was its worse night.
Strategically, 'The Colbys' was intended "to spread some 'Dynasty' dust from Wednesday to Thursday." Lewis Erlicht of ABC pointed out at the time, "As the whole planet knows, it (Thursday) has been a tough, tough night." From the outset, critics claimed 'The Colbys' was a 'Dynasty' clone "right down to the credits." Bob Igiel of NW Ayer ad agency remarked, "You can't forget 'Knots Landing' was a spin-off of 'Dallas' and worked, but it poses the question: how much is too much of 'Dynasty'? I don't know."
As Jason Colby, Charlton Heston said it was his longest running job since serving in the U.S. Air Force during World War II (1944-1946). Prior to playing Jason Colby, Charlton Heston stressed, "I have made it clear I have no intention of running for the Senate or anywhere else." Of acting, Charlton Heston believed, "Audiences here (in the U.S.) are perhaps a little more flexible-minded. The English tend to be genuinely interested in plays; American audiences tend to be interested in hits."
Charlton Heston also made the comment, "The great parts are done again and again. I have a face that is plausible as a cowboy. I have been accepted by audiences as Romans and Tudors and medieval Spanish and Norman knights and Italian painters and French cardinals. It (my image) is least plausible of all, perhaps, in a suit and tie." In the 1987-1988 season of 'Dynasty', the series examined Fallon's close encounter of the third kind.
In March 1987, 'The Colbys' ended its TV run with the episode aptly titled "Crossroads". In the episode, Fallon Colby found herself lost in the desert after her car had broken down somewhere between the U.S. and Mexico border. As Fallon tried to call for help, Fallon saw a spaceship coming out of the sky. An alien then emerged beckoning Fallon to come forward.
Fallon later told Jeff once inside the spaceship, "I felt somehow elated. And as we left the Earth I was never more at peace." However while in space, "I was examined with needles. I had a feeling of paralysis. It terrified me." The writers chose Fallon to leave Earth with the alien because she was "the moral center" on 'The Colbys'. At the time, Charlton Heston acknowledged, "I think they handled it rather well. Of course, I lose my (on-screen) daughter-in-law."
The UFO cliffhanger was not the most watched program in its time slot that night, attracting 13.6% households ratings and 21% audience share. However, the second last episode "The Dead End" shown after 'Dynasty' on Wednesday night attracted its highest audience share of the 1986-1987 season, 28% and 16% households ratings. It was the most watched program in its time period that night.
In September 1987, Ronald Reagan addressed the United Nations (42nd) General Assembly. He stated, "In our obsession with antagonisms of the moment, we often forget how much unites all the members of humanity. Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond. I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world."
'The Colbys' sought to explore "America's most powerful family taking on the world." Barbara Holsople reported, "For the record, the Colbys have $1.2 billion in 'personal wealth' and another $42 billion in gross assets spread around such stuff as real estate, aerospace labs, petroleum, timber and 'more shipping tonnage than the Six Fleet.'"
By the end of its second season, Charlton Heston observed, "We were coming closer to what we had in mind originally for the show. We wanted to make it less baroque." Stephanie Beacham maintained 'The Colbys' would continue to climb in the ratings "because it veers a little more to the truth than its competitors." Critics argued 'The Colbys' was "a study in confusion." Charlton Heston insisted, "The difference between 'The Colbys' and 'Dynasty' was that the Carringtons don't sweat. The Colbys do." Stephanie Beacham conceded, "Television is just a very rushed process."
