DYNASTY

In November 1988, the 200th episode of the TV series, 'Dynasty', went on air. 'The Los Angeles Times' observed, "The Reagan era ends in '88." Esther Shapiro reminded, "We sort of anticipated the Reagan era, viscerally. We picked up on the glitz and glamor of it, we predicted what would happen with the stock market years before it happened. The pomp and circumstance, the new wealth - all of that was reflected. We've used up what would be in the daytime soap operas about 25 years of story." 

11am November 11, 1918: World War I ended. Germany signed an armistice that had been prepared by Britain and France. In 1917, the Russian Revolution started. By the end of 1917, the Bolsheviks had seized power in Russia and immediately set about negotiating peace with Germany. However the Treaty of Versailles of 1919 was blamed for laying the groundwork for World War II in 1939 (some 20 years later). 

In 1940, F. Scott Fitzgerald died before completing his final novel, 'The Last Tycoon'. The Roaring Twenties in America was considered the Jazz Age, the Boom, a time for peace and "a period of wild economic prosperity, cultural flowering and a shaking up of social mores." In 1920, the publication of 'This Side of Paradise' turned F. Scott Fitzgerald into an instant celebrity. But it was his third novel, 'The Great Gatsby' (1925) that was highly regarded. 

In November 1982, 'Dynasty' threw a party choosing the 1920s as its theme. It was the start of Reaganomics. Richard Shapiro conceded, "We do tend to be of a liberal persuasion, personally and politically, but our daughter accuses us of being the world's primary disseminators of capitalist propaganda." Esther Shapiro expressed, "Critics dismiss it as trash, but, we do create women (characters) who are not victims, and it's pure entertainment for women - that's something that has been looked down on. It is basically not only a women's power fantasy, but the fantasy of a woman (Krystle) who is married to a man of power and very comfortable with that. We did not want to send out the message that all women have to be the same thing." 

Speaking to 'The New York Times' in 1983, Robert Mason Pollock explained the writing out of a major character on 'Dynasty', "If the story gets stuck, writing a character out is often the best solution. A good example was Cecil Colby, played by Lloyd Bochner. As long Alexis was married to him, her story really couldn't move forward. If he died, though, she could become the richest widow in Denver. So, with great sadness, we sent him to his reward. Cecil's death not only advanced the plot, it gave us a whole new level to operate on."

In one scene on 'Dynasty', Krystle and Alexis were looking to buy a dress for the Roaring '20s party. At the Westlake Costumers boutique for fitting, Alexis remarked, "Oh that must have been one of the most wonderful carefree days. People innocently pursuing their pleasure-filled lives unaware of what lay in store for them when the crash hit." 

Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929: The stock market crash of 1929 resulted in a loss of some $25 billion. In his State of the Union address in 1928, Calvin Coolidge noted that America had never "met with a more pleasing prospect than that which appears at the present time." In 2002, Ben Bernanke publicly acknowledged the role of the Federal Reserve in the crash, saying that the mistakes made by the Fed had contributed to the "worst economic disaster in American history." 

After the crash, the Dow Jones would not recover to its pre-crash peak until 1954 (some 10 years after World War II). Following the crash, the US and the rest of the Western industrialized world spiraled downward into the Great Depression (lasting some 10 years) until World War II which helped pull the country out of a Depression by 1944. 

To throw a Roaring Twenties party "in all its excess, euphoria, and underbelly", sloe gin fizz was said as important as the costumes, three tiered chandelier and the food. During the Prohibition era, liquor bottles were covered with brown paper bags. Esther Shapiro maintained, "It ('Dynasty') was a trek into fantasy." John Forsythe added, "It was a revival of MGM pictures of the '30s and '40s. Anytime you have a fallow time in the country, there are audiences looking for something." 

Aaron Spelling insisted, "People love to laugh at the rich … Part of the fun, is seeing Joan Collins the next day after almost being killed on 'Dynasty', wearing a turban and eating caviar in the hospital, which is much more fun than watching someone wearing a bandage-headband and eating a Big Mac." Esther Shapiro made the point, "I'm not sure money brings happiness, but it does bring control. I'm not endorsing Reagan, but there are certain things the Democrats could learn from him, like being effective. I've always wanted control and the program is about people fighting for control over their lives. Money helps you to get control of your life." 

'The Los Angeles Times' continued, "'Dynasty' was a lavish serial that some characterized as television's embodiment of national excess during the Reagan years." Aaron Spelling reasoned, "Just to watch what they're wearing is entering fantasyland. Watching the cars and costumes is part of it, we try not to repeat the gowns. I don't know how long Hollywood can keep on making these farming movies like the one with Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek and Sally Field - they're hardly where farmers want to go to. People want to see a house with a staff of 12 servants. 

"Andy Warhol just did a 'Love Boat' (in 1985).  He loved it. The first thing he wanted to do was go over to the 'Dynasty' set. I can't imagine Andy doing a show without real style. I'm sick of people in this town who look at the party in these shows and say, 'The ice sculpture is too large.' Of course it's too large. Everything on them is too large. That's the point.'' 

In 1991, 'Dynasty' returned to television. The mini-series was shown up against the baseball World Series. Esther Shapiro stated, "We wanted to satisfy the fans and let them know what happened, but we felt it was so long ago (when the series left the airwaves) and what was happening was kind of vague. We wanted to do it lighthearted.

"But there's also some melodrama. There's a real story. But we also kind of wanted to reflect the changes that went on between the '80s and the '90s. And one of the things that the country is looking at is the buying up of America, which really affects an entrepreneurial family like this." President Reagan declared in 1985, the '80s was the age of the entrepreneur.

As reported, "The more cost-conscious '90s are reflected in the production of the mini-series. There wasn't the money in the budget to re-create the opulent sets from the original series, so 'The Reunion' was filmed at various locations." Aaron Spelling concluded, "We think it would be fun to bring 'Dynasty' back for a two-hour movie a year, or another mini-series every two years. We have not given up hope that 'Dynasty' will never die. It may continue forever."