150th DYNASTY Episode Party

Producer Aaron Spelling and DYNASTY stars John Forsythe, Linda Evans and Joan Collins promised an improved 7th season at the 150th episode party (i.e. an excuse to invite entertainment journalists and try to increase the profile of their former #1 show that began slipping in the ratings).

Unfortunately, the show's new head writer Laurence Heath ("SIns") and a team of writers (under supervision of DYNASTY producers, the Shapiros and the Pollocks) came up with some of the show's poorest scripts, resulting in further audience erosion.

This ET piece ran the day DYNASTY's 7th season premiered in late September 1986. Even that first episode ended up 15th in weekly ratings (by comparison, the 6th season finale finished 4th in May 1986) and it was all downhill from there, as the show averaged 24th for the 1986/87 season.

The event was held on DYNASTY's expensive new set ("The Carlton Hotel") which Aaron Spelling bought in 1986, after the show's La Mirage hotel burned down on-screen. Ironically, the building used for exterior shots of Carlton would end up being destroyed in real fire, several years later.

Two months later (in November 1986) Spelling organized another press conference to announce Forsythe, Evans and Collins renewed their contracts through spring 1988 and then yet another one in January 1987 to once again admit creative mistakes and announce yet another new direction for the show.

All these efforts did little to stop DYNASTY's rather quick slide in the ratings (the show finished 57th in its final 1988/89 season, despite being America's #1 show just 4 years earlier).

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Dynasty
• John
• Forsythe
• Linda
• Evans
• Joan
• Collins
• Aaron
• Spelling
• 80s
• Show
• TV
• Soap
• Family
• Drama
• Blake
• Krystle
• Alexis
• Carrington
• Colby

[scorpio888]

@artemiscarrington Oh, no. Season 9 didn't suck -- Season 9 was great.

But, yes, Season 7 was awful.

[artemiscarrington]

season 7 was awful -_-

Season 6 was kinda great, even though very campy with the whole "rita" thing.

and season 8 and 9, jesus christ, lame! even the clothes sucked

i think the glory years woule be... season 2,3,4,5 and 6.

[soapwonder]

Are they complaining about Season 6??? What is that all about? It was great! Loved the Rita storyline and Amanda! I hated the following season with nasty Karen Cellini!

A Love Remembered was wonderful and much too short, tho.

[MADELINEASHTON]

Dynasty trouxe o glamour de  volta e hoje existe a falta dele.

[Dynastiefr2]

The bible can be get through the Gay Media Task Force Records of the Cornell University Library (New York), as the bibles of seasons 3, 5 and 6. The bible of season 6 was originally extremely poor but the writers added a lot of new elements during the season. The big story of the second part of season 6 was a trial: Amanda hurts Dex by accident with the gun of Michael and is accused of having tried to kill him. Later, it's Michael who is accused. That's not very interesting actually!!

[Dynastiefr2]

The bible of season 7 written by L. Heath was very good, especially the second part. Unfortunately, because of the bad ratings, the plans were changed several times so all the stories turned to be awful. The only 2 stories that were kept concerned Steven and Adam. The wedding of Amanda of Michael was erased, as the tumor of Krystle (that story was reused in season 9). Ray Bonning (right-hand man of Rhinewood) was replaced by Dick Maurier. The revenge of Blake against Alexis was also written out.

[nadavno]

I don't know if I should laugh or cry after reading this.... :-))

[dwb138]

Really appreciate your informative Dynasty commentary, but I don't think that Aaron Spelling purchased the Carlton in 1986. If I recall correctly, it was Alexis who purchased the hotel, before Sable took over the property in the show's final season.

[LeonAcord]

I agree, I really enjoyed the season when Alexis took over the mansion, and Blake had to scheme to win it back. Once he did, what could the writers to to keep them in the same city, much less killing each other?

[ualaw77]

I really enjoyed the Seventh Season. Alexis was at her nastiest, Blake was trying to regain the mansion, and Ben was double-crossing and unpredictable. Then there was the wonderful couple of episodes in which Blake and Alexis were together in Singapore. After Blake regained his memory, however, it pretty much sucked. The cliffhanger was the worst, and the Eighth Season was awful.