Dynasty (1981 TV series) season 6
| Dynasty | |
|---|---|
| Season 6 | |
_S6_DVD.jpg) | |
| No. of episodes | 31 |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | September 25, 1985 – May 21, 1986 |
| Season chronology | |
The sixth season of Dynasty originally aired in the United States on ABC from September 25, 1985 through May 21, 1986. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy family residing in Denver, Colorado.
Season six stars John Forsythe as millionaire oil magnate Blake Carrington; Linda Evans as his wife Krystle; Jack Coleman as Blake and Alexis's earnest son Steven; Gordon Thomson as Blake and Alexis's eldest son Adam; Pamela Bellwood as Steven's ex-wife, Claudia; Heather Locklear as Krystle's niece and Steven's ex-wife Sammy Jo; Michael Nader as Alexis's husband Dex Dexter; Catherine Oxenberg as Blake and Alexis's youngest daughter, Amanda; Michael Praed as Amanda's husband Prince Michael of Moldavia; Diahann Carroll as Blake's half-sister Dominique Deveraux; Ted McGinley as Clay Fallmont; and Joan Collins as Alexis Colby, Blake's ex-wife and the mother of Adam, Fallon, Steven, and Amanda. The season also features Maxwell Caulfield as Jeff's cousin, Miles Colby; Christopher Cazenove as Blake's brother, Ben Carrington; Kate O'Mara as Alexis' sister Caress Morell; and George Hamilton as con man Joel Abrigore.
A spin-off series, The Colbys, was launched in November 1985, starring John James and Emma Samms as their Dynasty characters, Jeff Colby and Fallon Carrington. To set up the new series, Dynasty introduced the series regulars of The Colbys, including Charlton Heston as wealthy Colby Enterprises CEO Jason Colby; Stephanie Beacham as his wife Sable; Tracy Scoggins as their daughter Monica, twin sister to Miles; Claire Yarlett as Bliss Colby; Jason and Sable's youngest daughter; Barbara Stanwyck as Jason's sister Constance Colby; and Ricardo Montalban as shipping tycoon Zach Powers.
Development
The season six premiere episode "The Aftermath" garnered a 28.1 rating, higher than any other episode in the entire series, as viewers wanted to see who survived the "Moldavian Massacre" cliffhanger from the season five finale.[1] The only casualties were Steven's boyfriend Luke Fuller (William Campbell), and Jeff's love interest Lady Ashley Mitchell (Ali MacGraw). In the 2006 CBS special Dynasty Reunion: Catfights & Caviar, Gordon Thomson stated that it was the "follow-up" that was the letdown, not the cliffhanger itself. John James stated in the 2001 episode of E! The True Hollywood Story featuring Dynasty that the Moldavian Massacre was when the show "maxed out" and "overdosed" on outrageousness.[2] Joan Collins was conspicuously absent from the season six opener, as she was in a tense contract renegotiation with the show, seeking an increased salary.[3] She returned to the series in the season's second episode.
Although still a top ten series, Dynasty dropped from first to seventh place in the ratings for its sixth season.[4][5] A spin-off series, The Colbys, was launched in November 1985, starring John James and Emma Samms as their Dynasty characters, Jeff Colby and Fallon Carrington.[6][7][8]
Plot
Spurned by Blake, Alexis finds his estranged brother Ben and the duo successfully plot to strip Blake of his fortune. Alexis's sister Caress Morell also appears and causes trouble for Alexis. Steven's budding relationship with the closeted Bart Fallmont (Kevin Conroy) is ruined by Adam's business-motivated public revelation that Bart is gay. Krystle is held hostage and replaced by lookalike Rita (also played by Evans), who is working with a con man to rob Blake. Amanda, who has divorced Prince Michael, fights with Sammy Jo for the favors of Clay Fallmont. The May 21, 1986 season finale finds Blake strangling Alexis while the rest of the cast is in peril at the La Mirage hotel, which has been accidentally set afire by Claudia.[9]
Cast
Main
- John Forsythe as Blake Carrington
- Linda Evans as Krystle Carrington
- John James as Jeff Colby[a]
- Pamela Bellwood as Claudia Blaisdel[b]
- Gordon Thomson as Adam Carrington
- Jack Coleman as Steven Carrington
- Michael Nader as Dex Dexter
- Catherine Oxenberg as Amanda Carrington
- Michael Praed as Prince Michael of Moldavia
- Emma Samms as Fallon Carrington[c]
- Heather Locklear as Sammy Jo Carrington[d]
- Maxwell Caulfield as Miles Colby[e]
- George Hamilton as Joel Abrigore[f]
- Ken Howard as Garrett Boydston[g]
- Ted McGinley as Clay Fallmont[h]
- Christopher Cazenove as Ben Carrington[i]
- Kate O'Mara as Caress Morell[j]
- Diahann Carroll as Dominique Deveraux[k]
- Joan Collins as Alexis Carrington
Recurring
- Joel Fabiani as King Galen of Moldavia
- Theodore Bikel as Warnick
- Charlton Heston as Jason Colby[l]
- Barbara Stanwyck as Constance Colby[l]
- Calvin Lockhart as Jonathan Lake
- Kerry Armstrong as Elena, Duchess of Branagh
- Kevin Conroy as Bart Fallmont
- Troy Beyer as Jackie Deveraux
- Patricia Crowley as Emily Fallmont
Guest
- William Campbell as Luke Fuller
- Stephanie Beacham as Sable Colby[m]
- Tracy Scoggins as Monica Colby[m]
- Claire Yarlett as Bliss Colby[n]
- James Sutorius as Gordon Wales
- Hank Brandt as Morgan Hess
- Ricardo Montalban as Zach Powers[o]
- Richard Anderson as Buck Fallmont
- Anthony Zerbe as Crenshaw
- Soon Tek-Oh as Kai Liu
- Kabir Bedi as Farouk Ahmed
- Cast notes
- ^ After "The Decision", James was transferred in The Colbys.
- ^ Bellwood did not appear from "The Divorce" to "Masquerade", and is not credited in the opening credits for those episodes.
- ^ Samms is credited in the opening credits from "Aftermath" to "The Decision", and in "Souvenirs", in which she appears.
- ^ Locklear did not appear in six episodes of season six, and was not credited in the opening credits for those episodes.
- ^ Caulfield is credited in the opening credits from "Aftermath" to "The Decision", and in "Souvenirs", in which he appears. In "The Titans: Part 1" and "The Titans: Part 2", Caulfield is credited as a special appearance with the rest of the cast of The Colbys.
- ^ Hamilton first appears in "The Homecoming".
- ^ Howard first appears in "The Titans: Part 2", but is credited in the opening credits from "The Titans: Part 1". He did not appear in twelve episodes of season six, and is not credited in the opening credits in those episodes. In "The Titans: Part 1" and "The Titans : Part 2", Howard is credited as a special appearance with the rest of the cast of The Colbys.
- ^ McGinley is credited in the opening credits from "Masquerade" to "The Choice (a.k.a.) The Vendetta", except from "The Vote" to "The Rescue" in which he did not appear.
- ^ Cazenove first appears in "Ben".
- ^ O'Mara is credited as a guest in "Suspicions" and "The Alarm" before she is credited in the opening credits from "Souvenirs" to "The Choice (a.k.a.) The Vendetta", except in "The Triple-Cross" in which she did not appear.
- ^ Carroll did not appear in eleven episodes of season six, and was not credited in the opening credits for those episodes.
- ^ a b Heston and Stanywyck are credited in the opening credits in "The Californians", "The Man", "The Titans: Part 1" and "The Titans: Part 2". The characters are subsequently series regulars in The Colbys.
- ^ a b Beacham and Scoggins are credited in the opening credits in "The Titans: Part 1" and "The Titans: Part 2". The characters are subsequently series regulars in The Colbys, and eventually on Dynasty.
- ^ Yarlett is credited in the opening credits in "The Titans: Part 1" and "The Titans: Part 2", although she appears only in the first part. The character is subsequently a series regular in The Colbys.
- ^ Montalban is credited in the opening credits in "Souvenirs". The character is subsequently a series regular in The Colbys.
Episodes
The Colbys was spun off Dynasty during season six.[6]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 118 | 1 | "The Aftermath" | Robert Scheerer | Story by : Diana Gould Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | September 25, 1985 | DY-116 | 28.10[10] |
| 119 | 2 | "The Homecoming" | Kim Friedman | Story by : Diana Gould Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | October 2, 1985 | DY-117 | 23.40[10] |
| 120 | 3 | "The Californians" | Gwen Arner | Story by : Diana Gould Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | October 9, 1985 | DY-118 | 22.50[10] |
| 121 | 4 | "The Man" | Don Medford | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | October 16, 1985 | DY-119 | 20.60[10] |
| 122 | 5 | "The Gown" | Robert Scheerer | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | October 30, 1985 | DY-120 | 22.00[10] |
| 123 | 6 | "The Titans: Part 1" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | November 13, 1985 | DY-121 | 24.20[10] |
| 124 | 7 | "The Titans: Part 2" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | November 13, 1985 | DY-121 | 24.20[10] |
| 125 | 8 | "The Decision" | Gwen Arner | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Robert Seidenberg | November 20, 1985 | DY-122 | 22.40[10] |
| 126 | 9 | "The Proposal" | Robert Scheerer | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | November 27, 1985 | DY-123 | 20.60[10] |
| 127 | 10 | "The Close Call" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Diana Gould | December 4, 1985 | DY-124 | 21.80[10] |
| 128 | 11 | "The Quarrels" | Kim Friedman | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | December 11, 1985 | DY-125 | 21.40[10] |
| 129 | 12 | "The Roadhouse" | Jerome Courtland | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | December 18, 1985 | DY-126 | 20.00[10] |
| 130 | 13 | "The Solution" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Robert Seidenberg | December 25, 1985 | DY-127 | 17.70[10] |
| 131 | 14 | "Suspicions" | Nancy Malone | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Diana Gould | January 8, 1986 | DY-128 | 21.10[10] |
| 132 | 15 | "The Alarm" | Kim Friedman | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | January 15, 1986 | DY-129 | 20.40[10] |
| 133 | 16 | "The Vigil" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | January 22, 1986 | DY-130 | 24.20[10] |
| 134 | 17 | "The Accident" | Kim Friedman | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | January 29, 1986 | DY-131 | 23.90[10] |
| 135 | 18 | "Souvenirs" | Robert Scheerer | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Diana Gould | February 5, 1986 | DY-132 | 20.20[10] |
| 136 | 19 | "The Divorce" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Susan Baskin | February 12, 1986 | DY-133 | 22.50[10] |
| 137 | 20 | "The Dismissal" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | February 19, 1986 | DY-134 | 22.60[10] |
| 138 | 21 | "Ben" | Kim Friedman | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | February 26, 1986 | DY-135 | 19.80[10] |
| 139 | 22 | "Masquerade" | Jerome Courtland | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Robert Seidenberg | March 5, 1986 | DY-136 | 22.00[10] |
| 140 | 23 | "The Subpoenas" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | March 12, 1986 | DY-137 | 22.60[10] |
| 141 | 24 | "The Trial: Part 1" | Michel Hugo | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | March 19, 1986 | DY-138 | 21.30[10] |
| 142 | 25 | "The Trial: Part 2" | Don Medford | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | March 26, 1986 | DY-139 | 20.20[10] |
| 143 | 26 | "The Vote" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | April 2, 1986 | DY-140 | 21.10[10] |
| 144 | 27 | "The Warning" | Don Medford | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Diana Gould | April 9, 1986 | DY-141 | 21.00[10] |
| 145 | 28 | "The Cry" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Scott M. Hamner | April 16, 1986 | DY-142 | 19.20[10] |
| 146 | 29 | "The Rescue" | Nancy Malone | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | April 30, 1986 | DY-143 | 19.50[10] |
| 147 | 30 | "The Triple-Cross" | Don Medford | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Diana Gould | May 14, 1986 | DY-144 | 20.50[10] |
| 148 | 31 | "The Choice (a.k.a.) The Vendetta" | Irving J. Moore | Story by : Diana Gould & Scott M. Hamner Teleplay by : Edward De Blasio | May 21, 1986 | DY-145 | 21.90[10] |
Reception
In season six, Dynasty was ranked #7 in the United States with a 21.8 Nielsen rating.[4][5]
References
- ^ "TV Listings for September 25, 1985". TV Tango. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
- ^ E! True Hollywood Story: Dynasty (2001)
- ^ "Behind Dynasty 's breakdown ... and recovery". TV Guide. May 17, 1986. Archived from the original on March 31, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2009 – via UltimateDynasty.net.
- ^ a b Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (October 2007). "Top-Rated Programs by Season". The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (9th ed.). pp. 1689–1692. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
- ^ a b "TV Ratings: 1985–86". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ^ a b "The Colbys". Soap Opera Digest. October 19, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019 – via PressReader.com.
- ^ "ABC Revises Fall List in Battle for Ratings". The New York Times. May 7, 1985. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
- ^ Gardella, Kay (November 20, 1985). "John James Hopes Luck Holds". The Ledger. Retrieved August 25, 2010 – via Google.
- ^ "Die-nasty!". New Straits Times. August 10, 1986. p. 15. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae "Episode List: Dynasty (1985–1986)". TV Tango. p. 3. Retrieved November 24, 2019.