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BRITCOM III
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00:00The Golden Age of Television
00:08I Love Lucy didn't just change American television, it invented American television
00:12Back when one screen brought everyone together
00:16Watching television was a family event
00:19The shows that shaped us
00:21The Brady Bunch was part of the American soul
00:24It's timeless
00:25The familiar faces
00:27Ralph Cramden was loved
00:29On the honeymooners
00:30He was a presence
00:33The unforgettable moments
00:34Dynasty captured the essence of what the 1980s were about in America
00:38These are their stories
00:40Cheers is the pinnacle of how great the sitcom can be
00:43This is TV We Love
00:45It's 1981
00:54Reagan is sworn into office
00:57And ushers in a whole new era for America
00:59This decade, it's called an eruption, was probably epitomized by Dynasty
01:06Dynasty could not have been more perfectly timed
01:08Bigger, bolder, brasher, and unapologetically 80s
01:13I require one bedroom for my wardrobe and one for myself
01:16Dynasty also starred powerful women
01:19They looked great and they dressed great
01:21The country becomes Dynasty obsessed
01:25Joan Collins is one of the most photographed and written about people in the world
01:29As it morphs into a cultural phenomenon
01:32A hundred million people a week globally watched the show
01:35The world was Dynasty mad
01:38The early 80s were an interesting time
01:45Primetime soaps were a relatively new phenomenon
01:47Dallas is an enormous breakthrough in that it brings the idea of the continuing storyline
01:53To primetime television in a hit show
01:57All the other networks, the two other networks I should say
02:00NBC and ABC wanted their own version of Dallas
02:02Where do we get one of those?
02:04ABC went to Aaron Spelling and said
02:07Give me a Dallas
02:09Aaron Spelling was a mega hit producer who worked on shows like
02:13Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island
02:15He really figured out the formula for nighttime soap operas
02:22ABC knew how important Aaron Spelling was
02:27And certainly he was one of the most important producers of that era
02:31Esther Shapiro and her husband brought a script to Aaron
02:36And he said I think we can really work with this
02:39Dallas was already on the air
02:41They were on a ranch
02:43They wore ranch clothes
02:44But Aaron wanted this totally elegant
02:47We began thinking of a series that had everything
02:50That you're not supposed to put on television
02:52Rich people, the Midwest, older women particularly
02:56Strong, powerful, lots of business, entrepreneur, greed, opulence
03:02At one time the title of the show was Oil
03:05We talked about that a lot
03:07Lo and behold the Shapiros came up with a title called Dynasty
03:10That I just loved
03:11I think that said everything
03:12They did a tremendous job
03:15We worked together
03:16But I give full credit for Dynasty to them
03:19When Dynasty premiered
03:21I really remarked on quite how different it was from Dallas
03:25It really was this upstairs, downstairs drama
03:29Focusing on the ultra-wealthy Carringtons
03:33Who were led by Blake Carrington, an oil tycoon
03:36The storytelling which I found was so ratcheted up on Dynasty
03:41It's more verbal, it's more visual
03:43It just was more catchy
03:45My agent sent me the script for the pilot
03:50I said well I don't really want to do television
03:53I envisioned myself as having a film career at that time
03:58And he said oh it's just a pilot, just do it, it won't be any big deal
04:01And sell me into the harem of a chic for three barrels of crude and a box of cigars
04:07The audition was like a film audition
04:09They had it at a sound stage
04:11They had a real film camera, they had a director
04:13It was a big deal
04:15Got a call late that day and said you got the part
04:17Playing Steven Carrington
04:18I also said you know I'm rich
04:20You know because I was making like I don't know
04:22300 bucks a week doing theater
04:24It's like wow, okay
04:25I can eat better
04:29They said we're picking it up for 13 shows
04:32And we're shooting a three hour pilot
04:34It's like a three hour pilot
04:36We barely shot one hour pilots
04:38I show up, we shoot the whole thing
04:41With George Pappard as my father
04:43George Pappard played my father initially
04:46He wasn't getting along with the producers
04:47Or maybe perhaps seemed sort of demanding
04:50It was nuts
04:51It was difficult
04:52It was a very odd situation
04:55George Pappard was a pain in the ass
04:58George was not the team player
05:00I introduced myself
05:01He looked at me and went
05:03That's what he said
05:11And the next thing I know
05:13He was being replaced with John Forsythe
05:16You got to come back and shoot all those scenes again
05:17John Forsythe was certainly well known to the spelling company
05:21And was well known to viewers
05:23As the voice of Charlie on Charlie's Angels
05:26Good morning angels
05:27Good morning Charlie
05:28And so they had a relationship with John Forsythe
05:31Who is the perfect choice
05:33John Forsythe as Blake Carrington
05:35Brought sort of an icy steel to his character
05:38And you know was very much in command
05:40You do something about it
05:42And don't bother me again with this business until it's finished
05:44Whereas Linda Evans as Crystal
05:47A little more warm
05:48A little more embracing
05:50I marry Blake because I love him
05:52And because I want to make him happy
05:55And together they just were this glamorous iconic couple
05:59That you really enjoyed watching
06:01And seeing the yin and yang between the two
06:03I love you even more tomorrow than I did yesterday
06:06I love you too darling
06:07Linda Evans is just such a lovely person
06:10She had her own personality
06:12She had the angelic white blonde hair
06:14She practically glowed with goodness
06:17We are introduced to this world really through Crystal's eyes
06:22She was like a young employee who fell in love with Blake
06:26The show begins with the marriage of Blake and Crystal
06:33And their romance really is the ultimate through line of the whole show
06:38I will
06:40It came on in mid-season as they called it then
06:43In January of 1981
06:45It was the week of the presidential inauguration with Reagan
06:48I Ronald Reagan do solemnly swear
06:51That I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States
06:55And here comes this show that is big and bold and over the top
07:05And is going to end up embodying what we associate with Reaganism and with the 80s
07:10Dynasty is very much a reflection of the Reagan era
07:16And conspicuous consumption
07:18And you know Wall Street and Gordon Gekko
07:20Greed is right
07:21This decade, its golden eruption
07:26Was probably epitomized by Dynasty
07:29I love Dynasty
07:30And I'm not afraid to admit that
07:32I think it captured the essence of what the 1980s were about in America
07:36Dynasty could not have been more perfectly timed
07:39It was a way to just escape into this insane world of conspicuous consumption and money
07:49Dynasty was not a white-hot hit when it premiered
07:51It was, it, it did okay
07:53And ABC obviously was being patient with it
07:56Number 20 sits in the ratings is not the worst place to be
07:59It's just not the top 20 where you're really guaranteed safe
08:02I actually was on set a lot in the beginning
08:06The sets on Dynasty were incredible
08:09Everything had to be beautiful, opulent
08:13What old Hollywood was
08:15The caviar on set was generally real
08:18Mmm, it's excellent caviar
08:20The flowers were all real
08:22They'd throw a spread on camera which was cracked crab and stuff
08:26And it would all be real and you could eat it
08:27And tiny new potatoes with sour cream and caviar
08:30I was a very new director
08:32I had barely directed anything
08:33I don't think I'd ever had caviar before I did the show
08:36It was the first time I'd ever tasted caviar
08:38Real crystal, real chandeliers
08:41I have one of them in my house, by the way
08:43Real everything
08:45We had, you know, Brinks people on set
08:49With some of the diamonds and the jewels and the furs
08:52And, you know, that was back when furs were real furs
08:56The first episode they gave me was insane
08:59Because the episode was surrounded a huge birthday party
09:03For one of the kids
09:05And it was at a Pasadena state
09:09And there were literally maybe 200 people there
09:12Extras, jugglers, clown people
09:15And I freaked out when I read the script
09:17I thought, oh my god, how am I going to get this?
09:19But, John Forsythe came up to me
09:21And he just said, this is amazing
09:23We love you, this is great
09:24And I thought, okay, I got through day one
09:26Well, if it gets any bigger
09:28You're going to have to rent the convention center downtown
09:30Well, I thought of that
09:31Or my football field
09:32It was campy
09:34It was fun
09:35It was costumes
09:36Can I drop you off somewhere?
09:39No
09:40I have a date
09:41I think if you look at daytime soaps
09:43Or nighttime soaps
09:45They all have a little camp in them
09:47I married you because I made a deal with the devil
09:49I asked you to wear the emerald necklace tonight
09:52It was a big gay thing
09:53The gay community loved it
09:55I'm trying to find myself to sort out my life
09:58The phrase used to be, I love you
10:01I love Dynasty because of the dichotomy
10:04Obviously, it's campy, it's flashy, it's fabulous
10:08But it also is a very serious drama
10:11Don't try to deny it, Blake Harrington
10:13You had him beat up and I know it
10:14If I did or I didn't, that's no concern of yours
10:17Some of the issues that the show tackled were reproductive rights
10:21Your abortion is set for Tuesday
10:24A message I took for you
10:26Pick up the phone and cancel it
10:28Gay rights
10:29I'm gay
10:30And I want you to face it
10:32We pitched some very touching subject matter
10:36I didn't ever see a gay character on television until that
10:40The character of Steven was a seminal moment in television for gay men
10:45What I am is somebody who's in love with a person
10:49My interest was, that's something that I haven't seen, how am I going to do that?
10:54I thought it was special
10:55If you ever really loved me the way I loved you, you'll understand
10:59I think that without Steven, without Dynasty, their gay representation on television would have definitely been slower
11:07Steven is gay
11:09I got a lot of fan mail from gay men who said, you know, when I saw your show, finally there was a voice
11:18Finally there was someone that I could relate to
11:20Take care, buddy
11:20You too, buddy
11:22At the end of the first season, Blake Carrington attacks Steven Carrington's male lover, Ted Denard
11:30Get your hands off my son
11:33Dad, we were...
11:34I said get your hands off
11:35And kills him
11:45You've killed him
11:46The storyline of my father killing my lover
11:52Which was accidental
11:55Or was it?
11:57And that's sort of the play on it
11:58I think it was a way to get into a court scene
12:02People of the state of Colorado versus Blake Carrington
12:05Steven Carrington, my character had to make a choice to defend his father
12:09Or defend myself and my right to be gay
12:13Blake's kind of the villain in that story
12:15When it made me confused as a viewer
12:17Wait, am I supposed to like this guy?
12:18Because he's saying bad things to Steven
12:20And yet he's so innately likable even when he's doing it
12:23They wanted me to be a J.R. in Dallas figure
12:27And I was opposed to that
12:29The show needed a villain
12:31Uh-oh
12:32Blake's not bad enough
12:34Who do we get?
12:35Your Honor, our witness has arrived
12:36This was going to be the villain for the 80s
12:38Let's find somebody really big, really good
12:40The hat arrived first
12:44What's she doing here?
13:03What's going on?
13:04In the courtroom scene
13:05When Alexis walks in for the very first time
13:07It's actually an extra
13:09My God, that's my mother
13:11There was going to be either Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren
13:14That Aaron had wanted to play Alexis
13:16Sophia Loren's husband
13:18Oh
13:19Came to meet with me in the office
13:21Then he heard that we shot like eight pages a day
13:24Is that true?
13:26We don't do that in a week
13:27So
13:27They turned it down and it became Joan Collins
13:32I'll tell you about Joan Collins
13:36The network did not want her
13:38He had to fight really hard for her
13:40She had done some, a few B-movies
13:43Aaron really fought for Joan
13:45You know, and Joan comes in and is this just absolute boss
13:49And I don't know that we'd ever seen the boss bitch
13:51Done quite like that on network television
13:54Would you state your full name, please?
13:57Alexis Morel Carrington
13:59You were the first wife of the defendant, Blake Carrington
14:02You're the mother of his children, is that correct?
14:04Yes, it is
14:05When I saw her do the first scene, it was just perfect
14:09There were threats made
14:12Something about how my children might not recognize me if I tried to see them
14:19Joan just took that character and just ran with it
14:22When I need a trump card, I'm going to play it
14:25Joan just liked hurling barbs at people
14:28Still the impotent voyeur
14:32Verbal assaults
14:33You double-crossing scum
14:36Which she was absolutely brilliant at
14:38You bitch!
14:40Shh!
14:41You're beginning to sound more and more like a fishwife
14:43The whole idea of bringing Joan Collins in with that accent
14:50There are two Mrs. Colby's now, you know
14:52The way she wore clothes and that feeling she had
14:56It was just perfect casting
14:57You're even more beautiful
14:58And more ugly than that grand English lady I vaguely remember
15:03Joan Collins obviously added a huge element to Dynasty once she arrived
15:07And became one of the best villains in television history
15:10I'm glad to see that your father had your teeth fixed
15:14If not your tongue
15:16And she played my real mother
15:18Hello, Steven
15:19Hello
15:21Who is that person?
15:23Who is that character?
15:24Who is that actress?
15:25People always want
15:26What's Joan Collins?
15:27Is she?
15:27Is that really a bitch?
15:28No, she's not
15:29She can be
15:30But she's offensive fundamentally not
15:32Soap operas have to cheat their storytelling so often
15:36Because you want to cast an actor
15:38A hot young actor
15:38Well, who's that actor going to play?
15:40A long-lost child
15:41You're my son
15:43I remember doing my screen test
15:47And she had just emerged from the stage
15:50Oh, Miss Collins, I'm Gordon Thompson
15:52Thinking back on it
15:54It's astonishing that one of the enormous stars of this
15:58Now very successful series
16:01Was going to do a screen test with a complete unknown
16:06One of my lines was
16:09That my real name
16:10Was Adam Alexander Carrington
16:14It was an enormous trait
16:17So you'd think I would know
16:18That you got the job
16:20It went very well
16:22It's a welcome home, you've died
16:24When I started, I was really a gopher
16:28I was terrified of Joan
16:29Before I had even met her
16:31Was told to go in her dressing room with sketches
16:34Sitting in her dressing room
16:35And she came off set
16:37Not in the best of moods
16:39And I was there
16:41And she turned around
16:42And she started screaming
16:43And I'm trying to tell her
16:44I'm here to show you sketches
16:46But she kept screaming and screaming
16:47All of a sudden, the door flew open
16:49And it was Heather Locklear
16:50And I said, I'm here to see Joan
16:53And show her sketches
16:53And she said, honey, Joan's not here today
16:55It's only Alexis
16:56You don't love Joan
16:58You're kind of a little afraid of Joan
17:00But you're fascinated by Joan
17:02Dynasty was not a huge hit
17:05Until Alexis showed up
17:06I do as I please
17:07I always have and I always will
17:09It was interesting to see it
17:10Suddenly go, you know what?
17:12We've kind of found our lane here
17:13And our lane is not kitchen sink drama
17:16It's opera
17:18If you want a rematch, just whistle
17:25We have to talk about Alexis and Crystal's
17:29Big cat fight that went right into the lily pond
17:33Oh, you miserable bitch
17:35Once Dynasty established
17:41That there would be physical cat fights between women
17:43That was something audiences were tuning in for
17:46Will this week be one of the weeks
17:47Where they, you know, Alexis and Crystal
17:48Dive into the lily pond?
17:49Oh, no, no
17:50They were wet constantly, like, drenched
17:55And I know it wasn't easy for them
17:57But watching it was just so much fun
17:59Linda was very physical
18:01And loved fighting
18:03And Joan was not
18:04With the cat fights
18:06I think they were like a drug
18:08And next week's cat fight
18:10Has to be that much crazier
18:11That you have to up the dosage of that drug
18:13For the audience
18:13To make it stand out
18:15There are many cat fights on Dynasty
18:21I did one of them
18:22They went down a muddy hill
18:25And then fought
18:26In mud
18:27You stupid bitch
18:30Look what you've done to this outfit
18:31A lot of people that watched the show
18:34And knowing that
18:34There were Chanel suits
18:36There was Nolan Miller suits
18:38There were dresses
18:38But we never, never, ever
18:41Put a Nolan Miller suit in mud
18:43So, rest assured
18:45Yes, the suits were safe
18:47I'd rather concentrate on your outfit
18:57It's rather becoming
18:59Nolan Miller was one of
19:01Really, one of the superstars of Dynasty
19:03Whether people knew his name at the time or not
19:05Nolan Miller had come to Hollywood in the 50s
19:10The most auspicious thing that happened to him
19:12And happened to Aaron Spelling
19:14Is that they met each other
19:15And they formed this partnership
19:16His dream was to be a couturier
19:19So I said, well, if I ever get a show
19:21We'll do some costumes together
19:22Nolan and Aaron's first big successful collaboration
19:26Was the Love Boat
19:27It was an excuse for Nolan to really swing for the fences
19:31And really design his dream gowns
19:35And so, by the time Dynasty came around in 1981
19:37The Love Boat had been on for three seasons
19:39They were revving at Top Gear
19:41Right from the start of Dynasty
19:43When I first started with Nolan
19:45It was crazy because nobody ever gave a budget
19:50When I went fabric shopping or sourcing things
19:54You know, do I have a limit of how much I can spend?
19:57No
19:58The budget started out, when I first was there
20:00At $15,000 a week
20:02And then I was always over budget
20:04And it was a problem
20:05And Aaron talked to me
20:06So he raised it to $25,000 a week
20:09They don't care what they spend
20:10It's a dream come true
20:12You come in and they've got the finest everything
20:14For you to choose what you want to wear
20:15Aaron, he was a master at detail
20:19If an extra walked by and had the same color on
20:21As one of the principals
20:22He absolutely, we have to reshoot this
20:25There's been no show
20:27That I did before, during, or after
20:30That has ever had a budget like that for wardrobe
20:34The clothes literally became one of the stars of the show
20:37The 80s happened to be an explosion of fashion
20:43That Dynasty helped happen with those Nolan Miller designs
20:46The shoulder pads and the hair got bigger and bigger and bigger
20:49As they tried to outdo themselves
20:51And be more and more glam
20:52And more and more aspirational
20:54They were couture
20:56Real haute couture
20:58I salivated over those clothes
21:00The clothes were sensational
21:03Whitby chest was so damn glamorous
21:05One of the fascinations about Dynasty
21:08That causes millions of people to watch every week
21:11Is the fashion
21:12In the whole running of the show
21:14The clothing were the only thing that actually won an Emmy
21:18No actor ever won an Emmy
21:20But Nolan won an Emmy for wardrobe
21:22If you think about it, the cast of Dynasty were basically influencers
21:27They'll be able to dress like the characters of Dynasty
21:30Smell like the characters of Dynasty
21:32And make their homes look like it
21:33Dynasty star Joan Collins has her own jewelry collection
21:36Nolan was asked numerously to create retail fashion lines
21:43After the show began, Miller started receiving thousands of letters
21:46Asking where viewers could buy the same kind of clothes on the show
21:50He finally recreated a line for Bloomingdale's
21:53Which was epic
21:55He made 101 classic outfits from the hit series
22:00Available to high-fashion fans everywhere
22:03It was chaos at the store
22:05When they debuted the collection
22:07The characters
22:07They had all shown up
22:09All the actors
22:09It really was something
22:10I really think that Dynasty got it right
22:13In that it embraced the femaleness of it all
22:16They wisely knew who their audience was and who was watching
22:19The role of women on Dynasty was an important issue
22:21Almost from the beginning
22:23They looked great and they dressed great
22:25You know, they weren't, you know, in the kitchen
22:27Or, you know, or taking the kids to school
22:30Or taking them to soccer games
22:32It wasn't really until Dynasty
22:34That we had seen women in very powerful roles
22:38As CEOs of companies
22:40If I do not get that approval
22:42I shall fire you all on the spot
22:45I don't think that just because Blake Carrington isn't here
22:47That I won't be keeping an eye on you
22:49Every one of you
22:51You are now working for me
22:52I suppose they call it a bitch because it's a woman
22:54If it was a man
22:55They would call it a very dedicated career person
22:58Who's strong and forceful
22:59But because it's a woman, they call her a bitch
23:02What do you want, Miss Devereux?
23:04For now, not much really
23:06When Diane Carroll joined Dynasty as Dominique Devereux
23:09From now on, every deal you make
23:12Every step you take
23:13Turn and look over your shoulder
23:15Because sooner or later
23:16I will be standing there
23:19She broke the glass ceiling to some degree
23:21In representation, especially of black wealth and opulence
23:25You're suing me
23:26Exactly
23:28And bringing a whole new level of storytelling
23:30To Dynasty that we hadn't seen before
23:32On that show or really in television
23:35Women are interested in seeing women look beautiful
23:38And be powerful and be smart
23:39Joan was the first woman at age 50
23:41That was put on the cover of Playboy magazine
23:44Hugh Hefner approached her
23:46She nervously said yes, did it
23:49And so it really was a new chapter for women
23:53And it was about a whole resurgence of beautiful women
23:56Joan Collins is one of the most photographed and written about people in the world
24:00It really morphed into a cultural phenomenon
24:04We love the fact that we were all the magazine covers
24:08And everybody was talking about the show
24:10And that we felt we were invincible
24:12100 million people a week globally watched the show
24:14The visibility was huge
24:16The world was Dynasty mad
24:19Dynasty in Dallas became era-defining hits
24:22And were alternating with, you know, who could be number one
24:24And who could be number two in the primetime lineup
24:27ABC's soap opera Dynasty finished on top of the Nielsen ratings last week
24:31Nobody ever dreamt, I think, in their wildest dreams
24:34It was going to be as successful
24:35Dynasty!
24:36Dynasty!
24:37Thank you very much
24:40I want to thank Sophia Loren for turning down the pot
24:43Thank you very much indeed
24:48Very, very grateful
24:49The parties they threw got fancier
24:51The hair got bigger
24:52The shoulder pads got bigger
24:53The cars got fancier
24:55Hop over the mountain to Encino
24:57To the hot club where a big party is going on
24:59They had Dynasty parties
25:01On the night that Dynasty showed
25:03And they'd all watch it together
25:04And scream at the same scenes
25:06What gave you the idea to throw the party?
25:08There was this whole kind of thing going on in America
25:11Of everybody having Dynasty parties on Wednesday night
25:14You know, if so-and-so says a certain line
25:16You know, you gotta chug a beer
25:17Everybody sort of got into this sort of Dynasty fever
25:20And we would all go to gay bars in West Hollywood
25:24The night of the show
25:25And it was great because
25:27We sort of saw it with the fans
25:30I think one of the downsides of Dynasty becoming a huge success
25:35Is that there was a lot more pressure on the show
25:37To become more mainstream
25:38And shy away from some of the more controversial storylines
25:41And as a result, they pulled back quite a bit
25:44From some of those storylines
25:45That were real landmarks of Dynasty early on
25:48Where would you like for me to put the money?
25:59Come on, don't tell me this is your first time with a hooker
26:01No, it wasn't
26:02It's interesting, the early episodes of Dynasty
26:06They were a lot grittier
26:07I wanted you to be a man
26:09I am a man
26:10Just not your kind
26:12Dynasty became a bit of a different show
26:15It was less about business
26:17It was less about the gritty storylines
26:19Behind the scenes, there was always a lot of discussion
26:23About how gay Steven could be
26:26They had a hard time
26:28For whatever reason
26:30Committing to Steven just being completely gay
26:33You said to me that it made you sick
26:35Me putting my hands on another man
26:37Okay, I'm putting them on women
26:39I remember being on the set
26:41Across the table in a scene
26:43With my gay lover
26:45And I reached over
26:47And I was going to just put my hand on his hand
26:50In the scene
26:50And someone from ABC came over and said
26:53You can't do that
26:54I said, what do you mean?
26:55And by the way
26:56If you're going to hug him
26:59You have to either be saying goodbye
27:02Or hello
27:03That was surprising to me
27:04It caught me off guard as an actor
27:06Hi
27:06Hi
27:08Hi
27:08How do you have a out gay character
27:12Who can only maybe like touch and hug his partners?
27:16So they started exploring his relationships with other characters
27:21Specifically female characters
27:23I'm Sammy Jo Dean
27:24Crystal Carrington's niece
27:26They decided to make him bisexual
27:28And they made him
27:28He got married to Sammy Jo
27:30Heather Locklear
27:32You missed a really big opportunity here
27:35Now it's like he's gay
27:36He's not gay
27:37You know
27:38And it's redundant
27:39As an actor
27:41If you're not willing to go in
27:43And go a little bit below the surface
27:44Even in a soap opera
27:45What's the point of the character?
27:47So I was really disappointed
27:49To be quite honest
27:50When I showed my unhappiness
27:53With where the character was going
27:55And I think they just said
27:57You know, okay, well
27:58Fine
27:59And I said, okay, fine
28:00That was it
28:00He didn't appreciate that
28:03Didn't think it was right
28:05And as a result
28:06Ultimately left the show
28:08Steven was first played by Al Corley
28:10But when the actor complained about the show
28:12He was killed off
28:12Then brought back by Jack Coleman
28:14Good evening, Ben
28:15You are trying to visualize
28:17What you will look like?
28:19I was on the phone with my mother
28:21And all of a sudden
28:24The operator came in
28:27And said, we have an emergency phone call
28:29From Howard Goldberg
28:30He's my agent
28:31And he said, you got it
28:33He was on that unfortunate rig
28:41In the China Sea
28:42Where there's the explosion
28:43And Steven went from Al to me
28:46You ready for a look?
28:49Thank you
28:50Dr. Chen
28:52For giving me a face
28:53I'll be able to live with
28:54As you do
28:56You survive an oil rig fire
28:58And you come back with a new face
28:59The immaculate surgery
29:02And facial reconstruction without a scar
29:05And perfectly coiffed hair, I might add
29:07Steven!
29:10That was maybe
29:11One of the most dynasty things
29:13Of all dynasty things
29:14You know, I thought it was pretty silly
29:15But under the circumstances
29:18The character was popular
29:19In certain areas
29:21So they really couldn't kill him off
29:23What did end up happening with Steven
29:25Is he did end up getting watered down
29:27And I can't imagine
29:29That it was not the case
29:30That the timing of the HIV-AIDS epidemic
29:33Had a lot to do with it
29:34A mystery disease
29:35Known as the gay plague
29:36Has become an epidemic
29:38Unprecedented
29:38In the history of American medicine
29:40The first reports I ever saw
29:42And I think that ever aired
29:43About something that was then called
29:44GRID
29:45Gay-related immunodeficiency
29:47Were in 1981
29:48When AIDS was first discovered
29:49More than two years ago
29:51It was sometimes called
29:52The gay plague
29:53That's because virtually
29:55All of the victims
29:56Were homosexual
29:57GRID became named HIV-AIDS
29:59It appeared a year ago
30:01In New York's gay community
30:02Suddenly
30:03Gay sex was dangerous
30:05Gay romance
30:06Led to something dangerous
30:07And we had to pull back
30:09We were all afraid
30:1070% of its victims
30:11Are gay men
30:12The deadly disease
30:13Has been mostly striking
30:15Homosexual men
30:16Thousands of people
30:17In this country
30:17Have AIDS
30:18This is not a political issue
30:20This is a health issue
30:21This is not a gay issue
30:23This is a human issue
30:24The irony is that
30:25Dynasty would eventually
30:26Be at the heart
30:28Of that controversy
30:28Of HIV-AIDS
30:29With its Rock Hudson storyline
30:31Rock Hudson was cast
30:33On the show
30:34And it was in the middle
30:35Of AIDS
30:37I have a rule
30:38I never go after anything
30:40That can't be taken
30:40Does that rule hold
30:43Only for companies
30:44Or does it apply
30:45To wives as well
30:46Rock came on the set
30:49And first of all
30:50I was thrilled
30:51To be working with him
30:52He was sick
30:53At the time
30:54And I felt very bad
30:57He was very thin
30:58We certainly knew
31:00Early on in the show
31:02That something was not
31:03Right with him
31:04And he was very weak
31:05And very gaunt
31:06And pale
31:07In Dynasty
31:08There were scenes
31:09Where Rock Hudson's
31:10Character kisses
31:11Crystal
31:12Linda Evans' character
31:13I don't think
31:14Rock Hudson had come out
31:16As gay
31:17Or that he had AIDS
31:18At the time
31:19Mr. Rock Hudson
31:21Has acquired
31:23Immune
31:24Dicatientia Syndrome
31:26Which was
31:28Diagnosed
31:29Over a year ago
31:31We were told
31:32By a lot of medical people
31:35That AIDS can be
31:37Transmitted that way
31:38By kissing
31:38And I just
31:41So scared
31:42For Linda
31:42When it came out
31:44That Rock Hudson
31:45You know
31:46Had AIDS
31:46And that he had kissed
31:47Linda Evans
31:48On Dynasty
31:49I think everybody
31:53Wondered why
31:53He would do that
31:54In those days
32:03No one knew
32:04A damn thing
32:05About AIDS
32:06And there was
32:06Panic time
32:07I don't sense
32:08A feeling of panic
32:09On the sound stage
32:10But I think
32:11It's very frightening
32:12How people are
32:13Taking this
32:13The way she handled
32:14It in the press
32:16Was the way
32:16She handled it
32:17In private
32:18And she just said
32:19I'm not worried
32:19About that
32:19Linda Evans
32:20Was an enormously
32:21Good sport
32:21About it
32:22She took his side
32:23I think she was
32:24Incredibly courageous
32:25In showing the world
32:27How to be
32:27I'm tearing up
32:28In how to be gracious
32:29About this disease
32:31And not be freaked out
32:32And not blame
32:33Or stigmatize
32:34Someone who had
32:35The disease
32:36As for Rock
32:37His role on Dynasty
32:38Would prove to be his last
32:39He returned home
32:41From Paris
32:41And in a matter of weeks
32:42The one time
32:43Robust and powerful
32:44Screen legend
32:45Was gone
32:46I just recently realized
32:48That he died
32:50The same year
32:52That he was working
32:53On our show
32:53I think it was
32:55Really important
32:56We were hobnobbing
32:58With high ranking
32:59Members of the
33:00Republican Party
33:01In a way that
33:01You know
33:03You couldn't be
33:04Ignored
33:06You know
33:06Ronald Reagan
33:07Didn't mention
33:08The word AIDS
33:09Until I think
33:10Year seven
33:11Of his eight years
33:11In office
33:12We will
33:13I will
33:14Do all that
33:15God gives us
33:15The power to do
33:16To find a cure
33:17For AIDS
33:18In a way
33:19It actually
33:20Educated the public
33:21A little bit more
33:22And brought this
33:24Conversation to the
33:24Forefront
33:25As people were
33:26Just learning
33:26What it meant
33:27To both be
33:28HIV positive
33:29And also
33:30Be contracted
33:31With AIDS
33:31I'm very proud
33:33Of the work
33:33That Dynasty
33:34Accidentally
33:35Did on the
33:36HIV AIDS front
33:37I'm worried about
33:38You being out
33:39In that kind
33:40Of a world
33:40You're talking
33:42About AIDS right
33:43I'm talking
33:44About a disease
33:44That kills
33:45Dad I'm as aware
33:47Of the problem
33:47As you are
33:48Dynasty
33:49Stayed on top
33:50For as many years
33:51As it did
33:51By being bigger
33:52Bolder
33:53Brasher
33:53Oh my god
33:58It was strange
34:00It was almost like
34:01As it started
34:02Climbing into
34:03This great success
34:04It became
34:05A campy version
34:06Of itself
34:06So a storyline
34:08That might have
34:08Played out
34:09In season one
34:10Is going to be
34:11Amped up
34:11If you're doing
34:12Anything like it
34:12In season six
34:13I know her
34:14It was totally
34:17Over the top
34:18And it knew it
34:19Earnest in its
34:23Over the top
34:23Ness
34:24Bitch
34:24My favorite
34:27Example of this
34:28I think it was
34:29Called the royal wedding
34:30Sun will shine
34:32On a happy bride
34:32After all
34:33Amanda Carrington
34:36Brilliantly played
34:37By Catherine
34:37Oxenberg
34:38She's getting
34:39Married
34:39To the prince
34:40Of Moldavia
34:41There is
34:44Apparently unrest
34:45In the kingdom
34:45And there are
34:47Terrorists who want
34:48To take down
34:48The monarchy
34:49And what better
34:50Place to do that
34:51But at
34:52Amanda's wedding
34:52I thee wed
34:54Let us pray
34:55In peace
34:56Amanda
35:00Who shot J.R.
35:05Had been done
35:06Five years earlier
35:07And was celebrated
35:08As one of the great
35:09Stunts of all time
35:11So who shot J.R.
35:20Had been a brilliant
35:21Moment in American
35:22Television
35:23Dynasty
35:25We'll top that
35:27We're going to end
35:28The season
35:28With who shot
35:29The entire cast
35:31Of Dynasty
35:31Take that Dallas
35:33There's almost
35:35A pyramid
35:35Like pile
35:37Of carnage
35:38And of course
35:39The next season
35:40Most of them get up
35:41And do one of these things
35:42I know my wife
35:43And my family
35:44Are in there
35:44I've got to get in there
35:45So lazy
35:47Pulling fast one
35:48Cheating
35:49All horrible
35:50Things they do
35:51To the audience
35:52But it was so much fun
35:54While it lasted
35:55The scripts on Dynasty
35:57Generally speaking
35:58Left something
36:00To be desired
36:01Like Moldavia
36:02Where is Aaron Spelling
36:03This is this
36:04Wonderful producer
36:05And he let all
36:06This crap
36:07Happen
36:08A friend of mine
36:10Who was an associate
36:11Producer
36:11Wasn't allowed to say
36:13It but she told me
36:14At the writers meeting
36:17Esther and her husband
36:18Richard Shapiro
36:19Who invented the show
36:20Writers meeting
36:21Esther shows up
36:23First person who laughs
36:24Is fired
36:25Richard
36:26Has had a vision
36:27Aliens
36:29Aliens
36:34What a load of
36:36Pardon me
36:37Pure
36:38The idea was ludicrous
36:40And laughable
36:41I was going crazy
36:42With some of those scripts
36:44And with some of those
36:44Plot lines
36:45I just thought
36:45They were awful
36:46When we got into
36:47Aliens
36:48That felt pretty
36:49Sharky jumpy
36:50It destroyed the show
36:52It had competition too
36:53Other shows
36:54Of course
36:54Newer shinier shows
36:55Came around
36:56I remember
37:00I remember approaching
37:01The set
37:03For some reason
37:04With Aaron
37:05And he said
37:06Well we're still alive
37:07I said
37:08Oh okay
37:08I didn't realize
37:09We're dying
37:09I think two weeks later
37:11We were cancelled
37:12Blake
37:16Blake
37:18Blake
37:21Joan Collins was pushed
37:27Off a balcony
37:28Linda Evans was in a coma
37:29And John Forsyth was shot
37:31When the show
37:32Was abruptly cancelled
37:33Angry fans demanded
37:34To know what happened
37:35To their characters
37:36I thought it was
37:37Very unfair
37:37To end the series
37:39With fans
37:39Everybody up in the air
37:41It would be nice
37:42To end it
37:42With some definitive
37:44Thing
37:46To know what happened
37:47To the people
37:48And to do it
37:49With some kind of dignity
37:50The ninth season
37:52Of Dynasty
37:52Ended up being the last
37:54They didn't know that
37:55So there were still
37:56A lot of loose threads
37:57When the show ended
37:58That eventually
37:59Would be resolved
38:00When they did a reunion
38:01Miniseries later on
38:02Yes it's true
38:03The family you love to watch
38:05Stab each other in the back
38:06Is back
38:07They felt they owed it
38:08To the fans
38:08Who had watched Dynasty
38:09Throughout the years
38:10It all eventually
38:11Got resolved
38:12In that reunion special
38:13Which wrapped it up
38:15In a nice bow
38:16Around a package
38:17Hi dad
38:21Hello son
38:23Alexis
38:24Oh my god
38:28Isn't it interesting
38:30That Dynasty
38:30Stayed on top
38:31For almost exactly
38:32The length
38:33Of the Reagan administration
38:34It started in 1981
38:38With the inauguration month
38:40And it ended in 1989
38:41The 90s were about to dawn
38:44I George Herbert Walker Bush
38:46Do solemnly swear
38:48Maybe we shouldn't be about greed
38:50And we shouldn't be about
38:51Eating cake for dinner
38:52I look back on it now
38:54You know
38:55It was a kind of
38:56A cultural thing
38:57It was a kind of
38:58Product of the time
38:58It was a good show
39:00For what it was
39:01Richard and Esther Shapiro
39:02Made an attempt
39:03To break some ground
39:04You know
39:05And I think they did
39:06So I'm really proud
39:07Of that part of it
39:09It was so intense
39:11Those nine years
39:13Were so amazing
39:14I wouldn't have given them up
39:15For anything in the world
39:16It was an extraordinary
39:18Thing to experience
39:19Dynasty
39:19Has become
39:21Somewhat
39:22Iconic
39:23And I think
39:24I'd quite like
39:25To be remembered
39:26For having
39:27Given a lot of people
39:29A lot of pleasure
39:30And laughs
39:31It did not take anything
39:35That seriously
39:36And I think
39:36That's why people
39:37Watch television
39:38Then and now
39:40Is to escape
39:41Total escapism
39:43And also
39:44The American dream
39:45Come to America
39:47And you could be
39:48A billionaire
39:49The legacy
39:50Of Dynasty
39:51For me
39:53Obviously
39:53Is the fashion
39:54I wish Nolan
39:55Could be here today
39:56Because he would be
39:58So proud
39:59Having dressed
40:00Elizabeth Taylor
40:01Sophia Loren
40:01Joan Collins
40:02Is why over time
40:04Julia Roberts
40:05Angelina Jolie
40:06Beyonce
40:07Everybody would come to me
40:08Because I was there
40:09And I owe that to Nolan
40:11I owe that to Dynasty
40:12I owe it to Aaron Spelling
40:13Joan Collins
40:14I owe it to everybody
40:15When you think about history
40:18There are lots of dynasties
40:20That's where the name
40:21Comes from
40:22Like look at the Kardashians
40:24They basically are
40:26Another version
40:26Of the Keringtons
40:27Super successful
40:29Super well known
40:30Rich
40:31And don't really care
40:32What anybody thinks
40:32About them
40:33Being surrounded
40:34By like opulence
40:35And a dirty martini
40:37And a crystal glass
40:39And fabulous
40:40Everywhere
40:41That is definitely
40:42Left over
40:43From Dynasty
40:44Dynasty made it okay
40:45To flaunt your wealth
40:46Made the people
40:47Who weren't wealthy
40:48Think that's what
40:48Wealthy people do
40:49And should do
40:50Literally
40:51I will literally
40:52You up
40:53The idea of
40:54You know
40:54Kind of the cat fight
40:56You know
40:56The claws out
40:57I asked you something
40:58Well here's your answer
41:00I've worked with
41:03All the Kardashians
41:04They love Dynasty
41:06Kris Jenner
41:07Lived for Dynasty
41:08So you can see that
41:10When you look at
41:11Them dressing today
41:13To what was happening
41:14On Dynasty
41:15It's pretty parallel
41:16Succession probably
41:18Owes a little tip
41:20Of the hat
41:20To the rich
41:22Miserable people
41:23Money wins
41:24Every decade
41:25Has had its
41:27TV shows
41:28About how messed up
41:29Rich people are
41:30And people love that
41:31They love that
41:32Because let's face it
41:33There's only this many
41:34Rich people
41:35And everybody else
41:35Is in this group
41:36I think Dynasty's
41:38Greatest legacy
41:39Is when you think
41:40The 80s
41:41You think Dynasty
41:42This was a show
41:43That was pure
41:44Reganomics
41:45It was pure greed
41:47It was pure
41:47Go-go
41:49Greed is good
41:49Early 80s
41:50Nonsense
41:51That definitely
41:52Doesn't hold up today
41:54But it's
41:56It's a fun
41:56Snapshot
41:58Of an era
42:00That's now long past
42:01That's now long past
42:03It's a fun
42:03It's a fun
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