Dynasty (1981 TV series) season 7 explained

Season Number:7
Bgcolour:
  1. FC89AC
Network:ABC
Num Episodes:28
Episode List:List of Dynasty (1981 TV series) episodes

The seventh season of Dynasty originally aired in the United States on ABC from September 24, 1986, through May 5, 1987. 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 seven stars John Forsythe as millionaire oil magnate Blake Carrington; Linda Evans as his wife Krystle; Jack Coleman as Blake and Alexis' earnest son Steven; Gordon Thomson as Blake and Alexis' eldest son Adam; Heather Locklear as Krystle's niece and Steven's ex-wife Sammy Jo; Michael Nader as Alexis' husband Dex Dexter; Karen Cellini as Blake and Alexis' youngest daughter, Amanda; Diahann Carroll as Blake's half-sister Dominique Deveraux; Wayne Northrop as Blake's former chauffeur Michael Culhane; 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 Christopher Cazenove as Blake's brother, Ben Carrington; Kate O'Mara as Alexis' sister Caress Morell; Terri Garber as Ben's daughter Leslie; Leann Hunley as Blake's secretary Dana Waring; and Cassie Yates as Sarah Curtis and old friend of Dex's. Though starring as Jeff Colby and Fallon Carrington on The Colbys, John James and Emma Samms each appeared in two episodes of season seven as these characters.

Development

Although the first episode of season seven, "The Victory", premiered with a high Nielsen rating of a 20.1,[1] it was overtaken by Magnum, P.I., now in the same time slot on CBS.[2] Dynasty ultimately fell to #24 in the United States for the season.[3] [4]

During the period between the production of seasons six and seven, Catherine Oxenberg vacated the role of Amanda Carrington,[5] purportedly due to a salary dispute.[5] Oxenberg's publicist insisted that the actress left Dynasty voluntarily, while several media outlets reported that she was fired.[6] [7] [8] The role was immediately recast with Karen Cellini,[7] [8] [9] who appeared for 13 episodes of the series' seventh season before the character was written out in the 1987 episode "The Rig".[10]

Plot

As the seventh season begins, Blake stops short of killing Alexis, who has taken all of his assets, including the mansion. Claudia has died in the fire she set at La Mirage, and Amanda (now played by Karen Cellini) is rescued by a returning Michael Culhane, Blake's chauffeur from the first season.[11] [12] Blake turns the tables on Ben and Alexis and recovers his wealth, but loses his memory after an oil rig explosion. Alexis finds Blake and, with everyone believing he is dead, perpetuates the belief that they are still married. Living with a clean slate, Alexis finds herself softening to Blake but ultimately tells him the truth as he reunites with Krystle. Krystina receives a heart transplant but is later temporarily kidnapped by Sarah Curtis, the mother of the girl from whom Krystina received her new heart; Sammy Jo's marriage to Clay crumbles and she falls into bed with Steven; Amanda leaves town; and Ben's daughter Leslie arrives. Adam's season-long romance with Blake's secretary Dana Waring culminates in a wedding, which is punctuated in the May 6, 1987 season finale by a car Alexis drove plunged off a bridge into a river and the violent return of a vengeful Matthew Blaisdel (Bo Hopkins).

Cast

Main

Recurring

Notable guest stars

Cast notes

Episodes

Season two of The Colbys aired concurrently with Dynasty season seven.[13]

Reception

In season seven, Dynasty was ranked #24 in the United States with a 17.2 Nielsen rating.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: TV Listings for September 24, 1986 . TV Tango . November 19, 2019 . April 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230415001954/http://www.tvtango.com/listings?filters[date][month]=9&filters[day]=24&filters[year]=1986&commit.x=14&commit.y=17 . live .
  2. News: Soap Opera Ratings Story: Magnum, P.I. Overtakes Dynasty. Los Angeles Times. Lee. Margulies. November 12, 1986. November 20, 2019. October 23, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131023041234/http://articles.latimes.com/1986-11-12/entertainment/ca-29090_1_dynasty. live.
  3. The prime time show rankings for '86-87 . . April 27, 1987 . 54 . January 4, 2016 . December 28, 2017 . https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20171228044055/http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1987/BC-1987-04-27.pdf . live .
  4. Web site: List of Season's Top-Rated TV Shows (1986–87) . . April 22, 1987 . November 5, 2016 . September 21, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180921225813/https://apnews.com/8b88c811e8a46829a70e88d2d6b9cf9c . live .
  5. News: Eder. Shirley. August 19, 1986. Dynasty To Do Without Its Princess. Chicago Tribune. Chicago, United States. Knight Ridder. October 8, 2018. August 8, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140808054651/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-08-19/features/8603020062_1_catherine-oxenberg-dynasty-blake-carrington. live.
  6. Web site: Swertlow. Frank. Hollywood Freeway: CBS Gets Ready with New Focus on Bourke-White. Los Angeles Daily News. July 16, 1986. 1 Valley, L.A. Life. infoweb.newsbank.com. October 8, 2018. May 14, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240514043527/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/user/login?destination=document-view%3Fp%3DAWNB%26pedirect%3Dtrue%26docref%3Dnews/0EF50ED10E627AFD. live.
  7. Web site: Dynasty Gives Actress The Heave-Ho. San Francisco Chronicle. July 16, 1986. 47. infoweb.newsbank.com. October 8, 2018. May 14, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240514043558/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/user/login?destination=document-view%3Fp%3DAWNB%26pedirect%3Dtrue%26docref%3Dnews/0EB4EE270154FB68. live.
  8. Web site: Associated Press. Dynasty Will Switch Amandas. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. July 16, 1986. C10, Television. infoweb.newsbank.com. October 8, 2018. Associated Press. December 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231212152452/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/user/login?destination=doc/nb/news/0EB0484896A7EB57%3Fp%3DAWNB. live.
  9. Web site: Landing role on Dynasty took sales job. Rome News-Tribune. Jerry. Buck. news.google.com. August 5, 1986. December 4, 2017. October 2, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191002212926/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GW8wAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MDYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4359,922793. live.
  10. Web site: Ranching focus of show. Faye. Zuckerman. The Gadsden Times. news.google.com. January 7, 1987. December 4, 2017. October 2, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191002212926/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_7QfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M9cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3054,1091659. live.
  11. Web site: Wayne Northrop Plans A Return To Dynasty. Orlando Sentinel. June 29, 1986. November 7, 2017. November 7, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171107222528/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-06-29/entertainment/8606290316_1_wayne-northrop-emma-samms-northrop-plans. live.
  12. Web site: Wayne Northrup To Rejoin Dynasty. Los Angeles Times. July 3, 1986. November 7, 2017. May 14, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240514043526/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-03-ca-1194-story.html. live.
  13. Web site: The Colbys. PressReader.com. Soap Opera Digest. October 19, 2019. November 19, 2019. December 8, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191208223132/https://www.pressreader.com/usa/soap-opera-digest/20181019/282548724228324. live.

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