Proposed Dynasty spinoff for Fallon and Jeff

[Pat Butcher]

I was watching an interview with the Shapiros where they mentioned a planned Dynasty spinoff that I'd never heard about before. They wanted to do a hotel based spinoff featuring Fallon and Jeff that was to be set in Miami that they hoped would be younger and hotter than the parent programme. A sort of precursor to Melrose Place. The idea was nixed by Aaron Spelling as he was in the process of developing a different hotel based series which would eventually become Hotel which aired after Dynasty on ABC. What do you think of their planned idea? Do you think it would have worked? Time wise it would have meant Fallon and Jeff departing for Miami sometime after or towards the end of season three.

Personally I think it may have worked without affecting the parent show massively. As it happened, Fallon was leaving in season four anyway with Jeff following the season after to The Colbys. 1983 would have been an ideal time to launch a spinoff too as Dynasty and the other primetime soaps were at their peak around that time. Even the Shapiros acknowledged that despite better writing than Dynasty at the time, The Colbys came too late and was too similar to Dynasty to grab viewers imaginations as they were already tuning out of the parent show by that point. It could have been a hot sort of Flamingo Road-esque show where the likes of Sammy Jo could drop by to cause trouble or Steven could escape to with his latest lover away from the disapproving eyes of his family or his wife in Denver.

[SnarkyOracle!]

I was watching an interview with the Shapiros where they mentioned a planned Dynasty spinoff that I'd never heard about before. They wanted to do a hotel based spinoff featuring Fallon and Jeff that was to be set in Miami that they hoped would be younger and hotter than the parent programme. A sort of precursor to Melrose Place. The idea was nixed by Aaron Spelling as he was in the process of developing a different hotel based series which would eventually become Hotel which aired after Dynasty on ABC. What do you think of their planned idea? Do you think it would have worked? Time wise it would have meant Fallon and Jeff departing for Miami sometime after or towards the end of season three.

The Shapiros sued Spelling twice -- the first time was quite warranted, when they wanted to spin-off Fallon to run a hotel 1982, and Spelling re-routed the idea a year later into his HOTEL series without inviting the Shapiros to participate in the show (or its profits) and optioning the Arthur Hailey novel rights in order, as the Shapiros credibly asserted, to avoid paying them anything.

They settled: Spelling gave Esther a title in his company and maybe a puppy.

Later, there was another, apparently friendlier suit about who owned what of DYNASTY amongst all the increasingly byzantine contract details.

[alexis]

Is Spelling the most sued man in the universe?

[alexis]

I am watching the Shapiro's interview now and in part two, Esther says that they "never really got into incest or stuff like that" really?
She says it like other shows were doing it. They wern't it was just a DYNASTY thing dear.

In part three they say that Jeff was Cecil's son. They wrote the show and run it at that time and they dont even know what they wrote.

[alexis]

Urgghhhh! She also says that she and Spelling bought the sets for The Colbys, one of which being the set from the movie CLUE. Well that set was The Carlton and it was never on The Colbys.

She then mentions stage actress Stephanie Dunham? No I think you mean Stephanie Beacham. Shapiro seems to not be very clued up on any of the important details of her shows. And instead just focuses on what she likes or believes to be the truth. Even though its quite clearly false. I wonder what Richard would say if he wern't so hen pecked. He hardly ever gets to speak, but seems more knowlegable when he actually says something.

[Pat Butcher]

Is Spelling the most sued man in the universe?

He does seem to have been in court quite a bit over the years with Gordon Thomson and Hunter Tylo winning cases against him too.

I am watching the Shapiro's interview now and in part two, Esther says that they "never really got into incest or stuff like that" really?
She says it like other shows were doing it. They wern't it was just a DYNASTY thing dear.

In part three they say that Jeff was Cecil's son. They wrote the show and run it at that time and they dont even know what they wrote.

They seem to mix up alot of the details. When asked who crossed over from Dynasty to The Colbys they seem to forget that Jeff moving to California and rediscovering Fallon was the main setup and say that it was a mostly new cast and then seem to mention every Dynasty character who ever crossed over bar Jeff and Fallon. They also refer to Stephanie Dunnam playing Sable in The Colbys when in fact it was Stephanie Beacham. Stephanie Dunnam would later appear in Dynasty as Karen. I wonder if they just weren't that interested and saw working on the show as just a job like us normal folk would treat some of our jobs as just a job. I know for a fact that I would remember little or nothing of the job I did 8 years ago as I wasn't that interested in it.

Regarding the spinoff, I wonder would Fallon's character have been saved by moving her to her own show instead of having her diluted in the shadow of Alexis like she was when she stayed on Dynasty. Also, given that it was set in Miami would we have seen a more ethically diverse cast than Dynasty or would they have gone the usual route of just setting a show somewhere without properly reflecting the location?

[alexis]

I think that giving Fallon her own spin off earlier like around season 3 and setting it in Miami would have been much more succesful than The Colbys. It would have been a younger show, with more hot young actors in swim suits and around pools and on beachs. And that has been a type of show that has proved to be popular, if not vastly over done now. But in say 1983 it would have been completely new.

Fallon could still have crossed over into DYNASTY for 4 or 5 episode arks and as someone mentioned before, Steven, Adam, Sammy Jo, et al could have guested on the Miami Hotel spin off.

It would also have added more excitement to DYNASTY. Events for Denver Carrington could have been held there. Charity balls, conventions, with the cast of DYNASTY all of to this new but realistic location.

I would have hoped that if the original spin off did happen that it would have been more of a diverse cast and at least more of an attempt to make it look and feel like Miami.
Imagine watching DYNASTY in season 4 or 5 and Blake saying to Krystle, "lets get away for a few days, we haven't seen Fallon for a while, lets fly down to Miami and have a few days in the sun"

It would have made the show much more interesting.

[SnarkyOracle!]

Apparently it was PSM who nixed the hotel spin-off, not Spelling; I'm glad she did, too.

[alexis]

Apparently it was PSM who nixed the hotel spin-off, not Spelling; I'm glad she did, too.

Why do you think that? I think the idea and the timing were much better than what happened with The Colbys.

[bybr]

Apparently it was PSM who nixed the hotel spin-off, not Spelling; I'm glad she did, too.

I think she confirmed it in a radio interview that she did not like the idea.
Some sources say that Esther held a little grudge for that.

You'd better say something about those "two Dynasty nights" that Esther wanted to do.
I forgot about what was her goal. Can you help me recall it? Please!

[SnarkyOracle!]

You'd better say something about those "two Dynasty nights" that Esther wanted to do.
I forgot about what was her goal. Can you help me recall it? Please!

I've heard about it, but don't know much about the details.

[willie oleson]

I think that giving Fallon her own spin off earlier like around season 3 and setting it in Miami would have been much more succesful than The Colbys.

Well, she did get her hotel. And it looked very Miami.
Now, imagine a show entirely based on that.
IMO Fallon was always at her best when she acted as Blake Carrington's daughter.
But she wasn't interesting enough to have her own show, and certainly not if she had been supported by nothing but a bunch of hot, bronzed, talentless nobodies.

[brooked]

Well, she did get her hotel. And it looked very Miami.
Now, imagine a show entirely based on that.
IMO Fallon was always at her best when she acted as Blake Carrington's daughter.
But she wasn't interesting enough to have her own show, and certainly not if she had been supported by nothing but a bunch of hot, bronzed, talentless nobodies.

I think she was interesting enough to star in her own show, or be one of the two/three main leads. But no one character in any 80's soap would be interesting enough to have an entire show built around them without other strong and interesting characters too. Not even JR. Fallon at her best was one of Dynasty's truly fascinating characters as far as I'm concerned. It's a shame she was never able to fully realize her potential.

I can see the benefits of her having her own spin-off. An oppurtunity for the character to grow and develop as intended without Joan/Alexis blocking her path. Although I think I would have rather seen her with a bigger and better role on Dynasty.

I don't think she was dependent on being Blake's daughter (although their relationship was very interesting) in fact I would have quite liked her to turn out to be Cecil's and end up inheriting the Colby fortune and ColbyCo over Alexis, her own dirty trick backfiring on her. I think Fallon drunk on power, wealthier than ever and now both loving and hating Blake in equal measure could have been great.

I also think there was the potential for her to be the star of The Colby's in an interesting way.

[willie oleson]

Steven and Claudia and all the others were fascinating too.
But still not good enough for a seperate show. None of them were Krystle, and Dynasty S1 was the Krystle show.

I've always found it hard to see Colbyco as an enemy company because of the family ties, especially after LB was born.
Carringtons working at Colbyco, Colbys at Denver-Carrington...
But when Steven worked for Matthew, ha, that was a completely different scenario.

[alexis]

I think she was interesting enough to star in her own show, or be one of the two/three main leads. But no one character in any 80's soap would be interesting enough to have an entire show built around them without other strong and interesting characters too. Not even JR. Fallon at her best was one of Dynasty's truly fascinating characters as far as I'm concerned. It's a shame she was never able to fully realize her potential.

I can see the benefits of her having her own spin-off. An oppurtunity for the character to grow and develop as intended without Joan/Alexis blocking her path. Although I think I would have rather seen her with a bigger and better role on Dynasty.

I don't think she was dependent on being Blake's daughter (although their relationship was very interesting) in fact I would have quite liked her to turn out to be Cecil's and end up inheriting the Colby fortune and ColbyCo over Alexis, her own dirty trick backfiring on her. I think Fallon drunk on power, wealthier than ever and now both loving and hating Blake in equal measure could have been great.

I also think there was the potential for her to be the star of The Colby's in an interesting way.

I agree 100% If Fallon had been spun off into her own Hotel based show she would have been able to remain a strong female lead. Like Alexis on DYNASTY but younger, and sexier. She could have been turned into a facinating character again. Seperated from Jeff, whom visits her and LB often. Him still wanting Fallon even though she has put that behind her and has an army of lovers who keep her entertained. She could have schemed in business and slept her way to achieving goals. She would have been the resident alpha BITCH on her own show. All the best lines would have always went to her. And it would have made for good publicity I think, Alexis calling the shots on DYNASTY and Fallon calling the shots on her show. The two could even have had occasional cross overs where they tried to out bitch eachother.

Fallon is probably the only character I think could have carried a spin off. Claudia was too dependant on the Carringtons to leave them and start her own life. Steven was a no go because no network was going to do a show all about a gay guy and Adam just wouldn't have been interesting enough. He was great with Alexis for a while and then fizzled out into what the reast of the show became... Dull.

[willie oleson]

She would have been the resident alpha BITCH on her own show.

There's nothing interesting about a superbitch without a likeable hero/heroine. Who would that be?

All the best lines would have always went to her (....) Alexis calling the shots on DYNASTY and Fallon calling the shots on her show.

But isn't that exactly what some of us have been complaining about? Too much of the indestructible, Almighty Alexis?
I like good storylines that include Alexis (like season 2) but not an entire show based around her.
Sometimes absence can be a very strong and interesting presence because it makes you wonder what they're up to and when they will re-appear like a jack-in-the-box.

[alexis]

There's nothing interesting about a superbitch without a likeable hero/heroine. Who would that be?


But isn't that exactly what some of us have been complaining about? Too much of the indestructible, Almighty Alexis?
I like good storylines that include Alexis (like season 2) but not an entire show based around her.
Sometimes absence can be a very strong and interesting presence because it makes you wonder what they're up to and when they will re-appear like a jack-in-the-box.

Fallon would actually have been the hero, she would have been more along the lines of Sable. She had no one to seek revenge on like Alexis. But she would be ruthless in business and ofcourse be the sharp tongued bitch she was in season 1. Thats who she was. She was Alexis' daughter it was genetic there could be no denying it. Fallon in season 1 of DYNASTY was quite a bitch but still very likeable, still very caring and loving of her beloved father and brother. Willing to do anything for her father.

The spin off wouldn't have been the same format as DYNASTY. "Bitch wants to ruin ex husbands perfect mariage" There could have been many shady characters out to screw with Fallon and make her life tough. And she could have out whitted them and become a very powerful character. But almost always on the side of the angles.
With her own Spin off any character could have been created for her to spar with. It's all about imagination. You can create anything.

Too much Alexis on Dynasty weakened Fallon, though if Fallon had left in season 3 and been given her own show she would have been allowed to be the original conception of her character again. And that Jack in the box, thing you mention is what I was talking about. Never knowing when Fallon would pop on DYNASTY or Alexis would pop up in "MIAMI".

Fallon I think would have been a strong character on her own show, with traits of Alexis but not as pantomime.

[willie oleson]

Fallon in season 1 of DYNASTY was quite a bitch but still very likeable.

She was a slut and a snob and treated everyone like dirt except her brother and father.
But she was intelligent and could achieve something if she wanted to. Imagine if she had joined D-C, as PR woman, together with Krystle! Could have caused some interesting conflicts, maybe even reviving the old animosity. Besides, Tracey Kendall was such a joke.

[brooked]

The Colbys came too late and was too similar to Dynasty to grab viewers imaginations as they were already tuning out of the parent show by that point. It could have been a hot sort of Flamingo Road-esque show where the likes of Sammy Jo could drop by to cause trouble or Steven could escape to with his latest lover away from the disapproving eyes of his family or his wife in Denver.

I agree about The Colby's. Aside from being launched too late, I feel it probably was too similar to Dynasty (with a bit of Dallas imitation thrown in too) to really capture the public's imagination in it's own right. Of course the Dallas spin-off operated on an entirely different premise to the parent show and it worked. I think probably the Shapiros should have gone down a similar route.

Apparently it was PSM who nixed the hotel spin-off, not Spelling; I'm glad she did, too.

Does that mean the Shapiro's should have sued PSM instead?

Any particular reason you're glad she nixed it? Not saying I disagree, I'm not sure about the idea to be honest.
Pat Butcher's description of the spin-off as an 80's Melrose Place, or Flamingo Roadish type show is more interesting to me in theory than Dynasty in LA.

Does anybody have any more details on the proposed Fallon/Hotel spin-off? Based on such limited information I think it's impossible to know whether or not it would have been a good or bad idea.

Was it to simply be a tacky Spelling show selling the sex and sizzle and very little else? If it was just a tacky soap about pretty, sexy people being hot I'm glad it was nixed and it's obvious PSM would never have agreed to it. If it was -yes, sexy and steamy - but also had interesting stories and strong characterization then I see no reason it couldn't have worked. It's all about execution. And writing. And Acting.

There's nothing interesting about a superbitch without a likeable hero/heroine. Who would that be?


But isn't that exactly what some of us have been complaining about? Too much of the indestructible, Almighty Alexis?
I like good storylines that include Alexis (like season 2) but not an entire show based around her.
Sometimes absence can be a very strong and interesting presence because it makes you wonder what they're up to and when they will re-appear like a jack-in-the-box.

I don't think Fallon should have been a super-bitch necessarily. Potentially she was much more interesting than that. More a gray character who could be ruthless when needs be and deliver a bitchy line with panache yet have depth and a soul. I agree with alexis, that Sable could be a better reference point. Wicked with humanity. Abby from KL is another good example.

She was a slut and a snob and treated everyone like dirt except her brother and father.
But she was intelligent and could achieve something if she wanted to. Imagine if she had joined D-C, as PR woman, together with Krystle! Could have caused some interesting conflicts, maybe even reviving the old animosity. Besides, Tracey Kendall was such a joke.

Or maybe use her money to go into business with Matthew Blaisdel? It might be interesting to have Krystle jealous of Fallon for once, if maybe Matthew and Fallon grew close whilst business partners. It could be that she'd go to Blake hoping for a role at Denver Carrington, be duly knocked back and patronized and then join up with Matthew and prove herself that way.

Steven and Claudia and all the others were fascinating too.
But still not good enough for a seperate show. None of them were Krystle, and Dynasty S1 was the Krystle show.

Krystle may indeed have been the heart of the first season of Dynasty, the identifiable one in an otherwise rarefied, impenetrable world, but I wouldn't say the whole show was built around her quite to the extent it was "The Krystle Show" and I don't think she was any more interesting than several other characters. But even if it was her show, there is more than one way to skin a cat. I love season one, and I love Krystle that year but a spin-off doesnt need to replicate the format of the parent show. In fact I think it would be better if it didn't.

Steven was great, but as alexis pointed out, a gay character would never get his own spin-off. Had Dynasty been a Lorimar show on CBS, Claudia could have moved to KL and fitted in perfectly, but I don't think she could star in her own show either as much as I loved her in s1.

There's obviously a reason the Shapiro's saw Fallon as the best character to launch a spin-off and I'd imagine it was a combination of many aspects.

It would have to be a good, strong, interesting character, who was also very popular with the audience and portrayed by an actor with genuine star quality and screen presence as well as solid acting ability. This would actually rule quite a few characters/actors out. Fallon/PSM would fit the bill. She and Heather Locklear were the only younger actors on Dynasty who had the charisma to carry off a leading role, but HL was still learning as an actor.

Also I suspect the idea to give Fallon her own show had a lot to do with Season One and then The Alexis Effect.

Season One. Who was the most popular character? It was Fallon. Esther Shapiro is even on record as saying the women who wrote in that year wanted to be Fallon, not Krystle. It was season two's infamous rivalry between the Two Mr's Carrington's that propelled Krystle to Dynasty's most popular character.

Dynasty didn't receive a huge amount of press that year, but the most positive press it did gain surrounded Fallon. She was the closest thing to a break-out star.

She shared a TV Guide cover with classic 80's soap stars Donna Mills and Morgan Fairchild, with an article on how the viewers love the vixen characters .



and then appeared with her fellow "Soap Vixens" on their Year in Television Show




(Starts at 3.46 in part 8 and finishes at 5.30 in part 9)

There were some TV critics, who believed Fallon could (and maybe should) become to Dynasty what JR was to Dallas (seriously!). Or who felt Fallon could be a star making role for PSM. Obviously it wasn't the level of press later generated, but it was better than nothing!

She was also Richard Shapiro's favorite Dynasty character, hell, even Joan Collins said she was the best thing about season one.

But when season two rolls along and Alexis is brought in, Fallon suffers most . Interestingly Richard Shapiro in an interview, when speaking of the idea behind Alexis' introduction referred to "bringing in Fallon's mother" rather than "Blake's first wife" as you'd expect. Alexis of course was not initially intended to last the whole season. Was it because Fallon was to step up as the villainess once Alexis the evil, glamorous mother had set things in motion with her secret before departing once again? Yes, it was probably correct for Dynasty to make Alexis a full time character, and it was her rivalry with Krystle that really pushed Dynasty up the ratings chart but it was also really quite unfortunate for PSM/Fallon.

Ordinarily PSM would be rewarded for being seen as the original stand-out with a juicier and increased role the next season, but instead, despite her near show stealing performance, she ends up being reduced by the necessary (in terms of ratings) shake-up. It's unfortunate. So it makes sense the Shapiro's could be thinking along the lines of "We like Fallon. She was great in season one, the audience loved her too, but there's no room for her to shine now we have Aexis. She's wasted on Dynasty. But what if we moved her into a new show....."

I guess that alone makes the idea interesting to me, that Fallon could maybe fully realise her huge potential as a character. If that wasn't their intention and Fallon would still be blanded out as a character it would be very baffling

[SnarkyOracle!]

Yes, the reason they couldn't strike a deal with Sophia Loren, who was interested, was that the show didn't yet have the budget to pay Loren for 22 episodes; Alexis was originally supposed to stay for only 6 episodes, to get Blake convicted and kill Krystle's baby, then leave. But once they realized the character would be needed all season, Loren was out because they didn't have enough money.

Does that mean the Shapiro's should have sued PSM instead?

They sued Spelling because he re-routed the idea into HOTEL and then left the Shapiros out of that.