Type Soap opera Last appearance Dynasty: The Reunion | First appearance "Oil" (pilot) | |
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Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro Original run January 12, 1981 (1981-01-12) – October 22, 1991 (1991-10-22) | ||
The Carringtons are the core family of the American prime time soap opera Dynasty, which aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was followed up by a two-part miniseries entitled Dynasty: The Reunion in October 1991.
Overview
As Dynasty begins in 1981, Carrington heirs Steven (Al Corley) and Fallon (Pamela Sue Martin) return to Denver to attend the wedding of their father, powerful oil tycoon Blake Carrington (John Forsythe). The Carrington family dynamic is soon established; thoughtful and sensitive Steven resists his father's pressure to step into his role as future leader of Blake's empire, while his spoiled sister Fallon, better suited to follow in Blake's footsteps, is underestimated by and considered little more than a trophy to father Blake. Steven befriends Krystle (Linda Evans), Blake's former secretary and future wife, who is adjusting to life at the mansion despite chilly receptions from Fallon and the Carrington majordomo, Joseph Anders (Lee Bergere).
Blake's ex-wife Alexis (Joan Collins) appears in the second season and soon stirs up trouble for the family. In 1982, their infant grandson L.B. Colby, the son of Fallon and Jeff Colby (John James) is kidnapped. Former spouses Blake and Alexis make a televised plea that he be returned, and Alexis confesses a dark secret from their past: their firstborn son, Adam (Gordon Thomson), had been kidnapped as a baby and never recovered. Traumatized by the event, they had hidden his existence from their subsequent children Fallon and Steven. Meanwhile, in Billings, Montana, an old woman named Kate Torrance tearfully tells her grandson Michael that he is really the Carrington heir. Armed with items from Adam Carrington's baby carriage, lawyer "Michael" comes to Denver and is eventually accepted as a Carrington, but his selfishness, greed and ambition put him at odds with all of his relatives at one time or another.
Steven leaves town that year and is presumed dead in an oil rig explosion in 1983; he turns up alive and returns (portrayed by Jack Coleman). Fallon leaves town in 1984 and is also later presumed dead in a plane crash. At the same time, chanteuse Dominique Deveraux (Diahann Carroll) comes to Denver and soon makes a shocking claim: she is the daughter of Blake's father Tom Carrington (Harry Andrews) and his longtime mistress. Later in 1984 a young woman named Amanda Bedford (Catherine Oxenberg) appears on Alexis's doorstep; she is Alexis's youngest daughter, and it is eventually revealed that Blake is her father. Blake and Krystle also have a daughter, Krystina (Jessica Player), in 1984. Fallon reappears in 1985 (portrayed by Emma Samms).
Alexis brings Blake's vengeful, estranged brother Ben (Christopher Cazenove) to town in 1986 to help her destroy Blake, and Ben's daughter Leslie (Terri Garber) soon follows in 1987. Ben leaves town that year after reconciling with Blake, and Leslie having reconciled with Ben follows suit in 1988 after a failed romance with Clay Fallmont (Ted McGinley), who is possibly also Ben's child.