The seventh season of ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

'' originally aired in the United States on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

from September 24, 1986, through May 5, 1987. The series, created by

Richard and Esther Shapiro Richard Allen Shapiro (born June 27, 1934) and Esther June Shapiro (née Mayesh; born June 6, 1928) are an American married couple who work as television screenwriters and producers, through their Shapiro Film Corporation. They are best known a ...

and produced by

Aaron Spelling Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the television series ''Family'' (1976–1980), ''Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977� ...

, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy family residing in

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

. Season seven stars

John Forsythe John Lincoln Forsythe ( Freund; January 29, 1918 – April 1, 2010) was an American stage, film/television actor, producer, narrator, drama teacher and philanthropist whose career spanned six decades. He also appeared as a guest on several t ...

as millionaire oil magnate

Blake Carrington Blake Alexander Carrington is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. The role of Blake was originally portrayed by actor John Forsythe from 1981 to 1989. Forsythe returned for the ...

;

Linda Evans Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad; November 18, 1942) is a retired American actress known primarily for her roles on television. In the 1960s, she played Audra Barkley, the daughter of Victoria Barkley (played by Barbara Stanwyck), in the Wes ...

as his wife Krystle; Jack Coleman as Blake and Alexis' earnest son

Steven Stephen or Steven is an English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is widely regarded as the firs ...

; Gordon Thomson as Blake and Alexis' eldest son

Adam Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam ...

;

Heather Locklear Heather Deen Locklear (born September 25, 1961) is an American actress known for her role as Amanda Woodward on '' Melrose Place'' (1993–1999), for which she received four consecutive Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress – Television Se ...

as Krystle's niece and Steven's ex-wife Sammy Jo;

Michael Nader Michael Nader (February 19, 1945 – August 23, 2021) was an American actor, known for his roles as Dex Dexter on the ABC primetime soap opera ''Dynasty'' from 1983 to 1989, and Dimitri Marick on the ABC daytime soap opera ''All My Children'' ...

as Alexis' husband

Dex Dexter Farnsworth "Dex" Dexter is a fictional character on the ABC prime time soap opera ''Dynasty''. Portrayed by Michael Nader, the character was introduced as a love interest for Alexis Colby in the series' fourth season in 1983. He became her third ...

;

Karen Cellini Karen Cellini (born May 13, 1958, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), is an American multidisciplinary live performance artist, producer, writer, and activist. As an actress, she is known for portraying Amanda Carrington in season seven of the 1980s ...

as Blake and Alexis' youngest daughter,

Amanda Amanda is a Latin feminine gerundive (i.e. verbal adjective) name meaning, literally, "she who must (or is fit to) be loved". Other translations, with similar meaning, could be "deserving to be loved," "worthy of love," or "loved very much by ev ...

;

Diahann Carroll Diahann Carroll ( ; born Carol Diann Johnson; July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019) was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. Carroll was the recipient of numerous nominations and awards for her stage and screen performances, incl ...

as Blake's half-sister

Dominique Deveraux Dominique Deveraux is a fictional character on the ABC prime time soap opera ''Dynasty'' and its spin-off, ''The Colbys''. Portrayed by Diahann Carroll from 1984 to 1987, the character is the surprise half-sister of millionaire Blake Carrington ( ...

;

Wayne Northrop Wayne Alan Northrop (April 12, 1947 – November 29, 2024) was an American actor known for his parts in soap operas such as ''Dynasty'' and ''Days of Our Lives''. Wayne Northrop died on November 29th, 2024 in Los Angeles, California of complicatio ...

as Blake's former chauffeur

Michael Culhane Michael Culhane is a fictional character from the ABC television series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by Wayne Northrop, the character is introduced in the series' 1981 pilot episode as the chauffeur of oil tycoo ...

;

Ted McGinley Theodore Martin McGinley (born May 30, 1958) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Jefferson D'Arcy on the television sitcom '' Married... with Children'', Charley Shanowski on the ABC sitcom '' Hope & Faith'', and as Derek on the ...

Clay Fallmont ''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981, to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy ...

; and

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Awards, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime Emm ...

Alexis Colby Alexis Carrington Colby (née Morell, formerly Dexter and Rowan) is a fictional character on the American TV series ''Dynasty''. She is the ex-wife of Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) and her schemes cause one problem after another for him and t ...

, Blake's ex-wife and the mother of Adam, Fallon, Steven and Amanda. The season also features

Christopher Cazenove Christopher de Lerisson Cazenove (17 December 1943 – 7 April 2010) was an English film, television and stage actor. Early life and career He was born Christopher de Lerisson Cazenove, on 17 December 1943, the son of Brigadier Arnold de Leri ...

as Blake's brother,

Ben Carrington ''Dynasty (1981 TV series), Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 12, 1981, to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron ...

;

Kate O'Mara Kate O'Mara (born Frances Meredith Carroll;Michael CoveneObituary: Kate O'Mara ''The Guardian'', 30 March 2014 10 August 1939 – 30 March 2014) was an English film, stage and television actress, and writer. O'Mara made her stage debut in a 19 ...

as Alexis' sister Caress Morell;

Terri Garber Terri Leslie Garber (born December 28, 1960) is an American actress and entrepreneur. Career Garber's acting debut was as Allison Linden on the daytime soap opera ''Texas'' in 1982. Her first feature film role in the 1984 action film ''Toy Sold ...

as Ben's daughter

Leslie Leslie may refer to: * Leslie (name), a name and list of people with the given name or surname, including fictional characters Families * Clan Leslie, a Scottish clan with the motto "grip fast" * Leslie (Russian nobility), a Russian noble family ...

;

Leann Hunley Leann Hunley (born February 25, 1955) is an American television actress. Although she has worked in numerous productions, she is perhaps best known for portraying Anna DiMera on NBC's ''Days of Our Lives'' and Dana Waring on the ABC primetime ...

as Blake's secretary

Dana Waring ''Dynasty (1981 TV series), Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 12, 1981, to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron ...

; and

Cassie Yates Cassandra Yates (born March 2, 1951) is an American actress known for her performances on television. Early years Yates was born and raised in Macon, Georgia. Her mother named her after the character Cassandra portrayed by Betty Field in '' ...

as Sarah Curtis and old friend of Dex's. Though starring as

Jeff Colby Jeffrey Broderick "Jeff" Colby is a fictional character on the ABC prime time soap opera ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by John James, Jeff Colby was introduced in the show's first episode in 1981 and appeared as ...

and

Fallon Carrington Fallon Carrington is a fictional character from the ABC television series ''Dynasty'' and its spin-off '' The Colbys''. Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro, the role of Fallon was originated by Pamela Sue Martin in the show's first episode i ...

on ''

The Colbys ''The Colbys'' (originally titled ''Dynasty II: The Colbys'') is an American prime time soap opera that originally aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from November 20, 1985, to March 26, 1987. Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and E ...

'', John James and

Emma Samms Emma Elizabeth Wylie Samuelson MBE known professionally as Emma Samms, (born 28 August 1960) is an English actress and TV host, known popularly for her role as Holly Sutton on the American daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'', and as the se ...

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 Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the #Nielsen TV ...

of a 20.1, it was overtaken by ''

Magnum, P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980, to May 1, 1988, during its first-run broadcast on ...

'', now in the same time slot on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

. ''Dynasty'' ultimately fell to #24 in the United States for the season. During the period between the production of seasons six and seven,

Catherine Oxenberg Catherine Oxenberg (born September 22, 1961) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Amanda Carrington on the 1980s prime-time soap opera ''Dynasty (1981 TV series), Dynasty''. Oxenberg is the daughter of Princess Elizabeth of ...

vacated the role of Amanda Carrington, purportedly due to a salary dispute. Oxenberg's publicist insisted that the actress left ''Dynasty'' voluntarily, while several media outlets reported that she was fired. The role was immediately recast with Karen Cellini, who appeared for 13 episodes of the series' seventh season before the character was written out in the 1987 episode " The Rig".

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. 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 William Mauldin "Bo" Hopkins (February 2, 1938 – May 28, 2022) was an American actor. He was known for playing supporting roles in several major studio films from 1969 to 1979, especially for his breakout role in the ensemble cast of ''Americ ...

Cast

Main

Krystle Carrington Krystle Carrington (also Grant and Jennings) is a fictional character from the 1980s American TV series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by Linda Evans, the character was introduced in the 1981 pilot episode. In th ...

* John James as

* Gordon Thomson as

Adam Carrington Adam Alexander Carrington is a fictional character from the ABC prime time soap opera ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Introduced at the beginning of the series' third season, the role was originated by Gordon Thomson in 19 ...

Fallon Carrington Colby Fallon Carrington is a fictional character from the ABC television series ''Dynasty'' and its spin-off ''The Colbys''. Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro, the role of Fallon was originated by Pamela Sue Martin in the show's first episode in 19 ...

* Jack Coleman as

Steven Carrington Steven Daniel Carrington is a fictional character on the American prime time soap opera ''Dynasty (1981 TV series), Dynasty''. Steven is noteworthy as one of the earliest gay main characters on American television. Despite identifying as homosexua ...

Sammy Jo Carrington Samantha Josephine "Sammy Jo" Carrington (maiden name Dean) is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. The niece of central protagonist Krystle Carrington (Linda Evans), Sammy Jo marr ...

Leslie Carrington ''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981, to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy f ...

as Sarah Curtis *

Amanda Carrington Amanda Carrington is a fictional character from the ABC prime time soap opera ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. She was portrayed by Catherine Oxenberg for two seasons from 1984 to 1986, and then by Karen Cellini for 13 episode ...

as Caress Morell *

Ricardo Montalbán Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG ( ; ; November 25, 1920 – January 14, 2009) was a Mexican and American film and television actor. Montalbán's career spanned seven decades, during which he became widely known for performances ...

Zach Powers ''The Colbys'' is an American prime time television soap opera TV show that originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985, to March 26, 1987. Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and Eileen and Robert Pollock and produced by Aaron Spelling, it ...

Alexis Carrington Alexis Carrington Colby (née Morell, formerly Dexter and Rowan) is a fictional character on the American TV series ''Dynasty''. She is the ex-wife of Blake Carrington ( John Forsythe) and her schemes cause one problem after another for him and ...

Recurring

* William Beckley as

Gerard Gerard is a masculine forename of Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other Germanic name, early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful ...

*Virginia Hawkins as Jeanette Robbins * Richard Lawson as Nick Kimball * Paul Burke as

Neal McVane ''Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981, to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy f ...

*James Sutorious as Gordon Wales *

Betty Harford Betty Harford (born January 28, 1927) is an American actress. She appeared in numerous classic television shows such as ''Gunsmoke'', ''The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'', '' The Paper Chase'' and ''Dynasty''. Career Harford appeared in numerous Joh ...

Hilda Gunnerson ''Dynasty (1981 TV series), Dynasty'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 12, 1981, to May 11, 1989. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron ...

Richard Anderson Richard Norman Anderson (August 8, 1926 – August 31, 2017) was an American film and television actor. One of his best-known roles was his portrayal of Oscar Goldman, the boss of Steve Austin (Lee Majors) and Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner) in ...

as Buck Fallmont *

Troy Beyer Troy Byer is an American psychologist, author, director, screenwriter, and actress. For most of her acting career she was credited as Troy Beyer. Early life and education Byer was born in New York City to an African-American mother and Jewish ...

as Jackie Deveraux *

Patricia Crowley Patricia Crowley (born September 17, 1933) is an American actress. She was also frequently billed as Pat Crowley. In 1953, she was awarded the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year for her performances in ''Forever Female'' and '' Money From H ...

as Emily Fallmont * Kimberly Beck as Claire Prentice *

Jon Cypher Jon Cypher (born January 13, 1932) is an American actor and singer. He is best known as playing Chief of Police Fletcher Daniels in '' Hill Street Blues'' throughout the series' run. He is also known for his work in ''Cinderella'', ''As the World ...

as Dirk Maurier *

Alan Fudge Alan Fudge (February 27, 1944 – October 10, 2011) was an American actor known for his roles in four television programs, ''Man from Atlantis'', ''Eischied'', ''Paper Dolls'' and ''Bodies of Evidence'', along with a recurring role on ''7th Hea ...

as Phil Thorpe *

Neil Dickson Neil Dickson (born 26 November 1950) is an English actor, who has worked extensively in both American and British film and television. Biography At the age of five, Dickson contracted polio, but made a complete recovery a year later. He attend ...

as Gavin Maurier

Notable guest stars

Clyde Kusatsu Clyde Kusatsu (born September 13, 1948) is an American actor. A prolific character actor, he has appeared in over 300 film and television productions since his debut in 1970. He is the Secretary of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, after previously se ...

as Dr. Chen *

Linda Thorson Linda Thorson (born Linda Robinson; June 18, 1947) is a Canadian actress known for playing Tara King in '' The Avengers'' (1968–69). Early life Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Linda Robinson attended Bishop Strachan School, and then moved ...

as Dr. Mansfield *

as Matthew Blaisdel ;Cast notes

Episodes

Season two of ''The Colbys'' aired concurrently with ''Dynasty'' season seven.

Reception

In season seven, ''Dynasty'' was ranked #24 in the United States with a 17.2

References

External links

* {{Dynasty 1986 American television seasons 1987 American television seasons Dynasty (1981 TV series) seasons