The fourth season of ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...

'' originally aired in the United States on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

from September 28, 1983, through May 9, 1984. 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 as ...

and produced by

Aaron Spelling Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series ''Family'' (1976–1980), '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977–1986 ...

, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy family residing in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

. Season four stars

John Forsythe John Forsythe (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 talk and variety s ...

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 min ...

;

Linda Evans Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad; November 18, 1942) is an 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 Western tel ...

as his wife Krystle;

Pamela Sue Martin Pamela Sue Martin (born January 5, 1953) is an American actress, who is best known for starring as Nancy Drew on the television series ''The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries'' and as socialite Fallon Carrington Colby on the ABC soap opera ''Dynas ...

as Blake and Alexis's headstrong daughter Fallon; Jack Coleman as Blake and Alexis's earnest son

Steven Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

; Gordon Thomson as Blake and Alexis's eldest son

Adam Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...

; John James as Fallon's ex-husband

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 a ...

;

Pamela Bellwood Pamela Bellwood (born Pamela King) is an American actress known for her role as Claudia Blaisdel Carrington Claudia Blaisdel Carrington is a fictional character from the ABC prime time soap opera ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro ...

as Steven's new wife, Claudia;

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

as Krystle's niece and Steven's ex-wife Sammy Jo; Geoffrey Scott as Krystle's ex-husband Mark Jennings;

Lee Bergere Lee Bergere (born Solomon Bergelson; April 10, 1918 – January 31, 2007) was an American actor, known for his role as Joseph Anders in the 1980s television series ''Dynasty''. Stage Born in Brooklyn, New York, Bergere began his career in ...

as Carrington

majordomo A majordomo is a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Typically, this is the highest (''major'') person of a household (''domūs'' or ''domicile'') staff, a head servant who acts on behalf of the owner of a large ...

Joseph Anders Joseph Anders is a fictional character from the ABC television series ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Portrayed by Lee Bergere, the character is introduced in the series' 1981 pilot episode as the majordomo of Denver oil tycoo ...

;

Kathleen Beller Kathleen Beller (born February 19, 1956) is an American actress who was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in '' Promises in the Dark'' (1979) and was well known for her role as Ki ...

as Joseph's daughter

Kirby Kirby may refer to: Buildings * Kirby Building, a skyscraper in Dallas, Texas, United States * Kirby Hall, an Elizabethan country house near Corby, Northamptonshire, England * Kirby House (disambiguation), various houses in England and the Unit ...

;

Deborah Adair Deborah Adair (born Deborah Adair Miller) is an American television actress, primarily known for her roles in soap operas. Early life Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Adair attended the University of Washington, where she earned a degree in adv ...

as public relations assistant

Tracy Kendall ''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 ...

;

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'' fr ...

as businessman

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 ...

;

Helmut Berger Helmut Berger (; born Helmut Steinberger; 29 May 1944) is an Austrian actor, known for his portrayal of narcissistic and sexually-ambiguous characters. He was one of the stars of the European cinema in the late 1960s and 1970s, and is regarded a ...

as playboy

Peter De Vilbis ''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 ...

;

Diahann Carroll Diahann Carroll (; born Carol Diann Johnson; July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019) was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. She rose to prominence in some of the earliest major studio films to feature black casts, including ''Car ...

as Blake's half-sister

Dominique Deveraux Dominique Deveraux (born Millie Cox) 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 B ...

; and

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

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

, Blake's ex-wife and the mother of Adam, Fallon, and Steven.

Development

With the show's popularity soaring in the fourth season (now the third most watched program of 1983–1984), former President

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

, former First Lady

Betty Ford Elizabeth Anne Ford (; formerly Warren; April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011) was the first lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of President Gerald Ford. As first lady, she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a pol ...

, and former Secretary of State

Henry Kissinger Henry Alfred Kissinger (; ; born Heinz Alfred Kissinger, May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presid ...

guest-starred as themselves in 1983. Michael Nader was introduced as Farnsworth "Dex" Dexter, a friend to Blake and a love interest for Alexis. Though Dex was conceived as a supporting, short-term character, Nader's performance made the character "unexpectedly popular". One of the five actors under final consideration for the role, Nader credited his chemistry with Collins with getting him the part. Collins said of Nader, "He's a very romantic leading man and he has a certain sinister edge." Diahann Carroll was also introduced as wealthy singer and businesswoman Dominique Deveraux, from the beginning intended as a foil for Alexis Colby, the villainess played by Joan Collins. Dominique was revealed to be Blake's half-sister in season five. Noting that the increasingly popular prime time soap operas had yet to tackle

racial integration Racial integration, or simply integration, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation). In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity ...

, and wanting to be "the first black bitch on television", Carroll had her manager reach out to ''Dynasty'' producer Aaron Spelling, but there had been no response before she and Spelling ran into each other soon after. Spelling said, "When Diahann came in, Esther Shapiro and I looked at her, looked at each other and said, 'My God, she is ''Dynasty''.'" Carroll told Shapiro that night, "If it's not me let it be someone, because it's time." Spelling said, "We virtually closed the deal that night while having a drink at the bar." Joining ''Dynasty'' made Carroll the only black actress with a continuing role on a nighttime serial at that time, and Dominique the first prominently-featured African-American character on a prime time soap opera. She appeared in the final two episodes of the fourth season, and was contracted for at least 17 of season five's 29 shows. Willis Edwards, president of the Beverly Hills/Hollywood chapter of the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

, said of Carroll's casting, "This is a major thing as far as we're concerned. We've been fighting for something like this for years."

, who played

Krystle Carrington Krystle Carrington (maiden name Grant; formerly 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 epi ...

, said at the time, "I don't think the impact of her coming on the show will affect only blacks. I think it will be great for all the people who see her." Martin left the series at the end of the fourth season in May 1984. At the time, ''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

'' quoted Martin as calling television "limiting". ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' reported in 2006 that Martin "left ''Dynasty'' and acting when she felt her 'glib' character ... had been reduced to 'a victim'." In 2011, she said "I became extremely famous during that time, and it was a little discomforting". Spelling wrote in his 1996 autobiography, "After three seasons, Pamela Sue Martin wanted to leave ''Dynasty'' to get married and we didn't stand in her way."

Plot

Steven and Blake battle for custody over Steven and Sammy Jo's son

Danny Danny is a masculine given name. It is related to the male name Daniel. It may refer to: People *Danny Altmann, British immunologist *Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer *Danny Baker (born 1957), English journalis ...

, and a false accusation of illegal weapons dealings orchestrated by Alexis threatens to ruin Blake's financial empire. In the season finale, Fallon disappears just before her second wedding to Jeff, while Alexis is arrested for the murder of Mark Jennings.

Cast

Main

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 in 1 ...

* John James as

Claudia Blaisdel Claudia Blaisdel Carrington is a fictional character from the ABC prime time soap opera ''Dynasty'', created by Richard and Esther Shapiro. Originated by Pamela Bellwood in the series' 1981 pilot episode, "Oil", Claudia is initially the estranged ...

Sammy Jo Carrington Sammy Jo Carrington (born Samantha Josephine Dean; formerly Fallmont) 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 ...

* 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 198 ...

Kirby Anders Kirby Anders (formerly Colby) is a fictional character on the ABC prime time soap opera ''Dynasty''. Portrayed by Kathleen Beller from 1982 to 1984, the character was introduced in the seventh episode of the series' third season, but was written o ...

* Geoffrey Scott as Mark Jennings *

* Jack Coleman as

Steven Carrington Steven Daniel Carrington is a fictional character on the American prime time soap opera ''Dynasty''. Steven is noteworthy as one of the earliest gay main characters on American television. Despite identifying as homosexual, Steven has relationship ...

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

Recurring

* William Beckley as

Gerard Gerard is a masculine forename of Proto-Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful constituents put together. In this ca ...

* Virginia Hawkins as

Jeanette Robbins ''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 ...

Peter Mark Richman Peter Mark Richman (born Marvin Jack Richman; April 16, 1927 – January 14, 2021) was an American actor in films and on television, who was for many years credited as Mark Richman. He appeared in about 30 films and 130 television series from th ...

Andrew Laird ''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 ...

* Paul Keenan as Tony Driscoll * 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 ...

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'' 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 fam ...

* Hank Brandt as

Morgan Hess ''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 ...

Grant Goodeve Grant Goodeve (born July 6, 1952) is an American actor and television host. He is best known for his role as David Bradford, the eldest son on ABC television's ''Eight Is Enough'' from 1977 to 1981; he sang the theme song for the show, as well. M ...

as Chris Deegan *

John Saxon John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; August 5, 1936 – July 25, 2020) was an American actor who worked on more than 200 film and television projects during a span of 60 years. He was known for his work in Western (genre), Westerns and horror film ...

Rashid Ahmed Rear-Admiral Rashid Ahmed (Urdu:رشيد احمد; b. 1918–2005), , was a two-star rank, two-star rank Two-star admiral, admiral in the Pakistan Navy, who is known for serving as Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Navy, Chief of Staff under Command ...

David Ackroyd David Ackroyd (born May 30, 1940) is an American actor, who first came to prominence in soap operas such as ''The Secret Storm'' and '' Another World''. Early life On May 30, 1940, Ackroyd was born in East Orange, New Jersey; he moved to Way ...

as Lt. Merrill

Notable guest stars

* James Sutorious as

Gordon Wales ''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 fa ...

;Cast notes

Episodes

Reception

In season four, ''Dynasty'' was ranked #3 in the United States with a 22.4

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 rati ...

References

External links

* {{Dynasty 1983 American television seasons 1984 American television seasons Dynasty (1981 TV series) seasons