gunfire. Viewers were in such suspense over the sum-
mer that the first episode of the next season made
national news broadcasts, which showedDynastyfans
gathering to watch and discover which characters
had survived.
Impact Centered on the lives of the extremely
wealthy,Dynastywas a paean to consumerism. Not
only did it display opulence—from the eighty-four-
room Carrington mansion to the Nolan Miller-
designed gowns of the main female characters—but
it also created a market for luxuries reminiscent of
those enjoyed on the show, and for the lifestyle for
which those luxuries stood. Fans’ fascination with
the goods displayed on the show led to the creation
of theDynastycollection of products, ranging from
clothes to linens to fragrances. The show has been
seen as emblematic of the Ronald Reagan era, which
came to be known for its extravagance. The duration
of the program, moreover, corresponded quite
closely with that of the Reagan administration.Dy-
nastybegan broadcasting during the first Reagan in-
augural. It became a major hit during his presidency
and was canceled just months after he left the White
House.Subsequent Events After the show was abruptly
canceled in 1989, several story lines were left unfin-
ished. In 1991, ABC airedDynasty: The Reunion,a
two-part miniseries that wrapped up the loose ends.
A television movie about the original program,Dy-
nasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure, was aired in
2005.Further Reading
Gripsrud, Jostein.The “Dynasty” Years. New York:
Routledge, 1995.
Shapiro, Esther. “Introduction.”Dynasty: The Autho-
rized Biography of the Carringtons. Garden City, N.Y.:
Doubleday, 1984.
Marcia B. DinneenSee also Dallas; Soap operas; Television.306 Dynasty The Eighties in America
Dynasty creator Aaron Spelling is flanked by two of the show’s
stars, Linda Evans, left, and Joan Collins, at a party in 1984.
(AP/Wide World Photos)