A quick look at the storylines that DYNASTY producers Bob and Eileen Pollock envisioned for season 3 (1982/83) that had been either entirely scrapped or simply went into a different direction.
Here are some observations I made while going through the document (for which I am once again eternally grateful to Gilles who has been very kind to me). I'll add my comments later on.
Sammy Jo was initially scheduled to appear only mid-season. Her second appearance was added later.
Cecil was supposed to die (after a quickie wedding to Alexis at the hospital) in the season premiere. If the actor wasn't available, he was going to be killed off off-screen.
Claudia was originally supposed to depart the show in the 3rd episode forever.
Scenes with Kate Torrance dying were originally going to take place in a Billings hospital.
Blake was going to be saved by a rescue helicopter.
The cemetery caretaker was supposed to be questioned by the police as one of the suspects, but he would have turned out innocent.
The baby was supposed to have been stolen by Claudia.
She would have left him at a day care center, before going with him to Grand Junction, Colorado.
Blake was supposed to have rescued L.B. from atop an unfinished highrise building in GJ where Claudia would have run with him.
Instead of blaming herself for being a bad mother, Fallon blames Jeff for dragging her to an inane meeting with a minister.
La Mirada was originally called Eldorado and the new name was going to be Xanadu (instead of La Mirage).
Krystle was more reproachful regarding Fallon's decision to take on the hotel project, calling her spoiled and self-centered.
The relationship between Blake and Jeff was going to be more strained in the light of his failing marriage and move to Colbyco.
Rashid Ahmed was supposed to make an appearance asking Alexis for a loan - Fallon was going to use him at the opening of Xanadu to add some of Rashid's oriental glamour to the ceremony.
There were going to be more scenes from Fallon's hotel dealing with her renovation efforts - fights with an assistant who opposes changes; problems with mobsters who want to be suppliers, etc.
Blake was going to meet Adam and Fallon at "Eldorado" and tell them they were siblings, not Alexis.
After Jeff vetoes Adam's activities against Denver-Carington, Alexis tries to get him to go along with Adam by seducing Jeff, but he rejects her.
Adam then concocts his poisoning plan, based upon a true story (a US ambassador in Rome), not a case of his own.
Alexis was then going to find out about Adam's plan to poison Jeff and she was quietly going to go along with it.
Fallon despises Krystle and learns who Mark is even before she hires him. She and Alexis plot to hurt Krystle together. Fallon arranges the meeting between Mark and Krystle, not Alexis. And Krystle first sees him as Blake plays a match with Mark, not knowing he is Krystle's first husband.
Krystle immediately tells Blake about Mark and the phony divorce.
Neil McVane was originally called Lester Varney.
When Jeff attacks Fallon, she is not saved by Mark, she defends herself by throwing a lamp at Jeff. The whole room is a mess when their fight is over.
Fallon begins an affair with Mark earlier, she is jealous when he meets Krystle.
Fallon learns Jeff signed LB's shares over to Alexis (while being poisoned) and decides to remain married to him so she can ask courts to give her control over the shares and fight Adam and Alexis and protect Blake. At which point she receives the letter from Steven (probably later than it played out on-screen).
Jeff collapses from paint poisoning while playing tennis at a charity match.
Michael Cullhane was going to re-appear. Adam was going to buy him to testify at the trial concerning conservatorship of Jeff's estate and help thwart Fallon's efforts.
Little Kirby development, no marriage to Jeff, we do know she is interested in him. Triangle with Adam and rape are not mentioned.
Steven was going to be a somewhat stronger and more determined character upon his return.
Alexis was going to oppose Steven raising his son as a gay man along with the rest of the family. Only Fallon would come to Steven's defense and Steven was going to work for her at "Xanadu," not Alexis at Colbyco.
Blake was going to find out about the paint poisoning and blackmail Alexis INTO merging DC and Colbyco - with him at the helm of the new company.
Krystle was going to leave Blake after becoming jealous over the amount of time he was spending with Alexis because of the merger.
Alexis tries to seduce Blake but he rejects her.
Krystle meanwhile rejects Mark, but Mark goes crazy and attacks her, trying to disfigure her face. This is the cliffhanger.
No cabin fire.
Interesting! I'm glad they didnt go with some of those storylines. However, the bit about Denver Carrington merging with ColbyCo. sounds good. I'm glad they kept Claudia though.I liked her. Loved her in S.2.
ReplyDeleteIt would have been very interesting to see more of Alexis trying to win Blake back in S.3. instead of trying to ruin him.
No cabin fire as a cliff hanger ??? Hmmm. Then perhaps Joesph the butler would have stayed on longer, with more scenes with Alexis. Perhaps they were lovers once?? I often wondered. :)
I have to say that I absolutely *love* this site, LBColby! I only discovered the show just over a year ago but ever since, it's been my absolute #1. I enjoy reading everything about it and fully appreciate all that you do.
ReplyDeleteA big thank you from all us fans :)
In comparison with the bibles of seasons 5 and 7, I think the bible of season 3 is very weak, which can explained why the first half of this season is quite weak too (even though still enjoyable). It's clear that the writers worked a lot in order to improve their original ideas and it paid off as the second part of the season is truly successful according to me. In particular, the character of Alexis beneficiated a lot of these improvements. On the contrary, Fallon suffered very much of it. In the bible, she is still a troublemaker who sleeps with Mark while she is still married with Jeff, she doesn’t reconcile with Krystle and she fights against Adam and Alexis in order to take control of Jeff's estate.
ReplyDeleteConcerning the cliffhanger, I guess they changed it in order to keep the mystery about the murderer. But it’s interesting to think that possibly Mark would have been written out instead of Joseph if Lee Bergere hadn’t asked to leave the show.
Wow! Thanks for so much for this. Reading was both very interesting yet rather disappointing to me.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think this version of season 3 sounds fantastic! Much more intriguing and exciting than what was put on screen, with more drama, rivalries, conflicts and power struggles and more about the Carrington FAMILY Dynasty as opposed to simply the Blake/Alexis central feud.
Love the lack of Kirby, like the idea of Steven working with Fallon at the hotel, love the sound of a Fallon/Adam battle (PSM and GT had great chemistry that wasn't exploited enough) and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all the Fallon -especially her fight for control of ColbyCo. This season should have been immense for her but instead turns out to be the total opposite.
For me the most disappointing aspect of S3 was how marginalised Fallon became and how much they ruined her character - she sounds fabulous in this version -still in character and still central to the action.
Fallon was my fav and to me the most fascinating and complex female in the show, I wonder what happened that ended up changing her role so drastically? It seems a little strange to me. Why would they start off with so many plans and ideas for Fallon but end up barely making use of her at all with minor, underwritten background plots and weak characterisation?
The change in the Jeff attack scene amongst others suggests to me they deliberately set out tu ruin her character but why?
I feel PSM would have seen out her contract had even 1/2 of their original ideas come to fruition...sigh.
Oh, I also feel Adam seems even better in this version, and I like the idea of him using his legal skills to great effect as a villain rather than a doting son as in later seasons.
@SPH
ReplyDeleteI have no clue why some of you are so in love with Fallon and her bitchiness and sluttiness. Her behavior in season 1 was still entertaining because she was still somewhat of a villain, and also because she wasn't so hypocritical. But I was fed up with it by season 2. She was just pathetic in her affair with Nick and unable to show any kind of respect to Jeff, who she had lured into a loveless marriage with child. The original ideas for season 3 would've been more of the same. Thank god they toned it down A LITTLE, although she's still a major bitch and tramp. Only her effort to fight Adam and Alexis sounds interesting.