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 the creators of the long-running 1980s prime time

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...

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 ...

'', its

spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...

series ''

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

'', and the 1991

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

'' Dynasty: The Reunion''. In 1984, Doubleday/Dolphin published the companion book '' Dynasty: The Authorized Biography of the Carringtons'', which included an introduction by Esther Shapiro.

''Dynasty''

The Shapiros created and produced the prime time soap opera ''Dynasty'', which debuted in 1981. Written as the Shapiros' creative response to the

1979 oil crisis The 1979 oil crisis, also known as the 1979 Oil Shock or Second Oil Crisis, was an energy crisis caused by a drop in oil production in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. Although the global oil supply only decreased by approximately four per ...

, and intended by ABC to be a competitor for CBS's ''

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

'', the series ranked #28 its first season. Ratings steadily grew, with ''Dynasty'' reaching #1 for the 1984–85 season. A spin-off, ''

'', debuted in 1985, but was cancelled after two seasons. ''Dynasty'' was cancelled in 1989, with the Shapiros writing and producing a reunion miniseries in 1991. During ''Dynasty'' run, the Shapiros also co-created the prime time soap opera ''

Emerald Point N.A.S. ''Emerald Point N.A.S'' is an American primetime soap opera created by '' Dynasty''s Richard and Esther Shapiro which premiered on CBS on Monday, September 26, 1983. The series revolved around the lives of personnel stationed on a naval air sta ...

'', which lasted for one season from 1983 to 1984, and the

medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the characters' jobs and portray som ...

'' HeartBeat'', which ran two seasons from 1988 to 1989. At the height of ''Dynasty'' popularity in 1985,

Joe Klein Joe Klein (born September 7, 1946) is an American political commentator and author. He is best known for his work as a columnist for ''Time'' magazine and his novel ''Primary Colors'', an anonymously written roman à clef portraying Bill Clinton' ...

of ''

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 * '' ...

'' called Esther "the ABC network's most valuable asset ... and perhaps the most influential woman executive in television". ''Dynasty'' producer

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'' (1977–198 ...

and others compared Esther to her creation,

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 m ...

( John Forsythe).

''Dynasty'' legacy

In January 2004, Esther Shapiro participated in a marathon of the show's episodes on SOAPnet, ''Serial Bowl: Alexis vs. Krystle'', giving behind-the-scenes tidbits and factoids. In 2005

Ritchie Singer Ritchie Singer is an Australian actor. Singer portrayed executive producer Richard Shapiro in the fictionalized 2005 American television movie/docudrama '' Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure'', based on the creation and behind the scenes ...

and Pamela Reed portrayed the Shapiros in '' Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure'', a fictionalized ABC

television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

based on the creation and

behind the scenes In cinema, behind-the-scenes (BTS), also known as the making-of, the set, or on the set, is a type of documentary film that features the production of a film or television program. This is often referred to as the EPK (electronic press kit) vi ...

production of ''Dynasty''. The first season of ''Dynasty'' was released on Region 1 DVD an April 19, 2005 by

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment (commonly referred to as 20th Home Video, or 20th Home Entertainment, formerly known as 20th Century-Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video, Fox Video, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) is a home video label of Wa ...

. This edition includes audio commentary by Esther Shapiro. The Shapiros announced on January 12, 2011, that they had written a ''Dynasty'' prequel feature film script set in the 1960s, and were shopping it to studios for a possible film franchise. In a September 2011 interview, ''Dynasty'' actress

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 Primeti ...

chatted about a ''Dynasty'' television revival: "I've been in constant contact with Esther Shapiro, who wrote it, and apparently they've written a script." In September 2016, it was announced that a ''Dynasty'' reboot was in development at

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

, with the Shapiros attached as producers. The project received a series order in May 2017, and premiered in the US on October 11, 2017. On April 2, 2018, The CW renewed ''Dynasty'' for a second season.

Credits

References

External links

* *
"Lifestyles of the rich and the ruthless"
''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'', April 17, 2005
"''Dynasty'' Heirs Remember the Beginning"
Scott Halloran, BoxOfficeMojo.com, April 22, 2005 * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shapiro, Richard And Esther American screenwriters American soap opera writers American television producers Married couples