Dynasty: The Reunion

Dynasty: The Reunion was a mini-series, produced in 1991 which reunited the characters from the primetime television soap opera Dynasty which had aired on ABC from 1981 to 1989.

The mini-series, like the series, revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado.

When Dynasty ended, Alexis Colby (Joan Collins) and Dex Dexter (Michael Nader) had fallen over a balcony at The Carlton Hotel, Fallon (Emma Samms) and Krystina (Jessica Player) were trapped in a cave on the Carrington estate which contained stolen Nazi war treasure, and Blake (John Forsythe) had been shot by a corrupt policeman.

The Reunion picks up the story three years later, as Blake is pardoned and released from jail.

In the interim, a shadowy organization called The Consortium has taken control of Denver-Carrington. Krystle (Linda Evans) is released from the Swiss hospital (in the series' final season, she was admitted with a degenerative neural disorder) and is reunited with Blake, Fallon is living in California, involved with Miles Colby (Maxwell Caulfield), Steven (Al Corley) is living in Washington, with his partner Bart Fallmont (Cameron Watson), Sammy Jo (Heather Locklear) is living in New York, modeling and Alexis is involved with a media spin doctor, Jeremy Van Dorn (Jeroen Krabbé), who has convinced her to invest in Fashion Fury, a troubled fashion business owned by Arlen (Michael Brandon) and Carol Marshall (Wendie Malick).

Krystle, having been programmed by the sinister Dr Jobinet (Tony Jay) in Switzerland, tries to kill Blake, but her love for him is too strong and she breaks free from the programming of The Consortium. Jeff Colby (John James) is abducted by The Consortium, but Adam Carrington (Robin Sachs) enlists the aid of Miles Colby, and Kirby Anders (Kathleen Beller), who now lives in Paris and works for The Consortium as a translator, to rescue him. Adam, who had played no small part in The Consortium's takeover of Denver Carrington, is reunited with his father, Blake, and past sins are forgiven.

A hearing is scheduled for Denver Carrington v The Consortium, and the American courts rule in Blake's favor - the takeover of Denver Carrington was unlawful, and controlling interest is returned to Blake. Adam and Kirby re-establish their relationship, and the family - including Miles Colby and Sammy Jo Reece, reunite for a family dinner at the Carrington mansion. Jeremy Van Dorn makes one last attempt to gain control of ColbyCo, and tries to poison Alexis, but she is rescued by Blake, Jeff, Steven and Adam. Alexis joins the family dinner, and Blake makes a toast which acknowledges their bond of blood, despite their past rivalries.

Only a moderate ratings success, and arguably an outright critical failure, The Reunion was widely regarded as a disappointment, particularly for long-running fans of the series, mainly because of a number of oversights and errors it made in regard to continuity.

• The editing was slapdash, incorrectly uses the Colby Enterprises establishing shot for scenes in the ColbyCo building. The two companies are distinct within Dynasty lore. Colby Enterprises, controlled by Jason Colby (Charlton Heston) is in Los Angeles; ColbyCo, controlled by Alexis Colby is in Denver.

• The casting was problematic. The decision to cast Al Corley as Steven Carrington, instead of (Jack Coleman) makes no sense. Coleman replaced Corley in the original series, and the change of appearance was explained by plastic surgery after an oil rig explosion. Further, the decision to cast Robin Sachs instead of Gordon Thompson as Adam Carrington. Thompson played the role for the duration of the original series, but could not get out of a contract with the soap Santa Barbara in time for production.

• The character portrayals and dialogue suggested either ignorance or disregard for the series long-term continuity. The confrontational scenes between Blake and Steven, when they are reunited in Washington, for example, suggest that Blake still disapproves of his son's homosexual lifestyle. That issue had been long put to rest in the original series, and the scenes seemed contrived. Similarly, the portrayal of Sammy Jo as money-hungry and ambitious was in tune with the character as she was first written, in the early 80s, but paid little heed to the evolution of the character through the original series. (She eventually inherited her father's horse stud, Delta Rho, and established herself as a businesswoman.)

More frustratingly, the purpose of the project - to resolve the questions left hanging in the show's famous cliffhanger ending - was not realised.

Apart from one overheard conversation which implied that Dex Dexter had not fared so well under Alexis when they fell from The Carlton's balcony, there is no mention made of the Nazi treasure, Sable Colby (Stephanie Beacham), who was pregnant with Dex Dexter's child at the time of the series finale, or her daughter Monica Colby (Tracey Scoggins). Both had been series regulars in Dynasty's final season, and had featured in The Colbys, during its two seasons on air.

Despite its flaws, the mini-series reunited much of the crew who had worked on the original series, including writers Richard and Esther Shapiro, Edward DeBlasio and Robert and Eileen Mason Pollock, producer Elaine Rich, cinematographer Michel Hugo and costume designer Nolan Miller.

The mini-series also featured three long-running extra players, William Beckley as Carrington butler Gerard, Virginia Hawkins as Carrington maid Jeanette Robbins, and Betty Harford as Carrington cook Hilda Gunnerson. All three appeared in the Dynasty original series.

The mini-series was directed by Irving Moore. Part one was first transmitted in the USA on October 20, 1991. Part two was first transmitted in the USA on October 22, 1991.