Monday, October 9, 2017

'We live in an age of dynasties': Newly imagined Dynasty coming to Netflix South Africa from Thursday with a new episode weekly.


As images of the Kasdashians and the Trumps flash by, the new Fallon says in the opening voice-over that "we live in an age of dynasties" - and on Thursday Netflix South Africa viewers will be able to watch the first episode of the new and reimagined Dynasty drama series.

Netflix users in South Africa and across Africa will be able to watch the new Dynasty from Thursday 12 October after its debut on America's CW network on Wednesday night due to an international deal between CBS Studios International and Netflix.

Dynasty is produced by CBS Television Studios, but just like CBS Studios International did with the new Star Trek: Discovery that currently has a new episode being made available weekly on Netflix after it airs in America, CBS Studios International is licensing Dynasty to Netflix as well for all countries outside of the United States and Canada.

A new Dynasty episode will become available weekly every Thursday on Netflix South Africa, within 24 hours after broadcast in America.

The new Dynasty comes 36 years after episodes of the original series was broadcast within weeks of being shown in America on the SABC's then TV4 channel where it remained one of the most watched shows for several seasons with boffo South African TV ratings and helped influence everything from big hairstyles to shoulder pad female fashions.

Dynasty's original creators, Esther and Richard Shapiro are executive producers together with Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz, the writers of Gossip Girl.

And there's still a "ling" credit in Dynasty like Aaron Spelling: Brad Silberling is the director of the first episode.

Dynasty doesn't happen "after" the original 80's drama series in the way that 90210 with new teenagers followed decades after Beverly Hills, 90210 and that the new Melrose Place followed the original.

Instead Dynasty is a reimagining - a new version set in the current era, with several of the same characters, keeping some of the original traits, but also with changes.

Where the original was set in Denver, the Carrington "dynasty" now lives in Atlanta. The family business is now named Carrington Atlantic and is an energy company, involved in things like fracking.

The Colby family is back as well but this time they're black. Cristal is now from South American descent and her name is no longer spelled Krystle but like the expensive champagne, dar-hling. Sammy Jo is now a man, and gay.

Grant Show from the original Melrose Place is now Blake Carrington and he is about to get married to his fiancée Cristal (Nathalie Kelley).

The scheming Fallon (Elizabeth Gillies) who is sexing and sexting the chauffeur is his daughter and James Mackay is his gay son Steven.

Will the one who lifts up her head and peek out from under her large rimmed hat with a devious smile also show up?

There no word yet on when the iconic TV villainess Alexis Carrington (who was played by Joan Collins) will show up again - but she first did only in the finale of the first season's court scene to become a permanent character from then on.

She is however already mentioned in Thursday's first episode but who is playing her is being kept a big secret. Could it maybe be Heather Locklear who was in Melrose Place and Sammy Jo in the original Dynasty?

For those who want to relive history, or want to watch it for the first time - the entire original Dynasty series is being released today by Paramount Home Video as a new 57-disc set, including all 217 episodes - available from Amazon.