Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Here's a special report on the phenomenon of the ABC soap Dynasty, courtesy of anchor Tim Weigel on an edition of Eyewitness Extra as presented over WLS Channel 7.
Includes:
Tim introducing the piece, determined to find out why 70 million people watch the soap
Clips spotlighting John Forsythe, Joan Collins and Stephanie Beacham, followed by show title and a look at the history and origins of the program (a "rip-off" of Dallas, albeit one that exceeded the source show in ratings)
Morry Roth of the Chicago bureau of Variety explaining how everything on the show is clear-cut, no ambiguity about it
Outtake from Linda Evans (Krystle) as shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood (actually Burbank, but who's counting?), contrasting a "moment" she had with the writers' mission, plus how much time an episode is produced compared with a daytime TV soap shot on videotape, and how that explains why the producers get away with their implausible plots
Pamela Sue Martin (the first Fallon) explaining how she didn't create the character and how the character is different from her
Psychologist Dr. Donald Halperin explaining why people tune in and are attracted to the show and the characters
Joan Collins (everyone's favorite "character you love to hate," Alexis) mentions how she tries to keep it "as real as possible"
Roth describes entire show as a "cartoon"
Tim previews segment on Dynasty to air on next night's 10pm edition, followed by brief snippet of holiday forecast preview before recording ends
(" . . . they might as well have those little balloons over their head, for all intents and purposes, because they're barely real . . . ")
This aired on local Chicago TV in late November 1982.
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: tapes@fuzzy.tv We preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please e-mail tapes@fuzzy.tv Thank you for your help!
Here's a special report on the phenomenon of the ABC soap Dynasty, courtesy of anchor Tim Weigel on an edition of Eyewitness Extra as presented over WLS Channel 7.
Includes:
Tim introducing the piece, determined to find out why 70 million people watch the soap
Clips spotlighting John Forsythe, Joan Collins and Stephanie Beacham, followed by show title and a look at the history and origins of the program (a "rip-off" of Dallas, albeit one that exceeded the source show in ratings)
Morry Roth of the Chicago bureau of Variety explaining how everything on the show is clear-cut, no ambiguity about it
Outtake from Linda Evans (Krystle) as shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood (actually Burbank, but who's counting?), contrasting a "moment" she had with the writers' mission, plus how much time an episode is produced compared with a daytime TV soap shot on videotape, and how that explains why the producers get away with their implausible plots
Pamela Sue Martin (the first Fallon) explaining how she didn't create the character and how the character is different from her
Psychologist Dr. Donald Halperin explaining why people tune in and are attracted to the show and the characters
Joan Collins (everyone's favorite "character you love to hate," Alexis) mentions how she tries to keep it "as real as possible"
Roth describes entire show as a "cartoon"
Tim previews segment on Dynasty to air on next night's 10pm edition, followed by brief snippet of holiday forecast preview before recording ends
(" . . . they might as well have those little balloons over their head, for all intents and purposes, because they're barely real . . . ")
This aired on local Chicago TV in late November 1982.
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: tapes@fuzzy.tv We preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please e-mail tapes@fuzzy.tv Thank you for your help!
