Jump to content

Dynasty (Australian TV series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dynasty
Series 2 title card (1971)
GenreDrama
Written byTony Morphett
John Dingwall
Directed byFrank Arnold
StarringPat Bishop
Ben Gabriel
Anne Haddy
Nick Tate
Theme music composerLaurie Lewis
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes23
Production
Running time60 mins
Original release
NetworkABC
Release7 October 1970 (1970-10-07) –
6 October 1971 (1971-10-06)

Dynasty is an Australian TV series that aired from 7 October 1970 to 6 October 1971, based on the 1967 Tony Morphett novel of the same name which had been previously adapted as a television play.[1][2]

1969 TV play

[edit]

The novel was first adapted as a television play produced by the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC), and broadcast in October 1969 as one installment of an anthology series of unrelated plays under the title Australian Plays.[1][3][4]

The project was written by Morphett based on his novel, and directed in Melbourne by Oscar Whitbread.[5] Morphett had previously written for Australian Playhouse.[6]

Plot

[edit]

Inventor Jim Richards (Terry Norris) seeks financial backing from the Mason Corporation for his new machine. He finds himself in the middle of a power struggle for control of the corporation, including a family dispute. David Mason uses his affair with his sister-in-law Kathy to his advantage.

Cast

[edit]

Reception

[edit]
  • The Sydney Morning Herald called the play "the best thing the ABC has done in a long, long time."[7]
  • "Dynasty belongs to a handful of programs, all produced by the ABC, which examine media power in Australia and indeed it would be interesting to compare Dynasty with later studies such as The Oracle (1979) and Paper Man (1990)."[2] Moran praised actor John Tate for a "very strong performance".

TV series

[edit]

Following the success of the TV play, a regular TV series was produced with a largely different cast.[1][3] Premiering in July 1970, the first series consisted of 10 episodes, and the second and final series consisted of 13 episodes.[1][3]

Plot summary

[edit]

Dynasty follows media mogul Jack Mason and his grasping sons John, David and Peter.[3]

Cast

[edit]

Episodes

[edit]

Twenty-three episodes were produced.[1]

Series 1

[edit]
No. in
series
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
11"Gran Turismo"Tom JeffreyTony Morphett7 October 1970 (1970-10-07)
22"Catwalk"UnknownTony Morphett14 October 1970 (1970-10-14)
33"Counterpoint"Frank ArnoldGlyn Davies21 October 1970 (1970-10-21)
44"Young Jim Westlake"Tom JeffreyPeter Schreck28 October 1970 (1970-10-28)
55"Cry Me A River"UnknownTony Morphett4 November 1970 (1970-11-04)
66"Paper Of The People"Frank ArnoldJohn Dingwall11 November 1970 (1970-11-11)
77"Second Pressure"Eric TaylerTony Morphett18 November 1970 (1970-11-18)
88"The Champion"UnknownTony Morphett25 November 1970 (1970-11-25)
99"Have You Got The Numbers?"Brian BellTony Morphett2 December 1970 (1970-12-02)
1010"When All The Bets Were Off"Frank ArnoldTony Morphett9 December 1970 (1970-12-09)

Series 2

[edit]
No. in
series
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
111"Dead Man's Chair"Alan BurkeTony Morphett14 July 1971 (1971-07-14)
122"The Killing Ground"Eric TaylerTony Morphett21 July 1971 (1971-07-21)
133"The Coorabungle Deposit"UnknownTony Morphett28 July 1971 (1971-07-28)
144"Corrida For A Stunt Man"Frank ArnoldTony Morphett4 August 1971 (1971-08-04)
155"Who Wants A Bridge?"Brian BellPat Flower11 August 1971 (1971-08-11)
166"Detour To Power"Frank ArnoldPeter Schreck & Glyn Davies18 August 1971 (1971-08-18)
177"Nothing Personal"Alan BurkeAlan Burke25 August 1971 (1971-08-25)
188"Whatever Happened To Jamie Brooks?"Brian BellTony Morphett1 September 1971 (1971-09-01)
199"Two Reds Don't Make A White"Frank ArnoldRon Harrison8 September 1971 (1971-09-08)
2010"Countdown"Frank ArnoldBob Ellis15 September 1971 (1971-09-15)
2111"Full Circle"UnknownTony Morphett22 September 1971 (1971-09-22)
2212"Man In The Middle"UnknownTony Morphett29 September 1971 (1971-09-29)
2313"A Half Tone Block Is Black And White"UnknownBob Ellis & Ben Blakeney6 October 1971 (1971-10-06)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e "Dynasty Episode Details". ClassicAustralianTV.com. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  2. ^ a b Albert Moran (1993). Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series. AFTRS. pp. 153–154.
  3. ^ a b c d "Dynasty Feature Article". ClassicAustralianTV.com. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  4. ^ "Australian plays on ABC-TV". The Canberra Times. 27 October 1969. p. 15. Retrieved 31 July 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Characters tend to mar power concept". The Canberra Times. Vol. 42, no. 11, 873. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 16 December 1967. p. 10. Retrieved 18 February 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ Vagg, Stephen (29 August 2023). "Forgotten Australian Television Plays: Boy with Banner, Objector and Watch It". Filmink.
  7. ^ "Aust Play an ABC Winner". Sydney Morning Herald. 26 October 1969.
[edit]