The Colbys, a Dynasty spin-off, made its début on US TV on this date in 1985. 10 facts about The Colbys:
Dynasty had been the highest rated series in 1984–1985, so its producers clearly had high hopes for it. They basically threw money at it, with episode costing approximately $1 million to make. This made it one of the most expensive TV series of the 1980s. However, it wasn’t anything like as popular as Dynasty and was cancelled after two seasons.
The Colbys stars Charlton Heston as tycoon Jason Colby (Burt Lancaster was considered for the role); Barbara Stanwyck as his sister Constance (Katharine Hepburn was in the running for this); Stephanie Beacham as his wife Sable (Faye Dunaway, Diana Rigg and Susannah York all turned it down), Katharine Ross as Sable's sister, and John James and Emma Samms as their Dynasty characters Jeff Colby and Fallon Carrington.
A number of Dynasty stars like John Forsythe made appearances too, but Joan Collins refused to appear as she disapproved of a Dynasty spin-off.
The Colbys’ mansion, The Belvedere, is represented by Jay Paley House in Holmby Hills, then owned by business magnate Barron Hilton.
The exteriors for Colby Enterprises were shot at the First Interstate Tower in Los Angeles. Exteriors for Zach Power's headquarters were shot at the nearby Bank of America Building. These real life companies were rivals just like the fictional occupants of the buildings.
It was Barbara Stanwyck’s last acting project. Sadly, she hated it. She called the show "a turkey" and "The biggest pile of garbage I ever did" and demanded to be written out after one season. She wasn’t the only one. Stephanie Beacham referred to it as "Cobblers", as in "a load of cobblers", a British phrase meaning nonsense or rubbish.
In the UK, the series was shown on BBC1 from in January 1986 but was only shown every two weeks, alternating with Dynasty.
It was reported that Charlton Heston was paid $85,000 per episode and Barbara Stanwyck was paid $75,000.
The second series ended with Fallon, stranded in the desert, being abducted by aliens.
When the series was cancelled, John James and Emma Samms were offered and accepted contracts to continue playing their roles in Dynasty. Stephanie Beacham and Tracy Scoggins also accepted contracts for Dynasty, while Maxwell Caulfield resumed his role in Dynasty: The Reunion in 1991.
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Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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