Dynasty's original cast versus the new one: How did the reboot change things up?
They haven't just changed the setting.
The shiny new reboot of classic American soap opera Dynasty hasn't just shifted the setting from Denver, Colorado to Atlanta, Georgia – it's made several changes to the characters, too.
With Nicollette Sheridan replacing Joan Collins as Alexis, Sammy Jo changing from a woman to a gay man, and the Colby family reborn entirely as African-American, it's a pleasingly dramatic raft of changes.
We've rounded up the original cast and their modern-day counterparts to show how the new series differs from the '80s outing.
Blake Carrington
Self-made CEO of Denver-Carrington (or Carrington Atlantic in the reboot series), Blake Carrington was played by Charlie's Angels star John Forsythe throughout the original series. Melrose Place's Grant Show takes on the key role in the reboot.
Krystle Carrington / Cristal Flores Carrington
Played by Linda Evans in the original series, the reboot starred The Vampire Diaries' Nathalie Kelley as a Hispanic reimagining of Blake Carrington's second wife, now called Cristal Flores Carrington. Well it did. She's left now, and in season 2, Ana-Brenda Contreras took over, playing a different role – the "real" Cristal. Confused? Don't blame you.
Alexis Carrington
Blake's first wife, legendary diva Alexis Carrington, was iconically played by Dame Joan Collins in the original. Desperate Housewives' Nicollette Sheridan is Alexis in the reboot. Inspired casting.
Sammy Jo Carrington / Sam 'Sammy Jo' Jones
The biggest change in the reboot, Heather Locklear's Sammy Jo Carrington – niece of Krystle – is now a gay male character called Sam 'Sammy Jo' Jones, played by Venezuelan actor Rafael de la Fuente.
Fallon Carrington
The daughter of Blake and Alexis was originally played by Pamela Sue Martin until the fourth season when Fallon was recast with Emma Samms, who went on to star in spin-off series The Colbys. Now the third person to play Fallon, actress and singer Elizabeth Gillies, stars in the reboot series.
Steven Carrington
Notable for being one of the earliest gay main characters on a US TV show – even if he married two women – Steven was originally played by Al Corley, who left at the end of the second season.
Jack Coleman took over and, in classic Dynasty fashion, the new face was because of plastic surgery after an oil rig explosion. Corley returned for the miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion, and now Australian actor James Mackay plays the younger son of Blake and Alexis.
Joseph Anders
The chief steward of the Carrington household and fiercely protective of the family, Joseph Anders was played in the first four seasons of Dynasty by the late Lee Bergere. The reboot cast US TV mainstay and Neighbours legend Alan Dale, but the character remains the same, especially in his instant distrust of Cristal (AKA Krystle).
Michael Culhane
As the chaffeur for the Carringtons, Wayne Northrop's Michael Culhane left at the end of the first season, but not before he'd had an affair with Fallon, and also returned for the seventh season. He is one of several characters cast as non-white for the reboot, with Robert Christopher Riley in the role.
Jeff Colby
John James appeared as Jeff Colby in six seasons of Dynasty before transferring to spin-off show The Colbys, returning to Dynasty after that was cancelled. Like in the original series, he has a close relationship with Fallon in the reboot, where he is played by Nigerian-American actor Sam Adegoke.
Monica Colby
Tracy Scoggins first appeared as Jeff's cousin Monica Colby in Dynasty season five, before starring in spin-off show The Colbys and returning for the ninth season of Dynasty. In the reboot, Monica is now Jeff's sister and Fallon's best friend from high school, played by Wakeema Hollis.
Matthew Blaisdel
Krystle/Cristal's former lover, Matthew Blaisdel is Blake's leading field engineer who returns for their big wedding. Bo Hopkins starred in the first season and came back later in the run, while Revenge's Nick Wechsler has taken over the role for the reboot.
Claudia Blaisdel
Matthew's wife Claudia Blaisdel had just been released from a psychiatric hospital in the original series, where she was played by Pamela Bellwood, and is recovering from a head injury that has resulted in amnesia in the reboot, where she is played by General Hospital's Brianna Brown.
Walter Lankershim / Willy Santiago
Played by Dale Robertson in the original, Matthew's friend Walter Lankershim doesn't technically appear in the reboot, although executive producer Sallie Patrick says that Dave Maldonado's Willy Santiago is the new version of Walter.
Ted Dinard
Steven's ex-boyfriend Ted Dinard is hoping to win back Blake and Alexis's younger son in both versions of Dynasty ,where he's played by Mark Withers and Michael Patrick Lane in the original and reboot, respectively.
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
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