The Colbys is an American prime time television soap opera that originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985, to March 26, 1987. Produced by Aaron Spelling, it was a spin-off of Dynasty, which had been the highest rated series for the 1984–1985 U.S. television season. The Colbys revolves around another vastly wealthy, upper-class family, who are relatives by marriage of the Carringtons of Dynasty and who own a large multinational conglomerate. It stars Charlton Heston as billionaire Jason Colby, Barbara Stanwyck as his sister Constance, Stephanie Beacham as Jason's wife Sable, and John James and Emma Samms as their Dynasty characters Jeff Colby and Fallon Carrington. Designed to be bigger than the original show, The Colbys was ultimately a ratings disappointment, and was cancelled after two seasons and 49 episodes.
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Rank | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||||
| 1 | 24 | November 20, 1985 (1985-11-20) | May 22, 1986 (1986-05-22) | 35 | 15.50 | |
| 2 | 25 | September 24, 1986 (1986-09-24) | March 26, 1987 (1987-03-26) | 64 | 11.90 | |
Episodes
Season 1 (1985–86)
See also: Dynasty (1981 TV series) season 6| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Celebration" | Jerome Courtland | William Bast & Paul Huson | November 20, 1985 (1985-11-20) | 22.3 | |
| 2 | 2 | "Conspiracy of Silence" | Curtis Harrington | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | November 27, 1985 (1985-11-27) | 19.3 | |
|
Originally scheduled for November 21, 1985. On that day, The Colbys was preempted by a speech from President Ronald Reagan. As a result, this episode aired in Dynasty's usual timeslot at 9:00 p.m., while that night's episode of Dynasty, "The Proposal", aired at 10:00 p.m. | |||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Moment of Truth" | Nancy Malone | William Bast & Paul Huson | November 28, 1985 (1985-11-28) | 13.0 | |
| 4 | 4 | "Family Album" | Don Medford | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Rick Edelstein | December 5, 1985 (1985-12-05) | 14.8 | |
| 5 | 5 | "Shadow of the Past" | Harry Falk | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | December 12, 1985 (1985-12-12) | 15.0 | |
| 6 | 6 | "A House Divided" | Don Medford | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Frank Furino | December 19, 1985 (1985-12-19) | 14.8 | |
| 7 | 7 | "The Reunion" | Jerome Courtland | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Frank Furino | December 26, 1985 (1985-12-26) | 15.9 | |
| 8 | 8 | "Fallen Idol" | Harry Falk | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Oliver Clark | January 2, 1986 (1986-01-02) | 14.6 | |
| 9 | 9 | "The Letter" | Don Medford | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Doris Silverton | January 9, 1986 (1986-01-09) | 13.6 | |
| 10 | 10 | "The Turning Point" | Gwen Arner | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Charles Pratt Jr | January 16, 1986 (1986-01-16) | 13.9 | |
| 11 | 11 | "Thursday's Child" | Kim Friedman | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Rick Edelstein | January 30, 1986 (1986-01-30) | 16.8 | |
|
The Colbys was preempted by the ABC Thursday Night Movie Grease 2 on January 23, 1986, which stars Maxwell Caulfield. | |||||||
| 12 | 12 | "The Pact" | Harry Falk | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | February 6, 1986 (1986-02-06) | 15.0 | |
| 13 | 13 | "Fallon's Choice" | Curtis Harrington | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : E. Doris Silverton | February 13, 1986 (1986-02-13) | 15.5 | |
| 14 | 14 | "The Trial" | Robert Scheerer | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Donald Paul Roos | February 20, 1986 (1986-02-20) | 16.2 | |
| 15 | 15 | "Burden of Proof" | Gabrielle Beaumont | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | February 27, 1986 (1986-02-27) | 17.6 | |
| 16 | 16 | "My Father's House" | Curtis Harrington | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Frank V. Furino | March 6, 1986 (1986-03-06) | 17.2 | |
| 17 | 17 | "The Outcast" | Robert Scheerer | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Donald Paul Roos | March 13, 1986 (1986-03-13) | 15.7 | |
| 18 | 18 | "The Wedding" | Harry Falk | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Frank V. Furino | March 20, 1986 (1986-03-20) | 19.0 | |
| 19 | 19 | "The Honeymoon" | Gwen Arner | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Michael Scheff & Maryanne Kasica | March 27, 1986 (1986-03-27) | 14.9 | |
| 20 | 20 | "Double Jeopardy" | Harry Falk | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Doris Silverton | April 10, 1986 (1986-04-10) | 14.9 | |
|
The Colbys was preempted by the ABC Thursday Night Movie Diner on April 3, 1986. | |||||||
| 21 | 21 | "A Family Affair" | Jerome Courtland | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Donald Paul Roos | April 17, 1986 (1986-04-17) | 15.4 | |
| 22 | 22 | "The Reckoning" | Harry Falk | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | May 1, 1986 (1986-05-01) | 14.1 | |
|
The Colbys was preempted by a repeat of the 1984 ABC Thursday Night Movie Invitation to Hell on April 24, 1986. | |||||||
| 23 | 23 | "Anniversary Waltz" | Kim Friedman | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Donald Paul Roos | May 15, 1986 (1986-05-15) | 14.6 | |
|
The Colbys was preempted by Part 5 of North and South Book II: Love and War on May 8, 1986, which stars Linda Evans from the shows' parent series Dynasty. | |||||||
| 24 | 24 | "Checkmate" | Harry Falk | William Bast & Paul Huson | May 22, 1986 (1986-05-22) | 15.9 | |
Season 2 (1986–87)
See also: Dynasty (1981 TV series) season 7| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 1 | "The Gathering Storm" | Harry Falk | William Bast & Paul Huson | September 24, 1986 (1986-09-24) | 16.6 | |
| 26 | 2 | "No Exit" | Gabrielle Beaumont | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Donald Paul Roos | September 25, 1986 (1986-09-25) | 10.2 | |
| 27 | 3 | "Jason's Choice" | Robert Scheerer | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Frank V. Furino | October 2, 1986 (1986-10-02) | 10.5 | |
| 28 | 4 | "The Matchmaker" | Harry Falk | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | October 16, 1986 (1986-10-16) | 9.2 | |
|
The Colbys was preempted by Game 2 of the 1986 National League Championship Series on October 9, 1986. | |||||||
| 29 | 5 | "Something Old, Something New" | Don Medford | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Donald Paul Roos | October 23, 1986 (1986-10-23) | 10.7 | |
| 30 | 6 | "The Gala" | Gwen Arner | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | October 30, 1986 (1986-10-30) | 10.0 | |
| 31 | 7 | "Bloodlines" | Harry Falk | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | November 6, 1986 (1986-11-06) | 10.0 | |
| 32 | 8 | "Deceptions" | Curtis Harrington | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Carol Saraceno | November 13, 1986 (1986-11-13) | 10.0 | |
| 33 | 9 | "And Baby Makes Four" | Gwen Arner | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Mart Crowley | November 27, 1986 (1986-11-27) | 9.9 | |
|
The Colbys was preempted by NFL Football: Los Angeles Raiders Vs. San Diego Chargers on November 20, 1986. | |||||||
| 34 | 10 | "Bid for Freedom" | Harry Falk | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | December 4, 1986 (1986-12-04) | 12.1 | |
| 35 | 11 | "Sanctuary" | Don Medford | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Carol Saraceno | December 11, 1986 (1986-12-11) | 11.8 | |
| 36 | 12 | "Reaching Out" | Linda Day | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Donald Paul Roos | December 18, 1986 (1986-12-18) | 10.9 | |
| 37 | 13 | "Power Plays" | Harry Falk | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : E. Jeffrey Smith | January 1, 1987 (1987-01-01) | 11.9 | |
|
The Colbys was preempted by The Love Boat: The Christmas Cruise on December 25, 1986. | |||||||
| 38 | 14 | "The Legacy" | Richard Kinon | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | January 8, 1987 (1987-01-08) | 12.1 | |
| 39 | 15 | "The Home Wrecker" | Curtis Harrington | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Carol Saraceno | January 15, 1987 (1987-01-15) | 12.0 | |
| 40 | 16 | "Manhunt" | Bruce Bilson | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Doris Silverton | January 22, 1987 (1987-01-22) | 13.4 | |
| 41 | 17 | "All Fall Down" | Kim Friedman | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | January 29, 1987 (1987-01-29) | 12.7 | |
| 42 | 18 | "Guilty Party" | Roy Campanella | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Dennis Turner | February 5, 1987 (1987-02-05) | 13.4 | |
| 43 | 19 | "Fallon's Baby" | Harry Falk | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Frank V. Furino | February 12, 1987 (1987-02-12) | 13.0 | |
| 44 | 20 | "Answered Prayers" | Robert Scheerer | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Donald Paul Roos | February 26, 1987 (1987-02-26) | 12.0 | |
|
The Colbys was preempted by Part 5 of Amerika on February 19, 1987. | |||||||
| 45 | 21 | "Return Engagement" | Harry Falk | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Elliott Lewis | March 5, 1987 (1987-03-05) | 11.0 | |
| 46 | 22 | "Devil's Advocate" | Robert Scheerer | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Mart Crowley | March 12, 1987 (1987-03-12) | 10.8 | |
| 47 | 23 | "Betrayals" | Harry Falk | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Carol Saraceno | March 19, 1987 (1987-03-19) | 12.8 | |
| 48 | 24 | "The Dead End" | Richard Kinon | Story by : William Bast & Paul Huson Teleplay by : Donald Paul Roos | March 25, 1987 (1987-03-25) | 16.0 | |
| 49 | 25 | "Crossroads" | Don Medford | William Bast & Paul Huson | March 26, 1987 (1987-03-26) | 13.6 | |
Ratings
The Colbys : U.S. viewers per episode (millions)
| Season | Episode number | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | ||
| 1 | 22.3 | 19.3 | 13.0 | 14.8 | 15.0 | 14.8 | 15.9 | 14.6 | 13.6 | 13.9 | 16.8 | 15.0 | 15.5 | 16.2 | 17.6 | 17.2 | 15.7 | 19.0 | 14.9 | 14.9 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 14.6 | 15.9 | – | |
| 2 | 16.6 | 10.2 | 10.5 | 9.2 | 10.7 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 9.9 | 12.1 | 11.8 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 12.1 | 12.0 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 13.4 | 13.0 | 12.0 | 11.0 | 10.8 | 12.8 | 16.0 | 13.6 | |
References
- "ABC Revises Fall List in Battle for Ratings". The New York Times. May 7, 1985. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
- "TV Ratings: 1980s". ClassicTVHits.com.
- Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2003). The Directory To Prime Time TV Shows (8th ed.). Ballantine Books.
- ^ "Episode List: The Colbys (1985–1987)". TV Tango. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
- Bruce B. Morris, Prime Time Network Serials: Episode Guides, Casts and Credits for 37 Continuing Television Dramas, 1964-1993, McFarland and Company, 1997.
- "TV Listings". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. November 21, 1985.
- "TV Listings". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. November 27, 1985.
- "TV Listings". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. January 23, 1986.
- "TV Listings". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. April 3, 1986.
- "TV Listings". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. April 24, 1986.
- "TV Listings". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. May 8, 1986.
- "TV Listings". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. October 9, 1986.
- "TV Listings". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. November 20, 1986.
- "TV Listings". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. December 25, 1986.
- "TV Listings". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. February 19, 1987.
External links
| Dynasty | |
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