Richard Allen Shapiro (born June 27, 1934)[1] and Esther June Shapiro (née Mayesh; born June 6, 1928)[2] are an American married couple who work as television screenwriters and producers, through their Shapiro Film Corporation.[2] They are best known as the creators of the long-running 1980s prime time soap operaDynasty, its spin-off series The Colbys, and the 1991 miniseriesDynasty: The Reunion.
The Shapiros created and produced the prime time soap opera Dynasty, which debuted in 1981.[4] Written as the Shapiros' creative response to the 1979 oil crisis,[5] and intended by ABC to be a competitor for CBS's Dallas,[6] the series ranked #28 its first season.[7] Ratings steadily grew, with Dynasty reaching #1 for the 1984–85 season.[8][9] A spin-off, The Colbys, debuted in 1985,[10] but was cancelled after two seasons.[11]Dynasty was cancelled in 1989, with the Shapiros writing and producing a reunion miniseries in 1991.[12][13][14]
During Dynasty's run, the Shapiros also co-created the prime time soap opera Emerald Point N.A.S., which lasted for one season from 1983 to 1984,[15] and the medical dramaHeartBeat, which ran two seasons from 1988 to 1989.[16]
At the height of Dynasty's popularity in 1985, Joe Klein of New York called Esther "the ABC network's most valuable asset ... and perhaps the most influential woman executive in television".[5]Dynasty producer Aaron Spelling and others compared Esther to her creation, Blake Carrington (John Forsythe).[5]
Dynasty legacy
In January 2004, Esther Shapiro participated in a marathon of the show's episodes on SOAPnet, Serial Bowl: Alexis vs. Krystle, giving behind-the-scenes tidbits and factoids.
The Shapiros announced on January 12, 2011, that they had written a Dynasty prequel feature film script set in the 1960s, and were shopping it to studios for a possible film franchise.[18] In a September 2011 interview, Dynasty actress Joan Collins chatted about a Dynasty television revival: "I've been in constant contact with Esther Shapiro, who wrote it, and apparently they've written a script."[19]
In September 2016, it was announced that a Dynasty reboot was in development at The CW, with the Shapiros attached as producers.[20][21] The project received a series order in May 2017,[22][23] and premiered in the US on October 11, 2017.[24]Dynasty ran for five seasons, ending in September 2022.[25][26]
Personal life
The Shapiros are Jewish, with Esther's family being Sephardic Jews from Greece and Turkey.[27]
^Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present (9th ed.). Ballantine Books. p. 596. ISBN978-0-345-49773-4.
