Dynasty (1981 TV series) season 3

The third season of Dynasty originally aired in the United States on ABC from October 27, 1982, through April 20, 1983. The series, created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, revolves around the Carringtons, a wealthy family residing in Denver, Colorado.

Season three stars John Forsythe as millionaire oil magnate Blake Carrington; Linda Evans as his wife Krystle; Pamela Sue Martin as Blake and Alexis' headstrong daughter Fallon; Jack Coleman as Blake and Alexis' earnest son Steven; Gordon Thomson as Blake and Alexis' eldest son Adam; John James as Fallon's ex-husband Jeff Colby; Lloyd Bochner as Jeff's uncle, Cecil Colby; Pamela Bellwood as Claudia Blaisdel, the widow of Krystle's former lover; Heather Locklear as Krystle's niece and Steven's ex-wife Sammy Jo; Geoffrey Scott as Krystle's ex-husband Mark Jennings; Lee Bergere as Carrington majordomo Joseph Anders; Kathleen Beller as Joseph's daughter Kirby; and Joan Collins as Alexis Colby, Blake's ex-wife and the mother of Adam, Fallon and Steven.

Development
In season three, Dynasty introduced Gordon Thomson in the role of Adam Carrington, Blake and Alexis' eldest child, who had been kidnapped as an infant ever never found. According to Thomson, "They had planned on Adam being an impostor but they liked him so much they decided to keep him on. They tested me for 13 shows, then extended that to 24." Steven Carrington was recast with Jack Coleman in 1983, the change in appearance attributed to plastic surgery after an oil rig explosion.

Dynasty was ranked #5 in the United States for season three. The April 1983 episode "The Threat", which features the first use of the word "bitch" in a prime time network series as well as a catfight between Krystle and Alexis in a lily pond, was ranked #67 on the 2009 TV Guide list of "Top 100 Episodes".

Plot
In the third season, Alexis marries Cecil on his deathbed and acquires his company, ColbyCo. In the meantime, Adam, the long-lost son of Alexis and Blake who had been kidnapped in infancy, reappears in Denver and almost starts an affair with Fallon before they discover they are siblings. Also introduced are Krystle's ex-husband, tennis pro Mark Jennings, and Kirby Anders, the daughter of longtime Carrington majordomo Joseph. Kirby catches Adam's eye but weds Jeff after his divorce from Fallon. In the middle of the season, news that Steven has been killed in an accident in Indonesia comes to the Carringtons; he survives, but undergoes plastic surgery and returns to Denver. In the third-season cliffhanger, Alexis lures Krystle to Steven's cabin and the two are locked inside while the cabin is set ablaze by an unseen arsonist.

Main

 * John Forsythe as Blake Carrington
 * Linda Evans as Krystle Carrington
 * Pamela Sue Martin as Fallon Carrington
 * Pamela Bellwood as Claudia Blaisdel
 * John James as Jeff Colby
 * Lloyd Bochner as Cecil Colby
 * Gordon Thomson as Adam Carrington
 * Kathleen Beller as Kirby Anders
 * Geoffrey Scott as Mark Jennings
 * Heather Locklear as Sammy Jo Carrington
 * Jack Coleman as Steven Carrington
 * Lee Bergere as Joseph Anders
 * Joan Collins as Alexis Carrington

Recurring

 * Paul Burke as Neal McVane
 * James Hong as Dr. Chen Ling
 * Christine Belford as Susan Farragut
 * Virginia Hawkins as Jeanette Robbins
 * Betty Harford as Hilda Gunnerson
 * Hank Brandt as Morgan Hess
 * Grant Goodeve as Chris Deegan

Notable guest stars

 * Peter Mark Richman as Andrew Laird
 * David Hedison as Sam Dexter
 * Joanne Linville as Claire Maynard
 * Simon MacCorkindale as Billy Dawson
 * Tim O'Connor as Thomas Crayford
 * Kabir Bedi as Farouk Ahmed


 * Cast notes

Reception
In season three, Dynasty made a big leap to be ranked #5 in the United States with a 22.4 Nielsen rating.