Series synopsis
The Colbys is an American drama soap television series that premiered on ABC on November 20, 1985. It ended on March 26, 1987. It was created by Richard Shapiro, Esther Shapiro, Robert Mason Pollock, Eilen Pollock. It stars Charlton Heston, John James, Stephanie Beacham and Katharine Ross.
The Colbys is an American prime time soap opera, which 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 revolved around another wealthy, upper-class family, who were distant relatives of the Carringtons of Dynasty and who owned a large multi-national corporation. Intended to surpass its predecessor in opulence, the series' produce ...
Premise
The Colbys is an American prime time soap opera, which 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 revolved around another wealthy, upper-class family, who were distant relatives of the Carringtons of Dynasty and who owned a large multi-national corporation. Intended to surpass its predecessor in opulence, the series' producers were handed an immensely high budget for the era and cast a handful of well-known movie stars among its leads, including Charlton Heston, Barbara Stanwyck, Katharine Ross and Ricardo Montalban. However, The Colbys was ultimately a ratings disappointment, and was canceled after two seasons.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Charlton Heston as Jason Colby
- John James as Jeff Colby
- Stephanie Beacham as Sable Colby
- Katharine Ross as Francesca Scott Colby Hamilton Langdon
- Emma Samms as Fallon Carrington Colby
- Maxwell Caulfield as Miles Colby
- Tracy Scoggins as Monica Colby
- Claire Yarlett as Bliss Colby
Supporting cast
- Barbara Stanwyck as Constance Colby
- Ricardo Montalban as Zach Powers
- Kim Morgan Greene as Channing Carter
- Joseph Campanella as Hutch Corrigan
- Ken Howard as Garrett Boydston
- Michael Parks as Hoyt Parker / Phillip Colby
- Kavi Raz
- Mary Cadorette
- Shanna Reed
- Sam Hennings
- Reid Shelton
- Tom Fuccello
Guest cast
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 49 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 24 | November 20, 1985 | May 22, 1986 |
| Season 2 | 25 | September 24, 1986 | March 26, 1987 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Celebration The Colbys return from Denver to their home in Bel Air, California, where Jason Colby holds a press conference regarding the pipeline venture between his company, Colby Enterprises, and Denver-Carrington. Jason's wife, Sable, however, is upset that Jason's sister, Constance, has turned over her shares in the family company to her estranged nephew, Jeff, rather than to Jason and Sable's three children. Jason, meanwhile, shares a secret with Constance- he's dying. Later, Jason learns his business rival Zachary Powers is trying to muscle in on his deal with Denver-Carrington. Constance, meanwhile, contacts Jeff's estranged mother, Francesca, in London and asks her to reunite with the son she abandoned as a child and a reluctant Francesca agrees. Constance then pays a secret visit to her lover, a rancher named Hutch, while keeping her true identity a secret from him. Jeff arrives in California to claim his share of the family empire- and also to find his long-missing, presumed-dead ex-w |
November 20, 1985 |
| 2 |
Conspiracy of Silence After Miles introduces his new bride ""Randall"" to the family, Jeff is stunned when Fallon doesn't recognize him. Battle lines are immediately drawn between Miles and Jeff after Jeff reveals Randall's true identity. Constance calls in a psychiatrist to treat Fallon, who suggests the family accept her as Randall and not force her memory. Jeff calls Fallon's father, Blake, who flies to California to see her. However, when Fallon doesn't recognize him either, Blake entrusts Jason and Constance with looking out for Fallon before returning to Denver. Jeff has a chilly reunion with his mother, Francesca, as he's still bitter over her abandonment of him as a child. Francesca then reunites with her sister Sable and, later, with Jason, with whom she was once close. Jason's business rival, Zachary Powers, conveniently runs into Sable twice and hits on her, but she rejects his advances. A dying Jason tries to resolve his conflict with son Miles, to no avail. Jeff gets to know ""Randall"" better, the |
November 27, 1985 |
| 3 | Moment of Truth | November 28, 1985 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Gathering Storm | September 24, 1986 |
| 2 | No Exit | September 25, 1986 |
| 3 | Jason's Choice | October 2, 1986 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | ABC |
|---|---|
| First aired | November 20, 1985 |
| Last aired | March 26, 1987 |
| Runtime | 44 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Thursday at 21:00:00 |