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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 opera Dynasty, its spin-off series The Colbys, and the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion.
Richard Shapiro | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard Allen Shapiro June 27, 1934 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Television writer, screenwriter, television producer |
| Known for | Dynasty, The Colbys, Dynasty: The Reunion |
| Spouse | Esther Shapiro |
Esther Shapiro | |
|---|---|
| Born | Esther June Mayesh June 6, 1928 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Television writer, screenwriter, television producer |
| Known for | Dynasty, The Colbys, Dynasty: The Reunion |
| Spouse | Richard Shapiro |
In 1984, Doubleday/Dolphin published the companion book Dynasty: The Authorized Biography of the Carringtons,[3] which included an introduction by Esther Shapiro.
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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 drama HeartBeat, 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]
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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.
In 2005 Ritchie Singer and Pamela Reed portrayed the Shapiros in Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure, a fictionalized ABC television movie based on the creation and behind the scenes production of Dynasty.[17]
The first season of Dynasty was released on Region 1 DVD an April 19, 2005 by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. This edition includes audio commentary by Esther Shapiro.
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]
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The Shapiros are Jewish, with Esther's family being Sephardic Jews from Greece and Turkey.[27]
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| Year | Project | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Route 66 | Co-writers (story credit only, as Richard Shapiro and Esther Mayesh; teleplay by Stirling Silliphant) | Episode: "A Long Piece of Mischief" |
| 1964 | Bonanza | Co-writers (as Richard Shapiro and Esther Mayesh) | Episode: "A Dime's Worth of Glory" |
| 1966 | Combat! | Writer: Richard Shapiro only | Episode: "Gulliver" |
| 1966–1967 | Iron Horse | Co-writers | (2) episodes |
| 1968 | Tarzan | Co-writers | (3) episodes |
| 1968 | Garrison's Gorillas | Co-writers: Richard Shapiro & Shimon Wincelberg | Episode: "Run from Death" |
| 1969–1970 | Land of the Giants | Writer: Richard Shapiro only | (4) episodes |
| 1971 | Medical Center | Writer: Richard Shapiro only | (1) episode |
| 1975 | Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic | Co-writers | Television film |
| 1976 | The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday | Writer: Richard Shapiro only | Film |
| 1977 | Intimate Strangers | Co-writers/Co-producers | Television film |
| 1977 | Minstrel Man | Co-writers | Television film |
| 1979 | The Cracker Factory | Writer/producer: Richard Shapiro only | Television film |
| 1981 | East of Eden | Writer: Richard Shapiro only | Miniseries |
| 1981–1989 | Dynasty | Co-creators/Co-executive producers | (220) episodes |
| 1983–1984 | Emerald Point N.A.S. | Co-creators/Co-executive producers | (22) episodes |
| 1985–1987 | The Colbys | Co-creators/Co-executive producers | (49) episodes |
| 1987 | Free Spirit | Co-writers | Television film |
| 1988–1989 | HeartBeat | Co-creators/Co-executive producers | (18) episodes |
| 1989 | When We Were Young | Co-writers | Television film |
| 1991 | Dynasty: The Reunion | Co-creators/Co-executive producers | Miniseries |
| 1991 | Blood Ties | Writer: Richard Shapiro only Co-executive producers |
Television film |
| 1996 | The Colony | Co-writers/Co-executive producers | Television film |
| 2017–2022 | Dynasty | Co-creators/Co-executive producers | (64) episodes |
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