Richard and Esther Shapiro

For the fictional character Esther "Esty" Shapiro, see Unorthodox (miniseries).

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 (1934-06-27) June 27, 1934 (age 90) 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 (1928-06-06) June 6, 1928 (age 96) 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.

Dynasty

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]

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.

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]

Personal life

The Shapiros are Jewish, with Esther's family being Sephardic Jews from Greece and Turkey.^[27]

Credits

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