Richard Shapiro

In the half-hour solo portion of his interview, Richard Shapiro discusses writing for late 1960s episodic television including Land of the Giants, as well as working with Natalie Wood on the 1979 television movie The Cracker Factory. He also talks about his writing partnership with his wife, Esther Shapiro, and the challenges of being a freelance writer.

In the two-and-a-half-hour joint portion of their interview, Richard Shapiro and Esther Shapiro describe creating the hit primetime drama Dynasty. They speak of the characters and the actors who played them, recall some of the well-known storylines, talk about behind-the-scenes production details, and comment on the enduring international popularity of the show. They also touch on the short-lived spin-off series The Colbys and offer their thoughts on why the show didn't match the success of the original program. They outline their early partnership, writing for the daytime soap opera Love of Life, as well as the television movies Sarah T.: Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic, Minstrel Man, Intimate Strangers, and John Steinbeck's East of Eden. B-roll consists of several photos from Dynasty. Jennifer Howard conducted the interviews on May 7, 2004 in Beverly Hills, CA.