Risky in 1980s Soapland

[Jimmy Todd]

For the most part, the big four prime time soaps played it safe, no matter how "shocking" they advertised themselves to be. They were still great fun, but the riskiest performance,imho, was on season 6 Knots Landing when Valene had a breakdown, looked herself in the mirror and decided she was "flat-chested." She was then beaten up and humiliated by an irate wife when she tried to be a "vamp." Calling attention to perceived "flaws" and having the herione humiliated in that manner was the riskiest thing on those soaps.
Runners up could possibly be Alexis causing Krystle's miscarriage and Julia being the murderer on Falcon Crest and still remaining on the show. Although, both were subsequently glossed over.
Valene's breakdown was as well in a way, but I don't know if too many actresses in the 1980s would have agreed to do what Joan Van Ark did.
Agree? Disagree? Another completely different viewpoint?

 

[Willie Oleson]

Blake Carrington's uncompromising stance on homosexuality made the series' leading man dangerously unlikeable, but at the same time they dared to show that homophobia existed.
Fans complain that Steven wasn't gay enough because he was not a happy gay man happily in love with another gay man. The way Dynasty tackled the topic from a negative point of view instead of glossing over it seemed more impactful to me.
He also killed a gay man and raped his wife.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think Dynasty was the only one of the Big 4,5 that bumped off a toddler in order to save another one (in addition to that defenceless foetus that was sent to foetus heaven by Alexis, and also the illusion of a baby plummeting down a skyscraper).
It's amazing this series hasn't been banned yet.

A different kind of risky was Krystle's infamous AIDS kiss which would have been an interesting storyline, but unfortunately it was the harsh reality.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Fans complain that Steven wasn't gay enough because he was not a happy gay man happily in love with another gay man. The way Dynasty tackled the topic from a negative point of view instead of glossing over it seemed more impactful to me.

Although it didn't feel like a cogent narrative choice the way they did it. It felt like the show itself was ambivalent about the issue from writers who didn't know what they were doing and didn't really want the story.

 

[Willie Oleson]

I think they did a nude scene in Falcon Crest? Was it season 8 or 9?

 

[Matthew Blaisdel]

You mean the steamy sauna scene between Lance and Pilar? That was in S9. But there were of course neither breasts nor asses or genitals shown. so i don't know if that qualifies as nude scene.

I wonder what it would have been like, if nuDallas had been on HBO instead of TNT. Would we have seen Josh and Jesse naked? I would have loved that.

 

[Toni]

I recently discovered that "Dallas" did expose a female breast (though very briefly, but they did!) in their last season. I had to pause the scene because I couldn´t actually believe it... Anyone knows whose it was?

 

[Frank Underwood]

I recently discovered that "Dallas" did expose a female breast (though very briefly, but they did!) in their last season. I had to pause the scene because I couldn´t actually believe it... Anyone knows whose it was?

I believe it was Kimberly Foster, aka Michelle.

 

[Angela Channing]

You mean the steamy sauna scene between Lance and Pilar? That was in S9. But there were of course neither breasts nor asses or genitals shown. so i don't know if that qualifies as nude scene.

I'm pretty sure there was a sex scene between Maggie and Richard in which we got a quick flash of one of Susan Sullivan's nipples.

 

[Willie Oleson]

You mean the steamy sauna scene between Lance and Pilar?

I was thinking of a midnight skinny-dipping scene...unless I dreamt it!

 

[TaranofPrydain]

I was thinking of a midnight skinny-dipping scene...unless I dreamt it!

They had one of those on Knots Landing with Paige taking a dip in Greg's pool in late 1988, but that scene only showed her upper back above the waist. The only other time that Knots came really close to nudity was in its final season (November 1992) when Nick/Dmitri went to answer the the door in just a towel, whereupon the towel dropped and Karen could see everything, although again the viewer could only see the upper back.

 

[TaranofPrydain]

Blake Carrington's uncompromising stance on homosexuality made the series' leading man dangerously unlikeable, but at the same time they dared to show that homophobia existed.
Fans complain that Steven wasn't gay enough because he was not a happy gay man happily in love with another gay man. The way Dynasty tackled the topic from a negative point of view instead of glossing over it seemed more impactful to me.
He also killed a gay man and raped his wife.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think Dynasty was the only one of the Big 4,5 that bumped off a toddler in order to save another one (in addition to that defenceless foetus that was sent to foetus heaven by Alexis, and also the illusion of a baby plummeting down a skyscraper).
It's amazing this series hasn't been banned yet.

A different kind of risky was Krystle's infamous AIDS kiss which would have been an interesting storyline, but unfortunately it was the harsh reality.

One could argue that two of those things you mention (the murder of Ted Dinard and Krystle getting raped) could only be fully remembered (at least before reruns and DVDs) by the shows's die-hard fans because they both happened in the first half season, where the series was struggling to hold its own opposite CBS's powerful comedy hour which included MASH. The rape was almost immediately glossed over so if you did not see that episode where it happened or pay close attention to Blake's apology in the following episode, you would never have known that it was there. The Dinard trial did go into season 2 and was the cause of Alexis coming into the show, so likely more would have heard of that although the death scene itself was only shown in Season 1. As for the death of Sarah's child offscreen in Season 7, since the character never appeared on screen that was able to give the audience a greater distance from the unfortunate tragedy. (Plus the Carringtons were incredibly sugary-sweet at that moment)

 

[Toni]

I was thinking of a midnight skinny-dipping scene...unless I dreamt it!

There was one with Pilar in Season 8, with Nick watching her. Maybe you mean that one...

 

[Daniel Avery]

The rape was almost immediately glossed over so if you did not see that episode where it happened or pay close attention to Blake's apology in the following episode, you would never have known that it was there.

You may recall that 1981 was also the year that General Hospital married off Luke and Laura, probably the most well-known soap couple of that era---despite the fact that Luke had raped Laura shortly after they met. So Dynasty was not the only show of that era who had a very different view of such violence. At least Blake had the presence of mind to repent immediately---it was 1998 before Luke apologized.

 

[Willie Oleson]

One could argue that two of those things you mention (the murder of Ted Dinard and Krystle getting raped) could only be fully remembered (at least before reruns and DVDs) by the shows's die-hard fans because they both happened in the first half season, where the series was struggling to hold its own

I don't think that the riskiness, or any particular quality, can be based on how well-known or well-remembered it is.
Or how well it performed in the ratings (I have no idea why this argument keeps popping up but apparently it means a lot to soap fans).

The rape was almost immediately glossed over

Not during the rape scene itself. Again, it's a matter of "it happened or it didn't happen". And perhaps that simple apology makes it all the more harrowing and very telling of that time in history.
And I believe Krystle conceived during the rape (yuk!) so it wasn't entirely without consequenses. And that wasn't even the end of it.

 

[Willie Oleson]

There was one with Pilar in Season 8, with Nick watching her. Maybe you mean that one...

Do remember what episode? Perhaps I can screenshoot it from u-know-what-site, that is to say, if moderator @Daniel Avery doesn't consider it too risqué for tellytalk

 

[Daniel Avery]

I guess the question you have to ask is "Do I feel lucky?"

 

[Matthew Blaisdel]

Again, it's a matter of "it happened or it didn't happen". And perhaps that simple apology makes it all the more harrowing and very telling of that time in history.
And I believe Krystle conceived during the rape (yuk!) so it wasn't entirely without consequenses. And that wasn't even the end of it.

They actually recalled the rape in a season 6 episode, when Rita as Krystle refused to have sex with Blake. He was about to do it all over again and then stopped and said "No, this happened once before and it almost destroyed our relationship. This will not happen again!"
So it was not like "forgotten and never talked about again".

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

I think they did a nude scene in Falcon Crest? Was it season 8 or 9?

I dunno but if it involves Lorenzo Lamas I may just buy the Blu-ray's!

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

Do remember what episode? Perhaps I can screenshoot it from u-know-what-site, that is to say, if moderator @Daniel Avery doesn't consider it too risqué for tellytalk

You could try I suppose.

I had a festive one which showed a man's behind in it which got deleted. So just to warn you that it could get deleted too.