"DYNASTY: THE MAKING OF A GUILTY PLEASURE" TO AIR SUNDAY, JANUARY 2 ON THE ABC TELEVISION NETWORK

Before "Desperate Housewives," ABC-TV had one of the original guilty pleasures -- "Dynasty," the phenomenally successful show which ran from 1981-1989 and reflected the Reagan years of excess and glamour. The ABC Premiere Event, "Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure," a two-hour dramatization with a behind-the-scenes look at the hit '80s primetime soap opera, will air SUNDAY, JANUARY 2 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure" offers a satirical yet poignant look at how "Dynasty," the television series, evolved. The show did not begin as an instant hit. In fact its creators, Esther and Richard Shapiro, initially set out on a noble mission to explore the effect of wealth on the American family and other important social issues. But despite an inauspicious start, the series eventually dazzled audiences around the world with one of TV history's most notoriously wicked female characters, Alexis Carrington; revolutionized the term "cat fight," as Alexis and Krystle went at it through lily pond and mud puddle; inspired millions of women to beef up their shoulder pads; and allowed people to forget about their own ordinary lives and drink in the champagne and caviar existence of a TV family dripping in jewels, but a little short on basic morality.

Yet behind-the-scenes, success had some side effects - some of the stars began demanding bigger and bigger salaries, and the show's budget ballooned, making it one of the most expensive television programs at the time. "Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure" tells of the sometimes desperate and frequently hilarious efforts to keep the series at the top of the ratings. No plotline was too outrageous - a royal wedding interrupted by revolutionary commandos crashing through church windows! -- or too inconceivable - while the "real" Krystle is locked in a dungeon, her "evil twin" beds Blake!

As the country began reeling from the excesses of the decade, the show began its own decline in the ratings. Ultimately "Dynasty" was cancelled, but not before leaving an indelible imprint on the '80s.

Unforgettable, classic television moments will be seen -- including the cat fights between Alexis and Krystle, the Moldavian Massacre and an on-screen kiss between Linda Evans' and Rock Hudson's characters that sent shockwaves through Hollywood.

The movie stars Pamela Reed ("Proof of Life," "Kindergarten Cop") as Esther Shapiro and Ritchie Singer as Richard Shapiro. Portraying the actors who became household names as members of the wealthy and dysfunctional Carrington Family are Bart John as John Forsythe, Alice Krige ("The Mystery of Natalie Wood") as Joan Collins and Melora Hardin ("Hot Chick") as Linda Evans. Also starring are Holly Brisley as Heather Locklear, Nicholas Hammond as Aaron Spelling, Rel Hunt as Al Corley, Rachael Taylor as Catherine Oxenberg and Rory Williamson as Michael Nader.

The executive producers of "Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure" are Greg Gugliotta, Robert M. Sertner, Frank von Zerneck, Stanley M. Brooks and Damian Ganczewski. The director and writer of the screenplay is Matthew Miller, and the producer is Randy Sutter. The movie, filmed in Sydney, Australia, is produced by Village Roadshow Dynasty Productions Pty. Ltd., Nitelite Entertainment, Inc. and Once Upon A Time Films, Ltd.

This dramatization includes time compression and composite and fictionalized characters and incidents.

This program carries a TV-PG,L,S,V parental guideline.