Dust off your shoulder pads – ‘Dynasty’ back with ’17 twist

‘Peppa’ heading to Japan

LOS ANGELES, Sept 26, (Agencies): All hail the massive wigs, the shoulder pads, the gold lame and the cat fights: “Dynasty” — that decadent, power-dressing apotheosis of in-your-face 1980s excess — is back with a 2017 twist.

Nearly three decades after it went off the air, a sexier, younger-skewing and more diverse version is returning, as TV’s penchant for mining former hits for new shows continues apace.

The primetime US soap opera starring Joan Collins, Linda Evans and John Forsythe, which was shown around the world, became the most widely watched series in television history over eight glorious years.

The CW’s update, still focused on the trials and tribulations of the oil-rich Carrington clan, features Grant Show (“Melrose Place”) in the role of Forsythe’s suave, silk-tongued Blake Carrington.

The late US actor won two Golden Globes for his portrayal of the Carrington patriarch, ensuring that any future impersonator would have a daunting task fitting into those slip-on penny loafers.

“I always compare it to Roger Moore taking over from Sean Connery. Huge shoes to fill, but they are different actors completely,” Show, 55, told AFP.

“He did his own thing and that’s what I’m doing. I can’t do what John Forsythe did so there are no ghosts there.”

Blake was cast as the put-upon moral center of the 1981-1989 original series, hostage to the machinations of his malign ex-wife Alexis, played by Joan Collins.

However — and this is a bit awkward — he was also an incorrigible homophobe who told his son Steven his opinions weren’t important because he was a “man who puts his hands on another man.”

Times and mores have changed, of course, and Blake is no longer revolted, in the open at least, by his son’s homosexuality while Steven (James Mackay) is very much out of the closet.

“I feel like my Blake is more vulnerable. He’s more concerned with how he fits in with his family, more concerned about Steven loving him back,” said Show.

“John Forsythe’s Blake wanted to dominate the family and mine cares more about it being a family unit. He doesn’t want his son to hate him.”

In an era of unprecedented interest in the private lives of real-life dynastic families such as the Trumps, the Clintons, the Murdochs and the Kardashians, the soap opera could hardly be more relevant.

The past, though, is another country and the creative team behind the show felt that several updates were necessary for the modern audience.

Linda Evans’s blushing small-town bride Krystle is now a powerful, single-minded Venezuelan businesswoman named Cristal, played by Peruvian-Australian actress Nathalie Kelley (“UnReal”).

Also:

LOS ANGELES: Peppa, George and Daddy Pig will hit Japanese screens next month after free-to-air broadcaster TV Tokyo picked up preschool hit “Peppa Pig.”

It will launch on TV Tokyo on Oct 10, marking the latest rollout in the show’s push into Asia.

UK-listed eOne owns the property after acquiring a controlling stake in its producer Astley Baker Davis in 2015 for 140 million ($188 million). In Asia the show is on Nick Jr. and Viacom’s Voot SVOD platform, and in China on CCTV and several streaming platforms including iQIYI, and Youku.

“’Peppa Pig’ is enjoying tremendous ratings and retail success across Asia, so we’re incredibly excited to be bringing the brand to Japan,” said Andrew Carley, head of global licensing at eOne Family. “Asia is a key focus for our global licensing strategy so we’re keen to explore opportunities in this exciting new market.”

LOS ANGELES: Bill O’Reilly is poised to return to Fox News on Tuesday for the first time since he was abruptly fired in April.

The longtime Fox News anchor has been booked as a guest on Sean Hannity’s 9 p.m. program. Fox News confirmed late Monday the lineup of “Hannity” guests for the rest of the week. The list includes House Speaker Paul Ryan on Wednesday and radio host Rush Limbaugh on Thursday. On Monday night, Hannity’s guest was former Trump special advisor Steve Bannon.

O’Reilly’s appearance on “Hannity” sets up an awkward situation for Fox News. O’Reilly has been on a media tour the past few weeks discussing his exit from Fox News amid a firestorm of controversy about sexual harassment allegations. He is also promoted the latest in his series of alternate history novels, “Killing England,” which was published earlier this month. The book is expected to be the focus of his “Hannity” appearance.