The Colbys is an American prime time soap opera which originally aired on ABC from November 20 1985 to March 26 1987. Produced by Aaron Spelling it was a spin-off of Dynasty which had been the highest rated series for the 1984-1985 U.S. television season. The Colbys revolved around another wealthy upper-class family who were distant relatives of the Carringtons of Dynasty and who owned a large multi-national corporation. Intended to surpass its predecessor in opulence the series' producers were handed an immensely high budget for the era and cast a handful of well-known movie stars among its leads including Charlton Heston Barbara Stanwyck Katharine Ross and Ricardo Montalban. However The Colbys was ultimately a ratings disappointment and was canceled after two seasons.