Dynasty and Dallas sit atop the slippery pole of the tube ratings. Catty Alexis and crafty J.R. pursue their juggernaut pace for the plums of power, prestige, and pelf.

In Los Angeles, fervid fans still hoot and holler for a Bruin roundball dynasty built by Goliaths of the goalpost named Jabbar and Walton. The Windsor dynasty is assured of a successor, as Prince William toddles along a London street under the watchful supervision of an attendant nanny. The Kennedy dynasty gathers in sorrow around the grave of a heroin victim. The Shah of Iran is deposed from power and a centuriesold dynasty crumbles under the scowling face of a bearded Ayatollah. Ours is an age of crumbling dynasties.

Dynasty comes from the Greek word dynaste, meaning power. It means the passing of power from father to s…