Richard Alan Shapiro (born June 27, 1934) and Esther Shapiro (née Mayesh; born June 6, 1928) are an American married couple who work as television screenwriters and producers. They are best known as the creators of the long-running 1980s primetime serial Dynasty, its spin-off series The Colbys, and the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion. In 1984, Doubleday/Dolphin published the companion book Dynasty: The Authorized Biography of the Carringtons, which included an introduction by Esther Shapiro.