|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peyton Place (TV series) |
| Peyton Place | |
|---|---|
 Opening title |
|
| Format | Soap opera |
| Created by | Grace Metalious (original 1956 novel) |
| Developed by | Paul Monash |
| Starring | Dorothy Malone Mia Farrow Ed Nelson and a cast of over 200 actors in primary and secondary roles |
| Opening theme | "Theme from Peyton Place" by Franz Waxman |
| Ending theme | Same as opening theme |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of episodes | 514 |
| Production | |
| Running time | Per episode 30 minutes (including commercials) 24 minutes (excluding commercials) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Original run | September 15, 1964 – June 2, 1969 |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
Peyton Place is an American primetime drama serial which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.
A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, in black-and-white from 1964 to 1966 and in color from 1966 to 1969. Produced by 20th Century Fox Television, it is the only primetime series ever to run episodes continuously without reruns. The series served as the springboard for such performers as Mia Farrow, Ryan O'Neal, and David Canary.
Contents |
The series opens with the church steeple overlayed with the words "Peyton Place," with a toning of church bells. An uncredited voice announces "This is the continuing story of 'Peyton Place'." The scene changes to scenes of the town square, a rolling brook, and a panoramic view of Peyton Place. It dissolves to cast members, and then narration of previous episode events by Warner Anderson, who also played Matthew Swain.
Warner Anderson left the series after the first season, but continued to offer his voice as narrator to the series until the final episode.
When Dorothy Malone was rushed into emergency surgery, the producers were faced with the dilemma of what to do with her character Constance, who at that point was too deeply embroiled in the plot line to disappear without reason. Lola Albright was hired to take over the role and continued in the series until Malone returned.
In 1966, the message was changed to "In color, the continuing story of Peyton Place." The early stories were adapted from the 1956 book and 1957 film of the same name, although some principal character names and occupations were changed or simply eliminated.
In the first episode, Dr. Michael Rossi (Ed Nelson) arrives from New York City to set up practice in town. Newspaper editor Matthew Swain (Warner Anderson) tells him people usually try to get away from towns like Peyton Place, not move to them. Matthew's niece Allison MacKenzie (Mia Farrow), a close friend of classmate Norman Harrington (Christopher Connelly), has begun to fall in love with his older brother Rodney (Ryan O'Neal); she is smitten as soon as they share their first kiss. At the end of the episode, Allison's mother, Constance (Dorothy Malone) makles it clear she disapproves of her daughter's newfound relationship with Rodney.
Rodney is startled to find his father Leslie (Paul Langton) in a passionate embrace with his secretary Julie Anderson (Kasey Rogers), the mother of Rodney's girlfriend Betty (Barbara Parkins). Confused, Rodney tells Betty he can't date her anymore and begins to see Allison instead. Betty, confused and hurt because he offered no reason for dumping her, discovers she is pregnant and tells Rodney. He agrees to marry her, and when Betty miscarries their child, she doesn't tell him until after they are wed.
Midway through the first season, another principal character arrives in Peyton Place. Elliot Carson (Tim O'Connor), Allison's birth father, had been imprisoned for the murder of his wife Elizabeth, though the actual culprit was Catherine Peyton Harrington (Mary Anderson), Rodney's spoiled and manipulative mother. He eventually clears his name and marries Constance. They later have a son Matthew, although in the 1985 TV film sequel he is transformed into a daughter called Kelly.
George Macready joined the cast as town patriarch Martin Peyton. (When Macready was ill for a brief period he was temporarily replaced in the role by Wilfrid Hyde-White). Ruth Warrick portrayed his long-time and secretive housekeeper, Hannah Cord.
In 1966, Mia Farrow left the series at the behest of her new husband, Frank Sinatra. Betty eventually divorces Rodney, marries attorney Steven Cord (James Douglas), then divorces him and re-marries Rodney. The rivalry between Rodney and Steven is intensified when they discover they are half-brothers. Though raised by Hannah Cord, Steven is actually the illegitimate son of Catherine Peyton Harrington and Hannah's husband Brian (the 1985 TV film contradicts this and refers to Steven as the illegitimate son of Martin Peyton, Catherine's father).
Allison's presence continues to be felt in storylines. First, a mysterious woman named Rachel Welles (Leigh Taylor-Young, who later married and divorced O'Neal in real life), arrives with Allison's bracelet; later, Jill Smith (Joyce Jillson) comes to town with an infant she claims is Allison's baby, although in these pre-DNA times the child's parentage is never proven. Jill later marries Joe Rossi, Michael's younger brother. Allison's disappearance, unresolved during the actual series, is explained in the TV film sequels Murder in Peyton Place (1978) and Peyton Place: The Next Generation (1985), although in two conflicting versions.
A number of guest stars appeared in the series for extended periods, among them Dan Duryea, Susan Oliver, Leslie Nielsen, Gena Rowlands, and Lee Grant, who won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Drama for her role of tough-as-nails Stella Chernak. The series also served as a springboard for the careers of Leslie Nielsen, Mariette Hartley, and Lana Wood (Natalie's sister).
In 1968, in order to keep pace with the changing times, the writers introduced integration to Peyton Place in the form of African-American Dr. Harry Miles (Percy Rodriguez), his wife Alma (Ruby Dee), and their son (Glynn Turman, who also worked as a script-writer on the show.) Despite the noble effort, their inclusion rang a false note, and their story lines were never developed fully.
In the final year, with the departure of Dorothy Malone and Tim O'Connor, Ed Nelson became the lead actor on the series, and many of the stories revolved around him. His romantic interest during the final season was Marsha Russell (Barbara Rush). In the final episode his character Michael Rossi goes on trial for a murder he did not commit. The series ended with the audience unaware of the outcome, though all must have turned out well as Rossi was back on duty at the hospital in the 1978 and 1985 sequels; Constance and Elliot Carson were back in town as well.
When the show premiered in 1964, Peyton Place aired twice a week. Both installments of the show were Top 20 hits in the Nielsen ratings and this inspired ABC to air the show three times a week starting in the fall of 1965. This move caused trouble for people who followed the show religiously, and many people tuned out. The season ratings for Peyton Place never rose into the Top 30 again and the serial's production was dropped back to two episodes a week. In 1969, with the show losing viewers with each episode, Peyton Place aired in one installment a week until the final episode was shown in June.
The show was one of the first seen on network television to talk about sex and infidelity in a frank manner. As such, ABC brass would only allow the show to be aired at 9:30 p.m. Eastern/Pacific time, a time at which many children and teenagers were expected to be in bed. With the show in a ratings slump in 1968, the show was moved to 8:30 p.m. in order to draw the viewers they once had shunned.
The series was revived as a daytime serial from April 3, 1972 to January 4, 1974 as Return to Peyton Place. Three of the actors from the primetime series reprised their roles on the daytime series -- Frank Ferguson as Eli Carson, Patricia Morrow as Rita Harrington, and Evelyn Scott as Ada Jacks. However, the daytime series did not prove to be as successful as the primetime series had been.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |