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Peyton Place (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Peyton Place is an American prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC
in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.
Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name
by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation
. A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, in black-and-white from 1964 to 1966 and in color from 1966 to 1969. At the show's peak ABC ran three new episodes a week. Produced by 20th Century Fox Television
, Peyton Place is the only prime-time series ever to run episodes continuously without reruns. 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 served as the springboard for such performers as Mia Farrow
, Ryan O'Neal
, Chris Connelly, David Canary
, Mariette Hartley
, and Lana Wood
.
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. In 1966, the message was changed to "In color, the continuing story of Peyton Place." Warner Anderson left the series after the first season, but continued to offer his voice as narrator to the series until the final episode.
With Peyton Place, the American Broadcasting Company
hoped to bring the success of the English soap opera Coronation Street
to America. Inspired by that soap opera, it was decided that it should be aired in prime time. Producer Paul Monash
wanted to launch a revival of Grace Metalious's novel of the same name. He refused to acknowledge it as a soap opera, calling it a 'high-class anthology drama'. An hour long pilot was shot in 1962. Originally, the Cross family from the novel was included, but when Irna Phillips
was contacted to change the pilot, she decided to scrap it. A lot of disagreements between the makers ensued and the official pilot was not aired until September 15, 1964.
When it premiered in late 1964, it marked the birth of the American soap opera. 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. Some sensational plot lines from the novel, like incest, were replaced with less controversial themes, like teen pregnancy. Nevertheless, the series was immediately criticized for the sexual themes it dealt with.
Despite a budget of only $60,000 an episode, Peyton Place was an instant hit. Especially in the early years, it had loyal following from fans around the world. Originally, it was aired twice a week, but because of its success, it was increased to three airings a week in June 1965. 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.
The show's downfall began in September 1966. Ratings dropped after Mia Farrow
's departure. Farrow never expected the show to become a success and immediately tried to get out of her contract when the show started its airing. On the urging of her then husband Frank Sinatra
, the producers decided to write her off the show in the summer of 1966. The character Rachel Welles, portrayed by Leigh Taylor-Young
was written into the show as her replacement. She was not successful in increasing the ratings, however. The show was soon cut back to two airings a week. By 1968, most of the original characters were already written out of the show. Critics agreed the show had become 'dated'. The writers, already beginning work on what would be the final season, announced a lot of new characters would be written into the show. They would deal with 'electrifying subjects, the war, the draft, riots, music, God, and godlessness'. Although several well known actors were added to the cast, including Ruby Dee
, it was canceled on June 2, 1969.
) 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 third cousin 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
) makes 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 cannot date her anymore and begins to see Allison instead. Betty, confused and hurt because he offered no reason for breaking up with her, discovers she is pregnant and tells Rodney. He agrees to marry her, and when Betty miscarries their child, she does not tell him until after they are wed. However, they soon find out they are not meant to be together and file for divorce.
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 is Catherine Peyton Harrington (Mary Anderson), Rodney's spoiled and manipulative mother. Only after Elliot is shot by Betty's disturbed father George Anderson (Henry Beckman
) does Leslie Harrington feel conscientious enough to promise to clear Elliot's name. After Leslie tells the Peyton family attorney {Patrick Whyte} that Catherine committed the murder, the reaction makes him realize that most people will believe that Leslie is the real culprit who is dragging his dead wife's name through the mud, a suspicion that rears its head throughout the run of the show especially when Catherine's father, the show title town's patriarch, becomes a dominant regular character long after initial mentions about him. With his name clear, Elliot eventually clears his name and marries Constance, but their decision to reveal to Allison that he is her father, and that they hid that fact from her to protect her from association with an accused murderer, does not go over too well with a daughter who had a firmly established view of the fictionalized father she had been brought up to believe in. Meanwhile, Norman falls in love with working class girl Rita Jacks (Patricia Morrow
), whose mother Ada (Evelyn Scott
) works in a tavern. They start a relationship, but Norman is constantly bothered by her aggressive ex-boyfriend Joe Chernak (Don Quine). Rodney tries to defend his brother and lands into a fight with him, during which Joe accidentally dies.
All of this is witnessed by Kim Schuster (Kimberly Beck
) the six-year-old deaf daughter of David (William Smithers
) and Doris (Gail Kobe
). She did not want to move from New York City to Peyton Place and as a result, starts to rebel against her mother. She only bonds with Allison, who serves as her babysitter.
) for murder. Rodney proclaims he is innocent, but soon more people turn their back to him. Only Allison truly believes in his innocence. The murder trial is worsened by Joe's sister Stella (Lee Grant
), who arrives in Peyton Place to see Rodney put behind bars. She starts spreading lies about him and even gives false testimony. She is soon hated by almost everyone in Peyton Place, except for Michael, with whom she becomes romantically involved. Rita and Kim are also having emotional trouble with the trial. Rita feels it is all her fault, but Norman stays by her side and they eventually elope and move in with each other. Kim is forced to give testimony, but she is traumatized by the night of Joe's death, after which Doris decides Peyton Place is not the right environment for her daughter to live in. Rodney is eventually found not guilty and Stella leaves town, much to the delight of almost everyone.
Another plot in the early part of this season involves Allison, who is hit by a car and lands in a coma. John's wife Marian (Joan Blackman
) is the one who hit her, but she hides the evidence, fearing punishment. Elliot especially is determined to find out who is guilty. When Allison awakens, she cannot remember what happened the past year, including the revealing of Elliot being her real father and Rodney being on trial. Michael advises Constance not to tell Allison about Elliot, claiming it will work against her recovery. This troubles Elliot, who is angry for not being allowed to see his daughter. When Allison eventually finds out the entire truth, she finds it too hard to deal with and starts to rebel, for example by cutting her hair. This causes a lot of pain to Constance, who is denounced by her own daughter. In the end, Michael makes clear to Allison she is acting selfishly and convinces her to return home. She and Rodney continue their relationship, but they soon find out they have only a little in common and break up.
The second half mostly focuses on an accident involving Chris Webber (Gary Haynes), who is allegedly pushed off a cliff by Ann Howard (Susan Oliver
) and blinded. Chris's tough brother Lee (Steve Oliver
) accuses Ann, who leaves town with her father. She returns to prove her innocence. Lee is determined to bully her out of town, and his wife Sandy (Lana Wood
) is pushed toward Rodney, who works for Lee. Meanwhile, Ann befriends Allison and becomes romantically involved with Michael.
Hannah Cord (Ruth Warrick
), the housekeeper of patriarch Martin Peyton (George Macready
), is determined to make Ann leave town as well. Martin is the father of Catherine and grandfather of Rodney and Norman. He intimidates everyone in town, except for Betty, who is not afraid to talk back to him. He likes that in her and hires her as his second housekeeper. Hannah, meanwhile, carries a dark secret about her son Steven's (James Douglas
) past. Steven was already introduced in the first season as Rodney's lawyer and later marries Betty. However, he remains suspicious of her rumored affair with Rodney. After it is established that Steven has spent much of his life with Hannah Cord and Martin Peyton, Betty and the Harringtons expect that he will reveal that Martin Peyton is his father. When Betty asks him about it point blank, he startlingly reveals that he himself does not know: that he has always been waiting for them to tell him. Even though Hannah and Martin obviously know of Steven's expectation to be told of his apparent Peyton and Cord lineage, they have been allowing him to believe in this falsehood, as it eventually turns out that Steven and Ann are siblings, the children of Hannah's husband Brian Cord and Catherine, who gave birth to them out of wedlock. Ann had been sent away with Brian, and Steven had been adopted by Hannah, who pretended he was her son. Martin is the only one who knows this secret, but soon Betty finds out as well. She confronts them, but they beg her to keep silent, claiming the truth will ruin Steven's life. Betty reluctantly agrees, but the constant lying this requires makes Steven determined to think she is indeed secretly seeing Rodney. He even goes as far as filing for a divorce, until the truth is revealed.
In a very dramatic season finale, Allison leaves Peyton Place for good without saying goodbye to anyone. With Rodney having proposed to her only a few hours before, an angry Chris tells her that she is incapable of loving someone, which strikes a nerve making her realize his statement is true. Apparently giving up on the town where all her previous views have been shattered, from her nonexistent father to her own inability to commit to Rodney, the episode ends with her first spying on Rodney who obviously expects a happy life with her, and then slowly walking the road out of town to the show's main title music (reflecting in real life actress Mia Farrow's walking off the show to accommodate the desire of her then-husband Frank Sinatra).
With her exit being viewed simply as a disappearance, the townspeople immediately start to look for her, without any luck. Meanwhile, Lee has become the prime suspect of the murder regarding Ann. Chris turns his back on him, and becomes outraged when he finds out Steven will serve as his lawyer. Not only does he try to convince him to withdraw, but he also tries to push Sandy to stop protecting her husband.
Season 3 begins in color and at first focuses on Connie, who has to go into premature labor, and gives birth to a son, whom she names Matthew. Although she is happy for her, Rita desires to have a baby as well. Norman notices this and tells her that if she has a baby, he will have to drop out of college and work fulltime to support the family. As she feels that his education is very important, Rita abandons the idea and starts working as Matthew's babysitter instead. The primary focus of the third season is the trial called 'The people versus Lee Webber'. Steven, serving as Lee's attorney, is still bothered with a lot of criticism for defending him. The trial receives a lot of attention from the townspeople, mainly because of Martin Peyton's and Hannah Cord's testimonies.
Hannah tries to reconcile with Steven, but he does not let her in, giving her a hard interrogation instead. In the heat of this, she confesses that she is not Steven's and Ann's biological mother. She reveals that Catherine Peyton had an affair with her husband Brian Corby and gave birth to them. Martin tried to hide the scandal by hiring Hannah as her maid and letting her claim that Steven was her son. Ann was sent away with Brian, who was paid to keep silent. Furthermore, she claims that she saw Lee pushing Ann off the cliff. In the end, Hannah is denounced by her son and Lee is released on a technicality error. He returns home joyfully, but he is not welcomed by anyone anymore. Chris, determined his brother is a murderer, tries to kill him, but fails and almost shoots Steven, who notices his anger sends him away from Peyton Place. Lee is left by Sandy as well, who has filed for a divorce and starts dating Rodney.
The other main storyline in the third season involves Rachel Welles
(Leigh Taylor-Young
), a young woman who ran away from home. After being taken to Peyton Place, she reacts violently to everyone's attempt to get to know her. People soon start to notice that she is wearing Allison's bracelet, which makes Elliot and Rodney think that she knows more about her fate. Rodney forces her to tell the truth, but she claims that she found it somewhere. Not believing her, she is given a hard treatment, which estranges her from the people even more. Only Michael is able to get close to her. When he finds out that her uncle Jack Chandler (John Kellogg
) abused her, he tries his hardest to protect her from him. He tries to make her return with him, which worries her a lot. She threatens to tell everyone that she found Allison's bracelet in his car if he keeps on harassing her, after which he gives up his legal claim to the custody of her.
After this, Rachel grows to become a happier woman, finally able to trust people. She moves into the Carson home, but soon notices that Elliot and Constance are quarreling a lot about her. Fearing that she might break up their marriage, she leaves the house and tries to end all confusion by trying to prove Chandler was responsible for Allison's disappearance. This leads her to his old farmhouse, where she is attacked by him. She is able to run away and returns to Peyton Place in tears. Elliot comforts her and finally admits that he wants to take care of her, even if she does not reveal any information on Allison. Following a period of peace during which she grows close to Michael, Rachel is again harassed by Chandler. In the end, he kidnaps her and it turns out Rachel has been lying the entire time because she accidentally killed her aunt Lucy, which was witnessed by Allison. She refused to speak about Allison, because talking about her, would have meant admitting to involuntary manslaughter. Rachel is able to escape, but loses her mind and thinks she is Allison. Michael finally decides to send her to a clinic in Boston. Meanwhile, Chandler is arrested by the police.
Following Ann's death trial as well as rescuing Martin Peyton from a fire at the Peyton Mansion set by a departing Hannah Cord (who torches the oil portrait of Catherine Peyton), Steven moves into the Peyton mansion with Betty, ostensibly to keep his enemy close. Peyton does the same with Lee, whom he hires as his chauffeur to eventually make him pay for killing Ann. Leslie, meanwhile, is unamused with Steven seeming to have become Peyton's favorite son. Fearing that he disinherited Rodney and Norman, Leslie blackmails Betty into breaking into his safe to find out more on his past, threatening to reveal a report which falsely claims that Betty was dating several men while in New York. The truth eventually comes out, and Leslie is denounced, while Betty is forgiven. Leslie continues his criminal actions by, under pressure, helping Chandler escape from jail. This is seen by Norman, who blackmails his father into giving him a job, so he can support Rita, who now is pregnant. Weeks later, it is reported Chandler has been shot down by the police.
At the end of the season, the town is stirred by the arrival of two people: Adrienne Van Leyden (Gena Rowlands
) and Eddie Jacks (Dan Duryea
). Adrienne is a widow who is hired by Peyton to break up Steven's and Betty's already unstable marriage by seducing Steven. Because Betty is immediately suspicious of her, Peyton comes up with a scheme of introducing her as his fiancée. However, Adrienne is able to seduce Steven and they start an affair. Meanwhile, Ada is unamused by the arrival of her estranged husband Eddie, who left her 19 years ago. He insists on getting back in touch with his daughter, and Rita is shocked when she meets him.
Meanwhile, Rita decides she wants to learn to know Eddie and starts to quarrel with Ada, whom she blames for never having met her father. Unlike Rita, most people in town are suspicious of Eddie's motivations on his return. Norman and Peyton blame Eddie for having returned to profit from Rita's marriage to a wealthy family, but Eddie claims he returned to make sure Rita will not get hurt by Norman. Because of Eddie's mysterious meetings with Leslie, Elliot thinks that Eddie may have had a connection to Chandler. Leslie, again thinking Peyton will change his will, offers Eddie money to kill Peyton. After a contract is signed, Eddie sets out to the Peyton mansion but is found hovering over Adrienne's body. He is shortly put in jail, until Steven, who serves as Eddie's lawyer, finds out Betty was in the mansion when Adrienne died.
Peyton soon comes to the conclusion that Leslie hired Eddie to kill him and convinces Lee to murder Leslie as revenge. When away, Peyton calls Leslie to warn him, and it turns out Peyton is planning on letting Lee and Leslie kill each other to make Lee pay for murdering Ann. Leslie shoots Lee in defense and a severely wounded Lee returns to the mansion to confront Peyton with his betrayal. The moment Lee is about to shoot Peyton, Steven comes in, and following a struggle, a shot is heard which kills Lee.
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. She gives the care of the baby to the Carsons, much to Rodney's anger, who thinks the baby is his. It turns out she was in a scheme with Joe Rossi (Michael Christian), Michael's rebellious younger brother who came to town following some criminal activities gone bad in New York. When Jill admits the baby is hers, Connie suffers a mental breakdown and soon leaves town with Elliot.
Following a confrontation between Norman and Eddie, Eddie decides to leave town. Rita is shocked when she finds this out and collapses. After two surgeries it is revealed she suffered a miscarriage. Afterwards, she sinks into depression and has severe nightmares of Joe Chernak, caused by Joe Rossi, who resembles Chernak a lot. To recover, she contacts Reverend Tom Winter (Robert Hogan
), who is unhappily married to his alcoholic wife Susan (Diana Hyland
). Winter also serves as a support for Carolyn Russell (Tippy Walker
), a rebellious teenager who has difficulty processing the divorce of her parents Marsha (Barbara Rush
) and Fred (Joe Maross
). She acts out by flirting with Joe and dating band member Jeff, which escalates when Marsha starts dating Michael.
Furthermore, Winter takes Jill under his care, encouraged by his wife. Susan hopes that by Jill seducing Winter, Winter would leave the ministry and spend more time with her. Winter is indeed seduced by Jill, which prompts him to leave the ministry and town altogether. Susan, realizing that she has lost her husband, breaks down and is hospitalized. Jill is surprised by the sexual tension and suddenly leaves the Winter house. The child welfare authorities interpret this event as instability and give the custody of her child to Norman and Rita. Steven, as her lawyer, tries to prove that Jill was actually the victim of Susan's plan, but he is more occupied with Rodney and Betty, who have married each other. He was once determined to break up their marriage, until Rodney was suddenly paralyzed after a car accident that Steven accidentally caused. He has been feeling guilty ever since and attempts to help him out, but Rodney refuses to interfere with him.
Susan, desperate to save her marriage, threatens to ruin Jill's life unless Tom takes her back. Tom, however, files for divorce and starts working on the wharf. He is constantly bothered by Joe, who holds him responsible for Jill having lost her baby. Despite his behavior, Joe reconciles with Jill, and they marry. Afterwards, they regain custody and happily leave town. Susan, meanwhile, turns to Steven for comfort, and after a short-lived affair, she plans on marrying him and moving into the Peyton mansion, even though Betty tries to buy the same mansion - with the money she has inherited from Martin Peyton, who has recently died - to drive Steven out of town. She does this because Rodney is convinced that - while he is in hospital trying to regain movement in his feet - she is having an affair with Steven. Norman suspects the same, which upsets Rita. For a short while, Betty is able to convince him otherwise, until Steven - bitter over having inherited nothing from Peyton, plots to ruin Betty's life.
During all this, an African-American family is introduced into town: Dr. Harry Miles (Percy Rodriguez
), his wife Alma (Ruby Dee
) and 17-year-old son Lew (Glynn Turman
). Harry and Alma are worried about Lew, whose behavior has drastically changed since a vacation in New York. Unlike in the past, Lew does not communicate with his parents anymore and has no desire of becoming a doctor. He struggles with his racial identity, and carries a dark secret from New York that involves Vickie Fletcher (Judy Pace
), who comes to town, and announces her pregnancy. Wanting her baby to grow up in a stable environment, she blackmails Lew into marrying her, threatening to claim that he caused a car accident if he does not, even though Lew did not cause it.
In the final episode (which is notably more rushed from scene to scene than any other in order to tie off a lot of loose ends within one episode), Ed Nelson's character Michael Rossi goes on trial for a murder he did not commit. Shockingly he is convicted. Lew who has been contemplating giving himself up for the violent act he inadvertently committed at a New York protest years earlier, wonders if the system can convict this very popular White doctor, what chance at fairness he as a Black man will have upon his confession. After discussing it with his father, the two bravely decide to go through with the confession anyway. The series ends with Dr. Rossi sitting alone in his prison cell beginning what is expected to be a long sentence.
(Dorothy Malone
, 1964–1968, episodes 1–435; Lola Albright
briefly played the role in Malone's absence)
Matthew Swain
(Warner Anderson
, 1964–1965, episodes 1–111)
Dr. Michael Rossi
(Ed Nelson
, 1964–1969, entire run)
Allison MacKenzie
(Mia Farrow
, 1964–1966, episodes 1–263)
Rodney Harrington
(Ryan O'Neal
, 1964–1969, episodes 1–501)
Betty Anderson
(Barbara Parkins
, 1964–1969, entire run)
Julie Anderson (Kasey Rogers
, 1964–1966, recurring afterwards, episodes 1–252)
George Anderson
(Henry Beckman
, 1964–1965, episodes 4–59)
Leslie Harrington
(Paul Langton
, 1964–1968, episodes 1–69; 121–454)
Norman Harrington (Christopher Connelly, 1964–1969, entire run)
Laura Brooks
(Patricia Breslin
, 1964–1965, episodes 2–36)
Catherine Harrington
(Mary Anderson, 1964, episodes 2–20)
Eli Carson (Frank Ferguson
, 1964–1969, episodes 18–514)
Dr. Robert Morton (Kent Smith
, 1964–1965, recurring afterwards, episodes 8–137, 214–240)
, 1965–1968, episodes 25–435)
Rita Jacks (Patricia Morrow
, 1965–1969, episodes 52–514)
Steven Cord (James Douglas
, 1965–1969, episodes 77–514)
Stella Chernak
(Lee Grant
, 1965–1966, episodes 111–199)
Martin Peyton (George Macready
, 1965–1968, episodes 133–402; Wilfrid Hyde-White
briefly played the character in Macready's absence)
Ann Howard (Susan Oliver
, 1966, episodes 205–254)
Lee Webber (Stephen Oliver
, 1966–1968, episodes 206–400)
Rachel Welles
(Leigh Taylor-Young
, 1966–1967, episodes 276–354)
Jill Smith (Joyce Jillson
, 1968, episodes 402–473)
Joe Rossi (Michael Christian, 1968, episodes 411–473)
Tom Winter (Robert Hogan
, 1968–1969, episodes 419–514)
Susan Winter (Diana Hyland
, 1968–1969, episodes 421–514)
Carolyn Russell (Tippy Walker
, 1968–1969, episodes 430–514)
Marsha Russell (Barbara Rush
, 1968–1969, episodes 433–514)
Fred Russell (Joe Maross
, 1968–1969, episodes 447–514)
Dr. Harry Miles (Percy Rodriguez
, 1968–1969, episodes 450–514)
Alma Miles (Ruby Dee
, 1968–1969, episodes 467–514)
Lew Miles (Glynn Turman
, 1968–1969, episodes 469–514)
, 1965–1969, episodes 36–514)
Sharon Purcell
(Dayna Ceder
, 1965, episodes 36–41)
Paul Hanley (Richard Evans
, 1965, episodes 38–68)
Esther Choate (Erin O'Brien-Moore, 1965–1969, recurring from 50)
Claire Morton
(Mariette Hartley
, 1965, episodes 56–109)
David Schuster (William Smithers
, 1965–1966, episodes 69–202)
Doris Schuster (Gail Kobe
, 1965, recurring afterwards, episodes 69–147, 189)
Kim Schuster
(Kimberly Beck
, 1965, recurring afterwards, episodes 69–140, 189)
Joe Chernak (Don Quine, 1965, episodes 83–113)
Vincent and Kenneth Markham (Leslie Nielsen
, 1965, episodes 90–109)
Hannah Cord (Ruth Warrick
, 1965–1967, recurring afterwards, episodes 90–302, 436)
Gus Chernak (Bruce Gordon
, 1965–1966, episodes 111–177)
John Fowler (John Kerr
, 1965–1966, episodes 117–298)
Marian Fowler (Joan Blackman
, 1965–1966, episodes 133–191)
Sandy Webber (Lana Wood
, 1966–1967, recurring afterwards, episodes 209–346, 404)
Chris Webber (Gary Haynes, 1966–1967, episodes 224–312)
Jack Chandler (John Kellogg
, 1966–1967, episodes 288–357)
Adrienne Van Leyden (Gena Rowlands
, 1967, episodes 355–393)
Eddie Jacks (Dan Duryea
, 1967–1968, episodes 363–429)
Sergeant Goddard (Garry Walberg
, 1965–1966)
from "Star Trek" in about a dozen episodes; just one episode after Thomas leaves town on an errand, another "Star Trek" actor, Nichelle Nichols
turns up for two episodes as Martin Peyton's nurse. Later Doohan returned for an episode before the character Thomas was taken over by another actor.
Another recurring policeman character was portrayed by Greg Morris
.
The member of the parole board who contemplates the release of Eliott Carson was portrayed by Dabbs Greer
.
A future Academy Award-winning actor who had two brief appearances on the series was Richard Dreyfuss
. In one early episode he is seen dropping stacks of the newspaper The Clarion from the back of a delivery truck. In the episode in which Rodney and Allison are preparing to graduate from high school, he has dialogue as an annoyed student who has been waiting for them as they are the last ones to pick up their caps and gowns.
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 US network television to talk about sex and infidelity in a frank manner. As such, ABC executives 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.
Two television movies followed. The first; Murder in Peyton Place
was broadcast on NBC
in the fall of 1977. Billed as a reunion movie it focused on the mysterious deaths of Rodney Harrington and Allison MacKenzie, as well as a diabolical plot of a powerful person to ruin the community. It reunited original cast members Dorothy Malone
, Ed Nelson
, Tim O'Connor
, Joyce Jillson
, and Christopher Connelly.
The second; Peyton Place: The Next Generation
which aired in the spring of 1985 on NBC
, was conceived as a one-shot sequel, that would hopefully revive the popular series and was therefore also promoted as a television pilot. Although a new series of the show never came to fruition; the film did reunite original cast members Dorothy Malone
, Ed Nelson
, Tim O'Connor
, James Douglas
, Christopher Connelly, Ruth Warwick and Barbara Parkins
, who had declined to appear in Murder in Peyton Place.
as a five-disc set containing 31 half-hour episodes. Shout! Factory released Peyton Place: Part Two, a five-disc set including 33 half-hour episodes, on July 14, 2009.
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.
Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name
Peyton Place (novel)
Peyton Place is a 1956 novel by Grace Metalious. It sold 60,000 copies within the first ten days of its release and remained on the New York Times best seller list for 59 weeks. It was adapted as both a 1957 film and a 1964–69 television series....
by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation
Peyton Place (film)
Peyton Place is a 1957 American drama film directed by Mark Robson. The screenplay by John Michael Hayes is based on the bestselling 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious.-Plot:...
. A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, in black-and-white from 1964 to 1966 and in color from 1966 to 1969. At the show's peak ABC ran three new episodes a week. Produced by 20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
, Peyton Place is the only prime-time series ever to run episodes continuously without reruns. A number of guest stars appeared in the series for extended periods, among them Dan Duryea
Dan Duryea
Dan Duryea was an American actor, known for roles in film, stage and television.-Early life:Born and raised in White Plains, New York, Duryea graduated from White Plains Senior High School in 1924 and Cornell University in 1928. While at Cornell, Duryea was elected into the Sphinx Head Society...
, Susan Oliver
Susan Oliver
Susan Oliver was an American actress, television director and aviator.-Early life and family:Susan Oliver was born Charlotte Gercke, the daughter of journalist George Gercke and astrology practitioner Ruth Hale Oliver, in New York City in 1932. Her parents divorced when she was still a child...
, Leslie Nielsen
Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen, OC was a Canadian and naturalized American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 220 characters...
, Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands is an American actress of film, stage and television. The four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner is best known for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, in two of which, Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence, she gave Academy...
, and Lee Grant
Lee Grant
Lee Grant is an American stage, film and television actress, and film director. She was blacklisted for 12 years from film work beginning in the mid-1950s, but worked in the theatre, and would eventually win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Felicia Carp in the...
, 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
Stella Chernak
Stella Chernak is a fictional character on the television drama Peyton Place. She was portrayed in over 60 episodes by Lee Grant, between 1965 and 1966.-Character history:...
. The series served as the springboard for such performers as Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
, Ryan O'Neal
Ryan O'Neal
Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
, Chris Connelly, David Canary
David Canary
David Hoyt Canary is an American actor, who starred in both soap operas and prime time television. He is best known for his roles as the ranch foreman, Candy Canaday on Bonanza and identical twins Adam Chandler from 1983 to 2010 and Stuart Chandler from 1984 to 2009 on the daytime serial, All My...
, Mariette Hartley
Mariette Hartley
Mary Loretta "Mariette" Hartley is an American character actress.-Personal life:Hartley was born in Weston, Connecticut, the daughter of Mary Ickes “Polly” , a manager and saleswoman, and Paul Hembree Hartley, an account executive. Her maternal grandfather was psychologist John B...
, and Lana Wood
Lana Wood
Lana Wood is an American actress and producer. She was born to Russian émigré parents, Nikolai and Maria Zakharenko, and is the younger sister of the late actress Natalie Wood. Her first major role was at age 9 in the John Wayne western The Searchers. She was a regular on the soap opera Peyton Place...
.
History
The series opens with the church steeple overlaid with the words "Peyton Place", with a toning of church bells. Announcer Dick TufeldDick Tufeld
Dick Tufeld is an American actor, announcer, narrator, and voice actor from the 1950s onward.He is perhaps best known as the voice of the Robot in the TV series Lost in Space, a role he reprised for the 1998 feature film...
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. In 1966, the message was changed to "In color, the continuing story of Peyton Place." Warner Anderson left the series after the first season, but continued to offer his voice as narrator to the series until the final episode.
With Peyton Place, the American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
hoped to bring the success of the English soap opera Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
to America. Inspired by that soap opera, it was decided that it should be aired in prime time. Producer Paul Monash
Paul Monash
-Life and career:Paul Monash was born in Harlem, New York, in 1917, and grew up in The Bronx. His mother, Rhoda Melrose, acted in silent films. Monash earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a master's degree in education from Columbia University...
wanted to launch a revival of Grace Metalious's novel of the same name. He refused to acknowledge it as a soap opera, calling it a 'high-class anthology drama'. An hour long pilot was shot in 1962. Originally, the Cross family from the novel was included, but when Irna Phillips
Irna Phillips
Irna Phillips was an American actress and most notably writer who created and scripted many of the first American soap operas.Phillips created radio and TV soap operas including:...
was contacted to change the pilot, she decided to scrap it. A lot of disagreements between the makers ensued and the official pilot was not aired until September 15, 1964.
When it premiered in late 1964, it marked the birth of the American soap opera. The early stories were adapted from the 1956 book
Peyton Place (novel)
Peyton Place is a 1956 novel by Grace Metalious. It sold 60,000 copies within the first ten days of its release and remained on the New York Times best seller list for 59 weeks. It was adapted as both a 1957 film and a 1964–69 television series....
and 1957 film
Peyton Place (film)
Peyton Place is a 1957 American drama film directed by Mark Robson. The screenplay by John Michael Hayes is based on the bestselling 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious.-Plot:...
of the same name, although some principal character names and occupations were changed or simply eliminated. Some sensational plot lines from the novel, like incest, were replaced with less controversial themes, like teen pregnancy. Nevertheless, the series was immediately criticized for the sexual themes it dealt with.
Despite a budget of only $60,000 an episode, Peyton Place was an instant hit. Especially in the early years, it had loyal following from fans around the world. Originally, it was aired twice a week, but because of its success, it was increased to three airings a week in June 1965. When Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone is an American actress. Her film career began in 1943, and in her early years she played small roles, mainly in B-movies. After a decade in films, she began to acquire a more glamorous image, particularly after her performance in Written on the Wind , for which she won the Academy...
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
Lola Albright
Lola Jean Albright is an American singer and actress.Albright worked as a model before moving to Hollywood. She began her motion picture career with a bit part in the 1948 film The Pirate, and followed it with an important role in the acclaimed 1949 hit Champion...
was hired to take over the role and continued in the series until Malone returned.
The show's downfall began in September 1966. Ratings dropped after Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
's departure. Farrow never expected the show to become a success and immediately tried to get out of her contract when the show started its airing. On the urging of her then husband Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, the producers decided to write her off the show in the summer of 1966. The character Rachel Welles, portrayed by Leigh Taylor-Young
Leigh Taylor-Young
Leigh Taylor-Young is an American actress who has appeared on stage, screen, and television.-Early life:Leigh Taylor-Young was born on January 25, 1945 in Washington, D.C. Her last name is an amalgamation of the last names of her father, a diplomat, and her stepfather, a successful Detroit executive...
was written into the show as her replacement. She was not successful in increasing the ratings, however. The show was soon cut back to two airings a week. By 1968, most of the original characters were already written out of the show. Critics agreed the show had become 'dated'. The writers, already beginning work on what would be the final season, announced a lot of new characters would be written into the show. They would deal with 'electrifying subjects, the war, the draft, riots, music, God, and godlessness'. Although several well known actors were added to the cast, including Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee is an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and activist, perhaps best known for co-starring in the film A Raisin in the Sun and the film American Gangster for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.-Early years:Dee was born Ruby...
, it was canceled on June 2, 1969.
Season 1 (1964–1965)
In the first episode, Dr. Michael Rossi (Ed NelsonEd Nelson
Edwin Stafford Nelson is an American actor.Nelson has appeared in numerous television shows, more than fifty motion pictures, and hundreds of stage productions. Until 2005, he was teaching acting and screenwriting in his native New Orleans at two local universities there...
) arrives from New York City to set up practice in town. Newspaper editor Matthew Swain (Warner Anderson
Warner Anderson
Warner Anderson was an American actor. He had a small part in a film in 1915. He had supporting parts in several films through the years....
) tells him people usually try to get away from towns like Peyton Place, not move to them. Matthew's third cousin Allison MacKenzie (Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
), a close friend of classmate Norman Harrington (Christopher Connelly), has begun to fall in love with his older brother Rodney (Ryan O'Neal
Ryan O'Neal
Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
); she is smitten as soon as they share their first kiss. At the end of the episode, Allison's mother, Constance (Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone is an American actress. Her film career began in 1943, and in her early years she played small roles, mainly in B-movies. After a decade in films, she began to acquire a more glamorous image, particularly after her performance in Written on the Wind , for which she won the Academy...
) makes it clear she disapproves of her daughter's newfound relationship with Rodney.
Paul Langton
Paul Langton was an American actor.He had many film roles during the 1940s and 1950s in which he played supporting parts, but achieved his greatest popular success as Leslie Harrington on Peyton Place.He died two days before his 67th birthday.-External links:...
) in a passionate embrace with his secretary Julie Anderson (Kasey Rogers
Kasey Rogers
Kasey Rogers was an American actress, best known for playing the second Louise Tate on the popular U.S. television sitcom Bewitched.-Career:...
), the mother of Rodney's girlfriend Betty (Barbara Parkins
Barbara Parkins
Barbara Parkins is a Canadian television and film actress.-Early life and rise to stardom:Parkins was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. At the age of sixteen, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles, where she enrolled at Hollywood High School and began to study acting, tap, ballet, and...
). Confused, Rodney tells Betty he cannot date her anymore and begins to see Allison instead. Betty, confused and hurt because he offered no reason for breaking up with her, discovers she is pregnant and tells Rodney. He agrees to marry her, and when Betty miscarries their child, she does not tell him until after they are wed. However, they soon find out they are not meant to be together and file for divorce.
Midway through the first season, another principal character arrives in Peyton Place. Elliot Carson (Tim O'Connor
Tim O'Connor (actor)
Tim O'Connor is an American character actor known for his prolific work in television, although he has made only a few appearances since the early 1990s. Before moving to California, he lived on an island in the middle of Glen Wild Lake, near Bloomingdale, New Jersey.O'Connor specialized in...
), Allison's birth father, had been imprisoned for the murder of his wife Elizabeth, though the actual culprit is Catherine Peyton Harrington (Mary Anderson), Rodney's spoiled and manipulative mother. Only after Elliot is shot by Betty's disturbed father George Anderson (Henry Beckman
Henry Beckman
Henry Beckman was a Canadian stage, film and television actor. He appeared in well over 100 productions in the United States and Canada, including recurring roles as Commander Paul Richards in the 1954 Flash Gordon space opera television series, Bob Mulligan in the ABC sitcom I'm Dickens, He's...
) does Leslie Harrington feel conscientious enough to promise to clear Elliot's name. After Leslie tells the Peyton family attorney {Patrick Whyte} that Catherine committed the murder, the reaction makes him realize that most people will believe that Leslie is the real culprit who is dragging his dead wife's name through the mud, a suspicion that rears its head throughout the run of the show especially when Catherine's father, the show title town's patriarch, becomes a dominant regular character long after initial mentions about him. With his name clear, Elliot eventually clears his name and marries Constance, but their decision to reveal to Allison that he is her father, and that they hid that fact from her to protect her from association with an accused murderer, does not go over too well with a daughter who had a firmly established view of the fictionalized father she had been brought up to believe in. Meanwhile, Norman falls in love with working class girl Rita Jacks (Patricia Morrow
Patricia Morrow
Patricia Morrow is a former actress, best known for her portrayal of waif-like Rita Jacks in the primetime soap opera Peyton Place from 1965 to 1969.-Acting career:...
), whose mother Ada (Evelyn Scott
Evelyn Scott (actress)
Evelyn Scott was an American actress.Scott began her career as a disc jockey for KMPC. Her career as an actress started in 1952, guest starring in several shows, including Schlitz Playhouse, Gunsmoke, The Danny Thomas Show, Dragnet, Perry Mason, The Untouchables, and Bonanza...
) works in a tavern. They start a relationship, but Norman is constantly bothered by her aggressive ex-boyfriend Joe Chernak (Don Quine). Rodney tries to defend his brother and lands into a fight with him, during which Joe accidentally dies.
All of this is witnessed by Kim Schuster (Kimberly Beck
Kimberly Beck
Kimberly Beck is an American actress with over sixty television and film roles to her credit.-Biography:...
) the six-year-old deaf daughter of David (William Smithers
William Smithers
William Smithers is an American actor, perhaps best known for his recurring role as Jeremy Wendell in the television series Dallas. He appeared in the series in 1981 and from 1984 to 1989...
) and Doris (Gail Kobe
Gail Kobe
Gail Kobe is an American actress and producer.-Career:During the 1950s and 1960s, Kobe made dozens of guest appearances on such television programs as Felony Squad, Ironside, The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, Daniel Boone, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables and Mannix...
). She did not want to move from New York City to Peyton Place and as a result, starts to rebel against her mother. She only bonds with Allison, who serves as her babysitter.
Season 2 (1965–1966)
The first half of the second season focused on the Joe Chernak death trial against Rodney, who is sued by Detective Attorney John Fowler (John KerrJohn Kerr (actor)
John Kerr is an American actor from a family rooted in British and Broadway stage, and a lawyer.- Early life :Kerr's parents, Geoffrey Kerr and June Walker, were both stage and film actors, and his grandfather was Frederick Kerr, a famed British trans-Atlantic character actor in the period...
) for murder. Rodney proclaims he is innocent, but soon more people turn their back to him. Only Allison truly believes in his innocence. The murder trial is worsened by Joe's sister Stella (Lee Grant
Lee Grant
Lee Grant is an American stage, film and television actress, and film director. She was blacklisted for 12 years from film work beginning in the mid-1950s, but worked in the theatre, and would eventually win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Felicia Carp in the...
), who arrives in Peyton Place to see Rodney put behind bars. She starts spreading lies about him and even gives false testimony. She is soon hated by almost everyone in Peyton Place, except for Michael, with whom she becomes romantically involved. Rita and Kim are also having emotional trouble with the trial. Rita feels it is all her fault, but Norman stays by her side and they eventually elope and move in with each other. Kim is forced to give testimony, but she is traumatized by the night of Joe's death, after which Doris decides Peyton Place is not the right environment for her daughter to live in. Rodney is eventually found not guilty and Stella leaves town, much to the delight of almost everyone.
Another plot in the early part of this season involves Allison, who is hit by a car and lands in a coma. John's wife Marian (Joan Blackman
Joan Blackman
Joan Blackman is an American actress.-Biography:Blackman made her television acting debut as a guest performer in a 1957 series, Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans, and then appeared in her first motion picture, Good Day for a Hanging, in 1959. She had a significant role in two Elvis Presley films...
) is the one who hit her, but she hides the evidence, fearing punishment. Elliot especially is determined to find out who is guilty. When Allison awakens, she cannot remember what happened the past year, including the revealing of Elliot being her real father and Rodney being on trial. Michael advises Constance not to tell Allison about Elliot, claiming it will work against her recovery. This troubles Elliot, who is angry for not being allowed to see his daughter. When Allison eventually finds out the entire truth, she finds it too hard to deal with and starts to rebel, for example by cutting her hair. This causes a lot of pain to Constance, who is denounced by her own daughter. In the end, Michael makes clear to Allison she is acting selfishly and convinces her to return home. She and Rodney continue their relationship, but they soon find out they have only a little in common and break up.
The second half mostly focuses on an accident involving Chris Webber (Gary Haynes), who is allegedly pushed off a cliff by Ann Howard (Susan Oliver
Susan Oliver
Susan Oliver was an American actress, television director and aviator.-Early life and family:Susan Oliver was born Charlotte Gercke, the daughter of journalist George Gercke and astrology practitioner Ruth Hale Oliver, in New York City in 1932. Her parents divorced when she was still a child...
) and blinded. Chris's tough brother Lee (Steve Oliver
Steve Oliver
Steve Oliver is a California based guitarist & vocalist. He creates and performs music in a wide variety of styles including Jazz, Pop, Latin and World Music....
) accuses Ann, who leaves town with her father. She returns to prove her innocence. Lee is determined to bully her out of town, and his wife Sandy (Lana Wood
Lana Wood
Lana Wood is an American actress and producer. She was born to Russian émigré parents, Nikolai and Maria Zakharenko, and is the younger sister of the late actress Natalie Wood. Her first major role was at age 9 in the John Wayne western The Searchers. She was a regular on the soap opera Peyton Place...
) is pushed toward Rodney, who works for Lee. Meanwhile, Ann befriends Allison and becomes romantically involved with Michael.
Hannah Cord (Ruth Warrick
Ruth Warrick
Ruth Elizabeth Warrick , DM, was an American singer, actress and political activist, best known for her role as Phoebe Tyler on All My Children, which she played regularly from 1970 until her death in 2005....
), the housekeeper of patriarch Martin Peyton (George Macready
George Macready
George Peabody Macready, Jr. , was an American stage, film, and television actor often cast in roles as polished villains.-Background:...
), is determined to make Ann leave town as well. Martin is the father of Catherine and grandfather of Rodney and Norman. He intimidates everyone in town, except for Betty, who is not afraid to talk back to him. He likes that in her and hires her as his second housekeeper. Hannah, meanwhile, carries a dark secret about her son Steven's (James Douglas
James Douglas (actor)
James Douglas is an American actor probably best known for his role as Grant Colman on As the World Turns ....
) past. Steven was already introduced in the first season as Rodney's lawyer and later marries Betty. However, he remains suspicious of her rumored affair with Rodney. After it is established that Steven has spent much of his life with Hannah Cord and Martin Peyton, Betty and the Harringtons expect that he will reveal that Martin Peyton is his father. When Betty asks him about it point blank, he startlingly reveals that he himself does not know: that he has always been waiting for them to tell him. Even though Hannah and Martin obviously know of Steven's expectation to be told of his apparent Peyton and Cord lineage, they have been allowing him to believe in this falsehood, as it eventually turns out that Steven and Ann are siblings, the children of Hannah's husband Brian Cord and Catherine, who gave birth to them out of wedlock. Ann had been sent away with Brian, and Steven had been adopted by Hannah, who pretended he was her son. Martin is the only one who knows this secret, but soon Betty finds out as well. She confronts them, but they beg her to keep silent, claiming the truth will ruin Steven's life. Betty reluctantly agrees, but the constant lying this requires makes Steven determined to think she is indeed secretly seeing Rodney. He even goes as far as filing for a divorce, until the truth is revealed.
In a very dramatic season finale, Allison leaves Peyton Place for good without saying goodbye to anyone. With Rodney having proposed to her only a few hours before, an angry Chris tells her that she is incapable of loving someone, which strikes a nerve making her realize his statement is true. Apparently giving up on the town where all her previous views have been shattered, from her nonexistent father to her own inability to commit to Rodney, the episode ends with her first spying on Rodney who obviously expects a happy life with her, and then slowly walking the road out of town to the show's main title music (reflecting in real life actress Mia Farrow's walking off the show to accommodate the desire of her then-husband Frank Sinatra).
With her exit being viewed simply as a disappearance, the townspeople immediately start to look for her, without any luck. Meanwhile, Lee has become the prime suspect of the murder regarding Ann. Chris turns his back on him, and becomes outraged when he finds out Steven will serve as his lawyer. Not only does he try to convince him to withdraw, but he also tries to push Sandy to stop protecting her husband.
Season 3 (1966–1967)
Hannah tries to reconcile with Steven, but he does not let her in, giving her a hard interrogation instead. In the heat of this, she confesses that she is not Steven's and Ann's biological mother. She reveals that Catherine Peyton had an affair with her husband Brian Corby and gave birth to them. Martin tried to hide the scandal by hiring Hannah as her maid and letting her claim that Steven was her son. Ann was sent away with Brian, who was paid to keep silent. Furthermore, she claims that she saw Lee pushing Ann off the cliff. In the end, Hannah is denounced by her son and Lee is released on a technicality error. He returns home joyfully, but he is not welcomed by anyone anymore. Chris, determined his brother is a murderer, tries to kill him, but fails and almost shoots Steven, who notices his anger sends him away from Peyton Place. Lee is left by Sandy as well, who has filed for a divorce and starts dating Rodney.
The other main storyline in the third season involves Rachel Welles
Rachel Welles
Rachel Welles is a fictional character on the television drama Peyton Place. She was portrayed by actress Leigh Taylor-Young, between 1966 and 1967.-Character history:...
(Leigh Taylor-Young
Leigh Taylor-Young
Leigh Taylor-Young is an American actress who has appeared on stage, screen, and television.-Early life:Leigh Taylor-Young was born on January 25, 1945 in Washington, D.C. Her last name is an amalgamation of the last names of her father, a diplomat, and her stepfather, a successful Detroit executive...
), a young woman who ran away from home. After being taken to Peyton Place, she reacts violently to everyone's attempt to get to know her. People soon start to notice that she is wearing Allison's bracelet, which makes Elliot and Rodney think that she knows more about her fate. Rodney forces her to tell the truth, but she claims that she found it somewhere. Not believing her, she is given a hard treatment, which estranges her from the people even more. Only Michael is able to get close to her. When he finds out that her uncle Jack Chandler (John Kellogg
John Kellogg (actor)
John Kellogg was an American actor in film, stage and television. Some sources, including ancestry.com, state that his given name was Giles Vernon Kellogg, Jr....
) abused her, he tries his hardest to protect her from him. He tries to make her return with him, which worries her a lot. She threatens to tell everyone that she found Allison's bracelet in his car if he keeps on harassing her, after which he gives up his legal claim to the custody of her.
After this, Rachel grows to become a happier woman, finally able to trust people. She moves into the Carson home, but soon notices that Elliot and Constance are quarreling a lot about her. Fearing that she might break up their marriage, she leaves the house and tries to end all confusion by trying to prove Chandler was responsible for Allison's disappearance. This leads her to his old farmhouse, where she is attacked by him. She is able to run away and returns to Peyton Place in tears. Elliot comforts her and finally admits that he wants to take care of her, even if she does not reveal any information on Allison. Following a period of peace during which she grows close to Michael, Rachel is again harassed by Chandler. In the end, he kidnaps her and it turns out Rachel has been lying the entire time because she accidentally killed her aunt Lucy, which was witnessed by Allison. She refused to speak about Allison, because talking about her, would have meant admitting to involuntary manslaughter. Rachel is able to escape, but loses her mind and thinks she is Allison. Michael finally decides to send her to a clinic in Boston. Meanwhile, Chandler is arrested by the police.
Following Ann's death trial as well as rescuing Martin Peyton from a fire at the Peyton Mansion set by a departing Hannah Cord (who torches the oil portrait of Catherine Peyton), Steven moves into the Peyton mansion with Betty, ostensibly to keep his enemy close. Peyton does the same with Lee, whom he hires as his chauffeur to eventually make him pay for killing Ann. Leslie, meanwhile, is unamused with Steven seeming to have become Peyton's favorite son. Fearing that he disinherited Rodney and Norman, Leslie blackmails Betty into breaking into his safe to find out more on his past, threatening to reveal a report which falsely claims that Betty was dating several men while in New York. The truth eventually comes out, and Leslie is denounced, while Betty is forgiven. Leslie continues his criminal actions by, under pressure, helping Chandler escape from jail. This is seen by Norman, who blackmails his father into giving him a job, so he can support Rita, who now is pregnant. Weeks later, it is reported Chandler has been shot down by the police.
At the end of the season, the town is stirred by the arrival of two people: Adrienne Van Leyden (Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands is an American actress of film, stage and television. The four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner is best known for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, in two of which, Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence, she gave Academy...
) and Eddie Jacks (Dan Duryea
Dan Duryea
Dan Duryea was an American actor, known for roles in film, stage and television.-Early life:Born and raised in White Plains, New York, Duryea graduated from White Plains Senior High School in 1924 and Cornell University in 1928. While at Cornell, Duryea was elected into the Sphinx Head Society...
). Adrienne is a widow who is hired by Peyton to break up Steven's and Betty's already unstable marriage by seducing Steven. Because Betty is immediately suspicious of her, Peyton comes up with a scheme of introducing her as his fiancée. However, Adrienne is able to seduce Steven and they start an affair. Meanwhile, Ada is unamused by the arrival of her estranged husband Eddie, who left her 19 years ago. He insists on getting back in touch with his daughter, and Rita is shocked when she meets him.
Season 4 (1967–1968)
The primary foci of the series in the beginning of the season remain Adrienne and Eddie. Adrienne starts falling in love with Steven, which is noticed by Peyton, who criticizes her for her indulgence. During her stay in Peyton Place, several claims of Adrienne's notorious past are revealed. She is rumored to have driven her late husband to commit suicide and she has been paid multiple times for entertaining men. Betty eventually finds out about the affair and immediately leaves her husband, turning to Rodney. Uncertain because of Steven's frequent claims of his loyalty, Betty confronts Adrienne, during which Adrienne accidentally falls off the stairs. She dies on the night before her wedding to Peyton.Meanwhile, Rita decides she wants to learn to know Eddie and starts to quarrel with Ada, whom she blames for never having met her father. Unlike Rita, most people in town are suspicious of Eddie's motivations on his return. Norman and Peyton blame Eddie for having returned to profit from Rita's marriage to a wealthy family, but Eddie claims he returned to make sure Rita will not get hurt by Norman. Because of Eddie's mysterious meetings with Leslie, Elliot thinks that Eddie may have had a connection to Chandler. Leslie, again thinking Peyton will change his will, offers Eddie money to kill Peyton. After a contract is signed, Eddie sets out to the Peyton mansion but is found hovering over Adrienne's body. He is shortly put in jail, until Steven, who serves as Eddie's lawyer, finds out Betty was in the mansion when Adrienne died.
Peyton soon comes to the conclusion that Leslie hired Eddie to kill him and convinces Lee to murder Leslie as revenge. When away, Peyton calls Leslie to warn him, and it turns out Peyton is planning on letting Lee and Leslie kill each other to make Lee pay for murdering Ann. Leslie shoots Lee in defense and a severely wounded Lee returns to the mansion to confront Peyton with his betrayal. The moment Lee is about to shoot Peyton, Steven comes in, and following a struggle, a shot is heard which kills Lee.
Later, Jill Smith (Joyce Jillson
Joyce Jillson
Joyce Jillson was a syndicated newspaper columnist, best-selling author, actress, and astrologer. Her column was syndicated worldwide in over 200 papers and magazines....
) 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. She gives the care of the baby to the Carsons, much to Rodney's anger, who thinks the baby is his. It turns out she was in a scheme with Joe Rossi (Michael Christian), Michael's rebellious younger brother who came to town following some criminal activities gone bad in New York. When Jill admits the baby is hers, Connie suffers a mental breakdown and soon leaves town with Elliot.
Following a confrontation between Norman and Eddie, Eddie decides to leave town. Rita is shocked when she finds this out and collapses. After two surgeries it is revealed she suffered a miscarriage. Afterwards, she sinks into depression and has severe nightmares of Joe Chernak, caused by Joe Rossi, who resembles Chernak a lot. To recover, she contacts Reverend Tom Winter (Robert Hogan
Robert J. Hogan
Robert J. Hogan is an American actor. While not a stranger to the big screen or the stage, Hogan is best known to audiences for his highly prolific career in American television which began in 1961...
), who is unhappily married to his alcoholic wife Susan (Diana Hyland
Diana Hyland
Diana Hyland was an American actress best known for her television appearances and occasional films.-Career:Hyland made her acting debut in 1955 in an episode of Robert Montgomery Presents...
). Winter also serves as a support for Carolyn Russell (Tippy Walker
Tippy Walker
Tippy Walker is a former American child actress, best known for her role in the film The World of Henry Orient .Born Elizabeth Tipton Walker in New York City, her father was an engineer with Allied Chemical Corporation...
), a rebellious teenager who has difficulty processing the divorce of her parents Marsha (Barbara Rush
Barbara Rush
Barbara Rush is an American stage, film, and television actress.-Career:A student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Barbara Rush performed on stage at the Pasadena Playhouse before signing with Paramount Pictures...
) and Fred (Joe Maross
Joe Maross
Joe Maross was an American actor who appeared in movies and made guest appearances on many television series from the 1950s to the 1980s. He served in World War II and was stationed in Hawaii....
). She acts out by flirting with Joe and dating band member Jeff, which escalates when Marsha starts dating Michael.
Furthermore, Winter takes Jill under his care, encouraged by his wife. Susan hopes that by Jill seducing Winter, Winter would leave the ministry and spend more time with her. Winter is indeed seduced by Jill, which prompts him to leave the ministry and town altogether. Susan, realizing that she has lost her husband, breaks down and is hospitalized. Jill is surprised by the sexual tension and suddenly leaves the Winter house. The child welfare authorities interpret this event as instability and give the custody of her child to Norman and Rita. Steven, as her lawyer, tries to prove that Jill was actually the victim of Susan's plan, but he is more occupied with Rodney and Betty, who have married each other. He was once determined to break up their marriage, until Rodney was suddenly paralyzed after a car accident that Steven accidentally caused. He has been feeling guilty ever since and attempts to help him out, but Rodney refuses to interfere with him.
Season 5 (1968–1969)
In the final year, Ed Nelson became the lead actor on the series, and many of the stories revolved around him. His relationship with Marsha becomes more serious, even though she is reluctant to take it to a further level, owing to Carolyn's disapproval. Carolyn continues to constantly hurt her mother's feelings for having left Fred, and one night, Marsha walks in on her almost having sex with Jeff. In panic, Marsha calls Fred for help, but he blames her for being a bad parent and threatens to sue for custody. This plan is aborted when Carolyn decides that she wants nothing to do with him any longer after finding out that her father is indeed an adulterer. Around the same time, Michael convinces Marsha that her life should not revolve around Carolyn's approval, and they become engaged.Susan, desperate to save her marriage, threatens to ruin Jill's life unless Tom takes her back. Tom, however, files for divorce and starts working on the wharf. He is constantly bothered by Joe, who holds him responsible for Jill having lost her baby. Despite his behavior, Joe reconciles with Jill, and they marry. Afterwards, they regain custody and happily leave town. Susan, meanwhile, turns to Steven for comfort, and after a short-lived affair, she plans on marrying him and moving into the Peyton mansion, even though Betty tries to buy the same mansion - with the money she has inherited from Martin Peyton, who has recently died - to drive Steven out of town. She does this because Rodney is convinced that - while he is in hospital trying to regain movement in his feet - she is having an affair with Steven. Norman suspects the same, which upsets Rita. For a short while, Betty is able to convince him otherwise, until Steven - bitter over having inherited nothing from Peyton, plots to ruin Betty's life.
During all this, an African-American family is introduced into town: Dr. Harry Miles (Percy Rodriguez
Percy Rodriguez
Percy Rodriguez was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s...
), his wife Alma (Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee is an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and activist, perhaps best known for co-starring in the film A Raisin in the Sun and the film American Gangster for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.-Early years:Dee was born Ruby...
) and 17-year-old son Lew (Glynn Turman
Glynn Turman
Glynn Russell Turman is an American stage, television, and film actor as well as a writer, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as high school student Leroy "Preach" Jackson in the 1975 coming-of-age film Cooley High, math professor and retired Army colonel Bradford...
). Harry and Alma are worried about Lew, whose behavior has drastically changed since a vacation in New York. Unlike in the past, Lew does not communicate with his parents anymore and has no desire of becoming a doctor. He struggles with his racial identity, and carries a dark secret from New York that involves Vickie Fletcher (Judy Pace
Judy Pace
Judy Lenteen Pace is an American stage and screen actress.-Career Biography:Pace became a familiar face in the 1970s on both the big and small screen, appearing in popular blaxploitation movies and popular television shows. She played a character on the soap opera One Life to Live...
), who comes to town, and announces her pregnancy. Wanting her baby to grow up in a stable environment, she blackmails Lew into marrying her, threatening to claim that he caused a car accident if he does not, even though Lew did not cause it.
In the final episode (which is notably more rushed from scene to scene than any other in order to tie off a lot of loose ends within one episode), Ed Nelson's character Michael Rossi goes on trial for a murder he did not commit. Shockingly he is convicted. Lew who has been contemplating giving himself up for the violent act he inadvertently committed at a New York protest years earlier, wonders if the system can convict this very popular White doctor, what chance at fairness he as a Black man will have upon his confession. After discussing it with his father, the two bravely decide to go through with the confession anyway. The series ends with Dr. Rossi sitting alone in his prison cell beginning what is expected to be a long sentence.
Original cast
Constance MacKenzieConstance MacKenzie
Constance MacKenzie is a fictional character in the 1956 novel Peyton Place by Grace Metalious. In the subsequent film adaptation, she was played by Lana Turner; in the sequel Return to Peyton Place, by Eleanor Parker; in the primetime television series, by Dorothy Malone ; and in daytime soap...
(Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone is an American actress. Her film career began in 1943, and in her early years she played small roles, mainly in B-movies. After a decade in films, she began to acquire a more glamorous image, particularly after her performance in Written on the Wind , for which she won the Academy...
, 1964–1968, episodes 1–435; Lola Albright
Lola Albright
Lola Jean Albright is an American singer and actress.Albright worked as a model before moving to Hollywood. She began her motion picture career with a bit part in the 1948 film The Pirate, and followed it with an important role in the acclaimed 1949 hit Champion...
briefly played the role in Malone's absence)
- Allison's mother who lied to her about who her father is. She has a good relationship with her daughter, until the truth about her real father comes out. She later marries Elliot Carson.
Matthew Swain
Matthew Swain
Matthew Swain, M.D. is a fictional character in the novel Peyton Place, as well as the movie and TV series of the same name. In the movie, he was played by actor Lloyd Nolan and in the television series, he was played by actor Warner Anderson.-History:...
(Warner Anderson
Warner Anderson
Warner Anderson was an American actor. He had a small part in a film in 1915. He had supporting parts in several films through the years....
, 1964–1965, episodes 1–111)
- The editor of the town newspaper. He is the father figure in Allison's life and is a good friend of his second cousin Constance.
Dr. Michael Rossi
Michael Rossi
Michael Rossi, is a fictional book character from Peyton Place by Grace Metalious. Set in a small New England town whose peaceful facade hides love and passion, scandal and hypocrisy...
(Ed Nelson
Ed Nelson
Edwin Stafford Nelson is an American actor.Nelson has appeared in numerous television shows, more than fifty motion pictures, and hundreds of stage productions. Until 2005, he was teaching acting and screenwriting in his native New Orleans at two local universities there...
, 1964–1969, entire run)
- The doctor who moved from New York City to Peyton Place for mysterious reasons. He clashes several times with colleague Dr. Robert Morton, but eventually gets accepted in the town. He becomes romantically involved with several people, including Dr. Morton's daughter Claire.
Allison MacKenzie
Allison MacKenzie
Allison MacKenzie is a fictional character and one of the protagonists in the novel Peyton Place, its sequel Return to Peyton Place, the subsequent film adaptations of both, and the primetime television series and daytime soap opera they inspired....
(Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
, 1964–1966, episodes 1–263)
- The quiet and smart daughter of Constance. She likes to spend her time reading books and usually befriends older people. She also becomes romantically involved with Rodney several times.
Rodney Harrington
Rodney Harrington
Rod Harrington is a fictional character on the television drama Peyton Place. He was portrayed by Ryan O'Neal. He was also a character on the 1957 film adaptation of the original novel. In this version, he was portrayed by Barry Coe.-Film version:...
(Ryan O'Neal
Ryan O'Neal
Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
, 1964–1969, episodes 1–501)
- The oldest son of Leslie and Catherine. He is more social and popular than his brother Norman and falls in love with Allison. Their relationship never really progresses, because his old girlfriend Betty always tries to stop them.
Betty Anderson
Betty Anderson
Betty Anderson is a fictional character in the novel Peyton Place, written by Grace Metalious, as well as the subsequent films and TV series based on the novel. In the film, she was played by actress Terry Moore; and in the TV series, she was portrayed by actress Barbara Parkins; in the short-lived...
(Barbara Parkins
Barbara Parkins
Barbara Parkins is a Canadian television and film actress.-Early life and rise to stardom:Parkins was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. At the age of sixteen, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles, where she enrolled at Hollywood High School and began to study acting, tap, ballet, and...
, 1964–1969, entire run)
- The daughter of George and Julie. She is in love with Rodney and does everything to win him over, although he is in love with Allison. This includes lying about being pregnant and tricking him into marrying her.
Julie Anderson (Kasey Rogers
Kasey Rogers
Kasey Rogers was an American actress, best known for playing the second Louise Tate on the popular U.S. television sitcom Bewitched.-Career:...
, 1964–1966, recurring afterwards, episodes 1–252)
- Wife of George and mother of Betty. She was introduced as the secretary and secret lover of Leslie. After ending their affair, she became a fulltime housewife.
George Anderson
George Anderson (Peyton Place)
George Anderson is a fictional character on the television drama Peyton Place. He was portrayed by Henry Beckman.-Character history:George is married to Julie Anderson and the father of Betty Anderson. He is a salesman for Leslie Harrington. George was an aggressive man and took his frustrations...
(Henry Beckman
Henry Beckman
Henry Beckman was a Canadian stage, film and television actor. He appeared in well over 100 productions in the United States and Canada, including recurring roles as Commander Paul Richards in the 1954 Flash Gordon space opera television series, Bob Mulligan in the ABC sitcom I'm Dickens, He's...
, 1964–1965, episodes 4–59)
- Husband of Julie and father of Betty. Known as the aggressive guy, who abused his wife. He eventually lost his mind and was taken into a sanatorium.
Leslie Harrington
Leslie Harrington
Leslie Harrington is a fictional character in the novel and movie Peyton Place as well as the television series of the same name. In the movie, Leslie was played by actor Leon Ames. Paul Langton played the role in the television series....
(Paul Langton
Paul Langton
Paul Langton was an American actor.He had many film roles during the 1940s and 1950s in which he played supporting parts, but achieved his greatest popular success as Leslie Harrington on Peyton Place.He died two days before his 67th birthday.-External links:...
, 1964–1968, episodes 1–69; 121–454)
- Husband of Catherine and father of Rodney and Norman. Although he only wanted the best for his family, he was one of the most hated people of Peyton Place. He was a suspect of the murder on Elizabeth Carson and eventually left town because of his bad reputation.
Norman Harrington (Christopher Connelly, 1964–1969, entire run)
- The youngest son of Leslie and Catherine and shy little brother of Rodney. He is in love with Allison, but never stands a chance with her. He later becomes romantically involved with Rita Jacks, despite their social differences.
Laura Brooks
Laura Brooks
Laura Harrington Brooks is a fictional character on the television drama Peyton Place. She was portrayed by Patricia Breslin. She appeared in 24 episodes in the period 1964-1965.-Character history:...
(Patricia Breslin
Patricia Breslin
Patricia Rose Breslin was an American actress known for her guest roles in various television series in the 1950s and 1960s.-Early years:...
, 1964–1965, episodes 2–36)
- Sister of Leslie and widow of Dr. Donald Brooks. After Dr. Rossi arrived in town, she immediately fell in love with him and became his secretary. They never had a relationship, though. She eventually left town to move to Europe, explaining she could not live in a town with so many problems.
Catherine Harrington
Catherine Harrington
Catherine Marie Peyton Harrington is a fictional character on the television drama Peyton Place. She was portrayed by Mary Anderson. She appeared in 12 episodes in 1964. She first appeared in the second episode...
(Mary Anderson, 1964, episodes 2–20)
- Daughter of Martin Peyton and estranged wife of Leslie and mother of Rodney and Norman. She died after a few episodes, but remained a character who was recurrently talked about. It was later revealed she caused several scandals and was to blame for Elizabeth Carson's murder.
Eli Carson (Frank Ferguson
Frank Ferguson
Frank Ferguson was an American character actor with hundreds of appearances in both film and television. Perhaps his best known role was as the ranch handyman, Gus Broeberg, on the CBS television series, My Friend Flicka, based on a novel of the same name...
, 1964–1969, episodes 18–514)
- Caring father of Elliot Carson. He never really had a storyline and usually served as a person people went to for advice.
Dr. Robert Morton (Kent Smith
Kent Smith
Kent Smith was an American actor who had a lengthy career in film, theater, and television.Born Frank Kent Smith in New York, New York, Smith made his acting debut on Broadway in 1932 in and, after spending a few years there, moved to Hollywood, California, where he made his film debut in The...
, 1964–1965, recurring afterwards, episodes 8–137, 214–240)
- Husband of Grace and father of Claire. He was a rival of Dr. Rossi, but they later reconciled. He is a close friend of the Harrington family.
Later main characters
Elliot Carson (Tim O'ConnorTim O'Connor (actor)
Tim O'Connor is an American character actor known for his prolific work in television, although he has made only a few appearances since the early 1990s. Before moving to California, he lived on an island in the middle of Glen Wild Lake, near Bloomingdale, New Jersey.O'Connor specialized in...
, 1965–1968, episodes 25–435)
- Son of Eli, husband of Connie and father of Allison. He spent 18 years in jail for a false accusation and later became the editor of the local newspaper.
Rita Jacks (Patricia Morrow
Patricia Morrow
Patricia Morrow is a former actress, best known for her portrayal of waif-like Rita Jacks in the primetime soap opera Peyton Place from 1965 to 1969.-Acting career:...
, 1965–1969, episodes 52–514)
- Daughter of Ada and Eddie. She grew up in a poor family, but fell in love with the rich Norman. Their relationship had its problems, since Rita was constantly bothered by her former boyfriends.
Steven Cord (James Douglas
James Douglas (actor)
James Douglas is an American actor probably best known for his role as Grant Colman on As the World Turns ....
, 1965–1969, episodes 77–514)
- Believed to be the son of Hannah Cord, but turned out to be an illegitimate son of Catherine Harrington. He starts to work as a lawyer and is involved in a love triangle between him, Betty and Rodney.
Stella Chernak
Stella Chernak
Stella Chernak is a fictional character on the television drama Peyton Place. She was portrayed in over 60 episodes by Lee Grant, between 1965 and 1966.-Character history:...
(Lee Grant
Lee Grant
Lee Grant is an American stage, film and television actress, and film director. She was blacklisted for 12 years from film work beginning in the mid-1950s, but worked in the theatre, and would eventually win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Felicia Carp in the...
, 1965–1966, episodes 111–199)
- The daughter of Gus and older sister of Joe, who is hated by almost everyone in town because she is lying to the police, which is the cause of Rodney facing a jail sentence. Only Michael believes in her innocence and hires her as his personal assistant.
Martin Peyton (George Macready
George Macready
George Peabody Macready, Jr. , was an American stage, film, and television actor often cast in roles as polished villains.-Background:...
, 1965–1968, episodes 133–402; Wilfrid Hyde-White
Wilfrid Hyde-White
Wilfrid Hyde-White was an English character actor.-Early life and career:Wilfrid Hyde White was born at the rectory in Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire, the son of William Edward White, canon of Gloucester Cathedral, and his wife, Ethel Adelaide Drought...
briefly played the character in Macready's absence)
- The father of Catherine Harrington and the most powerful and influential man in Peyton Place. Because of his bitter personality and short temper, he is feared by most people. He bonds with Betty and wants her to be Rodney's wife.
Ann Howard (Susan Oliver
Susan Oliver
Susan Oliver was an American actress, television director and aviator.-Early life and family:Susan Oliver was born Charlotte Gercke, the daughter of journalist George Gercke and astrology practitioner Ruth Hale Oliver, in New York City in 1932. Her parents divorced when she was still a child...
, 1966, episodes 205–254)
- The girl who was believed to be the person who blinded Chris Webber. She is determined to prove her innocence and is supported by Michael. She turns out to be Catherine Harrington's daughter.
Lee Webber (Stephen Oliver
Stephen Oliver (actor)
Stephen Oliver , also known as Steve Oliver, was an American actor.Born in Philadelphia, Oliver is best known for Lee Webber role in TV series Peyton Place from 1966...
, 1966–1968, episodes 206–400)
- The brother of Chris and bad boy of the town. He likes to beat his wife Sandy and fights a lot with Rodney. Ann blames him for having blinded Chris and he is determined to do everything to silence her.
Rachel Welles
Rachel Welles
Rachel Welles is a fictional character on the television drama Peyton Place. She was portrayed by actress Leigh Taylor-Young, between 1966 and 1967.-Character history:...
(Leigh Taylor-Young
Leigh Taylor-Young
Leigh Taylor-Young is an American actress who has appeared on stage, screen, and television.-Early life:Leigh Taylor-Young was born on January 25, 1945 in Washington, D.C. Her last name is an amalgamation of the last names of her father, a diplomat, and her stepfather, a successful Detroit executive...
, 1966–1967, episodes 276–354)
- A teen who is abused by her uncle. She is romantically involved with Michael and moves in with the Carson family. She is eventually abducted by her uncle and loses her mind.
Jill Smith (Joyce Jillson
Joyce Jillson
Joyce Jillson was a syndicated newspaper columnist, best-selling author, actress, and astrologer. Her column was syndicated worldwide in over 200 papers and magazines....
, 1968, episodes 402–473)
- The woman who claims to have Allison's child. This results in several men in town thinking they are the father of the child. It turns out she herself is the mother of the child, with Michael's younger brother being the father.
Joe Rossi (Michael Christian, 1968, episodes 411–473)
- The younger brother of Joe who has a big romantic history with Jill. He agrees to help her with her scheme.
Tom Winter (Robert Hogan
Robert J. Hogan
Robert J. Hogan is an American actor. While not a stranger to the big screen or the stage, Hogan is best known to audiences for his highly prolific career in American television which began in 1961...
, 1968–1969, episodes 419–514)
- The husband of Susan. He works as a priest. He tries to convince his wife to end her alcoholism.
Susan Winter (Diana Hyland
Diana Hyland
Diana Hyland was an American actress best known for her television appearances and occasional films.-Career:Hyland made her acting debut in 1955 in an episode of Robert Montgomery Presents...
, 1968–1969, episodes 421–514)
- The alcoholic wife of Tom. She has marriage problems, because she refuses his attempts to end her addiction.
Carolyn Russell (Tippy Walker
Tippy Walker
Tippy Walker is a former American child actress, best known for her role in the film The World of Henry Orient .Born Elizabeth Tipton Walker in New York City, her father was an engineer with Allied Chemical Corporation...
, 1968–1969, episodes 430–514)
- The wild daughter of Marsha and Fred. She falls in love with Lew, but her father disapproves of him because he is Black.
Marsha Russell (Barbara Rush
Barbara Rush
Barbara Rush is an American stage, film, and television actress.-Career:A student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Barbara Rush performed on stage at the Pasadena Playhouse before signing with Paramount Pictures...
, 1968–1969, episodes 433–514)
- The mother of Carolyn and wife of Fred. She is beaten up by Fred several times and therefore files for divorce. She next falls in love with Michael.
Fred Russell (Joe Maross
Joe Maross
Joe Maross was an American actor who appeared in movies and made guest appearances on many television series from the 1950s to the 1980s. He served in World War II and was stationed in Hawaii....
, 1968–1969, episodes 447–514)
- Father of Carolyn and husband of Marsha. He is known as the bad guy who beats his wife.
Dr. Harry Miles (Percy Rodriguez
Percy Rodriguez
Percy Rodriguez was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s...
, 1968–1969, episodes 450–514)
- A well-respected surgeon who is married to Alma. He is the father of Lew.
Alma Miles (Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee is an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and activist, perhaps best known for co-starring in the film A Raisin in the Sun and the film American Gangster for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.-Early years:Dee was born Ruby...
, 1968–1969, episodes 467–514)
- The wife of Harry and mother of Lew, who always has wonderful manners.
Lew Miles (Glynn Turman
Glynn Turman
Glynn Russell Turman is an American stage, television, and film actor as well as a writer, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as high school student Leroy "Preach" Jackson in the 1975 coming-of-age film Cooley High, math professor and retired Army colonel Bradford...
, 1968–1969, episodes 469–514)
- The son of Harry and Alma who always has good grades in school. He falls in love with Carolyn, but her father disapproves of him because he is Black.
Later secondary characters
Ada Jacks (Evelyn ScottEvelyn Scott (actress)
Evelyn Scott was an American actress.Scott began her career as a disc jockey for KMPC. Her career as an actress started in 1952, guest starring in several shows, including Schlitz Playhouse, Gunsmoke, The Danny Thomas Show, Dragnet, Perry Mason, The Untouchables, and Bonanza...
, 1965–1969, episodes 36–514)
- The mother of Rita and owner of her own Tavern at the wharf. She grew up in the poor side of the town and often feels guilty for not raising Rita the right way when she was a teenager.
Sharon Purcell
Sharon Purcell
Sharon Purcell is a fictional character on the television drama Peyton Place. She was portrayed by Dayna Ceder. She appeared in 6 episodes in 1965.-Character history:...
(Dayna Ceder
Dayna Ceder
Dayna Ceder was an American actress most famous for her role as Sharon Purcell on the 1960s prime time soap opera, Peyton Place.Besides playing a role in Peyton Place in 1965, Ceder also guest starred as Miss Carson in an episode of the sitcom The Donna Reed Show the same year..-External links:...
, 1965, episodes 36–41)
- A friend of Betty who lives in New York City. She spends her time seducing older rich men to get what she wants.
Paul Hanley (Richard Evans
Richard Evans (actor)
Richard Evans is a retired American actor, best known for his work in television.Throughout his career, Evans has guest starred in TV series such as Wagon Train, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Sea Hunt, Cheyenne, The Rifleman, The Fugitive, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, The Men from Shiloh, Star Trek: The...
, 1965, episodes 38–68)
- Brother of Elliot's murdered wife Elizabeth and teacher at a high school who bonds with Allison. He is an enemy of Elliot, because as a child he gave false testimony which sent Elliot to jail for 18 years.
Esther Choate (Erin O'Brien-Moore, 1965–1969, recurring from 50)
- Head Nurse at the hospital, initially antagonistic toward Dr. Rossi, later more a sympathetic friend.
Claire Morton
Claire Morton
Dr. Claire Morton is a fictional character on the television drama Peyton Place. She was portrayed by Mariette Hartley. She appeared in 30 episodes in 1965.-Character history:...
(Mariette Hartley
Mariette Hartley
Mary Loretta "Mariette" Hartley is an American character actress.-Personal life:Hartley was born in Weston, Connecticut, the daughter of Mary Ickes “Polly” , a manager and saleswoman, and Paul Hembree Hartley, an account executive. Her maternal grandfather was psychologist John B...
, 1965, episodes 56–109)
- Daughter of Robert and Grace who lived very long in Peru with her husband Vincent. She returned to Peyton Place when her marriage failed, running away from her husband without filing for a divorce. She falls in love with Michael.
David Schuster (William Smithers
William Smithers
William Smithers is an American actor, perhaps best known for his recurring role as Jeremy Wendell in the television series Dallas. He appeared in the series in 1981 and from 1984 to 1989...
, 1965–1966, episodes 69–202)
- Husband of Doris and father of Kim, who came to town to take over the Peyton Mill from Leslie. He had big marriage problems and was suspected to have feelings for Allison, Kim's babysitter.
Doris Schuster (Gail Kobe
Gail Kobe
Gail Kobe is an American actress and producer.-Career:During the 1950s and 1960s, Kobe made dozens of guest appearances on such television programs as Felony Squad, Ironside, The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, Daniel Boone, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables and Mannix...
, 1965, recurring afterwards, episodes 69–147, 189)
- Wife of David and mother of Kim, who is devastated she can not have a close relationship with her daughter, who makes no secret she hates her mother. Because of their different ideas in the raising of Kim, she and David fight a lot.
Kim Schuster
Kim Schuster
Kim Schuster is a fictional character on the television drama Peyton Place. She was portrayed in 33 episodes by Kimberly Beck, between 1965 and 1966.-Character history:...
(Kimberly Beck
Kimberly Beck
Kimberly Beck is an American actress with over sixty television and film roles to her credit.-Biography:...
, 1965, recurring afterwards, episodes 69–140, 189)
- The six-year-old daughter of David and Doris who is deaf. She hates her mother, but is fond of her babysitter Allison. She suffers a traumatic experience when she witnesses the death of Joe.
Joe Chernak (Don Quine, 1965, episodes 83–113)
- The son of Gus and younger brother of Stella who has the reputation for being the bad guy. He is the ex-boyfriend of Rita and is still in love with her. When she starts dating Norman, Joe constantly harasses him.
Vincent and Kenneth Markham (Leslie Nielsen
Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen, OC was a Canadian and naturalized American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 220 characters...
, 1965, episodes 90–109)
- Vincent is the husband of Claire and was left behind in Peru, where he works as a doctor. He also travels to Peyton Place to take his wife back and is eventually visited by his twin brother Kenneth, who tells him that he is ill and will die if he stays in Peyton Place.
Hannah Cord (Ruth Warrick
Ruth Warrick
Ruth Elizabeth Warrick , DM, was an American singer, actress and political activist, best known for her role as Phoebe Tyler on All My Children, which she played regularly from 1970 until her death in 2005....
, 1965–1967, recurring afterwards, episodes 90–302, 436)
- Believed to be the mother of Steven Cord, but it turns out she adopted him. She works as the loyal maid of Martin Peyton. When the truth about Steven's true parents comes out, she becomes depressed.
Gus Chernak (Bruce Gordon
Bruce Gordon (actor)
Bruce Gordon was an American actor best known for playing Frank Nitti in the ABC television series The Untouchables....
, 1965–1966, episodes 111–177)
- Alcoholic father of Gus and Stella who makes her daughter perjure herself. He hates the Harrington family and when he gets fired, he is determined to take revenge on Martin Peyton.
John Fowler (John Kerr
John Kerr (actor)
John Kerr is an American actor from a family rooted in British and Broadway stage, and a lawyer.- Early life :Kerr's parents, Geoffrey Kerr and June Walker, were both stage and film actors, and his grandfather was Frederick Kerr, a famed British trans-Atlantic character actor in the period...
, 1965–1966, episodes 117–298)
- Lawyer and husband of Marian, who is enraged when he finds out his wife is having an affair. He is a district attorney who is determined to get Rodney Harrington behind bars. Elliot blames him for being too subjective, because, according to him, John hates the Harrington family.
Marian Fowler (Joan Blackman
Joan Blackman
Joan Blackman is an American actress.-Biography:Blackman made her television acting debut as a guest performer in a 1957 series, Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans, and then appeared in her first motion picture, Good Day for a Hanging, in 1959. She had a significant role in two Elvis Presley films...
, 1965–1966, episodes 133–191)
- Wife of John Fowler, who was secretly seeing Dr. Russ Gehring. She hit Allison with her car, but did not stop to help and keeps the accident a secret instead. She also has marriage problems and eventually admits she has an affair.
Sandy Webber (Lana Wood
Lana Wood
Lana Wood is an American actress and producer. She was born to Russian émigré parents, Nikolai and Maria Zakharenko, and is the younger sister of the late actress Natalie Wood. Her first major role was at age 9 in the John Wayne western The Searchers. She was a regular on the soap opera Peyton Place...
, 1966–1967, recurring afterwards, episodes 209–346, 404)
- The wife of Lee who falls in love with Rodney. She is beaten up by her husband several times, but does not want to leave him. She becomes a rival of Betty, because she is in love with Rodney as well.
Chris Webber (Gary Haynes, 1966–1967, episodes 224–312)
- The brother of Lee who has been blind since he was a child. Ann tries to convince him she was not the one who blinded him, but Chris initially refuses to believe his own brother was responsible.
Jack Chandler (John Kellogg
John Kellogg (actor)
John Kellogg was an American actor in film, stage and television. Some sources, including ancestry.com, state that his given name was Giles Vernon Kellogg, Jr....
, 1966–1967, episodes 288–357)
- The uncle of Rachel who started to sexually abuse her after the death of his wife. He follows her to Peyton Place and, after blackmailing Leslie, abducts her.
Adrienne Van Leyden (Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands is an American actress of film, stage and television. The four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner is best known for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, in two of which, Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence, she gave Academy...
, 1967, episodes 355–393)
- Introduced as the fiancée of Martin Peyton, but was actually involved in his scheme to break up Steven's and Betty's marriage. Although being hated by the townspeople, she is successful in seducing Steven.
Eddie Jacks (Dan Duryea
Dan Duryea
Dan Duryea was an American actor, known for roles in film, stage and television.-Early life:Born and raised in White Plains, New York, Duryea graduated from White Plains Senior High School in 1924 and Cornell University in 1928. While at Cornell, Duryea was elected into the Sphinx Head Society...
, 1967–1968, episodes 363–429)
- Estranged husband of Ada and father of Rita, who left his family behind when Rita was a kid. However, he is now determined to change his life and wants to contact his daughter.
Sergeant Goddard (Garry Walberg
Garry Walberg
Garry Walberg is an American character actor primarily known for his work on television. Walberg has performed in numerous TV shows since the early 1950s, including Johnny Staccato, Lassie, Peyton Place, The Fugitive, The Odd Couple and several other popular American programs.Walberg's most...
, 1965–1966)
- Recurring police officer investigating among other things the death of Gus Chernak at the Peyton mansion.
Minor characters played by recognizable actors
Thomas was Martin Peyton's chauffeur, originally portrayed by James DoohanJames Doohan
James Montgomery "Jimmy" Doohan was a Canadian character and voice actor best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series Star Trek...
from "Star Trek" in about a dozen episodes; just one episode after Thomas leaves town on an errand, another "Star Trek" actor, Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols is an American actress, singer and voice artist. She sang with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton before turning to acting...
turns up for two episodes as Martin Peyton's nurse. Later Doohan returned for an episode before the character Thomas was taken over by another actor.
Another recurring policeman character was portrayed by Greg Morris
Greg Morris
Francis Gregory Alan "Greg" Morris was an American television and movie actor.Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Morris began his acting career in the 1960s making guest appearances on many TV shows such as The Twilight Zone and Ben Casey...
.
The member of the parole board who contemplates the release of Eliott Carson was portrayed by Dabbs Greer
Dabbs Greer
Robert William "Dabbs" Greer was an American actor who performed many diverse supporting roles in film and television for some fifty years. His distinctive, southern-accented voice fitted well in shows featuring rustic characters, such as westerns...
.
A future Academy Award-winning actor who had two brief appearances on the series was Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Stephen Dreyfuss is an American actor best known for starring in a number of film, television, and theater roles since the late 1960s, including the films American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Stakeout, Always, What About...
. In one early episode he is seen dropping stacks of the newspaper The Clarion from the back of a delivery truck. In the episode in which Rodney and Allison are preparing to graduate from high school, he has dialogue as an annoyed student who has been waiting for them as they are the last ones to pick up their caps and gowns.
Schedules
When the show premiered in 1964, Peyton Place aired twice a week. Both installments of the show were Top 20 hits in the Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
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 US network television to talk about sex and infidelity in a frank manner. As such, ABC executives 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
Return to Peyton Place (TV series)
Return to Peyton Place is an American daytime soap opera which aired on NBC from April 3, 1972 to January 4, 1974. The series was a spin-off of the primetime drama series Peyton Place rather than an adaptation of the 1959 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious.The storylines from the daytime...
. Three of the actors from the primetime series reprised their roles on the daytime series – Frank Ferguson
Frank Ferguson
Frank Ferguson was an American character actor with hundreds of appearances in both film and television. Perhaps his best known role was as the ranch handyman, Gus Broeberg, on the CBS television series, My Friend Flicka, based on a novel of the same name...
as Eli Carson, Patricia Morrow
Patricia Morrow
Patricia Morrow is a former actress, best known for her portrayal of waif-like Rita Jacks in the primetime soap opera Peyton Place from 1965 to 1969.-Acting career:...
as Rita Harrington, and Evelyn Scott
Evelyn Scott (actress)
Evelyn Scott was an American actress.Scott began her career as a disc jockey for KMPC. Her career as an actress started in 1952, guest starring in several shows, including Schlitz Playhouse, Gunsmoke, The Danny Thomas Show, Dragnet, Perry Mason, The Untouchables, and Bonanza...
as Ada Jacks. However, the daytime series did not prove to be as successful as the primetime series had been.
Two television movies followed. The first; Murder in Peyton Place
Murder in Peyton Place
Murder in Peyton Place is a 1977 television film directed by Bruce Kessler. The film is based on the TV series Peyton Place, which aired from 1964 to 1969, and it was billed as a reunion movie as well as a NBC special...
was broadcast on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in the fall of 1977. Billed as a reunion movie it focused on the mysterious deaths of Rodney Harrington and Allison MacKenzie, as well as a diabolical plot of a powerful person to ruin the community. It reunited original cast members Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone is an American actress. Her film career began in 1943, and in her early years she played small roles, mainly in B-movies. After a decade in films, she began to acquire a more glamorous image, particularly after her performance in Written on the Wind , for which she won the Academy...
, Ed Nelson
Ed Nelson
Edwin Stafford Nelson is an American actor.Nelson has appeared in numerous television shows, more than fifty motion pictures, and hundreds of stage productions. Until 2005, he was teaching acting and screenwriting in his native New Orleans at two local universities there...
, Tim O'Connor
Tim O'Connor (actor)
Tim O'Connor is an American character actor known for his prolific work in television, although he has made only a few appearances since the early 1990s. Before moving to California, he lived on an island in the middle of Glen Wild Lake, near Bloomingdale, New Jersey.O'Connor specialized in...
, Joyce Jillson
Joyce Jillson
Joyce Jillson was a syndicated newspaper columnist, best-selling author, actress, and astrologer. Her column was syndicated worldwide in over 200 papers and magazines....
, and Christopher Connelly.
The second; Peyton Place: The Next Generation
Peyton Place: The Next Generation
Peyton Place: The Next Generation is a 1985 television film directed by Larry Elikann. The film is based on the TV series Peyton Place, which aired from 1964 to 1969, and the plot is set twenty years after the original sage...
which aired in the spring of 1985 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, was conceived as a one-shot sequel, that would hopefully revive the popular series and was therefore also promoted as a television pilot. Although a new series of the show never came to fruition; the film did reunite original cast members Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone is an American actress. Her film career began in 1943, and in her early years she played small roles, mainly in B-movies. After a decade in films, she began to acquire a more glamorous image, particularly after her performance in Written on the Wind , for which she won the Academy...
, Ed Nelson
Ed Nelson
Edwin Stafford Nelson is an American actor.Nelson has appeared in numerous television shows, more than fifty motion pictures, and hundreds of stage productions. Until 2005, he was teaching acting and screenwriting in his native New Orleans at two local universities there...
, Tim O'Connor
Tim O'Connor (actor)
Tim O'Connor is an American character actor known for his prolific work in television, although he has made only a few appearances since the early 1990s. Before moving to California, he lived on an island in the middle of Glen Wild Lake, near Bloomingdale, New Jersey.O'Connor specialized in...
, James Douglas
James Douglas
-Lords of Angus:* James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Angus , Scottish nobleman* James Douglas, Earl of Angus , son of the 2nd Marquess of Douglas-Lords of Douglas:...
, Christopher Connelly, Ruth Warwick and Barbara Parkins
Barbara Parkins
Barbara Parkins is a Canadian television and film actress.-Early life and rise to stardom:Parkins was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. At the age of sixteen, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles, where she enrolled at Hollywood High School and began to study acting, tap, ballet, and...
, who had declined to appear in Murder in Peyton Place.
Differences between novel and television series
- The book is set during World War II. The soap opera was set in the 1960s, then the modern day.
- In the novel, Michael Rossi was a high school teacher and the school principal. In the television series, he served as the town's doctor.
- In the novel, Matthew Swain was the town's doctor. In the television series, he serves as the editor of the local newspaper.
- In the television series, Rodney and Norman are brothers. In the book, they are no more than classmates.
- The entire Cross family, an important family in the novel, was scrapped in the television series.
- In the novel, Betty Anderson is more bad-natured than in the television series.
- In the novel, Constance runs a clothing store, in the television series, she operated a bookstore.
DVD releases
Peyton Place: Part One, was released on May 19, 2009 by Shout! FactoryShout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
as a five-disc set containing 31 half-hour episodes. Shout! Factory released Peyton Place: Part Two, a five-disc set including 33 half-hour episodes, on July 14, 2009.