Peyton Place

Peyton Place was America's first truly successful prime time serial. The series was the brainchild of veteran producer Paul Monash. Impressed with the success of Britain's monster hit Coronation Street, Monash wanted to import that UK series; however, ABC executives felt that US audiences would not cotton to the thick British accents and kitchen-sink drama. Monash countered with a slightly revamped version of Peyton Place, which had been a wildly popular novel by Grace Metalious and subsequent Hollywood film starring Lana Turner and Diane Varsi. While the book and series centered on the pious, hypocritical behavior of New England residents, the TV series eschewed most of that lasciviousness and told the story of life in a small New England village. In many ways, the TV program resembled a dramatic version of The Andy Griffith Show, featuring a recurring cast of warm, sympathetic characters who lived, loved, and died in a quaint town. Like the former series, Peyton Place was remarkably well-written and superbly acted by a cast of veteran actors and talented newcomers, several of whom were rewarded with Emmy nominations for their work.

By far, the most popular performers were Mia Farrow, Ryan O'Neal, and Barbara Parkins playing, respectively, confused young adults Allison MacKenzie, Rodney Harrington, and Betty Anderson.

Before the program went on the air, Monash consulted with veteran soap producer Irna Phillips who had created and wrote top-rated daytime serials As the World Turns and Guiding Light. Phillips made several crucial decisions that ensured a long, healthy run for Peyton Place. First, she switched core character Michael Rossi's profession from high school principal to town doctor. This gave him a logical reason to participate actively in the lives of all Peyton Place residents, not just the school-age teens. Secondly, Phillips wisely dropped the novel and film's incest story involving Selena Cross. While this plot played well in the film and book, it was highly inappropriate for an evening network drama.

After two years, Mia Farrow decided to exit the story to seek fame in films and concentrate on her highly publicized marriage to Old Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra. At that point, Barbara Parkins' Betty, who originally had been slated to die after the first twelve episodes, became the central character in Peyton Place intrigue. Subsequent ingenues like Leigh Taylor-Young and Joyce Jillson were brought in to help replace Allison's innocence, but none of these characters ever truly captured the imagination of PP's audience. Finally, in 1968, Dorothy Malone and Tim O'Connor were given their walking papers as Connie and Elliot Carson. That fall, Leslie Harrington and Martin Peyton were also disposed of.

In its final season, Peyton Place attempted to recapture Nielsen popularity by restoring its original formula. Barbara Rush and Elizabeth "Tippy" Walker were brought in as the Mackenziesque mother/daughter duo Marsha and Carolyn Russell. Also, in a nod to the "relevance" campaign of the late 60's, the soap added an African-American neurosurgeon and his confused son to the cast, but these changes were unable to stop the slide in ratings. By the winter of 1969, Peyton Place ceased its two-episode telecasts, airing just once once a week. With abysmal ratings, the series quietly left the air in June 1969, leaving all loose plot threads untied.
From: TV.com

Peyton Place - ABC-TV Promo