The show that really started it all, Peyton Place, is making its way to DVD with another 33 episodes on 5 discs in the Part Two DVD release. Showcasing impressive acting abilities from the stellar cast, Peyton Place is an often overlooked television treasure, and the DVD sets are a welcome addition to any collection.
It's the kind of entity that probably defies my chatting it up at this point, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if a new batch of fans didn't connect with this show. Returning to it now (as though I watched it when it originally aired), Peyton Place delivers quite a treat in narrative complexity and overall effort as compared to much of television's similarly-genred fare that followed it.
Below check out details from a press release, and a couple of clips. Also, be sure to leave a comment on this post to be automatically entered to win your own copy of this set. U.S. and Canada addresses only. Winner will be randomly selected October 1st.
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Teenage pregnancy out of wedlock. Extramarital affairs at the office. Domestic violence and alcoholism kept quiet at home. Class warfare. While these all sound like issues that mesmerize viewers week after week on Wisteria Lane, they occurred in the small New England town of Peyton Place four decades earlier.
When it debuted in 1964, Peyton Place pushed the limits of what was acceptable on television prior to the sexual revolution. But it did so in a way that was compelling, classy, and intelligently written. Without pandering to the lowest common denominator, the series brought us original characters with real problems that struggled to hold on to their small town values in an ever-changing world.
During the 31 episodes that comprised the Peyton Place Part One box set (released May 19), Dr. Michael Rossi had come to town to practice there, bringing with him secrets that threatened to unravel many lives, including those of the widow Constance MacKenzie and her innocent daughter Allison, the troubled Norman and Rodney Harrington and their powerful father Leslie, and struggling George and Julie Anderson and their love-struck daughter Betty.
As Peyton Place Part Two opens up, things have become more dramatic. After marrying Rodney Harrington because she is carrying his baby, Betty Anderson runs off to New York alone. George and Julie Anderson have separated, and he has turned into a barely functioning alcoholic. Catherine Harrington has died. And the mysterious Elliot Carson returns from prison after 18 years, setting into motion further disruptions just as Rossi did in Part One. The dark and deadly secrets keep on coming.
Peyton Place featured a stellar cast for its day: Dorothy Malone (who won an Oscar for Written On The Wind), Ed Nelson (Midway), Barbara Parkins (Valley of the Dolls), Warner Anderson (The Line-Up), Tim O’Connor (Buck Rogers In The 25th Century), and a young Mia Farrow and Ryan o’Neal. Pop culture aficionados should be on the lookout for a young, pre-Monkees Mickey Dolenz playing a young punk seaman.
Created for television by Paul Monash and Irna Philips, and adapted from the book by Grace Metalious, Peyton Place debuted on September 15, 1964 and ran for 514 episodes.
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About Marc Eastman
Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.
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