Return To Peyton Place Discussion Thread

[Paul Raven]

NBC 4/3/72 - 1/4/74. Replaced Bright Promise.Replaced by How To Survive A Marriage.

Up against One Life To Live on ABC and Edge of Night/Secret Storm/Match Game on CBS.

[FrenchFan]

Here are the few last months of "Return to Peyton Place":

Steven Cord informs Greg Whelan that inasmuch as he's performing all the duties of the president of Peyton Industries, he wants the title that goes with the responsibility. Whelan confers secretly with Martin Peyton who tells him to go ahead and let Steven be appointed president, realizing that if he's able to get Steven's enabling act defeated by the state legislation, Steven will be fired from the presidency just as Rod Harrington was. D.B. Bentley, the beautiful, blond female president of Mideast Standard Oil, is pressing the Peyton Industries board for Steven's appointment as she knows he'll help her merger plans.

Betty Harrington is under pressure from Martin to effect a reconciliation with her estranged husband Rod. Betty manages to ask Rod for another try at their marriage within earshot of Martin (only Betty, Greg Whelan and Mrs. Hannah Cord, Martin's housekeeper and Steven's mother, know Martin Peyton is alive. Through Hannah and Greg, Martin's been able to keep tabs on and moderate control over the running of his empire). Betty's pleased that the conversation with Rod has led Martin to believe Rod is responsible for their split.

Elated byy their successes, Betty and Steven savor their feelings of power and triumph at his secluded cabin. Steven tells Betty he wishes Martin were still alive so he could see his illegitimate grandson is now the president of his company. When they return, they run into Rod at the Peyton house and, realizing they've been together, he accuses them of carrying on a longstanding affair and accuses Steven of sabbotaging his, Rod's, enabling act in order to pull off a power play of control of the company. Steven insists this wasn't necessary, Rod's own incompetence defeated him. Rod retorts he knows better and tells Steven he's welcome to everything, even a used company president's wife who loves only herself. As Rod walks out, he informs Betty he wants custody of their son Peyton. AS soon as Rod leaves, Steven tells Betty he wants to tell Rod the truth now - that he, not Rod, is Peyton's father. Betty finally manages to convince Steven there's a better way to do it for Peyton's sake as well as his own career. They can leak out the news so gradually that people will think they always knew it and it won't cause a scandal.

Rod then proposes to Allison and when she accepts, he asks Betty for a quickie divorce. When he promises to reduce his demand for custody to liberal visitation rights if she agress, Betty asks Steven to set up a quick Carribean divorce. Learning of Betty's plans, D.B. tells Steven a quick marriage to Betty after a fast divorce could cost him the company presidency and her merger. D.B. also makes a few pointed references to Betty's selfishness. Seeing the sense of D.B.'s comments, Steven asks Betty if patience might well be warranted. But Betty senses D.B. may just be interested in Steven herself and angrily tells Steven he can't see her again unless he does things her way.

Urged on by Betty, Selena Rossi confronts Constance Carson about the night Selena suspects Mike and Connie spent together just before Mike married Selena. During a heated exchange Selena pulls Connie's arm and she falls from the ladder upon which she was standing. Connie's rushed to the hospital unconscious and when she finally comes to, Selena begs her not to tell Mike how this accident happened. Connie then tells everyone she lost her balance and fell. Mike is stunned when Connie's tests show she's pregnant. When he confronts her she admits the child is his, a result of that one night. Learning she's scheduled an abortion in New York Mike tells her the child was injured in the fall, but if he had not been, he would insist she have the child and they would be together as soon as he could arrange it. Mike arranges for a secret imediate abortion and both Mike and Connie suffer the pain of having to go through this apart. Connie returns home to recuperate and is shocked to receive a call from her estranged husband Elliot, informing her he now realizes he was a fool to leave her and he's coming home.

Monica Bell finally forces Tom Dana to share the burden he's been carrying alone for so long. Tom explains that Ellen, a former girlfriend, contacted him unexpectedly last year and they drove to the country to talk. Ellen suddenly tried to jump from the moving car and in trying to stop her, Tom lost control and they crashed. Tom was groggy having hit the windshield on impact but, being a doctor, realized her neck was broken. He was sure he laid her flat and immobilized her neck before going off to look for help. But Ellen, who was D.B.'s cousin, was found dead, sitting up, and Tom was found two miles away. Since the home of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas was only fifty yards from the crashed car, the state, when trying Tom, felt he deliberately left her sitting up so she would die, as tests proved she was pregnant, thus a motive. Tom was found guilty on mangslaughter and received a light sentence but the medical board assumed it was malice aforethought and his licence to practice medicine was revoked. Monica solicits Allison and Dr. Mike Rossi to help investigate this more thoroughly and is hurt that both of them seem to believe the newspaper accounts rather than accept Tom's innocence on the faith of knowing him as she had.

Monica herself visits the Douglases who insist they called for help upon hearing the accident but never went out to see actually what had happened. Then, the Douglases throw Monica out, terrilby afraid she'll be back with more questions.

Rita Harrington, whose pregnancy has been complicated with the discovery that she has anemia, finally goes into labor and delivers a healthy baby boy. Her husband Norman, who had doubted the safety of his wife's trying to carry a baby to term, is incredibly happy at the realization of Rita's firm faith that this child and she would come safely through this ordeal.

Elliot Carson arrives from Paris and tells Connie he never should have left (Elliot fell under the spell of D.B. Bentley, who used her beauty and sex appeal to chain the men she needed for business reasons to her. When her need for Elliot was finished, she turned her charms on Steven. But Steven, being much like D.B., let her think he had succumbed, whereas he was actually using her instead). Elliot tells Connie he realizes she can't welcome him back with open arms as if nothing had happened but he vows he will court her and win her back somehow. Their son Matthew quickly makes it clear to his father that the hurt he suffered at his father's sudden abandonment of him hasn't healed just because his father's chosen to return. Elliot realizes his son will need time to be convinced of his love, too.

Mike comes to Connie and tells her they belong together and he's going to ask Selena for a divorce. Realizing Elliot's reappearance is no guarantee to her marriage, Selena begs Mike to take a vacation so they can go away together and recapture the happiness they had on their honeymoon but he makes evasive excuses and refuses to commit himself to any plans. But Connie, torn by what's best for her and her son, begins to see Matthew warming to his father's constant efforts to regain his love and when the child admits to her that he does love and need his father, Connie tells Mike they cannot destroy two homes and she is reconciling with Elliot. Resigned to Connie's firm commitment to her marriage, Mike tells an estatic Selena they are going on a vacation trip to St. Croix and he promises her he will try to do things her way.

Monica continues to press the Douglases, knowing they are concealing something from her. Finally she manages to break them down and they admit they did go out to see if they could help and, in an effort to help the unconscious Ellen, they lifted her to a sitting position, causing her death. With this evidence Tom is quickly cleared by the police and his medical license is reinstated. He and Monica, whom he knows would have married him no matter what the outcome had been, happily plan their wedding.

D.B. Bentley tries one last tack to keep Steven from planning a future with Betty which she feels will ruin his plans and hers in the future. She tells Steven that the only reason he wants Betty is because she's Rod's wife and he wants everything that Rod has, the illegitimate grandson wants everything the legitimate grandson has. But Steven, in the face of Betty's ultimatum - her way or not at all - chooses Betty and begins preparations for her trip to the Caribbean. Rod and Allison are delighted to hear this as they can't plan their own wedding until Rod's rid of Betty. But Martin Peyton, who slipped out of town after determining the situation would take care of itself, phones Hannah and Betty. Notifying them he dosesn't like what's happening there, he announces he's immediately returning to Peyton Place. And so it ended - January 4th, 1974.

[Paul Raven]

Thanks for sharing,French Fan.

Interesting that Connie had an abortion on the show.I never knew of this.

Along with AMC and SFT,abortions were starting to happen in storylines in the 70's,but then it seemed the plug was pulled and it pretty much wasn't used as a plot point.

[Chris B]

Oh wow! That actually sounds great! On Peyton Place, it bothered me how they'd often introduce an outsider and center the show around their story with the main inhabitants playing a supporting role to them. Reading that, it seems like neglected characters like Connie, Elliot and Mike actually get real stories themselves. It's also nice to know that Hannah Cord and Martin Peyton were still around making hell for people! It's sad reading that and now knowing this show was good and knowing I'll probably never see it. I'm curious about every aspect of it. How the sets looked, how the new actors were in the roles, how the writing and tone matches up to the original series.

Hopefully one day! I'd take seeing even one episode.

ETA:

I was just reading on another forum that apparently there was also an hour long pilot made in 1979 for Peyton Place. It had a new cast and I guess was a total reboot on the series. It starred Elaine Princi as Betty, Adam West (not sure who he'd be) and according to the IMDB listing, Mark Pinter. In 1979 soaps were still dead in primetime so I can see why it didn't sell. Had they just waited a couple of years it would've definitely made the air.

Now here is another part of the Peyton Place universe I'd love to see.

Edited September 6, 2009 by Chris B

[Paul Raven]

I think Peyton Place 79 was a syndicated offering that was aimed at a late night audience.Adam West was Batman in the 60's tv show.

There was also a TV movie in 77 Murder in Peyton Place which re-united many of the original cast.In the story Rodney and Allison are in a car crash,but murder is suspected.

In 85 NBC piloted Peyton Place:The Next Generation as a possible primetime soap.Dorothy Malone,Tim O'Connor,Barbara Parkins and other originals were there along with a new young cast.

[Chris B]

This was the first Peyton Place offering I saw, after the movies. It was years ago so I don't have deep memories of it. I do recall laughing at Stella Stevens as what I now know as a miscast Stella Chernak. I also recall them showing flashbacks with Lee Grant despite the recast. I believe Norman and Betty were recast as well. I'm sure if I rewatched this I'd feel even worse about it.

This one interests me and I hope to see it soon. You can tell it was a pilot because they changed things around for the sake of the new series. Instead of a son, Connie and Mike son Matthew was now a daughter Kelly. I also don't think they honored the two kids Rita and Norman had (second one being the Return to Peyton Place baby) or Betty's daughter Peyton. I don't expect them to continue from the daytime series, but they should've remained true to the original show at least. The only change I liked was Steven being Hannah and Martin's illegitimate child. That's the way it should've been originally. Shame this didn't get picked up. I'd love to have seen Betty again all grown up.

Because Adam West was Batman, I can't really guess what role he'd have played. I know, I'm just as bad as those producers who typecast actors. Still, this would make a nice bonus feature on a DVD, if the show was ever successful enough to merit them seeking this out.

[Paul Raven]

Some other tidbits...

Don Matheson (Cam GH)was also in the Peyton Place 79 pilot.

One problem with continuing the PP legacy was that,as we can see,each version made changes.

Selena Rossi was never a part of the nightime versions and they pretty much ignored the daytime developments in subsequent nightime shows.

I wonder how many primetime cast members were approached when RTPP was being developed?

Only Frank Ferguson, Pat Morrow,Evelyn Scott and Susan Oliver appeared in both.

Also worth noting that in Jan 73 a nightime episode played where Alison was found guilty of murder.This would be the first time a daytime soap had a primetime airing.

[vetsoapfan]

"I also recall them showing flashbacks with Lee Grant despite the recast"

I have this film on DVD, and just for clarification purposes, there were no flashbacks with Lee Grant.

"I believe Norman and Betty were recast as well."

Betty was recast in the 1977 MIPP; Norman was not.

"Only Frank Ferguson, Pat Morrow,Evelyn Scott and Susan Oliver appeared in both."

Actually, Susan Oliver was not in the daytime soap version.

[Paul Raven]

Janet Margolin played Betty in MIPP.

The Encyclopedia of Daytime TV lists Susan Oliver as appearing in 73

[vetsoapfan]

"The Encyclopedia of Daytime TV lists Susan Oliver as appearing in 73"

They made a boo-boo.

[EricMontreal22]

I had never seen a preview or anything for it before!

(third one on here)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w99_UlaMmw

[Chris B]

Susan Oliver played Laura Horton on DAYS so it's very possible she could've been on RTPP as well. I have the first half of the original series, ending when Mia Farrow leaves. I plan on purchasing the entire series soon and I look forward to seeing those reunion movies. I've seen Murder In Peyton Place YEARS ago. I was like 8 or 10 and thats when my soap obsession began, with Peyton Place. I'm interested in the Betty recast and how both movies handled Alison/Rodney's exit. I also am interested in seeing them older in The Next Generation and seeing if it could've been a viable series. Michael Filerman, the man behind Dallas, Falcon Crest and Knots Landing was behind it so surely they had plans. I can't wait to see his soaped up version.

Eric, I saw that promo a while back and it is SUCH a treat! Since the title didn't mention Peyton Place it was hard to find, but a joy as well. And in color! I'd love to see just one episode of this show. I want to see the recasts, the sets, the tone. I'm so curious about it. It took me 10 years of searching until I saw one episode of the original series so I'm keeping hope alive. Maybe one day.

[TC]

I have an actual visual recollection of this show. My sister was a big fan of the novel, the TV series, the soap and subsequent revisits.

Figure... the show ran '72 to '74 and I was born in '68 so I was was anywhere from 4 to 6 years old. It was a scene of Rita (Pat Morrow) pulling a draft beer behind the bar in a pub. Maybe someone who actually watched it can tell me if this makes sense.

I also seem to remember an article about her in one of my sister's soap mags; with a photo of Pat Morrow in mauve tinted John Lennon style glasses; probably how I knew the actress's name before IMDB came along.

Given my ADHD writing style, I know it's hard to believe I was reading at 3 but I was.

[Chris B]

I've resumed my Peyton Place viewing so I thought I'd copy and paste my thoughts from another board in this thread.

[Bojangles]

FrenchFan, thank you so much for the summary! I tried to look up other information on the characters you mentioned, but I was unable to find out more on 'Greg Wheelan'. Do you perhaps know who portrayed him? How did you come up with this summary? Is it from your own memories? Is there a place where I can read more on this show and its characters? There is so little information on this show...

I am reading all the memories with a lot of pleasure. Keep them coming, people!

Edited April 10, 2010 by Bojangles