My dad has been a fan of the late Ryan O'Neal. Which Peyton Place episode featured Mr. O'Neal's best work on the soap?

I hope the official DVD releases of PP will eventually continue. As far as I can tell, they have been discontinued, which almost always means they are dead in the water, but occasionally axed TV-series releases do get picked up by another company. Fingers crossed.

Edited Thursday at 12:06 AM3 days by vetsoapfan

On 2/25/2026 at 6:00 PM, vetsoapfan said:

I hope the official DVD releases of PP will eventually continue. As far as I can tell, they have been discontinued, which almost always means they are dead in the water, but occasionally axed TV-series releases do get picked up by another company. Fingers crossed.

For a while there, I really felt like it was only a matter of time before Shout! Factory announced a complete series release, much like they did with Mary Hartman Mary Hartman. PP, to me, is a show that you just bite the bullet and release all at once in one big set. It'll either sell well or it won't, but you're giving the people who are dying to own it the chance to do just that. Putting out a little bit at a time and watching the profits just whet our appetites while knowing that the chances of the whole series coming out that way were slim.

I've picked back up with watching the show, currently just a bit past the 100th episode. Stella's just appeared, and Leslie Nielsen's guest arc is just about done. Everything is great, but what's pulling me in the most at the moment is how far the show is willing to go with David Schuster creeping on Alison.

27 minutes ago, All My Shadows said:

For a while there, I really felt like it was only a matter of time before Shout! Factory announced a complete series release, much like they did with Mary Hartman Mary Hartman. PP, to me, is a show that you just bite the bullet and release all at once in one big set. It'll either sell well or it won't, but you're giving the people who are dying to own it the chance to do just that. Putting out a little bit at a time and watching the profits just whet our appetites while knowing that the chances of the whole series coming out that way were slim.

I've picked back up with watching the show, currently just a bit past the 100th episode. Stella's just appeared, and Leslie Nielsen's guest arc is just about done. Everything is great, but what's pulling me in the most at the moment is how far the show is willing to go with David Schuster creeping on Alison.

Two of my other favorite TV series, St. Elsewhere and Family, also stalled after having their debut seasons commercially released on DVD. I'm in Canada, and neither of these dramas seem to be streaming anywhere. It's so frustrating; such high-quality and respected classics deserves to be available in their entirety. God knows, a lot of total crap is manufactured and released every day. The Mary Tyler Moore Show also stalled after the first three (I think) seasons came out, and no more DVD boxsets were released for YEARS. Luckily, the studio finally relented and did put out the rest, albeit in bare-bones versions (i.e., no special features at all). And China Beach remained unreleased for many years (copyright music issues), too, until Time-Life decided to get it released.

So along with the many losses, there are some wins for viewers

I doubt there is much hope for additional releases on Peyton Place, but at least all 514 episodes and the two follow-up television movies are available on youtube.

8 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

Two of my other favorite TV series, St. Elsewhere and Family, also stalled after having their debut seasons commercially released on DVD. I'm in Canada, and neither of these dramas seem to be streaming anywhere. It's so frustrating; such high-quality and respected classics deserves to be available in their entirety. God knows, a lot of total crap is manufactured and released every day. The Mary Tyler Moore Show also stalled after the first three (I think) seasons came out, and no more DVD boxsets were released for YEARS. Luckily, the studio finally relented and did put out the rest, albeit in bare-bones versions (i.e., no special features at all). And China Beach remained unreleased for many years (copyright music issues), too, until Time-Life decided to get it released.

So along with the many losses, there are some wins for viewers

I doubt there is much hope for additional releases on Peyton Place, but at least all 514 episodes and the two follow-up television movies are available on youtube.

I'm glad it's on YouTube. I still have basically two whole box sets to go with the DVDs (just finished the first disc of Part 4), so hopefully it's still there when I finish those. On the one hand, it sucks to just have the crappy quality TV rips, but on the other hand, I'll be glad to not have to constantly change discs lol

33 minutes ago, All My Shadows said:

I'm glad it's on YouTube. I still have basically two whole box sets to go with the DVDs (just finished the first disc of Part 4), so hopefully it's still there when I finish those. On the one hand, it sucks to just have the crappy quality TV rips, but on the other hand, I'll be glad to not have to constantly change discs lol

The Youtube uploader originally shared all 514 episodes of PP many years ago, in their 23-minute (without commercials) entirety. They were all deleted for copyright reasons. He uploaded them again, and the same thing happened: every single one got axed.

Incredibly, he tried yet again for a third time (I would not have had the patience), but cut each episode into two parts (for example Peyton Place #1, part A and Peyton Place #1, part B), with each half of an ep lasting 11-ish minutes.

So far, so good (knock on wood); the entire series has now remained up, available and untouched for years.

From what I remember, the quality is adequate. Not HD, of course, but acceptable enough to watch. It's free and it's there, so we are lucky to have the show in any condition we can get.

Enjoy!

Remember to watch the two follow up TV movies: Murder in Peyton Place from 1977 and Peyton Place: The Next generation from 1985. Both feature various cast members from the original series like Dorothy Malone, Ed Nelson, Tim O'Connor, Christopher Connolly (all of whom appear in both films), and Barbara Parkins, James Douglas, Patricia Morrow, Ruth Warrick and Evelyn Scott, who join them in the second reunion venture PP:TNG

IMHO, the second film is superior.

10 hours ago, All My Shadows said:

PP, to me, is a show that you just bite the bullet and release all at once in one big set. It'll either sell well or it won't

ICAM! And I, too, kept thinking Shout! or some other service would do for PP what they did for "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman."

I'm with @vetsoapfan : it's a shame that "St. Elsewhere" doesn't appear to be streaming anywhere. Granted, the show had its' issues, especially in the later seasons. But it's still a reminder of when network TV produced dramas that weren't cookie-cutter procedurals that were simultaneously sleazy (dead hookers!) and mundane.

25 minutes ago, Khan said:

ICAM! And I, too, kept thinking Shout! or some other service would do for PP what they did for "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman."

I'm with @vetsoapfan : it's a shame that "St. Elsewhere" doesn't appear to be streaming anywhere. Granted, the show had its' issues, especially in the later seasons. But it's still a reminder of when network TV produced dramas that weren't cookie-cutter procedurals that were simultaneously sleazy (dead hookers!) and mundane.

I absolutely loathed St Elsewhere's final scene and what it did to the show's landscape and integrity as a whole. The writers started to veer towards sophomoric camp in the final seasons, which tarnished the show's rich legacy. But, in the earlier years, when it was good, it was great.

Peyton Place started to lose its way towards the end as well. I guess many long-running shows do.

Among my favorites, the only series which remained excellent throughout every season was The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Having it on DVD is a blessing.

I thought St. Elsewhere was a permanent fixture on Hulu? I'd check, but once they merged with Disney Plus and the subscription fee went up, I bounced out.

A lot of people share the opinion that MTM was great all the way through, but I think there was a huge shift after Rhoda (and to a less extent, Phyllis) left. Mary had no real friends, and the newsroom no longer had the apartment to really balance it out.

Wait, "St. Elsewhere" is still on Hulu?

I don't blame you for bouncing, @All My Shadows . After all, the idea behind "cutting the (cable) cord" was to spare yourself the outrageous monthly bills. Now, it seems, subscribing to all these different streamers has become as expensive as cable; and with Paramount Plus Warner Bros. Discovery* on the horizon, I doubt it'll get any better.

34 minutes ago, All My Shadows said:

A lot of people share the opinion that MTM was great all the way through, but I think there was a huge shift after Rhoda (and to a less extent, Phyllis) left. Mary had no real friends, and the newsroom no longer had the apartment to really balance it out.

IIRC, the producers added Mary Kay Place and Penny Marshall to the recurring cast as Mary's new neighbors, but the chemistry just wasn't the same.

(*I hope they come up with a better name, lol).

49 minutes ago, All My Shadows said:

I thought St. Elsewhere was a permanent fixture on Hulu? I'd check, but once they merged with Disney Plus and the subscription fee went up, I bounced out.

A lot of people share the opinion that MTM was great all the way through, but I think there was a huge shift after Rhoda (and to a less extent, Phyllis) left. Mary had no real friends, and the newsroom no longer had the apartment to really balance it out.

St. Elsewhere may be available on Hulu, but it is geo-blocked in Canada, alas.

I agree that TMTMS had a shift in focus and tone after Rhoda and Phyllis departed. I missed them a lot, but the quality of the scripts, directing and acting continued to impress me throughout all seven seasons.

I probably preferred the first few years the most, but loved all 137 episodes of the show. My one quibble? I was disappointed when Mary Richards vacated her first apartment. I adored and coveted it beyond reason. I wanted to live there soooooo much! She should at least sublet it to me!🤣

22 minutes ago, Khan said:

I don't blame you for bouncing, @All My Shadows . After all, the idea behind "cutting the (cable) cord" was to spare yourself the outrageous monthly bills. Now, it seems, subscribing to all these different streamers has become as expensive as cable; and with Paramount Plus Warner Bros. Discovery* on the horizon, I doubt it'll get any better.

I cut the cable cord in 2011 to save money, and I have never looked back.

When you realize that a plethora of TV series and movies are available for free on the internet, discarding cable is not painful at all.

I do have subscriptions to Netflix and Crave (a Canadian streamer) as an add-on member to my sister's account.

I find that the amount of choices I choose to watch is overwhelming.

I'll only go back to cable if I win a fortune.

22 minutes ago, Khan said:

IIRC, the producers added Mary Kay Place and Penny Marshall to the recurring cast as Mary's new neighbors, but the chemistry just wasn't the same.

They were okay, but didn't really catch on very well. I might have grown to like them if their characters had appeared more frequently, but even TPTB didn't seem invested in them and those ladies were quickly dispatched.

8 minutes ago, vetsoapfan said:

They were okay, but didn't really catch on very well. I might have grown to like them if their characters had appeared more frequently, but even TPTB didn't seem invested in them and those ladies were quickly dispatched.

My opinion of them was the same as Ted Bessell as her boyfriend - Mary didn't really need them. By that point the heavy focus on her workplace life and having friendships through work felt more logical.

Mary Kay Place and Penny Marshall both lucked out over those roles not working out (even if I find Loretta difficult to watch the further I get into Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman)

18 minutes ago, vetsoapfan said:

I probably preferred the first few years the most, but loved all 137 episodes of the show. My one quibble? I was disappointed when Mary Richards vacated her first apartment. I adored and coveted it beyond reason. I wanted to live there soooooo much! She should at least sublet it to me!🤣

That's how I feel too. I loved that apartment. Her new apartment was fine, but felt drabber, too stark, and perhaps a bit too on the nose for the cultural shifts of the late '70s moving away from the last shreds of individuality and hope into something colder.

1 hour ago, All My Shadows said:

A lot of people share the opinion that MTM was great all the way through, but I think there was a huge shift after Rhoda (and to a less extent, Phyllis) left. Mary had no real friends, and the newsroom no longer had the apartment to really balance it out.

I think the show still had some strong moments all the way to end, but there was too much focus on repetitive and unpleasant banter with characters like Murray and Sue Ann (I love Betty White but I did not need so much Sue Ann). The show loses some heart. I also think Chuckles Bites the Dust is overrated. The better moments in those last few seasons were quieter, more unique (I like the episode where Mary intended to relax and take a bath but instead Lou barges into her place).

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by DRW50

22 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

My opinion of them was the same as Ted Bessell as her boyfriend - Mary didn't really need them. By that point the heavy focus on her workplace life and having friendships through work felt more logical.

I agree. I like Ted Bessell, and thought he and Mary were pleasant enough together, but his character always felt extraneous and shoe-horned in.

22 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

Mary Kay Place and Penny Marshall both lucked out over those roles not working out (even if I find Loretta difficult to watch the further I get into Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman)

Yep, they went on to have bigger roles and success elsewhere. Place, Marshall and Bessell were all well cast for the MTM roles, but their characters were not really necessary. The six principles (Mary, Mr. Grant, Ted, Murray, Georgette and Sue Ann) were enough.

22 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

That's how I feel too. I loved that apartment. Her new apartment was fine, but felt drabber, too stark, and perhaps a bit too on the nose for the cultural shifts of the late '70s moving away from the last shreds of individuality and hope into something colder.

I found it dark, drab and ordinary too. Her first apartment, however, had had such warmth and flair.

22 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

I think the show still had some strong moments all the way to end, but there was too much focus on repetitive and unpleasant banter with characters like Murray and Sue Ann (I love Betty White but I did not need so much Sue Ann). The show loses some heart. I also think Chuckles Bites the Dust is overrated. The better moments in those last few seasons were quieter, more unique (I like the episode where Mary intended to relax and take a bath but instead Lou barges into her place).

There has been so much praise for the Chuckles episode over the decades. I, too, find it overrated. It's good, I believe, but not a significant standout compared to so many other fine episodes.

Mary's problem with sleeping pills (the ep you mentioned, in which she sits down in the tub only to have Mr. Grant, Murray and Ted all barge into the bathroom) was funnier, IMHO. The Ted/Georgette wedding was great too. And the series finale always guts me. The first time I watched it, it made me ugly cry. Strange reaction to a sitcom, I know. I sobbed throughout a particular episode of Oz, but a comedy show? Hmmm.🙄