The ill fated 1985 reboot. From what I recall, it captured none of the essence of the original. And didn't use the original setting!
'Peyton Place' reunion By VERNON SCOTT
HOLLYWOOD (UPI) - For millions of Americans in the 1960s "Peyton Place," TV's first prime time soap opera, was a vicarious way of life. In its own time and place, the hour-long drama based on Grace Metalious* novel of sex and intrigue in a small New England town, was bigger than "Dallas" and "Dynasty" together. First telecast in September 1964 and concluded in June of 1969, "Peyton Place" ran as often as three times a week, enmeshing its cast of more than 100 (overall) in scores of plots and subplots. The ABC series spawned two movie stars, Ryan O'Neal and Mia Farrow.
During the course of its TV life "Peyton Place" also featured Mariette Hartley, Wilfred HydeWhite, Leslie Nielsen, Lee Grant, Susan Oliver, Leigh Taylor-Young, Gena Rowlands, Dan Duryea, Barbara Rush and the late Diana Hyland. But O'Neal, Farrow, Dorothy Malone, Christopher Connelly, Ed Nelson, Pat Morrow, Barbara Parkins and Tim O'Connor were most closely associated with the Harrington and Mackenzie clans who were the backbone of the early episodes.
This May NBC-TV will telecast a two-hour movie, "Peyton Place: The Next Generation," with many of the stars of the original cast. Executive producer Mike Filerman was a student at the University of Illinois during the show's heyday, but when he was handed the assignment by 20th Century Fox Television, he was delighted. He remembered watching the series off and on when he should have been studying. "I think we're going to capture a big audience that fondly remembers the series and the excitement it created at the time," Filerman said. "Because the cast was so large, we couldn't begin to bring back everybody. "We didn't even try to contact Farrow and O'Neal. We knew they wouldn't be interested in view of where their careers are now." Casting director Marc Schwartz agreed. "Even if Mia and Ryan were interested, they would have cost too much."
Schwartz said rounding up most of the cast wasn't as difficult as anticipated. Malone, who played Constance Mackenzie, is now a society figure in Texas who works in movies and TV now and then. She was overjoyed at the prospect of rejoining her old friends and stepping back into her past. Schwartz had talked last year to Parkins, who played the muchmarried Betty Anderson, about a role in another project. Parkins, who works regularly in London and Hollywood was quick to agree to the reunion show. Ed Nelson, the suave Dr. Michael Rossi, was co-starring in the daytime soap "Capitol" and told Schwartz he would be thrilled to return to "Peyton Place." Nelson's son is an actor and will appear as Dr. Rossi's son, a young M.D. Connelly, who played the younger Harrington brother, Norman, is one of the town's busiest actors, working in TV movies and episodic TV. He, too, loved the idea of playing Norman one more time. O'Connor and Ruth Warrick, who played Elliott Carson and Hannah Cord respectively, were easy to find. Both are regularly seen on TV
The three most difficult cast members to run down were Morrow, who portrayed Rita Jacks from the wrong side of the tracks; Evelyn Scott, who played Rita's mother, Ada, and James Douglas, who played Steven Cord. "We found Pat last summer," Schwartz said. "She had quit acting to become a successful lawyer and was doing some work for the Olympics. She didn't hesitate a moment to try her hand at acting again after all these years. "Evelyn had limited herself to only a few acting parts a year, but she was happy about coming back. Douglas was in New York working occasionally in soaps. He's not as active as he once was. But he said OK, too."
"Peyton Place: The Next Generation" will deal with the return to the town of Allison Mackenzie's (Farrow) illegitimate daughter, Megan, and subsequent revelations that unravel TV soap mysteries two decades old. Schwartz is jubilant that he has found the perfect young actress — he isn't free to announce her name as yet — to play Allison's offspring. "She is an absolutely uncanny look a like for Mia,'' he said. Filerman said flashbacks, using footage from the original shows, will be used if he is able to obtain permission from the actors. Schwartz speculates Farrow will agree and O'Neal won't. It is doubtful if "Peyton Place" will be revived as a series next season, even if the Nielsen numbers come up roses. "But it's nice to think it could happen," Filerman said. "Peyton Place was a fascinating little town populated by interesting people."
By
Paul Raven ·
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