Return to Peyton Place (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Return to Peyton Place is an American
daytime soap opera
which aired on NBC
from April 3, 1972 to January 4, 1974. The series was a spin-off
of the primetime drama series Peyton Place
rather than an adaptation of the 1959 novel of the same name
by Grace Metalious.
The storylines from the daytime show were a continuation of those from the primetime series. Both James Lipton
and Gail Kobe
worked as writers on the series during its run. Frank Ferguson
(as Eli Carson), Evelyn Scott
(Ada Jacks), and Patricia Morrow
(Rita Jacks Harrington) reprised their roles from the earlier series.
Selena Cross
, a major character in the original novel
and the films both it and its sequel inspired, had not been included in the primetime TV series because her storyline was considered too risque at the time. She was a featured character in the daytime soap.
, Rodney Harrington
, Constance MacKenzie
, Elliot Carson, Allison MacKenzie
, and Leslie Harrington
. In the beginning, Michael Rossi
was revealed not to be guilty for the murder he was on trial for at the end of Peyton Place. Allison returned to town following an absence of three years, during which she has seen life. A mysterious figure, Benny Tate, follows her and they marry. Benny, however, was suffering from a terminal disease and told his brother Jason about this, explaining he could no longer be with Allison. Instead of helping his brother, Jason followed Benny to town and took Benny's identity. Unlike Benny, Jason was very tough and treated Allison very badly. The constant beating lead Allison to a drug addiction, which she eventually kicked. Nevertheless, she has remained her vulnerability. She started working for the town newspaper and was involved in an ecology project.
One day, Allison decided she had had enough and tried to run from Jason, whom she still thought was Benny. He decided to take revenge by kidnapping her, taking Allison to a cabin by the lake. There, Allison took LSD, and during a psychedelic experience
, she took Elliot's gun and shot at Benny. Afterwards, she escaped from the cabin and looked for help nearby. Sometime later, she found out the cabin was burned down, with a body still inside. Allison admitted she shot Benny and was charged with second degree murder.
To avoid Allison being sentenced, Rodney went back to the village where the cabin was situated. He met Benny and Jason's mother Zoe, who knew that Allison had actually been living with Jason, but thought that Allison was aware of this. Benny eventually confessed to the murder of his brother, explaining he found out about Jason's scheme shortly after Allison's arrival at the cabin. He traveled to the cabin to confront his brother, and following a fight, shot Jason to death. Shortly after admitting the truth, Benny died from his disease and Allison was released from prison.
A July 1973 article reported that Selena was about to marry Michael. In late 1973, Michael and Selena married each other. The night before Michael and Selena married, Michael spent the night with Connie. Selena confronted Connie with this rumor, which was actually the truth, and following a heated argument, Selena pushed Connie off the stairs, causing Connie to be hospitalized. Connie later covered for Selena, not wanting to ruin her reputation. Connie later turned out to be pregnant and told Michael he was the father. Partly because the baby was injured during Connie's fall, they agreed to a secret abortion. Shortly after this incident, Elliot returned from Paris to Peyton Place and expressed his interest in a reconciliation. Despite Connie and Matthew's confronts with abondonement, Elliot was eventually welcomed back into his home.
Meanwhile, Michael still was in love with Connie and told her he was willing to divorce Selena to marry her. Selena realized her husband was in love with Connie and tried to distract his attention to her by planning a vacation. Michael, however, made up tons of excuses not to leave town. Connie, realizing her son is in desperate need of attention from Elliot, told Michael they could never be together. Afterwards, Michael and Selena left town for St. Croix.
A sub-plot involved Tom Dana, a mysterious doctor. He admitted to Monica he accidentally caused a car accident a year earlier, which injured and later killed his girlfriend Ellen, who was D. B.'s cousin. He was rumored for having killed Ellen, because he put her in such a position after the accident, which prohibited her from breathing. A trial followed, during which Tom was charged with murder, the motive being not wanting to become a father, considering Ellen was pregnant by the time. He was found guilty on manslaughter but the medical board soon requitted him. Monica tried to help him land a job at the local hospital, but Dr. Rossi and Allison were reluctant to hire him, because of the news reports on his past. This angered Monica, who felt they should have believed in Tom's innocence. Monica eventually went out to investigate the incident herself and proved Tom's innocence. With his name finally cleared, Tom was able to focus on his personal life and he planned on marrying Monica.
In the end of the series, Rita became pregnant and, although she was diagnosed with anemia
, gave birth to a healthy boy. Norman feared the health of his wife and was overjoyed with happiness following the labor.
Rodney and Betty eventually divorced so Rodney could marry Allison, who had accepted his proposal. Rodney had accepted his inheritance only to have money to bail out Allison, who was by the time still in jail for Benny Tate's murder. In the meantime, Betty fell in love with Steven, which was boosted by his recently acquired power and wealth. Steven and Betty planned on marrying each other, which worried D. B. Bentley, who thought the quick marriage could hurt Steven's career. Despite Betty's claim D. B. only discouraged him from the marriage because she wanted him herself, Steven followed D. B.'s advice. D. B. indeed attempted to seduce Steven, but Steven noticed D. B. was only doing this to use him for her company, and pretended to fall for her to use her for his company instead. Steven was also occupied ruining Rodney's career most of the time.
Near the end of the series, D. B. was still trying to break up Steven and Betty. Steven realized he could lose Betty if he continued on meeting D. B. and broke contact. He and Betty wanted to leave for the Caribbean to marry. This gladdened Rodney and Allison, who felt they could not plan a wedding until Steven and Betty left. However, before all of this could happen, Martin Peyton announced he was finally returning to town to prohibit the marriages from taking place. With this announcement, the soap opera ended its run.
(1972) and Susan Brown (1972–1974) as Constance MacKenzie Carson
Warren Stevens
as Elliot Carson (1972–1974 – entire run)
Katherine Glass
(1972–1973) and Pamela Susan Shoop
(1973–1974) as Allison MacKenzie Tate
Frank Ferguson
as Eli Carson (1972–1974 – entire run)
Lawrence P. Casey (1972) and Yale Summers (1972–1974) as Rodney Harrington
Julie Parrish
(1972–1973) and Lynn Loring
(1973–1974) as Betty Anderson Harrington
Ron Russell as Norman Harrington (1972–1974 – entire run)
Patricia Morrow
as Rita Jacks Harrington (1972–1974 – entire run)
Frank Maxwell (1972) and Stacy Harris
(1972–1974) as Leslie Harrington
Evelyn Scott
as Ada Jacks (1972–1974 – entire run)
Guy Stockwell
as Dr. Michael Rossi
(1972–1974 – entire run)
Ben Andrews
as Benny/Jason Tate (1972–1973)
Joseph Gallison
as Steven Cord (1972–1974 – entire run)
Mary K. Wells
as Hannah Cord (1972–1974 – entire run)
John Levin as Matthew Carson (1972–1974 – entire run)
as Martin Peyton (1972–1974)
Margaret Mason
as Selena Cross Rossi
(1972–1974)
Mary Frann
as D. B. Bentley (1973–1974)
Rudy Solari as Bob Whitmore (1973)
Charles Sailor as Tom Dana (1973–1974)
Betty Ann Carr
as Monica Bell (1973–1974)
, commented on the casting that Glass was "one of the most gifted actors I've ever worked with. She has incredible flexibility; there's almost nothing she can't do. She has an emotional suppleness you encounter very rarely in an actress of any age. And to find this in an actress is like finding a treasure." Glass asked to be released from her contract in March 1973 and she was replaced by Pamela Susan Shoop
, who made her first appearance on March 13, 1973.
Patricia Morrow
, who also appeared on the first TV series, initially declined the role, saying she could not combine working five days a week on the show with law school. However, she accepted a contract of two working days a week and she motivated her return by saying: "I really can't turn down money. I have to use what earning power I have right now. Actress Julie Parrish
, who was named by the media as one of the most promising actresses of the soap, recalled working on the show was very tough, and she admitted she had a breakdown one day on the set. In August 1972, Gail Kobe
signed on as the executive producer of the show. On November 18, 1972, Susan Brown replaced Ackerman as Constance MacKenzie, and Margaret Mason
first appeared as Selena Cross. Mary Frann
and Charles Sailor joined the cast in June 1973, even though Frann already made her first appearance on May 18, 1973.
In early January 1974, the show was cancelled due to poor ratings. According to actor Ron Russell, who portrayed Norman Harrington, claimed this was due to the slow plot changes of the show, calling the soap opera "the slowest-moving daytime drama in the history." It was a couple of months before the demise that the writers allowed the plot to move at a pace that would hold the interest of the general viewer. According to the loyal viewers, the show would have been able to become more popular had it been on the air for a few weeks extra.
Return replaced Bright Promise
on NBC's schedule at 3:30 PM/2:30 Central; despite its attempts to continue the 1960s primetime phenomenon, it performed no better than its predecessor against ABC
's One Life to Live
or CBS
' The Edge of Night
. Worse still, in July 1973, CBS debuted its Match Game
at that slot, and within months it became daytime's top-rated program. In response, NBC pulled Return on January 4 in favor of How to Survive a Marriage
, another unsuccessful serial.
1971-1972 Season
1972-1973 Season
1973-1974 Season
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
daytime soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
which aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from April 3, 1972 to January 4, 1974. The series was a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of the primetime drama series Peyton Place
Peyton Place (TV series)
Peyton Place is an American prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, in...
rather than an adaptation of the 1959 novel of the same name
Return to Peyton Place
Return to Peyton Place is a 1959 novel by Grace Metalious, a sequel to her best-selling 1956 novel Peyton Place.-Plot summary:After the phenomenal success of her first novel, Metalious hastily penned a sequel centering on the life and loves of bestselling author Allison MacKenzie, who ironically...
by Grace Metalious.
The storylines from the daytime show were a continuation of those from the primetime series. Both James Lipton
James Lipton
James Lipton is an American writer, poet, composer, actor and dean emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York City. He is the executive producer, writer and host of the Bravo cable television series Inside the Actors Studio, which debuted in 1994...
and Gail Kobe
Gail Kobe
Gail Kobe is an American actress and producer.-Career:During the 1950s and 1960s, Kobe made dozens of guest appearances on such television programs as Felony Squad, Ironside, The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, Daniel Boone, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables and Mannix...
worked as writers on the series during its run. Frank Ferguson
Frank Ferguson
Frank Ferguson was an American character actor with hundreds of appearances in both film and television. Perhaps his best known role was as the ranch handyman, Gus Broeberg, on the CBS television series, My Friend Flicka, based on a novel of the same name...
(as Eli Carson), Evelyn Scott
Evelyn Scott (actress)
Evelyn Scott was an American actress.Scott began her career as a disc jockey for KMPC. Her career as an actress started in 1952, guest starring in several shows, including Schlitz Playhouse, Gunsmoke, The Danny Thomas Show, Dragnet, Perry Mason, The Untouchables, and Bonanza...
(Ada Jacks), and Patricia Morrow
Patricia Morrow
Patricia Morrow is a former actress, best known for her portrayal of waif-like Rita Jacks in the primetime soap opera Peyton Place from 1965 to 1969.-Acting career:...
(Rita Jacks Harrington) reprised their roles from the earlier series.
Selena Cross
Selena Cross
Selena Cross is a fictional character in the novel Peyton Place, as well as its sequel, Return to Peyton Place and the films based on the novels.-In the novel:...
, a major character in the original novel
Peyton Place (novel)
Peyton Place is a 1956 novel by Grace Metalious. It sold 60,000 copies within the first ten days of its release and remained on the New York Times best seller list for 59 weeks. It was adapted as both a 1957 film and a 1964–69 television series....
and the films both it and its sequel inspired, had not been included in the primetime TV series because her storyline was considered too risque at the time. She was a featured character in the daytime soap.
Benny/Jason Tate
The original main focuses of the show were Betty AndersonBetty Anderson
Betty Anderson is a fictional character in the novel Peyton Place, written by Grace Metalious, as well as the subsequent films and TV series based on the novel. In the film, she was played by actress Terry Moore; and in the TV series, she was portrayed by actress Barbara Parkins; in the short-lived...
, Rodney Harrington
Rodney Harrington
Rod Harrington is a fictional character on the television drama Peyton Place. He was portrayed by Ryan O'Neal. He was also a character on the 1957 film adaptation of the original novel. In this version, he was portrayed by Barry Coe.-Film version:...
, Constance MacKenzie
Constance MacKenzie
Constance MacKenzie is a fictional character in the 1956 novel Peyton Place by Grace Metalious. In the subsequent film adaptation, she was played by Lana Turner; in the sequel Return to Peyton Place, by Eleanor Parker; in the primetime television series, by Dorothy Malone ; and in daytime soap...
, Elliot Carson, Allison MacKenzie
Allison MacKenzie
Allison MacKenzie is a fictional character and one of the protagonists in the novel Peyton Place, its sequel Return to Peyton Place, the subsequent film adaptations of both, and the primetime television series and daytime soap opera they inspired....
, and Leslie Harrington
Leslie Harrington
Leslie Harrington is a fictional character in the novel and movie Peyton Place as well as the television series of the same name. In the movie, Leslie was played by actor Leon Ames. Paul Langton played the role in the television series....
. In the beginning, Michael Rossi
Michael Rossi
Michael Rossi, is a fictional book character from Peyton Place by Grace Metalious. Set in a small New England town whose peaceful facade hides love and passion, scandal and hypocrisy...
was revealed not to be guilty for the murder he was on trial for at the end of Peyton Place. Allison returned to town following an absence of three years, during which she has seen life. A mysterious figure, Benny Tate, follows her and they marry. Benny, however, was suffering from a terminal disease and told his brother Jason about this, explaining he could no longer be with Allison. Instead of helping his brother, Jason followed Benny to town and took Benny's identity. Unlike Benny, Jason was very tough and treated Allison very badly. The constant beating lead Allison to a drug addiction, which she eventually kicked. Nevertheless, she has remained her vulnerability. She started working for the town newspaper and was involved in an ecology project.
One day, Allison decided she had had enough and tried to run from Jason, whom she still thought was Benny. He decided to take revenge by kidnapping her, taking Allison to a cabin by the lake. There, Allison took LSD, and during a psychedelic experience
Psychedelic experience
The term "psychedelic experience" is vague – characterized by polyvalence or ambiguity due to its nature – however in modern psychopharmacological science as well as philosophical, psychological, neurological, spiritual-religious and most other ideological discourses it is understood as an altered...
, she took Elliot's gun and shot at Benny. Afterwards, she escaped from the cabin and looked for help nearby. Sometime later, she found out the cabin was burned down, with a body still inside. Allison admitted she shot Benny and was charged with second degree murder.
To avoid Allison being sentenced, Rodney went back to the village where the cabin was situated. He met Benny and Jason's mother Zoe, who knew that Allison had actually been living with Jason, but thought that Allison was aware of this. Benny eventually confessed to the murder of his brother, explaining he found out about Jason's scheme shortly after Allison's arrival at the cabin. He traveled to the cabin to confront his brother, and following a fight, shot Jason to death. Shortly after admitting the truth, Benny died from his disease and Allison was released from prison.
Connie/Michael/Selena love triangle
By the time Allison was still serving a prison sentence, Elliot wanted to confess to the murder so his daughter would be released from prison. Connie, however, would not let her husband do so, thereby creating a wedge between them. Elliot became very unloving to his wife and he started an affair with D. B. Bentley. D. B. turned out using Elliot in favor of her company and lost interest in him when she achieved her goal. Elliot and Connie were estranged from each other and Elliot temporarily left town, with Connie staying behind.A July 1973 article reported that Selena was about to marry Michael. In late 1973, Michael and Selena married each other. The night before Michael and Selena married, Michael spent the night with Connie. Selena confronted Connie with this rumor, which was actually the truth, and following a heated argument, Selena pushed Connie off the stairs, causing Connie to be hospitalized. Connie later covered for Selena, not wanting to ruin her reputation. Connie later turned out to be pregnant and told Michael he was the father. Partly because the baby was injured during Connie's fall, they agreed to a secret abortion. Shortly after this incident, Elliot returned from Paris to Peyton Place and expressed his interest in a reconciliation. Despite Connie and Matthew's confronts with abondonement, Elliot was eventually welcomed back into his home.
Meanwhile, Michael still was in love with Connie and told her he was willing to divorce Selena to marry her. Selena realized her husband was in love with Connie and tried to distract his attention to her by planning a vacation. Michael, however, made up tons of excuses not to leave town. Connie, realizing her son is in desperate need of attention from Elliot, told Michael they could never be together. Afterwards, Michael and Selena left town for St. Croix.
Life on the wharf
In mid-1973, Rita took over her mother Ada's bar near the wharf and hired student waitress Monica Bell, whom she soon started competing with. Rita was jealous of Monica, who was able to combine her studies with being a waitress. Rita started spending most of her time at the bar, turning it into a nightspot which appealed to students. This was much to Norman's upset, who felt he was estranging from his wife.A sub-plot involved Tom Dana, a mysterious doctor. He admitted to Monica he accidentally caused a car accident a year earlier, which injured and later killed his girlfriend Ellen, who was D. B.'s cousin. He was rumored for having killed Ellen, because he put her in such a position after the accident, which prohibited her from breathing. A trial followed, during which Tom was charged with murder, the motive being not wanting to become a father, considering Ellen was pregnant by the time. He was found guilty on manslaughter but the medical board soon requitted him. Monica tried to help him land a job at the local hospital, but Dr. Rossi and Allison were reluctant to hire him, because of the news reports on his past. This angered Monica, who felt they should have believed in Tom's innocence. Monica eventually went out to investigate the incident herself and proved Tom's innocence. With his name finally cleared, Tom was able to focus on his personal life and he planned on marrying Monica.
In the end of the series, Rita became pregnant and, although she was diagnosed with anemia
Anemia
Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin...
, gave birth to a healthy boy. Norman feared the health of his wife and was overjoyed with happiness following the labor.
Betty/Rodney/Steven love triangle
Meanwhile, Betty was still married to Rodney, but they grew estranged from each other. This was much to the anger of Martin Peyton, Rodney's very powerful grandfather who staged his own death a few years earlier. Only few people were aware of Martin Peyton's situation, including Betty and Hannah. Betty has had a son, Peyton, of Steven, but refused to let him see him. She let everyone believe that Peyton was Rodney's son and when Steven found out about this, he threatened to reveal the true parentage of Peyton. Hannah discouraged her son from doing so, explaining Peyton would lose the family fortune if turned out he was not Rodney's son. By keeping quiet, Steven was allowed to scheme Rodney out of his company so he could take over, thereby become the empire of Martin Peyton's company.Rodney and Betty eventually divorced so Rodney could marry Allison, who had accepted his proposal. Rodney had accepted his inheritance only to have money to bail out Allison, who was by the time still in jail for Benny Tate's murder. In the meantime, Betty fell in love with Steven, which was boosted by his recently acquired power and wealth. Steven and Betty planned on marrying each other, which worried D. B. Bentley, who thought the quick marriage could hurt Steven's career. Despite Betty's claim D. B. only discouraged him from the marriage because she wanted him herself, Steven followed D. B.'s advice. D. B. indeed attempted to seduce Steven, but Steven noticed D. B. was only doing this to use him for her company, and pretended to fall for her to use her for his company instead. Steven was also occupied ruining Rodney's career most of the time.
Near the end of the series, D. B. was still trying to break up Steven and Betty. Steven realized he could lose Betty if he continued on meeting D. B. and broke contact. He and Betty wanted to leave for the Caribbean to marry. This gladdened Rodney and Allison, who felt they could not plan a wedding until Steven and Betty left. However, before all of this could happen, Martin Peyton announced he was finally returning to town to prohibit the marriages from taking place. With this announcement, the soap opera ended its run.
Original cast
Bettye AckermanBettye Ackerman
Bettye Ackerman was an American actress primarily known for her work on television.Ackerman was born in Cottageville, South Carolina and grew up in Williston in Barnwell County in southwestern South Carolina, one of four children. She graduated from Columbia College in South Carolina in 1945 and...
(1972) and Susan Brown (1972–1974) as Constance MacKenzie Carson
Constance MacKenzie
Constance MacKenzie is a fictional character in the 1956 novel Peyton Place by Grace Metalious. In the subsequent film adaptation, she was played by Lana Turner; in the sequel Return to Peyton Place, by Eleanor Parker; in the primetime television series, by Dorothy Malone ; and in daytime soap...
- The mother of Allison MacKenzie and Matthew Carson, and wife of Elliot Carson. She owns the town bookstore.
Warren Stevens
Warren Stevens
Warren Stevens is an American stage, screen, and television actor.Born in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, Stevens began his acting career after serving in the U.S. Army Air Force as a pilot during World War II. He trained at The Actor's Studio in New York, received notice on Broadway, and thereafter...
as Elliot Carson (1972–1974 – entire run)
- Husband of Constance, father of Matthew and Allison. He spent 18 years in prison for the murder of his first wife, but was later acquitted. He is publisher and editor of the Peyton Place Clarion.
Katherine Glass
Katherine Glass
Katherine Glass is an American actress best remembered for her television work in the 1970s.-Career:Glass was raised as a Roman Catholic in New Haven, Connecticut. Before appearing on television, Glass played in several stock company productions, including Red, White and Maddox and as Trina in...
(1972–1973) and Pamela Susan Shoop
Pamela Susan Shoop
Pamela Susan Shoop is an American character actress in film and on television. She often appeared in shows created by Glen A. Larson.Shoop's best known film role was in the 1981 horror film Halloween II, as Karen, a nurse...
(1973–1974) as Allison MacKenzie Tate
Allison MacKenzie
Allison MacKenzie is a fictional character and one of the protagonists in the novel Peyton Place, its sequel Return to Peyton Place, the subsequent film adaptations of both, and the primetime television series and daytime soap opera they inspired....
- Illegitimate daughter of Elliot and Constance. Upon learning from her mother who her real father was, she ran way and returned to Peyton Place after three years.
Frank Ferguson
Frank Ferguson
Frank Ferguson was an American character actor with hundreds of appearances in both film and television. Perhaps his best known role was as the ranch handyman, Gus Broeberg, on the CBS television series, My Friend Flicka, based on a novel of the same name...
as Eli Carson (1972–1974 – entire run)
- Father of Elliot. He owns and runs the town's general store and gives warm and fatherly advice to everyone.
Lawrence P. Casey (1972) and Yale Summers (1972–1974) as Rodney Harrington
Rodney Harrington
Rod Harrington is a fictional character on the television drama Peyton Place. He was portrayed by Ryan O'Neal. He was also a character on the 1957 film adaptation of the original novel. In this version, he was portrayed by Barry Coe.-Film version:...
- Married to Betty Anderson for the second time, he inherited the Martin Peyton fortune, but refused to accept it. He and his brother, Norman, own two fishing boats.
Julie Parrish
Julie Parrish
Julie Parrish was an American film, stage and television actress....
(1972–1973) and Lynn Loring
Lynn Loring
Lynn Loring is an American actress and producer.She first started acting at the age of seven, playing the role of Patti Barron on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow. She played the role until 1961, when she graduated from high school and explored other opportunities...
(1973–1974) as Betty Anderson Harrington
Betty Anderson
Betty Anderson is a fictional character in the novel Peyton Place, written by Grace Metalious, as well as the subsequent films and TV series based on the novel. In the film, she was played by actress Terry Moore; and in the TV series, she was portrayed by actress Barbara Parkins; in the short-lived...
- Wife of Rodney, once married to Steven Cord. She is unhappy with the simple life, and she and Rodney recently separated.
Ron Russell as Norman Harrington (1972–1974 – entire run)
- Brother of Rodney, husband of Rita Jacks. They have a three-year-old daughter, Laurie.
Patricia Morrow
Patricia Morrow
Patricia Morrow is a former actress, best known for her portrayal of waif-like Rita Jacks in the primetime soap opera Peyton Place from 1965 to 1969.-Acting career:...
as Rita Jacks Harrington (1972–1974 – entire run)
- Wife of Norman, mother of Laurie. She lives to please her husband and is always by his side. She takes over her mother Ada's bar.
Frank Maxwell (1972) and Stacy Harris
Stacy Harris (actor)
Stacy Harris was an American actor with hundreds of film and television appearances.Harris was best known for his role as agent Jim Taylor on ABC Radio's This is Your FBI and, later, for playing varied characters, often villains, on shows produced by Jack Webb's Mark VII Limited, such as Dragnet,...
(1972–1974) as Leslie Harrington
Leslie Harrington
Leslie Harrington is a fictional character in the novel and movie Peyton Place as well as the television series of the same name. In the movie, Leslie was played by actor Leon Ames. Paul Langton played the role in the television series....
- Father of Norman and Rodney. He was once powerful and wealthy. He has alienated from his sons, but hopes by persuading Rodney to accept his inheritance, he will gain power again.
Evelyn Scott
Evelyn Scott (actress)
Evelyn Scott was an American actress.Scott began her career as a disc jockey for KMPC. Her career as an actress started in 1952, guest starring in several shows, including Schlitz Playhouse, Gunsmoke, The Danny Thomas Show, Dragnet, Perry Mason, The Untouchables, and Bonanza...
as Ada Jacks (1972–1974 – entire run)
- Mother of Rita. She owns Ada Jacks' Tavern, by the waterfront.
Guy Stockwell
Guy Stockwell
Guy Harry Stockwell was an American actor who appeared in nearly 30 movies and 250 television series episodes....
as Dr. Michael Rossi
Michael Rossi
Michael Rossi, is a fictional book character from Peyton Place by Grace Metalious. Set in a small New England town whose peaceful facade hides love and passion, scandal and hypocrisy...
(1972–1974 – entire run)
- The town doctor and confidante who has been involved with several women.
Ben Andrews
Ben Andrews (actor)
Ben Andrews was an American actor best remembered for his television work.-Career:Making his first television appearance in the late 1960s, Andrews is perhaps best known for portraying the prominent character Benny and Jason Tate in the daytime soap opera Return to Peyton Place between 1972 and 1973...
as Benny/Jason Tate (1972–1973)
- Benny is a mysterious, menacing figure from Allison's three-year disappearance, who claims to be her husband. Jason is his villainous brother.
Joseph Gallison
Joseph Gallison
Joseph Gallison is an American actor who worked steadily in television soap operas for twenty-seven years. He is probably best known for his role as Dr. Neil Curtis on Days of our Lives ....
as Steven Cord (1972–1974 – entire run)
- The illegitimate son of Martin Peyton's daughter. He was raised as the son of Hannah Cord. Once married to Betty, he is now a lawyer for the Peyton estate.
Mary K. Wells
Mary K. Wells
Mary K. Wells was an American television writer and actress. She acted on Return to Peyton Place, The Secret Storm, The Brighter Day, As the World Turns, Here Come The Waves, The Searching Wind, George Abbott's Three Men On A Horse, Any Wednesday , Edward Albee's Everything In The Garden, The Edge...
as Hannah Cord (1972–1974 – entire run)
- One time mistress and housekeeper for Martin Peyton, she raised Steven Cord as her own son.
John Levin as Matthew Carson (1972–1974 – entire run)
- Three-year-old son of Constance and Elliot Carson.
Additional cast
John HoytJohn Hoyt
John Hoyt was an American film, stage, and television actor.-Early life:Hoyt was born John McArthur Hoysradt. Before becoming an actor with Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre, the Yale University graduate worked as a history instructor, acting teacher and even a nightclub comedian...
as Martin Peyton (1972–1974)
- The powerful and intimidating grandfather of Rodney and Norman Harrington and Steven Cord. Presumed dead in the original series, it turns out he has staged his own death.
Margaret Mason
Margaret Mason
Margaret Mason was an American actress best remembered for her work on soap operas in the 1970s.-Early life and career:...
as Selena Cross Rossi
Selena Cross
Selena Cross is a fictional character in the novel Peyton Place, as well as its sequel, Return to Peyton Place and the films based on the novels.-In the novel:...
(1972–1974)
- A young woman with a troubled past, she marries Michael Rossi.
Mary Frann
Mary Frann
Mary Frann was an American actress best known for her role as Bob Newhart's wife, Joanna Loudon, on the television series Newhart.-Early life and career:...
as D. B. Bentley (1973–1974)
- The chief executive of an international oil complex, D. B. uses her looks and sex appeal for her own favor. During her stay in Peyton Place, she charmed several men, including Elliot and Steven.
Rudy Solari as Bob Whitmore (1973)
- A young man who is in love with Allison. This love, however, remains unanswered.
Charles Sailor as Tom Dana (1973–1974)
- A mysterious doctor who previously caused a car accident, killing his girlfriend Ellen. He was charged with murder, but he was soon released from prison.
Betty Ann Carr
Betty Ann Carr
Betty Ann Carr is an American actress, musician, composer and film editor best remembered for her television work.-Early life:Carr was born to William Raymond and Helen Marie Brown as one-half Cherokee and one-half French and was the oldest of six children...
as Monica Bell (1973–1974)
- A college student who starts working at Ada's Tavern, now owned by Rita. Rita soon grows jealous of Monica's charm.
Production
When the daytime soap opera went into production, the crew tried to prevent a failure by limiting the regular cast members to 15. According to the actors, the original Peyton Place eventually failed due to the large amount of actors working on the show, which confused the viewers. On March 28, 1972, it was announced in a highly publicized media report that the soap opera was slated to air. Thousands of actors tested for the role. Following a long search, Kathy Glass was cast as Allison MacKenzie. The show's writer, James LiptonJames Lipton
James Lipton is an American writer, poet, composer, actor and dean emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York City. He is the executive producer, writer and host of the Bravo cable television series Inside the Actors Studio, which debuted in 1994...
, commented on the casting that Glass was "one of the most gifted actors I've ever worked with. She has incredible flexibility; there's almost nothing she can't do. She has an emotional suppleness you encounter very rarely in an actress of any age. And to find this in an actress is like finding a treasure." Glass asked to be released from her contract in March 1973 and she was replaced by Pamela Susan Shoop
Pamela Susan Shoop
Pamela Susan Shoop is an American character actress in film and on television. She often appeared in shows created by Glen A. Larson.Shoop's best known film role was in the 1981 horror film Halloween II, as Karen, a nurse...
, who made her first appearance on March 13, 1973.
Patricia Morrow
Patricia Morrow
Patricia Morrow is a former actress, best known for her portrayal of waif-like Rita Jacks in the primetime soap opera Peyton Place from 1965 to 1969.-Acting career:...
, who also appeared on the first TV series, initially declined the role, saying she could not combine working five days a week on the show with law school. However, she accepted a contract of two working days a week and she motivated her return by saying: "I really can't turn down money. I have to use what earning power I have right now. Actress Julie Parrish
Julie Parrish
Julie Parrish was an American film, stage and television actress....
, who was named by the media as one of the most promising actresses of the soap, recalled working on the show was very tough, and she admitted she had a breakdown one day on the set. In August 1972, Gail Kobe
Gail Kobe
Gail Kobe is an American actress and producer.-Career:During the 1950s and 1960s, Kobe made dozens of guest appearances on such television programs as Felony Squad, Ironside, The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, Daniel Boone, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables and Mannix...
signed on as the executive producer of the show. On November 18, 1972, Susan Brown replaced Ackerman as Constance MacKenzie, and Margaret Mason
Margaret Mason
Margaret Mason was an American actress best remembered for her work on soap operas in the 1970s.-Early life and career:...
first appeared as Selena Cross. Mary Frann
Mary Frann
Mary Frann was an American actress best known for her role as Bob Newhart's wife, Joanna Loudon, on the television series Newhart.-Early life and career:...
and Charles Sailor joined the cast in June 1973, even though Frann already made her first appearance on May 18, 1973.
In early January 1974, the show was cancelled due to poor ratings. According to actor Ron Russell, who portrayed Norman Harrington, claimed this was due to the slow plot changes of the show, calling the soap opera "the slowest-moving daytime drama in the history." It was a couple of months before the demise that the writers allowed the plot to move at a pace that would hold the interest of the general viewer. According to the loyal viewers, the show would have been able to become more popular had it been on the air for a few weeks extra.
Primetime special
In January 1973, the show aired in primetime for one episode designed to recap details of a murder mystery regarding Benny Tate being investigated in the daytime version. This was the first time a daytime soap opera aired a special episode in primetime.Broadcast history/ratings
see List of US daytime soap opera ratingsReturn replaced Bright Promise
Bright Promise
Bright Promise is an American daytime soap opera that ran on NBC from September 29, 1969 to March 31, 1972. It aired weekdays at 3:30 PM Eastern/2:30 PM Central.-Synopsis:...
on NBC's schedule at 3:30 PM/2:30 Central; despite its attempts to continue the 1960s primetime phenomenon, it performed no better than its predecessor against ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
or CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
' The Edge of Night
The Edge of Night
The Edge of Night is an American television mystery series/soap opera produced by Procter & Gamble. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network until November 28, 1975; the series then moved to ABC, where it aired from December 1, 1975, until December 28, 1984...
. Worse still, in July 1973, CBS debuted its Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
at that slot, and within months it became daytime's top-rated program. In response, NBC pulled Return on January 4 in favor of How to Survive a Marriage
How to Survive a Marriage
How to Survive a Marriage is a soap opera which aired on the NBC television network from January 7, 1974 to April 17, 1975. The serial was created by Anne Howard Bailey, with much input from then-NBC Vice President Lin Bolen...
, another unsuccessful serial.
1971-1972 Season
- 1. As The World Turns 11.1
- 2. General Hospital 10.4
- 3. Days Of Our Lives 9.9
- 11. Return to Peyton Place 7.4 (Debut)
1972-1973 Season
- 1. As The World Turns 10.6
- 2. Days Of Our Lives 9.9
- 3. Another World 9.7
- 13. Return to Peyton Place 7.2
1973-1974 Season
- 1. As The World Turns 9.7
- 1. Days Of Our Lives 9.7
- 1. Another World 9.7
- 4. The Doctors 9.5
- 11. Return to Peyton Place 7.0