Peyton Place
 
(1964-1969)

Drama / Soap Opera

Created By Grace Metalious

Cast:

Dorothy Malone as Constance MacKenzie
Warner Anderson as Matthew Swain
Ed Nelson as Dr. Michael Rossi
Mia Farrow as Allison MacKenzie
Ryan O'Neal as Rodney Harrington
Barbara Parkins as Betty Anderson
Kasey Rogers as Julie Anderson
Henry Beckman as George Anderson
Paul Langton as Leslie Harrington
Christopher Connelly as Norman Harrington
Patricia Breslin as Laura Brooks
Mary Anderson as Catherine Harrington
Frank Ferguson as Eli Carson
Kent Smith as Dr. Robert Morton

Peyton place was an American Prime time Soap Opera that aired in black and white and color on ABC for a total of five seasons and ran 514 episodes from September 15th, 1964 to June 2nd, 1969.  It was based upon the 1956 novel by Grace Metalious with the same name.  The soap opera was set in the 1960's and it ranks number two in the production of more episodes than any other dramatic series in primetime history, second only to Gunsmoke which accumulated over 600 episodes.

The series took some plots from the novel, but not as controversial as the novel. For example, they did not touch on incest, but instead did focus on teen pregnancy.  The show was  criticized for some of the sexual themes that it dealt with.  The show was one of the first seen on network television to talk about sex and infidelity in a frank manner and the TV series told the story of life in a small New England village.