Peyton Place Peyton Place: The Next Generation - could it have worked as a pilot?

[tommie]

Elliot Carson sits at his desk typing about Allison on the anniversary of her disappearance.

And a stranger has arrived in Peyton Place, which at least rings true to how the original would introduce a character and then have all plots center around them.

"Does anyone know who I am?" - Rachel Welles vibes. At least it doesn't seem like a disaster like Murder In Peyton Place.

 

[Alexis]

Maybe on that cold day in hell?

 

[Willie Oleson]

Haven't you finished watching yet? LOL

 

[tommie]

Ok, so Allison indeed did have a baby in this timeline. Allison is still a nutcase and Kelly is her baby.

 

[tommie]

Hannah Cord is suddenly living with Betty due to Martin Peyton's will specifying that she'd stay on as a housekeeper.

I can ironically see the issue here - they rely way too heavily on the previous series (but at the same time, not really) and it doesn't seem accessible to those who hadn't watched it.

Edit: ok wait, Megan is Allison's daughter, Kelly is Connie and Elliot's daughter? Wtf?

 

[tommie]

Erm, Steven is now a drunk? What? What is happening here?

 

[tommie]

It's an odd combination here - because this pilot sort of requires you to have pre-hand knowledge of the series and at the same time accept obvious changes to the timeline (such as Matthew suddenly being Kelly); the basic plot seems ok. Long-lost daughter of Allison MacKenzie comes into town. I wish they had found a better actress to play her and more focus around her and adjusting to her new settings and gradually introducing others might've worked better.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Matthew is an adult now so it's possible that he's living somewhere else.
In a weird way, Kelly as the Carson daughter almost makes sense. She was almost their grandchild in the original series, you could retcon this into Kelly being Allison's child for real. And then the Carsons adopt her and raise her as their "daughter".
A continuation could have clarified this and then pitch the half-sisters against each other - the saccharine lovely one and the bitchy brat.
Either way, there wasn't much new material to work with and there's no point in reminiscing a past we've already seen.
Dana couldn't have been Steven's son unless Betty had been pregnant for 16 months or so. It's a bit of a shambles but not nearly as horrific as MIPP.

 

[tommie]

Matthew is an adult now so it's possible that he's living somewhere else.
In a weird way, Kelly as the Carson daughter almost makes sense. She was almost their grandchild in the original series, you could retcon this into Kelly being Allison's child for real. And then the Carsons adopt her and raise her as their "daughter".
A continuation could have clarified this and then pitch the half-sisters against each other - the saccharine lovely one and the bitchy brat.
Either way, there wasn't much new material to work with and there's no point in reminiscing a past we've already seen.
Dana couldn't have been Steven's son unless Betty had been pregnant for 16 months or so. It's a bit of a shambles but not nearly as horrific as MIPP.

If they wanted to give the Carsons a daughter they could've, as you said, had them have another child/adopt a daughter. They could've mentioned Matthew being away in "college" or something. With that said, this feels a bit "be careful what you wish for" - they attempted to reference to history, but it becomes very convulted because obviously they tried to fit in history with what they wanted to do.

But yes, a clearer focus on the half-sisters coming to blows would've been better. It feels terribly unfocused.

And wtf, did they just kill off Allison again? Wow, they really didn't like Mia Farrow.

 

[Alexis]

And wtf, did they just kill off Allison again? Wow, they really didn't like Mia Farrow.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing twice.

 

[tommie]

Again, with a convulted murder plot - I get that this was done as a movie, but the original seemed effortlessly casual despite everyone being completely neurotic. I guess this just feels hopelessly plot-driven and not character-driven. It makes sense with being produced in the mid-80s, but ack! The missed opportunities, because there are good ideas in there.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Allison is the Peyton Place equivalent of Pam Ewing. It simply wasn't a good idea to bring her back into the story.
Rodney, on the other hand...that could be a "who's the real daddy?" plot line. Betty trying to avoid it, Hannah knowing too much and scheming in the background.
That's your pilot in two sentences, it really isn't that difficult.

Not that Ryan O'Neal would do it, and maybe a recast would be better anyway. He hadn't aged as gracefully as James Douglas. Is that a bitchy thing to say?