Peyton Place: The Next Generation (1985 TV Movie) User Reviews (4)

The Way They Were

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 3 May 2012]

In a big improvement over the prior "Murder in Peyton Place" (1977) TV-movie, "Peyton Place: The Next Generation" finds a more respectable nine original players back in town. As in previous versions, super-blonde Dorothy Malone (as Constance MacKenzie) and "Clarion" editor Tim O'Connor (as Elliot Carson) have returned to the cast. Doctor do-gooder Ed Nelson (as Michael "Mike" Rossi) has presumably been cleared of murder charges (but appears without fiancée "Marsha Russell"). Favorite couple Christopher Connelly (as Norman "Norm" Harrington) and Patricia "Pat" Morrow (as Rita Jacks) are reunited, and have their much hoped-for child, curly-haired Tony Quinn (as Joey Harrington)...

Truth be told, several of the originally popular characters could be a bit of a bore (which is why several of those playing them left town). Apart from George Macready's delightfully manipulative old "Martin Peyton", the more exciting players were beautifully figured Barbara Parkins (as Betty Anderson) and determined lawyer James Douglas (as Steven Cord) - both are back, and in fine form. Veteran supporting players Evelyn Scott (as Ada) and Ruth Warwick (as Hannah) are also nice to see. And, handsome John Beck (as Dorian Blake) is a good newcomer...

"The Next Generation" is led by the very sexy coupling of Bruce Greenwood (as Dana Harrington) and Marguerite Hickey (as Megan MacKenzie). The new story presents a new set of continuity errors, but they are far less pained. The most mind-bending is the presence of Deborah Goodrich (as Kelly Carson) as the Carson's daughter, in place of the inexplicably absent baby "Matthew". Nobody seems to recall that baby "Kelly" was ultimately found to be the daughter of "Jill Smith" and "Joe Rossi" - probably DNA testing turned the town upside-down. This sequel was most successful at updating the original "Peyton Place" tone, and it would have made a good launching pad for a new series.

******* Peyton Place: The Next Generation (5/13/85) Larry Elikann ~ James Douglas, Barbara Parkins, Bruce Greenwood, Marguerite Hickey

Lots of fun

[preppy-3 · 10/10 · 6 November 2003]

I remember when this showed on TV back in 1985. It was testing the waters to see if there was any interest in starting a night time soap of "Peyton Place". Sadly, this bombed. That's too bad. It was well-acted and directed and never dull.

It was no masterpiece but a very good, well-done TV movie. You didn't have to have seen the original series to understand this--the movie introduces all the characters and situations. Also there are "flashbacks" to the old TV series (in b&w of course) which are fun. It's REAL interesting to see Mia Farrow and Ryan O'Neal so young and healthy.

Recommended--but it probably doesn't pop up often.

A soap opera has every right to change its mind.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 31 January 2020]

Fun silliness changes events from the 1977 TV movie, making Allison alive (catatonic other than telling illegitimate daughter Megan (Marguerite Hickey) off screen all about Peyton Place) and bringing back characters like Hannah Cord (Ruth Warrick) and Ada Jacks (Evelyn Scott) as well as the original Steven Cord (James Douglas) while giving an 80's feel with the rebel without a cause teens. One of them is Constance's younger daughter (Deborah Goodrich) who is resentful of Megan's arrival, creating a new bad girl to take Betty Anderson's place.

Barbara Parkins, as Betty, is engaged to the ambitious John Beck, continuing to resent the presence of the Mrs. Danvers like Warrick, observing everything and keeping big secrets. She may be still the Peyton mansion housekeeper, but she's every bit as imperious as the grand dame of Pine Valley, Phoebe Tyler Wallingford. Warrick has a lot of fun in her few scenes giving Parkins hell because she knows she can't be fired. But there is a joy to her when a secret is exposed, and she is delightful to watch, although I came out of this knowing absolutely nothing about Hannah Cord having never seen her on the TV series.

Is this the parallel universe version of "Peyton Place" with its "Dark Shadows" like switch to an alternate world, or should we just forget about 1977, or should we just not care and enjoy each one for what it is? Flashbacks of Mia Farrow are seen as Norman Harrington recalls his past. With the growing love between young folks, the older folks fear incest with Megan and Dan (Bruce Greenwood), Betty and the late Rodney's son. It gets a bit convoluted but it's fun nonetheless with the soapy structure. There's no revelation how Rodney died in this parallel universe version of the show, so there is a lot missing in the way of exposition.

It's pretty obvious from the start who the villain is going to be and they get pretty much the same type of pay-off as the villain from the previous movie from the other "PP" universe. I didn't feel a passion for a good percentage of the young characters, and there was nothing special about the veteran characters to make me want to start trying to watch the original series once again. (I found the set-up for the original series a dreadful bore in spite of having loved the two big screen films made at 20th Century Fox.) By this time, prime time soaps were beginning a slow decline, and it was obvious from this that a series would not return any of them to Peyton Place, at least not in the veteran cast member's lifetimes.

A wonderful sequel to the series...

[johnchowell · 21 May 2021]

This is one of my favorite made-for-TV movies. I watch it quite often, in fact, I'm watching it right now! I'm a huge fan of the movie and TV series so I knew I would love this movie, and I did. The mixture of the original players and the newcomers is perfect, with enough scenes from the original show to keep viewers of the original show interested.