Peyton Place Part One (1964 1965/Shout! Factory DVD)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: D Episodes: C+
Based off of the hit movie and book, Fox launched Peyton Place as a half-hour soap opera
and the first for primetime TV.
Unintentionally funny now, the melodramatic sudster about a small town
with endless personal problems and secrets had a cast that included Mia Farrow,
Ed Nelson, Barbara Parkins, Dorothy Malone, Henry Beckman and a Ryan ONeal so
new that he was not even listed in the main cast, but as a supporting
player. Shout! Factory has issued a nice
chunk of the first episodes in this Part
One DVD set and 31 shows are here over 5 DVDs.
It is one of the last soap operas of its kind before
social changes would change the daytime shows and the genre itself was going
though changes from Dark Shadows to
new twists on the hit daytime series so they could keep up with the times and
the audience. Also amusing here is the
voice over guy telling us about the last and next episodes as if this will hook
us more and in case we missed anything.
However, these are some good actors doing amusing work and after the
1980s daytime series have paraded their way onto DVD, the arrival of the TV Peyton Place is long overdue and
welcome enough.
The 1.33
X 1 image is shot on black and white 35mm film.
These new transfers look really good and in contrast to the black and
white videotape of its daytime competitors was a revelation at the time likely
helping it be a hit. The Dolby Digital
2.0 Mono is on the clean and clear side, especially for its age. Fox managed to store these shows well. There are no extras, but maybe next time.
- Nicholas Sheffo
