Peyton Place was an extremely popular television show, which was based on a popular, but controversial novel. Both were sexually driven and had many critics of its inappropriate nature on paper and on television. It was the first of many sexually driven soap opera to come. It discussed the manipulations and secretive love affairs of a small New England town. Grace De Repentigny, who was otherwise known as Pandora in Blue Jeans, was the author of the novel, Peyton Place. She wrote Peyton Place at the time when she was living in Manchester. Peyton Place was based on a true story of a case that happened in 1947 in Gilmanton. The trial was about a girl who had killed her father. Her defense was that he had molested her. The novel revolved around the lives of three women- lonely and withdrawn Constance Mackenzie, her illegitimate daughter Allison, and her employee Selena Cross, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Despite the controversy Peyton Place became the number 1 best seller and later became the first night time soap opera. There was a large following of teenagers who would mark up the "good parts" of the book and pass it along amongst their friends.

The director Paul Monash, known for his work on The Untouchables television show, was asked to adapt the novel into a television show. They did not want the show to be as sexually charged and scandalous as the novel. They called it Eden Hill at first, but it was quickly returned to the name of Peyton Place. The pilot ran an hour long and was called "a brilliant hour of film, one of the best pilots ever aired," by Richard Zanuck (Vice President of Fox). Peyton Place first aired on television on September 15, 1964 in half hour episodes on ABC. The response to the show was mixed, but it became a commercial success. Monash with Fox signed a three-year contract for $300,000 annually, but after only forty-two episodes were filmed, they stopped producing the show. ABC wanted the storyline to turn to murder, so the idea of having Constance MacKenzie kill Elliot Carson to protect her secret. Monash refused the idea and said he would quit. Production was stalled for ten days. Once new writers were brought on, they decided to not kill off Elliot Carson, but to have him written as the husband of Constance MacKenzie.

Many fans of the show say it was the best story ever told.