Episode List

Dr. Michael Rossi arrives by train in the small New England town of Peyton Place. He is greeted at the station by teenager Rodney Harrington and his girlfriend, Betty Anderson, who drive him to the local inn. Rodney catches his father, Leslie Harrington, wealthy head of the Peyton Place Mills, kissing his secretary Julie Anderson, Betty's mother. Betty is confused by the sudden change in Rodney's demeanor and his conflicted silence. They break off in anger and Rodney drives away. He encounters virginal Allison MacKenzie, a special friend of his shy younger brother, Norman Harrington. Allison and Rodney are seen kissing by Constance MacKenzie, Allison's over-protective mother. Dr. Rossi befriends Matthew Swain, editor of the "Peyton Place Clarion".

Norman learns that Rodney is after Allison. Leslie urges Rodney to forget what he saw last night. Dr. Rossi gets settled and meets Constance, whom he's sure that he knows, which worries her.

Dr. Rossi tells Betty she may be pregnant. Laura decides to stay on as Rossi's secretary. Matthew urges Connie to tell Allison the truth about her birth. Betty tries to talk to Rodney. Dr. Rossi remembers Connie and the circumstances of her pregnancy.

Lesley Harrington tells July Anderson he loves here. July says she cannot leave George, because she still loves George, despite things he does and despite she is afraid of him. Constance visits Mike Rossi to tell the truth, about the birth of Allison After breaking up with Betty, Rodney has a date with Allison. He puts all his charms on her to make her feel special, Betty is desperate because Rodney left her, she tells her mother she thinks she is pregnant. George comes home angry and beats his wife.

After George beats up Julie, he asks for help with doctor Rossi, to whom he tells she fell off the stairs. Later, he tells to his daughter she is too good for Rodney. Michael confronts Constance with the fact she is shutting him out of her life. Meanwhile, Leslie asks Rod why he broke up with Betty. Leslie's affair with Julie comes up, which Norman hears. They are interrupted with George, who visits the Harrington house, tells Leslie about Julie's situation.

When Andrea Nichols asks Norman out for a date, he blames Rod for setting them up. Rod did this so he can go out with Allison. When Betty finds out Rodney went out on a date with Allison, she is shocked. Meanwhile, George feels guilty about hitting his wife and tries to make up with her. Matthew visits Constance and urges her to tell the truth about her father. Meanwhile, at the party, Betty steals the attention from Rodney, which does not please Allison. She ends up dumping Rodney, after she sees Betty flirting with him.

Rodney makes up with Allison and they end up almost kissing, before they are interrupted. Meanwhile, George wants to make up with Julie and she purposes to go in therapy, which makes George angry.

Constance comes back from her night out with doctor Rossi and invites him in. Rodney thinks Allison is not interested in him. She ends up going home crying and blames her mother for her being afraid to love someone. The next day, doctor Rossi tells a shocked Betty she is pregnant. She next is afraid to tell her father. Julie forces her to tell Rod about the pregnancy. Meanwhile, Rodney invites Allison over for brunch. Michael is introduced to doctor Robert Morton. Norman is sad when he sees Rod and Allison together.

It's the yearly Peyton Place Founders Festival. Allison is at the Harrington house for a family brunch. Leslie finds out Catherine isn't feeling well. Rod tells Allison he loves her and they kiss. Meanwhile, Julie forces Betty to tell Rod about her pregnancy, but he doesn't want to talk to her. Catherine becomes suspicious of Leslie's long working hours and thinks he has an affair with Julie. They admit to each other they are unhappy. At the festival, Connie becomes jealous when she sees Michael with Laura. So is Betty, when she sees Rod with Allison.

Rossi intercepts Betty before she gets to Rodney and questions her intentions. Although she wants to be Rod's girl, Betty expresses reluctance in entrapping him. Later, Betty presses Leslie Harrington for the reason his son rejected her. Unwittingly, Leslie reveals that Betty's mother, Julie, was in the office with him when Rod came in on that fateful night. George Anderson speaks with Dr. Rossi about his medication. Rossi, more concerned with George's violence toward his wife, suggests psychiatric therapy. Leslie confesses his slip of tongue with Betty to Julie, who decides to resign from her position at the mill. Unhappy in his own marriage, Leslie is not yet ready to give up on Julie. Watching Rod and Allison dancing in the bandstand, Betty determines to make him aware of her pregnancy.

While the fireworks of the festival are shot in the air, Rodney and Allison kiss. They are interrupted by Betty, who says she wants to talk to Rod. Meanwhile, Constance joins Michael and Laura for dinner. While Rod is talking to Betty, Allison is being harassed by biker Jimmy. She is rescued by George, who then finds out she's dating with Rodney. When he gets home, Julie tells him she has quited her job. Back in the car, Betty asks Rod what his feelings for Allison are. She tells him she knows about the affair of Leslie and Julie and confronts him with her pregnancy. Rodney is shocked and decides to drive back to Peyton Place. On their way, they are hit by a truck. Rod struggles to get out of the car and Betty is unconscious.

Matthew tells to Allison and Constance, Rodney and Betty were involved in a car accident. He says Betty is badly injured and is in surgery in the hospital. When George finds out, he is enraged and takes out on Leslie, blaming his son Rodney for the cause. When Leslie confronts Rodney about the accidents, Rodney admits he planned to run away town with Allison, but can't anymore now because of Betty. Later, doctor Rossi doesn't want George around the recovering Betty. He leaves and demands Leslie to force Rodney to get back with Betty. Meanwhile, Matthew asks Allison not to call him uncle Matt anymore.

Doctor Rossi informs Julie and George that Betty had a miscarriage because of the car accident. Julie later visits her daughter and tells her George knows about the former pregnancy. Rodney tells Allison he has to be with Betty. Meanwhile, Leslie visits Betty and she gives him a hard time. She comes to his point and says he wants her to leave town and put the baby - he doesn't know about the miscarriage - up for adoption. She later tells to her dad about her conversation with Leslie and he swears revenge. Rodney drops in and suggests for them to marry. She knows he only does it because of the pregnancy. She accepts and doesn't tell him about her miscarriage.

Although Julie Anderson wanted her daughter to tell Rodney about the miscarriage, Betty plays out her deception and marries Rod before a Justice of the Peace in nearby White River. The following morning, Rod's conspicuous absence at the Harrington breakfast table alerts the family to the fact that he has eloped. Catherine Harrington is appalled that Leslie would allow the marriage to take place; Norman does his best to defend Betty. Leslie heads to the Anderson home to learn that Betty, too, is absent. George rants about their new relationship and his plans for starting an insurance business. When Leslie reveals that he offered Betty a way out of her predicament, George, constantly reliving his war experiences, strikes out at Leslie. His erratic behavior disgusts both Les and Julie.

Betty tells Allison she and Rodney are married. When she tells Constance, she is mad and wants to do something, but is stopped by Michael. Constance becomes mad at her. Before Rod and Betty go to the Harrington house to inform them about their marriage, they stop by the Andersons. Julie confronts her daughter with not telling about her miscarriage. Meanwhile, Catherine again confronts Leslie about his contacts with Julie. When Rodney and Betty arrive, Leslie welcomes Betty in their family. When Rodney is out to get some champagne, Leslie tells her he only married her because of the pregnancy.

Betty attempts niceties with her new mother-in-law, but Catherine is perfectly cold toward her. Norman uses his mother's illness as an excuse for her rude behavior. Betty pays a call on Dr. Rossi, who urges her to tell Rod the truth about the baby while, later, her father reassures her on her course of action. Having already made plans with Constance, Rossi declines a country club date with Laura Brooks, who observes them driving away. Constance is visibly upset when Rossi takes her to the old Carson cottage, which he has rented from Eli Carson, a bronchitis patient. Constance reveals that a woman was murdered in the cottage around the time of the war.

Leslie tells Betty he accepts her as a Harrington member. Next, doctor Morton comes over to check on the sick Catherine. She asks him to spy on Betty, whenever she visits the hospital. Meanwhile, George visits Leslie at work to come up and get Julie's stuff. He apologizes to Leslie about hitting him. He also tells him he is going to open his own agency. Leslie doesn't want to lose him as a salesman, but George declines. Michael asks Connie out on a date again and she accepts. Allison is being gossiped about by classmates. Robert runs into Matthew and tells him he has his doubts about doctor Rossi. He next goes to Michael and asks about Betty. Michael doesn't let go any information and threatens doctor Morton with his job when Robert says he thinks Betty is manipulative.

Eli Carson receives a special delivery letter and rushes to Dr. Rossi's office. He reveals that his son, who has been imprisoned for murdering his wife eighteen years ago, may soon be paroled. Elliot Carson has maintained his innocence all these years and is determined to prove it. Eli is concerned that Elliot may want to take possession of his old beach cottage which was recently rented to Rossi. Upon hearing of Elliot's imminent release, Constance confesses to Rossi that the photograph of Allison's father on the mantle is a fake; there never was a Mr. MacKenzie. Before going out of town, Dr. Morton pays a call to the Harrington home. While he doesn't reveal his knowledge to Catherine, he makes it obvious to Betty that he is aware of her deception. During his absence, Catherine takes a turn for the worse and Laura Brooks summons Dr. Rossi to the house.

Newlyweds Rod and Betty dine at the Inn with her parents, unaware of the drama being enacted at the Harrington home. With Dr. Morton away in Boston, Rossi attends to the ailing Catherine (Peyton) Harrington. A ruptured ulcer is his initial diagnosis, but Rossi takes her to the hospital for further tests. Morton calls Rossi at the hospital and insists the junior doctor await his return---since Catherine is his patient. As Catherine's condition worsens, and without any other available doctors to confirm his diagnosis, Rossi feels he must operate immediately. Leslie Harrington wavers over granting consent, prefering to wait for Morton.

Returning to the Harrington home following dinner with Betty's parents, Rodney learns that his mother has been rushed to the hospital. Betty, who has just had an argument with Rod, presses him to go without her. She packs a bag and heads for the bus station, but is ultimately dissuaded from leaving town by Allison MacKenzie. Believing Catherine can't wait for Morton's arrival at the hospital, Rossi once again pressures Leslie for permission to operate. Leslie reluctantly agrees. Midway through surgery, Morton arrives and causes commotion in the operating room by insisting he take over. Despite Rossi's efforts, Catherine Harrington expires. Learning of his wife's death, Leslie admits he should have waited for Morton, who denies Rossi's request for an autopsy and vows to run the younger doctor out of town.