Savannah (TV series)

Did You Know?

• The show was filmed entirely on location in Georgia, with exterior scenes shot in Savannah and Atlanta.
• Locations featured included the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge, Forsyth Park, River Street, and Bonaventure Cemetery.
• Towards the end of season two, exterior location filming was replaced by stock establishing-shot footage, and scenes were filmed entirely in Atlanta.

Plot

Set in Savannah, Georgia, the series follows three female friends: naive rich girl Reese Burton, noble Lane McKenzie, and scheming bad girl Peyton Richards. Lane returns from New York for Reese's wedding to Travis Peterson, only to discover Travis has stolen her inheritance. Travis has also been having an affair with Peyton, who envies Reese's wealth. Intrigue involves Tom Massick, a stranger with a score to settle, and the revelation that Peyton's father is Reese's father Edward, making them half-sisters.

Development

Savannah was the first drama series produced for The WB, which had launched in January 1995 with primarily sitcoms. Garth Ancier, president of the WB's entertainment division, stated the network saw an opportunity to attract female viewers with a one-hour drama opposite the networks' two-hour movies, similar to Fox's male-oriented comedy block on Sunday nights. Executive producer Aaron Spelling called Savannah a young Dynasty and a little touch of Gone with the Wind if done in 1996.

The series focuses on three young women with lifelong friendship but little in common as adults. Reese is described as rich and pampered yet unselfish; Lane as perky, levelheaded, and loyal; Peyton as a street-wise bad girl jealous of Reese's wealth. Travis is called the nastiest guy this side of J. R. Ewing and the most multifaceted liar in the world. Reese's father loves his daughter but has a secret; Tom falls in love with Reese but has a secret; and upright cop Dean loves Lane but has two secrets.

Broadcast history

The first season aired between January 21, 1996 and April 7, 1996, with the first two episodes shown together as a two-hour Saturday sneak preview. Remaining season one episodes aired on Sunday nights. Savannah was the most successful program on The WB at the time and was renewed for a second season by April 1996. The second season moved to Monday nights, with 22 episodes broadcast between August 26, 1996 and February 24, 1997 at 9:00 pm following 7th Heaven.

The show was cancelled at season's end; Ancier noted it had a rough season creatively and that serial dramas do not repeat well, making the investment too expensive. Its mid-season replacement was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the United Kingdom, the first season aired on ITV on June 28, 1996 and became the highest rated new American series of that year, but the second season was not network broadcast and aired in different ITV regions at different times.

Reception

Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret News wrote that the Savannah premiere was sort of classy in a trashy kind of way, describing the show as lush, lusty and lively and comparing it to tasty junk food. He credited writers Jim Stanley and Diane Messina Stanley for making Savannah a cut above Spelling's other prime-time soaps, Melrose Place and Beverly Hills, 90210.