Backed by Warner Bros. and Paramount and managed by former Fox executives, WB and UPN joined Fox, ABC, CBS and NBC in 1995 to make up the six broadcast TV networks. At the time, WB and UPN offered programming schedules for three nights a week only. The viewing nights on WB were Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday.
Jamie Kellner of WB reportedly approached Aaron Spelling to produce a show catering to the 18-to-24-year-old women demographic about lives south of the Mason-Dixon Line. From the outset, Aaron Spelling made known, "It's really important that I tell you the truth about this show. This is not something that we created. This is not something that started with us." 'The New York Times' expressed, "This is an egalitarian society that exists only in Southern (comfort) fantasies." Scott Pierce observed, "Mimi Kennedy plays the haughty society matron like a sublime shark."
Set in Georgia against the backdrop of "Southern passion, romance, wealth and power", 'Savannah' sought to explore the troubled relationships of three girlfriends, the blonde Reese Burton, the redhead Peyton Richards and the brunette Lane McKenzie. All joined by life-long friendships but divided by their bloodlines. 'Entertainment Weekly' pointed out that if Alexis of 'Dynasty' was the perfect rich witch for the Reagan Era, Peyton could be the definitive pinup for the Age of Buchanan (Patrick J. Buchanan was campaigning for the Republican Presidential nomination at the time).
Dianne Messina Stanley and James Stanley developed the series by relying on every technique they learned from their years working on shows such as 'Knots Landing'. E. Duke Vincent emphasized, "'Savannah' is a night-time soap opera, so obviously there are characters that are more sensational than citizens. You can accommodate the local lore, traditions and practices, but you can't be confined by that."
Chris Kaltenbach summarized the first season: "A, B and C are best friends. A is marrying D, who is really in lust with B, who has really hated A all these years. So D tells B he'll divorce A after he's gotten all her money and marry B. Only problem is, A had D sign a pre-nuptial agreement, which ticks off B when she finds out. So she decides to ruin D, who it turns out is a real slime, having stolen umpteen thousands from C's trust fund over the years. C discovers what D has been doing and sets out to confront him - with help from E, a former boyfriend who's recently divorced and still carries a torch for C."
George Eads revealed playing D (Travis Peterson) was his first big acting job. George was working at a Hollywood athletic club at the time and couldn't leave to go to the audition, "so I asked my boss if I could go get a hamburger at the Burger King. Honestly, I went and drove right by Burger King and went to the audition. I had a short time, learned the lines on the fly, and went up and all of a sudden I was up in Aaron Spelling's office."
Aaron Spelling was impressed, made a call to George Eads' agent and asked for some film of the young actor's work to be sent over. Aaron recounted, "There was the longest dead silence on the telephone I've ever heard in my life. But he has been amazing - a tough role to play, very little experience and he is not only one of the nicest guys in the world to work with, but I really think he kicks butt in this." Of his character, George Eads conceded, "At first, I wasn't excited because I thought, gosh, this guy's a real jerk. Then I thought, well, it's about the work. This is what I do. Let's commit to it and make him jerk a la mode. Super jerk."
The first 12 episodes shown between January and April 1996 in the 9pm Sunday slot averaged 3.6% households ratings and 5% audience share (about 4 million viewers a week watched). The second season (22 episodes shown on Monday nights between August 1996 and February 1997) averaged 2.5% households ratings and 3% audience share (about 2 million viewers a week watched).
As reported, "From July 19 until August 4, 1996, Atlanta hosted the Centennial Summer Olympic Games, the largest event in the city's history. For the first time in Olympic history, all 197 recognized National Olympic Committees were represented at the Games." 'The Washington Post' reported, "During the first season, the producers tried to duplicate the look of Savannah as much as possible while filming in Atlanta, but to get the feel of the city, they actually had to go there."
E. Duke Vincent elaborated, "This year (the second season) we went down there and filmed for eight days (during the Olympics) and we plan to go back. The people of Savannah are not jaded. We were welcomed with open arms."
'The Washington Post' continued, "Thousands of people turned out to cheer the cast when they participated in the city's annual St. Patrick's Day parade and received the key to the city."
Mayor Floyd Adams Jr., a Democrat, told 'The Washington Post' 'Savannah' had helped promote local tourism, "It's not really representative of the community, but that's not a bad thing." 'The Washington Post' continued, "Some secondary location filming is done in Savannah, so there are a few sites in the series that one familiar with the city would recognize. Brian Knopp, a sales manager for the River Street Riverboat Company, believes that any publicity the city and its attractions receive is good.
"The paddle-wheel steamer used in some of the opening sequences is the one docked in Savannah. Even though the show's current (in 1996) storyline involves a riverboat casino, those shots are not done on the city's S.S. Savannah - which was rechristened in honor of the show."
Thelma Hodges lived in Savannah all of her 88 years told 'The Washington Post', "I think it's great. It has different little scenes of Savannah. It's (the series location) just like Savannah. Really, it's a little bit of truth and a little bit of television."
