Melrose Place

[KMan101]

I agree. It was also a big shift in character for Amanda. The character took a huge nosedive. At least Season 7 attempted to bring the real Amanda back.

[rlj]

This is true but the Ryan/Tasylor thing is kinda true, it was what the original hostility between the two brothers was about when Ryan showed up a few seasons later!

[aMLCproduction]

Season 6 is turning out to be pretty good. I still can't stand Taylor. I can't stand jennifer. The show is weaker with all the core folks gone but it's still good turing out to b e better than season 5. I don't like Craig. Like why is he even there?

[Gray Bunny]

My bf and I recently rewatched season 6 and it's more like trainwreck / watching-out-of-loyalty TV. It's not gripping drama, nor are their clear identifiable characteristics, but it's campy craziness. I remember when David Charvet (Craig) left the show, and Soap Opera Digest made a lil blurb about it, saying "from the moment he joined MP, it looked like he didn't want to be there." So very true!

One thing that made us not enjoy this season as much was the lack of Heather Locklear. She was pregnant in real life, so a lot of her screentime was reduced before and after she had the baby, although I must say they did a pretty good job at covering up her pregnancy (though she constantly wore black). But even after she returned, they did not write Amanda correctly. She seemed to give up on life and not fight. That's not the Amanda we know and love!

And what she does on a whim at the end of this season--- I won't spoil it if you're not there yet--- is just a WTF? moment.

I wish they had included those last 6-7 episodes that were originally supposed to be part of Season 6 on to this DVD set. It's funny how there'll be this mass exodus of characters leaving during the 7th episode into the 7th season, and there'll suddenly be an updated opening & new castmembers. And the focus totally changes in the last season, for the better.

Edited October 19, 2011 by Gray Bunny

[Cheap21]

You really like season 6? I thought it was an awful mess.

I loved Jennifer. She was one of my favorite parts of the season especially her relationship with

towards the end. Yeah she was a Sydney clone but I didnt mind

Craig was awful. The WORST main character created post-season 1 IMO. There was nothing likeable about him and he was highly annoying. He was brought on as a foil to Michael but I found myself always rooting for Michael even though he was painted out to always be in the wrong. Speaking of which the writing for Michael was so goofy and stupid. He was a good villian in the early seasons with such a likeable charm about him which kept you from hating him but he became a joke here, a real buffon. Season 6 Michael is more like an exagerated caricature of the character

Thats EXACTLY how I would describe it as. By this point, you are only watching bc you've already invested 5 seasons into this show and characters adn want to see it till the end before it gets cancelled bc S6 was so bad, that that was inevitable

Speaking of Amanda, didnt they cut the season short bc she was pregnant? I think it ended in like Feb or March. I had no clue the final season 6 episodes wernt in the DVD set. Thats odd bc while it was tacked together with season 7, it was like a night and day difference between the 2 episodes that marked the transition

Speaking of season 7, it marks the return of Jane! That automatically made me interested with the show again.

Also aMLC, keep an eye out for Lexie. She goes through one of the most DRASTIC transformations ever on this show. I cant even remember if there's a reason given for her change but she's like 2 different characters from season 6 to 7.

Edited October 19, 2011 by Cheap21

[Gray Bunny]

Yes, it's funny how Lexi changes because all through season 6 she is so sweet and innocent, and then BAM! Pure bitchy goodness.

Yes, I loved the return of Jane. When Michael sees her, it's like this glimpse back into the past Melrose magic.

Heather Locklear had her baby in October 1997 I think, and they did a lot of pre-taping and post-taping.

What happened is that Melrose's ratings were sharply declining, so FOX decided to pull the last 6-7 (can't remember which number so I'll go with SIX!) episodes from the 1997-98 season and had the show's finale in March (it was actually just a normal episode, not a "finale" episode) and then they ran the remaining episodes of Season 6 during the summer, to try to recapture the magic of the past when FOX would air their younger-skewing shows during the summer months ahead of the fall schedule.

It'll be quite noticable to see the change between the leftovers of season 6 and the start of season 7 when they release it on DVD, not only because of the huge cast changes, but because there's also a time gap (I think 3 months). That's how it originally aired too. Suddenly it's 3 months later.

Edited October 20, 2011 by Gray Bunny

[DRW50]

I guess by the '90s that wasn't happening on TV but I wonder sometimes why they didn't just have Matt become one of those suddenly bisexual characters, instead of wasting Doug Savant year in and year out (aside from a few stories like that hysterical drug addiction). Have him sleep with Amanda and say she can turn any man.

Years ago I would have been offended by this, so I guess many others would too, but the writing for Matt just sucked...

[Cheap21]

Matt was SOOOO boring. His storylines were so isolated from everyone else that it was very easy to just ignore and gloss over him. He was at his most interesting in season 2 and 3 when he was more involved in the shenanigans of Michael, Kimberly and Sydney, but on his own, he was quite the bore

[Huntress]

They should have written out Matt at the end of season 1. He could have moved in with Rhonda and her husband and be their housekeeper or whatever. The only thing I liked about Matt was his friendship with Michael, although it was pretty much one-sided.

It would have been funny if Matt had developed a secret crush on Michael and had stalked one of his wives – instead of Matt getting being called a stalker by the wife of that plastic surgeon he dated in season 3.

[Cheap21]

Kimberly insinuated that Matt had feelings for Michael at least one time in season 3. It might have been interesting if they followed through with that

[DRW50]

I think Doug Savant wanted to do a story like that, although maybe I'm making that up.

[Gray Bunny]

The only Matt storylines I really liked were the brief "marriage" to the Russian woman, only because I loved her daughter played by Mara Wilson. Then, there was the good ol' Season 3 cliffhanger storyline with the doctor setting Matt up for his wife's murder. Other than that, it was one moody boyfriend after the other, whether they were HIV positive or a closeted soap actor, etc. I hated how Matt was always so offended that his "lovers" weren't open and out. It's like DUH! It's the 90's! Guys don't want to lose their jobs! They don't want to be bashed or ostracised! Matt was so one-dimensional in his insistence that his "lovers" be out, proud, and waving a rainbow flag.

[aMLCproduction]

Thanks for not spoiling it. I was wondering why season 6 was so short. I never knew Locklear was preggos in real life I have not noticed anything. I must say I am really enjoying season 6. Way better than season 4 or 5

[YRBB]

Lisa Rinna is phenomenal as Taylor. Just superb.

And, Jane's mother is Abby Ewing! How fabulous.

[DRW50]

Has Shirley Jones been on yet? That got her into some trouble in real life.