Melrose Place

[Ira]

I loved loved Jasmine Guy's "I'm sick of people trying to usurp my authority! I'm not having it!" in her exit. I'm probably due for a series rewatch this summer, I've done it at least four times.

I really miss a fun, soapy primetime drama like this. I feel like this is the kinda show NBC could use to stop sucking right now.

Edited March 3, 2013 by Ira

[DRW50]

There's no such thing as fun primetime soaps now. They're all very sour and serious, and full of dull people. Revenge was hyped up as the big return to primetime soaps, yet it's stocked with the dullest people alive. So is the new Dallas.

[JWDrama1980]

I'm not sure why she wasn't asked back, at least for a wrap up.

[Huntress]

I found Jasmine Guy's acting very flat and fake. She somehow tried to imitate Heather Locklear in the way she uttered her lines, but failed miserably.

[te.]

I've always felt like the Alicia character was (at least originally) always supposed to be her. Maybe she just wasn't up for returning?

[Ira]

Seriously. It veered into comedy a lot more than soapiness, but that's why I loved Desperate Housewives so much. It was probably the last fun, primetime soap. Now everything needs to be like Revenge with someone solving a murder or a bunch of conspiracies. There's no humor in them, no sex, really no one to root for. I've lost count of who I should care about on Revenge.

And Dallas has some fun double crosses, but I haven't watched any of this season yet beyond the premiere so... I guess that shows how devoted I am to it.

Edited March 4, 2013 by Ira

[Gray Bunny]

I agree; Revenge has become too convoluted and too much a clusterf#ck of twists and turns that most times I find myself not reacting AT ALL whenever the latest "big reveal" is shown, because half the time I'm slightly confused in the first place. I liked the 1st season a lot better. Once they brought "The Initiative" in, they lost me. (I still watch though).

I'd love for a campy delicious soap like Melrose to one day return, even if it was intentionally a throwback to the 80's or 90's where it takes place back then, back before iPhones and Google maps and whatnot.

[JWDrama1980]

http://thesoapoperasaga.blogspot.com/2013/03/thomas-calabro-mad-medic-from-melrose.html

[DRW50]

There's an ad around 4 minutes in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ5S6bn_n9o

[Gray Bunny]

Two things, production wise, that I wish Melrose had kept up with as the show progressed...

All that B roll footage of people walking the streets of Melrose looked SO outdated by the time they hit 1995, yet they used them til the very end in 1999. From the mom jeans to the holes in the butts (c'mon, you know that one girl they always show the backside of, who's got a HUGE hole right in the middle of her buttcheek), they really should've freshened up the footage they were using half-way through the series.

Also, I loved how they actually filmed on the streets of Melrose as well as the real-life exteriors where the building was located, but that all stopped by the time they got to the 4th season. There's even one scene in season 5 or 6 involving Craig driving off, right outside the building, but they are so not really there and the tight camera angles couldn't hide that on me.

It's weird how some shows, such as Melrose, made things cheaper and more simple as years progressed, especially considering the show was a huge success during seasons 2 through 4 and therefore you'd think Fox would've shelled out more money to continue more authentic location shoots. I guess that's one aspect I really like about seasons 1 and 2 is all the location shots and the realistic, grittier, blue-collar feel.

(DYNASTY is another one that got lazy as the years progressed)

Edited April 5, 2013 by Gray Bunny

[Huntress]

That's a general problem long-running shows face. I also noticed this pattern on Beverly Hills 90210, 7th Heaven, Desperate Housewives, Charmed etc. Outdoor scenes became too expensive, so the later seasons mostly took place in-doors and therefore the shows felt slightly claustrophobic and restricted. Furthermore, the number of guest stars per episode decreased. In return, the main stars earned more and more each season so the budget was tight.

In fact, Melrose was cancelled after season 7 because the show became too expensive to produce. Especially Heather Locklear's salary per episode was incredibly high. I guess Jack Wagner, Thomas Calabro, Jamie Luner and Rob Estes weren't cheap either. It's not a coincidence that the cast was downsized for season 7.

The show still had solid ratings in its last year on the air. It brought about the same numbers as BH 90210 did during its 9th season – both shows had between 7 and 8 million viewers each week –, but BH 90210 was given another season while Melrose bit the dust.

[Soaplovers]

I actually liked the last season of the show much more then season 4, 5, and especially season 6. I think paring the cast down helped, and helped reestablish the close knit community feeling that was very big season 1 through 3.

While it wasn't perfect, the last season helped the show go out with some fight and strength in it which I was afraid was impossible due to the disaster that was season 6.

[Chris B]

As a whole I think the entire series is very watching (starting with Jo's arrival of course), but my least favorite was probably the 7th season. I didn't mind them paring down the cast, but the way it was done didn't work. I missed Taylor and I found Megan boring, same for Kyle's brother. I HATED the Eve story as well. It was watchable, but felt dull. I also was never a big Lexie fan so she wasn't enough to keep me interested.

[JWDrama1980]

http://thesoapoperasaga.blogspot.com/2013/04/murder-matrimony-on-melrose.html

[Chris B]

I'm still re-watching this series, currently in season five and I have a completely new appreciation for Melrose Place and this fantastic cast! This show has just one of the greatest primetime soap casts ever and I include all of the late additions as well. Hell, even Traci Lords, a fricking porn star, worked in the role they gave her. I just can't get over how fun this show is! It feels so mature, but young and fresh at the same time. I love the way they handled the business storylines and were able to bring together such diverse people and professions and it made sense. Even for the bad parts, I don't think anybody could pull Melrose Place off today. One huge disappointment though, is the lack of a proper exit for Daphne Zuniga. I don't think she gets enough credit for saving this show. I feel like the arrival of Jo is what kept the show on the air long enough for Heather Locklear to make any kind of impact. I enjoyed her in season four once she got over the victim complex they had her in, but towards the end she was isolated in story and didn't get a proper exit, just Matt saying that she moved. She deserved a big exit arc similar to what Kimberly received. Speaking of Kimberly, WHY DID MARCIA CROSS HAVE TO LEAVE?! I never realized how fabulous she was until now and I'm dreading her exit. Everything from her chemistry with Thomas Calabro to Doug Savant to all the different female cast members, she was just perfection. Marcia Cross deserved an Emmy for this role. Now that I'm a good way through season five I must give props to Lisa Rinna. Out of all the newbies, she's the one that catches my eye. She fits in well and has a nice mysterious air. I also love how sexy her outfits are, even when they don't show much skin. Seeing her in a well-fitted role like Taylor makes me miss her acting.