32 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I think in the end both Matt and Rhonda were on the chopping block and the show decided to keep the gay character because it was more edgy at the time.

I agree with you - once you start getting into the later part of the season when Amanda enters you there's a strong focus on the triangle (Alison / Billy / Amanda) and Jake and Jo. Other than that most of the cast starts going AWOL or just briefly appears. I think before they decided to go ahead with the Kimberly affair, Michael and Jane were also on consideration for the chopping block along with Rhonda and Matt.

Matt probably won out because he's Darren Star's self-insert character, plus Rhonda started drifting from the show once she got with Terrance. TBH, they probably could've done something with her considering her professional dancer background (I guess they could've forced her into some sort of talent coach/agent role).

Chances are, if Rhonda/VW had stayed on, they probably would've had Terrance start abusing her and/or have her turn to prostitution.

5 hours ago, carolineg said:

Obviously Melrose was always very white centered, but I also think Rhonda was a victim of circumstance.  Her closest ties were Sandy and Matt and Sandy was dumped pretty early.  There is an obvious undertone of racism, but when MP start scrambling for ratings Rhonda was mostly forgotten.  She never really established relationships with the new cast additions.  I think in the end both Matt and Rhonda were on the chopping block and the show decided to keep the gay character because it was more edgy at the time.

Vanessa was a good actress, but she played Rhonda as too earnest and optimistic.

The show needed to have cast someone like the other Vanessa Williams for someone bitchy/sexy.. or even a Robyn Givens type for the character of Rhonda to have survived into season 2.

I do recall Rae Dawn Chong appeared for two episodes as Rhonda's brief roommate from hell.. and I think she would have fit better on the show once it went soapy in season 2.

I watched Melrose... 10 years ago from start to finish. It really brings me back to when I was a kid... Is there now a 4K or HD version for streaming. I am up to re-live it. 

Edited February 27, 20241 yr by Althea Davis

On 2/26/2024 at 4:39 PM, Soaplovers said:

Vanessa was a good actress, but she played Rhonda as too earnest and optimistic.

 

Well, except for that one episode where Rhonda and Billy cure racism 😂

I just finished watching Season 1, yet again, and it's crazy how much happens in a short amount of time in the Alison/Billy/Amanda triangle in the last stretch of the season. One, because their storylines prior took longer to develop and had more character reflection, and two because the show was so heavily focused on this one single storyline, with Jake/Jo as a supporting B-story, and Jane/Michael, Rhonda, and Matt barely seen. 

This may or may not have already been mentioned here previously, but in the Season 2 premiere when Kimberly and Michael move into the beach house, they specifically mention it's a 1-bedroom home. Yet, seasons later there's magically a second room... for maybe Jennifer? Michael's mom? I forget the circumstances, but suddenly a second bedroom existed. 

1 hour ago, Gray Bunny said:

This may or may not have already been mentioned here previously, but in the Season 2 premiere when Kimberly and Michael move into the beach house, they specifically mention it's a 1-bedroom home. Yet, seasons later there's magically a second room... 

I think it expands when the apartment complex explodes at least I think several people sleep there in the immediate aftermath (though maybe they got mattresses all over the floor I guess). The real beach house was bigger (it's torn down now since a few years back RIP), so I assume they just reverted it to the actual floor plan of that house. I'm guessing they wanted to downplay the size when Michael and Kimberly moved in to make it seem a bit more modest for their financial standing (but no one really cared lol).

On 2/26/2024 at 10:20 AM, j swift said:

I liked Rhonda, but structurally Amanda makes MP into a workplace drama.  I wonder if it had been too difficult to create situations for all the characters to interact at the apartment complex?  90210 needed the school as a base to meet new people, and I think MP would have become too insular if they only talked around the pool or at Shooters.  So, although I think it is more realistic to have dancers, actors, and creatives all in a Los Angeles based soap, I can empathize with the need to create a work base for added drama. 

It was very bizarre and even annoying that after Sandy left there were no characters in the music or film industry.

2 hours ago, SteelCity said:

It was very bizarre and even annoying that after Sandy left there were no characters in the music or film industry.

Looking back, ad agencies were very 1990s, but Amanda makes much more sense working in a talent agency like CAA, or even public relations.  In an ad agency the client is always in charge, but Amanda gave “you'll never work in this town again” energy.

Edited March 24, 20241 yr by j swift

I was watching this pilot for Leaving LA, which starred Chris Meloni and Melina Kanakaredes. The leading lady in this is NOT Melina, but I can't quite figure out who she is. I want to say Lisa Rinna, but I am not sure the dates work out as Lisa started on Melrose in fall 1996. Still, she could have filmed this pilot before then, I suppose. Yet at other moments I don't think it's her. If any of you know who she is, please tell me.

 

Edited April 7, 20241 yr by DRW50

That's absolutely Lisa Rinna. I assume since this was a 6 episode order to air in the late spring, Lisa was either able to get out of her contract, or replaced or Spelling actually bought her out. It's worth to remember that she was a very late addition because of the Hunter Tylo mess and you can tell this pilot was filmed a few months earlier due to her short hair.

Since Hilary Swank also starred in this and then re-appeared on Beverly Hills the next season makes me think they might've shared a casting agent with Spelling productions.

26 minutes ago, te. said:

That's absolutely Lisa Rinna. I assume since this was a 6 episode order to air in the late spring, Lisa was either able to get out of her contract, or replaced or Spelling actually bought her out. It's worth to remember that she was a very late addition because of the Hunter Tylo mess and you can tell this pilot was filmed a few months earlier due to her short hair.

Since Hilary Swank also starred in this and then re-appeared on Beverly Hills the next season makes me think they might've shared a casting agent with Spelling productions.

Thanks. It was driving me a bit nuts. I had forgotten she got on Melrose after what happened with Hunter. I guess being on Melrose ended up being the better decision.

4 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

Thanks. It was driving me a bit nuts. I had forgotten she got on Melrose after what happened with Hunter. I guess being on Melrose ended up being the better decision.

I had to look it up - Hunter Tylo was fired mid-May:

May 14th 1996:

 

This appeared May 29th 1996:

 

 

Lisa and Rob were announced as cast in mid-July, presumably shortly before production was meant to start:

 

 

Thanks again for the articles. Still such a stupid decision from Spelling - I suppose he was from the old school where that practice was common. 

9 hours ago, DRW50 said:

Still such a stupid decision from Spelling 

Which cost him $5M.

But, we did get that soap-opera-IRL scene at the trial where Ms. Tylo admitted that she was pregnant with her third child, (her second pregnancy is when she was fired), and nobody could tell that she was with child until she informed the court on the witness stand.  Soap writers could never come up with an idea as unique and surprising.