Melrose Place Spinoff: Discussion Thread

[Toups]

What were the CW's expectations? Surely they weren't expecting a "hit" show getting around 3 million or more. They probably hoped they would get numbers like OTH, 90210, Gossip Girl.

What were we put off by? That they tied it to the original show?

[Sylph]

Toups, you like it, OK. Why do you want me to persuade you it's cr*p?

The article states she did have other people in mind. Then these two came and hop - they run it.

True. But networks don't have that time. You've seen them cancel a ton of shows in the first year and not giving them a chance. And many times, one must ask: Why should they?

[Toups]

But yeah, I don't think it's total crap. I see some good and some bad. The show is fixable.

[Sylph]

It might be, but it needs too much effort and the public has no patience for the tone shift. I think. I can be wrong...

I just hope if this gets cancelled, a better and more deserving show might take its place. I usually give the shows a chance - God knows I gave it to Heroes - but sometimes, enough is enough. These remakes are killing me.

[Vanguardian]

You are absolutely right about the dark tone of the show being really good! And it is the poor characters that's the problem. I heard that when they re-tool it, it will be a more lighthearted show. This sounds like a BIG MISTAKE to me because it sounds like it's gonna be a more boring show. I hope the writers do realize that the reason the original MP succeeded was because it was high on trash and sex.

[UKBoi]

If they got rid of Jonah and Riley and focused the show around Amanda, Michael, Vanessa, Caleb, David, Lauren and Ella, along with some new arrivals, then the show could be fantastic. Especially if they kept that dark tone to it. Bring on a Hollywood trustfund baby whos parents have cut her off, a 'Jake' type and a shady billionaire who romances Amdanda and it could be fantastic. I smell a fan fiction coming on.

[Sylph]

Yawn.

[Sapounopera]

I can't stand Riley, but I understand women relate to such annoying characters like Alison Parker or DH's Susan Meyer. Jonah could undergo a transformation like Michael Mancini and become a little bit more interesting. I don't think there is any hope for Lauren, everything is a mess with this character and her storyline is beyond stupid, despite the fact that the actress is stunning. Same goes for David. I think the actor looks great, but I don't buy the story.

I'd love to see Jonah, Riley, Caleb and Ella work at WPK. A niece and nephew for Amanda in order to give her some ties (and some reasons to get involved in everybody's lives) and I'd forget about any other past character, they were all unrecognizable and they were brought way too soon for no reason. A Sex and The City feeling with a lot of camp and drama might work better for this show.

[bellcurve]

Melrose is toast, sadly.

I think the CW wants an insta-hit and doesn't understand shows like this can't catch on overnight. Especially since it's so blatantly obvious that Slavkin/Swimmer only watched the first season on DVD for their research.

[Cheap21]

Am I the only one that loves Riley? I think she and Jonah are cute together

[Cheyenne]

I don't know what networks these shows are on international. But here in Sweden they're on a channel people simple don't tune in to, and most people don't even have that channel. MP started this Monday, but it's on kind of late... 9.50 pm.

But this is typical Swedish tv to be honest.

JMO. I think you guys are being far too negative in this thread. MP isn't that bad. Same thing with sooo many threads on this board. Kind of enoying to read actually, so I usually don't. lol If it's that bad, why are you watching all these shows? I've quit watching many shows I couldn't stand. It's easy, just don't tune in.

[tina m]

As much as I enjoy this show and label it as a guilty pleasure, I can't help but to admit it really does bug me that the ratings are dreadful and this show doesn't have long to live. I'm really glad they brought back Heather Locklear, not just for buzz, but hopefully (but doubtful) a ratings boost. While the characters may not be likeable, I've begun to enjoy them in their own right (Ella, David, Lauren, and even pathetic little Violet.)

Airing a repeat after HL's return was pretty bad on their part, but most shows did on the week of the 23rd.

Any chance in hell with all this "promotion" that CW will try to revive this show for a second season next year? I find it highly doubtful, but it is definitely a talked about show, even if the ratings are crummy and the storylines aren't perfect.

[Chris B]

If 90210 was as good last season as it is now, they could've retained more of the 5 million viewers that watched the pilot. The show was so bad that it turned so many off, so although it's doing okay by CW standards, it's still doing piss poor if you really think about it. After that debacle, they should've really focused on making sure this Melrose Place worked. Unlike Toups, I don't think it is savable. It's too late to change showrunners and the ones in charge won't make as large a change as the show needs. Besides, they clearly don't understand Melrose Place so I doubt they would be able to save it. This show is deadly dull, poorly cast, poor conceived and the characters are poorly drawn. With the original Melrose Place, even with Sandy and Rhonda, the characters and actors were more interesting. Even day players like Laura Leighton and Marcia Cross were interesting enough to be woven into the cast. These idiots don't even know how to write Amanda. Hell, they wanted to KILL her off. That shows how much they know Melrose Place.

When it comes to serials, modern TV just isn't cutting it. Not when it comes to a straight up primetime soap like original Melrose or Party of Five or Knots Landing or Dallas. I just don't think it can be done. Brothers and Sisters was close to being a great primetime soap and it went to [!@#$%^&*] after what? Two seasons? All because of the modern way of throwing in the kitchen sink to maintain viewers. They didn't have faith in their characters and developing natural, but complicated relationships. The characters became too cutesy with their plucky violins and Calista Flockhart trying to be cute. Just gag me.

But as I've said before, if I wanted to save Melrose I'd probably dump most of the cast and refocus it on more of the originals and bring in people around their age to interact with them. Also I'd dump the entire writing staff. Of the newbies, I'd only keep Ella and Lauren. No Caleb because the network wouldn't allow him to have a love interest so it would be pointless.

Watching nuMelrose is such a chore, but I do thank it for getting me back into the original series. I'm finding season one is even better than this garbage! Actually, season one is better than season two! I also hate seeing Heather Locklear getting all the credit, because the show did improve before she arrived. Daphne Zuniga was such a breath of fresh air and characters like Alison, Michael and Billy became more interesting as the season progressed. Let's not forget Kimberly's story which helped Jane and Michael a lot. It was more the change in tone that saved the show, not just one character. I think that was more the press making Locklear the "it" girl which often happens.

[SFK]

I wasn't a crazy MP fan, but personally, I always found HL's acting and line delivery rather dry as Amanda, and not the good kind of dry as in drole, but dry as in dull and boring. IMHO, she had none of the spark and spunk of a Joan Collins Alexis where she'd deserve all of this crazy praise for injecting the show with the energy to shake it up and save it. I think Amanda could have used more Sammy-Jo, but then again, it was the '90s and the austere bitch was in.

[All My Shadows]

You always say it better than I ever could. And thanks for mentioning oldMelrose because I'd fallen out of step with my watching it lately, too (along with Dynasty), so I needed the reminder to get back in line. I don't know about S1 being better than S2, though...the end of S1 with Cole stalking Alison was great, but the rest...eh, so-so. Then again, the second season had Katya and Nikki...who make me want to tear my heart right out of my chest and throw it away.