"Melrose Place" (1992) TV series 1992-1999

Creator:

Darren Star

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Release Date:

8 July 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Lying, cheating, stealing, seduction, backstabbing, betrayal, murder... it's just another day at Melrose Place.

Plot:

The lives and loves of a group of young adults living in "Melrose Place" in California. Each with their own dreams and drives...

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Hospital | Soap | Deception | Homosexuality

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Thomas Calabro	...	Dr. Michael Mancini (218 episodes, 1992-1999)
Andrew Shue	...	Billy Campbell (200 episodes, 1992-1998)
Heather Locklear	...	Amanda Woodward (199 episodes, 1993-1999)
Josie Bissett	...	Jane Andrews Mancini (172 episodes, 1992-1999)
Doug Savant	...	Matt Fielding (162 episodes, 1992-1997)
Courtney Thorne-Smith	...	Allison Parker (158 episodes, 1992-1997)
Grant Show	...	Jake Hanson (157 episodes, 1992-1997)
Jack Wagner	...	Dr. Peter Burns (139 episodes, 1994-1999)
Laura Leighton	...	Sydney Andrews (126 episodes, 1993-1997)
Marcia Cross	...	Dr. Kimberly Shaw / ... (114 episodes, 1992-1997)
Daphne Zuniga	...	Jo Reynolds (110 episodes, 1992-1996)
Rob Estes	...	Kyle McBride / ... (100 episodes, 1993-1999)
Kelly Rutherford	...	Megan Lewis Mancini / ... (90 episodes, 1996-1999)

Runtime:

Switzerland:41 min | USA:60 min (227 episodes) | Denmark:42 min | Argentina:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (self applied) (DVD) (2006) | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Darren Star Productions

Trivia:

The third season was originally going to end with Kimberly blowing up the apartment complex, but that was scrapped since the Oklahoma City bombing occurred a month earlier. Not wanting to be insensitive to the national tragedy of the Oklahoma City bombing, the producers had the final shot of the season being Kimberly hitting the detonator, then showed the explosion in the season premiere in the fall of 1995.

Quotes:

Lexi Sterling Cooper: Listen, why don't you do us all a favor and get another helicopter crash or kidnapped?
Amanda Woodward: You know, Lexi, when I look at you all I see is a bitter woman uncapable of love.
Lexi Sterling Cooper: Amanda, it's not me you see, it's your own reflection.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Friends: The One with Rachel's Going Away Party (#10.16)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Theme

Outrageous fun from the man who brought you Dynasty

Aaron Spelling's "Melrose Place" concerned a group of young people in an LA apartment complex, and in its time, it was a highly popular show. Melrose really started to take off when Heather Locklear joined the cast at the end of season 1. She seemed to supply the missing ingredient, i.e., the resident bitch, and before long, Melrose was THE show to watch and discuss. It's not a coincidence that two of its stars, Marcia Cross and Doug Savant, appear on the very high-profile "Desperate Housewives." High profile shows seek stars of past high profile shows.

The show had a lot of nice, campy touches that made it famous, as well as some fascinating characters. One of my favorites were the ubiquitous establishing shots that seemed to be shown weekly: a young woman walking her dog, the jogger, and the pool boy cleaning the pool.

As for interesting characters, there was Michael, who started off as a devoted husband and became a rogue, slutty Sydney, and Kirsten Davis as the girl Billy (Andrew Shue) almost married, who lays across a bed and announces, "I'm ovulating," which I heard the next morning when it was played on a local radio station. But my favorite was Dr. Kimberly Shaw, star of Melrose's most startling moment. After she returned from the dead, she took her wig off at the end of one episode and took a look at that scar! A real shocker, and the kind of thing that made Melrose, in its prime, the best.

Most of the younger actors on Melrose became established because of the show and went on to other things afterwards, particularly Cross, Davis, Throne-Smith, and Savant. And let's not forget Locklear who, in my opinion, really set this show on its hit course.