After saving the original MELROSE PLACE from the brink of cancellation almost two decades ago, history is about to repeat itself thanks to this morning’s announcement that has Heather Locklear set to reprise her role as scheming vixen Amanda Woodward on the CW’s fledgling MELROSE PLACE re-boot starting November 17.
And while our inner-teenaged TV Addict — you know, the one that was so obsessed with MELROSE PLACE that we actually had this poster (pictured above) on our wall is really really excited — our slightly older and far more realistic inner-adult TV Addict is worried. Especially when you take into account the CW’s press release that touts Heather Locklear joining “original castmates Laura Leighton, Thomas Calabro, Josie Bisset and Daphne Zuniga in the updated version for The CW.” Note the absence to any next generation tenants such as the deliciously manipulative Katie Cassidy or our favorite hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold Stephanie Jacobsen. It’s almost as if the proverbial powers that be learned absolutely nothing from the mistakes of re-boots past (see: 90210) and have yet to realize that for the updated version of MELROSE to truly succeed, it’s going to have to do so standing on its two feet rather than continuously rely on the occasional guest spot from [insert original cast member] here.
Of course, these are the execs who cancelled the delightful PRIVILEGED for the vapid and pointless MODELS INC. clone THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE: TBL. So it’s possible, asking them to ‘learn’ from past mistakes is simply asking too much. 