A 'Melrose Place' Reboot Is Coming — And 3 Original Cast Members Are On Board
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“Melrose Place” might soon return to television — a quarter century after its finale.
The popular soap opera was initially created by Darren Star as a “Beverly Hills, 90210” spinoff, but quickly became primetime viewing of its own. While the Fox series ended in 1999, executives are eager to bring it back — and already have some stars attached.
Deadline reported Wednesday that original cast members Heather Locklear, Laura Leighton and Daphne Zuniga are returning for a reboot, which is being developed at CBS Studios and already being shopped around to legacy networks and streaming platforms.
According to an official synopsis shared with Deadline, the reboot picks up with a classic soap opera trope — somebody’s untimely death — and sees our trio of core characters reunite in the titular Los Angeles neighborhood to mourn their mutual loss.
“The pressure cooker of a reunion soon uncovers old traumas, rekindles old romances, reignites old resentments, and reveals new secrets… throwing our characters into chaotic drama that’s reminiscent of the past,” it adds, “but with a much more modern perspective.”
Locklear, Leighton and Zuniga will reportedly reprise their respective characters of Amanda Woodward, Sydney Andrews and Jo Reynolds. Fans might remember that Andrews was seemingly killed in the original, however, and note that Leighton is nonetheless returning.
The original series followed a group of neighbors living in a West Hollywood apartment complex. It chronicled their romantic, unscrupulous and often deadly entanglements. It spanned seven seasons from 1992 to 1999 and was rebooted for only one season in 2009.
Fans might recall that Locklear, Leighton and Zuniga reprised their characters for the short-lived revival, which notably saw Leighton’s character being killed off yet again. The original series, meanwhile, turned fledgling actors into stars and became a staple of ’90s TV.
The show’s revolving core cast over the years notably included future stars like Kristin Davis prior to “Sex and the City,” Alyssa Milano before “Charmed,” and Marcia Cross, who became one of the four core characters in ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” series.
Locklear had already starred in popular shows like “Dynasty” when she was cast as a recurring “Melrose” character. She became a series regular after the first season, while Zuniga was a regular for the first four. Leighton’s character, who came on the show at the end of Season 1, was a series regular until her supposed death in Season 5.
The 2009 revival was a notable flop despite guest appearances from the core trio. Whether CBS Studios can recapture the 1990s magic that made the original so beloved remains to be seen, though Deadline reports that even “more original cast members” could return.
As one of the original taglines for the show warned: “At Melrose Place, no one is innocent.”
