As this is an Aaron Spelling show you know it’s gonna be full of deception, beautiful people, seduction, and basically sex, lies and videotapes. Melrose Place is actually an apartment complex in Los Angeles where a bunch of twentysomethings live and let me tell you the joint is always hopping. The storylines are outrageous but a good kind of outrageous.
The title of this 90s nighttime television soap opera comes from the apartment complex that a group of young twentysomethings all live in. It began as a spin-off from Beverly Hills 90210 so that will tell you something about the plots. The same subjects of love, sex, friendships, betrayal, and relationships are examined from a slightly older perspective. C’mon, you didn’t expect more did you? It is an Aaron Spelling series! It did attempt to move somewhat away from the fluff by tackling such topical subjects as sexual harassment, miscarriage, abortion, or stalking. The series made a bigger star of Heather Locklear and stars of Courtney Thorne-Smith, Marcia Cross, Andrew Shue (Elizabeth’s brother), Grant Show, and Josie Bissett. There are also several cross over appearances from the kids from Beverly Hills 90210. It became many a person’s guilty pleasure during the 90s.
Not all soap operas are aired during the daytime. Melrose Place is the perfect example of the fluffy soap opera stuff that has become popular at night. The stories are completely outrageous and fans of the series loved it just for that reason. Every storyline is high on drama and over the top at times, but in a tune in and tune out kind of way.
The group of young people in this nighttime soap are just the type that you would hate if you met them in real life. They are successful, good looking and have no trouble getting dates. I hate them as I am writing this. That being said, the television-watching public loved this group of twentysomethings. So much so that careers were made (Hello, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Kristin Davis and Marcia Cross) or cemented (Hello, Heather Locklear) due to the series’ success. There was no holding back with this series the good girls were sugar sweet and the bad girls were poison.
Special Features:
-Darren Star on “Collision Course” and “The Bitch is Back”
- Beginnings
- Friends & Neighbors
- Neighbors & Friends
- Behind the Scenes
- Season One Episode Guide
- Amanda
- New Style Profile
- Meet the Neighbors
- The Best of the Worst Part 1
- The Best of the Worst Part 2
- Complex Relationships: Billy and Alison
- Complex Relationships: Amanda, Jake, Jo and Reed
- Complex Relationships: Michael, Jane, Kimberly, Sydney and Matt
- According to Jake
- Seven Minutes in Hell
- Everything You Need to Know About Season 3
