Melrose Place (2009 TV series)

Did You Know?

• Sydney Andrews is found dead in the courtyard pool in the pilot episode, setting off a murder mystery that is solved mid-season.
• The series was officially canceled by The CW on May 20, 2010.
• In April 2024, another revival of the series was announced, which Deadline Hollywood speculated would continue the original series and ignore the 2009 revival.

Development

After successfully relaunching the franchise with 90210 in 2008, speculation arose about whether The CW planned to revive Melrose Place. In September 2008, an article reported the possibility of a new version, though The CW declined to confirm. Weeks later, The CW and CBS Paramount Network Television said they were exploring the possibility of creating a new version for the 2009–2010 TV season, targeting young women. Original series creator Darren Star confirmed discussions had taken place but nothing was official.

On October 31, 2008, Entertainment Weekly reported that One Tree Hill creator Mark Schwahn had been approached about running the project, then called Melrose Place 2.0. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed on December 14, 2008, that Schwahn was in negotiations to write the initial script. In January 2009, Dawn Ostroff, The CW's head of entertainment, stated she had yet to identify a writer and that the project would include both returning and new characters.

She noted that the original series began during an economic downturn similar to the current one, and that the new version would try to capture life in the Los Angeles Melrose neighborhood. Ostroff explained that the series needed to invest viewers in the characters while also delivering heightened drama.

Casting

A character preview on February 6, 2009, introduced seven new characters: David Patterson, son of the previous version's Jake Hanson; his omnisexual sometime lover Ella Flynn, a PR whiz; aspiring filmmaker Jonah Miller; his fiancee Riley Richmond, a schoolteacher; Auggie Kirkpatrick, a recovering alcoholic; med student Lauren Bishop, who trades sexual favors for money; and Violet Foster, a small-town teen. On February 25, 2009, Michael Rady was cast as Jonah, compared to Billy Campbell from the original.

Katie Cassidy was announced as Ella on February 27, 2009. On March 9, 2009, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz was cast as Violet, and talks with Heather Locklear to reprise her role were reported as looking good. Locklear passed on the update on March 18, 2009, purportedly because there wasn't a way to bring her back that made sense. Colin Egglesfield was cast as Auggie and Stephanie Jacobsen as Lauren on March 24, 2009. Shaun Sipos landed the final regular role as David on April 3, 2009.

Production

The series was picked up by The CW on May 19, 2009. On May 21, 2009, The CW announced it would air Melrose Place after 90210 on Tuesday nights, similar to the original pairing. Ostroff added there would likely be character crossover between the two shows. Sipos's, Cassidy's, and Jacobsen's characters were renamed David Breck, Ella Simms, and Lauren Yung in the press release.

The Los Angeles Times noted on August 30, 2009, that the new series intended to reflect life in Los Angeles by filming in various locations including skid row, Sunset Boulevard, the Cinerama Dome, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and mansions in Malibu and the Hollywood Hills. Executive producers Slavkin and Swimmer, both Los Angeles natives, wanted to update the series in a cool, relevant way. Ostroff was drawn to their intent to create a new world while hanging on to what was special about Melrose originally.

Swimmer said the only way to incorporate old characters was for it to feel part of the story. On September 23, 2009, Variety reported that The CW had ordered six additional scripts despite disappointing ratings. On October 21, 2009, The CW ordered five more episodes, bringing the total to eighteen. The next day, Slavkin and Swimmer announced that Egglesfield, Simpson-Wentz, and Leighton would leave after the murder mystery resolved in episode 12.

Cast and characters

Katie Cassidy played Ella Simms, a publicist who began her career under Sydney Andrews, the landlady of 4616 Melrose Place. Ella had close friendships with David and Jonah, and used her sexuality to get things done, seducing both men and women. Her relationship with Sydney soured before Sydney's death, and she had a brief relationship with Jonah after his broken engagement. He attended Alcoholics Anonymous with Sydney and had a brief relationship with her.

After Sydney's death, he turned to Riley for comfort, then began a relationship with Violet, unaware she was Sydney's long-lost daughter, and eventually left California with her. Stephanie Jacobsen played Lauren Yung, Ella's roommate and a cash-strapped medical student who reluctantly turned to prostitution to pay tuition. Her first client became her pimp, and she later worked for a madam named Wendi. When Michael Mancini threatened to reveal her secret, she came clean to her friends, quit prostitution, and entered a romance with David.

Jessica Lucas played Riley Richmond, an elementary schoolteacher engaged to Jonah, who was wary of Jonah's friendship with Ella and had feelings for her jogging partner Auggie.