A revival of the beloved ’90s daytime soap opera,Melrose Placewent into developmentat CBS in early 2024. The announcement revealed that original starsHeather Locklear,Laura Leighton, andDaphne Zunigawere onboard to reprise their respective fan-favorite roles. There’s since been no concrete update on the status of the revival, and it appears things might be stalling in development. However, the show could feature another original member asJack Wagner,who played Dr. Peter Burns, has expressed openness to reprising his role in the reboot. Wagner, who, these days, is best recognized for his role on Hallmark Channel’sWhen Calls the Heart,equallyhighlighted a key challenge the reboot must overcome.
While fans have remained hopeful about a revival, Wagner’s recent comments suggest that coming up with a plot as engaging as the first might not be an entirely straightforward affair. The original show, a spin-off ofBeverly Hills, 90210,ran from 1992 to 1999. The show centered around a group of young professionals living in a Los Angeles apartment complex and was beloved for blending drama, romance, and scandal in a way that defined an era of television. In his recent interview withUs Weekly, Wagner revealed he’d not “heard much about” the reboot while adding that “real creativity” would be needed to capture the magic of the original. He said:
“Let’s say you take the core cast of Melrose Place, and now that we’re all 25 or 30 years older, what would be the actual core of the story?You have to bring on young, new actors. It can’t be all about us. I don’t know what the longevity or interest in that would be. It would be more about a few of us probably starting the storylines out, letting them take place,and then branching off into who their children are now or where they are. I don’t think it’s easy. I don’t think it’s easy to take such a huge show like Melrose Place and try to recreate it. It’s tough.”
Another Failed ‘Melrose Place’ Revival Waiting To Happen?
This isn’t the first timeMelrose Placehas attempted a comeback. In 2009, The CW launched a reboot featuring a mix of original and new cast members. However, the series was poorly received and was canceled after one season. Wagner’s concern about creating another engaging plot is valid as it could make or mar the revival. However, this time around, there is a lot more optimism among the cast and fans alike that this iteration will be a success.
During a panel discussion at ’90s Con Florida in September 2024, perDeadline, the core cast reunited for the first time in a long while and expressed excitement over the revival. Zuniga, who played Jo Reynolds in the first four seasons ofMelrose Place,said: “Everyone has agreed to do it. Laura and I worked on this for a little bit now. It is in talks. Business affairs and lawyers and all those types are talking about it, and they do want to do it.” Zuniga then emphasized the importance of having a good plot in place, adding:
“The idea is what happens to these people 30 years later, There’s all these fan stories, all these great conspiracies and those are just wonderfully creative ideas, an example of everybody’s interest in where they would be. We were such an easy group of people. We loved each other then. We can’t think of anything better than to come back together and tell a new story soon.”
The excitement does bode well for the show, and hopefully the revival can live up to expectations. Now, the pressure is onLauren Gussis(Dexter) who’s been tapped to craft a storyline for the revival. As always, stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
Melrose Place
Source:Us Weekly
