Fall TV Blog

She’s back!

In an exclusive clip from Heather Locklear’s first episode of the CW’s Melrose Place revamp, her character Amanda Woodward makes a dramatic (and fashionable!) surprise return to offices of WPK Public Relations, walking in on Caleb (Victor Webster) and Ella (Katie Cassidy) as they’re discussing the launch party for their client Riley (Jessica Lucas) and her new jeans campaign.

While Ella is convinced all she needs to do for the event is “drink the free champagne,” her boss tells her, “You’re doing this … under direct orders from New York.”

“Oh, well you can tell New York that when we’re looking for their opinion, we’ll ask,” she fires back.

Her timing couldn’t be worse. In walks Amanda, who says, “Why don’t you tell New York yourself?” Close your mouth, Ella!

“You know how I love surprises,” a stunning Amanda continues. “This L.A. branch is drowning in red like a steer in a slaughter house. Now when I hired you to give this place a makeover, I didn’t mean smear it with lipstick and turn it into a five-dollar hooker.” Zing!

Heather’s first episode of Melrose Place airs Tuesday, Nov. 17 (9 p.m. EST) on the CW. –Aaron Parsley

Tell us: Are you excited for Amanda’s return?

The news came as a surprise that Ashlee Simpson-Wentz (as well as her costar Colin Egglesfield) will be let go from the CW’s Melrose Place revamp because producers “felt that once the murder mystery [involving their characters] was resolved, the tone of the show was going to shift.”

But now that the dust has settled and Ashlee has said, “thanks to the CW and the entire cast and crew of Melrose Place for allowing me this opportunity,” it’s time to face the harsh reality of the situation: she’s really moving out.

Patrick Wymore/The CW

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz is moving out of Melrose Place – the actress and her costar Colin Egglesfield have been cut from the CW drama, Entertainment Weekly reports.

The decision to cut the two actors has been “the original plan going into the development of the show,” executive producer Todd Slavkin tells EW. “We felt that once the murder mystery [involving their characters] was resolved, the tone of the show was going to shift … and [Simpson-Wentz's] character would move on.”

In a statement released after the announcement, Simpson-Wentz said, “Having the chance to play Violet on Melrose Place has been a thrill. Although I always knew her story would come to a final, insanely unpredictable end, playing a creepy, unstable character was something I always wanted to do, so I jumped at the chance. Thanks to the CW and the entire cast and crew of Melrose Place for allowing me this opportunity.” (more…)

Amanda Woodward, played by Heather Locklear, finally returns to Melrose Place in a new episode on Nov. 17, following in the footsteps of other revisiting alums, Thomas Calabro, Josie Bissett and Daphne Zuniga. But Melrose execs reveal to PEOPLE that they’d been plotting (and hoping!) that Amanda would be back from day one.

“When we were coming up with ideas about the show, we wanted a place for Amanda,” explains producer Darren Swimmer. So they built her into the story: The publicity firm where Ella (Katie Cassidy) has been working is named WPK and “the ‘W’ is for Woodward,” explains producer Todd Slavkin. “Heather’s character has “moved on from being an ad agency wiz and has gone into publicity,” he continues.

So have Locklear, 48, and Cassidy, 22, who’s been often touted as the “new Heather,” been getting along?

“We were there when they met,” says Slavkin. “It was a very special moment — very warm.” Apparently while they portray evil, the two are all smiles on set. “Katie is in awe of her,” says Slavkin. But just because Locklear’s great to have around, don’t expect her character to be any sweeter. Slavkin puts it simply: “The bitch is back. And she’s never been bitchier.”
– Blaine Zuckerman

Patrick Wymore/The CW

(more…)

History’s not forgotten for Ashlee Simpson-Wentz. She may be the biggest name on Melrose Place, the CW’s revamped version of the Aaron Spelling primetime soap, but even Jessica Simpson’s little sister knows when to pay her dues — like to the woman who put Melrose on the fictional-Hollywood map, Heather Locklear.

“She’s great. She’s fantastic. I really, truly believe that she’s part of the heart of the show. She’s so sweet and has a great energy, so it’s great to have her on the show,” Simpson-Wentz said of her new costar at her 25th birthday party at MGM Grand’s Wet Republic pool in Las Vegas on Saturday.

And Simpson’s just as eager as viewers to see where Locklear takes wolf-in-ad-exec’s-clothing Amanda Woodward nearly two decades after she first stepped into the role.

“I’m interested to see where her character goes,” Simpson said. “I think it will be fun, as we all are interested to see how our characters are going. She’s just fantastic and lovely to have around.”

But has Locklear taken the soap newbie under her wing and offered her advice on making the most of the melodrama at Melrose?

“No, not really,” Simpson said.

How very like Amanda. –Mark Gray and Michael Y. Park

Jen Lowery/Startraks; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Current Melrose Place troublemaker-in-the-making Ashlee Simpson-Wentz says she’s excited to welcome back the show’s original pot-stirrer Heather Locklear, who reports to the show for a table read this week.

“We’re all really thrilled that Heather is coming back!” Simpson told PEOPLE while hosting a party for lingerie designer Carol Malony in West Hollywood. “Of course we are — she was kind of the heart of the show. It’s been great to have a lot of the original cast, and to have Heather join is really incredible. I’m excited!”

Locklear, who appeared on the classic Melrose Place as Amanda Woodward, will make her first appearance on the revamped show in the episode airing Nov. 17.

“We do a table read on Thursday so I’ll meet her tomorrow,” Simpson said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

Jen Lowery/Startraks; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Let the catfighting begin!

Heather Locklear is reprising her most famous role, ad exec Amanda Woodward, as she returns to Melrose Place on an episode scheduled to air Nov. 17, the CW announced on Tuesday.

“We’re ecstatic to have the chance to bring Amanda Woodward back to Melrose Place,” executive producers Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer said in a press release. “Heather’s involvement in the show is something we’ve been working on for some time as we couldn’t imagine creating and producing this show without the iconic character’s inclusion.”

PEOPLE first reported last month that the actress, 47, was in talks to appear on the show. Locklear joined the original Melrose Place during its first season, and remained until it went off the air in 1999.

There’s no word on how long Locklear’s stint on the show will last. Other stars from the original series who will be returning to the CW re-vamp include Laura Leighton, Thomas Calabro, Josie Bissett and Daphne Zuniga. –Jason Lynch

Tell us: Will you watch Amanda’s return to Melrose Place? Who do you expect her to clash with on the show?

Celebrity Photo

There were plenty of twists and turns on Tuesday’s premiere episode of the CW’s revamped Melrose Place. SPOILER ALERT: And the biggest of all was the shocking death of Laura Leighton’s returning character Sydney Andrews, whose lifeless body was discovered floating in the famed apartment complex’s pool.

But is Sydney, who was already killed off on the original Melrose Place — back in 1997, she was hit by a car on her wedding day — really dead this time? “As far as I know,” Leighton tells PEOPLE.

The actress, who filmed her latest TV death in the spring, had to keep her lips sealed all summer about Sydney’s fate. “It’s been difficult, but it was an important secret to keep,” says Leighton, 41. “It’s a lot easier now that the cat is completely out of the bag.”

Fear not, Sydney fans: Leighton says that while Sydney might be dead, she’s still going to appear on the show throughout the season in flashbacks. “I thought it was a interesting way to tell the story and fill in the blanks,” she says. “It’s moving forward while moving backwards, so we’ll see where it takes us.”

And she and Thomas Calabro, who returned as Michael Mancini, won’t be the only former Melrose castmates to make an appearance on the new show. “Their concept is to add other characters from the old Melrose and dot them in here and there where the stories make sense,” she says. “They want to spread them out and show how each of the old characters’ lives entwine with the new characters. “

Before her sudden demise, Leighton managed to enjoy a small cougar moment when the script called for Sydney to pounce on her younger male costar Shaun Sipos (who plays David Breck, the estranged son of Thomas Calabro’s Michael Mancini). “Of course they’re going to have to pair Sydney up with a younger guy. You know, I don’t write it!” she says, laughing. “I think the nature of Sydney’s character is using sex. It’s all part of her plan.”

Leighton is married to Desperate Housewives’ Doug Savant, who played Matt Fielding on the original Melrose Place. So how does has Savant feel about his wife kissing younger men? “I don’t think he would have any room to say, ‘Hey, hey, hey!’ He’s on a show that has enough of that!” says Leighton. “I think he understands the nature of the beast and it’s all silly at the end of the day. But it’s not a bad way to spend the day at work.”

For more from Leighton about what’s in store for Sydney, check out the new issue of PEOPLE.

Phil McCarten/Landov

The CW will introduce the new neighbors of L.A.’s hippest apartment complex Tuesday when Melrose Place premieres, but among them will be returning stars Laura Leighton (Sydney Andrews) and Thomas Calabro (Michael Mancini).

“It’s kind of odd being back on the show, but odd in a good way,” says Leighton, 41. “Thomas and I have shared that mutual feeling about doing this all those years ago and now coming back and to play these roles again … it’s a little bit surreal but really fun.”

Adds Calabro, 50, “I just feel like I’m the luckiest guy on earth. I was on one hit show for seven years and then that bloody show comes back! And from what I can see, it’s going to be another hit. These kids are so talented and our writers are great. The show is beautiful. They’re bringing back all the best parts of the first time around, but this show is it’s own entity.”

That includes the set of 4616 Melrose Place. “Everyone who stepped onto the courtyard set has had the feeling of stepping back in time,” Leighton says. “This is a completely new set created to look like the old one — but after having gone through a really terrific remodel. … The blue doors are there and they completely bring back memories of shooting there, or scenes that happened there. It is a great feeling.” (more…)

Plenty of new faces will have moved into to Melrose Place when the CW’s spin-off premieres Sept. 8, but fans of the series will still find comfort in some familiar characters (and their baggage), including Josie Bissett, Thomas Calabro and Daphne Zuniga. And now with series veteran Heather Locklear apparently in talks to reprise her role as Amanda Woodward, the pool may be getting crowded. But there’s always room for more sexy scandal! –Jennifer Wren

CelebrityPhoto; Landov; PictureGroup; WireImage