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90210 vs. Melrose Place: Which Was More Scandalous?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:38:15 PDT

This week brought us another double whammy of 90210 and Melrose Place. I honestly didn't go into the evening with high expectations - between last week's sexting episode and sibling baddie Jen, I figured both shows would take a breather this time 'round. And they nearly did. However, even though there may not have any murders or nude photos, we still got a few I-can't-believe-they-did-that moments.

90210 won last week's faceoff - could Melrose take it this time? Help me determine which show was more racy (warning: spoilers!) when you

90210 vs. Melrose Place: Which Was More Scandalous?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:33:42 PDT

Last night on the CW, we got our second round of back-to-back fun in the California sun with 90210 and Melrose Place. Heading into the new Fall season, I fully expected MP to be the more daring of the two shows - there was theft, murder, and sex in the pilot alone. On the other hand, while 90210 tried to keep things more wholesome in season one, clearly the writers are cranking things up a notch this year and seem to be leaving those Wilson family values in the dust.

So here's the real question - which episode brought more scandalous, over-the-top moments last night? Can a racy high school text message really compete with the inner-workings of a group of amoral 20-somethings? I'll break it all down and declare a winner when you

Pilot Watch: Melrose Place

BuzzSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:30:43 PDT

The networks have announced their Fall schedules, but which series will be worth watching? Throughout the Summer, as I watch the pilots, I'll be posting my first impressions. Note that a lot can change before a show actually makes it to air, so these aren't reviews, just quick thoughts on how the shows look now. Today's pick is the CW's Melrose Place reboot.

What's it about? As if you don't already know! TV's most scandalous apartment complex is back with a new set of 20-something tenants who just can't seem to stay out of trouble.

Who's in it? Ashlee Simpson, Katie Cassidy, and Michael Rady are among the newbies, while Laura Leighton and Thomas Calabro are among the veterans who will appear.

The good: Right off the bat, the pilot is a lot more fun than what we've seen from 90210. It's fresher and more exciting, and it doesn't feel like it's trying so hard. The cast of characters is a mysterious bunch, but not everyone fits into the typical stereotypes.The crossover between old and new Melrose Place residents is smooth and makes (relative) sense, which makes me excited for potential appearances from other original stars.

The bad: As we're prone to seeing on the CW, there's a big lapse in realism here. It doesn't really make economic sense that most of these kids can afford their lavish digs with their low-paying jobs, though the original series wasn't exactly an accurate mirror of society either. There's also so much going on in the first episode, it might not take very long for the storylines to take a turn for the absurd.

Will I watch? Yup. I'm still watching 90210, too, so it looks like I'll be camping out on the CW on Tuesday nights.

To check out a few new trailers plus a ton of photos, just

Should TV Series Reboots Bring Back Original Characters?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:30:29 PDT

If nostalgia for Donna, Kelly, and the rest was what got you to tune into the CW's 90210 remake last Fall, you might be keeping the show on your schedule for a while longer: Jennie Garth will be back on the show in season two for at least several episodes. And she's not the only '90s character set to appear on CW shows this Fall: over on the network's Melrose Place reboot, Daphne Zuniga has agreed to guest-star on the show, alongside Laura Leighton, Thomas Calabro, and Josie Bissett.

But after 90210's rocky first season, I'm wondering if Melrose is relying too heavily on its old cast members to build buzz. Before 90210 premiered last Fall, many of you said you were much more excited for the old cast than the new, and I'm not sure if the new characters ever generated the kind of excitement that a Tori Spelling or Shannen Doherty cameo could bring.

Do you think it's wise for these shows to get old cast members on board at the start? Or does it just take attention away from the new cast members and storylines that will have to hold our interest going forward?

Photo courtesy of The CW

Melrose Place: An Extended Look

BuzzSugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:30:52 PDT

We've seen how The CW rebooted 90210, but how will it do with its return to Melrose Place? The network just released a new trailer that gives us our first extended look at the new residents of the famous apartment complex - and I have to say, I'm getting a little excited.

The thing is, I've been jonesing for a show about people in their 20s - Greek's characters are a little young for me, but How I Met Your Mother's are just a smidge too old. So while the rich and ritzy folks of Melrose Place aren't necessarily realistic, I'm still excited to see a show that focuses on people starting out in their careers, contemplating marriage, and basically doing all the other things that folks in their 20s do. And if that gets done with a soapy sheen and a hearty dose of CW glamour, then so be it. I'm not saying this Melrose will be the show of my dreams, but I'm certainly willing to give it a shot.

That said, a few of the twists in this preview (including, uh, the big one at the end) make me wonder a bit about the show's direction - but hey, I guess intrigue is good at this point, right? To check out the longer trailer and another new preview, just

Sneak Peek: Melrose Place, The Beautiful Life, Vampire Diaries

BuzzSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:15:21 PDT

The CW doesn't present its Fall schedule until tomorrow, but the network delivered a treat today, as photos from new series Melrose Place, The Beautiful Life, and Vampire Diaries turned up online.

The Melrose reboot counts Ashlee Simpson, Greek/Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants star Michael Rady, and Katie Cassidy among its cast. The Beautiful Life, about models trying to make it in New York, is produced by Ashton Kutcher and stars Mischa Barton. And Vampire Diaries, based on the book series of the same name, stars Degrassi's Nina Dobrev and these two hotties.

To check out the first photos of these three shows, just

Ashlee Makes It Bring Your Baby to Work Day on Melrose

PopSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:00:23 PDT

Ashlee Simpson brought something sweeter than cupcakes to Melrose Place on Saturday - baby Bronx. Most of you aren't too excited for Ashlee's new show to premiere in the Fall, but she still looked pretty cute pushing her stroller around between takes. As she continues to work hard on her latest project, Ashlee's already got her next vacation on the mind. She and Pete have a bet going on who can get 300,000 Twitter followers first, with the loser footing the bill on their next trip and sharing a bikini photo on the Internet.

To see more of Ashlee and Bronx, just read more.

View 10 Photos ›

Fame

Are You Excited For the Melrose Place Spinoff?

PopSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:00:47 PDT

Ashlee Simpson sweetened up one of her first afternoons on the set of Melrose Place with some cupcakes from Sprinkles yesterday. The spinoff is full steam ahead with the new cast, plus cameos from original residents like Laura Leighton. Now that the project is coming together, tell us - are you excited for the Melrose Place spinoff?

View 5 Photos ›

Fame and Ramey

Melrose Place Fans: Sydney Is Back

BuzzSugar — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:30:26 PDT

Wondering which original-flavor Melrose Place cast members might be adding some sizzle to the Melrose Place spinoff? Wonder no more: Laura Leighton will reprise her role as Sydney in the CW's planned update of the series.

Not only is she back, she's . . . reanimated? I mean, the girl got run over by a car at the end of the first Melrose's fifth season. But apparently she's been fine all along - or, at least, functional enough to return as the landlord to a new generation.

Scheming, immature, and totally dead Sydney . . . as a landlord? That sounds like Melrose Place logic at its best. Something tells me they're going to have some 'splaining to do if this show makes it to TV, but I'd tune in just to see how the writers explain this twist. How do you think they'll justify bringing Sydney back from the dead? And which other Melrose cast members need to hurry up and join her?

Source

Ashlee Simpson and Libby From Lost Nab Jobs at the CW

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:30:00 PDT

The CW has two pretty high-profile spinoffs in the works for the Fall TV season - one of Gossip Girl, one of Melrose Place - and over the past couple of days, they've gotten busy adding some big names to their casts:

Ashlee Simpson has nabbed a role in the Melrose Place spinoff, returning to the network that gave her a breakout job on 7th Heaven. In Melrose, she'll play Violet, "a bright-eyed but shrewd small-town girl and recent LA transplant who has come to town with a secret." She joins Michael Rady and Katie Cassidy in the ensemble.
Meanwhile, Cynthia Watros, aka Libby from Lost, will play Celia "CeCe" Rhodes in the Gossip Girl spinoff, tentatively titled Lily. She'll be the '80s version of awesome grandma CeCe played by Caroline Lagerfelt in the present-day GG. Meanwhile, the show has also added Ryan Hansen (Dick from Veronica Mars) as Shep, who's got a futile crush on Lily's sister, Carol (Krysten Ritter).

So, what do you make of Ashlee's return to full-time acting? And could you imagine Cynthia Watros, Brittany Snow, Kelly Rutherford, and Blake Lively all being related?

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