❝
- Hopefully, people understood the show was a comedy as much as anything else
- —Darren Star in 2014
Melrose Place is an American drama soap series, which aired on FOX television network from July 1992 to May 1999. It is a spin-off of Beverly Hills, 90210.
About[]
The show was created by Darren Star and produced by Spelling Television. Premiering in 1992, the series originated as a lightly toned drama about the personal and professional aspirations of several young adults in Los Angeles (many of whom live in the titular apartment complex). As it progressed toward the second season, however, the show gained the reputation it holds today, presenting stories of a more sensational nature that featured love affairs, blackmail, revenge, crumbling sanity, angst-ridden couples, and other extraordinary happenings. In 1999, the series concluded after seven seasons.
Starring[]
- Josie Bissett as Jane Andrews (1–5; 7)
- Thomas Calabro as Michael Mancini
- Marcia Cross as Kimberly Shaw (1–5)
- Laura Leighton as Sydney Andrews (1–5)
- Doug Savant as Matt Fielding (1–5+)
- Grant Show as Jake Hanson (1–5)
- Andrew Shue as Billy Campbell (1–6+)
- Courtney Thorne-Smith as Alison Parker (1–5)
- Jack Wagner as Peter Burns (3–7)
- Daphne Zuniga as Jo Reynolds (1–4)
- special guest star
- Heather Locklear as Amanda Woodward
- Additional principal cast
- Amy Locane as Sandy Harling (1)
- Vanessa Williams as Rhonda Blair (1)
- Kristin Davis as Brooke Armstrong (3–4)
- Brooke Langton as Samantha Reilly (4–7)
- Rob Estes as Kyle McBride (5–7)
- Kelly Rutherford as Megan Lewis (5–7)
- Lisa Rinna as Taylor McBride (5–7)
- David Charvet as Craig Field (5–6)
- Alyssa Milano as Jennifer Mancini (5–7)
- Jamie Luner as Lexi Sterling (6–7)
- Linden Ashby as Brett Cooper (6–7)
- John Newton as Ryan McBride (7)
Apartments[]
- Main article: 4616 Melrose Place
Episodes[]
Trivia[]
- A fair few storylines were determined by real-life relationships among the cast.
- Sydney and Jake dating was requested by the actors who dated during seasons 2–4. Likewise, Jake and Alison dating in Season 5.
- Jane ends up with Kyle because the actors were married in real life.
- Thorne-Smith and Shue also dated during Season 1, though Alison/Billy was always part of the story in this case
Cast changes[]
Sorted by number of episodes, then first appearance as a principal character.
| MAIN | |
|---|---|
| RECURRING |
| ACTOR | CHARACTER | SEASONS | # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |||
| Thomas Calabro | Michael Mancini | 222 | |||||||
| Heather Locklear | Amanda Woodward | 206 | |||||||
| Andrew Shue | Billy Campbell | 198 | |||||||
| Josie Bissett | Jane Andrews | 168 | |||||||
| Courtney Thorne-Smith | Alison Parker | 164 | |||||||
| Grant Show | Jake Hanson | 163 | |||||||
| Jack Wagner | Peter Burns | 157 | |||||||
| Doug Savant | Matt Fielding | 148 | |||||||
| Laura Leighton | Sydney Andrews | 132 | |||||||
| Marcia Cross | Kimberly Shaw | 120 | |||||||
| Daphne Zuniga | Jo Reynolds | 114 | |||||||
| Rob Estes | Kyle McBride | 96 | |||||||
| Kelly Rutherford | Megan Lewis | 92 | |||||||
| Brooke Langton | Samantha Reilly | 71 | |||||||
| Lisa Rinna | Taylor McBride | 68 | |||||||
| Jamie Luner | Lexi Sterling | 59 | |||||||
| David Charvet | Craig Field | 46 | |||||||
| Alyssa Milano | Jennifer Mancini | 41 | |||||||
| Kristin Davis | Brooke Armstrong | 34 | |||||||
| Linden Ashby | Brett Cooper | 34 | |||||||
| Vanessa Williams | Rhonda Blair | 28 | |||||||
| John Newton | Ryan McBride | 28 | |||||||
| Amy Locane | Sandy Harling | 12 | |||||||
Departures[]
| Character | Season | Reason | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Harling | 1 | Gets a job as an actress in New York | Dreams Come True (#113) |
| Rhonda Blair | 1 | Marriage with Terrence | Suspicious Minds (#132) |
| Brooke Armstrong | 4 | Accidentally hits her head and drowns in pool | Devil in a Wet Dress (#422) |
| Jo Reynolds | 4 | Moves to Bosnia with Dominick O'Malley | Dead Sisters Walking: Part 2 (#434) |
| Jane Andrews | 5 | Moves to Chicago with parents (returns for Season 7) | Escape from L.A. (#515) |
| Kimberly Shaw | 5 | Death due to brain aneurysm | The Dead Wives Club (#527) |
| Alison Parker | 5 | Moves to Atlanta for new start | Who's Afraid Of Amanda Woodward?: Part 2 (#534) |
| Jake Hanson | 5 | Moves to Sutter's Creek with son and former girlfriend | Who's Afraid Of Amanda Woodward?: Part 2 (#534) |
| Sydney Andrews | 5 | Killed when run over by car (revealed fake in the 2009 series) | Who's Afraid Of Amanda Woodward?: Part 2 (#534) |
| Matt Fielding | 6 | Moves to San Francisco with his niece Chelsea (later killed off, off-screen, in a car accident in Season 7) | A Brand New Day (#601) |
| Craig Field | 6 | Suicide by gun | Coop de Grace (#617) |
| Billy Campbell | 7 | Goes to Rome with Jennifer | Buona Sera, Mr. Campbell: Part 2 (#707) |
| Jennifer Mancini | 7 | Goes to Rome with Billy | Buona Sera, Mr. Campbell: Part 2 (#707) |
| Samantha Reilly | 7 | Moves to Tampa with Jeff | Buona Sera, Mr. Campbell: Part 2 (#707) |
| Taylor McBride | 7 | Moves to Boston with Michael's son | Buona Sera, Mr. Campbell: Part 2 (#707) |
| Brett Cooper | 7 | Runs away to Philadelphia after attempting to kill Lexi | Buona Sera, Mr. Campbell: Part 2 (#707) |
Media[]
- Fox Trots to ‘Melrose Place’
- (LA TIMES • JULY 1992)
- ‘Melrose Place’ First Episode: THR’s 1992 Review
- (THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER • JULY 2017)
- ‘Melrose Place’ Is a Really Good Show
- (ROLLING STONE • MAY 1994)
- Actress Fired Over Pregnancy Wins $5 Million
- (LA TIMES • DECEMBER 1997)
- ‘Melrose Place’ at 25: Scrapped Storylines, Partying With World Leaders and How a Wig Reveal Saved the Show
- (THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER • JUNE 2017)
- The Virus Inside Your TV
- (SLATE • DECEMBER 2023)