FOX REVOKES
MELROSE'S LEASE
After seven seasons of rooftop sex, basement bombings and swimming pool catfights, Fox has issued a final eviction notice to the unruly tenants of MELROSE PLACE. The series will wrap production in March and air its last episode in May.
     In a statement, Fox cited MP as a series that "will go down in television history as a pop culture icon of the '90s... We promise to honor the series and its fans by sending off the show with the fanfare it deserves."
     "We've been expecting this for quite a few months," admits John Haymes Newmn (Ryan). "We did maintain some hope that things would turn around and we'd get picked up, but there's been a slow erosion of viewership."
     Indeed, the ratings have declined considerably. The show brought on lucky charm Heather Locklear (Amanda) late in its first season to attract viewers, and MP reached its all time high during the 1994-95 season, ranking 63 out of 158 shows. So far this season, it's fallen to 88 out of 167 shows, according to Nielsen Media Research.
     But ratings aren't the only problem. Set sources say that the show had just become too expensive. "Fox could do a whole pilot with what they pay Heather alone," speculates one insider.
     Far-out plots have been blamed for MP's downturn, but Darren Star, who spun off MP from another of his creations, the still-going-strong BEVERLY HILLS, 90210, makes another point. "90210 is a show that's always had a lot of heart," says Star. "I think MELROSE also had heart - but a colder one." In fact, MP had its stiffest ratings competition this year from another Spelling show that's all heart - 7TH HEAVEN, which airs opposite it on The WB.
     Before publicly confirming the cancellation, Executive Producer Aaron Spelling sent personal letters to the cast, thanking "the wonderful cast, producers and crew of MELROSE PLACE for an amazing seven-year run. MELROSE PLACE is one of my all-time favorite shows and T will miss it and everyone involved very much."
     As for a finale, "We're not going to do anything stupid," promises Spelling. "We don't blow buildings up anymore. The show is running all over the world - in 87 countries, where its [stories are] two years behind. So I don't know if we'd want total closure because if [foreign] audiences were to hear about it, they may not be interested [in watching] anymore."
     Star also votes for an open-ended swan song: "I think the fun about MELROSE PLACE is that it's about life not wrapping up into neat packages. I think you'd want to leave some mystery - that's what always kept the show engaging."