Show loses one of its most popular vixens to The WB... is it the beginning of the end for the soap?

The MELROSE PLACE revolving door is swinging open again: Jamie Luner (Lexi Sterling) will depart the struggling drama at the end of the season. It was announced by FOX's competitor, The WB, that the red hot starlet is pulling a George Clooney... sort of. The ER hunk will relocate from the hospital to the boardroom to develop a series for CBS, while Luner recently inked a similar deal with The WB - the exception being that Luner win also star in her creations.
     The actress became a member of executive producer Aaron Spelling's MP club two years ago when she was brought on to revitalize the show. Mission accomplished! Lexi's popularity was the chief result of Luner's talent and sex appeal, not to mention providing an opportunity for viewers to bask in a flamboyant bitchiness not seen since the days of DYNASTY.
     "She was our network's first empowered breakout female star, and her outstanding work on SAVANNAH helped land The WB its first TV Guide cover and laid the groundwork for our current success," said WB entertainment president Susanne Daniels in a statement.
     Luner's departure may be a bad premonition for MP. At press time, the show had yet to be renewed by FOX; there has been speculation that this may be the last season because of declining ratings and a new network president's indifference toward soaps.

BY LAURA DEBRIZZI