Customer Reviews

Melrose Place [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was a huge fan of FOX's "Melrose Place" in the nineties. That series alone help make the FOX network what it is today. So, it wasn't surprising when the new network, The CW, decided to bring "Melrose Place" back this time with an entirely new cast as well as some old favorites the fans hadn't seen since the original.

The new "Melrose Place", unfortunately, wasn't given a chance to survive in today's television market. If the series had been back on FOX I am sure the soap wouldn have survived. Having the series air on The CW, a network that has been struggling for survival, really killed its chances of gaining an audience of any kind.

The series was extremely well-done with beautiful actors and good scripts. And the fact that it took place in the same apartment building made it a must-see TV show. I found these new inhabitants even more interesting than the old characters on the original. The two best characters were Ella (Katie Cassidy), a beautiful bisexual woman written along the same lines as Amanda, and gorgeous hunk David, played by stud Shaun Sipos, who is Michael Mancini's son caught up in a ton of trouble. The serial opened with the murder of Sydney Andrews and the question, "what tenant of "Melrose Place" killed her?".

Thankfully, all 18 episodes of this great show are available on DVD along with cast interviews in a deluxe 6 disc set.

Again, it is too bad this show never had a chance to make a name for itself in the television ratings. It took the original a few seasons before it found itself and look at what that series eventually became. However, the powers-that-be gave up on the show when Heather Locklear's much hyped return as Amanda didn't bring a rise in ratings. Thankfully, though, we have this series on DVD for posterity.

Oh, Melrose Place, how I missed you. I missed Amanda's b*tchiness. I missed Kimberly "wigging" out. I missed Michael turning from good to evil. I missed Brooke falling and hitting her head on the side of the pool. I missed Sydney sleeping with everybody.

When I heard that they were bringing back Melrose with some of the original characters, I was ELATED. It was the must-see show for me for the Fall 2009 TV season. Unfortunately, it didn't last long, being cancelled after one season. And just when I was getting to know (and love) all of the new characters. As the season went on, the plotlines got a little wackier and reminded me of Melrose Place of yesteryear. And the guest appearances by some of the former cast members of the old series made me absolutely giddy. Melrose Place was again a guilty pleasure for me.

Before the show was aired, I had read about some of the casting choices. When I heard about Ashlee Simpson being added, I thought, "UGH." After seeing her on there, though, my opinion changed completely. She was actually...good. Her character, Violet, was kind of creepy (in a good way, like Kimberly used to be), and I looked forward to seeing her in this role every week. Her tie to Sydney from the original show (who also appears in this series) intrigued me as well.

The stand-out character from the new show had to be Ella. She was b*tchy like Amanda, but with a heart. She had some of the best dialogue, and Katie Cassidy played the part to a "T."

I don't know what more there is to say about this show but R.I.P., Melrose. I'll miss you...again.

Melrose 3.0, anyone?

The star of this has to be hands down Katie Cassidy as Ella Simms. Watching her brought back many fond memories of the original Heather Locklear character Amanda. I completely agree with what one reviewer said about Ashlee Simpson, which was, heard she was on it and said UGH! but then watched it and said OOOOH. She was great as violet, the seemingly nice girl with a dark twist. It was also so great to Laura Leighton aka Sydney Andrews again; I still can't get the opening scene of the series out of my head (you will have to watch it). They really did a good job of combining the old and new characters without feeling forced. The only obvious leap was bringing back Amanda, and let me just say, Bravo to that. You knew ratings were low when they finally brought back the queen b***h, and all I have to say is they should have done that in the beginning, however the series would be called Ella vs. Amanda rather than Melrose Place. The series ended too quickly; they were just about to finish the story lines of intertwining the old and new and were ready to be their own Melrose Place.

I realize I may be blinded by my love for the original Melrose Place that I may have missed some flaws of the new series, but I thought it was a really great show. I don't know why it was canceled just after the first season, but am glad to see it finally on dvd.

then do it RIGHT. The idea had SO much potential. I was so happy when i heard the news of a remake. And they were reusing the same building? PERFECT! But I feel like the producers didn't go far enough. They didn't go "there". They mad the same mistakes that the original Melrose Place made in its first season. The only difference is that the original was able to overcome their boring start and transform itself into the guiltiest of pleasures. I feel like the new MP was trying to hard to keep in line with the new 90210. They didn't give us enough drama. And the fact that they brought Sydney back just to kill her off again was ridiculous. Ashley Simpson actually wasn't bad at all in her character but the writers didn't give her enough to work with. They should have made her all-out crazy like Kimberly. It was starting to get good when she threatened to blackmail Michael but then they just kind of dropped that plot. Seeing some of the old faces was great but I didn't like that they were ALL evil, like Jane. and Jane didn't even mention Sydney when she appeared...what was that all about. I don't know, they just dropped the ball. The final nail in the coffin for an amazing nightime soap legend.

UPDATE, May 19, 2011: After six months of waiting and complaining, I finally received this product, and I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it's manufactured on demand, it doesn't look much different from any other official DVD, and the image quality is great. I wish there were more special features than the 10-minute behind the scenes featurette... perhaps the creators of the show talking about what they would have done with the show on season 2, giving closure to some of the open-ended storylines?

This is my original 'review', describing the problems I had with delivery of this product. Be aware that many people living outside the US had the exact same problem, and although it's been fixed now, there is no certainty whether this could happen again to future orders.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I ordered this DVD on November 4, 2010. It's March 14 and I still haven't received it. Amazon's online chat people have been unable to tell me why they haven't received it from the supplier, and can't offer me a solution other than to cancel my order.
Well, I'm a big Melrose Place fan and I don't want to cancel the order because Amazon is THE ONLY place where this dvd is available, but I wonder why Amazon is deceiving customers by saying 'this item ships in 3-5 days' when it clearly doesn't. I've pointed out to Amazon that they should change that line in the product description, and they have neglected to do so. I've informed them of this problem three times, and still, the product description still says 'ships in 3-5 days'. Well, it's been FOUR months for me, and nothing.
Perhaps whoever manufactures it will only do so when they reach a certain amount of orders?
Anyway, if you're a Melrose fan like me, think twice before you order this product. Chances are you'll be wasting your time waiting for a DVD that doesn't exist, hasn't been manufactured, or will never arrive.

I am a huge fan of both Melrose Place series. I was thrilled to find out that Amazon was releasing the new Melrose Place on dvd even though the show only lasted one season. This show was a wonderful successor to the original series and I loved every minute of it! The minute I found out it was released I placed my order and it came quickly and in perfect condition. I was very impressed with the quality of this product and I'm proud to placed it on my shelf with the rest of my Melrose Place dvds. Thank you Amazon!!!

The show is a Camp has given way to noir, soap has morphed into mystery, and acting and dialogue have become more sophisticated while alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity and even murder remain among the permanent residents of the fictitious 4616 Melrose Place. It's all brand new and shiny but comfortably familiar and keenly calculated. The pleasures abound within the walls of the new "MP," but be warned: You'll want to take a shower afterward.

The new Melrose Place may not be the old, but it is, all told, instantly engaging and--from the evidence--likely to remain so and This one is stylish, smartly produced and has a very appealing cast.

With murder, prostitution, blackmail and hot lesbians in just the first episode, it won't be long before that iconic swimming pool boils over. Innocence lost is always fun to watch, especially when it's this good-looking. Terrific fun, and much classier than the old show, but still with plenty of cheese.

The one bad thing about the show was Ashlee Simpson-Wentz what a horrible actress/ I think the show was canceled because of Ashlee Simpson bad acting.The star of this show totally goes to Katie Cassidy as Ella Simms. Watching her brought back many fond memories of the original Heather Locklear character Amanda.

I recommend everyone to buy this 6 disc edition of melrose place \ Plz join the fight to bring Melrose Place back to television for a second season on Facebook
The Official Campaign to Bring Melrose Place 2.0 to CBS.

I got this DVD for Christmas and it is awesome! The series comes in two DVD cases (3 discs per case) labeled Melrose Place: The DVD Edition Part 1 and Melrose Place: The DVD Edition Part 2. The only special feature on the series is a behind-the-scenes featurette called "Welcome Back: The New Melrose Place". The DVD menu is simple, it's just a selection of episodes (and special feature on the last disc), with 3 episodes on each disc.

What's on the back:
The title (Melrose Place: The DVD Edition, Part 1 of 2)
Pictures of the cast (very professional looking)
Summary: There's a new generation turning up the heat in television's most fabulous apartment complex as all 18 episodes of the new Melrose Place arrive on DVD! Katie Cassidy, Colin Egglesfield, Stephanie Jacobsen, Jessica Lucas, Michael Rady and Ashlee Simpson-Wentz deliver the sizzle as the sexy twenty-somethings who are friends, lovers and, sometimes, enemies. And watch as stars from the original Melrose Place return to amp up the excitement and intensify the drama. This 6-disc set--presented in two parts--includes a featurette with behind-the-scene footage and cast interviews. Come back to Melrose Place!

Here is each disc break down:

Disc 1
-Pilot (September 8, 2009)
-Nightingale (September 15, 2009)
-Grand (September 22, 2009)

Disc 2
-Vine (September 29, 2009)
-Canon (October 6, 2009)
-Shoreline (October 13, 2009)

Disc 3
-Windsor (October 20, 2009)
-Gower (November 3, 2009)
-Ocean (November 10, 2009)

Disc 4
-Cahuenga (November 17, 2009)
-June (December 1, 2009)
-San Vicente (December 8, 2009)
*Mid-Season Finale*

Disc 5
-Oriole (March 9, 2010)
-Stoner Canyon (March 6, 2010)
-Mulholland (March 23, 2010)

Disc 6
-Santa Fe (March 30, 2010)
-Sepulveda (April 6, 2010)
-Wilshire (April 13, 2010)
*Series Finale*
-Special Feature (Welcome Back: The New Melrose Place)
(Length: Approx. 12 mins.)

Specifications:
6-disc set
Audio: English Stereo
Run Time (Both Parts): Approx: 12 hr, 17 min.
Aspect Radio: 16:9

Overall, honestly the DVDs and cases look professionally made. It would have been great if it wouldn't have come in two different cases, but in 3 slim cases like 90210 Season 1 or one case like Glee: Season 1, or the re-issued version of One Tree Hill, but this is still great. It's the content that counts. Even though it only has one special feature, it's very good. It has interviews with the cast from the new and older version of Melrose Place. I gotta say, I'm pretty pleased with this DVD set.

This was a great show, I really wish it came back! I would love to see a second season of this show. I am hoping all these great reviews will bring the show back on air.

The original Melrose Place was created by the talented Darren Starr that brought us one of the funniest, sexiest TV shows in history, Sex and The City. Melrose Place was intended for a very different type of audience, and although this 2009 remake was done almost 2 decades after the origial show was conceived, the formulae that made the original show so addictive pretty much remained intact.

Staying true to the original, the show lost two of its original cast members barely halfway through the first season; everyone seems to get involved with, well, everyone; flashbacks happen so often that a character couldn't take a step forward without making your head spin with some deep dark secret; this is soap opera at its best, made with primetime quality with actors so good looking they make Barbie and Ken dolls look like Mr and Mrs Potato Heads.

It is a pity that the show never made it to the second season, granted, the show seemed to have lost its bearings somewhere around the middle of the first and only season, but in the end, one could not help but appreciate the fact that a soap opera like this is so much more refreshing over any of the 500 procedural cop dramas or reality shows cramming up the airwaves. If I came down with a flu or just felt like taking a day away from work, this is the kind of show I would like to spend the afternoon with. Not cop dramas and reality shows.

With Melrose Place 2009 riding off into the sunset, I am grateful that the show, however short lived, was immortalized in this double volume 6-disc set. However, CBS could really have given this show a much better send-off than in its current format.

DVD-Rs deteorates over time, so if the discs are not stored carefully (away from heat and humidity), you may find yourself unable to play them after a few years. The original broadcast was available in High Definition, but yet the episodes on each DVD was mastered in 480i (480 lines, interlacted video), you will see alot of horizontal lines if you watch the show on a big screen. The video is also compressed so much that half the time I feel myself distracted by the compression artifacts (digital blocks). The original 5.1 surround soundtrack was also downsampled into a sad 2 channel soundtrack, which is really a shame.