The lives and loves of a group of young adults living in "Melrose Place" in
California. Each with their own dreams and drives, the inevitable
conflicts, conquests, and consummations ensue.
This Aaron Spelling series -with characteristic attractive, but not (yet)
famous, casting- is set in and named after an apartment block in the West
Hollywood district of Los Angeles, just affordable -even if some take a
roommate- for a number of tweens who hope to start their adult life from
there in the huge metropolis. The early tenants include Billy Campbell, an
optimistic, pleasant would be-writer, Allison Parker, a neurotic-anal
employee who has a love-hate-relationship with him, Matt Fielding, a noble
gay social worker, Dr. Michael Mancini who also acts as (unqualified)
superintendent, his partner Jane Andrews whose ambition is in fashion,
handy-man Jake Hanson -also the artificial link with Spelling hit series
Beverly Hills 90210- and photographer Jo Reynolds. At first it focuses on
their neighborly and amical/amorous relationships, but as they get started
in life their professional lives introduce new story lines, lovers and
other characters, some of which become very important and/or move in, such
as Michael's hospital rival Peter Burns, Billy and Allison's boss Amanda
Woodward, Jane's crazy sister Sidney and many others, so the series evolves
from a young soap to a mix of more dramatical stories, including adultery,
divorce, even violent crimes.
Set in an apartment block in the West Hollywood district of Los Angeles,
Melrose Place was originally a spin-off from Beverly Hills 90210, but when
its initial formula of looking at the lives of a group of well-meaning,
attractive 20-somethings failed to get high ratings, writers introduced
conflict in the form of less moral characters (notably Amanda Woodward
played by Heather Locklear). Ratings improved, and storylines became more
and more outrageous: characters coming back from the dead, multiple
personalities, a bomb destroying the apartment complex. By the end of
Season 4, story-lines appeared to tend towards being more "grounded",
however.
