What insights do the stars of Melrose Place share about their journey since the show aired? How has the podcast Still the Place allowed them to reconnect and deepen their friendships? What unique aspects of 90s television do they reflect on in their discussions?
It’s been three decades since Melrose Place debuted on Fox — and Mondays haven’t mellowed one bit. They’re still a bitch.
Since last July — though not always on Mondays — Melrose Place stars Courtney Thorne-Smith, Daphne Zuniga, and Laura Leighton have been reuniting weekly for their iHeartRadio podcast, Still the Place. Each episode takes a nostalgic stroll down 4616 Melrose memory lane, as the trio revisits and recaps their old episodes.
“It was pre-cell phone, it was pre-streaming, it was appointment television. It’s when you got together to watch a television show with your friends so you could remember watching a show where you were in your life and who you were with,” Leighton says. “And that’s a unique thing we don’t get any more with television.”
Their journeys often include candid conversations with former castmates, including Thomas Calabro, Andrew Shue, Grant Show, Vanessa Estelle Williams, Doug Savant, Jack Wagner, Rob Estes, Josie Bissett, and, of course, Heather Locklear. More guest appearances are in the works, and Thorne-Smith confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Lisa Rinna is already on board.
Thorne-Smith — who portrayed aspiring advertising executive Alison Parker (fun fact: the fictional D&D Advertising Agency is the former home to THR) — says it’s the behind-the-scenes honesty — like Williams’ opening up about how the writers struggled to write for her character, Rhonda Blair; Savant talking about his groundbreaking role as the openly gay Matt Fielding; or script secrets revealed with writer Chuck Pratt and producer Chip Hayes — that makes the podcast, still exploring the series’ 32-episode first season, so compelling for fans and cast alike.
“[We} want to have the conversation with our friends,” says Thorne-Smith. “We want to be talking to them about what they remember and what was going on, because it’s so crazy the things you remember about what happened that day on set. What else was going on? It’s amazing how much you retain once you see it again.”
Each episode offers an insightful — and often hilarious — look back at the show’s storylines, iconic ’90s fashion (Thorne-Smith particularly zeros in each week on wardrobe choices, such as her character in a white negligee and uncomfortable bra), behind-the-scenes tea, topical issues of the times, production revelations, examinations of line deliveries by fellow actors, and the occasional virtual visits to dip in the courtyard pool.
“How did 33 years go by, and how did we jump ahead this far in real life to now be looking back at this, watching our super-younger selves?” asks Leighton, who played the saucy Sydney Andrews/Mancini/Field. “I’m struck by the uniqueness of that gift. It’s sort of a blessing and a curse to be able to look at your younger self forever captured on film. For better or worse, you get to see what was going on in your youth. And it’s also a unique and special thing that we get to share this time together.”
Sharing those past memories in the present have brought the three women closer, shares Zuniga, who portrayed photographer Jo Reynolds and was the first new character to move into the building after the departure of Amy Locane. While Zuniga admits she didn’t really know her co-hosts all that well back when the show was filming, she now has come to appreciate their special qualities.
“Even during our last ‘Melrose Minute,’ I was thinking — these two are amazing hosts,” Zuniga says. “Laura cooks, she’s raised four kids, and every time I called her, she was either driving to water polo, baseball, or juggling something else. It’s been so great really getting to know who we are as women now, because we didn’t get that chance back then.”
Zuniga — who shares that the three are now getting together for dinner parties and was touched that her co-hosts came to support her in an improvisational show — also speaks warmly about working with Thorne-Smith on the podcast.
“Courtney’s passion and joy for this podcast has been such a gift. I tend to look at things like, ‘OK, let’s get it done, check it off the list,’ but [she] always reminds me —‘Daphne, let’s have fun with this!’ And I love that. [she brings] this energy that says, ‘Let’s just enjoy it,’ and it’s been so refreshing.”
Leighton opens up about the enduring friendships among the cast, sharing that reconnecting after 30 years and working on the podcast has made them all closer.
“We were friends back then, for sure — but we were all really busy with work,” she says. “It was an amazing time, but there weren’t any big dramas. No one was feuding or not speaking to each other — it was just a friendly, supportive group. We were genuinely fond of one another.”
She reflects on how that foundation made reconnecting years later feel effortless.
“Because we had that mutual respect and kindness, it made it easy to go off and live our separate lives for 20 or 30 years,” she says. “We’d run into each other now and then — at auditions or events — but coming back together after all that time, we still really liked each other. And now, getting to know each other more deeply, it’s been such a gift.”
Thorne-Smith agrees with her co-stars, saying that real friendships have blossomed from Still the Place.
“That’s lucky, right? We could’ve come back together and thought, ‘Oof, maybe we should’ve just stayed friendly from a distance.’ But instead, we’ve actually become real friends — and that’s been really sweet,” she says.
She also touches on how rare and valuable friendship can be later in life: “At this stage in life, making new friendships isn’t always easy. So, the fact that we’ve reconnected and built something deeper now — it feels really special.”
Looking back on the old episodes for each actress has been a fun experience, and there is more to come as the storylines are about to get crazier. At the moment, Billy Campbell (Shue) and Alison Parker are still not an onscreen couple, and Michael Mancini (Calabro) is just about to start his steamy affair with Dr. Kimberly Shaw, portrayed by Marcia Cross. Estes is still portraying Mancini’s college friend, Sam (he later joined the show as another character, Kyle McBride), Sydney was introduced in a few episodes but is about to return in a bigger capacity on the show with forays into prostitution, getting held hostage by Shaw before she blows up the building and inadvertently joins a cult.
“There are so many fun storylines we haven’t even touched on in our recaps yet, and I’m really looking forward to it. The show started out as this sweet series about eight young people trying to make it, with each episode neatly wrapped up. But once the tone shifted — and especially by the time my character joined — it became something else entirely,” Leighton says. “We got to dive into wild, dramatic storylines, and I felt so lucky to be part of that. I remember reading some scripts, especially the ones where I had to strip, and thinking, ‘Wait, I have to do what?’ I was definitely uncomfortable at the time. But looking back, I really appreciate getting to play a character who went through such outrageous and fun twists. It was way more exciting than the neat little stories from the beginning.”
Asked if there are any storylines they wish were different, Zuniga reflects on what she described as the victimization of her character, from being conned and nearly murdered by James Wilder’s Reed to having her baby kidnapped and then beaten and abused by Dan Cortese’s character, Jess, brother of Show’s Jake Hanson.
“It was easy to make her a victim of bad relationships, but I wish she’d had more independence and career growth. Toward the end, it all felt repetitive — not just for my character, but for everyone,” she says. “That’s what happens when a show runs a long time.”
Rewatching the episodes has also given the actresses a greater appreciation for their fellow castmates, and when asked if they’d ever swap roles, they don’t hesitate to answer.
“I would’ve played Amanda because I feel like she got all the really good lines and I was the one going [in character], ‘Oh, oh,’” says Thorne-Smith. “That would’ve been nice to be the one who did zingers.”
Zuniga shares that if she could have swapped characters, Calabro’s Mancini would have been the most fun.
“Amanda had some great zingers, and I think Michael would’ve been a fun character to play — if he were a woman,” she says. “Maybe even Kimberly. She was so bold and unapologetically in your face. That would’ve been a blast to play.”
Shares Leighton, “I’ve always been partial to Sydney, but if I had to choose: Alison — so I could make out with Andrew.”
Quips Zuniga, “You mean in your trailer — between scenes?”
Speaking of kissing — this is Melrose Place — which guys were the best kissers?
“There were so many. Oh, so many,” says Thorne-Smith of her onscreen paramours, which included Shue, Show, David James Elliott, Brian Bloom, William R. Moses, Parker Stevenson, Perry King, and more. “I didn’t realize that would be the only time in my life and they’d be bussing cute boys in for me to kiss. I would have appreciated it more.”
Zuniga — who also kissed Show, Wilder, Cortese, Patrick Muldoon, and Brad Johnson on the show — doesn’t exactly kiss and tell, adding, “I liked all of the guys I kissed. They were all great. There’s this one guy that I didn’t [like kissing] and I’m not going to tell you who that is, because I don’t kiss and tell, but I did enjoy kissing all of them.”
Leighton — who smooched onscreen with Calabro, Show, Chad Lowe, Estes, and David Charvet, among others, shares: “It’s easier to remember your least favorite. But the one I never got to kiss on the show was my husband (Savant).”
Yes, real life did overlap on Melrose Place. Shue and Thorne-Smith dated, Leighton dated Show before marrying Savant, and then Locklear and Wagner later on after the show had wrapped.
“We were watching seasons five and six and jumped ahead to these episodes and we were laughing so hard at, like, just the crossover,” Leighton says. “It’s like I’m having a storyline with my friend Josie’s husband and she’s having a storyline with Grant, who I was dating at the time. And Courtney is now in a relationship with Grant, but now she used to be dating Andrew and like all this stuff was going on, the crossover of real life. And Heather and Jack are together on the show and they got together in real life later on.”
Thorne-Smith adds: “People would talk about it with me and say, ‘No, it wasn’t like that.’ We’re like, yeah, it really kind of was like that.”
While there is talk of a Melrose Place reboot in development in the future with CBS Studios (would Reynolds’ son, Austin, find his mother after being given up for adoption?), in the present, all three actresses are enjoying the past.
“When you revisit when you were younger, it’s a softer version of life,” shares Zuniga. “It’s a break from your mind right now dealing with life. It’s not that the time necessarily was trouble-free, but there’s something relaxing about letting the reality of right now go for a little bit.”
Melrose Place: A Nostalgic Dive into Crazy Storylines, Rewatching the Show, and the Quest for the Best Kisser
When "Melrose Place" first graced television screens in 1992, it became an unintentional cultural phenomenon that defined a generation’s view of love, betrayal, and the sometimes absurd nature of soap operas wrapped in a primetime package. Created by Darren Starr, the show was a spinoff of the iconic "Beverly Hills, 90210," but soon carved out its own identity as a wildly entertaining blend of melodrama and dark humor. As viewers today rediscover this beloved series through modern streaming platforms, they are treated to a cavalcade of outrageous storylines, and the ongoing debate of who could claim the title of the "best kisser" on the show.
Crazy Storylines that Defined the Series
"Melrose Place" thrived on outlandish narratives that quickly escalated from ordinary apartment life into the bizarre. The show featured a rich tapestry of characters that navigated love triangles, amnesia, murder, and even a few supernatural encounters. For instance, who could forget the infamous storyline involving a fake death, where the enigmatic character of Amanda Woodward, played by Heather Locklear, orchestrated a multitude of manipulative schemes, only to be embroiled in drama that left viewers shocked week after week?
One of the most captivating arcs involved the character of Sydney Andrews. Portrayed by the talented Laura Leighton, Sydney was central to many of the show’s most ludicrous plots, including her various tumultuous relationships and her “death” and subsequent return to the show. Her character’s trajectory exemplified the show’s propensity for outrageous twists, especially when her own sister, Jane, was left to navigate the fallout of Sydney’s fragile manipulations.
The show also introduced audiences to the idea of the “nightmare neighbor,” a trope that would become a staple in future series. Each character’s flaws were amplified to comical extremes; from infidelity to outlandish revenge plots, every storyline left an indelible mark on its loyal fan base.
Rewatching Melrose Place: A Nostalgic Experience
For those now revisiting "Melrose Place," the experience is as entertaining as it was in the 90s, albeit with an added layer of nostalgia. The fashion, the hairstyles, and the early days of cell phones are just a few elements that beautifully encapsulate the era. Fans of yesteryear can’t help but chuckle at the outfits or cringe at the over-the-top dialogue, both of which contribute to its endearing quality.
Streaming platforms have made it easier than ever to binge-watch the series from start to finish. As viewers settle in for a marathon, they can relish in the absurdity of "Melrose Place," often shouting at the television in disbelief during particularly ludicrous moments—like when Amanda sets a penthouse ablaze, or when David gets involved in criminal antics that lead to him being framed.
Rewatching also provides new insights, allowing audiences to appreciate the subtleties and dynamics of the characters in a way they may have missed the first time around. It becomes clear that the writing played with themes of ambition and desperation, highlighting how far each character would go for love or power, and just how ridiculous those actions often were.
The Search for the Best Kisser
Among the more playful aspects of the show is the ongoing debate about who deserves the title of the "best kisser" on "Melrose Place." With so many romantic entanglements, viewers were treated to a plethora of passionate make-out sessions. Whether it was Jake and Amanda’s undeniable chemistry or the tumultuous kiss shared between Billy and Alison, the show was filled with memorable moments that left viewers breathless.
Heather Locklear, as Amanda, often claimed the title for her sultry on-screen moments, especially given her character’s penchant for seduction and manipulation. Many fans argue that she set the standard for passionate kisses that seemed to captivate everyone around her. However, the debate continues, with many citing the electric chemistry between characters like Billy and Alison as contenders for the top spot.
As fans dissect the show, many find themselves reminiscing about their favorite romantic pairings, affirming that each kiss held significant weight in the storylines. The emotional intensity, combined with the often ridiculous contexts, saw the show effectively blend drama with undeniable charm.
Conclusion
"Melrose Place" will forever remain a landmark in television history. As fans continue to rediscover the outrageous plots, endearing characters, and memorable moments through rewatching, it becomes clear that the series transcended time. It not only entertained but also shaped our understanding of relationships, love, and friendship—albeit through an exaggerated lens. And as the debate rages on over the title of the best kisser, one thing is for sure: the legacy of "Melrose Place" will live on in the hearts of its viewers for decades to come.
“Melrose Place” was known for its outrageous storylines and memorable characters, making it a staple of 90s television. The series, which followed a group of young adults living in the same apartment complex, blended drama, romance, and scandalous twists that kept viewers hooked. Bold plots included love triangles, betrayals, and shocking plot twists, often featuring characters that would go to any lengths to achieve their desires.
Rewatching “Melrose Place” can be a nostalgic experience, as fans often find themselves revisiting the iconic moments and unforgettable catchphrases. The show’s mix of glamorous lifestyles and intense interpersonal drama created a captivating viewing experience. Not only did it showcase the fashion of the time, but it also tackled relevant social issues, often in over-the-top ways that defined the campiness of the era.
Among the cast, discussions often arise regarding who was the best kisser on the show. Whether it’s the passionate exchanges between characters or the intense romantic encounters, fans can debate the chemistry and memorable moments. Actors like Grant Show and Heather Locklear often come up in these conversations, as their on-screen romances left a lasting impression on viewers. The show’s dramatic passion and undeniable charisma made it iconic, creating lasting memories that fans cherish to this day.