Melrose Place E! True Hollywood Story -- June 15

[Pavan]

SEX, SCANDAL AND THE SWIMMING POOL…

“MELROSE PLACE”: THE E! TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY
PREMIERES ON SUNDAY, JUNE 15 AT 8:00 PM ET/PT

Casting Director Debra Rubinstein -- "I Wouldn’t Want to Watch a Show with Ugly People Running In and Out of Bed with Each Other.”

Los Angeles, June 12, 2003 - In the `90s, millions of twenty-something viewers hungrily devoured a weekly banquet of bitchiness, back-stabbing and bed-hopping while watching Melrose Place. Shockingly enough, the over-the-top plotlines had real-life parallels including complicated love triangles and career-threatening pregnancies. In this two-hour episode, E! exposes the juicy tale of a sizzling world where manipulating, two-timing double crossers became heroes and nice guys always finished last. This is the story of prime-time sexpots that wore their skirts too short, hunky boy toys who unabashedly broke hearts and unstoppable go-getters at the hottest address in the world, 4616 Melrose Place. Interviews for this episode include creator Darren Star and cast members Courtney Thorne-Smith, Grant Show, Jamie Lunar, Josie Bissett, Lisa Rinna, Thomas Calabro, Vanessa Williams and Antonio Sabato Jr., among others. “Melrose Place”: The E! True Hollywood Story premieres Sunday, June 15 at 8:00 PM ET/PT.



In this episode:



Executive Producer Darren Star on the set’s centerpiece-- "The pool was the key. It’s sexy.”



TV Guide writer Mary Murphy on gay character Matt Fielding-- "Doug Savant (Matt Fielding) in his real life was straight and eventually got married and had children. But he, at the time, wanted to hide from the press that he was not gay. It was very funny, because all the gay actors at the time were desperately trying to hide from the press that they were gay!"



Star on “Melrose Place” being a spin off of “Beverly Hills 90210”-- "Sandy Grushow said, ‘You know what? These guys, they can have sex, they’re in their 20’s.’ It was like a cloud had lifted. It changed the tone of the show."



Co-star Daphne Zuniga (Jo Reynolds) on Heather Locklear joining the cast -- "Heather brought viewers because she’s like this sexy Mama, and you know, I guess bitchy and sexy sells!"



Linden Ashby (Dr. Brett Cooper) on the criticism the show received – “I was just absolutely unprepared for the negative kind of baggage that went with being on that show.”



Co-star Grant Show (Jake Hanson) -- "Did I ever feel exploited on the show? Of course I did! I mean heck, you know, how many times were we in the friggin’ pool? We could’ve done this scene anywhere, but no. We gotta get, you know, gotta put the bathing suit on, you know, get the shirt off."



Show on the lack of alcohol and drug abuse among show members in real life – “We were too busy to be involved with drugs and alcohol in Melrose Place, you can’t go on a cocaine bender and then show up for work the next day. It’s just not possible.”



Lisa Rinna (Taylor McBride) on the revealing wardrobes – “Every chance they got they had me in the most ridiculous outfits. I’d answer the door, you know, in lingerie. My skirts got shorter. I mean I think the last time I wore a skirt it was up to my crotch.”



Alexandra Paul (Teri O’Brien) on the writing – “Melrose Place is so great. You can be a nun one day and pretty much a slut the next. Isn’t that fun for an actor?”



Grant Show on the sex scenes – “The secret to good desk sex is, uh, making sure that the pencils aren’t sharp.”